Halloween Fremont Street

Fremont Street on Halloween night is many things but boring is not one of them. Some of the costumes looked like they were done by Hollywood special FX artists. Unfortunately, my new Nikon camera did not do as well in low light conditions as I would have liked as a number of photos came out blurred and unusable.

I started out the evening by having a "single by-pass burger" at the Heart Attack Grill where customers were given a hospital gown to wear and your server was a "nurse"...

This place is definitely not for the politically correct

Then on to the Fremont Street Experience...

Camera Update

The more I use my new Nikon CoolPix S9700 camera, the more I like it. The quality of the photos appears to be as good as those taken with my older Nikon D80 and the 1080i video is outstanding. Although I initially envisioned it filling the niche between my cheap Sony point & shoot and my more expensive DSLR, I am beginning to think it may replace both of them.

There are many features to the camera that I am still exploring but the two I have found most interesting are the built-in gps and wi-fi. The gps function inserts a waypoint into each photo's "exif" data. This can then be used to show where the photo was taken on a map. Google's Picasa Web Albums makes this very easy to do.

The wi-fi function lets you wirelessly transfer photos from the camera to your smartphone or tablet via Nikon's free Wireless Mobility Utility app. My Samsung Galaxy S3 is a good phone but not a real good camera so I can see me using this feature occasionally.

Lastly, while downtown on Fremont Street this morning, I came across a sign that I thought a certain individual, who will remain nameless, would enjoy (hint: she eats like a lumberjack but never gains any weight)...

And it seems only fair that if she gets a sign, her husband should get one also...

Update (10/31/14) - I have had cameras that shot horizontal panoramic photos but never one that does vertical panoramics as well. Should be good for taking pictures of skyscrapers, rocket launches, tall blondes, etc.

One negative for the camera is it does not work well in low light conditions without the flash. I found this out the hard way by losing a number of Halloween evening photos which were too blurred and under-exposed to keep.

Evening In The Desert

Tonight was one of those near-perfect evenings in the desert. It was around 80 degrees with a gentle breeze so that sitting outside in a t-shirt was quite comfortable. For medicinal reasons, I was working on a bottle of Wild Turkey American Honey Bourbon while listening to Enya, Bonnie Raitt, Lyle Lovett and gazing at the stars and an occasional jet making its approach into McCarren.

I recognize that the RV lifestyle is not for everyone but for me it has been about as good a retirement as I could have hoped for. A friend once referred to it as "living the dream". And this evening was one of those moments.

Nikon COOLPIX S9700

eBay gave me a 10% off coupon that was just the incentive I needed to buy a factory refurbished Nikon COOLPIX S9700 point & shoot camera which arrived this afternoon. It's too early to review the camera but the initial impression has been very positive.

What I do want to show you are photos taken with the incredible 30x optical and 60x digital zoom lens. Here is a wide angle shot of a couple of RVs behind mine (the focus is on the table so it's not a great picture). What you cannot see in the photo or with the naked eye is a smoke cooker between the two RVs...

Click on photos to enlarge

The next shot is taken at full zoom from the exact same spot...

Simply amazing! Now where's that "clothing optional" pool everyone talks about.

CA RV Show

The CA RV Show in Pomona is huge! I started at 10 in the morning and finished at 2 in the afternoon when my knees gave out from all the stairs and saw only a fraction of what was there. Every major manufacturer and model appeared to be represented.

Generally, I do not see many toyhaulers at these shows. Today, however, they were everywhere including this monster with not one but two patios...

The new RVs were fun to explore but it was the nostalgia associated with the vintage RVs that brought back the great memories ...

Here's one for you trick or treaters...

Lastly, if I ever win the lottery...

Fun Photo

Not exactly what I had in mind when I bought my RZR...

Bureaucratic Brazenness

I just read a Wall Street Journal article regarding government officials testifying before Congress. Here's an excerpt:

"We’re all used to a certain amount of doublespeak and bureaucratese in government hearings. That’s as old as forever. But in the past year of listening to testimony from government officials, there is something different about the boredom and indifference with which government testifiers skirt, dodge and withhold the truth. They don’t seem furtive or defensive; they are not in the least afraid. They speak always with a certain carefulness—they are lawyered up—but they have no evident fear of looking evasive. They really don’t care what you think of them. They’re running the show and if you don’t like it, too bad."

I suspect this is because no one in government ever seems to get fired (you are more likely to die of natural causes) or is punished. They simply resign and take their generous government pension with them. Case in point: "Lois Lerner of IRS fame planted the question, told the lie, took the Fifth, lost the emails and stonewalled. Her punishment for all this was a $100,000-a-year pension for the rest of her life."

If you or I acted this way before Congress, we would probably be tasered, handcuffed, charged with molesting a dolphin and thrown in a jail for psychotic perverts.

