Is There No End To This?

I'm not a big believer in the ever changing terminology and rhetoric behind what is now known as "man-made, global climatic change". Don't get me wrong, I have no issue or problem with treating the earth with respect, recycling, and reducing pollutants, etc., but the attempt by so many to ladle guilt upon us for living our lives in a reasonable manner is completely out of control.

You see, I am old enough to remember the predictions offered in the 70's, where the south would be experiencing winters like that of the north. It hasn't happened. After a few hot summers and a period of ice melting in artic areas, a normal occurrence in cyclical patterns that has been offered by many recorded scientific studies, the "global warming" theory was born. Al Gore became it's champion and most notable spokesman.

A cycle where we experienced a couple of active hurricane seasons helped sell to many, that are on the cusp of a world crisis, and that totally revamping the way we lives, is the only way to save the planet. As warmer yearly temperatures gave way in the most recent few years to that of cooler averages, the terminology had to be amended again. "Climatic changes" emerged as a term that pretty much will cover future climatic cycle changes, heading off any need to counter naysayers.

And let's not forget that simply citing scientific data is enough to get people to react with panic. You have to make it appear as if it is all their fault because the earth is undergoing climatic shifts in the first place. So, cranking up the guilt machine, by citing our creature comforts and lifestyle examples has given life to terms such as "carbon footprints" and "made-made disasters". Some expect us to cower in shame if a cow passes wind in Nebraska, because we like to eat a steak a couple of times a month.

Hypocrisy is a forgotten word among those who work relentlessly to persuade me that I should live in a ten foot square room, with no electricity or running water, never burn fossil fuels under any circumstance, and only eat what grows in my front yard for sustenance. And while many of those who are trying to make me feel guilty for living in a modest single family home on several acres of land that I upkeep with farm equipment, and maintain a couple of cars for short travel throughout the year, I read of stories like that of Al Gore, who has a home not too far from where I live, that uses more electricity in one year than I have used in the past two decades. I haven't hopped on a plane in the past forty years. He hops one at least once a week, if not several times a week.

All one has to do, in order to make sense out of this global climatic change nonsense is to do a little reading, that will take all of one afternoon to accomplish a digestion of enough to clear up any doubt one has about the issue. When I did it, I arrived at a simple conclusion. All of the hype over the issue can be grounded in one simple principle. Those at the core of this are in it to profit from making us feel guilty for living a life of comfort.

The United Nations wants to take cash from those of us better off than others around the world in the form of taxes of fees, and Al Gore wants to inflate his investment portfolio. When you buy a pack of those florescent light bulbs and throw out your incandescent bulbs, you make Al Gore money. He's invested heavily in companies that are poised to profit immensely from the sales of products that he hawks. Now I don't have any particular problem with making sensible conversions to energy saving products, and did so a couple of years ago in my home, because they do save energy and on the cost of electricity to burn them. But when Al Gore heaps a guilt trip on me, I wince when I know that this man uses more energy in a month than I do in several years. From his several SUV's, his jet-setting lifestyle, and his expansive, energy wasting homes, I will not be made to take the man as a serious and practical spokesperson, who has any right or invitation to speak to me about my "carbon footprints".

As to the United Nations, and their paid for studies that "prove" that we are killing the planet, considering the level of respect that they have always shown this country, it's not hard to see what their true motivation is either. It's no secret that they want to redistribute the wealth of the world equally, or perhaps it's just that they want to empty the wallets of Americans and give it to someone else for awhile, and of course, like all other organizations they would have to wet their beaks with a little off the top, for those at the top. In my humble opinion, they should have been kicked out of New York years ago. Let them heap judgment, and practice their extortion from someplace else for a change.

I'm all for raising the bar for all who live in this world, and I'll do what I can to contribute to that effort, but I no more buy into this nonsense that what little I have and what little I own, makes one iota of difference upon the weather around this planet, than I buy into the theory that if I buy a thousand lottery tickets tomorrow, that I will have a better chance of winning the jackpot.

