Bill Gill On: Water Bottles

Bill Gill:

I love the "non-disposable" water bottles as a fashion statement.

Look at me, I am enlightened, I do not buy disposable plastic water bottles because they just end up in landfills. Of course, anyone with half a brain understands that you dispose of your used plastic water bottles in the recycle bin and then they are recycled into new plastic water bottles. But I prefer to use the term landfill because it sounds much more sinister.

Instead of disposable plastic water bottles I buy an engineered water bottle made in China from various metals and plastics plus fashionable colors and/or graphics. You can have virtually anthing you want...red, blue, metallic purple or green, forest animals, any number of earth-friendly "Life is Good" inane statements, flames, skulls, bullets, knock-off Ed Hardy graphics, etc. The possibilities are endless.

One problem, though, is that I quickly get bored with my water bottle because people aren't impressed with it after a while. That is why I actually have a dozen and counting non-disposable water bottles. The other day I realized that I don't need all of these old non-disposable water bottles so, with a fleeting pang of guilt and remorse, I threw most of them away.

Hey shit for brains, maybe you should do just a LITTLE research before spouting off.

http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=plastic+water+bottle+landfill

Just about every mainstream media published story on this issue comes to the conclusion that 50-90% of plastic water bottles end up in the LANDFILL, not being recycled. This is such a well understood fact that it really is quite surprising that you weren't aware of it.

That last part was a joke. It's not really all that surprising that you didn't know about it.

The reason this happens is pretty easy to understand. The majority of people use water bottles while they are away from home, and it is difficult to find recycling boxes. Therefore, most toss them away wherever is convenient... ie: a garbage can, the side of the road, or into the North Pacific Gyre.

And even if one were to recycle your plastic water bottles, Bill seems to completely ignore the energy used in the entire product life-cycle. From the molding of the bottles themselves, down to the fuel used to truck those water bottles around from the filtered city water source to the health food store.

I can't speak for everyone, but I still have my very first BPA-laden Nalgene water bottle that I bought almost 20 years ago still in regular service. I only use bottled water when there is no other option.

Insomia? Here, watch this.

Here's a video of JSQ on an extreme expedition with his white UN Edition Land Rover. Yes, this is hosted on UTube, and posted at Expedition Exchange. Not a single deragatory comment of course, because the EE crew is tyte like that.

Cutlery

Just to show how they are such hardcore extreme fast and light expeditioneers, the EE crew don't use plastic utensils, or God forbid Coleman, or even a cheap stainless steel set from Walmart... No, they all like to use Snow Peak Titanium greywear. It's HiSpeedLoDrag.



We find it curious that the utensiles are flimsy titanium things, in the name of saving weight, yet they come with a nylon cordura carry case. The case probably weighs as much as the utensils. The whole thing probably weighs as much as a stainless steel camping set that wouldn't need a case.

Well, they must work really well though right? I mean, that's a high precision spoon, that makes eating your oatmeal faster. And I'm sure the fork has extra holding power. No, by their own admission:

ChrisVonC:

The Snow Peak knife from the 3-piece titanium silverware. With all the love SP puts into their stuff, they couldnt make the knife serrated? Seriously, for the love of God, put a little bit of bite on this thing. I love the size of the set, the case, the weight, the ease of clean up, but fuck me, anytime I want to cut something other than warm butter, I go insane.


So, John "built" his cutlery set:

I sharpened my Snow Peak "knife". I didn't go psycho and put some Edge Pro action on it. I just wanted something more than a butter knife.

Well, I wouldn't call what I have an "edge". I simply turned the radiused sheet into a V. "Bevel" might be more accurate.

It's not sharp at all. I can put my finger to it and run it across and I won't get cut. But it beats trying to cut with a radius.

Heaven forbid you throw out that piece of shit kiddie knife, and actually bring one with a real edge. Fuck me.

CVC goes on:

I'll try that on mine. I bought 2 sets of the Brunton TI because the knive is serrated but they are longer and have no bag to store them in so I still go for my SP set when camping. I keep a set here at work for when I bring my lunches in rather than trying to find plastic crap to eat with and they are easy to clean.

So Chris brings the non-functional Snow Peak knife camping, and uses the Brunton set at work. Plastic is too hard to find. Stainless steel cutlery is too pedestrian. Brunton Titanium tells his coworkers that he's all Extreme Expedition, but still down-to-earth because he saves his Japanese-made TI cutlery for his real trips.

Why is Titanium cutlery preferred by the EE crowd? Stainless Steel melts at only 2500 degrees. Titanium is good to at least 2800. That could make or break your trip to Moab. I mean Jesus, you could be up to 50 miles away from a McDonalds where you can get some finger food if you have a cutlery malfunction. That's some scary shit right there.

Tony Desanto is a such a lame ass, he has to ASK PERMISSION from the messiah if he is allowed to carry a real knife:

Am I carrying too much shit if I actually carry a bonafide steak knife?

But, he's such an ExtremeDouche, that he has to actually seek out a "steak knife" that is not serrated. I have no idea where one even finds such a thing. Probably on the hanger under the tag: "Chef's Knife, Small". This is some more serious sand in the mangina whining here:

I can't stand cutting food with a serrated blade. Not only does it tear the food, I can't stand the thought that I'm sawing my food.

John takes the high road while eating at McDonald's

I couldn't believe my eyes when I read this one. John Lee, Mr. High and Mighty, opera-watching, food-photographing, approved-by-the-Queen-Defender-driving asswipe, admits to eating at McDonalds.

Yes. It's true.

But, not everything at McDonalds is up to standard.

No, he didn't get tipped off by the little "tm" next to the "100% All Beef Patty". I guess he actually likes artificial cheese slices, processed potato starch fries, and "special sauce". The fact that all the chicken meat is blindingly white, even though they use the whole chicken... that's not a problem.

But the McGriddles, they're just a bridge too far for Mr. Lee. The little M stamped in the bun is just too much.

I eat McDonald's all the time. I don't especially like McDonald's food, but I hit the drive-through all the time on my way to somewhere. But I draw the line at this McGriddles thing. The cheesy M on the bun upsets me. And the fact that the bun is supposed to be some pancake with syrup on it and the sandwich is supposed to be like a miniature breakfast in sandwich form is a little insulting.

The fact that a Big Mac is supposed to be a miniature supper in sandwich form, that's OK, however.

John Lee Roasts: 1LegLance

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=682229&postcount=30

We don't comment on the appearance/style/astethetics around here as I understand things. Function/safety yes but if a person wants to take a sawzall to their rig or drive something more trail carnage than an Iraqui taxi cab then that is fine. If they want to rattle can it cammo that is fine.
As a matter of course my understanding is that we don't brand bash or make negitive comments on anything outside of function/safety.

I hate Wannabe High Road talk like this. Function and safety are fair game, but aesthetics are not. This is moron talk. It's moron talk from McMorons (who can't spell for shit) trying to take the High Road. It's especially moronic for a board like ExPo where 99% of the modifications are done for looks rather than function.

This 1leglance has absolutely no sense of fair play. He thinks that because it's wrong to criticize someone's ugly face, it must also be wrong to criticize someone's car modifications. That the ugly person had no control over his facial features but had control over his his vehicle modifications doesn't even occur to him. He's that stupid.

This 1leglance also cannot seem to grasp the idea that this SpencerFitch hack opened the door to comment (positive or negative) about his build by starting a build thread and posting pics.

I remember this 1leglance guy. I think he's a chump. I can't find the thread, but there was a thread on ExPo where 1leglance thought pics of black rifles were not appropriate for posting on ExPo. I'm guessing if the poster had posted a pic of a Mini-14, 1leglance wouldn't have had any problem with the gun. This 1leglance is just dumb enough to see an AR and think "bad gun" and then see a Mini-14 and think "good gun", even though the "function/safety" of the two weapons are identical and they differ only in "appearance/style/astethetics". This guy is so stupid he doesn't even follow his own nonsensical rules.