Ultimate Gift

Looking for a unique gift for that very special person in your life. How about a roll of 22 carat gold toilet paper. Granted that at $1,376,000 AU ($1.6 million US), it is a little expensive but remember it is personally delivered and comes with a bottle of champagne.

Cloned Credit Cards

Twice in as many years, I have had my credit card cloned and sold on the black market. Fortunately, the issuer of the card has reacted quickly by immediately canceling the card, deleting all fraudulent charges and sending me a new card via overnight delivery.

The first time it happened was at a major grocery chain in Arizona where their corporate computer was hacked and thousands of card numbers were stolen. I found out about it by hearing the news from someone in the RV park and then checking my account online. By then there had been a number charges, most of which were declined because they were out of the country.

The second time it appears a card reader was used on a fuel pump at a large chain of convenience stores here in Vegas. The big difference this time is I now receive emails confirming all charges within minutes of them being made. This enabled me to call the card company in such a timely manner that the thieves were only able to use the card once. This is a service that I believe all credit card companies should offer and if your provider does not, I would encourage you to contact them and request it. After all, it is probably not a question of if your card will be stolen but simply when.

Update (10/04/2014): In doing a little research on credit card cloning, I discovered that new "smart" cards which have an embedded microchip in place of a magnetic strip are on their way and that MasterCard and Visa have set October, 2015 as the deadline for their implementation. Click here to read a Wall Street Journal article on the subject.

Bureaucratic Blue Ink

I got my Pennington County South Dakota absentee ballot in the mail today and under Instructions To The Voter, it states "use only a BLUE PEN" (yes, the word "only" was underlined and "blue pen" was in bold, capital letters and of course, it was written in black ink). Why they would purchase a machine that can read only one color of ink is beyond me. However, not wanting to take a chance on my vote not being counted, I went out and bought a blue ink pen. As I once told my Mom, it's the government, it does not have to make sense.

Update: Upon re-reading the instructions, I wonder if they meant the color of the pen should be blue, not the ink. I am now having visions of an IRS swat team breaking down my door in the middle of the night looking for my pen.

Neon Museum

The "Boneyard" is where old neon signs go to die in Las Vegas. Although the exhibit was not as impressive as I had imagined, it was interesting to hear about the history of the signs. Due to the nature of the collection, the museum is only available to the public through an hour long guided tour. I would recommend reserving a space online as it can sometimes take a week or more to get a ticket.

Mr. Olympia

The Mr. Olympia body building contest was held in Las Vegas this week-end. I was going to enter but the fellow in charge of applications almost peed on himself from laughing so hard. Apparently, the belly is not the area of the body you are supposed to bulk-up. In looking at this year's winner, I believe I have some more work to do...

Any chance steroids were involved

Post-retirement Avocations

When the temperature is 105-110 degrees, you do not spend a lot of time outdoors so I have been going through some travel photos taken over the past three years and reminiscing about second career choices after retiring.

Initially, I thought I would like to be a professional motorcycle rider but that just led to a bunch of "bad hair" days...

Then I decided to work at Yellowstone for a summer but I kept getting into hot water...

Next I was going to be a professional guide but I kept getting lost...

The idea of being a forest ranger at Yosemite seemed exciting but after what the National Park Service did during the sequestration, I could not work for them...

I was going to try something simple like changing tires for a living but changed my mind after thinking it through...

I thought for sure being a professional gigolo would be the ideal job but that turned out to be way too much work...

I really liked landscaping but hurt my back while straightening out this rock...

As much as I enjoy off-road riding, I decided doing it professionally might be hazardous to my health...

And once I realized that as a commercial fisherman, I was probably going to go hungry that fell by the wayside also...

Finally, after many trials and tribulations, I found something I was really good at...

If you have any ideas as to what I should try next, please post them in the "Comment" section below.

My First ATV

While going through some old video, I am came across a short clip of a young, thin, dark haired guy and his ATV...

Vegas Casinos

I am not much of a gambler but I do enjoy walking through the casinos. If you stay here long enough, I believe you will see just about anything you can imagine. In the past week, I have noted the following:

1. Most of the individuals that I have talked to regarding their luck at the tables or slot machines have told me that they were "up a little or breaking even". For the life of me, I cannot understand how Vegas was able to build these billion dollar casinos with so many people breaking even. There must be one very large loser out there somewhere.
2. In as much as breakfast at the casinos is a pretty good value, I generally eat there several times a week. I have been amazed at the number of people gambling at 7:00 o'clock in the morning. Sometimes, it is the same person sitting at the same slot machine. When do they go home?
3. One of the sadder observations is the surprising number of senior citizens in wheel chairs, breathing oxygen from a bottle, playing a slot machine and chain-smoking. How many bad habits can one person have?
4. Lastly, my eyesight is not what is used to be and I realize this is horribly sexist but the cocktail waitresses are not as attractive as I remember them in past years. I even read that Vegas is losing some of its best strippers to North Dakota due to the oil money. To me this is as good a reason as any to build the Keystone pipeline.

