Give Me Liberty

 

Flag Plaza at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey.

From this park, you'll have one of the best views of the skyline in Lower Manhattan, New York City.

See the Statue of Liberty there on the left?  She's very visible once you get to the path on the water's edge.

Cool place to hang out.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: Haulin' Paulin
2017: A Tree Sort Of Grows In Tucson
2016: And It Shows
2015: A Little Pizza Local Tastes
2014: The Longest Shortcut 
2013: The Only Way To Enjoy Texas
2012: Bleu Evolution
2011: They May Look Pretty, But They’re A Bitch
2010: Food, Family, Fun, And Poker Winnings
2009: Ring Of Moving Fire
2008: Everything Is Weathered In Weatherford
2007: Eddie The Professional Tourist Friday
2006: East Coast Tag
2005: Float And Set

So You're Saying Both Can Be True?

 

Man fishing in Secaucus, New Jersey.

"There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot,"

~ Steven Wright

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: In A Dream, I Saw A City Invincible
2017: Music For Meatballs
2016: Flashing Back To '79
2015: Pugly Curiosity
2014: Our Rear View Looks Fantastic
2013: An Oasis Of Tranquility
2012: Clouds Over The Whitestone
2011: Room And Board
2010: Filler And Fluff
2009: Ghost Town
2008: Second Only To Feet
2007: I’ve Been Everywhere Sunday
2006: Heading South With One Wayward Goose
2005: Red Texas Sunrise

In A Dream, I Saw A City Invicible

The motto of Camden, New Jersey is, "In a Dream, I Saw a City Invincible."

It's excerpted from American poet Walt Whitman's poem, I Dreamed In A Dream.

Walt Whitman spent the last years of his life in Camden, New Jersey. 

"Today the Walt Whitman House, a National Historic Landmark, provides an intimate glimpse into the life of the poet, attracting visitors from around the world. Whitman's original letters, personal belongings, the bed in which he died, and the death notice that was nailed to the front door have all been preserved, as well as a collection of rare nineteenth-century photographs, including the earliest known image of Whitman - an 1848 daguerreotype."


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2017: Music For Meatballs
2016: Flashing Back To '79
2015: Pugly Curiosity
2014: Our Rear View Looks Fantastic
2013: An Oasis Of Tranquility
2012: Clouds Over The Whitestone
2011: Room And Board
2010: Filler And Fluff
2009: Ghost Town
2008: Second Only To Feet
2007: I’ve Been Everywhere Sunday
2006: Heading South With One Wayward Goose
2005: Red Texas Sunrise

Ed And The Ladies

Ed hanging with the ladies at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey.

The story of John Seward Johnson Jr., the sculptor of the pieces found at this park and the heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, is an interesting one.  And this facility showcasing over 160 of his larger-than-life bronze sculptures, is definitely worth visiting. 

We didn't get to see everything the day we went because a snowstorm was coming in and we arrived late so it eventually got too dark to explore, but we'll be going back for sure.  


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2017: Descansos
2016: Please Come Back!
2015: Still Life
2014: Sunset Cycling
2013: Pit Stop At Home
2012: Adding A Few More Wheels To The Big Rig
2011: Again And Again And Again
2010: Hood Ornament
2009: Eddie Out Of Control Friday
2008: My Boyfriend Simon Is Back In Town
2007: A Little Taste Of Miami Beach
2006: Ooooohhhhhh, Jabra!
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

New Jersey Wonderland

 I know it's after Christmas, but since I was kinda busy getting married and entertaining, I totally forgot to post these pictures from this delightful surprise we came across in New Jersey.

We were driving from Bordentown to Princeton in New Jersey when I saw a side street with TONS of Christmas lights.

"Ed, Ed, Ed!  Wait....stop...lights!" I stammered. 

"What? Where?" Ed said.

"Turn around!  Go around the block!  Turn here!"  I started barking instructions and pointing.  I LOVE Christmas lights and I was certain this was a giant display.

Boy, was I right!  This place was AMAZING.  One of the best single house displays I've ever seen.  We realized when we turned down the block that this was something big, not just a guy who put up a lot of lights.  We easily got a parking spot on the street a few houses down and as we got closer, we saw people streaming in and heard Christmas music playing. 

