Tag Archives: trucking

Is ADN>twitter: 256>140 (that’s obvious)& comment on abouttruckdriving.com @toddmccann podcast

DISCLAIMER:>>>
I SOMETIMES USE FOUL LANGUAGE IN MY BLOG SO IF THAT OFFENDS YOU IM REAL FUCKING SORRY. LMFAO OH…WAIT THERE GOES ANOTHER SQUIRREL. HaHa! THERE GOES MY ADD AGAIN

BUT SERIOUSLY IF THE OCCASIONAL 4 LETTER WORD DOESN’T OFFEND YOU AND YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG WITH MY MINDLESS RAMBLINGS. PLEASE CONTINUE READING AND BE SURE TO LEAVE ME A COMMENT, SUGGESTION, CORRECTION OR INSULT DOWN BELOW IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. THANKS @driverchrismc

Allow me to start off here with my comment, in its entirety, that I wrote last night on @toddmccann ‘s latest Trucker Dump podcast on abouttruckdriving.com. I originally thought I would have to just leave a link to it in his comment section. Because I thought it would be too long winded and would cause his website to go into self destruct mode. He’d be more than a little upset with me if that happened. He worked way too long & hard on it. So please folks if you haven’t checked it out yet. I would recommend you do so Trucker Dump on abouttruckdring.com

First off let me say, before I forget as far as your reply to the 19 year old(from your feedback section). I’m not sure where you are getting that you have to be 23 to drive interstate OTR. The company that you know I drive for, as well as instruct for hires 21 year olds on a weekly basis. I’ve instructed some of them. I’d hate 2 think my company and I were illegally training drivers.

I could’ve written a whole blog instead of commenting here and I’ve even had thoughts of turning my blog into a podcast just like you did.

But here’s the reason I won’t do that( ill just leave the comment here. Perhaps you’ll read it in a future feedback session and ill have achieved the same end result). I don’t mind people hearing what I write, actually I think it would be cool! Just not in my voice. Yours or anyone else’s would be fine. You’ve met me, Todd, you know what I sound like.

Well I hate the way I speak. As a kid I took a lot of kidding(psychological abuse) because of it. I’ve just never gotten over being self conscious about the way I talk

Now enough said about that. If I can remember what I wanted to say now. Oh yes your “drivers seat phenomenon” blog/ podcast

Ill have to admit to being one of those drivers sitting in the seat you were talking about. I can tell you most of the time, when I’m in the seat, I’ve either got my iPhone in my hand(usually on twitter) or sometimes, like right now I have my iPad mini resting on the steering wheel writing this comment. After I finish this I will likely do something I don’t often do. Ill get the MBP out and work on my blog post.

And yes I’ll set it up on the steering wheel. It makes a handy little laptop stand IMO.
And yes the bright white glowing apple will be visible to anyone that passes by my truck and looks. I’m proud to let others know I got an apple MBP. Can’t say that I’ve ever had the fear of someone breaking into my truck. I’m usually in it when it’s parked unless I go in for a quick shower or to grab something to eat. I rarely eat in the restraunt anymore.

Or sometimes maybe I do look like I’m staring into space or watching people walk by or watching the guy next to me park and hope that I can trust him to do so without touching my truck or trailer. I’ve Been a “people watcher” ever since I was a kid. When I’d go to the mall on Saturday nights with my grandparents. Grandad and I would sit on a bench and watch people while my Grammy was in one of the stores.

Or maybe I’m doing my paperwork so I can get paid for the loads I deliver.

Or maybe, and I’ve never thought about it this way, till I listened to your podcast. I just maybe a tad bit clostraphobic. Being in my sleeper area with the curtain closed while I’m awake just feels wrong to me. It’s like I’m shut off from the rest of the world. Unless I’m sleeping or eating, normally the curtains open while I’m eating.

I guess basically what I’m saying is I see no good reason to be in the sleeper with the curtains closed unless I’m actually in bed sleeping.

That should about cover it. I think I’ve confirmed some of your thoughts on this subject and hopefully enlightened you on a few others

And in addition one more reason for sitting in the drivers seat that I didn’t even think of until after I had already left my comment on his website.
I’m sure this wouldn’t have occurred to him since he doesn’t share the habit. Perhaps the driver is, like me, a smoker who doesn’t normally smoke in bed. I only do this twice a day. The first one in the morning when I wake up and the last one at night before I go to sleep. All my other daily cigarettes are smoked while I’m sitting in the drivers seat. Whether I’m driving or parked at a customer or a truckstop.

