Truck Drivers lend Publicity to Missing Persons

Every year the Merced County Sharriff's Office goes around to local truck stops, and asks Truck Drivers if they could put a missing persons poster on the back of their trailer. Deputy Tighe made a phone call to Crete to get the nod. Then another Deputy climbed up and posted it.

This effort is funded by The Polly Klaas Foundation (www.pollyklaas.org). There are a lot of missing persons on the Foundation's web site and you'd be doing the families a service to look through as many photos as you can. Try to see if any of the missing people look familiar. It's not just going to help with people you've seen recently, but, also one of the photos might be somebody you saw 10 or 20 years ago. And that type of information can potentially crack a case wide open for the Detectives and families of the missing.

This particular poster gives publicity to Missing Person Vanessa Smith. Missing since May 31st, 1997. Vanessa left her home in Wilton, CA at 7:00 PM and never returned home. Her walking stick was found along the path she usually takes. Vanessa was last seen wearing a light blue dress with an elastic waist and metal buttons.

The lead detective for this case is Det. Micah Blawley 209-385-7472 ex 4989.

An Afternoon with Faxon ARAK-21 and Bushmaster AR-15

ARAK-21 new-in-box w/EOTech HHS1, (above) M4A2 Upper Reciever

I bought 3 Bushmaster Stripped Lowers 16 years ago. I built one into a combat rifle for myself, and have since used the other 2 stripped lowers to built combat rifles for friends. Specced out the way they wanted them. Then sold it to them at cost.

Before becoming a truck driver I was never really able to afford anything beyond the iron sights. So with this year's tax refund I figured it was time to give my combat rifle some upgrades. But I realized early on that all the upgrades I ordered would leave a lot of residual parts, and going from those residual parts to a completed rifle would not be much of a stretch. All I was missing was the stripped lower and lower parts kit. So I got those ordered when I was on the road.

I was going to sell the older completed AR-15, but, my Mom and Dad have since asked to have it around at their house in Phoenix.


For the new build I picked Faxon Firearm's ARAK-21 for my Upper Receiver. Faxon is not new to machining, but, the Firearms branch is 2 years new. I noticed that it's getting some stellar reviews in what few periodicals have been hands-on with it so far. For my sight solution I picked EOTech's HHS1 Hybrid Holographic Sight and 3x Scope (G33.STS). This was developed for our military a few years ago. More Information: http://www.eotechinc.com/. The forward assist and weapon light is from Surefire (http://www.surefire.com/). How important is a Weapon Light? Answer: http://youtu.be/tJf_xl3VlLU


I was planning on building the AR-15 on camera, starting with the stripped lower. When I got to my Hometime to start the build I found that not all lower receiver parts made it into my parts order(s). So I used the Bushmaster lower I built 16 years ago for all the new upgrades. Maybe I can do the build project later this year?

We went to the range to have fun with the new ARAK-21. With 5 cameras rolling (2 Camera Glasses) we filmed 4.6 hours. I got that vetted down to 8 minutes and change.


It originally included what would be a 5 minute intro and narrative. "I got to looking over you folks subscribing to my Channel," is how I wanted to start narrating it. "Most of you are truck drivers. And most of you are into guns. I find myself in good company amongst you folks." Say a few more paragraphs - then I'd move to build the combat rifle in front of a Chroma Key so that I could put quotes from the Framers in the black background.

But, that all got deleted because of the missing lower receiver parts. You can see the start of the deleted scene here [1m3s]: Deleted Scene on YouTube. I worked a long time getting this to look as good as it does. Please watch it.

We brought a new shooter onto the range with us. For the first time handling and firing a gun - she seems to have a natural talent for it. She handled my Glock .45 with excellent control both left and right hand. Very tight group - double and single hand. The Glock 21 and ARAK-21 seemed to be a good fit for her. She thoroughly enjoyed shooting the ARAK-21. And I got just as much a kick watching the enjoyment she experienced.

The ARAK-21 was a pretty awesome upper. There's no muzzle rise at all when I dropped a 30-round magazine downrange in 3 seconds. We had an issue with the firing pen not making contact with the bullet after 90 rounds or so - towards the end of our shoot. I kept having to pull the bolt to fiddle with it. I don't know enough about the ARAK-21 yet to troubleshoot it.

Before I bought the Bump-fire Stock from Slide Fire (http://www.slidefire.com/) I think I barely put 300 rounds through my AR-15 over the past 16 years. Now that I have it we're dumping what looks to be 600 rounds every time we go to the range - 2 times now. I'm not saying it like it's a bad thing. I'm just saying that it's getting really expensive. Time to start pacing myself?

Truck Drivers Prone to Bladder and Kidney Infections

Three years ago - 15 months after I started driving long-haul - I had a problem peeing for a period of 3 days. My bladder felt full and I couldn't 'go.' It was followed by a whole lot of pain from my right Kidney. At that time I didn't put the 2 issues together. I brushed off the peeing problem as a 'sensor malfunction,' and the Kidney pain as a result of the Energy Drinks I consumed.

I've had a couple more bouts of Kidney pain over the past few years of driving. During all the bouts I was consuming high amounts of Energy Drinks. I've also heard from other drivers about their Kidney pain. Each saying they consume lots of Energy Drinks too. So I kept dismissing each time as 'just a side effect.' And then cut back on the Drinks and switched a bit more to distilled water. The pain in each instance continued for a few weeks to a month.

A week ago I had the same symptoms as 3 years ago - with the inability to 'go' - for a few days. And it was followed by my right Kidney flaring up again, as it has a few times over the years. This time I'm putting the 2 symptoms together, as I realize they are related issues. It's not the Energy Drinks or a 'sensor malfunction.' It's an infection.

Truck Drivers are prone to Bladder and Kidney infections for a couple of reasons.

Obviously we sit for long periods of time. Often times being pressured to keep the load moving. And when we're not being pressured to keep the load moving, a lot of us stay in that mindset. So we're skipping by the few Rest Areas and Truck Stops we pass -- chances to stop and release the bacteria-laden bio-waist. So the bacteria multiplies. And when we sit for long enough, the bio-waste has chance to reflux back into the Kidney. Boom! Infected!

Here's another reason. Because of the job, we're often times miles - even hundreds of miles - away from a toilet. So guys and gals will store the excreted bio-waste in used water jugs (or whatever). It's a nessesity - we got no choice.

Referred to as 'Thunder Jugs' (terminology credit: Jared Pinkard) these containers give opportunity for the bacteria to multiply. Truck Drivers will often reuse the same Thunder Jug for weeks and even months at a time. And with the bacteria hanging around, each time the Thunder Jug comes in contact with the driver's skin is another chance for the bladder to become infected.

I'm trying to get home for my Hometime. But, right now I'm brokedown and having to get my load repowered/relayed. When I get home I'll get with my Doctor for some treatment. Anti-biotics are the treatment, I've read.

More Info from WebMD: Kidney Infection, Symptoms and Treatments

I've been looking forward to an AR-15 build project I was going to film for my YouTube Channel. But, right now this has a chance to screw all that up. Because of the pain I'm in. I do have an offer from a friend to take my place in the video -- if I talk him through the build. LOL Don't tell him this, but, it's been over a decade since I built one. Anyway we'll see what happens in a week or so...