"On the Road with the original florida kid"Week 46
Hello again fellow truckstars! It's Week 46 and....
...you're on the road with the original florida kid...
Grandma, Barbie, Pup the Wonder Dog and the whole gang here at the ranch say a big cowboy howdy "HEY!"
KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN'- Alright, alright, come on in, hang your coats up on the peg there by the door, grab a chair and a cup of Grandma's famous cowboy coffee...she put some extra ashtrays out this week...take a load off...let's get this party started(or is it more like a funeral kind of thing?.....don't know yet....)..whatever it is...we have a lot to talk about....
I may be losin’ one of my trucks if boat haulin’ doesn’t pick up or I can’t find some hot shottin’ work somewhere…anywhere….(I’d be happy to run pipe for the oil drillers..or yank trailers for FEMA)…..what work there is the boat haul brokers are low-ballin’ because they know we’ll take the run….yeah it’s easy to sit around talkin’ hard-ball politics but it ain’t easy wonderin’ if you’re going to be able to make your payments and pay the bills, let alone put food on the table……
…..what the hell man….
Barbie’s health may be takin’ a turn for the worse here again, she’s havin’ serious issues in her abdominal area….she’s got to go in for tests again….somethin’s goin’ on in there and it probably ain’t good…been prayin’ a lot for her lately…
First of all, we need to....I need to...calm down and try to sort this all out...the election, I mean. Maybe this soon afterward isn't the best time to talk about it, but, I'm in if you're in...
I can't get over this feeling of “doom” that came over me when Barbie told me that Obama got elected the next morning, not that it was a surprise or anything, it's just that I felt like we were close to getting conservative focus back in this country and now it seems a million miles away...overnight...I wonder if he's going to shelf the tax cut plan as soon as he takes office, like Clinton did...just wonderin'...
And, unless he has a serious policy change, over 5 million babies will be murdered in the womb during the next 4 years...(we're at 50 million since Rowe v. Wade)...dear God....Grandma is just beside herself over this….”the babies…the babies…” she keeps cryin’….
(How could anyone possibly think that's a good thing by calling the life and death of an un-born infant, a “choice”?....) There's a huge difference between a decision or a choice, and a "right"....murder, and that's what it is, is a decision, not a right....as a nation we keep cursing ourselves with our…uhh... “choices”……yeah we do.....
Conservative America....I'm not sure what happened here ...I guess we'll find out...I can tell you one thing though...the "real" battle isn't over...it's just begun.....again…..and we have 4 years to decide if, and how, we want to be heard next election. 4 years goes by quick….although somethin’ tells me this is going to be a long four, truckstars…..tellin’ ya……
Well - let’s not forget that these people are elected officials and WE still have a voice in government! Right? The economic situation in this country needs and demands our input to our government in an ongoing way….wha’cha think truckstars?....
I’m not going to bash Obama. Why? Because I still have respect for the office of the presidency, that’s why, so let’s just get past the honeymoon and the racial stuff here and get on with the business of runnin’ this country…if that’s what’s goin’ on here……
Am I upset? Hell yes I’m upset…like I said – conservative values just went into the toilet - unless we keep this liberal government in check……and that’s what I mean by “the battle isn’t over….it’s just begun”….otherwise we’ll reap the harvest along with the liberals promoting it….uhhh….WHAT?.....yeah…think about that one for a minute….when the party’s over and the smoke clears there’s still work to be done and
it ain’t gonna happen overnight either…..
Listen to me….I want just as bad as anyone for this to be the time in American history where the people’s voices are heard and the country becomes the place our founding fathers envisioned it to be, and listen , it’s not just a question of motivations - it’s a matter of values, and that’s the part that has me worried….I don’t want some rich guys money, whether he earned it the right way or the wrong way, that’s for the courts and God to decide, not me….and that doesn’t solve the day to day labor and job and career re-training issues in this country anyway, we’re just moving money around…even that costs money to do and guess who gets to pay for it……you guessed it…
“He” apparently hasn’t had much experience in trying to take money from rich people….yeah…this I gotta see….
Shifting gears here truckstars - I want to bring your attention again this week to Dan Little and the OOU, Owner Operators United. As drivers we still need that voice that will unite us, a voice that speaks for us and one that has us, as drivers, in mind, first and foremost and a voice that will tell us what’s going on in trucking, how issues and legislation will affect us and what we need to do, truthfully and “professionally”.
Please go up on the www.owneroperatorsunited.org and also check out http://oouinc.ning.com/
This second site is the “forum” site of the OOU, both sites will give you a good handle on what they’re all about, I think you’ll find that they really do have drivers in mind. I do a lot of research on organizations and issues in my job and I can tell you one thing truckstars, this guy is the real deal, Dan Little that is, he’s been on CNN and other major news shows, in the New York Times and written of in the Drudge Report, he’s on a first name basis with many of the politicians involved with, and supporting, us as drivers, he’s succeeded in putting a legitimate, respectable and professional “face” on trucking and truck drivers as a group and labor force….and I hope you take the time to go over there - get informed and get involved! One more voice, YOURS, is another piece of the foundation truck drivers need to build….you’ll also be hearing from Dan and other members of the OOU on Truckstar Radio. If Dan would’ve run for president I would’ve voted for him….there’d have been fists flyin’ and boots getting’ planted where the sun don’t shine up there on Capitol Hill, then the right things would’ve gotten done too…….maybe even a little talkin’ too….maybe….
