How Safe Are RV Rental Road Trips?

Above, a KOA Kampground in West Yellowstone, Montana. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since the coronavirus hit the U.S. people have been shut-in at home and are suffering from severe cabin fever and crave getting out and travel. But at the same time, they feel that now is not the time to take a flight, go on a cruise or stay in hotels.

RV travel is a lot more appealing. Sales of RVs have skyrocketed as have rentals. But are rental RV trips safe?

The Denver Channel discusses seven safety concerns in a new article.

They begin it with:

If you’re feeling cabin fever lately but still aren’t ready to jump on an airplane, you might be inclined to opt for an RV road trip this fall or winter.

In a lot of ways, recreational vehicles mitigate a number of travel risks, like potentially sitting for hours in a metal tube near a sick passenger or walking through hallways and sharing elevators with other hotel guests. You reduce exposure to potential germs lingering in a room, and you’ll likely be able to skip restaurants in favor of cooking on your own with regularity.

RV rental company Cruise America said in an email that such concerns have led to a 50% year-over-year increase in first-time RV renters between April and August 2020. In fact, one-third of leisure travelers say a road trip will be their reentry point into travel once it’s safe to do so, according to Kampgrounds of America’s 2020 North American Camping Report.

But with so many novice RV renters comes a lot of new realizations. A spokesperson for Cruise America told us the company’s experienced a 30%-40% year-over-year increase in time spent on the phone with customers to answer questions, adding that some customers are uncertain about how to drive their vehicles and how to use campgrounds.

And some first-time RV renters are realizing that RV road trips aren’t automatically a safer bet than a more traditional vacation. Here are seven RV safety concerns you should be aware of before booking your first RV rental.

To see what they are, go here. 

Grand Teton National Park Smashes September Vacation Record

Above, one of the Grand Tetons is reflected on Jackson Lake. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As reported earlier, Yellowstone National Park had a record number of visitors in September.

Its neighbor to the south, Grand Teton National Park also had a record number of visitors in September.

Cowboy State Daily reported:

Grand Teton National Park hosted an estimated 603,789 recreation visits in September 2020, a 17% increase compared to September 2019. 

Park statistics show that September 2020 saw the highest number of recreation visits on record for the month of September.

The list below shows the September trend for recreation visits over the last several years:

2020—603,789

2019—517,265

2018—558,788

2017—482,661

2016—492,451

In general, hiking use in the park increased approximately 54%, camping in concession-operated campgrounds increased 24% and backcountry camping increased 79% in September 2020 compared to September 2019.

To read more, go here. 

UFO Sightings During The Pandemic

Above, my reprint copy of the famous "flying saucer" front
page of the Roswell Daily Record. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Roswell Daily Record, the newspaper made famous in 1947 when it headlined the finding of a crashed "flying saucer" in an area ranch, has an article on UFO sightings during the pandemic.

Unfortunately, the pandemic forced the cancelation of the Roswell UFO Festival (I attended the 2018 festival) this year.

They wrote:

Sometimes a walk down memory lane is more appealing when it’s lined with little green men and the path is lit by otherworldly lights from above. Figuratively speaking.

That might sound like a nightmare in some places. But looking back over the past six months, the absence of those things locally — at least in their usual volume — has contributed to making this a year to forget in Roswell, at least so far.

We’ve become accustomed here to a fairly high level of UFO-related discussion and activity.

As ground zero for perhaps the world’s most famous UFO-related incident and decades of debate and analysis related to that; home to the International UFO Museum and Research Center; and host of a world-famous UFO Festival … well, it would be odd if Roswell’s UFO-related activity didn’t exceed that of a typical U.S. community. Safe to say, in most years, that’s the case.

But the pandemic has forced all manner of adjustments — cancellation this year of the annual festival with its lineup of speakers, thousands of visitors and attendant spotlight; and state-mandated closure for a time of the Museum and Research Center. It’s made for less discussion on the topic of extraterrestrial life in 2020 than we’d experience most years in Roswell.

Above, the famous Roswell welcome sign. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here.

