"Go Go Godzilla" Four Years Ago

Above, Metropolis Magazine's 2014 "Godzilla issue".

A new trailer has been released at the annual San Diego International Comic Con for Legendary's Godzilla: King of the Monsters. It will be released to theaters next summer.

Almost exactly four years ago, Japan's Metropolis Magazine published their "Godzilla issue" when Legendary's Godzilla was released.

Part of that issue was an article on five Godzilla Tokyo battle locations by yours truly. Perhaps Metropolis will do another special Godzilla issue next year.

Here's what they published four years ago:

Above, a package of copies of Metropolis' "Godzilla issue". Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, my "Go Go Godzilla" article. 

To see the new trailer, go here.

Socialist Democratic Party

Above, socialists have taken over the California state govenment.

"Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They always run out of other people’s money." - Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

One must be living in a void or just not paying attention to the fact that the Democratic Party is no longer the Democratic Party of your grandparents or even your parents. The Democratic Party has been taken over by a radical fringe of socialists and, incredibly, communists.

The same people who have been trying to smear President Trump and, in some cases the Republican Party as "Nazis" or "fascists" have been embracing socialism, that great philosophy that has ruined Venezuela and other countries (Mexico may be next as a radical socialist has just been elected president. They have taken over the state of California and made a mess of it.

Do you ever wonder why Democrats don't take umbrage over being labeled "socialists" or even "communists" as Republicans rail against being labeled "Nazis" and "fascists"? In so many cases with the Democrats, it is just flat out true!

Small wonder that some liberals (of a more traditional Democrat sense) have started the #WalkAway movement.

AP News has an interesting article on the rise of socialists in the Democratic Party, particularly the Democratic Socialists of America.

Here's part of the article:

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A week ago, Maine Democrat Zak Ringelstein wasn’t quite ready to consider himself a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, even if he appreciated the organization’s values and endorsement in his bid to become a U.S. senator. 

Three days later, he told The Associated Press it was time to join up. He’s now the only major-party Senate candidate in the nation to be a dues-paying democratic socialist. 

Ringelstein’s leap is the latest evidence of a nationwide surge in the strength and popularity of an organization that, until recently, operated on the fringes of the liberal movement’s farthest left flank. As Donald Trump’s presidency stretches into its second year, democratic socialism has become a significant force in Democratic politics. Its rise comes as Democrats debate whether moving too far left will turn off voters. 

“I stand with the democratic socialists, and I have decided to become a dues-paying member,” Ringelstein told AP. “It’s time to do what’s right, even if it’s not easy.” 

There are 42 people running for offices at the federal, state and local levels this year with the formal endorsement of the Democratic Socialists of America, the organization says. They span 20 states, including Florida, Hawaii, Kansas and Michigan. 

The most ambitious Democrats in Washington have been reluctant to embrace the label, even as they embrace the policies defining modern-day democratic socialism: Medicare for all, a $15 minimum wage, free college tuition and the abolition of the federal department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE. [Note: they never give anyone the price tag in taxes and deficits that their utopian plans will cost. - A.]

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Congress’ only self-identified democratic socialist, campaigned Friday with the movement’s newest star, New York City congressional candidate Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old former bartender who defeated one of the most powerful House Democrats last month. 

Her victory fed a flame that was already beginning to burn brighter. The DSA’s paid membership has hovered around 6,000 in the years before Trump’s election, said Allie Cohn, a member of the group’s national political team. 

Last week, its paid membership hit 45,000 nationwide. 

There is little distinction made between the terms “democratic socialism” and “socialism” in the group’s literature. While Ringelstein and other DSA-backed candidates promote a “big-tent” philosophy, the group’s constitution describes its members as socialists who “reject an economic order based on private profit” and “share a vision of a humane social order based on popular control of resources and production, economic planning, equitable distribution, feminism, racial equality and non-oppressive relationships.” 

Members during public meetings often refer to each other “comrades,” wear clothing featuring socialist symbols like the rose and promote authors such as Karl Marx. 

The common association with the failed Soviet Union has made it difficult for sympathetic liberals to explain their connection.

These radical socialists have to be defeated this coming November.

To read more, go here.