Ok now that I’ve shared all that with you, just in case your not a subscriber to his blog, I wanted to make sure all of you had the chance to read my words of wisdom LMFAO

On with the blog;

Is ADN>Twitter?(if the shoe fits lace that bitch up and wear it)

Before I get started with this blog post. I feel I should give it a little introduction or more specifically let you know how it came about…

One day last week, I believe it was Thursday , as I was driving towards my 90, that’s how Prime refers to my receiver, I was driving west on I74 in Illinois fixing to have to get on I57 to get to I72. I had been thinking about writing this blog and the things I wanted to say in it, and how I would say them and why…

That was my first mistake. As I’m sure some of you other drivers know, whether or not you want to admit it. Thinking and driving, or daydreaming as its sometimes referred to. Is more distracting IMO than either texting, tweeting, posting or being on the phone.

They should probably write me a ticket for that. Instead of the HUGE fines for texting and driving. I do use Siri most of the time so I’m not actually having to type but I still have my phone in my hand. So I think I should probably invest in a good Bluetooth b4 I get in trouble.
See there I go off track again. Where was I ?

So anyway I exited onto I57 but missed the exit for I72 and had to go down to the next exit and flip around to get to where I was going.

What I had been thinking about as I was driving that day was ADN or App.net. Some of you may have heard of it already or may already be on it. Or you might be asking your self what is ADN and why I should I give two shits about it…

Well ill have to do some more research on it before I publish this blog but for now let me introduce it to you. Let you know how i came to be @driverchrismc on App.net(you can follow me there as well just like you do on twitter) and give you my first impressions. As if you care. LOL. Of course you do if you didn’t you you wouldn’t be reading this….You are still reading aren’t you?

Ok great since I haven’t lost you yet. Here goes the blog:
A few weeks ago I started noticing one of my friends on twitter mention that he was on app.net. Then another of my twitter friends got on there. So I was to say the least curious at this point. So when that first friend I mentioned retweeted someone else’s tweet that gave a link to get on this app.net. I jumped on it. Yes I admit I’m a follower. No shame here.

This is not the same tweet that I was referring to but it will get you there if your interested in going there.

@filmfreak75 Sign up and pay for App dot net on their website, or get a free account via their app:

https://t.co/Nmxp9L2t8b

Yep that’s right the basic idea behind it is a paid social network, like twitter, but not-exactly

Let me say upfront here that you can get on it for free as of this time. That’s how my 2 twitter friends got on it and that’s how I got on. I think we all know my first friend is too much of a cheapskate to pay for something like that,even though I haven’t mentioned his name.

As I said two of my twitter friends were already using it, and by their own admission they plan on using it for a different more techy or photographic purpose something altogether different than the friendly twitter conversations we have on a daily basis. I think that’s a great idea. More power to them, I say.
But here’s what I’ve got in mind as my way of using ADN in addition to twitter
Now as you all know I live on twitter and wouldn’t even think of giving it up or replacing it with ADN

But here’s what I find to be most useful to me about ADN, instead of twitters arbitrarary, or at least I thought that they pulled that 140 character limit out of the blue. I now know after a google search that it indeed makes some sence. http:/limit/www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/twitter-basics-why-140-characters-and-how-to-write-more_b1124

ADN allows your “posts” to be up to 256 characters, almost doubling the length of your “tweet” which is limited to 140.
Also they allow you to cross post your post to your twitter account. In the Netbot app I use for it that option can be found under the retweet…excuse me…I meant repost button.

If your post is too long for twitter. It will be appropriately shortened and a link added to your complete original post. Now I know there are other alternatives to get around the 140 tweet limit. I’ve even used some of them myself. TMI.me is one option, twitlonger is another. I really never liked either one personally. Although they do serve the purpose. Another option if you’re interested is a twitter app I used to use occasionally called “Tweetcaster”. That app automatically splits a long tweet into two parts not exceeding the 140 character limit. But I was disappointed. It sometimes tweeted them backwards or retweeted your old tweets the next time you open the app.

So basically that’s all I want is to not be kept in a strangle hold by that 140 character limit. From now on when I have more to say than 140 characters. Ill simply post it on ADN and then repost or actually cross post it to my twitter account.

So y’all are more than welcome to follow me @driverchrismc on ADN, after all to borrow a phrase from @darkstaff I am an Attention whore. So just like on twitter the more followers I have the more content I will be. However since like I said most of my posts on ADN will be cross posted to @driverchrismc on twitter. It’s not absolutely necessary that you follow me on ADN as long as your follow me on twitter you’ll be seeing retweets of what I’ve posted there.