I was in awe.  Every inch of his house and yard was covered in lights and Christmas-themed decor.  Animated figures, lights chasing lights, toy soldiers, candy canes, everything you can imagine.  He's got close to 2,000 pieces!

Bob Martel has been decorating his house on this block for over 29 years.  We met him and his family sitting in the driveway on our way out.  It was cold on this night and they were sitting around a fire pit.  He was with his wife, son, and another young girl.  The son lived around the corner in the same neighborhood and directed us to go see his house next, as he also got his dad's decorating bug (although his house wasn't as incredible).

Mr. Martel said it takes him two months to set up the lights and the yard.  He's even spilled into a willing neighbor's yard.  WeirdNJ.com did a piece on the house titled Martel's Christmas Wonderland.  

If you happen to be in the area, it's definitely worth a drive-by.  You can find it here:

Martel's Christmas House
21 Phillips Ave,
Hamilton Township, NJ 08610


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2017: A Resting View
2016: Harmoniously Incorporated
2015: Buy Sandwiches
2014: A Room With A View
2013: Is The Coast Clear Yet?
2012: Why So Angry, Birds?
2011: One Hand In The Air For The Empire State
2010: Hitching A Ride From The Frying Pan Into The Fire
2009: Don’t Look At Me Like That. No, Really. Don’t. You’re Making Me Melt.
2008: A Mid-Winter Pick Me Up
2007: I Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You
2006: How To Get Rid Of Your Girlfriend
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005! 

Fresh Snow

One of the many crabapple trees we saw on the property of Grounds For Sculpture, this one covered in fresh snow as we toured the grounds during the first snowfall in New Jersey. 



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2016: Easy To Find
2015: Silver Level Safety
2014: Climbing Snoqualmie With Ease
2013: In Lieu Of Snow
2012: Money Vs. Meatballs
2011: A Window To The Past
2010: A Killer Rest Area
2009: The Barn Man
2008: Text Me
2007: Eddie Gets Impatient Friday
2006: If You Have A Note, Then It’s Perfectly Okay To Commit Credit Card Fraud
2005: Limo Scene

Designed By Nature

This is not a black and white photo - it's a shot of the first snow of the season in Hamilton, New Jersey.  

Ed and I spent some time over the weekend at Grounds For Sculpture, a 42-acre sculpture park and museum.  We went in the late afternoon, while it was snowing, and walked around for about two hours before it got too dark to take pictures.  The snow was steadily falling, covering the art and the walking paths.  

This place was amazing and we'll definitely be visiting again, when the weather is better.  I'll be posting more about this great find soon, so be sure to come back for a look!


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2016: The Last Mile
2015: Off Season Surf Shop
2014: Two Full Weeks Of Shopping Left
2013: Team Daily Rant Makes A Pitstop In Florida
2012: An Apple A Day
2011: California Sunshine
2010: A Star (Or Two) Is Born
2009: Modern Road Warriors And Their Weapons 
2008: Holsteins On Display
2007: Listening And LOVING
2006: Unfortunately Synonymous
2005: The Gays Are The Ritziest

George In Situ

As Ed and I were driving home last night from Palmer Square in Princeton, we passed this monument.  It was spotlit and since it was late, the area was vacant.  There were no signs telling us what it was so I did a quick Google search and found a Wikipedia page on it - that's where this information came from:

It's called the Princeton Battle Monument and it's located adjacent to the Morven Museum & Garden at 55 Stockton Street in Princeton, New Jersey.

It's a Beaux-Arts style sculpture commemorating the January 3, 1777 Battle of Princeton and depicts General George Washington leading his troops to victory and the death of General Hugh Mercer. It stands 50 feet tall and was inspired by carvings on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

It was carved on site (in situ), out of Indiana Limestone, by the Piccirilli Brothers - who also carved the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC - and was unveiled in 1922.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2016: Purgatory
2015: Happy Little Machinery
2014: Yo, Brooklyn!
2013: ALL Weather Is Tarping Weather Now
2012: 132" Of Christmas

2011: Breakdown = Extra Nap Time
2010: Dr. Lettera Said The Very Same Thing, She Just Wasn’t Qualified To Write The Prescription
2009: The First Snow I’ve Seen This Season
2008: Not That There’s Any Reason To Park Here
2007: A Game You Wouldn’t Want To Play If You Were Say, IN The Witness Protection Program
2006: Companionship Is Just A Phone Call Away. Beauty Is Another Story.
2005: Who Stole My Cheese?

