Ice Road Truckers....

      I saw the promotional announcements for the TV
series 'Ice Road Truckers' and it got me to thinking
about the industry that I retired from in 2009. The 
trucking industry is responsible for everything in
your home at this exact moment. From furniture, 
appliances, lawn equipment, plumbing, to the 
groceries in the pantry,..a truck brought it to the
store where you purchased it. I did my share of
general merchandise hauling all over the country,
but when I got the chance to drive for Wal-Mart
I jumped at the opportunity.  I joined the WM
Private Fleet in 1997 and retired in 2009.
Now to the ice storm part of this story..  When the 
TV weather guy calls for an impending storm, you
can bet the customers will clean out the shelves of
essentials. It is up to the distribution center to refill
those empty shelves, and more importantly, the WM
driver to get the merchandise and food to the stores.
Wal-Mart is annually rated the safest fleet of trucks
in the country...and the most dependable. Even with 
ice and snow on the highways and roads, it is rare
when the load does not arrive at the store on time.
The stores usually clean the loading dock area after
the rest of the parking lot has been cleared of snow
and ice. This becomes another problem for the drivers
to contend with, and usually it comes down to an
argument with store management before the dock area
gets attention. A loaded truck is easier to handle in
snow conditions than an empty truck as the weight 
works to give the truck more traction. The loaded
trailer is easier to put against the loading dock as the
driver can just let the truck slowly idle down into the
pit. Without any weight on the drive axles it is a lot
harder to pull the empty trailer away from the dock.
The safe course of action would be to just park the
truck but when a store is in dire need of re-supplying
the load must go through.

Will Rick Run for Prez ??

     With the field of Republican candidates already 

depleted of anyone with a real shot at defeating President
Obama, conservatives have turned their eyes to the 
State of Texas once again. Texas Governor Rick Perry
is seen as a candidate that can bring conservatives and
middle of the road Republicans together in an effort to
make Barack Obama another one-term President.
   Perry has already stirred the emotions of the Democrats
by saying 'he is considering a run for President.' The 
Liberals know their chances of winning against the 
current field of candidates is extremely good and they 
want to keep it that way. Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, 
Sarah Palin, and the others are just re-cycled candidates
from the past with a lot of baggage. The liberals are 
already trying to label Perry as 'another George W. Bush.'
Perry spoke to a conservative group in New Orleans this
past weekend and left them standing and cheering. Perry
is definitely a more staunch conservative than George W.
Bush ever was. The economic downturn that has other 
states on the brink of bankruptcy has not even touched
Texas. Under Perry's guidance, Texas has accumulated a
treasury in the millions of dollars. The schools in Texas
have created a crisis by becoming totally depended on funds from the state. An educational system that wants more and more money each year, while turning out students that can't read or do simple math will not work. Now the teachers (read
that Educators) want to make the State of Texas the heavy by proclaiming, 'Texas is withholding funds from the school system.' The American Education Association (teachers union) has already endorsed Barack Obama for reelection and they don't even know who his opponent will be. IF,...Rick Perry becomes President...his first course of action should be...the elimination of the Department of Education,... the
Environmental Protection Agency,...and the Department of Human Resources. Let the independent State Governments
guide their own futures instead of having the Federal Government mandate what is good for them. With a blanket decree over the entire country, it cannot possible be right for fifty different states. Maybe Rick Perry IS the man for the moment in time. 

Bikers Pitch In

      Most of the time when someone thinks 
about bikers it is with a negative thought. This
past weekend Texoma Harley-Davidson hosted
another of its monthly shindigs with lots of 
activities. There was a cookout with hot dogs and
chicken wings, a tattoo artist was there to apply
some ink, a live band provided the entertainment,
and some tune-up specialist were on hand to do a
dyno-tune to your bike...BUT also present on the 
parking lot was the Bloodmobile of the Red Cross.
At first thought you might think they were wasting
their time, but think again. Officials with the Red
Cross were extremely pleased with their efforts on 
Saturday. They reported 36 pints of blood were 
donated by the 'black leather bunch.' Bikers are a
different breed...Get on the wrong side and you might
have to put up your dukes to prevent bloodshed, but
most bikers are patriotic, faithful, and sharing. Whenever
a biker breaks down on the road usually it will be another
bike that stops to offer assistance. While the 'Hells Angels'
and 'Bandito's' grab the headlines of the media, it is usually
the everyday rider that has to suffer the consequences. I
guess what I am trying to say is, 'Bikers are good people.'
Just ask the 'Toys For Tots' people,...or the 'American Cancer Society'...or any local 'Womens Shelter'....or in Saturday's
case,.. the 'American Red Cross.'   

