This is my first blog from the National Truck Tank Carriers convention. We are in Nashville, TN for the maintenance trade show and seminar. I am in the tank trailer industry and own petroleum tankers.

One question I would like to have answered.  How does the National Truck Tank Carriers increase its membership? Any thoughts?

Disaster Alert

North Carolina – An ethanol truck overturned in Cabarrus County on Friday and prompted the evacuation of dozens of residents in the affected area. An evacuation center was opened and provided food and water to evacuees and emergency responders.

Chapters Responding:

o Greater Carolinas
o Cabarrus County

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Siliguri, Oct. 23: A consignment of 1,189kg of ganja packed in plastic bags and hidden in a coal-laden truck was seized near Odlabari, about 40km from here, last night. The cannabis worth Rs 47.58 lakh was coming from a north eastern state.

Acting on a tip-off, customs officials spotted the truck parked on a roadside yesterday afternoon and kept a vigil on the vehicle bearing registration number WB-41C-3135.

“We watched the truck till late in the evening. When no claimant came forward, we seized it and brought it to Siliguri,” said Harinarayan Meena, the assistant commissioner of customs of Siliguri division.

Documents seized from the vehicle suggested that its owner was from south Bengal and the contraband was supposed to be delivered in that area.

“There were 61 packets and each contained around 20kg of narcotics worth Rs 4,000 a kilogram in the market,” said Meena.

Yesterday’s seizure was the second biggest by the division in a single operation from the region in the past six months. On April 23, the customs officials had recovered about 2,260kg of ganja, worth Rs 90 lakh, from a fuel tanker near Bidhannagar.

According to the officials, the contraband popularly known as manipuri is in demand in Bihar, Calcutta and its surrounding areas because of its superior quality than the one grown locally.

By Michael MacLeod

A WOMAN was crushed to death under a petrol tanker while crossing a road to catch up with her husband.

The 62-year-old – named locally as Liz Kettle – was said to have slipped on the wet road before being hit by the truck.

Police rushed to the scene and she was stuck under the lorry for several hours while emergency services tried to remove her.

It is understood the woman had been visiting South Queensferry with her husband.

The collision – at 9.15am on Thursday – has been described as a “tragic accident” and police are appealing for witnesses.

Locals living near to yesterday’s crash scene in South Queensferry’s Station Road said the junction with The Loan was an accident waiting to happen.

Shocked church-goers at St Margaret’s Church opposite the crash prayed for the dead woman’s family.

Father Tony MacDonald said: “I have heard an observation that the lady slipped while running. We don’t know her at the church but we had a service this morning and prayed for her husband and the family.

“There is a very subdued atmosphere now in light of today’s tragedy.”

He said that parents at the nearby Queensferry Primary School were worried for their children’s safety.

He added: “It’s fortunate the children would have been inside school at the time of this. There are areas where vehicles speed around here and there have been accidents on The Loan in the past.”

The junction connects a primary school, nursery and two churches but the lack of safety measures on the busy corner is “a scandal” according to Tom Martin of Queensferry Community Council.

He said: “It’s very sad news but I’m not surprised this has happened. The road is steep with many blind spots and we’ve been pressing for yellow lines here for some time. That could have prevented this accident from happening.”

He added: “It’s a scandal, but these things take years to get through the system.”

The trucker’s boss Ron Tomal of Brogan Fuels didn’t want comment on the crash but gave his sympathy to the woman’s family.

Lothian and Borders police confirmed that a 62-year-old female had died as a result of a road collision.

A spokesman said: “This is a tragic incident, and we are appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time, and who saw what happened, to contact police.”

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) ruled that the US Air Force mishandled the $40 billion tanker contract, ruling the losing bidder, Boeing, can challenge the original decision to allow Northrop Grumman manufacture planes at Brookley Field in Mobile.  Congress is expected to back the GAO’s decision and a new competition will launch.

Although this isn’t a decisive take-away from Mobile, it sure feels like a slap in face.  Boeing led a propaganda compaign and the news media and American people believed every word.  This isn’t a competition between the US and Europe, as Boeing would like people to believe.  This is a competition for the company that can do the best job for the US Air Force.