I took an online "carbon footprint analysis" yesterday, which resulted in the opinion that if every person on this planet lived their life as I do, it would take "6 and a half earths" to sustain us all. Not that I am the least bit interested in what science is behind such an analysis, if any at all, I found it completely ludicrous and all I could do was laugh. It's plain to me that there are way too many folks that are spending too much time on what I consider to be the largest Ponzi scheme on the planet.

The nerve of some people...

Why Barack Obama Will Likely Win In November

I've read with great interest the events this past week surrounding Barack Obama's tour across various parts of the world, and the criticisms that have emanated from John McCain and other Republicans. Prior to Obama's decision to go on this international trip, enough could not be said in regard to the lack of the man's foreign affairs knowledge and or experience. McCain spent most of the week seeking microphones from where he offered daily barbs that were eagerly printed and quoted.

I'm sorry, but throughout the week of listening to and reading these quotes from a man who is supposed to be a presidential candidate, a war hero, and one who wants me to recognize him as a man of experience and with more leadership ability than the man he criticized on each leg of his international trek, his comments completely turned me off to him. They were dismissive and childish.

No one on earth can explain why Barack Obama has risen from obscurity to becoming one of the most influential people in such a short period of time, and why he has defied all odds to potentially become the leader of this nation, but the fact is he has defied those odds, and he at the very least, deserves recognition for the fact that he is a contender and that great numbers of people everywhere believe in him.

I have been a voting Republican for my entire adult life. As I sit here today, and for the first time in my life, I am sure that I will not be casting any votes in favor of any Republican this November. I know that I am not alone in my total contempt for the Republican Party at the moment, and the lack of a better candidate having emerged for nomination this November.

I find myself going against the grain and liking Barack Obama immensely, despite the fact that I don't agree with many of the political ideals he represents as a liberal Democrat. I am not hardly worried about any of the charges that he is inexperienced and unworthy for the job as President. The reason that I am not bothered by his brief resume, is because I deduced a long time ago that the person in charge of this nation hardly does it from a unilateral position, and is constantly advised by people who do have their finger on the pulse of this nation.

There are no training programs or lifelong achievement standards that prepare anyone for the job as President of the United States. We have had Presidents who were woefully uneducated, and those who were educated beyond their intelligence. We've had those who were level headed, and those who were hot heads. Some were meek, and some arrogant beyond any description.

Every time I read or hear someone attack Barack Obama, I find myself wanting to defend him. Despite his relatively vague background before he went political, he impresses me because his background today does not include years of political grooming and making all the right decisions that lead one to seek the office as President. For years after his education was completed, the man lived and worked on the south side of Chicago, working relentlessly to improve the lives of people that are so often ignored. He broke ranks with other leaders who align themselves with racial issues of yesterday, and has instead worked to incorporate and merge idealistic unity as a people, where others have depended on their successes as leaders by stressing racial differences, culture, and inequality, in order to keep irritation alive.

Without question, Barack Obama is an effective speaker. It's been quite some time since people have been energized and wanting to hear what someone running for President has to say. The man draws crowds. In Berlin, he drew a crowd of over 200,000. Amazing as that is of it's own accord, it certainly goes without saying that considering his current position in life as a United States Senator, and merely a U.S. Presidential candidate, it's not to be disregarded or dismissed. People do not gather in those kind of numbers to listen to empty words, and they sure don't do it in foreign countries to listen to a man who is not in any position to effect any differences upon their own lives.

So love the man or hate him, or to completely find it incredible that he is where he is at the moment, his message is getting through loud and clear. He is running for President of these United States, and he may well be our next President. He has ideas that people want to hear. He does have the ability to convey his ideas. People are listening to those ideas.

I love talk radio. I have been fans of many of those on the conservative side of things for years, and what I find myself enjoying more and more, is seeing the obvious discomfort and seat squirming that is going on these days by those who seem to find themselves unable to hide their obvious contempt for Barack Obama. I've found myself tuning in less to more than a couple of them, because it's become nothing less than a daily grind to listen to them attempt to sway opinions based on their own beliefs. Sean Hannity has become obsessed with Barack Obama to the point that I can't stand to listen to him any longer, whereas previously I found him to be the most fair when discussing issues and people of interest.

