Entry About Itself

What does that mean?

I'm getting a few "comments" that are obviously marketing tools. I spend quite a bit if my blogger time deleting them. I like anyone really appreciates a visitor with a comment, but not adds like "I was reading your blog and it's great. I have a site you might be interested in" yea sure, I'm really interested, I'll go there right away! Any tips on how to avoid this? Anyone else experiencing it?

This Is Political

Man, I'm so tired of people bashing this country and President George. I was listening to am 660 today as I was heading south on Hwy. 75 towards home. They were playing clips of different liberal speakers. Why do so many people that really have no idea of what they may be talking about, open their mouths at a time when they should be supporting America. You know, I'm not on with absolutely everything this administration does, but we have to show SOME support and quit badgering everything that goes on because of political agendas. There are things brewing in this world that we need to come together on. No President is perfect, NO ONE. We've got a lot of strong and brave boys over seas that are doing what this country has asked them to do, and if nothing else let's support them. Without it, they're alone in a strange country with bullets and bombs all around. I'm growing tired of people like Jesse, Sheehan (which by the way was finally arrested yesterday)and all of the Hollywood know it alls that are able to speak their minds and because they have a platform people listen! Do you think they have a clue? Many of them barely finished high school! I wish citizens today were like our parents and grandparents were fifty years ago. This country stuck together no matter what. That's what's made you and I the way we are and in turn made this country what it is today, economically, socially and spiritually. I'm just afraid it's all fading...that's the way it looks to me.

Balloon

Balloon
Originally uploaded by banj.

So I waited, and waited, and waited. Finally the perfect "in front of the sun" shot. Do you like it? It's another shot of the Plano Balloon Festival. I didn't go. No time for stuff like that right now. But I got the shot. I can't tell which balloon it is, nor do I remember, but I think it's worth of comment. Shot taken from Allen on the roadside.

False Alarm?

So it looks as though Rita packed NO punch. Lots' of wind in Howe, Texas and in Plano. That's good for the folks in Galveston and in Houston. Wish we had gotten some rain. Looks like we may have our first taste of fall weather by Wednesday.

RITA

Hurricane Rita is on it's way. I just returned from the gas station in Van Alstyne and there were actually lines at the pumps. Many of the vehicles in those lines were either hauling belongings or pulling small UHaul like trailers. They were Houston evacuees.

The storm has just been down graded to a cat 3, but it still packs a punch. Sustained winds of 125 mph still exist and the ocean surge could be catastrophic in itself. We in the Dallas/FW area, as recent as yesterday were expecting 5-12 inches of rainfall. Looks like that kind of rain will happen to our east around the Marshall and Tyler areas. We were actually all hoping that the storm would track further west in order that we could bring some moisture to our cracked and parched ground.

Pray for the folks in Beaumont, Port Arther and Galveston area as it looks like the strongest punch may be well north of Houston. Stay tuned for further updates. Because if it happens today....it's news to us!

Plano Balloon Fest

Plano Balloon Fest
Originally uploaded by banj.

We were in Allen. I had forgotten that last weekend was the Plano Balloon Festival. I'd never actually been to the festival because of the crowds. I thought this photo of North Central Expressway buzzing on a Saturday afternoon with the balloons overhead was a pretty cool image. They were moving toward us, landing in fields just barely south of McKinney. I love the look. They're so massive and peaceful at the same time.

Pre Season Opens!!

Dallas Stars Logo
Originally uploaded by banj.

The NHL returns to the ice today. The Dallas Stars take on Colorado in preseason action tonight at 8 p.m. in Denver. I'm so glad to have the game at the pro level back this year! My prediction is that the stars will end up easily in the Stanleys this spring. They've got a better shot than most and the continuation of Mike Modano and the GAA of Turco doesn't hurt. There'll be quite a bit of hockey stuff posted here in the coming weeks ahead as I'm all about the puck. Go Stars!

Deer Festival

I'm producing the entertainment for the 3rd annual White Tail Deer Festival in Antlers, Oklahoma September 30th and October 1st. I've got some great acts coming including Angela Terilli, Lacy Jade, Chuck Justice, ClearBlue, Texoma Travelers and others. It's been a deal booking the acts and organizing the stage. Come one come all. It will be good. I might even do some banjo fusion if the urge hits me. You don't wanna miss that! Banj rises again.