50 Best Alien Movies Ever Made

Above, a replica Gort from The Day The Earth Stood Still at the
 Roswell International UFO Museum. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since summer is over and autumn has arrived (with winter just around the corner), many will find themselves indoors and needing something to do. One idea to keep occupied is to watch alien movies.

Madison.com has compiled a list of the 50 best alien movies ever made. Several Star Trek movies made the list, by the way.

Before listing the 50 best, they wrote:

Humanity’s ideas of alien existence often says more about us than the little green men we envision. Our conception of life beyond Earth reflects our collective hopes and fears about the unknown and about technology, as well as our knowledge of the larger universe — which changes dramatically as time goes on.

No medium has more vividly captured and utilized scenarios of extraterrestrial life better than film. Aliens first appeared on screen in 1902, in Georges Méliès’s “A Trip to the Moon.” After 1947 — in which civilian pilot Kenneth Arnold’s UFO sightings and the discovery of a mysterious “flying disc” near Roswell, New Mexico occurred — a subculture devoted to otherworldly creatures called “ufology” emerged, leaving a lasting mark on cinema.

As America dealt with the Red Scare in the 1950s, influential alien films like “The Day the Earth Stood Still” and “War of the Worlds” used intergalactic characters to reflect citizens’ fear of Communism and other “outsiders,” as well as humanity's penchant to destroy itself from within. Extraterrestrials were also common sci-fi horror monsters, ranging from the titular alien in Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic to the shape-shifting arctic creature in “The Thing.” However, in the 1970s and 1980s, friendlier and sometimes lovable aliens were also reflected in movies such as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” and “Cocoon.” These days, otherworldly characters appear in a wide range of roles, from the alien force that mutates biological creatures in “Annihilation” to the more kindly, time-bending heptapods of “Arrival.”

With the wide number of alien movies throughout the history of film, how can viewers determine which extraterrestrial features are most worth their time? To answer that question, Stacker compiled data (as of Sept. 2, 2020) on all sci-fi movies on Letterboxd, the film-based social media network, and selected the top 50 alien movies, ranked according to their average Letterboxd score. To qualify, aliens had to be main characters or central to the plot of the film.

Here are the best alien movies of all time, starting at No. 50 and counting down to No. 1.

To see the list, go here. 

Exaggerated UFO Reports?

Above, the Roswell International UFO Museum and Research Center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since many of us have been cooped up and going crazy for months, is boredom causing people to see more UFOs in the sky?

Astronomy Magazine seems to think so and they've posted an article about it.

They begin with:

This year, humanity has been forced to spend agonizing amounts of time cooped up at home. We’re upset. We’re bored. And we’re getting stir crazy. But has that translated into more people seeing unidentified flying objects? A surge of news stories have suggested that UFO sightings are on the rise around the world, with world-weary skyglancers reporting a growing number of alien encounters from Belgium to New York City.

However, not even so-called UFOlogists are really buying it, as the evidence for such claims is surprisingly weak. One website, the National UFO Reporting Center, noted a spike in sightings back in spring as the Pentagon released its juicy UFO tapes. But another popular reporting database, Mutual UFO Network, saw no such trend.

In fact, sightings have generally dropped in recent years, even as UFO investigators say they’re seeing an increasing number of people reporting easily identifiable objects. From blurry bugs to airplanes, from bright planets to Starlink satellites, cell phone-wielding observers have become increasingly confused by what's in the night sky.

To read more, go here.

New Twitter Account For Rush Limbaugh

During his show yesterday, Rush Limbaugh (El Rushbo) announced his new Twitter account.

Here's what he said:

RUSH: Let me run through this one more time then we’ll hit the brakes and get back to the phones. I know what my reputation is on social media. I know I rip it, and that hasn’t changed. I think all the things about social media I’ve been critical of are still relevant. But we got three weeks left here, folks. Three weeks left to preserve the American way of life. That’s what I think this election is about. We’re gonna leave everything on the field in support of Trump. In fact, we’re gonna use as much at our disposal as we can.