And this 1leglance is a moderator on ExPo. This is one reason why ExPo is such a lousy site.

Meet Dan Chapman

Dan is another of John's Disciples. In fact, Dan was converted. He used to be trailer trash, and built this bumper. It has to be the most hideous thing ever created.






How do you open the hood? This is how.



You can't make this shit up.

Dan has repented. He got rid of that POS, bought another truck, and is now starting over. Eventually, his truck will look exactly like the others.

The best part about Dan, is he likes to think he's very knowledgable about mechanics, and particularly likes to criticize others. But then he comes out with stuff like this, and the game is up.

Novadisco asks:

I have a 2004 Disco II SE and noticed the other day I seem to be missing a cover on the bottom of the bell housing? At the very bottom of the bell housing there is a hole approx. 3 inches in diameter with three threaded screw holes. When you look inside you can see the torque converter. My question is, has anyone else lost this cover and driven for a while (three weeks) with out it? The dealer has ordered me a new one and says it is not a big deal? They said it is fine to continue to drive around and they will call me whne it comes in? Your thoughts are much appreciated.

To which Dan responds:

You'll be fine. If you're that worried about it, put some duct tape over it.

So you can unbolt the torque coverter from the fly wheel. It allows you to get a ratchet in there.

You can't make this shit up.

Dan. The torque converter is bolted to the flex plate, not the flywheel. The bolts are accessed from the holes in the front face of the oil pan girdle, not the inspection hole on the bottom of the bellhousing.

What a chump.

Racism

One common thing that John Lee likes to repeat, is talking about "white people". To him it seems, all white people are trailer trash. Yet, when "white people" talk about Asians, using an outdated but non-offensive term, he gets upset. He criticized XJBanker for using the term Oriental at Expo:

So whenever our famiy goes anywhere and a bus of Orential tourists show up they always surround my almost three year old daughter. When we took her to delicate arch in Moab she posed for about twenty different cameras and the people just glanced at the arch. When we went to Toronto and niagara falls people kept stopping us and asking if they could take her picture with o e o them holding her. Today we went to our local air force museum and again a bus of Japanese people showed up, were looking at planes and then saw Gabby and started swarming her way. They got out their video cameras and started filming her. None of them spoke English and then two of the older ladies took her hands and led her away off to more of the group. I went with them and more people started pointing and taking her photo.

Now I know I am her dad and I think that she is cute, but have they never seen a blonde hair blue eyed white girl before. I just think that it is funny that it happens everytime. I even said when they got off the bus today that they were going to come and talk to her. Is it a cultural thing or am I missing something. I really don't mind and think it is nice that they think she is beautiful but I don't think I would stop an oriental family on my trip to film there children.


You know what John, what goes around comes around.

Not to be outdone, Jack recently posted this gem:

Tom is in Romania right now for work. He says that if someone presents you with two hookers as a sign of hospitality it's rude not to strangle one of them. Also, if you hit a gypsy with your Jimny, they are liable for any damages.
Just a few traveling tips.


So from this we conclude that Jack must think:

1)In Romania, prostitution is common.
2)It's OK to kill prostitutes.
3)Landless people have no rights.

Irony

A recent theme over in the Plumber's Snorkel thread has been to laugh at people fitting A/C units in their tents. The same people who list DC powered refridgerators as the absolute "first mod" they would ever do to a new truck, feel that air conditioning is just going too far. Best your sushi stay cool, rather than you, I guess. But, not to be outdone by that bit of irony, others state this:

Ben Little:

They do hate the outdoors. They hate camping. They hate everything about it accept for the part where they get to set up all their camp-trickery.


Stuart Ivie:

There are no winners here, only those who strive for perfection in "I hate the outdoors" camping.

Regarding tent a/c. They might consider adopting one of my primary tenets, which is 'I don't camp when it's too damned hot'.

Simple, especially when considering humidity in the SE US.

So.... Somebody who would actually go outside when it's hot, but manage the situation by bringing air conditioning "hates the outdoors". Yet if you just stay home when it's hot, you love the outdoors.

OK. Got it. I think.

My head hurts.

Chris Snell Bashes Soldiers

In a recent posting in the Plumber's Snorkel thread, Chris Snell posted a comment that seemed to be attacking our soldiers. First he referenced this thread:

http://www.militaryjeepers.com/community/showthread.php?6304-Before-and-After-photos-here

It's a pretty unassuming thread where soldiers are posting before and after pictures of their trucks. Quite often they come back from deployment with a fair amount of money, and spend some of it on their trucks. Being patriotic Americans, and soldiers, they naturally choose the iconic Jeep. But of course, Chris Snell and the other Disciples don't like Jeeps, or the way these guys have modified their Jeeps. So in effect, Chris is bashing the soldiers who protect our freedom for excercising their freedom to modify their trucks how they see fit.

No, there is no humor in this posting, because there really isn't anything funny about the situation. It seems Chris then realized he was treading on fragile ground, and deleted the post. When asked about it, he concocted a story to cover his ass:

It did. I posted all of that shit and then I realized that I was just cranky and pissed off and figured that nobody gave a shit about Jeep forums so I deleted it.


Unfortunately we don't have a copy of the original post.

John Lee On: Why he's a prick.

John responds to Rob Davison's comments. This is really quite telling. Apparently he doesn't know he has a psychological disorder. He really DOES think he's all that, that his opinion is The One True Way, and most importantly, that anybody else really cares.

It depends on what or whom I'm slamming at that particular point in time. Some stuff I slam because I think it's stupid. Some stuff I slam because I think it's ugly. Some people I slam because I think they're pricks. Some people I slam because I think they're liars. It's all over the place.

Sometimes I say something because I feel it needs to be said. Take ExPo for example. The stated rule there is that constructive criticism is allowed. That's bullshit. Anyone with half a brain can see that. These people live a lie, and they don't even realize they're lying. The rule in practice is very different from the stated rule. No criticism, constructive or otherwise is ever allowed there. The only thing ever allowed there is applause and validation. That's why the people, vehicles, and gear there have degenerated to their current state. The people there have no feedback. All they ever get is applause.

What John doesn't understand is that criticism is allowed in normal society. Telling somebody that you hate something because you think it fucking sucks, is not criticism. It's just a Tourette's outburst.

Personally, I think John chopped off his dick, hatcheted a cleft between his legs, and filled it with sand. Seriously, he sounds like some whiney little skank Big Brother, who has not yet figured out in life that the world does not in fact, revolve around them.

Dissention in the Ranks?!

I did a double take when I saw this comment from Rob Davison in the Plumber's Snorkel thread. Every once in a while you get some inter-club sniping, but never this clear and concise, and never from Rob before. This was after a particularly pointless and stupid wanna-be psycho-analysis from John.

So John, do you point out what you believe to be the faults of the Mcpeople as a tough love tactic to get them to change their ways or is this just a way for you to inflate your ego in an attempt to prove you are a superior person?

Vanity is not a virtue.

This is a very good question. Either way, it highlights a severe problem with John's psyche. Either he is deluded enough to think that he himself is capable of changing the behaviour of... millions... billions of people? Basically everybody else in the world who doesn't think like him. Sometimes I think he's like the Borg. Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated. If you don't think like him, and like EXACTLY what he likes, you're wrong, and need an attitude correction.

Or, does John just do this to inflate his ego? Did his father hate him and constantly criticize him as a boy? Is he taking his anger out on everybody else? Does he have a wife? Does he treat her like this at home?

John Lee On: Cargo Drawers

John doens't like cargo drawers very much. Personally I think it's because they tend to be build at home systems, and John is jealous because he seems to have zero ability to do anything by himself. That's why he likes Genuine Land Rover parts so much, they're pre-engineered and come with easy to follow instructions to bolt them on. Also, since they are typically built and not sold, he can't make any money off them. He would prefer to sell you Pelican cases to store your gear. In fact, he'd love to sell you one of the most expensive Pelican cases made, the Pelican 0450 7 drawer tool chest for $565.