911 Remembered

911 Remembered
Originally uploaded by banj.

I feel a need to recognize today wherever I can. In our worship this morning there was talk of this day and how it still continues to affect the people in our great nation. That was a day of awakening for every one of us. Why did it do so much to bring us together, and become a catalyst to start breaking us apart? Why are there people who continue to find falt with others instead of using that energy and resource to to rebuild our faith in all that we have and our collective power as a nation? I don't understand. Without being morbid, if we don't all get on the same page and change the way we think and behave both toward one another and in government, it will begin to eat away at our interstructure, morally and civicly, if it has not already done so.

Relief Effort

katrina relief
Originally uploaded by banj.

Last Sunday I recieved a call on the request line at the radio station. It was the publisher of the Dallas Observer. She was requesting some promotion for the relief effort that was being spearheaded by local private citizens. At Reunion Arena parking lot E they were in need of underwear (extra large sizes), toothbrushes, toothpaste, chap stick, baby supplies.

I did the promotion all evening. After my shift I headed to Wal Mart, bought what I thought I could afford and drove to Reunion. There were only a few volunteers there by 11 p.m., but we talked. It seemed like many had come out to help that day, although from the looks of things I believe that many citizens took the opportunity to empty their closets, the drive was in no more need of clothing as it was everywhere.

Ms. and I drove to the site again on Monday evening to see how things were. Many were helping to sort and distribute. We saw some of those who had been in need. They were obvious to us as they all had on new, white socks, some new t shirts and were browsing through the selection of toiletries, books, magazines, bottled water and so forth. Cebella's florist looked to have donated one of their refrigerated trucks in order to store food supplies. Near the truck were what looked to be a couple of grills running full blast with the smell of hamburgers filling the streets around Reunion. The Dallas Police Department were out in force directing traffic and helping where they could. In the photo you'll see a "thank you" sign hanging above the parking level. That sign was made by the Dallas policemen.

I'm happy that so many have helped. Our church congregation was able to raise quite a bit of money last Sunday in order to help those being housed in McKinney at the old Wal Mart building. Again today they are taking supply donations to send directly to the flood zones.

I hope and pray that this country does not fall completely apart due to the finger pointing and partizanship that seems to esculate at a time when this country should coming together. Please, let's stick together, for we'll not make it another century unless we get back to the way we were. We're destroying ourselves.

Banj Gives With Political Post

Ok, I give up. Here's my political post. Yes, I favor President Bush but this really has little to do with that. The way I see it:

A terrible thing has happened to the gulf states, most notibly to New Orleans. It's something that engineers have been talking about there being a possibility of since the 1700's. It finally did. It was nothing that wasn't expected when the right storm hit at the right place.

The response was due to the lack of motivation by the mayor of the city and the Govenor of the state of Louisiana. They had to set the wheel in motion for the Federal agencies to become involved. They waited to a point that the President had to call them. At that point help began rolling in.

The obsurdness that the President doesn't like African Americans or that he didn't care about the state or that he knew this was coming is just plain mush, making the people who are claiming such things look very, very small. The fact is that President Bush has spent more money on levy's in his first term than Clinton did in 8 years! But you hear nothing about that from Hillary. She only wants a commission to find out who to blame!

I have worked hard just has many others have this past week to help raise money to give the citizens of New Orleans a new start. I hope and pray for their recovery. But I'm starting to listen less and less to the progress via television and radio as the bashing and finger pointing becomes more than I care to hear.

That's the way it sounds to me.

Slim Jim and the Sausage Kings

sausage kings
Originally uploaded by banj.

Here's what happens when you get a group of guys together in a little bar and grill in North Little Rock and pack the place out on a Saturday night...

Katrina

The big news now is New Orleans, where so many suffer. If you have not given something to some charity to help these poor people please do so. I've given a small amount of money, but have given in a bigger way by coordinating a station effort for the Red Cross in which we raised somewhere around $25,000 on Friday alone. All of it to go straight to that effort, whether it be in Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Biloxi or wherever. People have been so giving. I've seen little ladies in walkers come up to us and push as much as $250 in cash into our cans. People who you know don't have a lot of means give a $100 bill and say that those folks in the gulf need it more than them. I've seen young teens walk up and offer $2 and people pulling big boats with new trucks give us $1,000 at a time. Every little bit really does help.

More than anything, offer up a prayer for these people. I wish there was a way to make it all better at once but there is not. Whether they be cajun, black, white or some other nationality, I don't care. I just want them to get their lives back as soon as possible.

I haven't posted because I've been running over the past days it seems. But I wanna get deeper into this relief effort here. I want to see what the government does to expidite and what response the mayor of New Orleans and the Govenor of Louisiana continue to give.

May the Lord bless them all...

I'd like to hear your thoughts.