Abandon all hope, ye who enter here- Dante
Drones And The FAA
[Wed Dec 17 12:30:45 PM CST 2024] So what's up with all these drones? The FBI is investigating the reports, with an official acknowledging public concern while suggesting there might be a “slight overreaction.” The Pentagon has repeatedly stated the drones are not of foreign origin. The FAA (federal Aviation Administration) isn't saying anything. Some sources states the drones are flying at 3,000 to 4,000 feet. Given especially the airspace they are flying in is in close proximity to major east coast airpots and military sites. The https://www.faa.gov/uas are not saying anything. The Department of Homeland Security same thing, nothing. More disturbing is the airspace around military sites and high volume internatational airports such as, Teterboro NJ, Newark NJ. JFK NY. and LaGuardia NY. More than likely have Bravo Airspace. All this points to The US Goverment, but why?
Brain Rot
[Wed Dec 4 06:10:04 PM CST 2024] Excerpted from an article in the New York Times. Brain Rot is often invoked by young people on social media to describe the “supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state,” particularly stemming from overconsumption of trivial online content. That usage surged by about 230 percent over the past year. Casper Grathwohl, the president of Oxford Languages, the company’s dictionary division, said the term’s rise reflects the breakneck speed of social media-driven language change. “With ‘brain rot,’” he said, “it’s a phenomenon of young people skewering language trends on TikTok, almost exactly after they themselves have churned out that language.”
I find this to be quite believable to the point of being dangerous considering all the bogus information on social platforms.
Isaac Asimov
[Sat Nov 23 03:10:22 PM CST 2024] Isaac Asimov was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke. A prolific writer, he wrote or edited more than 500 books. Source, AsimovOnline. The reason for this article is due to the prolific ideas Asimov had about AI and in particular, the advent of robots. I loved his books and short stories while in elementary school. Before robots became a thing, Asimov saw all this coming leading him to write the rules for robots listed below.
- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm
- A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws
Educated at Colombia, University New York, NY. and was a professor of biochemistry at Boston University and writer. A quote of his was:
The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom. Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right. In life, unlike chess, the game continues after checkmate.Wise words in my humble opinion.
To All Veterans
[Mon Nov 11 11:50:00 AM CDT 2024] To all American veterans, on behalf of a greatful nation we thank you all for your sacrifice.
History of Veterans Day
At The end of World War I, The Treaty Of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. Since the treaty, Verterans Day is celebrated on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Regardless of what day November 11 falls on. The nation is forever in your debt, living or dead. Thank you for your service and we will always be grateful.
The Rebirth Of The Pontiac GTO
[Tue Oct 22 04:39:04 PM CDT 2024] The Pontiac GTO was manufactured by General Motors from 1963 to 1974, and again from 2004 to 2006. The initials stand for, "Gran Turismo Omologato," which is Italian for "homologated grand-touring car." My favorite model year of the GTO is the 1970. Optional engines being a 400 CID and a 455 cubic inch.
The 2025 has numerous options, a few being a 6.2L V8, 455 horsepower with 650 hp supercharged and a ten speed automatic transmission. If 650 horsepower isn’t enough, the GTO Judge Edition takes it further with a twin-turbo 6.6L V8, generating over 700 horsepower. Specs on the 2025 model state it being supercharged while some sources state twin-turbo charged with the Judge option, achieving a 0-60 MPH time in less than 3 seconds. With this power, the Judge Edition is not for the faint of heart—it’s for those who truly want to tame the beast. Estimated top speed 200 mph. Estimated price $45,000.00 USD. The name "The Judge" comes from the 1970 GTO, complete with a graphics package. Be aware while some specs say 'Supercharged' which is a different type of forced induction compared to 'Turbo-Charging.'
X And Y Chromosomes
[Tue Oct 8 07:57:13 PM CDT 2024]
My knowledge of biology is weak to say the least, but a bit of research and memory tells me this. A female is XX and the male is X and Y chromosome. . Every individual must have at least one X chromosome. Since the female is XX, each of her eggs has a single X chromosome. The male, being XY, can generate two types of sperm: half bear the X chromosome, half the Y. This topic is far more complicated than I can explain. That said, thehe male, being XY, can generate two types of sperm: half have the X chromosome, half the Y. This is what defines gender. Hence, 'XX' = Female, and 'XY = Male.