Why Trump Wins; True Words From A Democrat

A friend sent the following to me. It is a good read, and, it is written by a Democrat!

Marshall Kamena, the Democrat mayor of Livermore, Ca. speaks... 

The mayor of Livermore, California explains Trump’s popularity and success. This is perhaps the best explanation for Trump's popularity ... 

Marshall Kamena is a registered Democrat and was elected mayor of Livermore, CA.. He ran on the Democratic ticket as he knew a Bay Area city would never vote for a Republican. He is as conservative as they come. He wrote the following: 

Trump’s 'lack of decorum, dignity, and statesmanship' By Marshall Kamena, Mayor of Livermore, CA. 

My Leftist friends (as well as many ardent #NeverTrumpers) constantly ask me if I’m not bothered by Donald Trump’s lack of decorum. They ask if I don’t think his tweets are “beneath the dignity of the office.” 

Here’s my answer: We Right-thinking people have tried dignity. There could not have been a man of more quiet dignity than George W. Bush as he suffered the outrageous lies and politically motivated hatreds that undermined his presidency. 

We tried statesmanship. 

Could there be another human being on this earth who so desperately prized “collegiality” as John McCain? 

We tried propriety – has there been a nicer human being ever than Mitt Romney? 

And the results were always the same. This is because, while we were playing by the rules of dignity, collegiality and propriety, the Left has been, for the past 60 years, engaged in a knife fight where the only rules are those of Saul Alinsky and the Chicago mob. 

I don’t find anything “dignified,” “collegial” or “proper” about Barack Obama’s lying about what went down on the streets of Ferguson in order to ramp up racial hatreds because racial hatreds serve the Democratic Party. 

I don’t see anything “dignified” in lying about the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi and imprisoning an innocent filmmaker to cover your tracks. 

I don’t see anything “statesman-like” in weaponizing the IRS to be used to destroy your political opponents and any dissent. 

Yes, Obama was “articulate” and “polished” but in no way was he in the least bit “dignified,” “collegial” or “proper.” 

The Left has been engaged in a war against America since the rise of the Children of the ‘60s. To them, it has been an all-out war where nothing is held sacred and nothing is seen as beyond the pale.. It has been a war they’ve fought with violence, the threat of violence, demagoguery and lies from day one – the violent take-over of the universities – till today. 

The problem is that, through these years, the Left has been the only side fighting this war. While the Left has been taking a knife to anyone who stands in their way, the Right has continued to act with dignity, collegiality and propriety. 

With Donald Trump, this all has come to an end. Donald Trump is America ’s first wartime president in the Culture War. 

During wartime, things like “dignity” and “collegiality” simply aren’t the most essential qualities one looks for in their warriors. Ulysses Grant was a drunk whose behavior in peacetime might well have seen him drummed out of the Army for conduct unbecoming.
Had Abraham Lincoln applied the peacetime rules of propriety and booted Grant, the Democrats might well still be holding their slaves today. 

Lincoln rightly recognized that, “I cannot spare this man. He fights.” 

General George Patton was a vulgar-talking…. In peacetime, this might have seen him stripped of rank. But, had Franklin Roosevelt applied the normal rules of decorum then, Hitler and the Socialists would barely be five decades into their thousand-year Reich. 

Trump is fighting. And what’s particularly delicious is that, like Patton standing over the battlefield as his tanks obliterated Rommel’s, he’s shouting, “You magnificent bastards, I read your book!” 

That is just the icing on the cake, but it’s wonderful to see that not only is Trump fighting, he’s defeating the Left using their own tactics. That book is Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals – a book so essential to the Liberals’ war against America that it is and was the playbook for the entire Obama administration and the subject of Hillary Clinton’s senior thesis. 

It is a book of such pure evil, that, just as the rest of us would dedicate our book to those we most love or those to whom we are most indebted, Alinsky dedicated his book to Lucifer. 

Trump’s tweets may seem rash and unconsidered but, in reality, he is doing exactly what Alinsky suggested his followers do. First, instead of going after “the fake media” — and they are so fake that they have literally gotten every single significant story of the past 60 years not just wrong, but diametrically opposed to the truth, from the Tet Offensive to Benghazi, to what really happened on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri — Trump isolated CNN.. He made it personal. 

