1. Truckers are techier than you. Remember how cool it was when you first got mobile internet? We had had it for years. Remember the coolness of GPS when it first came out? Yeah, we were the beta. Proximity sensors? We started testing them in the 80′s. Face it. We have the tech, now, that you’ll want in three years. There is a reason our rigs look like the Millenium Falcon–Han Solo was a trucker.

2. Truckers are suckers for a sob story. Maybe it’s because we’ve all been there. Or maybe our solitary lives makes us more susceptible. Regardless, when you’re down on your luck you can bet that a trucker will buy you a meal or point you at a job, or just sit and listen to you vent. We’re cool that way. We also invented ‘trolling’, although we call it ‘being a douche coward on the CB.’

3. Truckers are tough. Truckers are tough like steel cutting through the butter that gave you a black eye. If it’s -30F outside, we chuckle and muscle through it. I’ve been through hurricanes, blizzards, tornadoes, and even struck by lightning once. Meh. The upshot of this is, if it’s tough to get there, you can believe it’s a smart choice to catch a ride from a trucker. We eat your nightmares for breakfast and burp staples at 70mph with gospel music blaring.

4.Truckers are outlaws. The system makes us that way, just to survive. Whether it’s screaming through a 55mph zone at 70 to keep a plant from shutting down, or idling a truck in NYC in a back alley so we aren’t jailed for the crime of staying warm, we have learned how to bypass the stupid and focus on the important. But our outlawry is the kind that keeps you alive, not the kind that steals your paycheck. See #3 for why you should never steal from a trucker.

5. Truckers are patriots. Most of us come from military backgrounds, but that is just part of it. After 9/11, DHS didn’t ask cube-monkeys to save the world from terrorists. They came to the truckers and said, ‘be our eyes and ears, for free, for the good of your country.’ and we did. My favorite story is of someone who planted a bomb at the Pilot in Carlisle, PA. When the police got there, they found the bomber spread-eagle on the ground with two 300lb truckers standing on him. And smoking. And bitching about the price of diesel. Yeah, that pretty much says it all.

6. And finally, Truckers protect the weak. By weak I mean unskilled, thoughtless commuters who think they’re Mario Andretti. Think you’re l33t because you’ve been driving for five years? $5 will get you $10 on a bet that a trucker has destroyed $2000 worth of tires to keep your sorry ass alive that day when you gave yourself an extra 15 minutes of sleep. Truckers are hospitalized constantly for injuries sustained from keeping other people alive.

So hug a trucker. It will probably be the only respect he or she will get all day.

HCTV is mighty fond of “Ice Road Truckers” and its spin-off, “IRT: Deadliest Roads,” currently airing Sundays on History. Even the blog mascot, Badger the battery-operated hamster, just can’t get enough.

Last season, “IRT: Deadliest Roads” sent some of the “IRT” truckers and some newcomers to pit their skills against harrowing highways in the Himalayas. HCTV got the lowdown on the adventure from Wasilla, Alaska, trucker and “IRT” veteran Lisa Kelly, including an update on the black-and-white puppy she adopted along the way.

This season, “IRT” has dispatched Kelly and some other truckers to South America to try out terrifying routes there, including Bolivia’s “Road of Death.”

Proving once again that you don’t need lots of testosterone to be tough, Kelly has already outlasted one partner. After returning from a long-haul drive over the weekend, she answered some questions by email — including an update the now-grown dog, which lives with a show producer in the Los Angeles area. (Questions in bold.)

The roads in the Himalayas were challenging, but the ones in South America seem even more difficult. How do you compare the two?

I feel that India was great practice for Bolivia and Peru. Culturally, India was harder, the roads themselves were far worse in South America.

Why do you think your first partner, Southern trucker Dave Redmon, decided to leave?

I think we all deal with life’s challenges differently,

How did that make you feel about continuing?

I have never depended on other people to make decisions for me. I also am very goal-oriented and a problem solver, so when things were bad with the truck I sought to make things better before continuing on.

What do you draw upon to keep going through the fear?

There are many things I want to accomplish in life and I don’t want my fears to stand in my way. Many things are scary in life but that can’t stop you from living it. Now I am drawn to the things that scare me. I feel that if you stop living you start dying.

What does it mean to you to have taken on these challenges?