Pronouns and 'Woke Culture.' So upon the basic male, female premise, when the two become intertwined by mental or physical means I know I become confused as to how to address LGBTQ people? 'Hey You?' It's fine by me, whatever but I draw the line at things like biological men in woman's sports.. I consider that an un-fair advantage. Be what you want to be. My take is this, born with a penis you're a man. Born with a vagina you're a woman just don't expect the US Government to pay for a sex change.
Trucking - The Fifth Wheel
[Thu Sep 5 03:19:15 PM CDT 2024] So what is this fifth wheel thing? It is the mechansism mounted between the frame rails behind the cabin or the sleeper berth. It is extremely strong and is used to connect a trailer kingpin to the tractor.
So when the trailer is at a proper height using it's landing gear, the driver backs under the trailer until the kingpin locks into the fifth wheel. A proper locking of the kingpin to the fifth wheel is exceedingly important. A good driver will hook the trailer and the get out of the truck, climb underneath the trailer and confirm the kingpin which is typically 36 inches from the front off the trailer. 
The king pin is welded to a the square steel plate, and in turn welded to the trailer. A 36 inch (914.4 mm) pin is standard but if you order a new trailer, or find a 30 inch (762 mm) pin in my opinion is much better for many reasons I won't go into here.
The picture on the left is a actual fifth wheel, you'll notice the locking jaw, and the release handle. Here is where a meat hook often came in handy for me. The fifth wheel is suspended on to pivoting trunion bearings, allowing it to tilt forward and backwards. The is to provide pitch of the tractor to the trailer. Furthermore the flat surface of the fifth wheel needs to be greased periodically for making turns or the yaw axis. This entire assemble can to moved forward and backwards by releasing locking pins on a rack.
These pins are pneumatically released by a switch on the drivers dashborad. What this does is shift weight onto the front axle, or off same. The best and optimal position is center the kingpin equally between the two drive axles. Don't forget to re-engage the locking pins.
Where Is Kamala
[Aug 21 4:15:30 PM CDT 2024] Biden speech August 20, 2024. Again we hear Joe Biden praise the disastrous accomplishments he takes credit for. Everyone knows the economy and inflation was under control during Trump's administration. Other countries fear Trump, that is a good thing. Kamala Harris is a Far Left-Wing Socialist. Why has she avoided the press for 30 plus days now? The middle class will slowly be wiped out, that is the goal of a Socialist. It won't happen overnight but we are on a bad trajectory. Below a short list of Bidens' falsehoods during the DNC Keynote speech.
- We went from crisis to the strongest economy in the world - False
- Inflation is down and continues to go down - False
- Trump never built a damn thing during his administration - False
- Biden says of the over 1,000 billionaires in the USA they pay 8.2% in taxes they actually pay 20%
VOTE NO FOR KAMALA
[Fri Aug 2 05:05:47 PM CDT 2024] Vice President Kamala Harris says she's ready for the fight against Republican Donald Trump after securing enough votes from Democratic delegates to become President of The United States. Source: AP News. In my opinion she is a far left liberal, that is not what we need. Among her liberal views are free health care for all, that includes illegal immigrants. She has done nothing about the southern border as VP, yet claims to have been there once. She supports sanctuary cities which is a haven for criminals.
With this country tetering on the edge of economic collapse we do not need an unkown quantity. We have a debt based economy thanks to frivolous spending by President Biden. The world banks and the Federal Reserve are buying up the debt hence the stock market hides the real truth. People think everything is okay if the markets look okay. They are not, we print more money which is inflationary, Biden says consumer spending is up! That is because everything costs more. Regardless of how many people hate Trump, he is the only one who can save us.
Remembering D-Day
[June Thu 6 11:22:50 AM CDT 2024] 80 years ago today allied forces stormed the beaches at Normandy France. It marked the start of the main offensive against Hitler and Nazi Germany. It was the largest invasion ever assembled in modern history. Against all odds allied forces (US and Canadian) landed at beaches along the French coast. 2500 hundred men died the first day securing a foothold on the coast of Europe. It was there our forces marched their way to Berlin, soundly defeating Nazi Germany. Many more soldiers died along the way on both sides. We salute all the men that fought and died this day 80 years ago today.