Unfortunately, I don't have the pictures that go with this. If anybody has a spare login for their forum, you could help us make this Blog even better. ;)

John Lee:

Hey guys, check out my sweet cargo drawer system:

The factory cargo area sucks. It just didn't meet my specific needs. So I decided to build a drawer system. It took time, but I built it myself. It was very rewarding. I even used hardwood veneer for that little classy touch.

The two pics above are just after completion, so the drawers are empty. The pics below show the capability of my drawer system.

Left drawer:

Let's see. There's so much there that an inventory would be difficult. But we have a Rand impact, an inflator, a hose, a Safety Seal kit, and something else in a blow-molded case.

You can see just how efficient these drawers are. The right drawer is even nicer:

What do we have here? Some channel locks, some dikes, electronic pliers, needlenose pliers, a circuit testers, nine sockets, and some miscellaneous junk in the rear. I'm especially proud of my carpet job and the rubber tie-downs. These rubber tie-downs are rated for a 50 lb. capacity. So you know they're the real deal.

I designed a clever two-level system for this drawer because I'm all about maximizing the usable space I have. Here's the right-hand drawer with the top level removed:

Just look at that assortment of tools. I have an entire ratchet there, plus eight wrenches, four screwdrivers, and seven (!) nut drivers.

As you can see, I maximized the usable space in my already-small FJ Cruiser. The hours of time and effort to build these drawers was well worth it. I could have put all of this stuff into two small duffel bags, but I much prefer the drawers.


What does John's $565, 45 lbs empty, waterproof, drop proof, dust proof, lockable Pelican tool box look like?

Well, first of all, it takes up half of his rear storage space:



But, I'm sure he's got a whole lotta super awesome tools in there right, since he's an expedition badass. Let's see:



Hmmm. He's got an air hose. That's rubber, prone to impact damage. Good thing it's in a Pelican case. He's got a funnel. You don't want those to get wet. And, he's got some other junk inside another Pelican case!



Now this one has a lot of inventory. He has a couple wratchets, and some sockets. Look how efficiently they are packed. Also notice the rich patina of use on all of John's tool. As you can see, he prefers Snap-On tools, not because they're a fancy name brand, but because a professional must be able to rely on his tools for years and years of hard use!



Check this drawer. This is where he keeps his salt and pepper shaker. And his Snow Peak titanium utensils. They're titanium for light weight. That's very important when travelling Fast and Light. They're stored inside a HD nylon pouch that weighs more than they do, because a fork failure in the field would be devastating. Then they are stored inside a 45 lb tool box. Fast and light!



This drawer holds a fragile rubber hammer. And another wratchet. I think he should label the contets of these drawers so he can find everything.



This drawer has the goods. This has the most important items of all. Worm Screw clamps from Home Depot! These are very important when trying to slow down the leaks on a Land Rover. Also note the Knipex pliers. Snap On pliers are for white trash. These are the real deal. Again, check out the patina of use.



And in the top drawer, the backup HT radio. To call for help should his Land Rover break down halfway between his shop and his house in suburbia.

John Lee On: Losing Customers

This will also be an ongoing theme, as John has an entire thread dedicated to posting emails from customers he has lost. I'm not sure how big John's business is, but given he only brags about owning one old Land Rover, I'm thinking not very big. He doesn't try very hard to keep or gain customers. Maybe that's why he's an ex-lawyer?

From: Josh & Britt-Mari Holloway [mailto:holloway@mtaonline.net]
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 9:29 AM
To: John Lee
Subject: plumbers

Gentlemen: I was browsing your site putting together an order of a few more jerry cans, some refrigerator parts, and whatever else I might find, when I came across your plumbers discussion. I always suspected you guys were an arrogant bunch based on the pictures around your site. The over-the-top, Gucci, gear-forward, "look we're filthy rich", camping shots. They seem to me frankly ridiculous but I didn't let it bother me figuring that's your "thing". Your angle on the pursuit. I'd have never guessed that every other angle, excepting your own, would be subject to scorn and public ridicule. I don't need to be downstream of these attitudes and, while I don't kid myself that I'll be missed, thought you should know that you've driven away one customer.

Josh Holloway

We've driven away one customer? I looked through our records and there's no Josh Holloway, no Joshua Holloway, no Britt Holloway, no Britt-Mari Holloway, and no Mari Holloway. We didn't lose anything. One cannot lose what he never had.

This email is also disingenuous in the extreme. This guy always thought we were arrogant assholes with bad attitudes but he was going to buy something from us anyway but this thread was the deal-breaker? I find that very hard to believe.

I also find the timing of this email interesting. I doubt this guy even knew about this thread until he learned about it on ExPo. But I guess that story wasn't compelling enough. So he fabricates some story of how he was planning to buy stuff and then he started surfing our board and found this thread. I guess he thought such a story had more impact.

John Lee On: Customer Care, Part 2

This will be an ongoing series. Again in the Plumber's Snorkel thread (it's huge, go look!) John often posts emails sent to him privately on his public forum. Even if there is a privacy statement at the bottom. While reading this, keep it in mind, that John's minions typically do not use their real name when trolling other boards.

John Lee:

Another one:

From: Dendy Jarrett [mailto:nashvillerover@comcast.net]
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 9:34 PM
To: Ho Chung; John Lee
Subject: Expedition Exchange/Expo Dialogue

Dear Ho and John:

Respectfully, while I don't agree with your political views on your forum regarding the treatment of customers and others for that matter, I assure you that I have nothing to do with the e-mail blasts that you are accusing me of on your forum. Had I participated in this, I would have at least given you the courtesy of a heads-up. I request that you remove any reference to this accusation from the internet. While you may attack my truck all you care to, ... you may not attack my character online.

I am the administrator and master moderator for the world's largest musician forum and am coached weekly in internet law with our corporate law team, and I do know that harassment on publicly visible forums is a criminal offense, as is hijacking photos from other forums and posting them without permission — being a lawyer ... you should know this as well.

I am choosing not to venture into your "forum" however, you should know that up to and including today, when attempting to log in (just to see images), I simply get a message that my registration is complete, but my participation is awaiting admin approval, so even if I choose to answer your challenge to rebuttal, I would not be able to log in to do so. (incidentally, no where in your sign-up, does it state that one must use their given name. This must be a rule you are creating for this situation - examples- members musky man and blue)

It is important that you understand that I come from a very small Southern town (still a population of 88) and was raised with upstanding principles, a virtue that is seemingly missing in your forums. Even if you guys are downing folks trucks or gear for your own amusement, it shows very poor character and invites like behavior in other areas of life. It is quite sad that you have chosen to condone that type of behavior. The spirit of adventure and exploration is stained by this type of environment and attitude. That is a shame, as your venue could be used for so much good.

We all choose our paths.

This is my only courtesy communication with you. The discussion regarding this ends for me with this e-mail.
Sincerely,
M. Dendy Jarrett
aka: nashvillerover

Note:
This e-mail is intended for the privacy of the recipients only and any reproduction is not permissible.

Michael aka Dendy aka Nashvillerover:

I think you need a reality check. I never accused you of having sent that email to vendors. Read again what I wrote. Read it carefully. I can tell that you like to see only what you choose to see, but read again my statement. Nowhere do I accuse of you having sent that email. That would be a little absurd on my part, because I have no real idea who sent that email. I merely said that I was guessing it was you. That's far different from accusing you of anything.

This bit about "[w]hile you may attack my truck all you care to,....you may not attack my character online" is more than a little funny, isn't it? You seem to like saying things that you think sound profound and High Road. Have you ever thought about the fact that it was criticism about your vehicle that got you all riled up in the first place? You can feign indifference all you like, but you were seriously hurt and pissed that your truck was not in fact an inspiration but a ridiculous attempt at an offroad vehicle. And now you say that I'm free to poke fun at your truck all I like? That's more than a little insincere.