TRUCKSTAR TECH- Mobile Internet connection speeds are getting faster and faster. AT&T, Sprint and the other major players have all launched faster connection plans for us as cell phone and laptop users and, in fact, laptops, the newer ones comin’ out, have the “modem” built into them. It’s called 3G and Gobi. For me, the AT&T or Sprint’s or Verizon’s 3G speed is more than adequate for phone calls, movie downloads and viewing and whatever else I need to do while on the road, and for me, the versatility of a laptop, even a “mini” beats out any idea of paying far more a month for a “cell” phone (with much less day to day functional use), than $40 - $60 a month for a fully functional mobile web computer, for me anyway….and majors like HP are offering huge discounts on certain business laptop models if you sign up with them, Sony too I think… I would’ve signed up anyway and I’ll take the discount of up to $200 bucks…..cool…the new “minis” are looking better and better to me and they’re 3G capable too….cheap and they’ll do the job, you can always download movies to a flash drive usb and put that in to watch a movie, or just download from www.fancast.com or Netflix..….
Also, if you’re already an internet activated mobile laptop user and you want to host a show or just call in – let me know – Truckstar Radio’s 2 numbers(so far) are;
954-376-8452 and 954-603-7561 you can call with Skype( we can all conference if you are on Skype) or any cell/landline phone! I’m trying to crank it up to bein’ on the air 24/7 asap….I hope to hear from ya!
APU’s – it’s coming to the point truckstars when I think it’ll be mandatory nationwide for APU’s because of anti-idling laws, more and more I’m seeing different parts of the country outlawing idling…..I like the idea of the Cummings diesel powered models…here’s a link to get ya started - http://www.cumminsonan.com/apu/products/
You also need to support HR 139 - the bill for a 25% tax credit to drivers for buying a new APU! I’ll let you know what else I can find that might help ya pay for one when I find it! HR 139 is also called S. 894 and is in Committee on Finance so Please let your Rep’s and Senators know how you feel about it. I think the tax credit should be a lot higher, so let’s take that up with our legislators!
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT- Since these are particularly stressful times it’s more important than ever to watch your fat and “chemical” intake….and to make sure you eat “smart”. A low-fat diet rich in fresh(not canned or frozen) leafy green vegetables and whole grain nutrients and roughage is the best way to help your body help you !
Look for the Met Rx Colossal Protein bars at Flying J Truck-stops, I think they’re getting’ the idea….soon I hope they’ll carry the Labrada, MetRx, and Muscle Milk Protein shakes standard procedure…. Better fuel means better performance truckstars…you’ll see…
By “chemical” I mean caffeine and additives in foods, artery clogging trans-fats too…I’m waitin’ to see which truck-stop chain decides to lead the way by changin’ the restaurant food format to better health menu’s from old style high fat cookin’ and fast foods….Don’t get me wrong I love an old fashioned home cooked meal….but years ago meats, veg’s and grains, even the oils they used were far more natural based…nowadays corporate greed has caused the food co’s to put any kind of chemical or whatever in the foods they make for a higher profit margin and longer shelf life, meanwhile the “natural” food stores and restaurants are all packed all the time….HelloooOOOooo….Pillsbury, Kraft, General Foods….anyone home?…
Don’t forget Truckstar Radio is “on the arrr – eveywarrr” so I hope you’ll tune in when ya can, we’d love to hear from ya!
Well truckstars, I could ramble on all day here but I better shut er' down for this week and get back to puttin' the line-up for Truckstar Radio together. Technically we're on the air but I'm still lookin' for men and women drivers to host their own shows with lots of call-in options, and also, some of the good folks from all our favorite trucking websites. We'll also be hearing music and on the road interviews from some of country music's up and coming stars, like Stephen Wild and Scott Getlin, PBR bull riders and a whole bunch of other great people….but mostly it’s all of you together talkin’, screamin’, laughin’ and cryin’ together….I look forward to Kitchen Table Talkin' with all of you around the country here on Truckstar Radio. If you're needin' help just call-in to the station for specific weather, truckstop locations, road service help…whatever you need…I’m here for YOU…954-376-8452 or 954-603-7561
The links are on www.thetruckstar.com, just bookmark em’ or list Truckstar Radio in your player list(RealPlayer or Windows Media Player, Quicktime or the iTunes/Winamp Player for you Mac users out there.)
And remember, you can always listen to Truckstar Radio in the background while spending time on your favorite trucking site, like this one, you read my blog here already anyway…so….trucker talk radio for YOU, by YOU, starring YOU !!
Don’t forget about abused kids…..they really need heroes….
If you’re a prayin’ person, Please pray for our nation, the world and the lost….. I was once lost but now am found because someone prayed for me.......
REMEMBER – No load and NO paycheck is worth dyin’ for…..
Don’t ever forget – I love ya…and I’m prayin’ for ya !
So play nice, drive safe and pull it on home………
Saddle up truckstars…..let’s ride……
……you’re “on the road with the original florida kid”……we gown…..
