Just Sitting On The Davenport

I remember when I was a kid, my stepdad would say to straighten the cushion on the "davenport". I don't know, but I knew of many people back then that would call the couch the davenport. That has nothing to do with what I am about to talk about, except that I am in
Davenport, Iowa. I know, it is a crappy segue, but deal with it.

Just being here, I can still smell the stench of all the presidential wannabes in the air. Can you say Hillary has left the building and yet it still smells like skank. Anyway, I do not get excited about all this presidential crap this early in the campaign. There are still skeletons in the closet to be exposed and that takes place later on in the campaign. There are scandals, someone has to make an oblique racial statement that the NAACP (a racist organization) needs to get into an uproar about. Or something along those putrid lines. Remember Gary Hart? Things almost never happen by accident, they just happen.

I get calls from friends, all wrapped up in the putrid garbage that is our political system. When you look at it all, you need to look long and hard at what our past presidents have had to say and what they actually did, once they got into office. You will not exactly hear that aspect of this on the news.

Reagan, spoke about national defense. He spoke about getting rid of government control of business and there have been varying degrees of success and failure in those decisions. The bulging military budgets of the 80's were proof that Reagan was serious about keeping the Russians at bay. The 600 ship navy could be shown to be a bit much however and who needed the budget deficits from all this.

George Bush senior was pretty much voted in to continue in some small way the Reagan legacy and it was apparent really soon that he was no Reagan. The Read My Lips and New World Order statements were pretty much regrettable. His choice of a vice presidential candidate is proof in my mind of his incompetence. What a side show that crap was.

Then came Bill Clinton and Al Gore and the "Message of Hope" I am really curious how that garbage worked. Bill Clinton was governor of one of the most morally bankrupt, backwards, non producing states in the union and yet he was to give us some hope? I am sure thinking that he was the one with the hope as he left stains on Monica Cheeseburgerinskies (on the spell Checker, No suggestions) dress. And perhaps hoping that the barracuda that he was married to didn't find out. I wonder, jokes aside, how many things about America were compromised while everyone was once again paying attention to the media hoopla and nothing else was being reported. Really, when I think about it, it seems that the people were being screwed once again. It is just that these two clowns assumed that no one would notice.

Then there is George W. Bush...everyone thought he would be just like his dad, who, in turn was supposed to be just like Ronald Reagan. What a mess that was. I appreciate the fact that he was an alcoholic and decided to straighten up and all his faith issues. I get it. I just do not like Republicans that do not act like Republicans. Halliburton is however, very happy with W.

My point in all this, is that we are often moved to vote in one direction or another by our friendly media. The same friendly media that says that America does not produce anything anymore so we might as well buy a Toyota. The same media that is corporate in nature and benefits from everything they say and that includes Fox, CNN, ABC, all of them are the same in nature. It is just the opinion might be or appear to be different.

I am probably right now looking at Ron Paul. Why? The media hates his guts and I have to wonder exactly why. I mean lets look at the fact that they endorse and push some pretty unsavory politicians that offer them entertainment value and I guess, Hope? The media hates Ron Paul because for one, he is on the edge and he does not have an opaque view when he describes what he wants to do. Vote him in I say. Why? Well, if his views are extreme and make no sense once he gets to office, I am sure that congress will hamstring his butt and keep him from doing any real harm. I for one think that the fact that the media hates this guy so much really appeals to me. I mean if you are a republican right now, are you really getting a juicy look at Huckabee and coming away thinking that he will be a good conservative? I see social democrat written all over this guy. I know he is a minister, but take a good look at how many churches you have went through in looking for just the right place for your family to worship at. Oh, you just picked one? Well then, tune in and let them tell you who to vote for while they fail to report all the faults and dishonesty. Just don't blame me when once again we get a puppet to the corporations and see our taxes rise and the only benefit being received is by the corporations as they move overseas and get taxpayer dollars to do it. There is one case where right now I would not vote for Ron Paul...that is if he goes independent. People are sheep and if there are three choices, I just can't imagine how hard that will be if people actually have to think when they make a decision. It would be just unbelievable. Dedication")

P.S. Vote for who you are wanting to vote for. I have written this with the hope of not getting you to vote one way or another. I have written this to get people, regardless of their political leanings, to analyze and actually think before jumping on that band wagon. This is America, and here you do have the right to your opinions and values. Thank God that we have those rights. There are countries having elections every year with the United States blessing that are in effect rigged. But, since there is an election, it must be the peoples decision. When the person coming into power does not flatter the US? There is sudden scrutiny about the election. Just a thought. :D

I Am Going To Bomb The Corn Palace

And I will serve popcorn to the homeless for years to come. I am near Mitchell, SD and had stopped to rest more out of boredom than being tired. No real need to rush as the real push will be today and I will mop up the rest of the miles tomorrow. I plopped in Shooter in the computer this time and watched. Stupid me, I have a television and have been using it for my dvd playing antics and I thought to myself that I have never watched a dvd on my computer. It was eye opening. The picture was clear and wide. And the sound was better. At any rate, I am getting ready to go now and get fuel at Sioux Falls. Boy am I glad I am not still in Montana. The wind last night was causing reports from I-15 and I-90, closing both freeways for accidents and rollovers. I am heading east thank you and hoping that the angry gods do not see my progress. Gotta go, Late <;/

Wally World

You learn something new every day. The town of Lame Deer, MT has a college in town. The name? Dull Knife. I was on I 90 near Ellsworth AFB and saw for the first time in flight, a B-1 bomber. I had looked at pictures but in flight, they look so graceful. They are long and lean and this pilot was doing touch and go's. Cool.

