end poverty!

Today is Blog Action Day 08 – focused on ending poverty. I caught on to this a little late. Sorry about that. But if you’ve read my blog for any length of time I think you’ll know how frustrated I get to see people living in poverty.

I think you know it rattles me crazy when folks refuse to help a brother or sister in need.

I think you know I think our reaction to the poor and to the hurting around our world is a direct indication of how we view God (and yes that can be taken multiple ways).

I don’t if I have amazing words of wisdom to share today, but thought I’d share some visual media with you to help us each reflect on the issue of poverty in the world around us.

All the media is from real people, whom I’ve had the honor and privilege of meeting and sharing life with in some way shape or form. I wish I could do more and God willing — I will. Most of the pictures are from Nigeria. The videos are from Waxahachie, Nigeria and Dallas. The point? — There are hurting people, living in poverty everywhere — all around us.

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.


Check Judaism. Check Islam. Check pretty much anyone.
I mean, God may well be with us in our mansions on the hill… I hope so. He may well be with us as in all manner of controversial stuff… maybe, maybe not… But the one thing we can all agree, all faiths and ideologies, is that God is with the vulnerable and poor.
God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house… God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives… God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war… God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them.

Jerry’s not happy with WFAA and Cynthia Izaguirre

Cynthia Izaguirre
Cynthia Izaguirre

So, as previously mentioned, a post I wrote back in Jan. 2008 about WFAA morning anchor Justin Farmer leaving continues to get a lot of visits and comments.

But I’ve come to realize something over and over again now.

One guy in particular is apparently not happy at all with new morning anchor Cynthia Izaguirre and he’s sharing his 3 thoughts all over Dallas blogs.

As of the last count, he’s posted 8 or 9 comments on my blog. He’s copied three of the comments on two separate posts. I did a quick Google search for one phrase he’s used — and as it turns out, it’s not just my blog he’s copying and pasting to.

google search

Looks like he’s also hit up Frontburner on a couple occasions as well as Dallasismyhome.com.

I wonder if he had his heart broken, or is just two busy to write original comments for all the different blogs.

Hmmm. Oh well. Makes those “Obama hates everyone” e-mails seem that much less surprising.

related ::
Uncle Barky’s original post
SSL :: Justin Farmer’s out Brad Hawkins in
SSL :: Justin Farmer to leave WFAA
Uncle Barky :: Local Nielson ratings snapshot
WFAA :: Daybreak
WFAA :: Brad Hawkins
WFAA :: Cynthia Izaguirre

pray for the least of these

tonight it’s frigid cold in Dallas. mid 30’s – 20’s I would estimate and maybe colder by early morning.
tonight Laurie and I played two rounds of miniature golf in our nice warm harm in suburbia.
tonight thousands sleep under overpasses and cardboard boxes less than 30 miles from us.
pray for them. pray that God warms their bodies and their hearts. and pray for us as a people when we drive by them and judge them with our thoughts and our stares.

Re: Google releases Streetview Dallas

Man to get hit by trolley
Looks like someone’s doing some work – on a ladder – in the middle of the street – with a trolley headed right towards him! Yikes. And yes, this is the same trolley system Laurie and I rode on our first date. (funny thing though – if you try to go SW the car disappears)
View

Another trolley car nearby
View

Hard Rock – Dallas
View
Well used to be anyways

The house Laurie lived in
When we first met
View

The Granada
Where I’ve spent many nights watching movies and eating way too much food
View

Snuffers
Again – way too many nights, eating way too much food. MMMMmmmm cheddar fries
View

The Red Jacket
The former spot of one of Jack Ruby’s old clubs
View

Re: Google releases Street View Dallas

Not that the picture in and of itself is spectacular – but here’s the spot where Laurie and I got engaged.
View

You can barely make it out in this pic, but there’s a bench there which is where it all took place.

And here’s Cafe Brazil.
View
One of my favorite hangouts in Dallas. Surprised my cars not there – granted it’s not normally there till after dark.

Google releases Street View Dallas

Google released Street View for Dallas today.
Awesome. I now have another way to completely waste my time.
For those of you outside the Dallas area (or even inside Dallas) here are some interesting sites for you.

Dealey Plaza
where President John F. Kennedy was shot (the school book depository is to the right)
view

DCCCD Admin building
my new office
view

Reunion Tower
the famous Dallas ball
view

I’ll post some more as I get a chance to search for them.