A Superlative Example

When we're in the New York area, we park at a rest area in New Jersey that provides easy access to New York City by train, but getting to the train station means hailing a cab.  That's not really a problem because the train station is close and they always have cabs available, but on this trip we decided to use Uber.

When I first heard everyone talking about Uber, I didn't really understand how it worked.  "We'll just call an Uber." they'd say.  What's an Uber? What?  Really?  You just call a stranger to come pick you up?  In their own car??  It sounded weird.  But Ed downloaded the app and used it a few times without me, getting to and from the truck a few times.

Turns out, it's really convenient.  You get on the app, tell it where you want to go, and it shows you the closest driver to your location.  And you can see in real time where that driver is and how far away they are.  So far, all of our experiences have been great.  Nice drivers, nice cars, very affordable, and the best part - you don't have to pay in cash, everything goes through the app.  No awkward moments handing a cabbie cash.  I hate that part. 

The door-to-door service is totally worth it.
 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2016: Sandwiches Fit For A King
2015: Rollin' With A Little Christmas
2014: Waterfront Biz
2013: My Boy And I Love Us Some Cheese
2012: A Visit To The Island Plantation of Hibernia
2011: Now They Are Heard And Not Just Seen
2010: By Request
2009: The Reason My Ass Is Not Getting Any Smaller
2008: Out Of This World Outport Life
2007: Max Says To Go Placidly, As It Is Still A Beautiful World
2006: Dangerous Beauty
2005: Big Bad Cherry Peppers

The Military Capital Of The American Revolution

Mannheim Steamroller onstage at the Mayo Performing Arts Center

We delivered our load on Friday in New Jersey and didn't find another load which meant we'd be sitting for the weekend.  Ed doesn't like to spend the entire day sitting in the truck so he looked for something to do in the area.  We weren't close to public transportation and we don't have our bikes with us so we decided to use Uber.  We've used the service a few times now and it's actually pretty great.  Affordable, door-to-door service. 

So yesterday Ed bought tickets for us to see Mannheim Steamroller at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, New Jersey. 

Mannheim Steamroller is a neo-classical new age group known for its Christmas music.  In fact, Chip Davis, the founder and leader of the group, is the number one Christmas music artist in history with over 28 million record sold.  The second highest selling Christmas music artist is...Elvis Presley.

I can't say I loved it.  It's a much talked about group, people love them, they're played all over the place during the holidays, and I remember when I worked in the music department of Barnes & Noble almost 20 years ago, how their CDs would fly off the shelves during the holiday.  The new-age composition is just not my cup of tea.  Too much electronic sound, too much recorder, too much pied-piper sound.  Not to mention the weird video accompaniment they had with the show.  It looks like they're still using stuff filmed in the late seventies early eighties.  I'm glad we got to see the show, but now I'm sure I won't ever be buying the CD.

After the show we walked to The Green, a historical park in the center of Morristown, which has been called "the military capital of the American Revolution".  It was cold and crisp, in the high forties, which is perfect weather for me.  I was in heaven.  And what a cute little town!  The streets were lined with restaurants and shops, The Green was decorated with Christmas lights, and the area was filled with people walking around and kids waiting with their parents to take a picture with Santa.  

The Morristown Green in Morristown, NJ

After spending about an hour walking around, Ed's stomach was telling him it was time to find food.  We looked at a few places, which were all busy since it was Saturday night, and finally decided on Nunzio's Dolce Vita, which wound up being right next door to the performing arts center.  The place was busy but they were able to squeeze us in.  The food was good and we left satisfied.

Arancini - our appetizer at Nunzio's Dolce Vita.

We hailed an Uber back to the truck and had tea and dessert there while watching a new Redbox movie. 

It was a great night and as always, I'm glad Ed pushed for us to do something instead of sit around all night.  Who knows what he has up his sleeve next? 



