Letter

This was printed in Waste and Recycling News 2-20-2009 in response to the question....How well do you think the economic stimulus package will work?

When Pres Obama was still Candidate Obama one of the things he ran on was not having the "same failed policies of the last eight years". Now I see that he is putting forth the same "failed policies". If this bill had only work related programs that would have immediate impact, it may be a worthy risk. There is so much social engineering and flatout giveaways to special interests in this that it is very questionable whether it will work. I have my doubts.

I again ask the question. Did no one listen to the man when he was running for president?

Truck Turbines

In the late seventies, early eighties there were these trucks running up and down the road with huge smokestacks and intakes.I had the oportunity to talk to a driver who operated one of them. He said that the engine was very quiet, got great mileage and had no visible exhaust. We could tell by the way that it ran in the mountains or on the flat it had power beyond anything else on the road. They just kind of faded out as we saw less and less and then kind of just went away.

I hadn't thought of them again until lately in another blog "Trucks That Work" had a post that jogged the ol' pumpkin. I'm now wondering why, with all the concern about saving energy and stopping pollution, the gobment don't throw some money at this. I am seeing they have so much to throw at rich bankers and labor unions they should have a little left over for R&D of an idea whose time has come. Heck Sen John McCain wanted to give a hundred million to someone who could invent a battery.

Today'sadvantages to turbine power are many Who knows what tomorrow could bring.

one-third less burnt fuel than current piston engine technology
30%+ less fuel emissions and greenhouse gasses
fewer nitrogen oxides (NO, NO2, N2O2) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions
operates on all fuels: hydrocarbon, hydrogen and synthetic
flex fuel and mixed fuels capability
no pistons or valves, and no lube oil, filters or pumps
fewer moving parts means less maintenance
high power-to-weight ratio
air cooled and lightweight: less than 2 lbs. per hp
cold start capability

The cost is compatible to today's diesel engines, about $25k. The horsepower range is fantastic 300hp to 1000hp. I don't know about the reliability, but if this engine does what it is touted to do, there is no other downside to it. I can't even see the algore sky-is-falling freaks being against it.

We now see that pouring corn in the tanks doesn't work. The new bios burn dirtier, are less efficient, and cost more. Well, they have succeeded in driving the cost of food up. I guess that's a success....for them.

Lord Obamamama is going to have to get on the stick. He can no longer coast and say "It's George Bush's fault".

Gun Control

This has been making the email rounds on the web for some time. As I was reminded by my brother this cannot be published too often. Anybody that tells you that they are passing gun laws, "for the good of the people"....Question their motives. The only reason the government would have for taking your guns is control over you and your life and property.

An interesting note: Australia, after banning guns has not only had an increase in gun deaths, thay have also had an increase in knife deaths. The criminals that run the government are attempting to make it illegal to carry a knife. They may have already. This tells the mugger or the crazed islamo-facist that the law abiding populous is gentled down enough to attack with absolute impunity.

"From my cold dead hands"

"An armed society is a polite society"

In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.

China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated

Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated' people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.

Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million.

It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars. The first year results are now in:

List of 7 items: Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)!

In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent. Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not, and criminals still possess their guns!

While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed.

There has also been a dramatic increase in break- ins and assaults of the ELDERLY. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in successfully ridding Australian society of guns. The Australian experience and the other historical facts above prove it.

You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear politicians disseminating this information. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the law-abiding citizens.

Take note my fellow Americans, before it's too late!

The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson.

With guns, we are 'citizens'.

Without them, we are 'subjects'.

During World War II the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!

Guilty?

I have been watching the circus that is Illinois politics for a while now. How can we not? With the very short career of our now president-elect Barack Obama thrown into our lives and the now world famous Gov Rod Blagojevich and the claims of corruption in his administration.

The Governor has also been accused of attempting to sell the vacated Senate seat of The Obama. The Obama has done an internal investigation and concluded absolutely that neither He or His consorts were involved. I'm hoping that if I'm ever charged with a crime that the law will allow me to investigate and clear myself.

Now I don't know much about the corruption charges, probably no more than any average politician does during his career, but I do know that the US Attorney has torpedoed his own case in regards to the appointment of the Senator.

Blagojevich has broken no law in that case!

When Atty Fitzgerald arrested him for shopping the seat he had done nothing except talk about it. His attorney is going to say he was joking. Then he'll ask haven't you ever "pulled a shuck" on somebody. Think "Candid Camera" or "Punk'd". That in my mind totally absolves him of that "crime". What I'm wondering about is, why did atty Fizgerald jump the gun? Was he instructed to? Threatened? I would like to know. I do know that any atty worth a dime would know that it would sink his case by going in before the crime was commited. That is what makes me believe that he was instructed how to proceed. What I can't figure out is the why.

I don't know if The Obama wants him kept in or thrown out.

OTR Truckin'

I began what was to be a lifetime affair with trucks when I was 19 years old. Oh, I went off and did this and did that for a while but, it seemed that I was destined to work in, on, or around trucks for the largest part of my life. It has been rewarding, damming and frustrating.

I worked as a stable boy at a place called Bar S Stables at Griffith Park in Burbank, Ca. I’m guessing the only reason I went to work there is, I met a girl and she hung out there. Occasionally an over the road trucker would bring horses from Oklahoma for sale or to renew the rentals that were the stables main business. After becoming fast friends with the driver, a Missourian named Delbert Gist, (RIP Deb!!!) my interest was piqued and my career began.