Now that I’ve done two seasons of “IRT: Deadliest Roads,” I have started to notice patterns in the way I learn and the way I face fears. I’m a little disappointed that I’m not as strong as I thought I was, but I’m so thankful that I know my limits and how to push past them. Now I can almost step outside myself and watch the process that I must go through to overcome obstacles.

Does the Dalton Highway in your native Alaska seem easier after driving in these foreign countries?

The Dalton does seem a lot easier after “Deadliest Roads,” but in that, I have to be careful not to get careless, because the Dalton is still a dangerous road that gets you when you aren’t paying attention.

What would you say to encourage — or discourage — other women from entering the trucking profession?

I would encourage anyone to follow their dreams, because dreams do come true if you want them bad enough. I think every person should challenge themselves so that they can grow.

In the last episode we saw, you were coping with a new partner, Texan G.W. Boles. How did that relationship progress?

With any partner, you have to go through an adjustment period. I don’t want to give too much of the show away, but I have heard people say what great drivers they are and yet can’t drive, so I needed to see proof. Everyone has to earn each other’s trust especially when your life is in someone else’s hands. It’s very hard to just turn your life over to someone that you have never seen drive and is a complete stranger.  So I think it’s interesting to see how trust is built between two people, especially two complete opposites forced to trust each other.

Do you ever get to see the black-and-white puppy you adopted in the Himalayas that now lives in Southern California?

Every time I get to L.A., I make a point to go see Rampur Jackson. He still remembers me!!

(Kelly even wrote a book about him.)

What’s the strangest — or even the funniest — fan reaction you’ve gotten from appearing on “Ice Road Truckers” and “IRT:Deadliest Roads”?

I had one guy who wanted me to shave my autograph in his chest hair. Ha ha ha!. And I had a little kid come up to me and say, “I don’t like you!” You gotta respect the honesty of kids!!

We usually see you behind the wheel. What might we be surprised to know about you when you’re off the road?

I love trucking, and more and more the audience gets to see that I love so much more than just trucking. I have way too many hobbies to even keep up with. I’m not sure there is much left to be surprised about!

And here’s a look at Rampur Jackson, all grown up.

Valentine Ideas – Perhaps this is your first true love? Unsure of your romantic footing? If you need help finding your way, the Valentine Ideas app is full of traditional as well as original ideas and romantic gifts for the occasion. And to send special, romantic SMS messages to your Valentine, try the I Love You SMS app.

Martha Stewart Makes Cookies – This app, available at iTunes for $0.99, goes down as a real treat. Sweeten up your sweetie with some yummy baked goods, with the help of the cookie monster er, master, herself, Martha Stewart. Updated with 26 new recipes, and featuring special Heart Sandwich cookies, there is something for everyone. You can also send virtual cookies to your special someone, warm, fresh-baked smell, however, not included.

Treemail – A paper card? So 20th century. Go straight to the source and declare your love for that special someone old-school style, by carving your names in a virtual tree from the comfort of your phone. The seven types of tree bark to choose from, make this app probably more diverse than your backyard, and has none of the winter snow, sharp objects or barking dogs to deal with! Available at iTunes for $.99.

iWrite Love Poems - Everyone can speak the language of love, but how many social networkers can say it in blank verse? Or in any form of metre or haiku? Poetry is romantic, and this app teaches you how with tips, pre-saved love poems and a generator to create poetry on-the-fly, with a little input to make it personal. If your partner demands unique romance, this is the perfect app, all for $0.99 at the iTunes store.

Victoria’s Secret – This app is for the guys, well, eventually for the ladies, but first, the guys. Its loaded with content, including a tool to let you discreetly buy lingerie, but also pictures and video where you can view special “instructional videos” featuring the Victoria’s Secret models, like “Valentine’s Do’s and Don’ts” with words of wisdom for women an men (“don’t ever wear granny panties”) and “A Valentine How-To” with tips on how to tell someone you love them while showing you how to make hand-made Valentine’s Day cards. And there’s a store locator too, for the guys bold enough to venture in on their own.

Not everyone may be feeling the love this Valentine’s Day, so here is our pick for the top alternative “I Love You Not” app:

Anti-Valentine’s Day Sounds – Valentine’s Day isn’t a real holiday. You’re sick and tired of listening to annoying lovey-dovey couples and there’s an app for that.

The following information was obtained from www.fmcsa.dot.gov.

Hours-of-Service.

Effective February 27, 2012 “On Duty time” (defined in 395.2) does NOT include any time resting in a parked commercial motor vehicle. In a moving property-carrying commercial motor vehicle “On Duty time” does NOT include up to 2 hours in the passenger seat immediately before or after 8 consecutive hours in the sleeper-berth.