Memorial Day USA
[Sat May 25 12:04:52 PM CDT 2024] For many Americans, Memorial Day is more than a long weekend and an unofficial start to the summer season observed on May 27 2024. The real meaning of the holiday is meant to honor all U.S. soldiers who have died serving their country. It is not to be confused with Veterans Day which celebrates ALL service men and women who have served, or still serving. Where Memorial Day commemorates ALL men and women who have paid the ultimate price. They gave their lives for their country.
A quote by President Biden, NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, May 27, 2024, as a day of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning in each locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time when people might unite in prayer and reflection.
Dubuque County Fairgrounds Speedway
[Thu May 23 6:35 PM 2024 CDT] The picture on the left is a picture of a very good friend's race car. The car is a IMCA Modified, racing at a county
fairgrounds 3/8th mile high banked dirt track. I was fortunate enough to work on the pit crew for this car and a couple pro stock cars the gentleman in the picture
built. I dont care to use the man's name on the Internet, but I sincerely appreciated being part of his crew at the tracks he raced at.
I learned a ton of things working on his race cars when I wasn't on the road. At the time this picture was taken the racetrack was under NASCAR sponsorship, Racing for NASCAR points and money was really exciting, although NASCAR purses were smaller than other tracks. With NASCAR cash is king, so racers make less but the prestige makes up for smaller winnings. After all, it's about racing, and not completely money but the money helps. Its a damn expensive, time consuming sport. Click on the picture for a better view.
Justice Juan Merchan
[Wed May 8 11:59:08 AM CDT 2024] Justice Juan Merchan a known Trump hater who is presiding over the Trump case, should have recused himself from this trial. Top lawyers in the US have repeatedly stated Justice Juan Merchan is making unconstitional decisions. I am not a lawyer but I have a problem with the gag order imposed on Trump. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. I have zero doubt the Democrats are weaponizing the justice system. They are doing anything and everthing to keep Trump out of the election. It should have already been declared a mistrial, but the Judge refused the motion immediately, naturally. If Biden wins the election the USA is done for. Just my two cents.
Born Republican
[Sat April 6 06:46:18 PM CDT 2024] For those who don't know, Abraham Lincoln was the founder of (The GOP, The Grand Old Party). Also known as The Republican Party. He became the 16th president (1861–1865) and first Republican to hold the office, thus making American Politics a two party system. I've never been intested in politics, but I do claim to be a Republican. I quote, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states are, and henceforward shall be free.
So moving on... Americans are supposed to know The Pledge of Allegiance which states, I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
So this does not mean you're free to do anything you f***ing want NO.. Justice for all means break the law and there will be consequences and victims will and should get justice. This applies to LEGAL citizens. It's actually on the test to get citizenship. Yeah, there is a test! Liberals, some democrats, illegal aliens et al,, think oh well we'll just cancel that sh*t and do it their way. WRONG, rules are rules. Wake the hell up Americans.
King Of The Road Peterbilt 389
[Sat Mar 30 04:46:18 PM CDT 2024] This is a no frills Model 389 Peterbilt. You can get all sorts of options. Depending on a choice of two engines it's rated at 400 - 605 hp. Engines are a choice of Paccar (Paccar is the company that builds these trucks), and Cummins are available. The base configuration transmissions are 10 to 18 speed automatic. You can get a manual thank God. In my opinion, Paccar/Peterbilts are not what they used to be. They have always been over-rated and very expensive. If I was in the market I would buy a older model or switch to 
Kenworth W900.
There has always been a rivalry between Peterbilt, and all the rest. International Trucks, Freightliner et al. The one truck I will have nothing to do with is Volvo. I've driven all of these except Volvo and all were good looking and fast! All or most of these trucks, with amenities will cost you well over $100,000.00 USD. The Peterbilt drives like a dream but then again so do the others. With the price of fuel and everything else such as an abundance of idiot 4-wheelers and school taught truck drivers out there, I really don't miss it, but it was fun in the old days when we didn't have those damn DOT mandated computer tattle tales in the truck. That really must suck. On top of that the swinging beef days are long gone, personally I liked hauling swinging, never had a problem. Happy trails to you drivers out there. The country cannot do without you.
BeechCraft King Air 320
[Mon Mar 18 12:07:04 PM CDT 2024] I have always been an aviation fan, and the picture is a smaller model of the plane I got to fly on which was maybe a 200?. Years ago the company that processed the swinging beef that I hauled for years. My uncle was a cattle buyer for that company. The company owned a smaller version of the KingAir Turbo-Prop, It seated eight people as I recall. So my uncle invited me to take a ride on that plane, it was worth well over 1.5 Million and perfect condition. We left the company's home base, flew to Chicago, dropped off some shoppers then flew direct to Louisville, Kentucky. After a couple hours my uncle concluded his business and took of for Chicago, Illinois.
The Captain's name was Bill Anderson and after he flew us up to maybe 7 to 10,000 feet, at well over 250 miles per hour. It so happens no aircraft is permitted to exceed 250 mph under 5,000 feet. Anyway, the captain asked me if I wanted to sit in the capatain's seat, of course I accepted. The plane had very modern avionics and it was on auto-pilot naturally, but that was so fun. The picture is a 320 model, about the only visable difference is the number of seats/windows. In my opinion, I'll take this type of airplane over any big jet. You can see a current King Air 260 here.
Sanctuary Cities
[Tue Feb 27 07:15:56 PM CST 2024] According to Center For Immigration Studies, and I quote,
These cities, counties, and states have laws, ordinances, regulations, resolutions, policies, or other practices that obstruct immigration enforcement and shield criminals from ICE — either by refusing to or prohibiting agencies from complying with ICE detainers, imposing unreasonable conditions on detainer acceptance, denying ICE access to interview incarcerated aliens, or otherwise impeding communication or information exchanges between their personnel and federal immigration officers.
Initially this appeared to be well intentioned but stupid. Berkeley, California was the first to pass a resolution designation as a Sanctuary City
in 1971. More cities passed similar resolutions in the 1980's. No thanks to our now open borders, things are out of control. Criminals are ransacking these cities and not being held accountable. Or the commit felonies elsewhere and flee to these cities. We are in a crisis thanks to the Biden administration. It is a out of control travesty nationwide.
Truckers Boycott New York City
[Mon Feb 19 10:07:23 AM CST 2024] Led by spokes person,Chicago Ray
Ray claimed that some of his colleagues have decided to stop making deliveries to New York City. The boycott voiced by Chicago Ray, is in response to New York judge Engoron who ordered the former president Donald Trump, to pay nearly $355 million in penalties in a civil fraud case. Chicago Ray, a conservative is clearly outraged by Judge Arthur Engoron, who banned Trump from serving as a company director. Trump has also been banned from taking out loans. I certainly back this boycott.
In a quote from Chicago Ray, “Do you know how f—king hard it is to get into New York City with one of these motherf—ckers?” he said, referring to his truck. “Man, f—k that. “ Ray went on to suggest that 95% of truckers support Trump. I can totally relate to that statement on all counts. I also believe Trump will appeal this ridiculous sum and the ruling will be reversed. How can anyone be guilty of fraud when noone has been hurt, monetarily or otherwise. Just more anti-Trump bull shit.
New York City Gives Immigrants Debit Cards
[Sun Feb 11 11:22:50 AM CST 2024] The Mayor of New York City is giving the 500 migrant families debit cards with $1000.00 dollars on them and to be replenished monthly. Meantime we have thousands of veterans living on the streets who get nothing. The plan will cost $53 million dollars. The city plans to give ungrateful and parasitic migrants free $1,000 prepaid credit cards. Free to them, but not to the taxpayers who have to pick up the tab, according to Newsweek. This amount which is debated will be replenished every month. I'm not saying ALL migrants are bad, but it's been shown many are.
