Saturday, October 30, 2010

I Tried To Warn Y'all

That's right, the Army Men are at it again. You just never know when they'll break out and start something. Since it's their nature, one must be prepared. I thought this time I'd let 'em go for a while and see what happened.

Let's meet the playas:


From left to right:

First is the gung ho leader. "C'mon," he says, exhorting his troops to battle. Let's hope he has some sort of communications device as well.

Second is the "I'm here cuz I gotta be - got my rifle, but I'd rather have some coffee and some warm food" guy. Can't blame him.

Third is the "I think I saw something and I'm getting ready to shoot at it" guy. Was a Boy Scout as a teenager - always prepared.

Fourth is the "I'm lining up a shot right now" guy - he's gonna snap off a shot for sure.

Fifth is the "I'm lining up a shot right now, too, but this is a more stable shooting platform. I like to hit what I'm aiming at" guy. He grew up hunting, and if he could go prone he'd be on the ground.

Sixth is the "I've got a bazooka and someone is gonna get it" guy. Very important man to have on your squad.


The field of honor - we can see all the combatants and their initial strategies.


Of course these are Our Good Green American Guys - flying the flag and ever so proud, arrayed like they're playing electric football or something. They are ready to take on all comers and defend our way of life. Our heros.


Well, I think we all know who these guys are. They are letting their ideology cloud their strategy, I think. Of course, they are Nazis. WWII Nazis. Bad Nazis should know they lost once already, but Army Men Nazis never learn.

Of course, we've seen the armies at rest, apparently awaiting the outcome of peace talks. Maybe they'll just pack their stuff and go home.


Check out the rocket launcher in the Nazi utility vehicle.


Oh my, sneak attack! The bastards! Well, that did it. This means war.


Oh man, the tanks cut loose. Things could go either way, our jeeps only have spotlights and not rockets like the Nazis had. This could get ugly.

But wait, spotlights? And even though the two point leader guys got rubbed out, there were others in the formation. One of them has called in air support.


What? Just because the Nazis are WWII vintage doesn't mean Our American Good Guys in Green can't avail themselves with modern technology! Au contraire mon frere! Lessee how those dastardly Nazis like a little State of the Art American stealth high tech knowledge right up their tailpipes! Hah! Bet those Nazis didn't see that one coming! Nuttin' like a little F117 smackdown to ruin their day!


Well, its a sad time for Our Green Guys - they lost some valuable and well loved members of their unit today thanks to the perfidy of those nasty ol' fascists, who all perished in agonizing pain. Justice was served, after all. So, hoist one for Our Guys when you get the chance - they just saved us all again.

Oh, and I need to mention: the idea of blogging about Army Men was inspired by Laura and her dinosaurs. Cuz dinosaurs are awesome.

Friday, October 29, 2010

It's Time Again

To play "Guess what skyline." As usual, since I'm piloting a large vehicle in traffic, the pictures are less than optimal.....


This would be the eastern part of the metroplex - there are actually two cities adjoined here - on an east-west axis.



This would be the western "half." Both pics are looking west. It had been a while since I'd been on this particular interstate, but they've added flexible HOV lanes. Wish I'd got pictures of the jointed jersey barriers and the machines that move them from lane to lane - but I wasn't aware of what I was seeing until googling on Algore's innertubes gave me the answer. So, that's a hint about where these were taken.


You'll definitely have to click for larger to see the dinosaur on the hill - this is just south of Canadian, TX on US 83.


Then, we have several stunt planes being washed and prepped for the day (at an airport that needed a new avgas storage tank). Oh, wait, these are ag air applicators. Same difference. Have you ever seen these guys fly?

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Halloween Classic

I speak of course, of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. An iconic Halloween fixture since 1966, it never fails to make me smile. From Lucy's pulling back the football at the last second Charlie Brown is attempting to punt, as well as the whole idea of a Great Pumpkin, who in the words of Linus: "On Halloween night, the Great Pumpkin rises from his pumpkin patch and flies through the air with his bag of toys to all the children."

Of course, Snoopy plays a major role. There is a vignette with him as Joe Cool, but this was always my fave:


link

So, next time you are hoisting a frosty mug of root beer at your local flying ace hangout, remember the dedicated WWI pilots and their sacrifices fighting the Red Baron!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Classmates.com are Spammers

I signed up some time ago with this organization, but I never paid into it. Now, after Facebook - why should I? What is the purpose of this company?