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2016: A Perfect Companion
2015: A Tony In The Making
2014: Collecting America
2013: Approaching Flag
2012: He Didn't Even Need Duct Tape
2011: The Epitome Of Desolation
2010: Eddie Lobster On The Brain, Listening Skills Disengaged Friday
2009: Privacy Issues
2008: It’s Crazy That I’m Crazy For Keanu
2007: Gifts That Keep On Giving
2006: Classic Las Vegas
2005: Off With Their Heads!

West Side Lights

Ed took this picture from the top of the Empire State Building.  The view is looking west, straight down 33rd and 34th Street, toward the Hudson River.  On the other side of the Hudson lies New Jersey.  The circular building in the center is Madison Square Garden.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2016: Paw Prints On Our Heart
2015: The Incredible Portable Egg
2014: Bric-à-brac
2013: Bidding Adieu
2012: Rushing To The Mine 
2011: Ari-Snowna
2010: It’s In The Air
2009: Wish List
2008: He Must Have Learned It From TV
2007: When Pizza Is Involved, Jesus Is Always In Charge
2006: Sexier Than The Rockettes
2005: $3.99 A Minute 

New Jersey On Hudson

A view of New Jersey at sunset from the New York side of the Hudson River.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~2016: Behold The Beautiful Brisket
2015: He Really Is A Carpenter
2014: Constant Surveillance
2013: Not Even Good Enough To Make My Top 100 Pictures Of Fall List
2012: Exactly
2011: A Little Grease More Often Is Better
2010: Scenes From Florence
2009: Eddie Palm Sketch Friday
2008: Moabulous
2007: Ready To Draw The Future
2006: Red Fish, Blue Fish, One Fish, Two Fish.
2005: Beautiful Enough To Lick

34-Hour Restart

We finally made it to our favorite New Jersey rest area, located minutes from the Big Apple.  We don't have the best view, although if you crane your neck just right you can see the Manhattan skyline. It's the perfect place for a 34-hour restart.

We were too pooped to get out and do anything this weekend, so we've just been vegging out in the truck.  Thankfully, we've got everything we need here.

Including a brand new Starbucks.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2014: Founded By A Millionaire Fur Trader
2013: Woke Up This Morning
2012: Trust Me, I’m A Truck Driver
2011: Doesn’t A Gastropod Always Have A Helmet On?
2010: This Is How We Do It
2009: Storage In The Storm
2008: Devil Horse In The Louisiana Wetlands
2007: Not Sloppy. No Joe. Just Bob And His Loosemeats Residing In The Ice Cream Capital Of The World
2006: Playing With Your Money But Not Really SPENDING It
2005: Glamour Puss

One Last Fling

We were sitting in the parking lot of the Petro truck stop in Bordentown, New Jersey, when I decided to walk over to the trees at the edge of the lot to see if I could find some leaves to photograph.  I've been taking pictures these last few weeks while enjoying the change of colors in the Northeast and haven't really gotten exactly what I wanted.

Today I was trying to find leaves without blemishes.  I was unsuccessful.  Then again, only I would try to find a perfect leaf.  There were a lot of reds, a few golden-colored trees, and several that were still green.  I figured the leaf quality was either due to some sort of blight, or because the trees were so close to hundreds of trucks idling day after day.  That can't be good for a leaf's little lungs.

I often wonder about the pollution thing, specifically because it seems like the trees that line the interstate, where they'd get the most exposure to exhaust, change before the other trees in their groupings, the ones behind them.  I'm sure there's something to that.

Changing leaf color is a scientific thing, but it still seems mysterious to me.  I know it happens, I just don't know when.  And by when I don't mean the season in which it happens, I mean the moment in which it happens.

Have you ever noticed the trees in your yard, or neighborhood, or on the ride to work?  How one day, all of a sudden, boom! they're scarlet and muted gold, burgundy and bright yellow, hunter green and bright, bright tangerine.  The orange shades are my favorite fall colors by far.

I know there are all kinds of time lapse photography out there depicting the changing of the leaf colors, but I'm talking about looking at a leaf.  Just one.  I wonder when it goes from green to whatever color it becomes when it falls to the ground.  Did it gradually turn color like graying hair does, or did it just get all red overnight like when you were a kid and woke up with chicken pox?  I would love to track the change of a leaf - I never have, can't from the truck, and probably never will.  But I want to.