Then, just as Alinsky suggests, he employs ridicule which Alinsky described as “the most powerful weapon of all.”... Most importantly, Trump’s tweets have put CNN in an untenable and unwinnable position. ... They need to respond. 

This leaves them with only two choices. They can either “go high” (as Hillary would disingenuously declare of herself and the fake news would disingenuously report as the truth) and begin to honestly and accurately report the news or they can double-down on their usual tactics and hope to defeat Trump with twice their usual hysteria and 

demagoguery. The problem for CNN (et al.) with the former is that, if they were to start honestly reporting the news, that would be the end of the Democratic Party they serve. It is nothing but the incessant use of fake news (read: propaganda) that keeps the Left alive. 

Imagine, for example, if CNN had honestly and accurately reported then-candidate Barack Obama’s close ties to foreign terrorists (Rashid Khalidi), domestic terrorists (William Ayers & Bernardine Dohrn), the mafia (Tony Rezko) or the true evils of his spiritual mentor, Jeremiah Wright’s church. 

Imagine if they had honestly and accurately conveyed the evils of the Obama administration’s weaponizing of the IRS to be used against their political opponents or his running of guns to the Mexican cartels or the truth about the murder of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and the Obama administration’s cover-up. 

So, to my friends on the Left — and the #NeverTrumpers as well — do I wish we lived in a time when our president could be “collegial” and “dignified” and “proper”? Of course I do. 

These aren’t those times. This is war. And it’s a war that the Left has been fighting without opposition for the past 50 years. 

So, say anything you want about this president - I get it - he can be vulgar, he can be crude, he can be undignified at times. I don’t care. I can’t spare this man. He fights for America!

###

Take On Godzilla With Godzilla VR!

Above, Godzilla peers over a building in Shinjuku. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

How would you like to take on Godzilla in a black helicopter?

Well, now you can with a new VR Zone attraction in Tokyo and Osaka: Godzilla VR.

SoraNews24 (formerly known as RocketNews24) reported:

The creators of the original film, most of whom have passed on, probably never could have imagined it would have become this big. And they certainly would have been amazed at this new attraction scheduled for VR Zone in Osaka and Tokyo: Godzilla VR! 

Actually, they might have been a little disappointed. I mean, they were expecting us to live like The Jetsons by now with flying cars and houses in the sky, but this is still really cool and lets people experience the thrilling terror of a Godzilla attack like never before. 

Participants don a VR helmet and sit in a motion simulator chair which transports them to the virtual cockpit of an attack chopper as part of a team tasked with bringing down the giant menace. 

Now, those familiar with the movies would probably take this to mean Godzilla VR is essentially a “fiery death simulator.” However, the description of the attraction is that, unlike your lizard-fodder peers, your helicopters are armed with a special coagulant round which has the ability to stop Godzilla dead in his tracks.

To read more, go here.

Japan's Diet Passes Resort Gambling Law

Above, the National Diet Building in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan's Diet finally did it! The national legislature has passed a law that will allow casino gambling at resorts. 

The resort gambling issue has been festering in Japan for the past several years.

Japan Today reported:

TOKYO - The Diet on Friday approved a contentious law allowing up to three casino resorts to open in this wealthy nation and possibly lure more foreign visitors. 

The bill was approved and enacted into law at the upper house after bulldozing by the ruling bloc. The lower house passed it last month. 

It adds rules of operation to a law on casino promotion passed in 2016. The enactment of the "integrated resorts" law means casinos can operate at resorts that include hotels, conference rooms and shopping malls in the mid-2020s. 

Supporters say casinos can attract more and wealthier tourists. Opponents say Japan already has pachinko pinball parlors and wagering on horse, auto, bicycle and boat racing, and expanding legalized gambling would fuel organized crime and compound gambling addiction. 

Media surveys have showed a majority of Japanese oppose the plan. Projections by experts show casino visitors would be predominantly Japanese, rather than foreign tourists. Opposition lawmakers said the casino law would only allow foreign operators to make money off Japanese.

To read more, go here. 

