Seat belt thwarts carjacker?

When my rant begins with “You gotta be kiddin’ me,” you know you’re going to get an earful.I just finished reading a news story online with such an asinine headline that it has earned my bonehead mainstream reporting award of the year.The story is about a woman who was nearly the victim of a carjacking, except a trucker saw it and came quickly with a ball bat and the would-be carjacker ran

Know your governors – Part 2

With the primary season nearly concluded, the ballots in states are almost finalized. Candidates for various positions are focusing their messages as they seek office or re-election.Many states will be deciding on who will fill their governor’s seat. In the lead-up to Election Day, it seems like a good idea to take a look back at some significant actions taken by governors who are once again

Next year’s lawmakers: Fast and furious

While the summer heat thrives and winter seems a light-year away, it may appear a tad early to look ahead at how much activity is anticipated at statehouses and Congress for the 2011 calendar year.But for people like myself who track state issues there is no time to waste when it comes to keeping up with legislative happenings. And with 83 percent of elected officials on ballots this November,

My britches aren’t made of sugar

There’s been some interesting talk going on around the trucking industry about what is an endearing greeting and what is sexual innuendo.It all started when two truck stop employees won a lawsuit against their employer because of a claim that they were sexually harassed by customers.In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that I’m a little bit thicker skinned to this subject than a lot

‘The Power of One’ still true

A couple of years back Land Line published an article titled “The Power of One.” It attempted to convey the importance of taking the time to get registered, if necessary, and casting a ballot, whether it is by absentee or on Election Day.Throughout the voting section there were examples of numerous occasions when one vote either could have altered – or did alter – an election.One of my favorites

The research is there

One of the first things I learned at Land Line was to avoid preaching sermons to the choir.Yes, our readers are mostly truck drivers, who are prone to being bashed by mass media and understood by some as outlaw characters from “Smokey and the Bandit.”Our readers, however, demand more than articles telling them that they’re good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, people like them.With that in