It was very hard to break into the industry in the late 60s, the age required to go over the road was and is 21 years old. I took my first job as a trucker when I was 19 with a company in San Dimas, Ca called Fox Hollow Horse Transportation hauling Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses up and down the coast of California, going to such places as Del Mar, Santa Anita, Bay Meadows, Golden Gate Fields and many more. After turning 21 I eventually began transporting horses throughout the entire North American Continent. I believe I have been to every racetrack of note in this country for sure, several in Canada and even two in Mexico. You have not lived until you have driven an eighteen wheeler through Juarez on a Saturday afternoon.

The lure of the road became too much and I wanted more freedom than I had with this company so I decided to find a company willing to hire a younker. It was hard I’ll tell ya, You have to keep in mind that when I started driving, the Interstate system was only about 50% complete, mostly around metro areas. Owners back then were sorta scared to let green drivers just take off with a truck & load.



I finally found a 2nd seat position with a company called Big Sky Trucking of Montana. Back during the Viet Nam conflict there were transport companies that were based in agriculture, a non regulated commodity. They were able to haul 70% regulated if they hauled 30% of farm commodities. A loose way of saying we were “hot ‘n heavy” haulers. I learned how to get around the US the way most would never realize. The many times, in fact almost always we would go from coast to coast without touching a state weigh station. It was more physically demanding back then because of the long hours and the routes we had to take. Hauling mostly for the Navy and Army I occasionally hauled the odd Sidewinder or loads of 500 pounders for the Air Force. If people only knew what they were sharing the American highways with back then.

When the war died down I began driving for various produce haulers. With my experience I was a great catch as a driver because of my ability to move illegal loads around. Not jail time illegal, just big dollar citation type illegal. Had my own truck for a while hauling produce for Frenchy’s Markets in Montreal, Ca. With my own truck came lots of payments so I cut wherever I could and hauled as heavy as I could. I ran with my pickup license plate for almost two years. I got caught in Illinois, it cost me $1200 for a year there. That was okay tough, it just meant I was legal. Had they taken me to the scales it would have cost me another $800 for overweight. You didn’t have to be smart to be a state cop in those days.


Since my scanner is broke I used some pics off the net. Similar but not the same as I drove.

continued....

Nukes

I have read with interest the letters of local and not so local persons condemning the use of nuclear power plants. We seem to have many "not in my backyard" wierdos here. They overlook the fact that we have one of the largest storage and shipping facility for nukes within 30 mi of here.

The outrageous use of water, can’t they reuse water? The expense, we have and do pay to subsidize the building of dams, big fans, & coal-fired plants now. Why not channel the subsidies into clean burning, reliable nuke power? The latest rant was someone railing against nuclear waste. Funny thing about that, we have several up & running plants in the UsofA and I have not heard of any problems. Europe runs on nuke power, again I have heard of no problems. Believe it, were there any problems the enviro-whackos would be parading in front of every plant in the world.

In 1986 the Chernobyl Power Plant #4 reactor exploded showing the world what could happen with no oversight, no restrictions, shabby building standards and socialist controls. Hmm, could this have been one of the first terror strikes? The world has since tightened standards and security and no incidents have been reported. All these plants are aging though, if they are not replaced, in 10 or 20 years we will undoubtedly be facing a new crisis.

The Chosen One, has said He will put the coal business out of business. Of course that means we will no longer have a plant serving our area and will have to rely on the big fans. We will have to have one in every spot there is a spot to be able to serve the area and of course with an Obama presidency the wind will blow gently forever more.

In an Obama presidency like the Clinton presidency the global warming issue will not be an issue, unless it’s to further His agenda. Those of us that read knew all along that it’s a bunch of hooey. If it wasn’t those who espouse it would alter their lifestyles instead of telling us that we have to alter ours.

As far as the waste issue, we will develope a plan, as I stated earlier they must have a pretty good plan now. We will keep on safely developing ways. As long as we don't just dump it in a landfill somewhere I'm thinkin' it is pretty much under control. Somebody just has to take a stand, slap the whackos down...hard, and say "get out of our way, let us do our jobs".

Bailouts

As we have now found out, the Trillion in giveaways did nothing for the people it was supposed to help. The criminals that we reinstall yearly in Washington just gave it to their already incredibly rich buddies. The bankers that got money just went out and bought more banks. There has been nothing done for the "poor" people it was supposed to help. How shocking!

Today we are going to bailout the United Auto Workers Union and by proxy the "Big Three" auto makers. Mostly it's a bailout so the union is not told to go find a real job. The end to protectionism? What a novel idea. They called them gangsters in the early days. Now they call them union leaders and politicians. They are expecting to be paid back for the ton of money they gave The Messiah for the election though. This will be a down payment. Contrary to what the whiners are saying, it is a bailout, it's not a loan. I can't think of anything more exciting than having to give money to a company for the privilege of buying it's product.

Watching the news, again I see that 41 states have their hand out for a bailout. They've been giving taxpayers money away as fast as they can rake it in and are so far in the red they don't know if they can keep their heads above water. Again the sky is falling, children are going to starve, and the fat welfare momma won't get her Big Screen TV. Of course, cutting giveaways will not work. They won't even stop giveaways to illegals, to their shame....and to ours for keeping them in control year after year.

I saw in the newspaper that one of the larger print media has gone bankrupt. Several of the existing ones, after years of mismanagement are also on their knees begging for the bailout cash. Nothing surprises me any more. The Exalted One will probably give them some of our money too. After all they lied for him and refused to print facts or even investigate his past.

Where will it end? That's a big question.