Burning Man is most of the things I try hardest to avoid. Crowds, traffic jams and overflowing Porta Potties. The still image below just begins to capture the size of the event. This video comes closer.
Mr. Wolf has attended Burning Man in the past and he attended this year’s event: “We got out Sunday afternoon, so glad we’re not in that traffic hell!” Fortunately he was driving/living in the EarthRoamer XV-LT.
Author Archives: Steve Mays
Moved the Jeep spare tire
When we finally got a spare tire for the Jeep we had it mounted on the back of the Jeep. That’s where people are used to seeing them. But it makes it difficult to see what’s going on behind when driving so I decided to find another place for it.
The first task was removing the tire from the mounting bar. It’s a heavy mother and I didn’t want to pull something trying to lift it so I rigged up what you see below.
Then I wrestled it into the tub of the Jeep. Fits perfectly and the space is too small to haul much in any event.
Next I covered the tire with a piece of particle board (which now has a coat of Army green paint).
I must say I’m pleased with the result. A cleaner look and my sight lines are much improved. Especially when the canvas top goes back on this winter.
Taking down really big tree
While visiting a friend today, Barb spotted our friends from Korte Tree Service taking down a really big tree. She recorded the clip below around noon and they had been working on it since early morning. Would like to have been there for the entire job.
1941 Dodge WC 1/2 Ton Truck
“Dodge was the U.S. Army’s main supplier of 1/2-ton trucks, and its sole supplier of both 3/4-ton trucks and 1-1/2-ton six-by-six trucks in World War II. With over a quarter million units built through August 1945, the G502 3/4-tons were the most common variants in the WC series. WC was not an abbreviation of “Weapons Carrier”, but a Dodge model code – initially W for 1941, and C for half-ton rating. However, the ‘WC’ model code was retained for both the 3/4-ton and 1-1/2-ton 6×6 Dodges – as well as for the subsequent model years”.
Paul and a friend trailered his vintage Bronco to Colorado for some off-roading. While there they spotted the truck above and Paul’s buddy couldn’t come home without it. Which meant Paul had to drive the Bronco 750 miles so the Dodge could have the trailer.
How large is the universe?
“We know nothing, so we must be open to anything.”
Proud Boy “wanted to see what would happen”
(CNN) A leader of the Proud Boys who led the far-right organization’s infamous march to the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, has been sentenced to 17 years in prison – among the longest sentences handed down yet for a convicted rioter. Joe Biggs was convicted by a Washington, DC jury of several charges including seditious conspiracy for attempting to forcibly prevent the peaceful transfer of power from then-President Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 election.
Was Joe proud and defiant to the end? Did he raise a clinched fist and shout “Live free or die!”
In a passionate appeal to the judge, Biggs, clad in an orange prison jumpsuit, said that “I know that I have to be punished and I understand,” but added “please give me the chance, I beg you, to take my daughter to school and pick her up. I know that I messed up that day, but I am not a terrorist,” he said through tears. Biggs said that he was “seduced” by the mob and “just moved forward.”
I’m picturing Joe explaining to his cellmate how he wound up in a federal prison.
“I wanted to see what would happen. My curiosity got the best of me.”
For all their media attention, I realized I didn’t know much about the Proud Boys so I headed over to Wikipedia where there’s a really long entry. Here’s my favorite part:
The Proud Boys say they have an initiation process that has four stages and includes hazing. The first stage is a loyalty oath, on the order of “I’m a proud Western chauvinist, I refuse to apologize for creating the modern world”; the second is getting punched until the person recites pop culture trivia, such as the names of five breakfast cereals; the third is getting a tattoo and agreeing to not masturbate; and the fourth is getting into a major fight “for the cause”. The masturbation policy was later modified to read: “no heterosexual brother of the Fraternity shall masturbate more than one time in any calendar month” and “all members shall abstain from pornography”.
I assume this means Proud Boys make a calendar entry when they spank the monkey. But it gets better. In 2018 The Daily Beast reported that the Proud Boys amended their rules to prohibit cargo shorts and the use of opioids and crystal meth. However, the same article mentioned that no restrictions were placed on cocaine.
Firewood
Do the Job with a “Jeep”
People did some amazing things with the early civilian versions of the Jeep. 
My kind of art
The phrase “I May Not Know Art, But I Know What I Like” is usually attributed to Orson Welles. And I really like the piece (sculpture?) below. It sits in the entrance the salon where I get my hair cut and was created by the husband of the owner. I’m trying to set up an interview and hoping he has more like this.
Pile of rocks
The cone-like dome of the cairn came out pretty much as I had envisioned. I collected as many round-ish rocks as I could find and stacked them as I would cannonballs (not something I’m ever likely to do). Started with a ring (see image below) and worked my way up. This little project took about a month but the heat spell halted work for much of that time.