So, I went to their site some time ago and used their link to remove my email address from their promotional mailings. Guess what? Still getting them.

And all that after they said they'd quit. So, on a page that allows feedback I left this:
Since I have unsubscribed already and cannot use your link to unsubscribe from further emails since I'm not a member nor do I have an account I respectfully ask to not send me any more emails since that is what I requested. You are now spamming me. I have not requested this information. Stop. Stop. Stop.

We'll see.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Cold Much?


This is the proposed logo for the newly renovated Century II convention center in Wichita. I just know you'll be shocked to hear there is some controversy in the AirCapital about this design. Some of the more offended designers have evened started a website - CenturyII.0.com - to obtain samples of those who think they can do better.


As Dave Barry said "Shouldn't there be two of them?"

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Sunday Toons


Better be quiet about it, Sally. Good move.





"Inherit the Girth." Yep, that's me!



Oooooh, yeah. Count me in as well.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Express Lane

Joan of Argghh! has another thoughtful post up about the NPR/Juan Williams issue - where she is preaching to the choir as far as I'm concerned (AFAIC). But, she mentioned being in line behind someone in a ten items or less express checkout lane and the type of people who abuse that system. We all hate people like that, and I know I've often wished for the checker to intervene.

But, I have had that happen. Specifically, to me.

Back in the day, I used to smoke. I'm talking about cigarettes - even though I did smoke the left handed variety even further into the mists of time - you couldn't buy those at El Marto Del Wal. Regular garden variety cancer sticks - yes.

I'm sure you've all seen the tobacco "center" staffed by an associate with checkout duties at the local discount emporium. They staff an express lane and service smokers wishing to purchase the objects of their addictions. It used to be that one could purchase a carton of smokes at an adjacent line - the checker would fetch the desired product for you while you were purchasing your selections from the rest of the store. Well, at some point, that stopped. If you wanted cigs, you had to go through their line. OK, fine, I'll take my large wad of stuff over to that line, even though it's generally a fifteen or less line.

Which was OK for a period of time. I had to go through that line to get what I wanted to purchase - too bad if I happened to want to purchase more items than the "law" would allow. Or perhaps they'd rather I only purchased ten or fifteen items and went elsewhere for the rest of my groceries and other goodies?

But, one day, I was told I had too many items for that line. I said I was well aware of that, but since they didn't allow me to purchase cigarettes in any other line, they could sure check me out here. Nope, if I wanted cigarettes, I could go to another line, check out and come back, or just reduce my items for this line. New management decision. Nothing they could do. The checker manager confirmed this.

So, if I wanted cigarettes in WalMart - I had to buy my regular stuff in one line - waiting for ten or fifteen minutes in line, then take my now paid for cart to the cigarette express line, wait for another ten or so minutes just to get a carton of cigarettes. I told them that if their management couldn't keep enough checkers in place to service customers as they came, so I didn't have to wait for long periods of time, then they didn't need my cigarette business. Or, they could pay me or give me a discount for my time waiting, which for some reason didn't fly. I wasn't going to stand in two lines for a major portion of an hour just to get out with my purchases. There were actually cheaper places in town that sold the evil cancer sticks, even though it wasn't as convenient. So, I checked out at an adjacent line and left without any cigs.

It might have been more inconvenient, but I never did buy a single cigarette at a WalMart for the rest of my smoking career.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Wow, Lookit The Bales!


link

Another news report showed the authorities burning the pile - and I couldn't help myself - there was a time when being downwind would have been a dream come true.

All joking aside - the War On Drugs is doomed to failure as long as there are people like I used to be consuming the products available. No amount of property seizures or major drug busts are gonna stop the flow. We can argue about border security with the attendant issues of illegal immigration, the increasing power and boldness of the drug cartels, and possible smuggling of terrorists all we want, but until we control our urge to consume what they are smuggling - we are destined to have this albatross around our collective necks forever.