Trump’s the last man standing as a wall between the American way of life that we know and a radical left agenda that seeks basically to destroy this country as founded. So we fired up a new Twitter account. We’ve had a bunch of them out there, and we’ve used them for various things. We’ve never used Twitter as most people do. Most people use Twitter, post your 140 character thing, you hit send and then you hope you haven’t gotten yourself in trouble. That’s not how we’ve used it. We’ve used it to cross-promote between RushLimbaugh.com and other vehicles. And that’s primarily what’s going to continue.

But we are going to use Twitter and this new Twitter account as a means of furthering the cause. This new Twitter account has a new handle, and this is the only handle that you should use from now on in accessing my Twitter account. It is @RealRLimbaugh. 

We’re gonna be able to tweet out brilliance in a moment’s notice anything that I happen to say that we can make a short video clip out of and post it and get it out there, that’s how we intend to — I may be writing some posts, I don’t know. But primarily it’s a way to provide instant distribution beyond the radio program of things that happen on the radio program, because that is the objective. So, be sure to follow and be sure to look out for what you’re going to revel in as new wisdom is being posted @RealRLimbaugh. That’s the new handle.

So, if you want to get the latest information, follow Rush's Twitter page. 

Travel + Leisure: Godzilla Zip Line In Japan

Above, a view inside Godzilla's mouth. 

One can usually tell if there's excitement for a new attraction by the media attention it gets. Well, Travel + Leisure posted an article on the new Godzilla (actually, Shin Godzilla) zip line in Japan.

They wrote:

A “life-size” Godzilla is striking fear into the hearts of visitors at a Japanese theme park.

Making its mark at Nijigen no Mori Park on Awaji Island at its debut last week, the “Godzilla Interception Operation Awaji” is a massive zip line attraction letting followers experience something out of a horror movie.

Visitors start out on a platform and zip line directly into the glowing belly of the beast. After zipping down, there is a shooting game, where visitors try to stop Godzilla cells from growing.

To read more, go here. 

Jim Acosta Gets Nickname From James Woods

Leave it to actor James Woods to give CNN's Jim Acosta a new nickname.

Moo Day In Six Mile Canyon

Above, a mother and her calf leaving the windmill. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today, I took another drive in Six Mile Canyon in the Cibola National Forest of New Mexico near Jamestown.

It was a pleasant day in the 70s.

During my drive I stopped at a previously-used campsite. The campsite was primitive with no tables or anything else with the exception of a rock campfire ring.

After checking out the campsite, I proceeded further into the canyon. I turned onto a small side road that leads to the windmill. At the windmill, a mother cow was standing there with her calf. Both kept watchful eyes on me.

I turned around to head back onto Six Mile Canyon Road. As I did so, I saw about a dozen more cows at the trees near the road. I didn't spot them when I drove in.

Naturally, I took some snapshots:

Above, at the campsite. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, mother cow and calf at the windmill. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, mom and calf walking to a group of cows. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above and below, a group of cows enjoying the shade. Photos by Armand Vaquer.

Rita Hayworth

Above, the iconic Life magazine photo of Rita Hayworth of 1941.

After watching Circus World (1964) with John Wayne, Claudia Cardinale and Rita Hayworth last night, I did some checking up on Hayworth this morning. I don't recall seeing any of her films, but I am familiar with the iconic Life magazine photo of her taken in the 1940s during her heyday.

According to Wikipedia:

Margarita Carmen Hayworth (née Cansino; October 17, 1918 – May 14, 1987) was an American actress and dancer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined the term "The Love Goddess" to describe Hayworth after she had become the most glamorous screen idol of the 1940s. She was the top pin-up girl for GIs during World War II.

Hayworth is perhaps best known for her performance in the 1946 film noir Gilda, opposite Glenn Ford, in which she played the femme fatale in her first major dramatic role. She is also known for her performances in Only Angels Have Wings (1939), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), Pal Joey (1957), and Separate Tables (1958). Fred Astaire, with whom she made two films, You'll Never Get Rich (1941) and You Were Never Lovelier (1942), once called her his favorite dance partner. She also starred in the Technicolor musical Cover Girl (1944), with Gene Kelly. She is listed as one of the top 25 female motion picture stars of all time in the American Film Institute's survey, AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars.

