Emily and I went to the hot air balloon festival in Baton Rouge last Saturday, met up with my brother and his girlfriend there.  This video is from the "balloon glow" that is done after sundown.  Looks kind of like a giant pinball machine.... the video sadly doesn't ever do this sort of thing justice.  There were fireworks after this... I only took video of the first few which weren't that impressive... but it was a 25 minute display, which I preferred to spend with my sweetheart instead of videotaping it for you all.

LSU plays BAMA on Saturday... crimsontide and myself have a little wager on who wins.  If the Tide wins... or rather if LSU hands them the game... then I will be decorating my blog with U of Bama Crimson Tide nasty-icky-grossness for an entire week!  However, if LSU SKONKS BAMA like the stars predict, statistics suggest, and God might have foreordained... then we'll be seeing a crimsontide blog in Purple and Gold with LSU Tiger awesomeness!  I don't guess this is a fair bet though... I mean... if Crimson tide loses then his blog gets prettier... if he wins, then his team stays undefeated until they get beat by Auburn.  If I lose... then my blog gets uglier and my team goes to the Cotton Bowl and plays Texas Tech...  I guess it evens out since the odds are in my favor though. ;)

I'm going out of town this weekend... and I really hope I'll be able to catch the game... It's very important to me.  Hell, it's the only thing that I make a habit of watching.  It's really one of the only reasons I bother with TV at all.  I suppose that the "week" should only be a work week.  I know crimsontide will want to have his blog back to his normal yucky crimsontide colors for the Iron Bowl.  And I won't be able to be here until Monday morning to change it.

See you guys around!

Question on everyone’s mind

Students were greeted Monday with the unfamiliar sight of weekday tailgaters at a time when most would usually be worried about tests.

As we walked past the tents, empty beer cans and half eaten jambalaya, the question on our mind was simply, “Why?”

Why did the University close for a storm officials knew would strike 48 hours before scheduled classes? Hurricane Rita left only moderate damage that was largely concentrated off campus.

The answer University administrators have offered is that they feared Rita would be as catastrophic as Hurricane Katrina. We can accept this answer only to a point.

Despite the denials, the answer closest to the truth seems to be that those in power cancelled class because of the pure logistics of hosting the football game against the University of Tennessee.

This logic is borne out of observing the actions of the administration for the first two scheduled games of the season.

In the case of the first home game, against the University of North Texas, we completely understand why the event was postponed. The University had become a shelter, hospital and a command center for one of the largest natural disaster relief efforts in U.S. history.

The next week brought another home game against Arizona State, the University agreed to move the game to Tempe, Ariz. This, too, was in response to the continuing presence of rescue and recovery efforts centered at the University, and we applaud the administration for its forward thinking in this area.

However, this weekend’s contest against Tennessee was an entirely different matter. If we were unable to have either North Texas or Arizona State play in Tiger Stadium because of the University’s role in relief efforts, how could we have Tennessee play when the University is still operating as a medical center for both Katrina and Rita evacuees?

Even aside from the University’s role in recovery efforts, we are a place of learning — Louisiana’s flagship university. The cancellation only perpetuates the image of LSU as an institution where athletics trump academics and all but solidifies our place in the third tier. How is it that classes could be cancelled because of fears of storm damage, yet a football game, which brings more than 90,000 people onto the campus, allowed to proceed?

We’ve heard the explanations, but frankly, they are questionable.

Chancellor Sean O’Keefe will hold a town hall meeting in Dodson Hall today at 4:30 p.m. We hope he will take the opportunity to address student questions and concerns about the cancellation.

And then there is that one last question — how will the cleanup effort for this campus be complete by the time students pick up this newspaper? Downed branches aside, students will most likely be forced to wade through tailgating debris.

The University administration feared that facility services would be unable to clean up from the hurricane by 7:30 a.m. classes yesterday. So we will expect to see a campus free of broken glass, purple and gold paraphernalia and spilled drinks today.

After all, this was done for the benefit of the student body.

http://www.lsureveille.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/09/27/4338ca3718c01

I just heard that there's been more in Baton Rouge near the shelters.  Some few were arrested in a shelter.  There was a at a gas station (no surprise) tonight (Friday).  I don't want Baton Rouge to turn into the next New Orleans.  Yeah, maybe this kind of stuff is isolated... but I don't care.  It scares me.  I worry about my friends and my family around here.  I know it's not the general refugee populace.  But apparently it's enough for officials to warn people.  They aren't telling us everything here.

*Sigh*  Emily went around and picked up supplies for the shelter being set up at a sister-church.  Catherine and I decided to donate ourselves along with the blankets, pillows, and towels.  We delivered the goods along with Mr. Mike and Charlotte.  Then the ladies and I went to Waffle House... which was packed.  We had a great time unwinding.  The gas station across from the restaurant had lines going down maybe a block or so down Sherwood Blvd.  Like I've been saying... Baton Rouge is crazy...  

I'm getting sick of the national coverage... I should listen to the 24/7 local radio coverage.  If you care to hear it you can go to www.wjbo.com click on LISTEN NOW. 

I also heard that the Southeastern U.S. main switchboard station is located in New Orleans and is running out of water coolant and generator fuel.  If it goes out... the entire Southeastern U.S. will not have communications.  This includes internet, telephone, cellular phones, some cable, etc.  I haven't seen the national news reporting it... I'm thinking that they don't want to cause panic...  If it goes... there's going to be chaos.  I'm scared...  I try not to show it at home... but I am.  I feel like I want to go to dad's and get a firearm.  That might be drastic... but as we've seen in the past few days, fear makes people do crazy things.  I know getting a firearm isn't going to solve anything... and it's not like I can bring it with me where I go. 

School starts back Tuesday.  I've heard rumor that we're starting all over like we never went in the first place.  That's got its pros and cons... but oh well... like mom said, "just roll with the punches."  I want to give kudos to the universities who are giving free or reduced tuition to those students formerly enrolled at N.O. universities.  I know U of Arkansas and U of Bama are doing that.  I'm thoroughly impressed by the character of the Hogs and Tide.  Just when I thought universities were nothing but money grubbing suits akin to politicians!  :)

I'll try to keep y'all posted with as much local and personal news as I can.  The national news is obvious...  I'm watching CNN just like the rest of you.  (Except when I watch the 24/7 local news or radio coverage.)  But like I said, go to www.wjbo.com and go listen to the local news if you want.

I'd like to encourage you again to donate to the American Red Cross at www.redcross.org.  But even more important than that, send prayers.

I shall close with one of my favorite hymns... I think it's very situation appropriate.