So what is the solution? I fear that like so many divisive issues there is no actual single solution. There is no black or white - only shades of gray. Clearly the path we are on isn't working. Prison sentences for minor drug offenses higher than violent crime? Something wrong there. Confiscating property right and left? Yeah, the LEOs like that - they get all sorts of tacticool urban warrior goodies just in case they need to go to war with the populace they are sworn to protect and serve. Yeah, that's not quite working so well either. Severe punitive measures sound good for a political sound bite (Vote for Me! I'm NOT soft on crime!).

Well, how about decriminalization? Or making certain drugs legal? After all, we allow alcohol - and pot isn't as "bad" as booze, right?

The moral equivalence argument really doesn't work because after all, booze is based on just one drug - alcohol. You can get the same effect from drinking just about any booze - it just might take more or less to achieve the same level of drunkenness. Drugs are decidedly different. Beer equals pot, but Everclear doesn't equal heroin or meth. Marijuana is a gateway drug - more often than not leading to harder abuses. Another argument I've heard is that natural selection would eventually win out - the drug abusers would kill themselves off and help clean up the gene pool. Yeah, like that's gonna happen in these days of entitlement programs run amok? "Free" health care? Who do you think the health care bureaucracy is gonna want to save - your grandma, who has lived a full life (not going be able to vote for much longer anyways, except in Chicago), or this poor, misunderstood self abusing youngster over here (who, when not stoned, votes)? Plus, this poor unfortunate can't afford their drugs. We'll have to make sure they get a "free" supply. It's a right, right? That's what America is all about, right? Compassion for our fellow citizens who are downtrodden? That's in the Constitution somewhere I'm sure (/snark). Cuz that's what America is all about. No, decriminalization or legalization of drugs would just shift our problems to other areas, not solving anything.

No, the problem is cultural. We will always have drug addicts and alcoholics. There will always be a percentage of people susceptible to addictions. But that doesn't mean our culture should glorify drug abuse - but it does. We can argue and obfuscate all we want, but our cultural problem is a lack of morals problem. The Christian in me cries out that everyone should get back to God - but that is something the government cannot do for us. However, the government does not need to attack Christian ideas, either. We do a lot of wondering what the Founding Fathers wanted. It's pretty clear they were quite the religious bunch. It was the idea that government might support one religion over another that had them fired up - not that government had to actively discourage the whole Christian religion. Christianity does happen to have several moral guidelines that help societies survive.

Does morality require a religion? I don't think so. Anecdotes don't equal evidence, but some of the most moral people I know are atheists. Can we force people to be moral? I think we all know the answer to that. It's voluntary, period. All we can do is try to fight immorality in whatever guise it is in and try to be good examples ourselves.

Until society as a whole sees it that way, we're screwed when it comes to any issue related to morality - which includes using drugs.

Run For Your Lives

truckjackknife

If someone yells "Run! Run for your Lives" suddenly, it might be best to do so immediately rather than argue or question them.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Been YouTubing Again

Sheesh. I'm definitely a child of the seventies and eighties. Here is some tunage by lesser known bands and singers from "back in the day." This selection is decidedly mellow, but it's also what I'd consider a sort of meat and potatoes representation of AOR rock back when dirt was new.


link


link


link


link

link


link

Sheesh. Geez, six of them? Yeah, I know - but most of them are quick downloads. If you do have the time, hope ya enjoy this little blast from the past. I did.....

Shocking Scenes of Damage

Last Wednesday, an earthquake measured at 4.7 on the Richter Scale rocked central Oklahoma. Reports of damage are now filtering in, as well as photographic evidence of same.

Beware, the picture is graphic and some may find it disturbing.




Sunday, October 17, 2010

Photos Of Past Moments

A good portion of the posts here are inspired by things from the ol' email inbox. Got a PowerPoint from my Nuckle Kim today that is pretty compelling - mostly because I'm trying to figure out who some of the players are. Did a little looking and there is a site that has it available for embedding, so I'm gonna give it a try:


link

I took it apart in Open Office's Impress just so to try to ID some of the photos.