Government Taxes/Fees

In my opinion, a significant number of Americans believe our government wastes a lot of taxpayer dollars. What I find interesting is that a growing number of businesses are recognizing this and as a not-so-subtle form of protest are finding satirical ways to refer to taxes in their online advertising.

Examples: The Heart Attack Grill (which is about as politically incorrect as it gets) states there is a "8.1% tax for our wasteful Government to squander".  Spirit Airlines refers to federal excise taxes, security fees, passenger facility fees and segment fees as the "Government's Cut".

I know it is completely delusional to think that politicians and bureaucrats will get the message and start cutting taxes & spending but I do hope more businesses will join the protest.

Vegas Baby

I am back in Las Vegas. It was a little warm this afternoon at 102 degrees but they tell me it is a dry heat (yeah, right). In as much as today is my birthday, I decided to go all out and treat myself to a nice dinner. After perusing the local restaurant guide for fine dining establishments, I chose the Longhorn Casino where I had a steak, lobster tail, baked potato and steamed vegetables for $9.99. Move over you high rollers, there's a new "big spender" in town.

Pacific Coast Highway

It has been almost fifteen years since I drove the Pacific Coast Highway. I am happy to report it is still as magical as the first time, albeit, with a little more traffic. It is something everyone should do at least once. The following photos were taken between Monterey and San Simeon...

Lone Cypress

It takes Michigan farmer money to live here

Gray whales migrating south for the winter

Photo opportunities everywhere

Car Commercials

After three years on the road as a full-time RVer, I find myself looking at car commercials and trying to identify where they were filmed. In a Mercedes ad this morning, there was a brief scene where the car drives by a rock that I photographed recently. Can you tell me where this rock is located...

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

Bristlecone pines are some of the oldest living organisms on earth. Trees have been found whose rings indicate they have been around 3,000-5,000 years.

Today's adventure began with the drive up the mountain where you climb from 4,000 feet to 11,000 feet via a narrow, twisting road; the temperature dropped 30 degrees in about 25 miles. If you visit the park, be sure to bring plenty of water and be prepared for significant changes in weather.

I hiked the Bristlecone Cabin Trail loop from the new Schulman Grove Visitor Center. It takes you by some old mining cabins that date back to the 1860's and continues on to the Methuselah Trail. I did not venture up to the Patriarch Grove as the dirt, washboard road looked like it would loosen the fillings in my teeth.

Trees almost as old as my cousin Chris

The resin on the pine cones looks like icicles

Old mining cabin

Inconsiderate People

Hey, I am a relatively nice guy. I hold the door open for tall, blond, Swedish bikini models. I brake for nuns and orphans. So, it's a little disheartening and a lot aggravating when I see people do things without any regard for others.

Case in point: Last night around midnight, I am awakened by a French couple pulling into the site right beside me and setting up camp. I know they are French as they are continually talking while erecting their tent, blowing up the air mattress and slamming their car doors repeatedly. Now, if this is not bad enough, four young German men in a motorhome pull in next to them and much to my amazement, start a bonfire. It's one o'clock in the morning, there is no one to complain to and a confrontation will probably only make matters worse. So, I close my windows, pull down the blinds and eventually fall into a fitful sleep.

At best, people like this are simply unaware of what they are doing and at worst, they simply do not care. Either way, perhaps, this explains why we have some of the problems we have in the world today. And as I once told Forest Gump "that's all I have to say about that".

Mono Lake Tufas

Mono Lake is known for its tufas. What is a "tufa" you ask. It is essentially common limestone. What is uncommon about this limestone is the way it forms. Typically, underwater springs rich in calcium (the stuff in your bones) mix with lakewater rich in carbonates (the stuff in baking soda). As the calcium comes in contact with carbonates in the lake, a chemical reaction occurs resulting in limestone. The limestone precipitates around the spring, and over the course of decades to centuries, a tufa tower will grow. Tufa towers grow exclusively underwater, and some grow to heights of over 30 feet. The reason visitors see so much tufa around Mono Lake today is because the lake level fell dramatically after water diversions began in 1941.

This is another one of those places where you cannot stop taking photos; it's like trying to eat only one potato chip. These photos were taken on the south side of the lake...

June Lake Loop

If you are ever in the Lee Vining, CA area, I would recommend taking the June Lake Loop (Highway 158). It is a scenic drive that features beautiful lakes and towering mountains. I think it would be even more impressive in the Fall when the leaves turn or the Spring with snow on the mountains.

Bodie Ghost Town

Bodie State Historical Park is one of those places I had never heard of but turned out to be a very interesting site to visit (serendipity). It is an old gold-mining community that was abandoned nearly intact and then converted into a state park. Plan on spending several hours there and be sure to have a large memory card for your digital camera.