In 1980, Hayworth was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, which contributed to her death at age 68. The public disclosure and discussion of her illness drew attention to Alzheimer's, which was largely unknown by most people at the time, and helped to increase public and private funding for Alzheimer's research.

President Ronald Reagan, who had been one of Hayworth's contemporaries in Hollywood, issued a statement:

Rita Hayworth was one of our country's most beloved stars. Glamorous and talented, she gave us many wonderful moments on stage and screen and delighted audiences from the time she was a young girl. In her later years, Rita became known for her struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Her courage and candor, and that of her family, were a great public service in bringing worldwide attention to a disease which we all hope will soon be cured. Nancy and I are saddened by Rita's death. She was a friend who we will miss. We extend our deep sympathy to her family.

"Circus World" (1964) With John Wayne

Last night, I went to bed a bit later than usual. Curiosity got to me after Carl Glass posted his review of Circus World (1964) starring John Wayne, Claudia Cardinale and Rita Hayworth. It was directed by Henry Hathaway.

Up until last night, I hadn't seen Circus World since I was a kid, so I didn't remember it except for the fire sequence. Carl told me that the whole movie can be seen on YouTube. That's what I did.

As far as cinematography goes, Circus World is quite a colorful movie.

Here's Carl's review (which is also my assessment):

I am not the worlds greatest movie critic. When it comes to John Wayne films I am a huge fan. However, not every film he made is in the category of great. For years I avoided watching the 1964 film, 'Circus World' with John Wayne, Claudia Cardinale, Rita Hayworth, Lloyd Nolan, John Smith and Richard Conte. Mostly due to its bad ratings by critics. I decided I was going to watch it this evening with an open mind. 

It wasn't the greatest of productions but the acting was there. You had Rita Hayworth who was a long lost love interest of Wayne that had left him with a daughter of another father. Who protected her for years and a part of the circus. Hayworth didn't show much later into the film. She was on the downslide of her career at that time as was one of my all time favorites, Richard Conte who I felt was miscast in this film. Claudia Cardinale was a youngster in this film whose performance was magnificent an played the adopted daughter of Wayne and the love child of Rita Hayworth of another circus performer who she murdered. The brother of Richard Conte. It is quite a twisted plot. I love Lloyd Nolan in just about anything he did in film and TV. I thought John Smith was a great cast member in this film. Kudo's to his  performance. 

If anyone is familiar with Smith, he starred in the TV series in the early 60s on, 'Laramie' with Robert Fuller. It's a film about the times and trials of a circus owner who seemed to have lost it all, who again found success in Europe gathering many of the most talented performers in the genre. And I can find good in a film where there is redemption between a daughter and a mother. I thought the film was a little bit better than the critics gave it.

Circus World was a good diversion for John Wayne fans. Claudia Cardinale is always good eye candy and especially so in this movie. 

A Drive Into Cibola National Forest

Above, at the old corral at the gate to Cibola National Forest/Six Mile Canyon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Despite today being a windy day, that didn't stop me from getting the Jeep out for a little drive into Cibola National Forest/Six Mile Canyon near Jamestown.

Considering that we only have about two months left to drive into Cibola National Forest before it is closed for the winter on December 15, I figured on getting much driving in before that time. I got a good workout today, which would please my cardiologist.

I decided to drive a side road that starts just inside the gate into the national forest. There were a number of people on this road (some were hauling loads of firewood, illegal, I presume since it is a national forest). 

One note, on the way out on Six Mile Canyon road, a tractor was hard at work grading the road at a I-40 culvert. When winter comes and the rains of spring, this will likely get washed out, making the road almost impassable.

But, during my drive, I did take some pictures (naturally).

 

Another Dry Week

Above, an evening fire a couple of days ago. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is more evident that we're now in autumn. At least so far this year, unlike last year, we're not jumping directly into winter from summer.