I suppose that the biggest reason that I find myself attracted to the proposition of voting for Barack Obama, is that whether it is perception or reality that he comes across as more adult than any other candidate that has been out there these past couple of years, and that he has deflected more criticism than probably any man alive, short of George Bush Junior, he seems to be made of Teflon. He's cool as a cucumber, but not cold. He is interviewing for the job as he runs for President, by acting Presidential. He's not afraid to address criticism when it gets out of hand, and it has many times, especially as the race continues to heat up and draws closer to a conclusion.

My hope is that whomever takes the top spot, be it Barack Obama or John McCain, that lessons will be learned by those in lesser political positions of power. We have now in Washington, two houses of elected officials who have been working for at least two years on everything but what the people want them to be working on. Political grandstanding has replaced representation. Pandering has replaced taking positions on issues and sticking to them. Hearings on matters of little concern to the masses have replaced rolling up their sleeves and getting to work on forming policies that will address the needs that this nation will have to face in the future, much less what is affecting our lives at the moment.

So forgive me as a voter if I am hooked on the prospect of "Change I Can Believe In". It's sure hard to believe much coming out of the mouths of those who align themselves with the Republican Party, and from those with years of political experience and tenure.

I'm fed up, tired of being lied to, and tired of the arrogance of those elected to represent the people of this nation, especially those who only represent people who pony up the dough to get an ear turned their way. I'm tired of a tax system that continuously is used as a political football, and manipulated to garner votes. I'm sick of the secrecy surrounding our Government, the games played with our people's lives to influence international policy.

Barack Obama represents all that those currently in power are not, and that may well be the biggest reason of all that he may well be our next President.

Imagine the seat squirming that will occur if he actually succeeds.

The Passing Of A Forgotten Hero

On May 12th of this year, a little known woman passed away of pneumonia at 98 years of age. Most people have never heard of her. She lived in Warsaw, Poland. A Los Angeles Times obituary described her as a "social worker" and that during world war II, she passed herself off as a nurse to gain access to the Warsaw Ghetto, in order to sneak in supplies and aid to children that were imprisoned there by the Germans.

When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Irene Sendlerowa was indeed a social worker, and as such, she was not allowed access to the ghetto. However, medical workers were allowed in, and so she obtained fake credentials, knowing that people needed help inside those walls, and she was then allowed in with clothing, medicine, and food.

By 1942, it was clear that the intentions of the Germans were to kill all of the Jewish people that were being held in captivity. Irene created an organization and recruited other women, in defiance of the Nazi's, and began formulating plans to save the lives of those that could be saved without detection. She and her friends began smuggling infants and small children out those gates in boxes, suitcases, sacks, and even in coffins. Babies were sedated to prevent any cries from being heard by the guards.

Through the help of a nearby Roman Catholic Church, the children were placed in as many homes as possible, and the rest were sent to orphanages. Their names were changed to protect them. Irene kept track of their true identities in the slim chance that they might be reunited with their parents in the future.

In 1943, Irene was caught by the Nazi's, and was imprisoned herself, tortured relentlessly for information to the whereabouts and identities of the other women, as well as the location of children who had been relocated. She refused to give them any information. She lived through line-ups where every other woman in the line was shot and killed, and torture that included the breaking of the bones in her feet and legs.

The organization was able to bribe a Gestapo guard with enough money to effect her own escape. Still she aided those who could get in and get out with more children. Adults were saved as well through the bribing process, and in fact she married one of them. In all, there were an estimated 3,000 Polish Jews saved from the clutches of the Nazi regime. She was unable to reunite most of the children with parents, because most of the parents were gassed. Not much is known of her life following the war, but she lived a quiet life, and raised children of her own.

It has been circulating the globe that Irene Sendlerowa had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize awarded in 2007. Those nominated are not divulged to the public for fifty years after the prize is awarded, but there is enough information to suggest that she was more than likely a nominee. The International Federation Of Social Workers had issued a statement expressing their deep disappointment that she was not recognized this past year after the award had been announced.

You see, the Peace Prize last year, was awarded jointly to the Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change, and to Former Vice President Al Gore, for their efforts in dispensing knowledge about man-made climate change.