Application:  This removes the commonly perceived necessity for a driver to always log sleeper berth (line 2) to record the needed “Off Duty time” required by 395.1(g). For team operations the driver not driving may now log 2 hours in the passenger seat as “Off Duty” (line 1) before or after 8 consecutive hours in the sleeper-berth to get the required 10 consecutive hours off duty.

Penalties:  Driving (or allowing a driver to drive) 3 or more hours beyond the driving-time limit may be considered an egregious violation and subject to the maximum civil penalties ($11,000 per offense for companies and $2750 for each offense for drivers).

Hand Held Cell Phones.

Commercial drivers are now prohibited from using a hand-held mobile telephone while operating a commercial truck or bus.

Penalties for violating this rule include a maximum fine of $2750 to the driver and $11,000 to companies that allow their drivers to use hand-held phones while driving. Using a hand-held cell phone will be considered a “serious” violation (383.51) by the by the USDOT, meaning that any two convictions (speeding of 15 + over the speed limit, tail gating, erratic lane changes, using a hand-held cell phone, et al) within a 3 year period will result in a driver’s CDL privileges being suspended for 60 days.

Medical Certification Requirements to Obtain a CDL.

Effective January 30, 2012 drivers operating in certain types of commerce are required to submit a current medical examiner’s certificate to their state driving license agencies to obtain a “certified” medical status as a part of their driving record. CDL holders required to have a “certified” medical status who fail to provide and keep up-to-date their medical certificate with their state driver licensing agency will become “non-certified” and may lose their CDL.

Drug Testing.

On January 27, 2012 the Federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) approved the Drug Testing Advisory Board’s recommendations to: (1) Include oral fluid as an alternated specimen in the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs, and

(2) The inclusion of additional Schedule II prescription medications (e.g. oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone) in the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs.

DOT is required by law to follow HHS procedures for the drugs for which they test and the specimens they test.

Licensing and Insurance Data Update.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is taking action to address issues associated with technical upgrades to its licensing and insurance information system. The FMCSA encourages carriers that may have licensing and insurance data concerns to contact them at 866-637-0635.

Walking through the mall the surprised wife look up and noticed her husband was no where around and she was very upset because they had a lot to do. She used her cell phone to call her husband because she was so upset, to ask him where he was.

The husband answered and in a calm voice said, “Honey remember the jewelry store we went into 5 years ago where you fell in love with that diamond necklace that we could not afford and I told you that I would get it for you one day?”

His wife started crying and said, “Yes I remember that jewelry store.”

He said, “Well I’m in the Bar right next to it.”

Santa Claus the man is actually loosely rooted in fact, though he hasn’t always looked the way he does today, having evolved from a gift-giving Catholic saint who lived during the third century.

The Protestant Reformation and the emigration of European traditions to America morphed that pious figure into the red-suited character that is now one of the most famous images in the world, complete with his iconic army of elves and a magical transportation system.

St. Nicholas the Generous

Ol’ St. Nick wasn’t always the rotund, bearded fellow you see gracing Christmas cards. The historical St. Nicholas was the revered Bishop of Myra, a Roman town in what is now Turkey. Born around the year 270 A.D., historians believe, Nicholas became bishop as a young man.

Nicholas was dedicated to helping the poor throughout his life, famously (and anonymously) paying for the dowries of impoverished girls. His reputation as a secret gift-giver around town grew with time, and he became known especially for depositing coins or treats in the shoes of children who would place them out for that very purpose, sometimes in exchange for carrots or hay left for his horses. Nicholas is traditionally depicted wearing a red bishop’s cloak, and was often helped by a small orphan boy, according to some legends.

Canonized after his death, St. Nicholas was named as the patron saint of children, sailors and all of Greece, among others. He remained a popular figure of worship through the Middle Ages, with elaborate feasts held each year on the date of his death – Dec. 6 – and small gifts given to children, usually in their shoes, in his honor.

Dutch revival

The Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, when the veneration of Catholic saints was suppressed in many regions of Europe, saw a drop in the popularity of St. Nicholas.

Only in The Netherlands was the celebration of St. Nicholas kept alive in the form of Sinterklaas, a kindly figure who traveled from house to house on the evening of Dec. 5, leaving treats or presents in children’s shoes in exchange for a snack for his horses, according to folklore.