Improving the Dallas Mavericks??

   The Dallas Mavericks are in an envious position
as they prepare for the college draft on Thursday.
The Mavericks are fresh from last weekends win
over the Miami Heat for the Championship of the
National Basketball Association. Their current team
will most likely remain the same for next season, so
that will allow Dallas to season the Thursday selection
for a year or two. When it comes to drafting college 
talent for the professional game the Mavs do not have
the best of credentials, judging from past performances.
They are the current champs, but the future starts on 
Thursday and as Satchel Page once said, 'Never look 
back, someone could be gaining on you.'
  Here is a re-cap of the first-round selections of the 
Dallas Mavericks since they came into being in 1980.

             Dallas Mavericks Draft Day History

1980- Kiki Vandeweghe of U.C.L.A.- Refused to play in Dallas and was traded to Denver.
1981- Mark Aguirre of DePaul & Rolando Blackmon of
      Kansas State.
1982- Bill Garnett of Wyoming- Played two years & traded.
1983- Dale Ellis of Tennessee & Derek Harper of Illinois.
1984- Sam Perkins of North Carolina & Terence Stansbury of
     Temple.
 1985- Detlef Schrempf of Washington, Bill Wennington of        St.John's, & Uwe Blab of Indiana.
 1986- Roy Tarpley of Michigan- played 6 years & banned for 
       drug abuses.
1987- Jim Farmer of Alabama- played one year & released.
1988- Traded away first round pick.
1989- Randy White of Louisiana- played 5 years.
1990- Traded away first round pick.
1991- Doug Smith of Missouri- played 4 years and drafted by
        Toronto in expansion draft.
1992- Jim Jackson of Ohio State- played 4 years and traded 
        to Nets in nine player swap.
1993- Jamal Mashburn of Kentucky- played 3 years.
1994- Jason Kidd of California & Tony Dumas of Missouri-KC
1995- Cherokee Parks of Duke & Loren Meyer of Iowa State.
1996-Samaki Walker of Louisville- played 3 years.
1997- Kelvin Cato of Iowa State- traded on draft night.
1998- Robert Traylor of Michigan- traded to Milwaukee for rights to Dirk Nowitski.
1999- Leon Smith of MLK High School in Chicago- never played for Dallas.
2000- Etan Thomas of Syracuse- never played for Dallas/sent to Washington in 8 player trade.
2001- Traded First Round Pick.
2002- Traded First Round Pick.
2003- Josh Howard of Wake Forest.
2004- Traded First Round Pick.
2005- Traded First Round Pick.
2006- Maurice Ager of Michigan State- played 2 years and traded to NY Nets for Jason Kidd.
2007- Traded First Round Pick.
2008- Traded First Round Pick.
2009- Byron Mullens- Oklahoma State- traded to OKC on 
      draft night.
2010- Traded First Round Pick.  

    The Dallas Mavericks used their first round pick to select Jordan Hamilton of the University of Texas,...BUT then traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers. Dallas will receive two players in the deal. Rudy Fernandez, a shooting guard that will provide immediate help for Dallas, and Petteri Koponen, who is currently playing in Italy. Fernandez was a key player in the playoffs before the Blazers fell to the Mavericks. He is expected to fill the gap left by DeShawn Stevenson and Peja Stojakov, both are not expected to be re-signed by Dallas.