The funny thing about truck driving to me is the fact that when I leave to go over the road; it seems like in the lives of those I leave behind, I disappear. It is a little bit different now with the modern means of communication, but for he most part, I disappear for three weeks at a time. It is hard to feel like you belong much anywhere when you have that every day in your life.

The other thing about trucking is that you drive by some of the most interesting places and things on earth and yet you cannot get your truck into those places to have real experiences there. Sometimes, it works out where you can park right there and go right in or park a block or two away. Those incidences are really not the rule however. The reality is that communities want our goods and services, but do not really want us to be able to experience real life because it is somehow inconvenient to have us around. Truck drivers are really looked at as the necessary evil. We need their products and yet want little to do with the inconvenience of having them actually park their trucks and wander around in our perfect little communities. We certainly want the income that can be available as long as it is convenient for us to get it. We just do not want strange people that we do not know coming into our stores and restaurants and being, well, you know, strange? The people driving trucks are the same as most everyone else but are hamstrung by the size of their conveyance. In Lisbon, ND there is a rule that does not allow a truck to park on a residential street. The funny thing is that there are quite a few people that drive trucks for a living. I wonder how often it is, that an ordinance is so easily passed into law that restricts one segment and only one segment of society for the supposed greater good. I can bet that the people on the city council do not drive trucks for a living. Perhaps if they did, the ordinances would be a bit more progressive. Just some thoughts I guess, I have been getting rather lax about my entries and figured I would add some non thought provoking content. The funny thing about Lisbon is, there are towns that are much more stringent. The only signs not in some of these towns is, "get the hell out" Dedication;/

Spokane, Supper At Zips, I'm A Rebel I Tell You!

Ok, Stopped for rest and had a Papa Joe and a real Strawberry malt at Zip's. They are a locally owned chain in the Spokane area. Their food is cooked fresh and the malts are real and out of this world. The guy behind the counter must think I am a stalker. Sorry dude, I here for the food.
On my way to the Ohio area and am looking forward to it as it has been only a few days since I have been in a snow and ice storm on the road with idiots that haven't mastered breathing much less driving. That is how I ended up here in Spokane last night. I was going to drive on into Idaho, but it started snowing and getting slippery. There were too many cars driving too fast and having close cars. When in doubt, Back out. That means that in the name of safety, it is best to get the heck off the road.
Well, to get dressed, and get moving off to Lookout Pass and the snow that has not been removed by the Idaho Dot since last week. Dedication:')

Get Your Ass To Work

It is off to the races. I am heading to the first pick up point today and will await my loading tomorrow. I know that I am living on the very edge. These are exciting times after all. I know, you have probably read the word Wenachee too many times...me too. But I was just trying to spruce it up a bit. Anyway, Breakfast, and I am off. Dedication :-P

Downtown Spokane, Breakfast at Zips

Yesterday, I was bombing across Montana with the plan of stopping in Missoula, dropping off the ruined trailer wheel, taking a shower, filling my water jug with some decent water and hitting the lookout pass. I did that pretty much in that order. While I was at the terminal, there was this other truck driver spreading doom and gloom about how bad lookout pass was and that it had not stopped snowing for 3 days. I told him that I had to go that way anyway, so what is the point in fretting over what I have not seen. He kept blubbering on about how it was really bad and be careful. I asked him for his cell phone number and told him if I were to get stuck that I would give him a call. It was slow going in places, it snowed in places, but, I made it through, only witnessing one spin out and rollover accident which, I called 911 and checked on the people inside. I was doing 45-50 mph and was being passed by this moron (who had his mom, kids, and wife in the truck) who was getting frustrated that I would not move over (into the deep snow drift to let him by. Truth be told, I was on the edge of the snow as it was and he had at least 15 feet of lane offered to him. I get that he was perhaps, scared of the big bad truck. Anyway, he accelerated and passed me and whipped the wheel to the right 50 feet in front of my grille. Bad move. The rear of his pickup swung and he hit the median at speed, sideways. One quick roll and all the stuff fell out of his bed and he landed on the wheels. First comment out of his mouth when I tromped through the snow? Look at this truck. The kids in the back were injured by the in flight movements of their portable DVD player, which shattered. I was glad to see that they were all seat belted. The cab of the truck protected them and they were belted in and for the most part, safe.

I am at the Flying J in Spokane waiting for the Mead Location to open so I can ask them for directions. I should have called them on Friday but forgot and they are closed on weekends. I have to wait for 8 o'clock which seems like an eternity due to the time change. I will live.

Now, It is off to Zips for a breakfast sandwich. Dedication:\