Of course this is a double hit for the Air Force as well.  The GAO’s ruling of mismanagement is no compliment for the Air Force.  Although the blame goes back and forth between Boeing and Northrop Grumman, the doubt stems from the decision maker.  Also, It’s well known that the current fleet of fuel tankers are falling apart after 50 years of use.  Because of this decision, it’ll be at least another year or more until the Air Force gets what’s needed: safe and efficient planes.

Someone referred to my American Idol girlfriend Kristy Lee Cook as, “the fart in the car that needs to be let out.” Well, keep the windows rolled up because the, “fart in the car,” that is my girlfriend KLC will be sticking around. While my feelings for her have begun to wane, you have to hand it to her, the girl knows how to pick the right song that is in her ‘wheelhouse,’ and plays to her audience. I have to agree with Simon that the boys dominated last night… so lets see… if the boys are safe and KLC is safe… who does that leave me for the bottom three…:
CARLY SMITHSON – Currently running neck and neck for the role of, “my American Idol girlfriend,” now that KLC is starting to rub me the wrong way. America is still scared of the tattoos and you’re the only person with an accent left now that Johns is gone… how very anti-American of you… but I think you are going to be ok this week.
SYESHA MERCADO and BROOKE WHITE – girls… I don’t know what to say… lately my crush on Brooke has been growing exponentially as my crush on KLC disappears, she will never catch up with Carly and KLC for me because she’s never seen an R rated film… and anyone who hasn’t seen Goodfellas… that’s a dealbreaker for me. Syesha is here because she tends to live here in the bottom 3 despite the fact that I don’t ever think she was that bad. While I kinda hope Syesha finally bites it… due to her shaky nerves mid-way through last night… I’m going to have to say BROOKE is going home.

Since the Titanic is back in the news in what I like to call Rivetgate… You’d like to think that the 1st class passengers on the Titanic had at least enjoyed an amazing last meal… but frankly… the menu doesn’t float my boat so to speak… but I’m no foodie:

Last meal on the H.M.S. Titanic

Most big event movies that you see, especially sequels, usually go through a few writers. I think Kevin Smith has written scripts for just about every comic franchise you can imagine… sadly, none of which have been utilized yet. McSweeney’s has already taken it down… but they had posted Michael Chabon’s script for Spiderman 2 on their website. You can read about the differences here:

Michael Chabon’s Spiderman 2

In case you thought nursery rhymes weren’t cerebral enough for you and you’d outgrown them… this should complicate them again for you:

Visual Representations of Nursery Rhymes

I will admit to enjoying Fred water. I like the flask shape of the bottle… it’s convenient. I used to enjoy Fiji water but I will never buy that again. The second I see Ta-Nant water I’m buying it cus that bottle is awesome… so I guess I’m a douchbag:

Bottled Waters for Douchebags

I can’t believe I lost this auction… I promised myself I wouldn’t go higher than 30… at the last minute this guy swoops in and takes it… now I’ll just have to be lonely and never know the joy of having my own:

Vajayjay shaped Sun chip

This one is more for the younger guys, it’s not that I don’t like video games, or women… I just know that when I was younger hearing a hot woman say, “Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right,” would have sent me over the top. Sadly now… I would reach for a pen to write down the cheat code:

Hot girls and cheat codes

There are levels of stupid. Level one is like asking a woman when she’s due, and it turns out she’s just fat. Level two is misjudging a curb when you’re parking. Level three is cutting vegetables in the palm of your own hand and plunging the knife into it… this guy is somewhere around level 32:

Using a lighter to look inside a fuel tanker

Yesterday I outed myself as a huge geek… but just so you know we can kick some serious ass:

10 Most badass geeks in film/tv

Horrible news about the awesome Iron man footage I’ve been posting:

Wildly Popular ‘Iron Man’ Trailer To Be Adapted Into Full-Length Film

The debate on whether or not circumcision is necessary rages on, in my mind the health benefits can not be denied and it is more aesthetically pleasing. Call me biased. But that information is out there, so who says that our school systems are not doing their jobs?:

How do I perform a at home sircumsishun?

Okay… I’ve talked about how much I loved the books Flatland and Spaceland, this video takes those concepts and based on another book expands them all the way through to the 10th dimension. By the end of this video your brain will hurt… but I find it absolutely fascinating: