Meet Me In St Louis

My wife and I recently made a vacation trip to St Louis. I have been through there many times while delivering freight back and forth across the country but my wife had never been. She suggested going there instead of Atlanta. Turns out it was a good choice because at the time we left on vacation, Atlanta was under water and I am not a great swimmer.

We had reserved a rental car to use while we were there but it turns out it was so small that she quickly named it a "Piece of a car." I just called it "The Beast." It fit well in those small parking garage slots that hotels have. I don't know if I could trade my dignity and my lower back for "good gas mileage." It was fine for short hops around town but that hour and a half ride into the countryside to a winery convinced me that I needed to have reserved a suburban.

We did the usual tourist stuff around town like climbing into that little claustrophobic cell that takes you to the top of the Arch. The Arch is an amazing feat of engineering. It was built in about two years in the early sixties. We still have a hole in the ground in NYC where the towers fell eight years ago.

Our best dining experience was in an area of town called "The Hill." We made reservations at a four star Italian place called "Giovanni's" Of course I hadn't brought a jacket but they accommodated us anyway. Dinner was going well until I spilled my wife's tea onto the table and into her purse. Who the hell puts a tall ice tea glass on a saucer anyway? I later learned that Oprah has eaten at the restaurant. I bet she didn't have the veal like I did. It was delicious.

We visited a couple of casinos of course while in town. Actually we did well enough at the poker tables that we recouped what we spent on dinner at Giovanni's and then some. I feel better about not having a jacket for dinner. It may take a while to feel better about the tea in the purse.

The Fly By

Received the following in an E-mail forwarded to me by my Father, a retired USAF officer. I am not clear on who the originator is but felt it needed passing along.

Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were.

A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the mall.When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must Have stung quite a bit.

The complaint:Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special? Any response would be appreciated.

The response: Regarding 'A wake-up call from Luke's jets' On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four- ship fly by of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day. At 9 a.m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend.

Based on the letter writer's recount of the fly by, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured..

A four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects.

The letter writer asks, 'Whom do we thank for the morning air show?' The 56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.

Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you....Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom. Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr. USAF

p.s. After a little research I have found that the last paragraph was not part of the original response and that the writer of the response was Lt. Col. Scott Pleus, USAF.

Also, when the original writer of the noise complaint learned what the
fly by was for, he wrote an apology that was published, also in the AZ
Republic.

Here is the lowdown on this story. Snopes: Fly By

The Letter

A woman from Arizona named Janet Contreras wrote an open letter to our leaders in Washington. It hit a nerve with many as it said exactly what millions are thinking. The letter is long so I have edited it down for size but tried to keep her passion and common sense. At the end of this post is a link to the entire letter.

"I'm a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now.

You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would horribly feel so disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut job am I? Will you please tell me? Well, these are briefly my views and issues for which I seek representation:

One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution.

Two, the TARP bill, I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you no, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.

Three: Czars, I want the circumvention of our checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president.

Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There is more to say.

Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night and then go on break. Slow down!

Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. Mind your own business.

Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census over with our taxpayer money.

Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs. That is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person.

Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.

Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. Have you ever ripped off a Band‑Aid? Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.

Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please try ‑‑ please stop manipulating and trying to appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.

Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.
Take a breath. Listen to the people.

Let's just slow down and get some input from some nonpoliticians on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.

I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is such urgency and recklessness in all of the recent spending.

From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back.We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work , pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone and we are now looking up at you. You have awakened us, the patriotic spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us (who) will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.

If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming."

There is much more to the letter. Click here to read the letter in it's entirety. Pass it along or send it to your Representatives in Washington.

In Memory of Those Who Gave!

On this Memorial Day I want to remember those who have served and especially those who gave their lives to protect and defend our great nation. In the decades since WWI and WWII, Korea, Vietnam and more recently, the Middle East, the cost has faded from our memories. Many died, many more were wounded and an uncountable number of families and loved ones suffered losses.

