My Truck Driving Life

In 1980, I didn't just need a job, I needed a new career. Throughout the 1970's I was a franchised gasoline station dealer for Clark Oil and Refining in Milwaukee, WI. After a long legal battle, which we won in court, the oil company's main mission became forcing the dealers out and taking back control of the stations with salaried managers, thereby eliminating franchised dealers.

Seeing the writing on the wall and also wanting to relocate to a small northern Wisconsin town I needed to do something to support myself. Factory jobs in the rural north in 1980 were few, far between and didn't pay very well. With frequent layoffs due to varying economic conditions, I needed something steady, reliable, with the ability to make decent money. Being 29 years old, I didn't have a lot of time to waste.

My decision was to get myself qualified to drive tractor-trailers and start a driving career. I had been trained as a straight truck driver in the Army Reserve, which provided me some familiarity with diesel engines. I knew I was a decent driver, but was worried whether I could do it all day, every day for a living. So, while I still had the gas station, I signed up for the Diesel Truck Driving School in Sun Prairie, Wi and started training.

So began a successful 38 year career that I retired from in 2018. It wasn't all sunshine and roses, but after a couple stutter steps, I managed to make a decent living througout and was able to put away enough to enable a comfortable retirement. In 2020, I published a book about my experiences which is available by linking to the author link below. Available as an inexpensive eBook, paperback or hardcover.

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My Truck Driving Life

Pioneer QX-949 Quad Receiver - The Cat's Meow in the 1970's

For a few years in the early 1970's 4 channel quad stereo receivers became all the rage. in 1973, Pioneer came out with their top of the line QX 949 that was capable of Discrete 4 quad. I was young, single and able to purchase one around that time. The receiver was huge and weighed about 50 pounds, costing around $800 without extras like speakers and turntable. Of course, if you wanted the ultimate quad experience, you also had to buy albums that incorporated the technology. I think that's what ultimately led to failure in the marketplace, as the equipment needed was quite expensive back then. Also, you would certainly lose some of the advantage unless you were seated near the center of the surrounding four speakers.

But that set could put out amazing sound at 40 watts per channel, 160 total. I bought a reverb, and 4 big speakers, having that setup for more than 30 years! Those were the party days!

Also, you would certainly lose some of the advantage unless you were seated near the center of the surrounding four speakers. But with the super cool display, you could custom tune the output of the individual speakers!

Where Would We Be Without Drug Companies? Consider This!

Why? Why all the hate for pharmaceutical companies?

I know a guy. Well, it would be more accurate to say that I know of a guy, or that I used to know a guy. I didn’t request permission to identify this guy, so I won't. But this guy's story should be told. Why? Read on.

This guy, in his mid-teens in the 1980s, was at a crossroads. Grades were not that great in school. He had a very traumatic experience earlier in life. Kind of grew distant and quiet. But he picked the right friend, who had a great family that surely helped inspire him. He became a really good athlete in high school football. Got a summer job at a cheese factory but seemed to quickly figure out that was not what he wanted to do with his life.

Soon after, there was an amazing change when he hit the books in school and his grades came way up. After high school, he and his buddy went off to college. He received a Bachelor of Science Chemistry degree at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in 1993 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1998 at the University of Utah. After earning his Ph.D., he accepted a Postdoctoral Fellowship at University of Utah with Prof. Gary E. Keck.

While studying in Utah, this guy met his future wife, a great gal from Ohio, who also got her Ph.D in chemistry. They have successfully raised two daughters.

After his education, this guy was hired by Pfizer Pharmaceutical with he and his wife moving to Connecticut, where she was also hired. He began his industrial career as a Research Scientist at Pfizer Inc. and was promoted to Research Fellow in 2012. He then was promoted to Drug Discovery Design Lead. During his time at Pfizer he received numerous awards; the most notable was the W.E. Upjohn Award for innovation. He has over 90 patents, publications and external presentations including two most cited articles, one in the journal of ACS Chemical Neuroscience (2010-2014). He has authored nearly 40 scientific papers. Beyond developing new medicines targeting Alzheimer's disease, this guy has developed compounds to treat Schizophrenia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy and allergic rhinitis.

After Pfizer cut back funding of his department, he was hired away by a competitor, Aquinna Pharmaceutical, as Vice President of Research for a couple years. In 2020, this guy and a fellow Ph.D friend from Pfizer co-founded a new company Rgenta Therapeutics, Inc. with his title being Chief Scientific Officer and his partner Chief Executive Officer. They currently have a new drug, a potential treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in Phase 1 of a clinical trial.

Which brings me around to the point of this story. This doctor worked his way through advanced degrees on his own. Whatever grants, scholarships, loans he could get, he would also work. His education took him until he was close to 30 years old before he started making real money. I don't know how long it took him and his wife to pay off their debts. 

The survival of their new company is dependent on investors paying to fund their research, which is ongoing. Research and development costs are enormous. With drugs in clinical trials, if successful, could be life saving to many. Researchers and scientists need to be paid for what they do. Their investors take risks and need to be compensated if and when their products get to market.

Drug companies? Of course, there’s bad actors out there, as there are in any business or profession. The opioid scandal involving some drug companies was shameful. But, also shameful, was the lack of oversight from the Federal Food & Drug Administration and their failure to safeguard the public. There needs to be oversight, but, come on, thank God for the good they also do.