Open-Carry of Firearms Legal In New Mexico

This is something I should have known about before moving to New Mexico. But this is a good something.

New Mexico allows in-state residents to openly carry a loaded firearm. A permit is needed for concealed carrying of firearms, but not for open carry.

What prompted this blog post was that last week I was in the local Flying J and saw a man standing in line at the cashier's counter with a pistol in a holster on his belt. He was not a security guard or any other law enforcement officer. He was wearing a western-style shirt and blue jeans.

I checked online and confirmed that open carry is legal in New Mexico.

According to OpenCarry.org:

There is complete state preemption of all firearms laws, open carry is increasingly common and law enforcement is well educated as to its legality. In addition, New Mexico has an extended domainlaw which effectively makes your vehicle an extention of your home. So you may carry openly or concealed in your vehicle.

Wikipedia describes New Mexico's gun laws this way:

New Mexico is among states with some of the least restrictive firearms laws in the country. State laws governing the possession and use of firearms include those in New Mexico Statutes Chapter 30, Article 7, "Weapons and Explosives"

This sure is a big differance than Commiefornia! 

Got Pot?

Above, the Navajo pot I picked up today in Continental Divide. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today has been a relaxing day without anything in particular on the agenda. Such is life in retirement in general.

It started out with hanging out with four fellow residents of the Jamestown community. We met up at Denny's Restaurant at the Flying J. The group usually has their "breakfast club" meet-up about 5-6 days a week.

We were later joined by another member of the community (who is also another fairly recent California transplant) and his wife. I am getting to know more people here than I did in Tarzana. They are all nice people and we're all in the same age group.

Following the gathering, I headed over to the post office and had a package waiting for me. From there, I brought The Beast over to a gas pump and filled up its gas tank.

I decided to head over to Ortega's Indian Market at the Continental Divide (only 8 miles away). There, I picked up a small Navajo pottery item that was marked down 40%. I put it up on the landing that divides the kitchen and the living room. The space cried out for something. I will be on the lookout a larger piece of Navajo pottery to put with it.

We're supposed to be getting another thunderstorm later this afternoon. It is hot and humid right now.

Thunderstorm Break Over

Above, yesterday's storm as it arrived. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After reading about the tornadoes in central Iowa last evening, I checked with my ex-roommate Jessica to see if she and her dad have a tornado warning system where they live (north of Des Moines).

She said the tornadoes bypassed them and they do have a tornado warning system.

Meanwhile, down here in Jamestown, New Mexico, we had a one-day break in thunderstorms. But, we had one come through yesterday afternoon which dumped some rain. Before the downpour, I snapped the above photo. It was around 4:00 at the time.

According to Weather.com, we're supposed to get some thunderstorms late this afternoon.

Kyoto Reached 39.8 Celsius

Above, the pagoda at Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Considering the record heat wave that hit Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago (in Burbank and Van Nuys—temperatures reached 114 and 117 degrees respectively), Kyoto's temperature yesterday wasn't so bad.

News On Japan reported:

Temperatures in Kyoto rose as high as 39.8 degrees Celsius on Thursday, tying the city's record high logged on Aug. 8, 1994, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. 

Temperatures reached 38.0 degrees or higher in the western Japan city for six straight days, for the first time on record since 1880.

39.8 Celsius translates to 103.64 Fahrenheit, which is not an uncommon temperature in the U.S. during the summer months.

When G-TOUR was in Kyoto back in August 2004, I remember the city being very hot and humid. The temperatures were a lot milder when I visited Kyoto in October 2015.

To read more, go here.

CNN's #WalkAway Fake News

CNN, the Counterfeit News Network, doesn't give up and they never learn their lesson on spewing fake news.

The latest is claiming that the #WalkAway movement of liberals leaving the Democrat Party is by Russian bots.

According to the Washington Times:

The #WalkAway movement that began in May with hairstylist Brandon Straka explaining why he was leaving the Democratic Party has sprung into a national force, with tens of thousands of reformed, former Dems taking to social media to explain why they, too, think liberalism has gone off the deep end and why they, too, have turned the corner toward conservatism — or at least, toward free thought. 

And apparently, liberals are beginning to shake in their boots about the growing effect of #WalkAway. 