1. Pretty sure that's Salvador Dali
2. Winston Churchill and unidentified
3. Pearl Harbor, Dec 7 1941
4. Don't know, Bobby and Jack
5. Queen Elizabeth
6. The famous VJ Day kiss
7. @ Kittyhawk
8. I wish I knew
9. Can't tell who is with the rocket engines
10. Bridget! From France!
11. Airliner interior - pretty luxurious
12. Good lookin' legs!
13. Fishing in some European city?
14. S. Joseph & Co??? Where???
15. It's a Shorpy photo - who knows what street in what city....
16. Bathing Beauties
17. Sure looks like a Slavic Communist suppression of some sort.
18. The Rebel Without a Cause
19. Lech Walesa's Nobel Peace Prize?
20. Unfortuately, got no idea
I'm gonna start skipping some here...
23. Louis Armstrong
25. Period photo of two young women on a scooter or is that someone?
28. Gotta be a Cord? With a single fin?
29. Jeff Bridges and Karen Black? At first I thought she might be Jane Fonda, but I don't think so.
30. LLAP
38. IIRC, the Taliban blew all this up.
39. Battleship Row
40. King Tut's excavation
48. Asian theater WWII - beyond that?
50. Mighty Mo VJ Day?
52. Kennedys at play
53. John-John saluting at his father's funeral
54. More from that day
56. Eisenhower with the troops before D-Day
58. I've no idea but love the shades
59. Frankie and Ava
60. No idea
61. No idea
63. Sophia?
64. Jackie and Jack
66. Arc de Triomphe
67. MM
68. No idea
71. No idea
73. Pablo Picasso
74. Humphrey Bogart's and Lauren Bacall's wedding cake
75. Lauren, Humphrey and Marilyn
77. Hitler greeting.....
78. This couple
79. Liz
80. Alfred and Tipi
81. Bothers me I don't know - I should
83. No clue
84. MLK
85. Nikita from the Evil Empire
86. The thorn in our side south of Miami
87. Someone? Dunno
89. Jack, Angelica and Ava
90. John and the Destroyer of the Beatles
91. I should know
92. Same here
93. Hmmmm....
94. Dunno
97. I'm sure she's Jackie O in this pic
98. Streisand to our left - none very happy...
99. Hero of the disaffected left, outright killer to the rest of us
100. Leni Riefenstahl
101. I'm not messin' with the guy in the middle
102. MM again

Guess I'm bored - but these pics were tantalizing to me because I don't know who everyone is, and I'm of the opinion that I should....

Okay, Already - I Get The Message!


It's not quite to this level - I'm not getting "sleeping with the fish" vibes, but it's a message just the same.

Since I live on a farm out in the middle of Nowhereville in FlyOver Country, encounters with wildlife are a way of life. Usually, it's pests like rattlers, skunks, or raccoons that harsh my mellow. Coyotes, while always present and a major factor in pet safety considerations, are rarely confrontational.

While I'm no Professor of Scatology - I do recognize coyote crap when I see it. I've got a couple of little piles about two feet from my bottom step from my front porch. One pile is far fresher than the other, so the coyote in question has taken it upon itself to dump in the same spot twice. Right in my path leaving the house. I could have taken a picture and posted it, but I thought I'd spare y'all that image....

Now, not being a student of coyote psychology, I don't know if this action is equatable to counting coup or just checking to see if the resident house cat might be free for lunch. But dropping a load in the same place twice? Right in my path?

Coincidence my ass.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Questions With No Answers

South of Omaha, NE/Council Bluffs, IA on I29 is a truck lot that is just plain HUGE.


Nice edge on view of my air freshener - plus because of road construction, southbound traffic is actually in the left northbound lane. I can assure you there are a vast number of tractor units over there.


I'm going so fast that light has warped. Heh. You can see that you can get any color you want, as long as it is red, white or blue.


This is Google Maps satellite view of the same lot - but I'd say it's full compared to when I drove by last week. What kind of trucks are in there?


Freightliners. Columbias to be precise. The average fleet manager's dream truck. None of us know if the trucks are new, used or both. We (as in my compadres and I) assume this is the main yard for some truck leasing outfit. Some say these are all trucks for or from Crete Carriers of Lincoln, NE, who encompass Hunt Transportation (flatbed) and Shaffer Trucking (reefers). Crete's and Hunt's trucks are primarily red, and Shaffer's are blue. I have on occasion seen a white Crete truck, and there are some mixing of divisions - you'll see a Crete truck pulling a Shaffer trailer and so on. Whether or not all these trucks at this location have anything to do with Crete is purely speculation on our part - since Crete is the 800 lb gorilla of trucks in that area, and they do run Columbias. Another case of theory and conjecture not really making it a proven fact!


And then I saw this at the Hook (Flying J) at Salina, KS. I've no idear what kind of chopper it is, other than it has that "Not Made in the US of A" look to it. The poor thing looked rather rode hard and put away wet, too. Perhaps some sort of EMS or rescue type bird? I dunno - don't know enough about that sort of thing to cast any knowledge on the subject. I just don't see choppers being trucked about every day. I've sure seen a bunch over the years, just not very often.

So, I present a couple of mysteries that have no solution from me!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Not Right


Willie Nelson - don't listen to him very much. So, for those of you who do, this is old old news. I'd never heard this song before until my bud Road Pig emailed the tune. It's cut number seventeen on Lost Highway, released in 2009. The link is a pop up window with a music player from Rhapsody.com, and the language and subject matter of the song are "adult" if you know what I mean and I think that you do.

I enjoyed it anyhow.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

A Rule of the Road

Occasionally, I'll catch some traffic stuck behind a slower vehicle on a two lane road. It's always seemed to me the first person in line behind the premier member of The Anti Destination League has first choice on passing - if it's clear, they should go first rather than having impatient followers try to jump their turn.

Jeffro's Rule In This Case is if the following vehicle turns down three or more clearly safe chances to pass, then they have forfeited their right to have the first turn. If they aren't even peeking around to look for several miles, that counts as forfeiture as well.

If it's clear enough for me to wind up the ol' big rig, and Joe Follower is too indecisive to make the big move, too bad. I'm going.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

For threecollie


Got any cows that have lost their minds, 3C???? threecollie is the proprietress of Northview Diary - a diary about a family dairy. Good stuff, and this cartoon made me think of her.

Three T-38 Jet Scultpture


This intriguing "sculpture" of three T-38 jet trainers is set at the airport at Owatonna, MN on the west side of I35, just south of a huge (is there any other kind?) Cabela's store. They are painted up in the A/F Thunderbird livery.

I can guarantee you it got my attention!

I Did Not Know That*


Prickly City honors Pat DiNizio - front man for the Smithereens - for his birthday today. I've always liked 'em, and this is my favorite tune of theirs:


link


*With apologies to Johnny Carson

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Steamed!


I, Plugger....

Friday I was loaded with three 210bbl 16'x6' fiberglass tanks headed for Evans, CO. As in sixteen feet wide. I had an escort, and we were on I70 west of Colby, KS. Single escorts run behind wide loads on four or more lanes. He hollered at me that I was really smoking. I looked in the mirrors, and sure enough, there was a rapidly growing cloud of white smoke issuing from the right side of the truck. As I slowed down, the smoke was pouring from under the hood, so everybody around knew it was serious. I threw on the flashers and pulled over as far as I could so the tanks didn't hang out in traffic - that meant I had to park over halfway into the ditch.

Before I even popped the hood, it was really obvious that the culprit was antifreeze - it was coating the whole right side of the truck from the firewall back. After raising the hood, it was very easy to find the culprit - a hose had split and coated the hot turbos with engine coolant.


What really irks me is that this hose is less than a year old. The old one was bellied out, so I replaced it and another hose on the upper end. This is a high dollar hose - not just your average black rubber one. They are known as "silicone" hoses, supposedly long life and able to stand extreme temperatures ever so much better than the black ones. They are also expensive - the two hoses cost close to two hundred bucks when I replaced 'em.

I was only a few miles from Colby, so I broke out the Droid and started searching for parts. Nobody in Colby had this exact hose. I'd boughtcharged (to the company) them at an International dealer - CAT didn't have them because they can't carry stuff like that for every brand of truck. Kenworth has a different setup for their hookups to their radiators, as well as Petes, Freightliners and so on. So, for an actual factory replacement hose - it would have to be IHC. Who have stores in Garden City and Dodge City, but were out. Overnight? Their system uses UPS Air - only delivering to their stores. Which close at noon Saturday. No FedEx to us direct or anything like that. I went ahead and ordered one ground freight - it will be in Tuesday.