In addition I have since found out that my initial fascination with ADNs 256 character limit. It’s not all good, there do seem to be some limitations. First of all you have to either recieve an invitation from a paid subscriber or get the app.net app on your iphone. https://join.app.net/I havent a clue if its available on android. Maybe one of you robot phone users will read this and find out. If you do please let me know in the comments section. If you are on a free account like I am, you are limited to 40 people you can follow. So I’m guessing here that your number of followers will be limited as well. I can’t prove that yet because at this time I only have one follower.
Here’s a link if you’d like more information on a free app.net account    limitations link

Well that’s about all I can think of to say here. I’m sure you were all ready and waiting for me to conclude this thing. So until next time. Be safe out there drivers.

20130530-185753.jpghttps://posts.app.net/5988006

I’m back. Can’t believe I been gone since April 3

Wow after reading Todd McCanns latest post. Which was merely a guest post with some snark thrown in for good measure.
I realized I had been absent for at least as long maybe longer. He claims to have been workin on some super secret website. That we may never get to see. I on the other hand have no excuse. Other than my ADD and extreme laziness.

So welcome back. I’m sure your all thrilled to be here. Right? Right!

Well ok I hope in my absence you’ve all been reading my paper.li which auto posts on twitter every Tuesday.

But I decided as a treat for you this week I would actually write something. But what?!

A lot has happened in four months. I could tell you all about it. But if you follow me you probably know already more than you wanted to. So I’ll spare you.

Suffice to say its been interesting.

As of last week when we went home I got my new iPhone 5. Todd had already beaten me to it. But I had to catch up.

So last Monday when we got home. After many phone calls. I immediately headed out to a verizon store 45 minutes away from where we live. I usually go to the one in Jackson but they didn’t have any left. That’s still 45 minutes in the opposite direction from where I live.
But like I was sayin. I drove to the Verizon store in Dickson Not bad 45 minutes. Hell I would’ve driven an hour and a half but the Apple store in Nashville was out of them as well

So anyway I ended up with the last remaining white 64gb iPhone 5
Yep white. Partly because of what I had heard about the black ones scratching very easily and partly because that’s all they had. I hate to wait and I don’t like to order. I’m just a hands on type.

So what do I think. I love it of course. It’s apple. Sometimes I think us apple fans would by ipoop. If apple convinced us we needed it. That’s just an exaggeration now. But you get the idea

So what’s new you ask. Well other than this being my first white device.
It’s thinner, lighter, has the new lightning connector.
The screen is bigger. I mean taller but skinnier. Not really its exactly the same width. But it’s an optical illusion that makes it appear skinnier

It’s faster with the new A6 chip, and of course as many had hoped for its 4g LTE capable(at least for us verizon folks) which is scary fast

Of course it comes with the new iOS 6. Which has so many improvements. But that’s available on older iPhones. So you probably already know about it.

The new ear pods are far superior to the ear buds that have come with our previous iPhones.

The only problem I had with it, which actually turned out to be a problem with my Mac book pro. Was that I couldn’t get a complete sync of all my iTunes music. So I ended up making that trip to the apple store in Nashville after all.

After sitting at their “genius bar” for about 3 hours. The problem was solved. They really had no definitive explanation for me. They said they had never seen that particular problem before. The best they could say was that my iTunes media folder ‘blew up’ and scattered my music files all over. But. They were able to fix it. Guess they don’t call em geniuses for nothin.
Todd said I should write a book about it called “How to go in the apple store without spending a dime”. He says it would be a best seller. But since I’m not as long winded as he is and suffer from the aforementioned ADD. I seriously doubt it would ever get finished

One more thing….
Before I get to the actual #truckertuesday twitter recap. This Friday. October 5th is a special day. It’s Tammy McFadden’s birthday. Now I can’t tell you how old she is. That’s just rude. But our little inside joke is that I could trade her in for 2 21 year olds. LMFAO

Also sadly it is the anniversary of the death of Steve Jobs.

On a more personal note it will also be 15 years since I lost my Grandad on 10-5-1997.

Anyway back to the blog. Most of the important news(for us apple fan-atics). Comes from idownload blog

Eric. Known to us on twitter as darkstaff has as usual been posting some pretty outstanding #iphoneography pictures.
Most of his pics now adays revolve around his beautiful baby girl, Hannah

For the rest of what’s happening on twitter be sure to read my paper

Until next week #truckers. Be safe out there

Hippocracy on high

20111030-204043.jpg
This picture should be familiar to most truck drivers. If you’ve ever driven through Amarillo TX on I40 you may recognize this truck stop at exit 76 amongst all the other truck stops there. Sorry folks I know the pictures not that good I was just driving by. It is the “Jesus Christ is Lord” truck stop. I have also seen trucks on the road with that name on the trailer so I’m guessing they are part of the same company

I was sitting in the Loves in Tucumcari NM about 6 hours ago and was going to start writing this blog before I forgot what I was going to say. But no such luck. Signal was awful. I couldn’t even tweet. I’m starting to believe truck stops are blocking signals in an effort to get you to purchase their WiFi.? But that’s not my point here

My point here is the issue of ‘Christians’ being hippocrites. In my opinion that is. I’m far from considering myself a Christian. But I would not say I was atheist either. That’s just another organization. I don’t believe in any kind of religious organization. Anymore that is. I probably should fill you in on my background so that you’ll understand I do know what I’m talking about here and that you shouldn’t just dismiss this as the rumblings of a ‘non believer’ who doesn’t know any better.

