
We just these past two days had opportunity to take advantage of a generous gift from our son and daughter-in-law to spend time at the Devil’s Thumb Ranch, in the lodge. It is a resort that sits outside of two small towns south of Rocky Mountain National Park, Winter Park and Fraser. We have been to the resort on several occasions before, but have never stayed there, as it is too pricey. We stayed in the nearby towns instead, and traveled out to cross-country ski on the 6,000 acres of trails, all built on roadbed, and many groomed. But this time, combined with a 30% discount by the lodge and a $300 remaining balance, we were able to stay there.
I made an important discovery on this trip: My XC ski equipment is not only outdated, but is old. I felt like Jed Clampett driving that old rig through Beverly Hills as I watched skiers my age zoom past me. It’s not that some of them were skate skiers, who are naturally fast, but regular Nordic skiers were going so much faster too. I talked to a gal at the rental desk before we left, and she said that over time XC skis have gotten much skinnier. Devil’s Thumb is mostly groomed, but I have to ski outside the grooves as the edges of my skis rub against the inside of the groove, creating friction. But I also noticed that skiing flat I could not generate much speed.
Time to buy new skis, I said. My ever-thoughtful wife suggested that when we go to DT, we rent. That would be twice a year, tops. Nordic skiing down where we live, near Conifer, is spotty at best. Even when we get good snow, which we often do, it usually turns to ice or mush quickly, as our normal winter temperatures are in the thirties or higher. Most people around here are snowshoers or fat bikers. Neither appeals to me, but they are adapted to the weather here.
Speaking of old but still useful (me), we own a 4Runner that we purchased in 2005 and that has 220,000 miles on it. In 19 years it has never failed us, or even failed to start. This year I put rock salt in the back for weight and safety, and we have all-terrain tires on it. So yesterday we awoke abut about 5:30 AM, and the Starbucks at Safeway, ten miles away, opens at 6 AM. It was snowing heavily, so much so that if I put bright headlights on, it was hypnotic. But we did not hesitate, even for a second, to hop into the 4R and head down the road. The 4R is that dependable, probably the best investment we ever made.
Which reminds me, as I am going to write about Michael Mann below. I have an idea for a vacation for him. I want him to fly to Bakersfield, California, and rent a vehicle, ideally an EV (electric vehicle), and then drive across Death Valley.
______________________
I was stunned by the recent court case in DC wherein Mark Steyn, Canadian pundit, was ordered to pay $1 million in punitive damages to Michael Mann. I listened to reenactments of that trial for eight days straight, and came away after the verdict suspicious that Steyn had deliberately walked us into a trap. This cannot have been a real trial. It was like watching a baseball team where one team scored homers and doubles and feasted as its players circled the bases, only to have the umpires declare the game in favor of the team that did not score. It was that bad. The defense feasted on Mann’s team. They played poorly, scored no runs, and yet Mann was awarded a stunning victory. That does not happen in real life. This was a staged event, I am quite certain. But if it is consolation, the $1 million award is fake too.
My only puzzle is how a jury was selected that would come down with such a ludicrous verdict. The answer is simple, I suggest … they were mere spectators, hired to show up, nothing more. The verdict was written in advance, and on Mann’s side, it was understood that no matter how poorly they performed, they would win. This was the only reason why Mann even sat through it, as he was embarrassed and humiliated throughout. The $1 million is “punitive” damages, and that sums it up. Mann’s been raked over a coalbed in the years since his “Hockey Stick” came to be, with scientists deriding it as poorly constructed and designed to come up with a predetermined outcome. He was given a chance to punish his critics in a fake trial, and took it.
Several things that tend to add to this claim that the trial was fake:
The courtroom selected for the trial is small with low ceilings and poor ventilation. It was hot and stuffy throughout. Why not a better venue? No one cared about it. Finally, after repeated complaints from Steyn, they moved to a larger venue.
Also, the jurors were perpetually late, slowing down the proceedings. Most judges would not put up with that, and in fact can levy fines for tardiness. The judge in this affair did nothing, perhaps because they were just actors, and he couldn’t do anything.
Mann’s team submitted false evidence to the jury, claiming that Mann had lost out on a $9 million grant due to the articles that led to the lawsuit. This evidence was shown to the jury. The real number was something like $112,000. The defense demanded the evidence be withdrawn and the jury told to ignore it. The judge did nothing. That’s grounds for appeal.
During jury selection, Bill Nye, the “science” guy, was allowed to sit with the potential jurors and cajole them about his very good friend, Mann. That by itself is grounds for appeal.
The words “punitive damages” were never to my knowledge uttered throughout the proceedings until the closing argument by the prosecution at the end, and in an “oh by the way” manner. I suggest he did this because he knew what was coming down and wanted it to be not out of the blue.
Anyway, it was a trial where all of the proceedings favored the defense in every way, and where the prosecution did nothing of note for its client, and where the prosecution won hands down. Fake, fake, fake.
But there cannot be an appeal of a fake proceeding, right? So this trial, fake as it was, stands as precedent and warning to anyone who wants to take on the climate alarmists. Even if their science is junk, be wary, as they are juiced, and backed by very powerful forces. They shoot to kill.