Wow...maybe someone woke up...probably not since it was hidden on the second to last page. 

Quote  from http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN-inlandport_14edi.ART.State.Edition1.1395d161.html

Dallas a Major Trade Center: Developments in the works to make it happen

Developments in the works to make it happen

04:30 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Hub of the trade wheel

Attention, insomniacs.

Here's a thought guaranteed to induce yawns, courtesy of the city of Dallas' latest task force, this one on economic development: The city needs a strategy, one that focuses on its historic strengths, including transportation and freight handling.

But wait. What's that ungodly racket coming from the southern part of the county, that part so desperate for new enterprises? Why, it's the new Union Pacific freight terminal, busy transferring containers stuffed with goods made in China from trains onto trucks. (OK, it's in Wilmer, not in Dallas, but many of the people who work there undoubtedly live in Dallas.)

And why are all these Dallas officials jetting off to Houston, Washington, Mexico and even China to meet with foreign-trade honchos? Why do they keep whipping out pens to sign long legal declarations with those folks? And why do they keep spouting words like "intermodal," "agile port" and "NAFTA impact zone"?

Well, we could load you down with details, but suffice it to say that sleep may have to wait. Because, with a little prompting from transportation experts and the Port of Houston, Dallas – and now all the cities in the southern part of the county – snapped to the fact the area they collectively encompass is positioned to be the dominant trade center in North America. If, that is, they act swiftly to put in place the infrastructure, the economic incentives and the legal agreements to make it happen.

The first battles – to persuade the federal and state governments not to bypass Dallas when expanding their highway networks – seem to have been substantially won. The city also has signed exploratory agreements with the ports of Houston and Manzanillo, Mexico, to handle and – in the case of Houston, store – containers bound by rail to and from those ports. Closer to home, the southern-tier cities have agreed in principle to sign a pact to act as one in developing new infrastructure – including, potentially, a new cargo airport – and courting trade-related companies.

Nothing exists on the ground yet; it's all on paper. But the "inland port" idea seems to have generated what the first President Bush called "the big mo" – which is more than you can say for many other recent plans for the southern sector.

Snooze at your peril.

For those of you that didn't notice, in my profile picture, the barrels that I'm sitting on have the letters RAW SMELLS with an arrow pointing to my Blog.  In my twisted bit of humor, I thoght that this was fitting.

I have personally answered some of the calls for assistance in the wake of the Katrina disaster.  I am overwhelmed by the amount of response from the DFW area.  On Friday night, a call on the news came out stating that the Wilkerson Athletic Center in Ft. Worth was in desperate need of Pedialyte.  This was at 10 PM newscast that night.  I went to the local 24 hour Wal-Mart in Valley Ranch and bought up the supply there ($138 worth, and that stuff isn't cheap).  I then drove to the south side of Ft. Worth, which is about a 45 minute drive.  I unloaded many of the bags of Pedialyte.   Now, my intention was to drop off the stuff and go home and feel I had done a good deed. I was then put to work carrying stuff.  The response so great that they were now more supplies and volunteers than evacuees there.  There was a station where barbers were giving people haircuts and doctors and nurses giving people check ups.  This was a really impressive effort.  Now, as I looked around, more stuff kept coming in.  More victims were on the way and space was filling up at this location.  They made a decision to move some stuff to a new shelter on the north side of Ft. Worth.  Five people volunteered the use of their pick up trucks, and one PT Cruiser.  We assisted loading up this stuff for about an hour, filling each up to the brim with food, water, clothes, shoes, and baby supplies.  We were then off.  We arrived at this recreation center at about 2 AM.  It was a dark and desolate.  The director of the center opened the door, and was starting to prepare to show us where to unload.  No sooner had the door opened, but there were about 25 teenagers from the neighborhood coming down to assist.  This area was not in an affluent neighborhood either.  They wanted to help and they did what they could.  While we left, they stayed to unpack and sort out what we had brought them.  They are also the ones that were waiting for a bus, waiting to greet their new neighbors. 

I did try to give blood yesterday.  I was told I was deferred because of my travel to India and the UK.  India, because of malaria.  I even took my pills for that.  The UK because of mad cow disease.  I will be eligible in about 10 months though.  I did make my monetary contribution too, but that is between God, my accountant and me.

Some international support did come in after my last blog.  Japan, Australia, and the UK all offered financial support through donations to the Red Cross.  Canadian firefighters from Vancouver came down on their own to aid with rescue operations.  Some others came in with a grain of salt, along with insults, judgments and blame.  Venezuela and Chavez were particularly putrid with their remarks. 

Thank you for your aid and prayers.  To hell with you that don't.