Take a look at yourself in the mirror. I mean really look. Do some introspection and reflection. Don't just see what you want to see and brush off what you don't want to see. You have a real problem. You post pics of your truck online and look for validation from others. When you get the validation you're seeking and hoping for, you're quite pleased. When someone doesn't like your truck, your entire little world comes crashing to an end. And then when part of your brain realizes how silly your disappointment and anger are, you come up with excuses for your behavior. You're not angry because someone doesn't like your truck. No way. That would be silly. You're angry because someone else's truck was criticized, and that's wrong. Or, you're angry because a vendor is criticizing a customer's vehicle, and that's wrong too. Yeah, that's it.

Well, that's not it. You can come up with all of the rationalizations that your weak mind and its defense mechanisms will accept, but that doesn't mean those rationalizations are true and correct. You have a weak mind. You believe what you want to believe. You tell yourself comforting things and your weak mind accepts these comforting assertions as true. You have a real problem.

So harassing someone on a publicly visible forum is a criminal offense? Because some people on our bulletin board don't like your Range Rover, that rises to a criminal offense? Again, I think you need a reality check. You might consult your corporate law team once again.

As for hijacking photos from other forums and posting them without permission, I ask you to take another look at yourself in the mirror. You seem to do the same here:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...ad.php?t=34940

Isn't that a pic from our site? That looks a lot like my Defender in the background. You seem to have no problem engaging in behavior that outrages you. Is this part of your upstanding upbringing?

Are you angry because someone hotlinked to your very public photobucket account that shows off pics of your poseurmobile to the entire world? You know, this page:

http://s721.photobucket.com/albums/w...ver/?start=all

You created that public album. The pics are there for the entire world to see. There are pictures galore of your vehicles and even of your children. And someone hotlinks to one of these photos and now you're outraged? If you're such a private person, you might want to take down those photos of your vehicles and children. Or, you might change your settings so that your photos cannot be hotlinked to.

I can see the dilemma brewing in your little brain already. If you took down those photos, how then would you seek the validation of others online? Your "build thread" on ExPo would be meaningless without those photos of your build and your expeditions to the local municipal park. This is indeed a dilemma and I leave the resolution of same to you.

Of course you choose not to post on our board. What could you say? The same meaningless feel-good talk that passes for discourse and actually generates validation and group hugs on ExPo wouldn't fly here. People would actually call you out on your stupidity, hyprocrisy, and meaningless of your statements. There's no safe-harbor provision here. Even your weak mind can comprehend that. Your excuse that your account is not yet active is just an excuse. Ho checked your account this morning and it's active. You can post. You just choose not to.

As for requiring a name to register on our board being an excuse on my part, do you really believe that? Or, like almost anything else that comes out of your mouth, are you just saying that because it makes you feel good to say it? Why did you give your name "Michael Jarrett" when you registered? I see your other usernames on D-90 and ExPo and there's no "Michael Jarrett" listed there. And yet your full name is listed here. Why is that? The reason is because your full name was required during registration.

Full names are required on our BBS. We require this for several reasons. One, user accounts on our BBS are limited to EE customers only and how else would we know if a new user on our BBS was a customer or not unless he gave his full name? Second, we require the names because we don't want anything said on our board that someone wouldn't sign his name to.

I can tell you went through our entire members list while drafting your email. Apparently, you found two usernames out of many that didn't have full names listed: blue and muskyman. I just looked at muskyman's profile and his full name Thom Mathie is indeed listed. Perhaps he edited his profile recently or not. I'm not sure. But his full name is listed right now.

I just checked blue's profile and indeed his full name is not listed. Blue must have edited his profile after creating his user account. When blue did register, he did include his full name. If you want to know blue's name, his full name is Bill Gill. I'll ask blue to update his profile to include his full name. We require it.

You say you were raised with upstanding principles. You're apparently quite proud of it. You probably think quite highly of yourself and your upstanding pedigree. As I said before, I think you need to do some reflection and look at yourself. Far from being raised in an upstanding fashion, I think quite the opposite is true. I would venture to guess that you were raised in an environment of falsity and comforting thoughts rather than reality.

In fact, I think you're anything but upstanding. I think you're quite a low-life with serious self-esteem issues. The way you lie through your teeth and tell yourself what you want to believe is pretty pathetic. That thread on ExPo is now deleted, so I can't reference it. However, what little tidbits remain are quite illuminating. Here's an example:

I have purchased quite a bit from EE and never have they "approved" me for their forum, nor have they ever answered my inquiries as to why.
I have a truck that I would put up against any truck owned by the owners there. My (enormous ... as they call it) trailer is a South African expedition trailer manufactured for the South African Military. There is nothing shabby about that.
I call a place that allows you to spend your money, but then will not allow you to participate in their forum, and then pokes fun at a customers truck ... SNOBBISH!

PS: my snorkel is a Mantec ... not a plumbers snorkel.

Again, your user account on our BBS is active. You can post whatever you like. You just choose not to. But you lie about not being able to post because you're too much of a coward to post here. So your snorkel is a Mantec. Yeah, good for you.

Another example:

I'll also add, that I have no thin skin. I don't care what you think of my truck, ... but DON'T take my money, and then bash my truck.

and:

The fact that they poked fun at my truck was not the issue here ... nor was it adelatoa's. The fact that we are Customers (yes, we may not spend their minimum required monthly amount to qualify as a forumite), but we were customers none-the-less — and to find customer's trucks on their site being poked fun at is totally UN COOL (especially when they have no means to question the motivation of the comments).

This is another lie. You have very thin skin and you care very deeply what others think of your truck. Your don't-take-my-money-and-bash-my-truck argument is just subterfuge for your outrage. You're pissed off all right. But part of your supposed upstanding upbringing knows that being pissed off because someone doesn't like your truck is just silly. So you fabricate a different, High Road explanation for your outrage. Which is worse--being hurt because someone doesn't like your truck or lying about it?

John Lee On: Customer Care

JSQ:

That thread on ExPo is delicious.

John Lee:

I saw your comment and thought, "huh?". Then I went to ExPo and saw what you were talking about:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...ad.php?t=38672

That thread is hilarious. All these people are outraged. It's awesome.

"adelatoa" is all pissed. He claims he "laughed his ass off", but you can tell he was seriously hurt when his truck made it to this thread. Just like all of the chumps in the world, he feigns indifference but you can tell he was genuinely hurt when pics of his truck hit this thread.

I love also how the losers of the world congregate and give one another moral support. For example:

For what it's worth, it looks like your truck is very well done and I like it a lot!

Really. Does he really like it or does he say what he does because he feels it has to be said? I think the latter.

"adrenaline503" says:

I'm just a lowly Nissan owner, but that is one of my favorite Land Rovers on here. But what do I know?

Who the hell is "adrenaline503"? Doesn't anyone on ExPo use his real name?

So "adrenaline503" thinks "adelatoa"'s disco is one of his favorites. Nice.

"b jeepin" says:

i could only wish to be as decked out as you are, i am working in that direction. your rig is an inspiration!

And again, this time from "Yudda":

Absolutely... Perfectly said....Your rig is an Inspiration.

I'm inspired all right.

Again, is this reality? Or is "b jeepin" saying this because he feels it needs to be said?

I like this one from "iigs" (whoever that is):

Wow, thanks for the heads up. They had some stuff I was interested in, too. Glad I never bought.

In other words, we lost him as a customer. Even though he never was a customer. Somehow, "iigs" seems to believe it's possible for one to lose something he never had.

"Nashvillerover" says:

I have purchased quite a bit from EE and never have they "approved" me for their forum, nor have they ever answered my inquiries as to why.
I have a truck that I would put up against any truck owned by the owners there. My (enormous ... as they call it) trailer is a South African expedition trailer manufactured for the South African Military. There is nothing shabby about that.
I call a place that allows you to spend your money, but then will not allow you to participate in their forum, and then pokes fun at a customers truck ... SNOBBISH!