Those who served honored our country. We should ALWAYS honor them! We should never let our freedoms be taken away by any enemy, foreign or domestic. We should remember them and promise to keep dear the principles that this country was founded on.

I salute the members of our armed services and their families. All have given. We are grateful!

Please watch this video

Obama's New Jacket!

On March 13th of this year Glenn Beck outlined the basics of the 912 Project. In his explanation he listed the 9 Principles and 12 Values that common sense people should use to make decisions in their lives. Principles and Values are the foundation that should guide us. During the campaign of '08 "Principles" and "Values" were words that were conspicuously missing from Barack Obama"s speeches. So were references to our Constitution and overspending. These are the MAIN issues of the people who have joined the 912 Project and attended the Tea Parties in April.

I have noticed in recent speeches and comments made by our new President that he has begun to use the phrase "Principles and Values" alot. Why? Is it that he hears our outrage and recognizes that we will not be silenced? Does he hear the footsteps of a rebellious and restless people?

In a speech he gave at an Arizona Commencement, he spoke of how the level of spending that the government was doing was "unsustainable." Is he kidding? Were the wrong words fed into his teleprompter by mistake? How can he speak of overspending given his record thus far in his term?

At a recent speech on National Security he chose to speak from the Rotunda of the National Archives. Again I ask why. Could it be that the echo of the rotunda made him sound more "godly?" Or could it have been that he was flanked in the television shot by copies of the Declaration of Independence and the CONSTITUTION?

It seems his image advisors are trying to make him more palatable to those of us that see him for what he is. They are attemting to give him a makeover by dressing him in a new jacket of common sense, morality and patriotism. They are trying to hide the bulge of socialism and the disfigurement of dishonesty. They are hoping we won't notice the obvious. This jacket does not belong to him and quite frankly, it comes nowhere close to fitting!

Don't be fooled by the new jacket. Look underneath at the mannequin.

Calling a Pig a Thoroughbred Doesn't Make It Run Faster

In a New York Times Article recently there was an article about how the liberal spin machine is changing some terms to make them more acceptable to the masses. In other words, "Global Warming", which has become somewhat of a joke in some circles is now "our deteriorating atmosphere." and talk about reducing carbon dioxide is now "moving away from the dirty fuels of the past." They don’t want to confuse people with "cap and trade" so they may use terms like “cap and cash back” or “pollution reduction refund.”

Apparently this info was not intended for the public but was leaked to the press accidently.

It seems their message of doom for the planet is falling apart. Many top scientists now dispute the claims that "Global Warming" is a man made problem or that it is even happening at all. I am not a scientist or a climatoligist but I tend to believe that GW alarmists are using scare tactics to push through expensive "fixes" and taxes.

Pres. Obama promised in his campaign that he would put Cap and Trade into effect. This, he said, would cause your electric bill to "Skyrocket" and would put the coal industry "out of business." Another key Democrat recently said that the Cap and Trade program amounted to a "huge tax."

Let's see, higher taxes and ruining a major industry in our country at the expense of hundreds of thousands of jobs in states already hard hit by the economy.

Good thinking Mr. President.

Fifty to One

Fifty to one odds and the horse WINS the Kentucky Derby. Are you kidding me? I smell a conspiracy maaannn! Did the Dems rig the race like they did in November? I want a Senate Investigation Committee. Oh wait...the Dems control that as well. I demand JUSTICE!

OK. So I don't really care which horse won. I never bet on races anymore. I learned that lesson long ago. I prefer betting opportunities where I have some input, like poker.

A good Texas Hold 'Em game is challenging to the mind and can be rewarding if you pay attention and have patience. I"m not a big better. No high stakes games for me. I play for enjoyment and I enjoy winning.

50-1 odds are tempting but not a very smart move. I'm happy for the people that had a few bucks on that horse but it still wasn't a prudent bet. It was luck. Pure and simple. We all get lucky every once in a while, but we usually do better by thinking things out, rationalizing and making smart decisions based on information and logic. That advice comes in handy when electing new leaders also.