Irene went to her grave without formal recognition to the sacrifices she made many years ago to save lives of those destined for death at a time of war. Being the person she was, she probably wanted no formal recognition for what she did. Those of us that believe, know that she was welcomed by the man upstairs with open arms for what she did, and she more than likely had opportunity to see again and again, those she saved from harm.

Some have hailed her as a hero, and others as a Saint. On her 95th birthday, according to a BBC article, she was quoted as saying "Let me stress most emphatically that we who were rescuing children are not some kind of heroes. Indeed that term irritates me greatly. The opposite is true. I continue to have pangs of conscience that I did so little".

Al Gore won his Peace Prize for hosting a documentary depicting science that is still deeply contested, and endorsed by those with questionable motivations. Irene Sendlerowa's motivations were clear as a bell, and her achievements and motivations are without question and were pure.

I know that I would have trouble priding myself in holding an award that would have been better placed in the hands of someone as selfless as Irene Sendlerowa. May God rest her soul for all eternity.

What is wrong with people?

Over the past couple of days, I had to undertake the unpleasant task of correcting misinformation that seems to be running rampant regarding the First Lady of the United States in a newsgroup forum. It seems that for some reason, there are those who seem bent on spreading false and misleading information about the accident she had in 1963, at the young age of 17, that involved the death of a classmate.

Okay, I get it - there are those that would hate the Bush family no matter what. But what happened to manners in this country, and why make up lies to attempt to sway the opinions of others? And what has Laura Bush done to anyone? I find her to be one of the nicest women to have ever held the position as First Lady.

The details surrounding what happened that fateful night near Midland, Texas were made public in the release of a two page police report written the night of November 6, 1963. This report was released to the public more than eight years ago, to quell some of the rumors that were floating around at the time. It seems that some people have been either too lazy, or they have no interest in learning the truth. The lies being spread are more interesting I suppose. And of course, if you hate the Bush family, the lies make them seem all the more villainous, and thus worthy of condemnation.

The accusations being offered are that "Laura Bush was driving drunk, and the Bush family persuaded authorities to cover up the crime." Many have used this totally contrived scenario in debates to counter what is commonly referred to as the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident, involving Democrat Senator Ted Kennedy, and questions that have never been settled about the controversial actions that Kennedy took during and after the accident, which resulted in the suspicious death Mary Jo Kopechne.

The fact of the matter is that Laura Welch, the daughter of a middle class Texas family, fourteen years before she even met George W. Bush, was driving on a rural Texas highway with a female classmate in the right front passenger seat, and failed to stop at an intersection that was marked with a stop sign.

Entering that same intersection, with all due right-of-way, was another male classmate who was alone in his car, and Miss Welch's car slammed into the left side of the boy's car. According to the report, the boy's father was following his son in another car, and unfortunately witnessed the horror of seeing his son thrown from his car, and killed instantly because his neck was broken when he landed on the pavement.

Other details include that there was no evidence that anyone in either vehicle had been consuming alcohol, and that there were no charges placed against Miss Welch as a result of the accident. Speculation by the police was that Miss Welch was traveling at a legal speed, may have been talking to her passenger and was thus distracted, and simply failed to see the stop sign.

Rumors floating around recently are that she meant to kill the boy, because they had recently broken up as boyfriend and girlfriend. Where do people get this stuff from?

Mrs. Bush has always found it very difficult to speak of the events of that night, which in my opinion is understandable for anyone with a conscience, but in a rare conversation she had with the author of the biography written about George and Laura Bush, she stated that at the hospital, where she and her passenger were taken after the crash, she learned that the driver of the other vehicle had died at the scene. Some days later, her parents informed her who it was that was driving it. It was stated that she was completely shattered to learn it was a boy whom she was very close to.

Laura Bush is a good and decent woman, and she most certainly does not deserve to be trashed by people with an anti-Bush agenda. A lie told often enough will eventually be believed. In this case, the lies told have been more than believed, and it's a shame and disgrace. It takes so little to confirm the truth, as I did when I first heard the first reference to the accident.