Navy Seals MIA
[Tue Jan 23 12:19:56 PM CST 2024] A pair of Navy SEALs who went missing during a night mission off the coast of Somalia on Jan. 11 are dead, U.S. Central Command announced Sunday. The SEALs were climbing onto the side of a vessel as part of an interdiction mission when one fell into the water. The second SEAL dove in after him. They were never found. Their mission was interdict a dhow carrying Iranian weapons and missile parts. The dhow was sunk. Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers and Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan G. Ingram were considered dead after a ten day search. Prayers to the families.
WHAT Home Land Security?
[Sat Jan 20 11:11:31 AM CST 2024] President Biden opened the southern border on his first day in office.
Then we have our Secretary of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, On November 23, 2020, President-elect Joe Biden announced his plan to nominate Mayorkas to be Secretary of Homeland Security. The current secretary of homeland security is Alejandro Mayorkas, since February 2, 2021. So while Biden is to blame, not just Mayorkas, Biden could have, and still could close the border with one sentence but he does nothing.
Instead, Biden has bussed migrants to sanctuary cities, these cities among others are having a hard enough times even before the border was opened. And what about our homeless? Let's take care of our citizens. Also, for the U.S. to support foreign wars when we are $134 Trillion dollars in debt, it's just not right. End of RANT.
US Forces Slap Houthis
[Fri Jan 12 11:36:41 AM CST 2024] For those who don't know, Iran backed Houthis is a Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. They have been firing on US ships in the Red Sea, along with other ships, including pirating and seizing other ships. Missiles fired from Yemen aimed at Israel have been shot down. In accordance with International Maritime law, blocking a major shipping lane is alone an egregious violation. I'm referring to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Firing on US ships will not be tolerated. Iran is behind all of this, they bankroll Hamas, Yemen Houthis all due to Israeli attacks on Hamas. I feel for Palestine, but Hamas deserves and needs to be eradicated. That is my opinion.Warning - Keyless Start Vehicles Can Be Hacked
[Sun Jan 7 03:48:25 PM CST 2024] The AAA released a statement this week, warning of the new ways thieves are getting into and stealing cars. If your vehicle is operated by a key fob, the signal on it, can be hacked, allowing thieves to access your vehicle, and drive away in your car. With simple equipment thieves can stand near your house window or a door and pick up wirelessly your key fob electronic RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) relay the signal to a helper standing next next to your car, unlock it and push to start and the vehicle is gone. About a 30 second hack. The key fob continously emits this signal. Using a Faraday Pouch will block any RF signal from being picked up.
Michael Faraday was an English scientist who contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. A Faraday cage is used by governments and others to block radio signals. Use a Faraday cage or if possible turn the key fob off. Click For More Information.
Pro Stock Racers
[Wed Dec 27 4:56:18 PM CST 2023] As a long time NHRA National Hot Rod Association fan, my favorite team was Reher-Morrison. As 2024 racing season approaches I'm looking forward to watching drag racing. While the Reher-Morrison Pro Stock team may have retired after 50 years of racing I had the opportunity to meet them in the 80's. Here is the short story.
I met Buddy Morrison, and David Reher and their current driver at the time, Lee Shepherd in Ohio. I was coming back from a trip to New York City, as I hauled ass across pennsylvania I passed a race car hauler, waved and kept going. Turns out I stopped at a rest area just across the Ohio border for a quick 10-100 and vending machine junk food when I bumped into a couple big guys wearing Reher-Morrison t-shirts along with a smaller man. The short guy turned out to be Lee Shepherd, Pro Stock NHRA driver.
I asked the guys if that was their race trailer I passed in Pennsylvania, they said yes. Turns out they were headed to the Norwalk Ohio track, having just raced at English Town, New Jersey. This was so cool! I shook their hands, wished them luck at the race, mentioned I was a fan of theirs. Really great guys. Sadly, some weeks or months later I heard Lee Shepherd was killed making 60 foot practice passes at some track which I forget. Needless to say, I was stunned, he was a championship driver. I've always wondered what went wrong, so sad. On the bright side Reher and Morrison have a great business going and they build killer engines. R.I.P. Lee.