PS: my snorkel is a Mantec ... not a plumbers snorkel.

What a loser this guy is.

First of all, I have no idea who he is, because he goes by "Nashvillerover" and not by his real name.

Second, even if he is a customer, he probably registered for our board with the same lame ass "Nashvillerover" and didn't include his real name. That's probably why he was denied a user account on our board. Even losers like John B. McClure have user accounts on our board. There's no reason why we would exclude "Nashvillerover". What, did we think he would out us or something? Were we afraid of his intellectual brilliance? No. He probably didn't give his name.

Third, I love how he has to tell you that he has a real deal trailer and not some piece of shit. That was made for the South African military after all. Big deal. It's still a trailer.

Oh, and his snorkel is a Mantec. Like that makes his truck legit or something. Does this guy really think like that? That's pretty pathetic. It's like this statement of his:

The G-90's are 10 ply and used by the British military.

So G90s are great. They're used by the British military. Is that all this genius has to go on? He just copycats the militaries of the world? If G90s had 11 plies instead of 10, would they be any better?

This is another classic from "Nashvillerover""

I'll also add, that I have no thin skin. I don't care what you think of my truck, ... but DON'T take my money, and then bash my truck.

He doesn't care what we think. He's all pissed off that his truck made it to this thread and he's defending and justifying his butchery and saying how the stickers aren't on the paint blah blah blah and he doesn't care. Yeah, keep telling yourself that. He doesn't care. That's why he previously wrote:

I will be promptly removing my EE decals and will give them NO MORE business. (done plenty with them).

I will personally pledge to sway as many folks away from these pompous asses as possible.

Does that sound like indifference to you? He lashes out with the only weapon in his pathetic arsensal--his dollars. Are this the response of an indifferent person? Hardly. Like all the losers of the world, he first tries to win. When he realizes he can't, he comes back with the all-time loser chump statement: "I don't care".

He tries again here:

The fact that they poked fun at my truck was not the issue here ... nor was it adelatoa's. The fact that we are Customers (yes, we may not spend their minimum required monthly amount to qualify as a forumite), but we were customers none-the-less — and to find customer's trucks on their site being poked fun at is totally UN COOL (especially when they have no means to question the motivation of the comments).

Once again, he's not pissed because people were laughing at his truck. He's pissed because customers at large are not being treated properly. You see, he doesn't care about himself. He's Mr. High Road and cares how others are treated. It's the Principle.

Does this moron think he's fooling anyone? He's so transparent it's pathetic. Even someone as dumb as he is doesn't believe that.

I love how he adds:

For me personally, I love my truck and that is all that matters.

Really. Then why get all pissed off that people were laughing at your truck? Oh you care all right. And you care a lot. It's actually tearing you up that people are laughing at your gay poseurmobile.

Nashvillerover, if you are an EE customer, register again for our BBS and you can write whatever you want. Just register according to the rules and use your real name. First name and last name. Just like everyone else. It really is that easy.

Adelatoa writes:

One of the reasons I joined this group was the level of creativity and execution of projects. Many members are actively doing what ever it take to fulfill their needs of the hobby exploring.

No. The reason you joined ExPo was because it gave you a safe harbor and moral support. You can butcher your vehicle as you see fit, and nobody is permitted to criticize you. Only positive comments and group hugs are permitted. So naturally the only responses you get are "great job", "you're an inspiration", and so on. You may or may not believe these comments, but you'd like to. And you certainly like hearing them. Who doesn't? That's why you joined ExPo. This stuff about creativity is just bullshit.

This "dieselandmud" guy is funny:

I guess Bill Burke's D90 is one of the trucks EE would make fun of too? Look at the pic, I believe I see those awful limb risers, a plumbers snorkel and a poser ARB front bumper.

I guess he doesn't know that we poke fun of Bill's truck all the time, to his face. And yet we're good friends with Bill. Why? Because Bill actually doesn't care what others think of his truck.

This "R Lefevbre" guy is a fucking liar:

I don't know what to say about EE's customer service. I keep hearing accolades about it, but when I called a few years ago because I was wanting to buy an ARB bumper and EP9000 winch, I didn't recieve what I considered good customer service. The call went pretty much exactly like this:

"Hello" (might have even been a "yeah?", certainly no "thanks for calling EE, how can I help you?)

"Uh, hi. I was wondering if the SW EP9000 fits in the ARB bumper. I know the winch is wider than normal, and you sell both, so maybe you know?"

"Yes."

(long pause, waiting for maybe some more detail coming. You know, like a "Yes, we sell them like that all the time." "I've got that setup on my truck." "We've tested it and and it fits for sure." Something, anything that might make me more comfortable about spending $2000 on something far far away and having it shipped, when you're read elsewhere that it won't fit. But, nothing.)

"Uh, OK, thanks."

click

How many of you have called the shop on how many different occasions? Do we ever answer the phone with a "hello"? No way. Every time I answer the phone, I answer with, "Expedition Exchange, this is John". Every time Ho answers the phone, he answers with "Expedition Exchange."

And Ho and I never hang up on people who call. Well, actually, we do hang up on spammers. But even for the brain pickers we don't hang up on them. We love to have them on the line for as long as possible. It's show time. We always let them hang up. Seriously, who hangs up first when one of you calls? We always hang up second. It's just the way we do things.

This Lefevbre guy is a fucking liar.

It should be noted that R Lefebvre's complaint about the way that phone calls are handled at EE (ie: complete lack of social norms) is not unique on forums. Usually the complaints are deleted by forum administrators because they don't want to cause trouble with a vendor. But you can find them occaisionally if you look. This entire thread was deleted at Expedition Portal. So much for John wanting to live in a world where criticism is allowed.

NashevilleRover's Rig

This shows the depth of their complete inability to accept anything but their own point of view. This is not just a nice truck and trailer, it's a REALLY nice truck and trailer. And clean too. I was actually surprised when I saw this posted. The problem is, it's not quite the proper mods for the EE.com crew. The roof rack is not a Genuine Land Rover rack, and, the horrors, he has a trailer! It doesn't matter how nice the trailer is, ALL trailers are for white trash. Remember that. He also bought the wrong tires. They sort of look like classic Michelin tires, but they are not authentic, and they are actually easier to find (so you could get a replacement, should you ruin one while actually driving off-road). So, they ridicule it in the Plumber's Snorkel thread.

JSQ:

Poor Classic...


Meticulously ruined.

Blue:

that guy only has one life, and he's living it, goddamn it.

Chris von Czoernig:

Are you saying poor Classic because of its shame of having to wear that mystery device roof rack or that it has to tow that trailer of shame?

Eric Siepmann:

I guess my only question is why would you need that much gear? Where would you go? That combo would have a tough time on a tame flat Midwestern scenic squirrel watching trail let alone any true expedition style setting...

I would be curious as to what in the South African Army pulled that around. I don't think it was intended for car camping behind a Classic.

I don't think I even own that much crap. Seriously. I could move with that trailer...

And if you have that much space behind you, why would you need a roof rack?

It was funny that Corey jumped in on the defense of this one and that several other Car Campers view it as an "Inspiration".

I am inspired to vomit...

Figures the thread on ExPo is closed. Those guys whine so much. They still forget the very BASIC shit. Like John and Ho didn't torch that truck. One of their customers did. Yet they rally behind the ignorant in disbelief that one of their precious shit mobiles is called out for what it is... Shit-tastic...

ExPo, the new Bloody Oval sans SY...God I hate that sight and the complete wanna be poseurs it attracts...

EwS

Blue

Posted by Bill Gill for ridicule in the Plumber's Snorkel thread:



Look at that. This guy actually took his whole family out with him in his truck. He's obviously white trash, is that it Bill?

Stu

Meet Stuart Ivie. He's next in line after Bill Gill on the stupid-o-meter. He's also an internet badass that spends untold amounts of time making fun of people he's never met. He's wickid quick this guy, definitely qualified to pass judgement on everybody else in the world.