One of our drivers happened by on his way home from Utah - he went to Colby and dropped his trailer, and bobtailed back out to my escort and I. We'd set up the required emergency triangles and I was continually on the phone. When my compadre (who is senior to me and more experienced) got there, he decided the first thing to do would be to get me off the interstate. We would cobble up a temporary repair with duct tape, refill the radiator (I had two gallons of premix antifreeze), dolly down my trailer, and get to the next exit about a mile away. He'd get under my trailer and take it to a point down the road to meet another of our haulers, who would take the load on to Evans - they were really wanting those three tanks. If the repair held, I'd go to a truck stop at Colby and wait on my compadre to get back.


We had to take the hose off to get a good wrap, which apparently we did. Plus, his roll of tape was some pretty sticky stuff. The radiator cap isn't one of the twist'n'lock on types - it screws in. In order to relieve pressure, we left it loose and taped it down so it wouldn't decide to unscrew itself in search of a new home. Hopefully, if for whatever reason the water temperature came up, any pressure would find it's way out the cap rather than the taped hose.

Meanwhile, I did have a generic hose or two available at Binder Central back in Garden. I never did try to find one in Colby. I gotta admit, I had very serious doubts that I'd make it to Colby. But, I did, and when my compadre got back, we finished filling the radiator with water, and pointed both rigs back to Garden City. Obviously, we made it. I switched the engine fan on manual as well - to help keep thing cool.


I had to trim the new hose on one end - it was about four or five inches too long. You can see that this hose hooks into a metal tube that also has a short hose by the radiator. Other truck manufacturers have different setups, and different parts.


I also got new hose clamps. The originals and these aren't just regular ol' screw into slots hose clamps - they are the "center pull" heavy duty style.



The regular style just don't stay tight enough for trucks - especially during big temperature swings. I get enough "cold water" leaks - where the continual heating and cooling breaks the seal of the hose to the metal, and the clamp has stretched a bit allowing a tiny bit of slack. Fall is a time of tightening hose clamps, even using the heavy duty style.

I also had to find some straight antifreeze, too. Most of the readily available stuff is pre-mixed 50/50 water/antifreeze. Since I'd added a couple of gallons of water, the freeze point had been raised. I put in three gallons of straight - which isn't all that easy to find. I'm also carrying an extra generic hose now, too. I've got the old upper 45 degree hose as a spare, too. I also carry extra belts and fuel filters - just in case.

I'm pretty sure this hose will last at least a week - in theory, it should last for several years. But, the high tech high dollar hose didn't last much more than six months, so there you go. I'm a little more equipped for that possibility now, though, so I'm not gonna worry about it.

Not too much - heh.

Irony Alert! Cleanup On Aisle Two!


The APWU has had to extend it's mail in election because too many members have requested duplicate ballots because.....- wait for it -
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
The ballots were lost in the mail.

I see William Burris, the heir apparent to Moe Biller (President of the APWU for life -cuz he's dead now), is still the head cheese.

Like the election would change anything anyway.

Friday, October 08, 2010

I'd Adopt Him


link

Just try to get a cat to do even one of the things this hound promises.

H/T Eddie

Thursday, October 07, 2010

Is The Pope Catholic?

Or does a bear shit in the woods - or perhaps it defecates prime numbers.......











From Dave Barry's blog

Enough Already


Mmmkay - Democrats have had control of Congress since 2006, and the Presidency since 2008. Yet it's all W's fault - with his evil minion Dick Cheney - the real power behind the incompetent and childish former President. Granted, that was one of Oliphant's recurring themes - that Bush couldn't survive without the killer adult leadership (owned by Big Oil) from Cheney.

I hasten to remind everyone that in 2003 W tried to reign in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which didn't set well with Barney Frank. You know, the guy who'd been sleeping with Herb Moses, an executive with Fannie Mae.

Yep, most ethical Congress evah! Not that the Republicans are any better - just that the "holier than thou" 'tude is getting under my skin.

But, according to Oliphant, it's all Bush's fault. Go figure.


While I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment expressed here - I fear what the Phelps family does will turn out to be "protected." Of course, just because they can doesn't mean they should. The God who guides me tells me to tone down hatred rather than incite it. Last I checked, He appreciated a more positive image from me rather than provoking revulsion in His name.