You see I was born into and raised in a Catholic family. I went to catholic school did bible study. I was an alter boy. The whole nine yards. Later on in my adult life by choice rather than obligation I attended several other churches baptist episcopal etc.

So any way back to my point about this truck stop/trucking company. In Mark 11:15-19, 11:27-33 as well as the other three gospels of the new testament. There is a story in which Jesus goes into a temple in Jerusalem and is furious upon finding money changers(people doing business) in the house of God

Now doesn’t it go without saying that you should not use his name in an attempt to get people to do business with you. I believe that’s exactly what it’s saying. I also believe that this company in Amarillo while claiming to be spreading his word is in fact attempting to attract business using the name of God and I think whether or not you believe that is dead wrong, the bible says as much in the afore mentioned scriptures.

While we are on that subject. Why is it that every church you go to asks you for money? Oh wait I’m sorry the bible actually says that you should tithe Deuteronomy 14:22-29. Convenient for the churches isn’t it?

Ok here it is folks and this is just my opinion. In Matthew 7:1 the bible says. Do Not Judge
Therefore I’m not trying to pass judgement here on anyone or to belittle anyone’s beliefs. You have your right to believe what you want and I have the right to say what I want(1st amendment to the US Constitution)

The way I see it IF there is a God. He isn’t the loving forgiving God that the bible tells of. I don’t believe he cares. I believe he has put us on this earth to suffer. I have experienced too much in my lifetime and there is too much turmoil worldwide for me to believe that if God exists he cares.

I’m sure many of you will disagree,feel free. But if you are Christian and believe in what the bible says, you cannot judge me for my opinions

If you don’t believe what I said about the worldwide turmoil, suffering, poverty, famine, wars etc.
Pick up any newspaper or watch the evening news.

How could a God that loves us allow these things 2 happen? Since I mentioned war I bet most of you fail to realize that alot of wars throughout history have been fought in the name of God. Many people have been killed in the name of God(including in biblical times). Now I ask you is that Christian?.

Hell folks, 911,world trade center, the worst terrorist attack in history on US soil, was perpetrated by a man who thought he was doing it in the name of his god. Food for thought

Now back to my point about the above mentioned business using his name to make money. In the bible Jesus said in Luke 9:23 In order to follow him you must deny yourself and take up your cross daily. He wanted people to live as he did. He had no money, no job, no means of transportation Of course there were no cars back then. Most people traveled by camel. However the one time that Jesus rode instead of walked he did not choose a camel he chose to ride an ass(No folks that’s not a bad word it’s in your bible, it refers to a donkey)

So I believe my point is valid about not using his name to make money while proclaiming yourself to be a good Christian.

And as far as being a good christian, y’all have it made. You have been given the worlds greatest cop out. You can all say I know I’m a sinner but if I ask God will forgive me. Hey that’s wonderful news. So that means that you can live your life the way you want and sin all you want. But if you ask you will be forgiven. Come on now I’ve met alot of people who can ‘talk the talk’ but none of them ‘walks the walk’. Just think about that. If I ever meet anyone who does, I will believe again. I can say that confidently because I know without a doubt, I will never meet such a person.

And speaking of being a good Christian. Most of you reading this are probably truck drivers as am I. I happen to think the two are mutually exclusive. If you are an over the road truck driver you can’t possibly be at home every Sunday to worship the lord and keep holy the sabbath.

You most likely have gone a day or two without a shower. Cleanliness is next to godliness. Right?

There’s been a lot of discussion lately about e-logs. It makes it nearly impossible to fix(fudge,falsify,lie) like drivers were used to being able to do on paper logs. Isn’t that breaking the ninth commandment?

Who among us has not violated a traffic law(speeding etc.). Would that not be considered a sin?

I really had alot of other things to say on this subject. But unfortunately or maybe it’s fortunate for you. I can’t think of anymore right now.

So I’ll conclude this way. Well thought out intelligent non-judgmental comments are welcome. But if you are just going to tell me I’m wrong or you want to quote more bible verses to me. Don’t bother I probably already know them. And please don’t say you’ll pray for me. I know how Christians love to say that. The bottom line is you will not convince me I’m wrong and I know I cannot convince you that I maybe right. So let’s just respectfully agree to disagree and call it a night.