The many thousands upon thousands of dedicated guys/gals that work hard every day trying to cure disease. Many spend a third of their lives before their education is complete, which it really never is, as they have to continue to study throughout their working lives. Which is what they do, like this guy. And we should appreciate all the great work that these guys and gals do every day, for all of us.

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A Landmark Moment in Motorist Advocacy

I am a member of The National Motorists Association, believing in their cause for more than 50 years. Having written several posts about them, I am re-publishing this info I received in their New Year's email. I hope you would consider joining the fight against the war that is still being waged on the motoring public.

On January 2, 1974, President Richard Nixon signed the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act into law, which included a key provision: the National Maximum Speed Limit (NMSL) of 55 mph on interstate highways. The stated goal of the law was to conserve fuel during the oil crisis of the early 1970s, but it soon became a source of frustration for American drivers. While the government aimed to reduce energy consumption, the NMSL quickly proved ineffective, leading to longer travel times, massive ticketing, and more driver frustration without achieving the desired results.  And so was born the Citizen’s Coalition for Rational Traffic Laws, eventually to be renamed the National Motorists Association.

As people who are deeply committed to motorists rights, we take great pride in the role that the NMA played in the effort to repeal this unworkable and unpopular law. Under the leadership of Jim Baxter, the NMA launched a tireless campaign to overturn the NMSL. Jim understood that speed limits should be determined by road design, safety conditions, and reasonable drivers’ decisions—not by a one-size-fits-all federal mandate. The NMA worked relentlessly, organizing grassroots campaigns, reaching out to lawmakers, and rallying the public to join the cause.

Our message was simple: speed limits should be based on rational principles, such as the 85th percentile speed, not arbitrary rules that make the vast majority of reasonable and safe drivers into violators.

Our efforts culminated in 1995, when the National Highway System Designation Act was signed into law, effectively repealing the NMSL. This victory was a monumental step forward for the NMA and for all Americans who believe in the freedom to drive responsibly. By returning the authority to set speed limits back to individual states, we were able to restore common sense to the way we manage our highways and roadways. States could now set speed limits based on engineering, road design, and local driving habits—factors that made more sense than a blanket 55 mph limit.

The repeal of the NMSL was not just a win against a bad law—it was a victory for the principle of rational traffic policy. It demonstrated the power of grassroots advocacy and the importance of organizations like the NMA in protecting the rights of drivers.  And we couldn’t have done it without the tireless efforts and financial support of our members and donors.

But our work didn’t stop there.

Since the repeal, the NMA has remained vigilant, advocating against unnecessary restrictions on motorists and continuing to fight for fairer, safer, and more reasonable road policies. Whether it's pushing back against speed traps, opposing unjust traffic enforcement measures like red-light cameras, or advocating for better highway infrastructure, the NMA has always been at the forefront of protecting motorists' freedoms.

As we look back on January 2, 1974, and the signing of the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act, it's important to remember the legacy of the NMSL repeal and the ongoing fight for motorists’ rights.

The road ahead may be long, but together we’ll keep pushing for common-sense policies that protect the freedom of the open road.

TAKE ACTION:

If you're not yet a member of the NMA, we encourage you to join us in this important mission—because the fight for motorists' rights is never over.

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My Mustang Boots

In 1964, I was 12 years old when Ford introduced the all new Mustang. They were certainly great looking cars and the manufacturer had one of the most successful vehicle launches in their history. They sold more than one million of them in the first two years of production. Soon all the other car companies were coming out with the “long hood, short deck” copy of the pony car.

A couple of years later, being about 14 or 15, I was in a Father and Sons shoe store in Milwaukee. I think it was around Fond Du Lac and Hampton Ave. I don’t know what kind of shoes I originally went in for, but as I walked down an aisle, I came across a display that had some boot/shoes called the Mustang. As soon as I saw them, I had to get myself a pair of those babies, one way or another! My jaw dropped as I inspected a pair, impressed with the really cool Mustang logo, pointed toes, and inch and a half heels. There was a vertical zipper on the inside ankle to easily get them on and off. I found a pair that fit and wasn’t leaving without, thankfully I had enough money on me to buy them. Only after I left the store, while on the way home, did I start to think about what my parents might have to say about this purchase!

I don’t remember them giving me much grief about it. I used my own money that I had earned, so I wasn't too worried they would force me to take them back. My plan was to keep my new Mustang Boots forever, so the next day I went and bought some metal cleats to nail on the heels to protect them from wear. It was the weekend and after hammering the cleats on the heels, I was looking forward to school on Monday.

Monday morning came and I was proudly clicky-clacking my way down the hall at school and started walking around a corner. I had never worn shoes with cleats before and failed to consider that those metal cleats could be slippery on the linoleum floors. As I came around the corner I slipped and almost fell on my ass in front of a couple girls. Quite an embarrassing moment! That surely took some spring out of my step as I had to think about how I walked the rest of the day. The following morning as I was coming down the hall again, a teacher came out of a classroom stopping me! He informed me that cleats were not allowed in school and I was to remove them after I got home, or else! If I came back with them on, I would be sent home. So, I went home and clawed them off, and wore the soles off before eventually having to toss them, but I sure loved those shoes!

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