WIXY's Gone Bananas

The last two weeks have been more bearable because of all of you. From the first email from Brenda and the first response from YEKIMI, to all the emails, responses on my posts and signing of the guest book, you have all provided comfort to me and my family. I also want to thank everybody who stopped here in the past two weeks and got to know my brother and reminded me that he was a very special guy. There is still an empty space in all our lives, but it's good to know that the muse allowed me to share Ricky with the blogosphere. I want to thank all those who left a comment or sent an email encouraging me to keep posting about Ricky. From the bottom of my heart....And from me and my family. YOU GUYS ARE THE GREATEST!

Cliff Note: I originally posted this last week forgetting that Jessica was on vacation. According to my site meter she's back, so I'm moving this back to the top. Taking a look at my blogroll, I notice that bloggers from the southern states outnumber those from northern states. Jessica is from Michigan and proud of it. Why, I don't know. Keep in mind that I live in Ohio . Jessica loves cold weather and the activities that come with it. I discovered Jessica from Frasypoo's blogroll. The first thing I discovered was that Jessica is a photography nut. Second thing was that she is a proud band mom, like one of my best friends, Brenda . I first left a comment there when she took some pictures of her daughter Jordan at a band show. It was during marching season and we folks connected with our local marching bands seem to notice those things. Of course I have to interject here that Jordan's band, the Hartford Indian Emerald Vanguard , is a corps band, as opposed to the ...

Alright now! This is the post everybody's been waiting for.... Well, some of you.... Uh Pat, here's your post. Pat Jenkins is one of the political bloggers on my blog roll. A conservative, he is the Rush Limbaugh of posters here. He comes to us from Springfield, Ohio via the golden EIB (Excellence In Blogging) keyboard. He also secretly hopes that Hillary is elected president. That way Pat won't run out of anything to blog about for at least four years. The two of us kid each other, usually on the comment page. His other targets from this "family" are Frasypoo , who he refers to as Miss Poo , and Melanie of Monday Through Sunday fame. He calls her Miss Monday , which is what most of us would like to do. The day, that is. Pat keeps up on the issues of the day and will most of the time post his light hearted take on them. If you check his blog daily, it will give you the urge to keep up on important issues this election year. The name of his blog is Pat J.(at le...

Struke is another one of my message board friends. We became friends because he was once employed in radio and television, and he thought that I was, by the way I was conducting myself on the radio and television boards. We had one thing in common: a former employer of his is a marching band announcer for an area high school. We started communicating via email and that's when I found out that he was a teacher in an area high school and that he taught classes on electronic media. It was over a year ago when Struke started visiting my blog and has always had something positive to say about what I had to write about. The blog Media Matters soon followed, and Struke's aim was to use it as an educational tool for his classes. Struke had the same Northeast Ohio audience as I and a mutual friend who is a former radio and television newsman who identifies himself as Newsnomore would stop by to give moral support, which to all of us Cleveland area message board posters turned blogger...

Some of my first posting on message boards was on radio-info.com. There was a cast of characters there who went by the forum names of TimL, JohnnyMorgan, david5258, and others. One of the most knowledgable was a gentleman who went by the name of oldakronite. He was originally from Akron, Ohio and had the desire to be in radio. OA had realized his dream outside of the area for awhile, but is now back in Northeast Ohio. In June of 2005, OA took the information he used on his posting and started blog called Ohio Media Watch. Ohio Media Watch went from it's humble beginnings and now has over 1200 unique hits a day. The reason that his blog does so well is that he has more credibility than most local news outlets when it comes to media coverage in Ohio. OMW started as a report of radio and television for Northeast Ohio but has quickly become a reliable source for the whole state, which includes the Dayton/Springfield area, which may interest Pat Jenkins . Happy now Pat? The reason I giv...

Lazy Sunday afternoon. I'm going around the blogs adding links to mine when I get to this fairly new blog called Rusin Reviews , when suddenly I'm surprised by seeing...MY PICTURE. Michelle was giving a plug for both of my blogs. I enjoy the fellowship that we have here around these blogs, and Michelle does her part to encourage it. Her other blog is called Rusin Roundup . There last week she presented me with the "Toadally Awesome" award. Michelle is very generous in giving out rewards. There are several other blogs originating from Terre Haute, Indiana, so I may make an official proclaimation for Terre Haute to be called the Blogging Capitol of the Midwest. As a lot of us know, Michelle likes a good joke too. She will post some on her blog or she sends them to us via email. Sometimes it brightens my day to get some good jokes. She has been a friend of Sindi's since kindegarten, and was introduced to my blogs through her. If you haven't visited her blogs, pl...