NASCAR 2012 Hall of Fame Inductees Named

      The NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North
Carolina has announced the lastest names to be 
inducted into the Hall as the Class of 2012. Leading
the list of five candidates is legendary tough guy 
Cale Yarborough. Nobody got more out of their car
than Cale. He along with Allison brothers Bobby & Donnie 
are credited with bringing NASCAR to the 
public eye. In 1979 CBS Sports televised the Dayton 500
Race live for the first time. On the last lap Donnie &
Cale spun out after fighting for the lead of the race.
Richard Petty won the race but cameras spotted Donnie 
& Cale fighting on the backstretch after the race. Bobby
pulled over his car to assist his brother and all three were
soon going at it. Yarborough was the first driver to win three consecutive championships, doing so in 1976, 1977, & 1978.
  Darrell Waltrip was snubbed by the Hall of Fame last year but was named on 82% of the votes this year. He is a three-time NASCAR Champion and won 84 races as a driver. He is currently a broadcaster of the races for Fox Sports and the Speed Channel.
  Dale Inman was the crew chief for the majority of cousin
Richard Petty's 200 victories at the Cup level. Inman was a part of seven NASCAR Championships with Petty and one more with Terry LaBonte. 
  Glen Wood was one of the founding fathers of NASCAR. He, along with his brothers & cousins, made up the famous Wood Brothers Racing Team from Virginia. Glen started out as a driver, winning four races in a 62 race career before turning the driving over to others. Trevor Bayne won the 2011 Daytona 500 Race at the wheel of a Wood Brothers Ford.

  Richie Evans is a veteran racer from the modified division of NASCAR and he has won the Championship on nine occasions in this division.
  The induction ceremony for this latest class of enshrinees
has been set for January 20, 2012.

Dallas Mavericks....NBA Champs at last

   I have held up posting any comments on this subject for fear of jinxing the team,...but now it is finally here. The Dallas Mavericks are the Champions of the National Basketball Association for the first time. Dallas took the Championship Finals from the Miami Heat four games to two. Game six finished 105-95 and that was the largest margin of victory in any of the six games. The Heat were the darlings of the media with their high-dollar superstars of LeBron James, Dewayne Wade, and Chris Bosh...When they signed with Miami last year all of South Florida was talking about the dynasty coming to the team.

  Dallas and Miami faced each other in the 2006 Finals of the NBA season, and although Dallas won the first two games, the Heat came back to win four in a row to take the title. Only two players remain on the Dallas roster from that 2006 season and both were instrumental in this current campaign. Jason Terry poured in 27 points in game six, and every one of his baskets was like a dagger sinking into the chest of Miami. Dirk Nowitski was the unanimous Most-Valuable-Player in the Finals, and proved to be the greatest foreign-born player to ever play in the NBA. German-born Nowitski has always been called an All-Star in the NBA, but has been saddled with the title  'choker' when it came to the playoffs. 2010-2011 would prove to be a new Dallas Mavericks team. Team owner Mark Cuban coughed up the big bucks in bringing talented players to help Nowitski. Tyson Chandler and Shawn Marion meant the opponents could not overpower Dirk in the paint. Brendan Haywood had to miss the Finals with an injury, but he too was a key player this season. Jason Kidd, now in his 17th NBA season, started his career in Dallas and returned to finally win his first championship. Game six was really a story of bench play. Miami got very little help from the bench while Dallas' support players rose to the occasion. Brian Cardinal played great physical defense, and DeShawn Stevenson brought the high flying James back to earth with his defense. Miami is still looking for a way to stop J.J. Barea from getting to the rim.

  It was a classy moment after the game when current Mavs owner Mark Cuban allowed the first Mavs owner, Donald Carter, to accept the Championship Trophy from NBA Commissioner David Stern. The most memorable post-game moment for me was the close-up shot of Dirk Nowitski hugging Jason Terry. You could almost see the heavy burden being lifted from the shoulders of these great players. The bad memories of 2006 could now finally be put to rest...and best of all.. Now Miami has to live with memories of 'what could have been.'

Good Job Sully

       This week marked the end of Katie Couric's career as the anchor of the CBS Evening News....but the network also made an announcement you may have missed. Captain Chesley Sullenberger has become a contributing reporter for CBS News. Sullenberger emerged on the national stage on January 15, 2009 when his U.S. Airways jet was struck by geese upon take off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Sully calmly landed the jet liner in the Hudson River without so much as a scratch on any of the 155 passengers. Sullenberger is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a native of Denison, Texas. He holds two Masters Degrees and will be a valuable addition to the news when it comes to matters of airline safety and problems..