Stu:

A loose axe in the truck.

Sign me up.

Mine are hard-mounted to the inside of the backdoor.

Mike Rupp:

Do you actually have the axe mounted into the factory rear door insert? The same one that is held into place by small, old, deteriorating, brittle plastic pins?

Stu:

Umm, yeah.

I guess I'll pull that when I go have my next cigarette.

Pelican Cases

Mike Rupp:

My axe is inside a pelican that is ratchet strapped down. I wouldn't have an axe out in the open inside my truck, regardless how well it appears to be tied down.

Stupid Bill Gill

Posted by Read Kerlin in the Plumber's Snorkel thread:



Bill's response:

what the hell is holding it up?

Photoshop, you moron.

Expedition Poseur

John likes to accuse everybody else of being a poseur. We've already gone over a few reasons why he himself is a big expedition poseur, but here's one more. John just had to have his wheels painted white to match his truck. It's a nice look, I have to admit. But as always, he takes it to extremes. It couldn't be just any white, it had to be the perfect white. He previously had his wheels painted white, but it was not the correct Land Rover Alpine White.

Let's just let John tell us all about his wheels:

Wheels came back from Auto Bahn today:



They did a really nice job. The color is actually Alpine White and the outside is clear coated. Nice and glossy. My ANR1534's were rattle-canned since day one, and the paint was dull and not Alpine White. So it'll be sweet having glossy Alpine White rims for once. Damn, somebody's going Uptown.

I also got my new lug nuts plated with black zinc:



These are the pre-1998 Disco1 steel spare wheel lug nuts. I think the part no. on these is ANR3116. They have an integral flange so that use of the impact wrench on the lug nuts doesn't give the wheels a black eye around the lug nuts. I hate that; It looks so sloppy. The impact socket bottoms on the flange instead of the wheel itself with these lug nuts.

The ANR3116 lug nuts come from LR plated in silver zinc. I wanted the lug nuts black so that they would look as close as possible to the RRD500010 lug nuts. So I had them plated with black zinc at Aerodynamic Plating, a local plating shop. They did a superb job as well. I'm very pleased.

I'm stoked but I'm actually a little pissed as well. The rims came out so nice that now I have to find a decent tire mounting shop that won't treat these rims like Econoline wheels. I'm going to drive around Torrance tonight and see if I can find one of the Antera/DUB/pimp wheel shops. Hopefully one of them has a kick ass Snap-on tire mounting machine that doesn't mangle the rims. I realize the rims will get trashed on the trail eventually, but it's one thing to suffer damage on the trail and quite another to get the rims mangled during tire mounting. The latter just hurts.

We'll see what happens.

The new shoes are on:



There's an America's Tire less a mile from the shop, so I took the tires there first out of convenience. I'm glad I did. They did a superb job. The tire guy there even changed out the tire machine's plastic jaw to fit the flange shape on the ANR4636's. He was really careful the entire time, even though he had to use a combination of tire irons and the tire machine to get the tires mounted. Not a scratch on the delicate white paint. Also, they charged only $10 per tire. Quite the bargain. I felt bad so I tipped the guy a $20 for the extra care he took with my new rims.

I'm going to shed a tear when these wheels get mangled on the trail. Tito, get me some tissue.

Now, does sound to you like somebody who takes his truck on expeditions? You can just imagine him ripping out a valve stem on the trail, and having to use manual tire irons to get the tire off the rim. Well, we didn't have to wait long for John to tell us how he feels about taking his pretty white truck off road:

Next month? Sorry guys I'm definitely out for that trip. There's no way I'm putting these new wheels at risk.

Lug Nuts

This isn't one of John's 10 commandments, but almost. The Expedition Exchange crew have a serious lugnut fetish. The lengths to which they will go to achieve the correct lug nut look is incredible. This is the height of anal retentiveness.

Expedition Exchange already sells the Genuine RRD500010 lug nuts from Land Rover for $4 each.

But, for whatever reason they need to have the flanged version, ANR3116.



But, they aren't happy with merely having the correct functionality out of their plain steel lugnuts mounted on plain steel rims. They also need to achieve the correct style. I'm not sure when black was determined to be the correct style and silver was not, as both are in fact Genuine Land Rover parts. Maybe it's the Camel Trophy connection, but then they laugh at anybody who makes a Camel Trophy replica truck so... I give up. Anyway, this exchange is just priceless:

John Lee:

The ANR3116 lug nuts come from LR plated in silver zinc. I wanted the lug nuts
black so that they would look as close as possible to the RRD500010 lug nuts. So
I had them plated with black zinc at Aerodynamic Plating, a local plating shop. They did a superb job as well. I'm very pleased.


Chris Snell:

I want to get my lug nuts plated, too. I'm in the process of rebuilding my hubs so now would be a good time. Nobody in town does black zinc so I'm going to have to send them to Houston. The guy has a $90 minimum tank fee so I might as well send him other pieces as well. Did you have anything else besides your lug nuts plated?


John Lee:

I think $90 is about why I paid for my lug nut plating.

I don't think I had anything else plated with my lug nuts.


Chris Snell:

I think I'm going to ditch my flange-less lug nuts and spring for the ANR3116s. No sense in doing this half-ass. If anybody else wants to send a set of ANR3116 through the bath with mine, let me know and we can work something out.


Marcus Vitale:

i might be interested. i just did the swap and jack was kind enough to give me a set of lugs, but i might do the flanged lugs for back up. it's difficult to use an impact with out scoring the powder coat on the rim.


Rob Davison:

Chris I am interested. Did you buy the nuts yet?

I would like to have these waiting for when I have my rims painted this spring.


Jack:

So I take it there are no longer any reservations about the strength of the spare lug nuts being used for the road wheels?

(Note: Yes, that's right, they're using nuts intended to hold spare wheel to hold the road wheels on, so that they can achieve a certain look.)


Steve Bernard:

I had the flanged lug nuts mounted on my Rostyles. It didn’t take long before the flange and the nut became fused together. I switched to the factory steel lug, which fit better on my rims.

John Lee:

I've had nothing but good luck with my flanged/spare lug nuts.

I think I have about 40 or so of them. I bought plenty of spares for my stash and them had plated as well because I feared that I would break a few here and there. But I don't think I've broken one yet.

I did lubricate the bearing surfaces between the flange and the nut after plating and before installation. Perhaps that is why mine have never fused from corrosion or heavy use. I also lubricate them whenever I remove them to rotate wheels. I also anti-seize the wheel studs whenever I remove the wheels, so I've never had to apply the heavy horsepower to remove the lug nuts.

Even with my good luck, I would recommend to anyone contemplating these lug nuts to get a few extra just in case. The last thing you want is a white lug nut mixed in with your black ones. That would look awful. You're having a bunch of them plated, so get some extra lug nuts just in case.

Wow, so $80 for a set of lugnuts, plus $90 to have them plated, plus shipping 3 times (supplier to customer, customer to plater, plater to customer), just to get some black lugnuts that were never intended to hold road wheels in the first place. It should also be said that applying anti-seize to lugnuts is a somewhat contentious issue in the mechanical world. Lubrication of the threaded joint greatly increases the tension on the bolt, and could lead to stud failure.

John Lee On: Water Supplies

If there was every ANY question about how much of a black-ops expedition poseur John was, this post really settles it.



I hate this product. I think it's absolutely terrible and it's for white trash. Just looking at it makes me feel insulted.

Three observations on this video:

First, the flag on the door is backward. If you're going to fly the flag, at least try to get it right. Really, it's not that hard. Figure it out.

Second, if you didn't have a Gigantor 100-gallon water tank on your ridiculous trailer, you would be able to lift the tank, tilt it, and pour water from it. Adding more to this untenable situation is not the solution. You're swallowing a spider to catch the fly that you swallowed, when you should not have swallowed the fly in the first place.