But since it's unlikely I'll do any of that, I guess I will just enjoy the colors like I always do.  I'll mourn the days when the trees look a little emptier, and not because winter is coming because I love winter, but because the amount of time the trees are ablaze with color is just never long enough.

It truly is a fling.  One of the good ones.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013:  I Drive With A Soundtrack
2012: Who Doesn’t Love A Sunset?
2011: Personally Yours. But Not Mine.
2010: Sheltered Madonna And Child
2009: Breaking A Leg Doesn’t Always Mean Good Luck
2008: Showing Its True Colors, Even On The Cloudiest Day
2007: Priorities
2006: It’s All In The Cards
2005: A Blond Moment

Waiting For The 3:01 Into Manhattan

The view from the train platform in Secaucus Junction, waiting on the train to take us into the city.

In the distance you can see the southern tip of Manhattan.  The tower furthest to the left is the new One World Trade Center.

It is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

Which, for you geographically challenged people, includes the United States!



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Fast Food Of The Civilized
2012: Giving Everyone A Head’s Up
2011: A Big, Delicious Mess
2010: Race To The Finish
2009: The Way To A Man’s Heart Isn’t Only Through His Stomach
2008: The Monarch Of Style
2007: I Walked Around The Building For An Hour Looking For That Door
2006: Home On The Range: It’s Not Just The Place Where The Deer And Antelope Play
2005: Mina Clarkson

A Precursor To The Real Deal

Yesterday in New Jersey I had to settle for a Nathan's hot dog.  It's not my first choice, but it did hit the spot.

The only real hot dog in my opinion is a Sabrett. 

They're the ones sold on the pushcarts (sporting the famous yellow and blue umbrellas) in New York City.  My father sold them for over 16 years from his hot dog cart, and I sold them for a short time from the hot dog cart I ran in Kentucky, of all places. 

I'll be in New York for the rest of the week so hopefully I'll have a chance to get a Sabrett - the one with the famous snap! - smothered in sauerkraut and red onions.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Only In The Summertime
2012: Craving Italy
2011: A Perfect Way To Start A Month
2010: Old School
2009: Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
2008: The Clubhouse Girls
2007: Morning On The Air Train
2006: The Other Side Of The Tracks
2005: Vicki Bin Laden  

81% Of The Time, It's Not Our Fault

Fault Distribution in Fatal Crashes
81% fault assigned to the car driver (71% plus shared 10%)
26% fault assigned to the truck driver (16% plus shared 10%)

All of this news coverage about the truck that collided with comedian Tracy Morgan's limo is really wearing on me.  Mostly because so much of it contains vague, incomplete, or out-and-out incorrect information.

NBC News asked the question, "Are some of America's more than 10 million commercial truckers operating their rigs when sleepy - and is that fatigue a factor injuring or killing other motorists?"  I wonder if they're aware that there are only 3.5 million trucks and drivers in the United States?

This asshole decided a scary headline - A Trucking Nightmare - will strike fear in the hearts and minds of the motoring public, probably hoping they'll miss that he got his "facts" wrong.  He writes that the Tracy Morgan accident happened in California, not New Jersey.

He also points out the number of fatalities in 2009 and 2012 involving over-the-road trucks but gives no indication as to whose fault those accidents were.  Let me fill in that fact for you -  81% of the time it's the fault of the car driver. And it's been that way for years.

In this article, the author writes "Fatalities and injuries related to traffic accidents involving trucks have increased for three consecutive years. Approximately 3,921 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks in 2012 and 104,000 more were injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In those fatal crashes, the overwhelming majority of the fatalities occur in the cars: 98 percent of the deaths occur to car occupants, according to Advocates."

Note how they're talking about fatalities, not the cause of the accident that resulted in the fatality.  It makes sense that if a truck and car face-off, it's more likely for the car to suffer the worst damage and/or death of occupants.

This chick wrote, "Nearly four thousand people die in large truck crashes every year... the main cause of those - tired truckers."  What's her source?  Where's her data?

I actually emailed her to ask that question and her response was, "It was a fact from a CBS article, and since we are a CBS station we use other CBS articles as our source frequently."  I guess she decided it was good reporter policy to put her name on a piece she didn't do any fact-checking for.