They need a counter-punch. And fast. 

Enter CNN with this headline: “Russian bots are using #WalkAway to try to wound Dems in midterms.”

Uh-huh, right.

To read more, go here. 

Restore Our Parks Act Introduced

Above, a mineral terrace in Mammoth Hot Springs in
 Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A bill to address the backlog of national park maintenance and projects has been introduced in the U.S. Senate last month.

RV Travel reported:

RESTON, Va. — America is home to incredible lands, many of which are managed by the National Park Service. But the National Park Service faces nearly $12 billion in deferred maintenance at NPS sites. 

On June 28, a bipartisan group of senators introduced the Restore Our Parks Act (ROPA), legislation which would address the deferred maintenance backlog. The bill would create the National Park Service Legacy Restoration Fund to reduce the backlog by allocating existing revenues the government receives from on- and offshore energy development. The funding would come from 50 percent of all revenues that are not otherwise allocated and deposited into the General Treasury, not to exceed $1.3 billion each year for the next five years. The fund will be used to repair park roads, visitor facilities, water systems, crumbling trails and numerous other park resources. 

The RV Industry Association (RVIA) supports immediate action to address this matter since the RV industry depends on public lands, which host 700 million visits annually.

To read more, go here. 

Easy Camping Meals

Above, barbecuing a steak. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Ever notice that food seems to taste better in the outdoors? It could be from the fresh air.

One of the joys of camping is sitting down to a delicious meal. For me, I am satisfied with a barbecued steak. Sometimes, I'll cook some salmon on the skillet over the RV stove.

RV Life has ten easy meals and recipes that are easy to make while camping.

They begin with:

Cooking while camping can seem like a daunting task. Problems like food storage, time management, and limited counter space can make having home-cooked meals seem impractical. Even with access to electricity, you might be tempted to skip the wholesome meals and head to a fast food restaurant. 

On the other hand, it’s important to remain happy and healthy on the road. Preparing ahead of time for what you’re planning to cook can turn a slightly intimidating experience into a simple and efficient one.

To read more, go here. 

Huge Fissure Forces Closure of Parts of Grand Teton National Park

Above, Grand Teton National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is now the summer vacation season where thousands of people head out to visit our national parks.

Sometimes, Mother Nature has other plans. Such is the case with Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. A giant fissure has opened up in the park by the Yellowstone super volcano forcing park officials to close parts of the park. Grand Teton is the southern neighbor to Yellowstone National Park.

According to Fox News:

A 100-foot crack at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming have prompted officials to close certain areas to tourists.   

Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point are now closed to tourists due to a possible safety hazard and park rangers are initiating a risk assessment, according to a statement from the National Park Service. 

Superintendent David Vela said, “Human safety is our number one priority, and with an abundance of caution we are temporarily closing this area until we can properly assess the situation.”

To read more, go here.

How To Choose The Right RV and Dealership

Above, RVs of all kinds at the Trailer Village RV Park in Roswell, New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you are in the market to buy a recreational vehicle, it is something that great thought should be put into before purchasing.

Those who are experienced RV owners already know (for the most part) what to look for when shopping (a RV show is the best place to compare units and brands) for a RV. Such was my case when I purchased my Winnebago Minnie Winnie. I previously owned a pop-up trailer (tent trailer) and a micro-mini Class C motorhome.

The Daily Sentinel has an article on how to choose the right RV and dealership (not all are created equal).

They begin with:

Recreational vehicles are a great way to see the country and allow owners the freedom to travel, perhaps spending time with far-flung family or spending family time up in the mountains. 

They are great for fun and vacations, but they are a huge investment. And investing in one is a lot more complicated than buying in a car. 

Your first step in purchasing an RV is to ask yourself what you would like to do in your recreational vehicle. Are you using it to travel the country or do you want to be out in the desert away from it all? What sizes and styles do you prefer? Are you partial to purchasing a new or used RV? 

Are you planning on using your RV for weekend trips, week-long vacations or as a second home in the winter, where you'll be in an RV park somewhere sunny and snowless? Perhaps you're ready to sell your home and live full-time in an RV. 