But, maybe that's just me.


Aaand, just because I find Family Circus stultifying and sickeningly saccharine sweet (I'm gonna be a hypocrite by not being tolerant of this treacle) - Yes. We all know Dolly is a simple chucklehead. Let's not broadcast it across the universe, mmmkay???? Plus, we know how thoughtful and selfless she is - her whole being has been summoned just to draw a hopelessly poor picture of - not one of her siblings, friends, parents or grandparents - just her. It's all about her. It's always about her.

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

When It's OK to Sleep With a Friend


link

Huh. Got sleeping on my mind. Could be the twelve plus hour days. This was too dern cute, though, so I had to share!

H/T Eddie

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Alarmingly Large Cow



This would be Salem Sue, the World's Largest Cow, found at the 127 exit on I94 west of Bismarck, ND. Actually she's a Holstein and she commemorates the local dairy industry.


This would be the view of Salem Sue at seventy five miles an hour westbound. That's her on the right edge of that hill. She really stands out for miles.


This would be the eastbound seventy five mph view, with the late afternoon light reflecting on the inside of my windshield.


Just as an aside - oh man the water is blue in northern Nebraska, South and North Dakota. I'm used to muddy brown at home and muddy red in Oklahoma. But up here? Heck, even the nasty slimy puddles are blue. Considering the white deposits seen when one of the swails dry out - I suspect the water is very hard and that is lime left behind. Sure is purty, though.

Monday, October 04, 2010

Le Chocolat Bits

I've been driving by two major centers of chocolaty goodness lately:




This is a Nestle plant at Anderson, IN - north of Indianapolis on I69. I understand they mostly produce drink products there.




This is a Russell Stover factory outlet, kitchen and manufacturing plant at Abilene, KS on I70. I used to buy my Mother one of their gift packages for her birthday - which was on Valentine's Day - one of the heart shaped ones.




Driving through the ground fog north of Lansing, MI on M127. It just seemed picturesque to me at the time.



Still trying to master just holding the new phone and taking a pic - a Michigan train in, well, gee - Michigan. These things just get my attention - they have to be exempt from the federal bridge laws because no further than the axles are from each other, they couldn't carry enough weight to make it pay, considering how heavy all those axles, tires, wheels, brakes and suspensions are.



A heavy hauler in Tribune, KS. He's empty and still requires an escort just to move off private property, mostly because the rig is way longer than seventy five feet, and also probably because if he isn't grossing over 80k lbs, I'd be surprised. I think that trailer spreads apart to hold a short and very heavy object - like a huge generator or something industrial. Behind him you can see a windmill generator tower section on it's truck and trailer. Those things are pretty decently sized and fairly long, but they don't hold a candle to this guy - and he's empty.

Welp, time to read my emails and catch up on everyone's blogs while halfway paying attention to the Monday Night Football game. Y'all take care out there!

Jinglebob: I happen to be in Selby SD tonight headed for Killdeer ND - but we aren't getting close to your stomping grounds because I90 west of Murdo is restricted to ten wides, and we're twelve. So, we have to run up to Bismarck and go across thataway. I've gotta get my stuff off and meet one of our guys coming up - he has one of our fuel trailers on that I'm gonna have to offload from him and take it to the customer in Aberdeen - so I'm just being stuck up and totally avoiding your area. ;-)

Sunday, October 03, 2010

Ack!

Today is the last day for the long running strip Cathy by Cathy Guisewite.


Yep, the noseless few fingered chick is pregnant with a girl.



The only toon to notice (that I can tell) is Liō. Bloom County's Opus and The Boondocks' Huey Freeman are riding off into an unfinished panel with Cathy - a nod to Calvin and Hobbes as they walked away into an unfinished panel - only with characters from other retired strips. Perhaps Calvin is driving? You can't see the driver of the convertible.

Cathy's pregnancy would certainly have been a gold mine for new material, but apparently Guisewite was suffering from burnout. Personally, I think Cathy jumped the shark a long time ago and was rarely relevant or funny for quite a while. At least Guisewite was still writing and drawing her strip rather than farming it out to others, or going to reruns. Even so, it's still kinda sad to see a cultural touchstone end.