Did The Prophet JD Granger Foresee The Irving Music Factory Making Panther Island Pavilion Look Like A Hillbilly Mudpit?

No, that is not an artist's rendering of what the Panther Island Pavilion part of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle will look like upon completion.

What you are looking at is an artist's rendering of what another Dallas Metroplex music venue will look like upon completion.

This past Thursday I blogged a blogging titled Today I Learned JD Granger Is A Panther Island Prophet With A Shack Fort Worth's Latest Music Venue after I was appalled at the appalling propagandizing hubris in an article in DFW.com touting J.D. Granger as a prophet for having the imaginary vision to turn a chunk of land that is not an island into the world's premiere music venue.

I may be slightly exaggerating.

Earlier in the month I recollect complaining about the Fort Worth Star-Telegram blocking online articles from non-subscribers. I suggested that a much better local news source, one that covered the entire Dallas Metroplex, was WFAA's website. WFAA covers  local  news in a fair and unbiased way, free of propaganda, unlike the Star-Telegram.

In other words from WFAA you would not read things like a new Fort Worth sporting goods store would be the #1 tourist attraction in Texas, drawing millions of tourists a year. From WFAA you would not read that an extremely lame collection of little stores was the first public market in Texas and that it was modeled after Seattle's Pike Place Market, and public markets in Europe. From WFAA you would not read that a public works project the public has not voted for would turn Fort Worth into the Vancouver of the South. From WFAA you would not read that J.D. Granger is a prophet.

No, for that type of idiotic propaganda you need to be a subscriber to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, or read the Star-Telegram's  DFW.com publication.

Now, back to that artist's rendering at the top. That rendering is from WFAA's website, in an article titled Entertainment Destination Coming to Los Colinas. You likely will not be reading about this in the Star-Telegram. Telling its readers about this development in Irving would make the Panther Island Pavilion propaganda seem even sillier.

As in the development in Irving appears to be real, while J.D. Granger's Panther Island Pavilion seems to be lacking quite a few things, not the least of which is an actual island.

Saturday night ground was broken in Los Colinas for the Irving Music Factory. A complex with more than 25 restaurants and entertainment venues. With a movie theater, plus an indoor/outdoor concert hall.

How did this project come to be?

Well, seven years ago voters in Irving did something voters in Fort Worth are not allowed to do. Irving voters voted to fund a public works project. Complications arose after the BIG yes vote which kept construction from starting til August 30, 2014.

In the article about J.D. Granger being a prophet we learned he has prophesied that his Panther Island Pavilion music venue is nowhere near finished. And just like with most of J.D. Granger's projects, there is no project timeline letting us know when his Panther Island Pavilion project will be finished. Or an artist's rendering of what it will look like if it ever gets finished.

Meanwhile that voted for by the voters public works project in Irving is currently projected to be completed in spring of 2016. Two years before J.D. Granger's bridges over nothing are scheduled to be completed.

And it goes without saying, but I will say it anyway, eminent domain has not been abused in Irving to bring about the Irving Music Factory....

The Last Day Of August Biking In Arlington With The River Legacy Park Crowd

On this last day of August I decided I'd not been riding my bike enough, so I rolled my motorized transport device to Arlington, to River Legacy Park, to roll my non-motorized wheels on the River Legacy mountain bike trails.

Along with a lot of other wheel rollers and hikers.

In the picture my handlebars are in a quandary, trying to decide whether to go north on the relatively boring North Loop, or take the North Loop Bypass to the right. My handlebars opted for the bypass, the decision made when a group of four slowpokes arrived and took the North Loop option.

Soon after you roll past the River Legacy trail head you come to one of the more difficult ups and downs on the trails.

Today a family consisting of a mom and dad and three young kids had that first up and down congested. I waited about five minutes for the trail to clear. As I waited I was thinking to myself that these trails are not really kid friendly. That first up and down required the bikes to be walked up and down by the parental units, whilst the kids walked. This did not bode well for the rest of their bike ride, what with there being a lot of ups and downs.

About a half hour later I was zipping along, fast and suddenly the aforementioned family was coming at me, going the wrong way on the one-way trail. I slammed the brakes. I told the dad they were going the wrong direction. The dad asked how to get back to the parking lot. I did not know how to give exact directions from that location. And the dad was very impatient. I asked what trail they'd just been on, to which the dad replied "can't you just tell us how to get out of here?"

Well. I pointed north and said I think that trail will take you to a straight trail that will take you to the paved trail. He said thanks and zipped off, leaving the wife and kids behind. I elaborated on the directions, as best I could, to the wife. I assume they made it out and are not still rolling around, lost. I suppose I could have lead them out of there, but I found the dad sort of annoying and I knew it would be a very slow operation. That and I was having myself a mighty fine time.