This coming week will be another dry week with temperatures not reaching the 80s, only staying in the 70s.

According to the National Weather Service:

Today

Sunny, with a high near 72. West wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 39. West wind 15 to 20 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.

Columbus Day

Sunny, with a high near 74. Light and variable wind becoming west 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Monday Night

Clear, with a low around 41. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable in the evening.

Tuesday

Sunny, with a high near 77. Light and variable wind becoming northwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning.

Tuesday Night

Clear, with a low around 43.

Wednesday

Sunny, with a high near 78.

Wednesday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 43.

Thursday

Sunny, with a high near 73.

Thursday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 38.

Friday

Sunny, with a high near 73.

Friday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 40.

Saturday

Sunny, with a high near 74.

Imperial Hotel Dinner, 5 Years Ago

Above, the dinner group at the Imperial Viking Sal restaurant in the Imperial Hotel.

In about an hour or so, it will be October 12 in Tokyo, Japan.

That will mark five years since I threw a dinner party at the Imperial Hotel in the Hibiya section of Tokyo with friends from Toho Co., Ltd. consisting of former Toho Pictures President Shogo Tomiyama, former Toho Los Angeles general managers Masaharu Ina and Shozo Watanabe, director Yoshikazu Ishii, translator Jessica Claros (in case translating were needed) and Denise Santos.

We dined at the Imperial Viking Sal, a buffet-style restaurant with a superb view of the National Diet Building.

Shin Godzilla was in production at the time and much of the dinner conversation centered around it.

It is amazing how quickly five years had passed. 

I was considering going to Japan this year (around about this time), but the coronavirus pandemic put a stop on that idea. Next year, perhaps.

3-Year-Old Severely Burned After Falling Into A Thermal Pool

Above, a geothermal pool in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I blame the parents for this.

If people are going to bring their very young children to Yellowstone National Park, they need to keep them under tight control, even as far has having a leash on them. They can't be left running loose around geysers and geothermal pools.

From The News & Observer:

A 3-year-old has second-degree thermal burns after slipping and falling into a scalding thermal pool, Yellowstone National Park said.

The child took off running away from the trail, slipped and fell into the boiling water, the park said Friday in a news release. They have thermal burns on their lower body and back and had to be lifelighted to the burn center at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.

“The ground in hydrothermal areas is fragile and thin, and there is scalding water just below the surface,” the park said. “Visitors must always remain on boardwalks and trails and exercise extreme caution around thermal features.”

There have been other severe injuries and fatalities from the thermal pools and geysers at Yellowstone over the recent years (the article recounts some).

To read more, go here.

Dinner At The El Rancho Hotel

Above, at the El Rancho Hotel restaurant in Gallup.

This evening, Larry Lucier and I headed out to Gallup to have dinner at the El Rancho Hotel. Larry wanted to treat me to dinner as a "thank you" for helping him with different things.

Above, the chile rellenos before digging in. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The El Rancho Hotel didn't have outdoor dining, so we ate inside the hotel restaurant. Since it has been a while since I last chile rellenos, that's what I decided to have (along with a house margarita).

Above, the buck mule deer. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

On the way back to his house, we spotted a male mule deer near Whispering Cedars Road, about a block away from my house and near Meeko the llama's pen. We stopped to get a few pictures, but it was too dark out and he was too far away for flash to be effective.

It was an enjoyable evening. 

Phyllis Coates Named "Saturday Sultress" By The Federalist Blog

Above, Phyllis Coates as Lois Lane.

Over at The Federalist blog, actress Phyllis Coates (television's first Lois Lane) has be named this week's "Saturday Sultress".

According to the blog post:

Phyllis Coates (born January 15, 1927) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of reporter Lois Lane in the 1951 film Superman and the Mole Men and in the first season of the television series Adventures of Superman.

Above, yours truly with Phyllis Coates at a Hollywood collectors show. Photo by Carl Glass.

To read more, go here. (Beware, it is a political blog.)