The Last Of The Chevrolet Camaro
[Tue Dec 19 04:01:44 PM CST 2023] Apparently the 2024 ZL1 will be the last Camaro to roll off the line. In honor of the sixth-generation Camaro's production run in 2024, Chevrolet is offering a final unique Collector's Edition on the LT/RS, LT1, SS, and ZL1 versions in North America. What a pity, the "Poor Man's Corvette" has come to it's end after it's 6th generation. I was lucky enough to own a 2nd generation 1970 z28. I've always been a Chevrolet fan. I guess it's demise is due to the demand for SUV's for soccer mom's etc.
The 2024 Chevy Camaro Collector’s Edition sports a 6.2 Liter V8 making 650 horsepower. The El Dorado Edition is limited to 350 units, MSRP of $78,000 dollars USD. Ouch, higher versions sell for much more. Order one now right! Yeah, sure. Click on the picture to see the full size picture of this beauty.
Immaculate 1946 Ford
[Mon Dec 4 11:14:05 AM CST 2023]
As a long time Chevrolet fan I do not see restored modified Chevrolets that compare to this 1946 Ford, not around here anyway. There is a reason I suppose, that reason being the car is too expensive to roam the streets. So I was very surprised to see this car up close. This Ford came off the assembly line a very long time before I was born.
So, as far as the car. All the factory badges are gone, the door handles have been shaved in true hot rodder fashion. The body sheet metal is flawless, being a base coat black paint, the sheet metal MUST be perfect. Black is the most difficult color to paint, the reason is black paint will reveal any imperfections in the body metal. Wait, there's more, in the shade, meaning no direct sunlight on it, the car is super gloss black, when sunlight hits the paint you'll see the red underneath. You can see the red reveal itself in the picture. We are talking thousands of dollars just in the paint job. Tack on fifty hours of body work prior to paint atleast.
I happen to have seen this in a parking lot, no owner around. Inside the building I spotted who must have been the owner. I had a few minutes to talk to him about the car. It so happens I was expecting a flat head ford but he said he tried, but it wouldn't fit so it got a small block Chevy engine. I'm not a fan of the white wall tires, but they are period correct. I never got to see the interior due to tinted windows, but it's one sweet Ford.
Rules And Tips For Truckers
[Sun Nov 12 4:43:09 PM CST 2023] A good place to start is here The Department of Transportation.
Heaven only knows todays rules and regulations for commercial carriers are numerous. Much of the information can be found at
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. But wait, there is much more. Some things any good driver knows. You should mark in your logbook a 15 minute vehicle inspection every day. I put this at the bottom line 'on duty not driving.' Atleast once a day you should do a walk around of your tractor trailer looking for anything broken. Inspect your tires, use a tire bat found at any truck stop. I used a meat hook. Thump each tire, if you hear a dead thump the tire is probably flat. As for wheels, Budd wheels are the de facto choice, they are a one piece wheel, on dual wheel setups the inner wheel is tightend by a stud with left hand threads. The outer wheel butts against the inner wheel over the stud and tightened with right handed threads. The wheels to avoid are dayton and Webb wheels. The main thing to watch for is rust working it's way out from behind loose lugs nuts. They are easy to spot. Due to water getting behind and between the nut and wheel small rust trails a few inches long created by centrifugal force means one or both lug nuts are loose. The rust streaks will be in a radial pattern. Last but not least is do not make U-turns, it's murder on your tires, make 3-point turns. Thats it for now. Happy trails.
Halloween And Truckers
[Sat Oct 28 3:29:09 PM CDT 2023]
Halloween happens to be the most dangerous night of the year for truckers and passenger vehicles but trucks are the favorite targets. You may ask yourself why? The holiday is celebrated on Tue, Oct 31 and it's been my experience kids love to toss pumpkins off overpasses at night attempting to hit vehicles as they drive underneath. You may see police cars sitting on these overpasses to keep this from happening.
About all you can do as you approach these these overpasses is look for kids hiding on top of the overpass and look for pumpkin fragments on the road. What I do is switch lanes at the last possible second and hope they miss you. I've never been hit but I've seen the debris and police cars on top and below these overpasses. If you're hauling swinging beef DO NOT switch lanes too fast, or you will flip over.