This was not the first time I've come upon someone lost and confused on the River Legacy trails. Previous times I've been able to easily point the lost party in the right direction.

With the River Legacy Park mountain bike trails being so popular methinks maybe some new signage needs to be added to the already excellent signage. Maybe arrows at each junction pointing the way back to the trailhead.

Changing the subject to something else.

I'm feeling a bit Rip Van Winklish, what with August zipping by so fast, with September starting up tomorrow, also likely zipping by fast. And then it will be October with the dreaded, by me, Holiday Season, starting up and in another blink of the eye it will by Happy New Year, it's 2015.

By the way, I've already got all my Christmas shopping done.....

The Last Saturday Of August Rolling My Wheels In Fort Worth's Gateway Park Before Town Talk Treasure Hunting

I rolled my wheels in Gateway Park on Thursday because I had had myself such a mighty fine time doing so on Tuesday and the precipitation predictors were predicting precipitation on Friday, which I figured if the predicted precipitation did precipitate that it would render the Gateway Park trails into being a muddy mess.

Well, the precipitation did precipitate just as predicted Friday morning.

With today being my regularly scheduled Saturday Town Talk visit which I've not visited on Saturday for about a  month, rendering my regular schedule all asunder, I decided to attempt rolling my wheels at Gateway Park today, pre-Town Talk, figuring I could just roll on the paved trails if the unpaved trails were muddy.

I was pleased to discover, along with a lot of other wheel rollers, that yesterday's rain did not result in muddy mountain bike trails in Gateway Park.

For the first time since I've been enjoying these trails I did the entire loop twice. I have no idea how many miles that is. I suspect around 10.

When the Town Talk parking lot came into view it appeared to be overflowing, with people parking on the street, which I do not think is likely legal parking. I drove on to the parking lot, ready to bail, if I could not find a parking spot.

I did not bail.

I don't think I've ever seen the inside of Town Talk so crowded. But the checkout lines were not too bad, so I was able to make it out of there with a lot of chicken thighs, cauliflower, sharp cheese from a place called England, smoked sausages, sweet potato rolls, whole grain bagels, a case of pumpkin spice Siggis Icelandic yogurt and other stuff I'm not remembering right now.

Miss Mary K, do you remember Town Talk's parking lot being filled to overflowing during your years of Town Talking? Methinks Town Talk needs to move to a bigger location. Like the old Krogers that's been long abandoned a short distance from my abode. That would be very convenient. And it comes with a huge parking lot.

Today I Was Almost Swept Away In Arlington By A Flooding Village Creek

The predicted precipitation precipitated just as predicted, early this morning, precipitating on me the entire time I was in the pool.

Thunder was also predicted. I heard only one boom, a loud one, prior to exiting my abode.

By noon blue sky returned.

So, needing vittles from ALDI and Walmart, I decided to walk with the Indian Ghosts in Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area where I was not too surprised to see Village Creek moving a lot of water.

And litter.

You can see the litter and hear the roar of Village Creek in the video below...

Today I Learned JD Granger Is A Panther Island Prophet With A Shack Fort Worth's Latest Music Venue

This morning Elsie Hotpepper emailed me an email which took hours to get to me. The subject line of that email simply said "I'm gagging".

The email had a link to an article in DFW.com titled Panther Island Pavilion roaring along on the Trinity.

It did not take much reading to come to verbiage that was gag worthy, as in the first sentence....

It’s tempting to call JD Granger a prophet.

Let's just go through this article, bit by bit, commenting as we go. It is tempting to call JD Granger a prophet? From what would such a temptation come? Well, the article tells us....

Last year, Granger, the executive director of the Trinity River Vision Authority, predicted what would happen at Panther Island Pavilion in 2014 with almost uncanny accuracy.

“Festivals are becoming a business unto themselves,” Granger told me in May 2013. “We are set up to do something really crazy with good services. We could do something that could really put Fort Worth on a competitive music footing.”

What an understatement that turned out to be.

Understatement? How about dumb statement? I vaguely recollect having fun making fun of these JD Granger quotes before, likely after a previous Preston Jones bit of propaganda buffoonery. So, JD's uncanny prediction was that festivals are becoming a business unto themselves, whatever that means. And that JD's boondoggle is set up to do something really crazy. With good services. Again, whatever that means. Really putting Fort Worth on a competitive music footing.

Yeah, that really sounds like one impressive uncanny prediction. A competitive music footing? Competitive with whom?

Panther Island Pavilion, perhaps more than any other venue of its size in the city, has become a hub of near-constant activity over the past 12 months, hosting multiple music-related events, including its popular Rockin’ the River concert series (full disclosure: DFW.com is a media sponsor), as well as the return of the Fort Worth Music Festival and Untapped.