The Democrats' Scheme To Stack The Supreme Court

If Joe Biden and Kamala Harris win and the Democrats retake the U.S. Senate and retain their majority in the House, the spectre of packing (or stacking) the U.S. Supreme Court with additional justices, all radical liberals, could become a reality. If that should happen, you can kiss your constitutional rights, such as the Second Amendment, goodbye. That will almost guarantee a new civil war.

Biden and Harris have so far dodged questions on court-packing and ending the senate's filibuster rule.

"They'll know my opinion on court-packing when the election is over," Biden said in Arizona. Harris, during the primary campaign, came out in favor of court-packing.

Mike Davis, founder of The Article III Project and President and founder of Internet Accountability Project, wrote in Newsweek.com:

Enter court-packing. The call to add seats to the Supreme Court is so extreme that even President Franklin D. Roosevelt was unable to achieve it at a time when Congress rubber-stamped the rest of his agenda. In 1937, FDR proposed adding six justices to the nation's highest bench (one for every justice over the age of 70), to flip the Court to one that would allow his unconstitutional New Deal policies to stand. Congress—overwhelmingly controlled by FDR's own party—rejected the idea, and the number nine has remained secure...until now.

How is such a radical idea even possible? The Constitution does not specify how many justices sit on the Supreme Court. We have not always had nine Supreme Court justices. At first, we had six justices, all appointed by President George Washington. Over the next 80 years, the number fluctuated, but it has remained at nine since 1869—more than 150 years ago, right after the Civil War.

If Democrats, who already control the House of Representatives, maintain that majority and also retake the Senate and the White House, Americans should expect them to attempt this extreme court-packing scheme. Congress, led by a Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and a Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), would determine the number of justices. A President Biden would certainly sign any such legislation passed by a Democrat-controlled Congress. This is not hysteria: Biden and Harris include "structural court reforms" in their 2020 Democratic Party platform.

Currently, the Senate—created by our Founders as the "cooling saucer" for the hot tea sent over by the House—operates with a procedure known as a filibuster. In short, a filibuster requires approval from 60 of the 100 senators as a procedural hurdle to clear in order to pass most legislation. Any court-packing proposal is subject to the filibuster rule. Assuming that Senate Republicans employ the filibuster during a Biden-Harris administration, Democrats could respond by "going nuclear"—eliminating the legislative filibuster and lowering the vote threshold from 60 to 51.

The Senate has operated with the legislative filibuster since the 1830s. With it eliminated, the Senate could pass a court-packing scheme by a simple majority vote. The liberal-controlled House of Representatives, which already operates by a simple majority, also would pass it—and a President Biden (or a President Harris, if he doesn't make it that long) would sign it. The number of justices would then change from nine to 11 or more—new seats the president would quickly fill with left-wing politicians in black robes.

Court-packing will lead America to a very dangerous dead end, as these liberal justices will take away our constitutional rights to speak, associate, worship and protect our families. And that's the Democrats' plan, even if Biden and Harris won't publicly admit it. The year 2020 has proven that Democrats have no qualms about destroying America as we know it.

That is why it is vital to re-elect President Trump and vote for Republican legislative candidates.

To read more, go here.

Yellowstone: September 2020 Busiest On Record

Above, bison in a Yellowstone meadow. Photo by Aramdn Vaquer.

We may be in a pandemic (which is debatable), but that hasn't stopped people from visiting Yellowstone National Park in September.

Fact is, last month was the park's busiest September on record.

According to the Big Horn Radio Network:

After nearly breaking its August visitation record, Yellowstone National Park experienced its highest September visitation in history.

Park officials released the latest year-to-date numbers along with September’s totals. The park hosted 837,499 recreation visits in September, an 21% increase from September 2019, and the highest number on record for Yellowstone for September visitation.

This is the continuation of a trend of high visitation. August 2020’s visitation was 7.5% higher than August 2019 with 881,453 visits. Only August 2017 was busier — the year a total solar eclipse was visible in the park and across Wyoming.

The park’s annual visitation is still below recent years. By the end of September, 3,383,872 recreation visits were recorded.

