2009: The Year in Review. 2010: A New Beginning.
Dear Friends,
2009 was an amazing year!
We are making a difference in the lives of those who are affected by NF. Every person who reads this blog, every person who watches our videos or looks at our photos on Flickr or who comments on Facebook is telling people with NF that they care.
Our web stats show that we have visitors from every country in the world. Visitors have viewed our photos over 400,000 times. Our total video views exceed 100,000 views. NF groups around the country are finding out about us and want to be a part. We are being invited to speak at NF functions around the country and Canada. Thanks to our many friends across the web, Just Ask as been asked to speak at the SXSW Interactive conference in Austin in March.
We have visited so many places and made so many new friends that I know will last a lifetime! There are so many wonderful, kind-hearted people out there that I wanted to be sure to mention them and remind them how much I love them. The Houston Roller Derby. The Houston Texan Cheerleaders. All of the cast and crew and visitors at the Texas Renaissance Festival. The belly-dancers at the Houston International Festival. All my dear friends at the Art Car Parade. Steak Nite at PJ’s Sports Bar on West Gray. Music Night at Lou’s. The list is just too long to include everyone!
I am so proud to say that “Just Ask!” is doing just what we hoped for when we created it many years ago, to create awareness of neurofibromatosis by inviting people to just ask about our disease. We accomplish this by going out in public and inviting people to talk with us, to establish a dialogue and letting them know that it’s ok to ask about our bumps and to give a damn.
With the help of friends working behind the scenes, we are able to make this happen. William, Matt, Geo, John, Mark, Bill, Michelle LebLanc and Lou and the rest of the staff at STANANDLOU, Greg Gorman, Scott Dickson, Steve Bass, the Houston Roller Derby, Sugar Ray Leonard, Kevin Nealon…the list goes on and on! Every person who visits the site deserves the credit for making “Just Ask!” an organization that is making a difference. This could not happen without those special friends working as hard as they work everyday.
2010 will also be a great year. Thank you all for playing such a huge role in the website, blog, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Vimeo, Wikipedia and all of our other web resources. Please visit often, tell your friends, and be a part for the great things that are in store in 2010! Your support and comments are what makes us successful!!! Thank you so much!
Make it a tremendous day,
Reggie
January 3rd, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Best wishes for another great year, Reggie!
January 4th, 2010 at 7:58 am
Thank you Lou. Happy that you are a part of the great year past. 2010 is going to be another great year.
January 4th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
happy new year reggie!
January 4th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Hi Julie, Thank you, and Happy New Year to you as well. Anything new for you this year? I just want to do everything better then last year. Improve in everything. You know make your friends proud of you.
January 5th, 2010 at 8:55 am
I sure hope we get more bloggers here. I do play to play a more active role in being here everyday.
January 5th, 2010 at 10:48 am
Hello, Reggie. I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d drop in to say hi. Hi.
January 5th, 2010 at 11:05 am
Anytime Lou, Leave a comment anytime. I expect my friend Bart to visit the blog soon.
January 5th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
OK, OOOOOK Reggie, I’m here. For once I was actually getting some work done at my day job ;<}
Happy New year!
I continue to marvel at the success you have had and I take my hat off to you and Lou for your time and energy in making a difference for all those with NF, as well as for helping those without NF to understand it.
And 30,000 Google hits…….you're out there man.
Have a tremendous 2010 !
January 5th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Welcome to the club, Bart!
If Reggie’s not whining about one thing, he’s complaining about another! There’s no one on the blog! There’s too many comments to answer on the blog!!!! Facebook is out of control!!!! I have to fly to Canada tomorrow, what am I going to wear?!!! We haven’t added any new photos to Flickr in 5 hours!!!!
Just be thankful you don’t have to office with him like I do! Oh, brother….
January 5th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
At lease I’m nice when I say say it.
January 5th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
Did anyone see the special on the Learning Channel, It was in the drug Rapamycin. They lived out side of the US, And I’m not sure how old the kid was. They had good results when the Rapamycin was given to him.
January 5th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Yeah, right, like you watch the Learning Channel.
January 5th, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Soooooo what are you trying to say Lou?
January 5th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
I tried going to sleep early, but couldn’t sleep. I came here hoping Lou was here. For sure he would cause one of the two things to happen. 1 Bore me to sleep, or cause me to want to smoke my self. One of the two would be better then spending more then 5 min talking to the jerk.
January 6th, 2010 at 7:55 am
By now Bart should have coffee, drinking out of his JUST ASK coffee mug….and on the blog. tick tick tick. Hellooooo, it is now 7:54am. Lou , Bart, JP, I don’t see you on the blog.
January 6th, 2010 at 8:27 am
Dear reggie
First We wish you a happy new year to you, friends and NF people!
We wish that the slogan ” Just ask” be used for all the diseases, races, cultures! That must be the start of any dialogue.