The more time you spend in your RV, the more carefully you need to consider your purchase. For full-timers, it may feel like you're buying real estate.

To read more, go here. 

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Visitor Numbers To Japan Up 15.6% In 1st Half of 2018

Above, the Godzilla mural at Toho Studios. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The numbers of foreign visitors to Japan are increasing year-by-year. 2018 is continuing with that trend.

The Mainichi reported:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in January to June rose 15.6 percent from a year earlier to 15.89 million, a record for the six-month period, the Japan Tourism Agency said Wednesday. 

If the pace of increase is maintained, the annual figure will top 30 million for the first time. The government aims to attract 40 million foreign visitors in 2020 when Tokyo hosts the Olympics and Paralympics.

To read more, go here.

Rebecca Schaeffer's Murder Relived By Mom In Show

Above, the apartment building where Rebecca Schaeffer lived and died. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A few years ago, my daughter treated me to a tour of the seamy side of Hollywood called "The Dearly Departed Tour". 

The tour consisted of stops at places in and around Hollywood where deaths (murder and otherwise) of celebrites took place along with a stop at the Westwood Cemetery.

One of the stops was at the apartment where actress Rebecca Schaeffer was murdered. I remember this case well.

Above, the doorway where Robert John Bardo shot Rebecca Schaeffer. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Fox News has reported that Schaeffer's mother had put on a one-woman show on her daughter's murder.

They wrote:

Danna Schaeffer received the worst phone call of her life on July 18, 1989. 

Her daughter, 21-year-old actress Rebecca Schaeffer, was fatally shot in the heart by Robert John Bardo in the doorway of her apartment. The crazed stalker, a 19-year-old, had paid a private investigator to obtain Schaeffer's home address in West Hollywood.

Last year, Danna was compelled to bring her family’s tragic tale to the stage with a one-woman show, titled “You in Midair.” 

Danna told Fox News she wouldn’t exactly call the writing process therapeutic, but she was ready to finally share her story.

Bardo was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

There's another reason this case stands out in my mind. I was a liability/casualty insurance adjuster at the time, the resulting California law, the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, which prevents the Department of Motor Vehicles from releasing private addresses, somewhat hindered our ability to run license plates on vehicles in auto claims.

To read more, go here.

When Yosemite Met Starbucks

Above, the base of Lower Yosemite Fall. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A few months ago, a Starbucks opened in Yosemite National Park. Some hailed it, while others expressed their displeasure. A petition opposing it garnered 27,000 signatures.

Now, the park is rethinking things.

According to Capital Public Radio:

Yosemite Falls is perhaps one of the most iconic spots the park. The waterfall cascades down the mountain — twice. It’s majestic. But across the street is the Yosemite Valley Lodge, and inside is a cafe opened earlier this year that epitomizes corporate America. 

“Hello, welcome to Starbucks.” 

That’s how a barista welcomed me as I approached the counter of Yosemite’s first Starbucks. It’s next to the food court here, and while there’s no logo on the outside, inside it smells and looks very familiar. I’ve had a range of emotions about a chain opening up — but that didn’t stop me from ordering an iced vanilla latte. 

Commercialization is changing Yosemite. More than four million people visit the park every year, and its identity is changing — some say not always for the better. How can we share Yosemite with the world while not ruining it? 

The whole idea of a Starbucks made some people really mad. “I don’t feel that you should drive to Yosemite and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to go get a latte,’” said Fresno resident Kristy Page.

To read more, go here. 

Good Ol' New Mexico Monsoon Season

Above, The Beast at the Tee Pee Trading Post and Smoke Shop in Lupton, Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The good ol' monsoon season continues on in New Mexico.

This morning, I headed off in The Beast (so I can listen to Rush Limbaugh as the Mustang's radio has a loose wire) to Lupton, Arizona to the Tee Pee Smoke Shop to pick up some cigars.

It was cloudy out and I noticed that water was flowing in arroyos, streams and the Rio Puerco River. They had been pretty dry for months.

After conducting my business at the Tee Pee, I headed back home.

Along the way, I noticed an enormous black cloud heading in the direction of Jamestown. I could see it from Gallup.