Panther Island Pavilion, perhaps more than any other venue of its size in the city, has become a hub of near-constant activity? Perhaps more than any other venue of its size in the city? What other venues are there of whatever size, in Fort Worth, that Panther Island Pavilion perhaps is more busy than?

Full disclosure: DFW. com is a media sponsor? How about going for totally full disclosure and disclose that DFW.com is a Fort Worth Star-Telegram propaganda production designed to compete with Fort Worth Weekly?

“When looking at the demographics we were excited to see that people from all over North Texas are coming to events held at Panther Island Pavilion,” Granger says. “Week in and week out, our summer series had the highest attendance we’ve seen in the history of the venue. It’s a great feeling to know this record-breaking summer was a result of people traveling from all over the Metroplex.”

And how did Granger get this data that let him know that people were coming from all over North Texas to events at Panther Island Pavilion? Did JD and his minions wander around asking people where they were from? The highest attendance in the history of the venue? Uh, how long does that history go back? Three years? Or is it four? It feels great knowing that the record breaking crowds came about from people traveling from all over the Metroplex? I thought they were coming from all over North Texas?

And the outdoor venue, situated just outside downtown Fort Worth on the banks of the Trinity River, is nowhere near finished.

I would hope the outdoor venue is nowhere near finished. Its current state is extremely tacky. Although, I must say the outhouses are unusually elegant for a Fort Worth venue.

Along with this weekend’s Clearfork Music Festival, there are myriad events scheduled throughout September, from the Most Good Music Festival (Sept. 6), a Salvation Army benefit featuring performers such as Stoney LaRue and Jack Ingram, to the seventh annual Dia de Los Toadies (Sept. 12-13), which will feature Fort Worth rock legends the Toadies playing their acclaimed Rubberneck album in its entirety, and the Beer, Bourbon and Brisket Festival (Sept. 20), with Oktoberfest closing out the month of September (Sept. 25-27) at the Shack, Panther Island Pavilion’s newly opened indoor venue.

Okay, what I got out of the above paragraph of blah blah blah about all the famous performers set to perform at Panther Island Pavilion next month is the last part, that being the part about Oktoberfest closing out the month at the Shack, Panther Island Pavilion's newly opened venue.

I had not heard of the Shack. A little Googling brought me to the Shack, on the Panther Island Pavilion Facebook page. Below is a picture of the Shack? What is it? The abandoned building which used to house the Tandy Subway cars?

Also on the Panther Island Pavilion Facebook page I found the below entry about the article on DFW.com which we are currently discussing.

Yeah, they really should be blushing. Blushing from embarrassment. Now, back to the article...

It’s an eclectic flurry of events, designed to appeal to as broad a swath of the public as possible, bringing not only die-hard music fans out to Panther Island, but the city itself.

Does the above sentence make any sense to anyone? Designed not only to bring out die-hard music fans, but the city itself?

“The success of Panther Island Pavilion has exceeded our expectatins,” Granger says. “We have a packed schedule, including seven events over the next month, but most importantly, it’s bringing a new and diverse audience to Panther Island.”

I copied and pasted the above verbatim. The word out of JD Granger's mouth was "expectatins". The success has exceeded *expectatins? What were their expectatins? Limited success? Most importantly it's bringing a new and diverse audience to Panther Island? Why is this important? How does JD measure the diversity? And please the Panther Island nonsense really needs to stop. There is no island. And even if the un-needed flood diversion channel ever flows water under the three bridges over nothing, this really still will not be what anyone who respects the meaning of words could legitimately call an island.

And why does the Executive Director of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle spend time worrying about music venues and imaginary islands? Was he not hired, after an extensive search to find the most qualified man available, to over see the building of a much needed flood control project, along with some supposedly much needed economic development? I really don't think back when the Boondoggle first started Boondoggling that anyone thought that what was meant by economic development was "festivals becoming a business unto themselves."

And then there is the last sentence in this very bizarre propaganda piece...

In other words, one of the city’s marquee venues is roaring right along.

Marquee venues? One of Fort Worth's marquee venues? What are Fort Worth's other marquee venues? Billy Bob's Over Texas? The Concerts in the Gardens? The Coyote Drive-In Movie Theater? What? Where?

*As expected the Panther Island Pavilion roaring along on the Trinity article has changed JD Granger's colorful "expectatins" to "expectations".

Rolling My Wheels In Fort Worth's Gateway Park Anticipating A Sickening Email From Elsie Hotpepper

Rain is predicted to precipitate tomorrow. Precipitation predictions usually don't precipitate, but I had myself such a mighty fine time mountain biking in Fort Worth's Gateway Park on Tuesday that I decided to do so again today, in advance of the possible arrival of mud.

That is not my usual Gateway Park photo op location you see my shady handlebars looking at. This location is a short distance up stream from my favorite Gateway Park photo op location.