Third, am I the only one who thinks that faucet sounds like pissing into a toilet? That faucet seems to have about the same power as the human bladder muscle, and the volume of water coming out of it sounds just like piss. And you're going to drink that?

Obviously John has never been away from SoCal for very long. 5 gallons is about all the water a man can comfortably carry. 5 gallons will last a man 1, maybe 2 days. John has never seen fit to carry more than a couple of gallons of water at a time. In fact, I've never even seen a water jerry can on John's "expedition" pictures. All he carries is a few drinks in his fridge, next to the sushi and stuffed duck.

Heaven forbid somebody actually carry enough water to last them a week out in the desert. And don't even think about buying something to make it easier to access your water.

Lastly, he's like a little kid in grade 2. "Hee hee, it sounds like it peeing!"

John Lee On: Trasharoo

We think the Trasharoo is a pretty good idea. Most of us were already hanging garbage bags from our spare tires anyway, might as well make something that works at a little better. The Trasharoo is smart, well made, and not even very expensive.

But that's not what John thinks:

From my way of looking at things, this Trasharoo Mk2 is another example of a product that was made worse by over-featuring to appeal to the McMorons.

Frankly, I'm not a fan of the Trasharoo. The name is white trash. And the concept of a hispeed trash bag is aesthetically unsetting to me. However, I think it is a decent product. It's a trash bag for the spare. Not what I would invent, but I've seen far worse. I wouldn't be caught dead with a Trasharoo on my truck, but in the big picture of things it's really not that bad.

But then you have the attempts to improve upon the Trasharoo. Make it more versatile. More modular. More features. So you add the MOLLE loops to make the Trasharoo configurable. What, are you going to configure your trash layout or something? Then you add the extra pockets to increase its numeric capacity or perhaps hold spare magazines or something. You make it available in black, tan, and olive drab to appeal to the McMilitary wannabes. Are these genuine improvements to the design? Or, are they simply add-ons to make the product more appealing to McPeople? I think the latter.

One might argue that the Trasharoo Mk2 is not inferior to the first version, because the Mk2 does everything the original did. And the Mk2 can do more. I think this is the wrong way to look at things. There's a certain point where something gets worse with the addition of more. Look at it like seasoning on food. It's quite obvious that more is not better when it comes to seasoning. Even the McMorons can understand this. Why they cannot understand this when it comes to design or utility remains a mystery to me.

It's not even a little ironic that John sells Pelican cases in black, tan and olive dfab (must be the accent) as well... to appeal to the McMilitary wannabes. Let's not forget the black, olive and dfab weaponry either. John also sells dividers to put in your Pelican case. Because a waterproof, dustproof, gasketted, locking, vented, fiber reinforced box to put your shit in didn't have enough features yet.

Classiless

This pic comes to us from the "Classless" thread. The thread where John and his disciples try to convince us that the Land Rover is The Queen's Gift to the peasants. A vehicle of such high upbringing, yet down to earth sensibilities, that it defies class. It would be a more convincing thread if they weren't all such a bunch of snobby pretentious assholes. The point of this picture, I guess, is supposed to be the juxtaposition of a high class lady being transported to the opera by a rough and ready 4x4.



All I can think is: Quick, somebody get that woman a cheeseburger! She's also pretty stiff looking, like she doesn't really want to be there. Looks like she's thinking "Ok, can I have my 20 bucks now?" or "Ok John, you said I just had to come out for a quick picture, can I go back inside now?" Certainly, we've never seen her in any other photos of John's "expeditions". You get the impression she couldn't give a shit about a Land Rover. She probably really wants a Bimmer.

But the real point of all of this is this: Read the thread for yourself. What becomes clear is that while John likes to think he's high class, he really has no class. My garbageman has more class than John. We're not sure if John has any money or not, but what we are sure is that John sure doesn't have any grace, which would be one of the true quality of somebody with class. John is petty, egotistical, self-centered and snobby. People with class just live their own lives, and don't need to constantly belittle others. Do you really think the Queen goes down to Nene Overland, secretly takes pictures of all the roof top tents, checker plate and zebra paint jobs and spends an hour posting them on her own personal forum for all her servants to laugh at?

Fake quotes and other stupidity

So, some guy from ExPo buys an ex-G4 Land Rover kitted out from the factory, and goes on a nice little trip with his family, towing his trailer. He posts a picture of his new toy at ExPo. But Jack being the self-centered asshole that he is, has to bag on it. Jack posts the pic back in the Plumber's Snorkel thread, with a fake quote:



We drove under a waterfall on an asphalt road and it was fucking crazy. Good thing we were pulling a trailer full of shit, because the LR3 isn't big enough to hold all of the equipment you need for a serious expedition like this.

The best part is then John, too stupid to recognize his minion's attempt at satire, posts some righteous indignation about ExPo.

It's odd how Nashvillerover can use the words "fucking" and "shit", Graham Jackson can use the word "bitchin", and Street Wolf can say how lame EE and I are and those posts stay up just fine.

However, criticize someone's trailer, roof-top tent, water system, diesel conversion, or tented bathroom, and the moderators immediately delete or edit that post.

ExPo is run by liberals.

Blue On: ExPo

is Expo the site where that douchebag with the FJ has an extensive write-up and photographic documentary of all his new camping gear?

John Lee On: ExPo

Here are some of my beefs with ExPo:

(1) Too many moderators. Really, how many moderators are required for a board to function?

(2) The moderators don't know how to exercise power. I think it's safe to say that the vast majority of the moderators on ExPo are unfamiliar with power. It's new to them. They don't have the judgment to know when and how to exercise it. Take, for example, the editing of posts. Which is worse: (a) editing a post to make it say what the moderator thinks it should say; or (b) deleting the post entirely? And yet the usual moderation method on ExPo is to edit a post. I will say it again--these people have no idea how to exercise power. They're clueless.

(3) Criticism is prohibited. Yes, I know that the stated rule is that constructive criticism is allowed but bashing is not. However, I submit that even constructive criticism is still prohibited on ExPo. If criticism goes for the throat, however constructive it may be, it's standard practice on ExPo to edit or delete that criticism.

JSQ On: ExPo

If you read my posts on ExPo they are nothing like the posts I write on Discoweb.
I thought ExPo might be a worthwhile place to chit chat about fourwheeling because that something I still care to talk about and it's not really the discussion focus on other boards. To that end, I contributed in the manner they seemed to want even though I knew it wouldn't be nearly as productive.
But I was a chump to think the "ExPo guidlines" were about civility or family values or playing nice or whatever other bullshit you want to call it. It's not about any of that high road attitude at all. It's merely a crutch for the weak. It's come one, come all and every loser gets their voice. The "civility argument" is merely a way for those who lack the intelligence, experience and understanding to defend the positions they take to have someone else fight their battles.
It's very chummy too. These losers are crying in secret to their pal moderators who swoop in and serendipitously right the wrongs they've been subjected to.

John Lee On: ExPo

Not only is ExPo run by McMorons, it's run by spineless McMorons.

John Disbarred?

So John claims to be a lawyer. Or ex-lawyer. Whatever. It's sort of difficult to verify or disprove this due to John Lee being such a common name. But we have to ask:

What kind of a lawyer in L.A. would give up a lawyer's income to run a two-bit off-road truck and gun shop? I mean seriously? This leads us to one of a few conclusions.

Was John disbarred? It's not hard to imagine that John had one of his Tourette's outburst in a courtroom and called the judge a degenerate or chump.

Maybe he was just a terrible lawyer and couldn't get a job at a decent firm? This isn't hard to imagine either, what with John's extremely linear thought process, predictability, or apparent narcissistic personality disorder.

I mean, what self-respecting lawyer would be caught dead wearing this. Even the cameramen are better dressed than him!



(And, did they stuff Pelican cases under her shirt or what, holy crap!)

And, what kind of a lawyer in SoCal would ever drive a clapped out old Land Rover?