Let's say for instance that voters had taken a hard look at the candidates principles and values before going into that voting booth and not just jumped on the popularity bandwagon. Let's say they had really thought about policies, plans and agendas. Let's just say they had read up on our constitution and what it means. And let's just say that they had taken into consideration who the candidates associated with over the last few decades. Would the outcome have been different?

I believe that if voters would decide based on common sense rather than race or parties, we would not be in the predicament we are in. Our economy stinks. Government is taking control of our industries and our lives and corruption is more wide spread than ever before. These are the things that lead to the downfall of countries and entire civilizations.

Take time to read, talk with others and study history. It may just open your eyes. I am currently reading a book called "The 5000 Year Leap, a Miracle That Changed The World" It was written over thirty years ago but still is the best way to learn about how our Constitution came to be and what it means. The system we have today is a disgrace to our Founding Fathers. I hope we can undo the damage, return to common sense and values and restore our great country for generations to come.

Improve our odds of surviving as a Nation by being aware of what's going on around us and making rational decisions.

One Last Flu Blog. (I Promise)

The World Health Organization (WHO?) has raised the alert level again on the swine flu, or as it's now known, "H1N1". That's now level 5. I think if we reach level six we get 10 new lives and access to new weapons? Or maybe that's just a video game I use to play.

This flu bug has killed less than 1 hundred people so far according to WHO. The regular flu that makes the rounds every year kills thousands. WHAT is the big deal? WHY are we listening to WHO? WHERE do they get off scaring the hell out of us? WHEN will I stop with the corny WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE jokes?

I'm going to bed. I have the snuffles and my snout aches.

Top Ten Myths About Swine Flu

Top Ten Myths About Swine Flu

• Swine flu comes from eating Wendy's "Baconator" sandwich
• Pigs have asked for use of the term "Tummy Ache" instead of "Swine Flu"
  
• If you have the Swine flu you will turn onto Rosie O'Donnell
• If you have the Swine flu you will turn onto Jeneane Garofalo
• You can catch the Swine flu by being in the same room with either of the above
• Swine flu causes you to develop a taste for SLOP
• Joe Biden doesn't think that riding trains, planes and automobiles gives you the swine flu
• H1N1 is code for "Run for your lives!"
• The only prescription for Swine flu is MORE COWBELL!
  
• You can catch the swine flu by Twittering with an infected person

Keep sane. Keep clean. Don't panic.

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More_cowbell )

See NYC! The Obama Way!

The Obama administration has developed a new way of raising funds to pay off the 12.8 Trillion debt. They are testing the idea of leasing out Air Force One to tour groups for sight seeing runs whenever the President is not using the plane.

On Monday they made their first test run over New York City. There were no paying customers on board for this inaugural flight however. The fuel and maintenance will be picked up by the taxpayers to the tune of about $325,000. (more or less)

Apparently they forgot to ask for the proper permits required of tour operators also. Numerous office workers in high rise buildings near ground zero ran for their lives when they saw a jumbo jet wing tip outside their window. They may have over reacted. I can't imagine why they would panic at such a site. After all, large jets and tall buildings go so well together.

Call now to reserve your seat. Space may be limited on future flights.

Bon Voyage!

High Definition Reality Show

I have seen those wild car chases many times on TV. Helicopters, dozens of police cars and traffic snarled for miles. It seems like they always happen in L.A. I never considered that they might have one in, let's say, Georgia. Especially on the same road that I am on and at the same time.

I was northbound on I-75 this afternoon about 50 miles south of Atlanta. I switched my XM Radio over to FOX News just in time to hear Shep Smith all excited as he described yet another chase. This time it was a semi tractor with a man hanging on the back for dear life as police used spike strips to slow the vehicle down. He mentioned this one was near Atlanta. "Great" I thought. All I need is a traffic backup. Then he mentioned I-75. Uh-Oh!

Sure enough, I look out the windshield to see three helicopters up ahead just as Shep tells us that the truck is slowing down and about to stop. Oh Boy! Front row seats!