In the Dutch tradition, Sinterklaas wore red bishop’s robes, had elfin assistants, and rode his horses over rooftops before slipping down the chimney to deliver the gifts.

Coming to America

Sinterklaas came to America with the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries, and it was in the new colonies that he really evolved.

The anglicizing of the name – from Sinterklaas to Santa Claus – happened by 1773, when the latter was referenced for the first time, in a New York City newspaper. Santa’s waistline expanded in 1809 with the publication of author Washington Irving’s book “A History of New York,” in which the big man is described as portly and smoking a pipe instead of as a lanky bishop.

In an 1822 poem entitled “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” – more commonly called “Twas the Night Before Christmas” – by Clement Moore, Santa is further imagined with a magic sleigh powered by reindeer, a sack full of toys, and a round stomach, “like a bowl full of jelly.”

By the late 1800s, most depictions of Santa Claus followed this imagery, but the final cog in the Claus legend was provided by Coca-Cola ad illustrator Haddon Sundblom, whose 1930s red-suited Santa, complete with white-fur trim and leather boots, became the iconic standard recognizable today.

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Also, although it’s tempting to flop down on the couch when you’re feeling exhausted, exercise is actually a great way to boost energy levels. Feeling tired is a reason to exercise, not a reason to skip exercise.

But even when you admit that you’d feel better if you exercised, it can be very hard to adopt the habit. My idea of fun has always been to lie in bed and read, preferably while also eating a snack, but I’ve managed to keep myself exercising by using all these tricks on myself:

1. Always exercise on Monday. This sets the psychological pattern for the week. Along the same lines …

2. If at all possible, exercise first thing in the morning. As the day wears on, you’ll find more excuses to skip exercising. Get it checked off your list, first thing.

3. Never skip exercising two days in a row. You can skip a day, but the next day, you must exercise, no matter how inconvenient.

4. Give yourself credit for the smallest effort. My father always said that all he had to do was put on his running shoes and close the door behind him. Many times, by promising myself I could quit ten minutes after I’d started, I got myself to start—and then found that I didn’t want to quit, after all.

5. Think about context. I thought I disliked weight training, but in fact, I dislike the guys who hang out in the weight-training area. Are you distressed about the grubby showers in your gym? Do you try to run in the mornings, but recoil from going out in the cold? Examine the factors that might be discouraging you from exercising.

6. Exercise several times a week. If your idea of exercise is to join games of pick-up basketball, you should be playing practically every day. Twice a month isn’t enough.

8. Look for affordable ways to make exercising more pleasant or satisfying. Could you upgrade to a nicer or more convenient gym? Buy yourself a new iPod? Work with a trainer? Get a pedometer to keep track of your walking distances? Exercise is a high life priority, so this a worthwhile place to spend some money if that helps.

9. Think of exercise as part of your essential preparation for times you want to be in especially fine form—whether in performance (to be sharp for an important presentation) or appearance (to look good for a wedding) or mood (to deal with a stressful situation). Studies show that exercise does help.

10. Remember one of my favorite Secrets of Adulthood, courtesy of Voltaire: Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Don’t decide it’s only worth exercising if you can run five miles or if you can bike for an hour. I have a friend who scorns exercise unless she’s training for a marathon—so she never exercises. Even going for a ten-minute walk is worthwhile. Do what you can.

11. Don’t kid yourself. Belonging to a gym doesn’t mean you go to the gym. Having been in shape in high school or college doesn’t mean you’re in shape now. Saying that you don’t have time to exercise doesn’t make it true.

People often ask me, “So if I want to be happier, what should I be doing?” and I always say, “The first thing to do is to make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep and plenty of exercise.”

I know that answer doesn’t sound properly transcendent and high-minded on the subject of happiness, but research shows that you’d be wise to start there. And I’ve found that if I’m feeling energetic and well rested, it’s much easier to follow all my other happiness-inducing resolutions.

Originally published on The Happiness Project
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Claude Monet once said, “The richness I achieve comes from Nature, the source of my inspiration.”

If nature photography is anything, it is inspirational. It’s the kind that inspires you to finally plan that trip to Alaska, the kind that gently reminds you to look outside your window, and the kind that makes you want to save up some extra cash to buy that nice DSLR. Because through the eyes of a photographer nature really comes alive. The skies show off their gorgeous array of colors, the water lays still so that it can display a spectacular reflection, and animals seem to strike beautiful poses like they are our friend.

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