It's now time for me to pay tribute to one in my own backyard. Tim Lones writes a blog called Cleveland Classic Media. It's an extension of one of his hobbies and that's old television and radio. Tim and I are very much alike but the main difference in our blogs is he puts a lot of research into his. Even though we consider each other very good friends, we have never met face to face. Our virtual meeting was on radio-info.com, where we were posting with media professionals. We both have posted on the Cleveland, classic television, and religious( sometimes referred to in the back of my mind as the holier than thou )boards. I was very impressed with Tim's knowledge of TV that we both watch as we were growing up. And the both of us have impressed the professionals for our knowledge of the mediums. Tim works hard in the writing of his blog and has the respect of many industry people for his work. He has a collection of old TV Guides and sometimes will post schedules from t...

It is lunchtime and as promised I am posting another of my I Like...posts. Frasypoo , of This and That fame, is one of the most unique on my blog roll. Born in India, she came to this country to meet her husband. Being from a line of Christian missionaries, it's fitting that I regard her as a missionary from India to the United States, as this country has come to the point where we need some. When I was giving my Top Banana awards late last year, Frasypoo got the God and Country award. She come here, feet running and got very vocally inviolved with Republican Party politics. Those of us born here should follow her example. I also hear that she is a very good cook. Makes me want to go to Georgia and stop at her house for supper. But not to worry about her gaining too much because Frasypoo is also a runner and is training to run a half marathon. I have saved the best thing for last. I feel very confident in her relationship with the Lord, as I do many of my blog friends. Frasypoo ha...

When I think of Bella, I think of the time I had to get some boiled peanuts at the convenience store in Florida. Bella had written a post about the peanut festival in her home town. I was told by my wife and her parents that I wouldn't like them. when I tried them, I found out they were okay, that they tasted like chick peas. Bella is an ob-gyn nurse in Alabama. As such many children come into the world and the first thing they may see is her face. After this, they are in for a major disappointment when they start seeing other people. But Bella is more than just another pretty face, she is a very interesting person. She posted that her first job was at Hardees . I'm still trying to picture her wearing one of those polyester uniforms, complete with the ugly hat over all that hair. Also, I can now see why she made the decision to join PETA. And she went from Hardees to health care. Go figure. Bella is also green, meaning she drives a hybrid and eats organic food. One of the first...

Kathy shares her first name with my wife. When I was first mentioning this Kathy in this blog, I would make the notation (not Mrs74WIXYgrad.) That was to avoid any confusion to those who had been with me for a long time. Kathy is a devoted Christian who uses her talents for the Lord. She also encourages her children to do the same, as her son is the drummer for the Christian band A Plea for Purging. Like mine, her children are now adults trying to make it in today's world. Among the group on my blog roll, Kathy is probably the closest to me in age. She and her husband recently celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary. My Kathy and I will be celebrating our 29th next month. Kathy's blog, Kathy's Klavier , reads like a devotional, which is one more way she uses her talents for the Lord. At the end of every post she always adds scripture. I also have emailed Kathy with prayer requests, as I am confident of her devotion to prayer. Oh, and Kathy, in your honor check out the fir...

Sindi was my introduction to the Terre Haute gang . She came to Seek Him First via Kathy's Klavier . Sindi is always upbeat and puts a lot of "He He He's" in her blogging, responses and emails. Sindi once read in a post that I was fighting depression and sent me an email with a poem which she wrote herself. She also forwards many jokes on to others, including me. Sindi knows how to put a smile on our faces. I understand that Sindi makes a mean pot of potato soup. She takes pride in cooking for her family and posts about it quite often. Her blog, Life is a Roller Coaster , is a good reflection on her life and home. If I read the other Terre Haute bloggers correctly, Sindi is also a good friend. She is a good blogging friend too...

Warren Peace of Peace of My Mind fame is what people look for in a Christian. He doesn't have an air about himself that says he's any better than everybody else. He knows that the main reason that he is special is because he has accepted God's ultimate sacrifice, and that was his only begotten son, Jesus Christ. Warren is one who doesn't hesitate lifting up another's needs in prayer. He calls himself a serial intercessor, not wanting the praise of those he prays for, but rather wants God's blessings on their lives. He considers me the nicest person he's never met and is quick to post a good word about me and anyone else on his blog roll. Warren is also a Bible student who doesn't mind sharing his studies with those who reads his blog. Last thing I will say about Warren is he is a NASCAR fan. That alone makes him alright with several on our blog roll. There are many more reasons I like Warren Peace. I'm sure that those who read these words can think...

Amias is one who thinks outside the box. In this world of change, we can ill afford to go with traditional ways. I have seen this in both the church world and the professional world. We need intellectual leaders, ones who will help us all to think outside of the box. I have seen this in Amias' writings. She had needed to take a few days off from blogging to heal and to recharge. Some very ignorant people decided that she didn't write to satisfy them. She doesn't hold the "traditional black" opinion of the Confederate flag. She feels that it is part of her history as a black woman who was raised in Mississippi. Click here to read her views . Amias returned to her Liquid Plastic blog early this morning to express her struggles and how she had to delete over 200 emails from ignorant and hateful people. I admire her for going off the "cow path" and sharing a different, non traditional view with all of us. And Amias, like everyone else on my blog roll, you a...