Janet Yellen US Secretary Of The Treasury
[Tue Oct 17 11:48:09 AM CDT 2023] According to Janet Yellen Secretary of the US Treasury recently stated, The USA can afford to fund two wars. Are you kidding me? We cannot fund our own government. Our congress can't really do at the moment because we have no Speaker of The House of Representatives. By the way Yellen was a former member of the Federal Reserve. These are all people that tell us inflation is under control! C'mon man, that is so far from the truth it's ludacrous.
A fact concerning war is that it's good for business. Sounds crazy but it's true. The Federal Reserve and the Biden administration tell so many lies it's criminal. They tell us to look over here, but not over there. Pretty much a bait and switch tactic. As I write this congress is voting for a new House Speaker. Congress cannot legislate anything without that one person, The Speaker of The House. In summation, the USA is in serious economic trouble. I won't comment on our open borders which we cannot afford. On the soon to be critical front, actually it began when Biden would prefer to ship crude oil 8,000 miles at obscene prices when we have all the energy we need right here in North America. But we are not allowed to drill on hallowed federal land. We are in dire straits but the government will never tell you this. Prayers for Israel and Ukraine.
American Labor Day
[Mon Sep 4 11:47:44 AM CDT 2023] Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States. The previous text was copied/pasted due to a issue with my eyes. Hopefully that will be corrected soon.Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
[Thu Aug 17 10:43:30 AM CDT 2023] What is going on with America's economy? I am no expert, nor am I a conspiracy theorist but our economy is failing and has been for years. First of all this country is 32 trillion dollars in debt. We still continue to borrow more, this can't go on. People think that as long as the stock market is reasonably stable we must be okay. We are far from okay, President Biden says inflation is under control, it is not. The Federal Reserve and the world banks just buy up debt to make the markets seem okay. This debt-based system is by nature, inflationary. So how can our economy be solvent? It can't, but the Preident says everything is under control. Impossable, we import nearly everything and hardly export anything.
The USA has enough oil to meet our needs but we cannot drill for it nor run a pipeline from northern areas of the country, the Keystone Pipeline is a good example. Instead we buy foreign oil and ship it 8,000 miles to feed out energy needs. There are thousands of underground eight inch pipes carrying gas and oil from refineries all over the country, but we cannot pump our own oil? Why not? It is far more dangerous shipping it 8,000 miles, WTF this is a untenable situation. Among other poor decisions the government made is cutting the defense budget while China builds up their nevy, in my opinion China is preparing for war. All of these issues will come crashing down on us. Next stop, Socialism, but that's just my opinion. Peace.
Debian Linux
[Thu Jul 27 07:44:54 PM CDT 2023] Debian, also known as GNU Linux Debian
Debian GNU/Linux, is a Linux distribution composed of free and open-source software, developed by the community-supported Debian Project, which was established by Ian Murdock on August 16, 1993. Source: Wikipedia. To be clear Linux it is just a kernel around which a distrobution runs on. Linux and it's approximately 500 to 600 different distrobution, Many of which are based of Debian Linux, the distro I use exclusively. So what makes Linux special? For one thing it's free and open-source software. You can install tons of programs very easily. All programs in each distrobution are cryptographically signed. Debian has roughly 60,000 programs you can choose and install as you wish.
I admit Linux has a rather steep learning curve, but it is worth the effort. Virus software is virtually not needed. It has software that Microsoft does not have, it would cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars to have on Windows. Linux is extremely stable, reboots are rarely needed. Books are written about Linux and what it can do, the best advice I got in my earlier days was Be careful what you type, you just might get it.
The overall feeling from Windows users is you have to learn a million commands, while that may be true there are GUI apps that can do pretty much anything you may need to do. So if you are sick of MicroSoft, give a Linux distro a try. There are tons of tutorials out there and with Debian there is a entire community out there to help you out. If you want something more new user friendly try
Ubuntu Linux.