As I pass slowly by on the opposite side of the highway along with all the other gawkers, the police are rushing the truck and breaking out windows. I try to snap a pic but can't get a clear shot. Then "POP!" I hoped it was a tire blowing out. By then I am past the action and return my attention to traffic.

Later I hear that an officer was shot but would be OK. I am not sure that POP I heard was the shot but it was too close for comfort. Those cops really have a dangerous job. I appreciate them for their service.

Man! Talk about high definition television and reality shows.

Bad Weekend. Good Monday.

I guess we all pay a price. Had a mediocre week last week then got stuck in Ohio for the entire weekend. Nothing says BOREDOM like sitting in Findlay Ohio for two days while your family is in Texas. Freight is slow because of the economy. I accept that but come on people. Two full days with no miles. I gotta eat ya know.

Monday brought better news. Good weather and a 700 plus mile run to Dublin, Georgia. Drop and hook on BOTH ends. Made it to Atlanta for the night. On top of that The Texas Rangers are on top of the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 in the 8th. Yesssss! (I hope I didn't just jinx them.)

Nothing on the news but Swine Flu talk. Oh, and Barack Obama had a lil run in with his teleprompter. Seems the operator is added to the new jobless claims list. Darn.

Swine Flu From Mexico?

Today there was a press conference about the swine flu problem. It seems that we are threatened by Mexicans in more than one way. First it was drug gangs. Now it is Swine Flu. Janet Napolitano hinted that she believed 95% of all pigs in Mexico came from the US. We cannot verify that of course because the Mexicans filed off the serial numbers from the pigs. Here is the best news though. Mexico has done on their own what we were unable to do. Close the BORDERS. Perhaps the border problem isn't one of immigration and drugs. It is one of vomit and diarrhea. Now if we could only introduce Camel Fever to the Middle East?

641,011

641,011

The number of members of the 912 project as of April 24th 2009

The approximate population of Baltimore, MD

Ten full NFL stadiums

The approximate cost of a Koenigsegg CCX Supercar

The approximate population of Alaska

Number of new jobless claims this last week in the USA.

NUMBERS MATTER!

The 9-12 Project and what it Means

Please go to www.the912project.com and read what it is all about. Even if you don't watch Glenn Beck or Fox News. Read the mission statement and click on the tabs for the 9 Principles and the 12 Values. If you agree with most of them (7 of 9 principles) (10 of 12 values) then you think like a 912'er.

It is not about Racism. It is not about parties. It is not an anti Obama site. It definitely is not an EXTREMIST site. It is common people like me and you agreeing that we need to get back to the place we were on 9-12-01. when we all dropped our differences and offered up our time, sweat, money and BLOOD to help and support one another. We were neighbors, co-workers, fellow students and moms and dads that knew instinctively that we need each other. We live in a great country but we have lost our way. Both parties are to blame. What we need now is common sense, leadership and a desire to return to the country our forefathers built for us, based in the constitution and limited government interference. Our rights are God given. No government should ever be allowed to take them away. Please read the site! It is important!

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Road Thoughts and Mindless Wanderings

I am beginning to see real signs of the economic troubles we are in. I'm in Ohio where it has for many years been a hub of trucking activity. The area is full of industry. I am seeing MANY empty manufacturing plants, machine shops, office buildings and warehouses. Not to mention only a third of the truck traffic on the road. It's not even a problem finding parking in a truck stop in Ohio these days. Living in Texas, where the economy is still rolling along fairly well, we don't see the drastic changes the rest of the country is experiencing. My company has frozen hiring, laid off many, stopped the company match on the 401k and I fear that more cuts are on the way. We have shifted to shorter hauls. The CEO says that this is more profitable. I don't see how. With each delivery we have to sit and wait for a new load assignment. Short hauls mean more deliveries, more often and more time wasted sitting. Factor in the usual delays at shipper and delivery and that's even MORE time wasted. What happened to the old adage that if the truck is not rolling, it is not making money? I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Recent gains in the markets are false. We cannot sustain the spending our Government is doing. Where does it all go from here?