Above, today's approaching storm cloud. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After getting off the freeway, I stopped and took the above photo of the cloud.

Within an hour, Jamestown was hit with lightning, thunder and rain.

Nothing like monsoon season in New Mexico!

The Looney Left Report: The Left's Unhinged Hysteria

The Looney Left Report

The media, Democrat Party, some squishy Republicans have been besides themselves over the Helsinki press conference of President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Some are even calling Trump a traitor for not backing the intelligence community. This is funny (as well as ironic) as these are the same people who have been engaging in sedition against Trump for the past year and a half.

Trump today said he misspoke when he said:

"My people came to me...they said they think it's Russia. I have President Putin, he just said it's not Russia. I will say this: I don't see any reason why it would be" Russia.

"The sentence should have been 'I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be' Russia."

Still why should he trust some in the intelligence community? Many of them are Obama holdovers and devoted leftists.

Rush Limbaugh said this today:

What rational human being would think he could trust these people? What rational human being would think he could trust Andrew McCabe, James Comey, Peter Strzok, or any of that crowd, Nellie Ohr, her husband, Bruce Ohr, what rational person, the subject of a search-and-destroy campaign for two years, would then turn around and trust these people to have his best interests at heart? 

If you’re Donald Trump and you know that the entirety of the Washington establishment has been trying to undermine and sabotage your presidency, your election and your transition, and that they have been singularly trying to get you thrown out of office and have your election ruled invalid, why in the world would you trust any of them? That’s irrational! 

It is perfectly sensible for Donald Trump not to trust these people. These are all people that worked for Barack Hussein Obama. I’m sure Trump has intelligence people in his administration that he trusts. I’m sure by now after a year and a half Trump has a group of security advisers — NSA, who knows where they are — but that he trusts them. 

But why should he trust any of these people, from a former CIA member here to the former DIA member there that’s been all over cable news saying Donald Trump is a wretched example of humanity, why should Donald Trump trust any of them, and why should Donald Trump say even nice things about them?

Besides irrational, these people have been engaging in sedition. Also, it is phony outrage.

As Rush pointed out:

Ladies and gentlemen, the Democrat Party in this country used to sleep overnight with Soviets and Russians. They used to be in bed with each other against Ronald Reagan. The idea that the Democrats are outraged that somebody would not treat Vladimir Putin as an enemy of America is just simply silly! It wasn’t that long ago where the Democrat Party hated the CIA, hated the intelligence community, and loved Soviet, and Cuban, and Chinese communists! 

Now all of a sudden, the Democrat Party loves the intelligence community and hates the Russians? Come on, folks. It’s all made up! That’s why it’s unrealistic. They’re exaggerating it. None of this is real. There isn’t any real outrage. It’s all faux and manufactured, and that’s why they’re taking it over the top. That’s why it appears unhinged and hysterical, because it is! It’s a bunch of untrained actors trying to act the part, and they’re goin’ way overboard.

GOP Senate Candidate Mick Rich Coming To Gallup

To reserve your seat, go here.

A Good Rain

Above, the other acre. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is apparent that we had a good rain last night in Jamestown, New Mexico.

The deck and patio furniture were wet.

I took a walk over to my second acre at Rancho Mono Volador and the ground was very wet.

Yesterday, when we mowed the area in preparation for the steel garage for The Beast, the ground was dry. It looked drier than the yard around the house.

Not so today!

I must have slept through the rainstorm as I didn't hear a thing.

ECV In Roswell?

Above, yours truly at the Roswell sign. Photo by Jess.

I don't know why I didn't think of this before. But looking at some of my Roswell trip photos with me in a Clamper red shirt got the cogs turning.

I posted this at the E Clampus Vitus Facebook page:

Roswell would be an ideal place for a clampout. We can erect a plaque either in town or (better yet) at the crash site. New Mexico is Lost Dutchman Chapter's territory. There are plenty of ranches in the area for clamp-sites.

If we can find some friendly rancher to allow the Lost Dutchman Chapter to use his land for a clampsite, and get permission to erect a plaque, this would be one interesting event.


UPDATE:

At this time, my posting at the ECV Facebook page has 72 likes. It looks like the brethren are in favor of a Roswell clampout.