I’ve been joking that maybe we should call this the National Appaloosa Dog Show. There are dogs everywhere. All kinds of dogs. I’m a big dog lover and there are some beautiful animals here. For the most part they seem very well behaved.
I guess dogs and horses just go together. I’ve seen a lot of puppies too. Fortunately nothing that I’ve been told is for sale or else I could get in real trouble at home. We’ve got two there now.
Do you remember this guy? Steve Taylor, now CEO of the Appaloosa Horse Club. He’s also the guy who got what I think is the first ag group blog going while he was managing the Missouri Beef Industry Council. He’s blogging in Idaho now as the head of this international breed organization and invited me to their National Show.Here he is giving his report at the annual meeting of the organization.
Steve talks about how the show is going here in Oklahoma City. He says that participation is up and everyone is adjusting well to the weather and construction challenges in the facility. He says his number one priority is to become the number one cheerleader for the breed. He thinks that international involvement in the show presents some challenges and opportunities. For one thing the language issue becomes a challenge but he sees ways to overcome that and hopes to create new relationships internationally that will benefit the organization.
Steve also wants to further develop marketing strategies for the ApHC that include better media relations and more web based activity. He says that some of the promotional materials have been translated into different languages and the internet allows for greater outreach on an international level.
You can listen to my interview with Steve here which runs about 12 minutes: appaloosa-national-07-taylor.mp3
If you want to be one of the first to see a very patriotic new music video by Michael Peterson then you need to go to I Remember America. You can watch or purchase the video. After a day of driving and working I needed something to make me feel more in the mood for the holiday. You’ve got a winner there Michael!
As national spokesperson for the American Legion’s “American Legacy Scholarship” Peterson and Primoris Records are launching www.irememberamerica.com. The site will host several contests over the course of the next year, but initially will conduct an essay contest asking Americans of all ages to share their fondest memories of our nation and their ideas about making a positive contribution to our future. The top three essay writers will divide $4,000 prize money for furthering their education or the education of someone they love. Courtesy of Michael Peterson and Primoris Records.
The new video of the song “I Remember America” (from the forthcoming CD “In Black”) can be viewed at the site. $1.00 from the $5.00 purchase price of each specially released “I Remember America” DVD single and .25 cents from each individual download of the song will be given to the American Legacy Scholarship fund.
It’s time to leave the ring for today. But before I go here’s an interview with Dennis Dean from Apple Valley, CA. He’s currently president of the Appaloosa Horse Club. Dennis presided over the annual meeting of the association this afternoon at which members were provided an overview of organizational activities and plans.
You can hear his perspective of how things are going here at the 2007 National Show. Dennis says that even with some of the weather challenges the show is doing really well with increased participation. He said that interest in the breed is strong and that he can’t believe how many people are interested in buying horses right now.
My interview with Dennis runs about 6 minutes: appaloosa-national-07-dean.mp3
I’m here in Oklahoma City and the National Appaloosa Horse Show is in full swing on Independence Day. This is one big show that takes place over a couple weeks since it’s combined with the World Championship Appaloosa Youth Show. I’m just going to be spending a couple days here at the end.
One of the main reasons I’m here is to post content onto Appaloosa Blog Spot, the blog of the Appaloosa Horse Club. In part I’m doing it to show a way they can use the mechanism we built for them for events like this one. The organization has others throughout the year. I’ll be taking pictures, doing interviews and cross posting here and on their site.
Now, I’ll admit up front that I’m not “horsey” as some people like to call it. It’s not that I’ve never ridden a horse. I have many times but it’s going to be a challenge to talk the lingo. I’ll let you be the judge of how I do.
Of course all my photos from the event are being placed online in a photo album. Be sure to check it out. Shooting a moving target inside from long distance under some less than ideal lighting is a challenge. Hopefully I’ll learn how to handle it.
I don’t know about you but I think it’s time to relax and start celebrating our Independence Day.
Cindy and I wish you a very happy and safe 4th of July celebration wherever you are.
Pretty soon it will be time to fire up the barbie here at ZimmComm World Headquarters.
Remember to stay AgWired!
I’ll be doing my holiday grilling this evening since I’ll be in Oklahoma City tomorrow.
USDA wants to remind people about making sure their meat is cooked properly with this story from their audio news service.
Whether summer cooking consists of charcoal, a gas grill, or even wood, the key is still to make sure meat and poultry is cooked thoroughly inside. The report is done by Rod Bain with sound bites from Diana Van of USDA-FSIS. usda-grilling-temp.mp3
Here’s an example of how you can use a MySpace page. It’s called the Krystal Lover’s Lounge. You can download a print a coupon for one of their MilkQuakes from the site.
Since it’s MySpace it’s a blog and they’ve got posts. It looks like they’ve got 630 friends so far.
It’s hot outside. And summer doesn’t “officially” begin for 3 more days. But never fear, because we here at Krystal have made it our mission to keep you cool all summer long. In fact, we’re going to start today by offering all Krystal Lovers a coupon for a FREE MilkQuake – our new line of premium milkshakes made only from real ice-cream.
And because we just couldn’t stop there, we’re going to help you “Chill Out” all summer by providing you with earth-friendly tips that you can use to keep your home cool without having to crank the AC (see, we care about the earth’s well-being as much as we do yours – plus, by saving $$ on your energy bill, you’ll have more $$ for MilkQuakes). One tip will be included in our Krystal Lover VIP emails (if you don’t receive these, you’re missing out – so sign up at www.krystal.com) – and of course, they’ll be posted here on our MySpace page.
So here goes, our first “Chill Out” tip of the summer:
· Turn off the hot stuff. Switch off your computer (only after you’ve finished downloading the free coupon of course) and any lights not in use. In fact, try to avoid incandescent and halogen lamps all together if you can. Go around your home and conduct a “touch test” – if it feels hot, turn it off – that simple.
And, if you have any earth-friendly summer survival advice, do tell by posting your tip in our comments section.
Now, click here for your coupon – good for one free MilkQuake. Oh, and feel free to share this post with your Krystal-lovin’ friends so they can download their own coupon.