And all of the people talking about falling asleep, being sleepy, not having enough sleep - which EVERY news outlet, blog, and passerby has quoted, but which hasn't been proven - should take a look at this study.  It's the most exhaustive one ever done, which lists the nature of driver errors in car/truck crashes.  "Asleep at the wheel" is only a factor in 1% of truck drivers, and gee, get this - 9% of car drivers.

The part of the media coverage I find most offensive is the fact that every single outlet writing about the accident has reported accusations that the driver had not slept in the 24 hours before the crash.

My first question when I initially read that was, "How did they know?"  Because there is NO WAY the driver himself would have told them that, even if it were true.  You know who decided he had no sleep? The New Jersey police.  Yet no one had any information on how they arrived at determining he was sleep-deprived.  Did he yawn?

It looks like New Jersey is bent on setting this driver up to be convicted of a crime. Because in New Jersey, sleep deprivation is seen as criminal and reckless. In 2003, they became the first state to make it a crime of vehicular homicide for causing a fatal accident while driving drowsy. The statute, known as Maggie’s Law, makes it illegal for a driver who has been awake longer than 24 hours to operate a vehicle.  The only similarity between that case and this one is that a person was driving a vehicle.  

Because the guy driving the car (not the truck) that killed Maggie, the law's namesake, was smoking crack before he crossed over the center line and plowed into her car head-on. Big difference.

This accident, because it involved a celebrity, became national news.  It was all over the place.  If they can prove the driver didn't get any sleep before the accident (good luck with that, New Jersey), they can put him away for five to 10 years. If not, then it's just a regular 'ol accident.  Tragic, yes, but certainly nothing to spend more than a 24-hour news cycle on.

What I have a problem with are the drivers who complain about the Hours of Service but do nothing to express their displeasure with it.  Well, other than bitching about it in comment sections of blogs and talking about it over a meal at the truck stop.

How about instead of hauling ass to get your load to its destination within the time expectation of your dispatcher or company, you take a nap when you're tired and drive when you're not?  If more drivers responded in this manner, perhaps the powers that be would realize that they truly cannot mandate sleep time and drive time, and companies who hire truckers to move their freight will understand that by keeping them waiting in docks for hours on end, their product won't get to the other side in a safe and timely manner.

Just a few days before the Tracy Morgan accident, Landline, the OOIDA magazine, reported about a law firm advertisement disparaging truckers in a recent issue of Maxim, a men's magazine on sale in several truck stop chains.  Truckers were so offended that they bombarded the law firm's Facebook page, in addition to voicing their disapproval to the truck stops that carried the magazine.  The end result was an apology from both the law firm and Maxim magazine, and the truck stops that carried the magazine removed them from their shelves.

I have mixed feelings about this.  On one hand, it's great that drivers put their voices together to get something done. On the other hand, it was for a stupid fucking cause. Why aren't they bombarding the news outlets, journalists, and anti-trucking advocates about the utter crap we have to deal with on a regular basis?? 

Who cares that there's an advertisement in a magazine that offends you as a trucker? Don't buy it.  And if you're so worried about the image of a trucker in the eyes of the general public, how about taking a shower once in a while?  Wear a T-shirt that doesn't look as if you washed your car with it.  Not leave pee bottles and trash in parking lots.  Not actually pee in public parking lots.  Not ride the ass of cars on the interstate  Not speed through construction zones (I'm talking to you, FedEx).

And if you're feeling so outraged over a magazine advertisement - a one-page advertisement - that tarnishes the image of a group of people, you should probably be contacting Maxim about their never-ending objectification of women or their constant encouragement of excessive alcohol consumption. Those affect our society much more deeply than an advertisement that 98% of people will flip right past without even noticing.  Kinda off-topic, but you probably get the point.

Use the clamor of your voices to bombard people that matter - like lawmakers, corporation big whigs, managers, dispatchers, safety department heads, etc. - not Maxim magazine.

Because really, who cares if a few readers with small dicks think you're a serial killer?  



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

2013: Twenty-Four Hours Of Poutine
2012: Opening The Door To An Amazing Houzz
2011: Ed And His Wahini
2010: Beauty Vs. Practicality
2009: No Mussels Kneaded When Eating Homemade Bread
2008: Dog Day Afternoon
2007: A Prayer For Alberta
2006: Tassimo Time
2005: Sorry, no post on this day.