Mantanuska River

I don't usually quote movie stars or so called 'celebrities.'  But I will make an exception in this case for the following pearl.  Here's a quote from the actor James Caan on politics, "Nobody should give a shit about an actor's opinion on politics."

For the  childish dolts still rioting, threatening electors, vowing to obstruct the president-elect in all ways, please read the following article.

Michael Totten has panned his usual intelligent and informed letter of advice on foreign policy to the president-elect. It is worth reading in its entirety.

Finally for the Luddites wringing their hands over Trump's environmental view, and his appointment of Myron Ebell to lead the EPA, read this.

Personally, I think Trump is already beginning to exceed my expectations, which were admittedly low.

Finally, from Samizdata: THis is the left, it's who they are, it's how they roll...

 

Right. We’re going in. Those trees gonna die.

Natalie Solent (Essex) · Environment · UK affairs

Jennifer Saul, a professor of philosophy at the University of Sheffield, has a had a figurative and literal rude awakening. Writing in the Huffington Post, she says,

Authoritarianism in Sheffield
…you might think, local Labour councils would be on the side of the good—fighting authoritarianism and working to preserve what they can of the quality of life in their cities.
This morning, however, Sheffield’s Labour council showed us beyond a shadow of a doubt how they feel about the authoritarianism on the rise round the world. Overruling their own hand-picked Independent Tree Panels, they decided to descend on Rustlings Road, a quiet residential street, in the wee hours of the morning with 22 police officers, to fell 8 trees (6 of which the tree panels said should be saved). Residents were awakened in the middle of the night by police demanding that they move their cars. Three were arrested, including two pensioners. Police in the middle of the night, knocking on doors, dragging people out of bed? Arresting elderly law-abiding citizens? This is not the lovely left-wing city I thought I was moving to back in 1995.

I laughed at her political naivety until I remembered that I shared it. Whether the local authority was Labour, Conservative, or any other party, I would not have expected to read of vanloads of police with arc lights and bullhorns descending at dawn on any street of the UK for anything short of a raid on armed and dangerous gangsters.
Nor should Sheffield City Council get away with this less dramatic but equally ominous manipulation of the law:

We learned their recommendation today [i.e the decision of the Tree Panel], only after the felling. (Although the recommendation was dated 22 July, it was only published this morning at 4.30.) The council’s hand-picked experts recommended against felling 6 of the 8 trees. And yet the council was so determined to destroy them anyway that they engaged in a massive police action against law-abiding citizens in the middle of the night.

Other accounts of the incident can be read here and here.  By the way, none of the above news was 'fake'.

Elephant Rock

Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

Architecture - 2016

#architecture
The Museum of the Arctic, University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

Morning Light

#morning

Though this is a three shot HDR composite, the post production was minimal.  I did not punch up the colors, especially reds/yellows to get the photo to look like that. That is how things actually appeared that morning.  Some days nature does all the work for you.

Autumn Black and White

#black_and_white

Day #7

#7_day_challenge

Day #6

#7_day_challenge

Fall in New England has nothing on us.

Day #5

#7_day_challenge

Day number five.

This evening's view from the porch.

Day #4

#7_day_challenge

Day #3

#7_day_challenge

Downtown

Downtown Chitina, Ak.

Photo Friday Challenge #Downtown

Rabbit Lake

Fear not, therefore, to try the mountain-passes.
They will kill care, save you from deadly apathy, set you free,
and call forth every faculty into vigorous, enthusiastic action.
-- John Muir

A Dak Brooding Photo For A Dark Brooding Monday

Landscape 2016

Golden

Winter Colors

Best Shot of 2015

Death Valley from Zabriskie Point.

I went to Death Valley to do a 200K ride (that's approximately 122.5 mi.) . The actual ride was `27.9 miles, as sown below.

 

 

The ride began and ended at the Furnace Creek Ranch.  From there I rode north to Ubehebe Crater, then turned around and went back to Furnace Creek with a detour to Stove Pipe Wells. A 12.5 hour effort.  Though it was 37F when I departed at 6am, the temperature got up to 60F during the afternoon. Cooling off quickly after sunset.

This photo above was taken at Zabriskie Point the day before when driving into Death Valley.  I can't overstate the stark beauty of the place. Though I recommend going in the winter, when it isn't baking.