We're not sure, but if you have any input on the matter, please let us know.

The Gospel According to John

Some people may wonder where all this material comes from. That's easy, it comes from John Lee's little corner of the web, his own forum at Expedition Exchange. http://www2.expeditionexchange.com/forums/index.php?

This is where John comes to preach The One Truth to his followers. Just like Jesus' disciples, John's followers unquestioningly hang on his every word. They bask in the glory that is John's wisdom, and praise his name. So it is written, so shall it be done.

John's forum is where he has handed down his 10 Commandments to his disciples:

Thou shalt not put a tent on your roof
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's trailer
Thou shalt not drive trucks other than Rover
Thou shalt not testify negatively about Expedition Exchange on other forums
Thou shalt not leave Southern California for more than 7 days. Per year.
Thou shall purchase thy equipment at inflated prices
Thou shalt give thanks to John, by always photographing your food before eating
Thou shalt always wear an expensive watch, even while wearing clothes from Walmart
Thy firearms shalt always be solidly colored black, olive green, or dark brown
Thou shalt always put thy possessions in Genuine Pelican Cases

This is the only forum John posts on. John does not allow dissenting opinion on his forum. He claims that only customers of Expedition Exchange can gain access to the gates of his forum. Yet it is known that he denies access to non-believers, while simultaneous taunting them and claiming they have access but are too afraid.

The most relevant chapters of John's gospel are contained in the threads titled:

Plumbers' snorkels are old news
Classless
Omega Speedmaster
Need Field Kitchen Advice
Interesting email Exchange
Grocery Getter

These deceptive titles belie the wisdom that is contained therein. These are the threads in which John unleashes his venom on his enemies. He invites all people to read his great works, but does not allow comment, lest they speak untruths.

John himself has been banned and chased off by non-believers from many other forums. Even ones his own business partner Ho Chung control: www.Discoweb.org

Bill Gill

Meet Bill Gill, aka: Blue. Bill is another Expedition Exchange Minion, but you get the impression they don't actually like having him around so much. That's why I don't actually have a picture of Bill yet. Bill is uh... not quite as smart as the others. Bill has problems with math and reading. For example, Bill says things like:

I always wonder what these guys are doing that they need a giant propane tank. Do any of these morons go camping for more than a night or two at the concrete picnic table campgrounds? I just spent 5 days traveling solo all over the San Juan Mountains and I only brought my little folding MSR stove and a couple small canisters of fuel. Sure, I hooked up with my friends who had their giant RVs with all the accompanying gear, but I was entirely prepared to spend the nights stuck up in the mountains and I didn't think I needed anything remotely approaching a 10lb propane tank.

Bill... Bill Bill Bill. A 10lb propane tank costs $6 to fill. Your little MSR canisters cost about $6 for 4 ounces of propane. You do the math. Ooops, I forgot, you obviously can't.

And lets not forget the irony of the whole "I'm an off-roading badass. I go roaming all over the San Juan Mountains. Solo. It was hardcore. So hardcore, that my friends in their giant 2WD RV's were able to meet me. It's a good thing I was travelling fast and light with my little backpacking stove. If I'd had a 10lb propane tank, that would have slowed me down too much."

Nice Scarf

There really isn't much to be said about this. I just. Wow. This is what an internet toughguy looks like in person. Hey Jack, where's you purse?

Tactical BadAss!

John likes to pretend he's some kind of tactical black-ops badass, despite being a pudgy ex-lawyer. Or maybe because of it, I dunno. Check out these sweet compositions of his black-ops gear.

The $200 Corkscrew

Not just any corkscrew will do for Expedition Exchange. When you're spending a whole day away from the comforts of Los Angeles, you'd best bring some wine with you so you can project your high status to the other lowlifes in domestic 4x4's that you're sharing the trail with. John recommends Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere, carefully stored in a pelican case, of course.

And when you're uncorking your wine, don't be a barbarian and use the corkscrew included with your Swiss Army knife. Use one of these beautiful corkscrews lovingly hand made by French craftsmen. Afterall, it's what The Queen's servants use. John would be would be happy to supply you with such a fine instrument, stamped with the Land Rover logo for the extra touch of class.





Master the art of opening wine with the Land Rover GEAR Sommelier Tool. The Sommelier Tool features fragrant olive wood inlays and is manufactured for Land Rover by Laguiole Cutlers of France. Like all good corkscrews, the Sommelier Tool is the lever type for easier pulling of corks. A groove cut into the screw eases resistance and facilitates insertion without affecting grip on the cork during pulling. The foil cutter is hooked and serrated to facilitate cutting of lead and aluminum foil, and features a second hook for opening glass bottles. Pelican 1030 case included.

Holy shit! A groove cut into the screw eases resistance and facilitates insertion without affecting grip on the cork during pulling. Are we still talking about a Sommelier Tool here, or Jack's tool?

Expedition Style

So, John and the crew at Expedition Exchange have a very strong sense of style. When off-roading, there's only one way to roll: Their Way. They don't like large 4x4 campers. They hate trailers. Those are for white trash. Cool explorers only drive suave vehicles like Defenders and Discoveries, and only equiped with the finest kit available from Land Rover and approved by The Queen.

Nevermind that they never travel more than 145 miles from a McDonalds, and rarely for more than a few days at a time, a week at the most. Regardless, the correct way to carry gear is on the roof. To hell with the CG, or your axle weight ratings. Take the biggest, heaviest roof rack you can find, and load it with your gear. And don't forget: Always put your gear in a Pelican Case. It doesn't matter what it is, your clothes, a sleeping bag, or toilet paper, it's gotta be in a case. You see, even though they think they're keeping the CG reasonable by only putting "light" stuff up on the roof, they like to quadruple the weight by putting it in a heavy case to protect it from.... what? I'm not sure what kinda of impact could damage a towel, but damn it, put it in a case!

Yes, 20lbs of gear, safely packed in 220 pounds of fiber-reinforced plastic case and strapped into a 180lb roof rack. That's the way to travel! That's STYLE!

Does this remind you of something?

John Lee On: Sportsmobile

Going to Overland Expo and seeing the various vehicles in person and seeing their owners clarified some things for me. One of things clarified was my opinion of the Sportsmobile.

I used to hate it. Whenever some customer drove up to the shop in his Sportsmobile, my reaction was something like, "man, get that pile of shit out of here before someone else sees it."

I don't feel that way any longer. I now see the Sportsmobile as a legit vehicle. Several things changed my perspective on the Sportsmobile, including:

(1) I don't recall ever seeing a Sportsmobile stickered up with "endsoftheearth.com" or "globalexpedition2010.com" or "overlandsavethechildren.com" or what have you. The Sportsmobile owners don't seem to be like that.

(2) The Sportsmobile is what it is. It's just a 4x4 van. It's not some hyper extreme Xpedition vehicle. It's not marketed as such and it's not used as such by its owners. It seems to me Sportsmobile owners know what they and don't try to be what they're not. They just drive around their Sportsmobile on realistic trips and such. They don't tell you about their 1,000 range that they've never used.

(3) The owners of Sportsmobiles actually use them. Do a Google image search for Sportsmobiles or check out the Sportsmobile forum and you'll see that the owners use them. They may camp on a beach. They may go the desert. But the owners use them. Do another Google image search for the land yachts and you'll see stock photos. It's a stark contrast.

(4) The land yacht factor isn't there on the Sportsmobiles. Sure, the Sportsmobile has more amenities than a Land Rover, but I don't get the feeling that the owners are trying to show off their kitchen sinks or beds or air conditioning systems. The "I got the biggest and baddest Xtreme Xpedition Vehicle" factor just doesn't seem to be there with Sportsmobiles.

I want to hate the Sportsmobile, but I can't. I wouldn't be caught dead in a Sportsmobile. And I certainly wouldn't wheel with a Sportsmobile. But I can't hate the Sportsmobile. It's too legit.