That’s an 11% decline from the same period in 2019 (3,807,815.)

To read more, go here. 

Reasons Why Winnebago Will Be 2021 Winner

Above, my 2015 Winnebago Minnie Winnie 22R in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

2020 has been a weird year more ways than one. 

And that goes for the RV industry. When the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S., it appeared that it would seriously hurt the industry.

But it turns out that the pandemic has been a blessing to the RV industry. People began to see that traveling in a RV is safer than flying and staying in hotels. 

Although many people are wanting to get into the "RV lifestyle", initial closures put a crimp on RV manufacturers and their suppliers. 

According to Market Beat, 2021 will be a bigger year for RV manufacturers. This includes Winnebago Industries.

They wrote:

2020 has been an up-and-down year for the RV companies, and Winnebago (NYSE: WGO) has been no exception. Even though a lot of people want an RV, pandemic-related disruptions and economic uncertainty have contributed to fewer people getting new RVs than you might expect.

But even though its been a rocky road in 2020, 2021 promises to be much better. Here are five reasons why the RV industry – and Winnebago in particular – are set for a 2021 boom.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Eased Entry Rules, But Hurdles Remain

Above, the arrival lobby of Narita Airport's Terminal 2 in the "good 'ol days". Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan has eased entry rules for people coming into the country, but there are still hurdles that people have to "jump" in order to enter.

The country is still closed to tourism, but some with family and business in Japan can enter.

According to The Japan Times:

The international arrivals lobby at Haneda Airport Terminal 3 in Tokyo was eerily quiet Monday, with only a limited number of passengers from such destinations as Paris, Manila and Seattle showing up.

One of them was Barbara Tomiyama, 54, who arrived on a flight from Manila. She said she found the whole process of entering Japan — including the submission of a certificate showing a negative test for COVID-19 within 72 hours prior to departure, taking antigen saliva tests upon arrival and the need to self-isolate for 14 days — “very inconvenient.”

“It’s time-consuming,” she said, having spent about two hours passing the inspections, adding that she came back to her home in Tokyo to live with her son who has permanent residence status.

She said she arranged for her brother-in-law to pick her up at the airport, as the use of public transportation is prohibited during the self-quarantine period.

Still, some others passed the inspection quickly in around an hour or so, as the saliva-based test to detect coronavirus infections can show results within 30 minutes. A 49-year-old American man who flew from Seattle for business said he found the process of entering Japan “very easy.”

“There’s very few people, almost nobody in there, so I’m happy it was pretty easy” to get through the inspection, said the man, who declined to be identified but said he works for the U.S. military.

He added that during the quarantine period of 14 days, he would have to limit his business activities to those done by phone.

Despite onerous inspections, they are still considered the lucky ones, as many foreign nationals are unable to get a coronavirus test within 72 hours prior to their departure. That, along with the two-week self-isolation requirement and other strict conditions, may explain why so few of them can come to Japan despite the eased entry rules this month.

To read more, go here. 

Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q

Above, one of the dining areas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yesterday was spent in Albuquerque with Larry and Greg Lucier taking care of business (theirs and mine).

Above, the order counter. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We wrapped up the day at Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q in town. I had never heard of them before. Apparently, they are a popular small restaurant chain of barbecued food (beef, chicken, turkey and pork) and all the trimmings in the southwest. There have restaurants in Texas (where it started), Oklahoma, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. 

According to them they serve "Real Texas Bar-B-Q" (which should thrill Glenn Thornhill). There are two locations in Albuquerque.

According to their website:

Just north of San Antonio, at the edge of the Texas Hill Country, sits the small community of Leon Springs. Founded in the 1800s by Max Aue, Leon Spring's cityscape changed when Max's son, Rudolph, opened a one-stop gas station, garage, and grocery store.

Bar-B-Q was added to the operation in 1989, and Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q has been serving up tasty food ever since. The same original recipes that built Rudy's Leon Springs' reputation are now available throughout the Southwest.