Tractor Trailer Air Lines Explained
[Wed Jul 5 12:02:03 PM CDT 2023] This article is meant to clear up some confusion regarding tractor to trailer air lines. The graphic on the left are the most commonly used air lines. The graphic shows the bare hoses with no connectors on them. At one end of the hoses, they are connected to the tractor's air system, no need to mess with them. At the other end gladhands are fitted to each hose, the gladhands are connect to the corresponding gladhand on the trailer. This is where confusion exists. The red hose is emergency air. The emergency air line is charges when you push the red button on your dashboard. All this line does is supply a minimum of 60 psi and releases the trailer brakes, if that pressure falls below 60 psi a alarm will sound and then engage the trailer parking brake. Your air pressure should sit at 120 psi, below 60, you have a serious air leak. The red hose is strictly for releasing the trailer brakes, it has nothing to do with your service brakes. The red hose usually mates to the inboard fitting on the trailer. The blue line is for service brakes and iS normally on the outboard side, the drivers side.
The graphic on your right is a picture of red and blue gladhands. If you buy or replace these hoses. the trailes end of the hoses are usually assembled. Have a mechanic install the tractor end. Now the blue hose is service air, any brake use like the brake pedal and the trailer brake handle goes through the blue line and many companies remove the handle due to misuse of them. So, two hoses doing two completely separate duties. Finally you have an electrcal line. You can't put that in wrong, Note: The electrical line plugs into a socket on the trailer behind a spring loaded door, it has a detent on it, and on the plug itself. Plug it in and let the cover sring down and should lock the plug via the locking detents. Well that's about it, be sure the electric line locks with the spring loaded cover and be sure the two detents engage with each other. If any of these lines disconnect while moving they can drop between the fraome rails, wrap up in the drive shaft and tear everything out of the tractor. If you feel a gladhand doesn't fit snug you can bend the colored tang a fraction of an inch, it won't break.
Putin Threatened
[Mon Jun 26 03:48:43 PM CDT 2023] Source:AP (The story so far: Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of Russia's Wagner Private Military Company, staged a short-lived mutiny against the country's defence establishment on June 24, pushing Valdimir Putin's Russia into an unprecedented internal security crisis). Or so it's been repoted. Prigozhin and his band of heavily armed mercenaries marched towards Moscow from the south, allegedly firing on Pro-Putin helicopters killing 12. For some reason stopped short of Moscow and retreated to Belarus. Putin of course, has vowed revenge on Prigozhin et al. Whatever, it's good to me. Someone needs to stop Putin.
Chicago Winter Of 1978-79
[Sun 28 May 2023 10:43:20 AM CDT] It was early in my trucking career when I bought a 1978 R Model Mack truck. I only had 2+ years of driving semi-trucks at the time for Freymiller Trucking running west coast as second seat driver, I was only 19 years old at the time.. After a couple years and purchasing the Mack, I left Freymiller and leased it to Kaney Fuel Transport, Rockford Illinois, which took some convincing that being only 22 years old now they took me on. This brings me to the winter of 1978 which was nasty.
In wintertime, propane orders really stack up. Propane which is the molecule in the graphic (H3C8). So I had been hauling propane on short runs between Chicago and Rockford Illinois for weeks. Illinois Highway Patrol was shutting down highways by 5pm due to drifting snow and extreme cold. It was mid-afternoon on a Friday, the company fleet had shut down due to weather. I asked my dispatcher if he has anything left. He told me of a TV station on a gravel road that was heating with propane and was about to shutdown because thet were nearly out of propane and none of the company trucks didn't want to attempt to reach them. I accepted the challenge to reach them so I loaded up about 8,000 gallons. When I got to the TV station I had to blind side back the trailer into their parking lot, back it around a dozen cars, then up hill around the back of the building then try to get close enought to their tank for my hoses to reach.
I made it by a few inches. Their tank was down to 1 per cent, hardly enough for a day before they would run out and shutdown. I filled that tank to 100 per cent which you are not supposed to do. You are supposed to leave vapor credit in case it warms up, If the liquid propane expands a relief valve opens, spewing highly flammable propane. Needless to say they were extremely happy to be rescued, thanking me and signing my paperwork. I was a bit worried about filling them to 100 per cent so I called dispatch and informed him, but he said not to worry, the temperature was supposed to drop and the station was going to use a few per cent right away, not to worry. End of story, that topped off a very profitable week for me. Read about that winter. Chicago Winter 78-79
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