She should not have to pay for the sins, as some would call them, of her husband and his family. While I personally consider the man to have been effective as President, I don't agree with all that he has done, and I find myself to be very easily irritated when he speaks. Despite that, his wife is a gem, and I know that he has had to hold her hand many times over the years, when the demons of that night haunt her memory. I have no doubt that if it could be done, she would like to go back and relive those seconds to change what happened.

She made a mistake that resulted in the maximum harm that can come to someone. That does not make her a criminal, or guilty of anything but being what we all are.

It makes her human.

An Introduction

I've spent many years now pounding the pavement as an over-the-road truck driver. Over those years, I have traveled into all of the lower 48 states, some repeatedly and many times, in the course of delivering the goods that people have come to take for granted that will be on the shelves and showrooms when they go to buy them.

For the most part, it's a thankless job, but what else is new? Many people find their jobs to be thankless...right? But overall, it's a job that has agreed with me for all this time, and the position I currently hold with a company that I truly enjoy working for, is one that I wish I had found years ago. But then, I am a person who feels that life is an adventure, and you have to go from one place to another to find your niche' in life. In other words, I might not be as happy as I am, had I not crawled to get to where I can run.

The money made as a driver is not what it used to be, but one can still make a fine living as a driver, if you are careful to choose the right company to work for. I'm all about safety, and driving within the law at all times, and so the company I work for today fits like a glove because that is what they are all about as well. I like to go to sleep every night, knowing that I have done my level best to be mindful and considerate of the general public, and to demonstrate that through my driving habits. I consider myself a very safe driver, and I am one of many out there that represent the trucking industry well, and at the same time, I am aware like many, that there are far too many out there that do not represent us so well.

Life as a driver is not the healthiest of environments, because you do sit most of the time, you eat bad food a great deal of the time, because you can't always park where the good stuff to eat can be found. Still, I have a list of places I try to hit in the course of my work week, as these days I tend to run a very regular route. Truck stops are not all bad, but fast food has replaced home cooking in many of the chains that dominate the field.

The positives of driving a truck for a living include such things as not having someone looking over your shoulder all the time during the course of your work day, the advantage of being paid to travel across the country, a view from your office window that more often than not, cannot be beat, and of course you can take a nap if you get sleepy during the day. The negatives include having to deal with traffic and congestion at times, dealing with people who are not so happy doing their jobs, delays at times where you pickup and deliver loads, a system of compensation that is based on production, and let's not forget that the job involves a great deal of time away from family and friends.

Despite the many complaints that people have in regard to truckers and the trucks that they drive, that seem to be in their way all the time, I still find that most people are interested to learn a little about the job, when I offer that this is what I do for a living. I find it necessary at times to make sure that people know that I am not one of those drivers that seem to incite an obvious negative reaction from a few people that do have a negative view of truckers.

You see, I have a theory about the trucking industry and about many of the people that find their way into doing the job for a living. You have those who love it, and wouldn't be happy doing anything else for a living. You have those that tolerate it, because they cannot make a better living doing something else. And you have those who are only here because they do not fit into society, and trucking is about all they can find in life to provide them a means to make a living. At least they can eat, and they have a roof over their head when it rains, but are not very motivated individuals otherwise.

I have gravitated from being one that loves it, to one that tolerates it, but I am back to loving the job, mainly due to finding a company to work for that treats me well, pays me well, and respects me as part of their team. Those companies are very hard to find, and when you do find them, you sure learn to appreciate them. I've been where I am now for going on three years. By industry standards, where drivers hop from company to company in the quest to find the right job, my staying where I have for this amount of time is quite remarkable.

I came to the company I presently work for after many years of owning my own trucks, including having ownership in two companies of my own. It was an easy transition to make, as the worries and the costs of owning trucks have contributed to the white color of what hair I have left on my head.

If anyone is considering a career as a truck driver, I urge them to consider the change very carefully, to do the research necessary to make informed decisions, and to understand that not all trucking companies are alike. Dishonesty runs rampant in this industry, and making the wrong choices can be very costly, frustrating, and can set you backwards for months at a time.

It can be a rewarding career, if you put the time into seeking the best job that comes closest to fitting your lifestyle, needs, and desires.