So you do a fantastic work. We hope that French TV will invite you sooner or later. We are afraid that few NF people know you in spiteof our work to talk about you and ” Just Ask Fondation”.Kind regards Lulu and Francis
January 6th, 2010 at 8:43 am
Happy New Year to you Lulu and Francis. I agree with you. Not enough people know, there are still so many that we need to reach. It would be terrific! if I had the opportunity, to visit France and get a Just Ask campaign there, would be a huge step in making a difference.
January 6th, 2010 at 8:47 am
Cher Reggie
Nous allons te faire travailler un peu ton français ou celui de tes amis (:D). Il parrait que c’est la langue de l’amour. Avec Lulu nous regardons tes photos très souvent:
Mon dieu quel Don Juan avec les filles. Nous te voyons toujours en galante compagnie. Si nous étions pas deux amoureux comblés, nous serions jaloux de toi!!!
Les nanas (argot français qui veut dire filles) ne se trompent pas. Elles aiment par dessus tout les hommes honnêtes, simples, gentils, respectueux de son prochain comme toi.
Bravo, nous sommes très fier d’être ton ami Amicalement Lulu et Francis
January 6th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Thanks Lulu and Francis
January 6th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Hours before the BIG CHILL or the BIG FREEZE hits Dallas. Stopped by the grocery store to get couple itmes that I think I will need since I may not want to get out. On the way home, stopped by the police, What am I going to do when they come for me, bad boy bad boy? Just wanted to say I had a burn out brake light. I knew I had not done anything wrong, going over the speed limit, using my turn signals.
January 6th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Oh yeah, get ready for the chill.
January 7th, 2010 at 8:01 am
Would like to wish everyone a good morning. Topic today. It is very cold out. Comments, questions? Who will start?
January 7th, 2010 at 8:29 am
We’re all going to die!!!!
January 7th, 2010 at 8:35 am
What are you so worried about? Relax Lou. Nothing is suppose to happen until 2012. Don’t you watch the History Channel geese, You worry too much.
January 7th, 2010 at 9:05 am
It is cold here in Dallas, the temp in the teens. I do not have to get out this morning, but will need to later on today. The way things are going on in the world, and seems to be getting worse, it will be interesting to see what 2012 will bring us. It will be the Lord who will decide if the end should come then, or any other time when He will decide. If our President gets relected in 2012…. .
January 7th, 2010 at 9:14 am
I have been watching the reports on how the weather is on Dallas. I guess Dallas will get it first, Not looking forward to the rainy cold weather, But I think I can deal with cold, better then the rain with it. As for 2012, I’m not worried, I just like to kid around about it. No one knows,the day or time.
January 7th, 2010 at 11:01 am
I guess this is the end of global warming. Sorry Al (Gore)
January 7th, 2010 at 11:22 am
So……what I hear you saying, is that politicians are not always correct? No globing warming? Come on get out of town. If you can’t trust a politician who can we trust.
………
January 7th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Which is why relying on politicians for science is like like going to an adman for the truth. And to increase the snark, it’s global climate change, not global warming. The extremes increase (hotter and colder). As for 2012, faith in arbitrary measurement systems kinda creeps me out. But it would be kinda groovy to be around for the end of the world. At least for the moment leading up to one’s non-existence.
On a lighter note, who doesn’t love chocolate?
January 7th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
Lets talk about ducks.
January 7th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
WhoStoleMyCheese, You sound vaguely familiar! Your comment “Which is why relying on politicians for science is like like going to an adman for the truth.” is very insightful as well as your phrase, “kinda creeps me out. ” You wouldn’t happen to play the mandolin, would you?
January 7th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
adgiant, you mean the kitchen tool? Only on certain Thursdays. And your use of ‘insightful’ is quite charitable. Reggie: duck stuffed with hershey kisses is like mana from heaven!! By the way, have you any hawgs?
January 7th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Don’t forget the mushrooms. Can’t have duck without mushroom stuffing. Really, sound good to me.
January 8th, 2010 at 9:55 am
Bart, Did you notice the new feature. Our webmaster has made this site #1.
January 8th, 2010 at 10:23 am
Reggie, I guess I missed that feature, but I’ll second that:
http://www.reggiebibbs.com IS # 1 !!!!
January 8th, 2010 at 11:59 am
It is a new feature Bart, and was added after your last visit. I’m sure that is how you missed it. Are you going to Washington DC with us next month? The Texas NF Foundation ask me to go with them again. Of course I said yes. I wish you are Dr. Slopis would be a part of our group? Did he go with the patients on the skiing trip?
January 8th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
My wife does have a business trip to DC next month and i may go with her. If it coincides with your DC trip i’ll be happy to tag along. Send me an email and let me know when are you going?
January 11th, 2010 at 9:22 am
Good morning to all. Half of the month is gone fast. Next month, may be a little busy. Looking forward to going to Washington DC.