Our pits are 100% wood fired with oak, a slower burning wood than the mesquite used by others. Along with time and oak, we cook with a dry spice that ensures each plate of Rudy's Bar-B-Q is perfectly ready for you. Apply some of our famous " Sause" and dinner is served.

Above, Greg Lucier selecting sodas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I had the half chicken and it was quite good. Along with that, I also had the barbecue beans (very good) and potato salad (excellent). 

Above, the meat slicing station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Naturally, social distancing was enforced for indoor and outdoor dining. We ended up outdoor. 

Above, one of the other indoor dining areas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Before we headed back to Jamestown, I stopped at their "store" (they didn't have too much) and picked up a bottle of their barbecue sauce (which is quite good). I like to try out different barbecue sauces. It is interesting to see their spelling of "sause".

Above, the bottle of barbecue sauce I brought home. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I got back home around 8:00 last night. It was a clear night with the Milky Way band clearly visible.

To access their website, go here.

Trump Nixes "Virtual Debate"

It as reported that the presidential debate commission would make the next debate a "virtual debate", as was reported by Breitbart.

However, Fox News reported that President Trump won't "waste my time" on a virtual debate. 

James Woods On Last Night's VP Debate

 

What A B*tch!

In watching tonight's vice presidential debate, I can easily see why Sen. Kamala Harris had to drop out of the presidential campaign before a single vote was cast.

She was snarky, fidgety, uptight and displayed a very thin skin. When boxed in, she cried out that she would not be "lectured". She came close (twice) to losing her cool. Poor baby. Plus, she took a page from Joe Biden's book and sat there making faces. That's vice presidential? And, she lied like dog.

Vice President Mike Pence, was calm, reasoned and rebutted strongly, but respectfully. When Harris told a whopper, he would start his response with, "You have a right to your opinions, but not to your own facts." 

Susan Page was a little better as a moderator than Chris Wallace, but she still showed her liberal bias when posing her questions. 

Vice President Mike Pence easily won this debate.

Typical Biden Supporter?

I've been to a lot of places in several states over the past few weeks, but today I spotted the first Biden sign since the campaign began. I have seen many Trump signs at businesses and residences during my travels.

Above, a Biden-Harris sign in a yard with junk and derelict cars strewn about. Photo by Armand Vaquer. 

"Trump" In Bel Aire Along The 405

Yesterday, activists erected a "Hollywood sign" style "Trump" sign along the San Diego Freeway (I-405) in the Bel Aire section of Los Angeles.

According to GOP congressional candidate Mark Reed:

Below, the downed sign:

Although the sign remained up for six hours, photos of it has gone viral, so it served its purpose.

Biden Would Ban and Criminalize Popular Sports Rifles

If you happen to be a proponent of the Second Amendment, you had better read the following article on Joe Biden's (and the Democrats) plans to ban and criminalize the most popular centerfire rifles.

The Daily Caller reported:

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearm industry, is focusing on former Vice President Joe Biden’s radical antigun campaign promise to ban, register and confiscate the most popular selling centerfire rifles – the modern sporting rifle – sold in America today. Biden borrowed a page from the failed campaign of Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke to craft an agenda that would hobble Constitutionally-protected rights for law-abiding Americans.

“Joe Biden’s gun grab isn’t original, but is it is shockingly honest that they admit the end game. His campaign promise to confiscate guns rips the mask off the lie told by gun control for decades,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “Yes, they are coming for your guns. The Biden-Harris campaign literally spelled out how they would do this and would violate their oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, but instead destroy it.”

The Biden-Harris gun control agenda proposes to ban the sale and manufacture of modern sporting rifles, or what the campaign terms “assault rifles” or “weapons of war.” In fact, these firearms are just semiautomatic firearms that uses 100-year-old technology and have been sold commercially since the early 1960s. Semiautomatic firearms expend one round for each squeeze of the trigger, unlike the military’s automatic firearms that continue to fire automatically while the trigger is depressed. The Biden campaign is purposefully conflating the similar appearances of AR-15s and the military’s M-16 and M-4 rifles to confuse the American public.

To read more, go here.