About a minute before I was scheduled to leave my abode to head west to Gateway Park I got a text message from Elsie  Hotpepper saying...

"I sent you an email that will either make you sick or provide you easy blog fodder. Or both."

Well, of course I was intrigued and so quickly checked my email to find nothing from Elsie Hotpepper. I texted Elsie back with the no email info and that I was heading out to go biking. Elsie said to text again when I got back if the email had still not arrived.

I arrived back to still find no Elsie Hotpepper email. So, I tried to text the message that there was still no email. But I got a "sending message failed" message. Twice.

So, I emailed Elsie Hotpepper that the email was still missing and that texting her no longer worked.

I sent that email and then suddenly the missing email showed up, time stamped hours earlier. The subject line of the Elsie Hotpepper email said "I'm gagging". Which amped up the being intrigued thing.

The email had a link to a webpage. I soon saw that which had Elsie Hotpepper gagging.

I will blog about that which has us gagging in my next blogging....

This Afternoon I Got The Good News That Spencer Jack Has Escaped Alcatraz

This afternoon, via email, I received fairly good evidence that Spencer Jack's Big San Francisco Adventure has come to an end.

The email was from Spencer Jack's dad, well, actually it was two emails, containing a total of seven pictures and one line of text with that text saying...

"Spencer Jack and I escaped from Alcatraz, Trolley ride to Chinatown and darted back to the airport via BART."

It was the darting back to the airport via BART part of the text which led me to deduce that Spencer Jack's Big San Francisco Adventure was over.

I am fairly certain that the purpose behind Spencer Jack's dad taking him to San Francisco was not to scare Spencer Jack straight by putting the fear of being behind bars in Spencer's fragile young mind.

Then again, the above picture of Spencer Jack caged up in Alcatraz is a bit disturbing. Spencer looks very worried.

I am guessing, due to Spencer Jack looking relieved, the above picture was taken after the escape from Alcatraz. According to a reliable source, Spencer Jack and his dad escaped Alcatraz to take a trolley to Chinatown, which is where Spencer Jack is in the picture below.

Where Spencer Jack is standing in Chinatown does not look like the Chinatown I remember. But, it has been at least 20 years since I've been in San Francisco's Chinatown, I no longer trust my aged memory. I remember Chinatown as extremely crowded, with sensory overload from all the visual stimulation. And it smelled good.

And then there's BART. Bay Area Rapid Transit.

BART seems an odd acronym for a town's transit system. But not as odd as Seattle's South Lake Union Trolley, which has Seattle people in transit mode saying something like let's ride the SLUT to the Burger King on Lake Union.

Where I am currently located in Texas I need not worry about taking a BART or a SLUT anywhere. The only public transit available to residents of Fort Worth is called the T. The T is made up of very bare bones type buses of the sort no one would consider a luxury ride. Riding Fort Worth's T, to me, is like riding a carnival ride in a very bad theme park. In other words, fasten your seatbelts, you are in for a bumpy ride. However, unfortunately, there are no seatbelts to fasten.

Is Fort Worth the only town in America with a  population over a half million with no public transit in bus or rail form which takes the public directly to its airport?

When a Fort Worth native flies into a modern American city, like San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego, New York City, Chicago, Portland, Miami.

Or Dallas.

And sees the town is connected to the airport by public transit in the form of bus or light rail or both does it occur to the Fort Worthian that maybe their town needs to do some modernizing?

I just remembered the answer. In Fort Worth only poor people use public transit......

Walking With The Fosdick Ducks Around Green Fosdick Lake's Sputtering Fountain

Today I was back at Fort Worth's Oakland Lake Park to walk around the increasingly green Fosdick Lake for the first time in a week, give or take a day.

My use of the "green" word to describe Fosdick Lake is not intended to indicate Fosdick Lake is becoming increasingly eco-friendly.

My use of the "green" word refers to the increasing amount of green algae that appears to be choking this little lake.

Back when the Fosdick Fountain mysteriously appeared I thought its aerating spewing of lake water might help mitigate the annual phenomenon of Fosdick Lake growing green stuff when the lake water was exposed to too much summer HEAT.

But, right when Fosdick Lake needs all the aerating it can get, Fosdick Fountain is in sputter mode, barely burbling, likely providing very little, if any, aerating.

Anyway, I had myself a mighty fine time today having a sauna steam bath whilst walking with the ducks around Fosdick Lake.

You can see the aforementioned ducks and the sputtering Fosdick Fountain in the video below...

This Afternoon Spencer Jack Took Me Down San Francisco's Lombard Street

My favorite nephew Jason always does what he says he is going to do. Yesterday Jason indicated that today Spencer Jack would be sending me a photo of San Francisco's Lombard Street, and true to Jason's word, that photo arrived about an hour ago, with accompanying text saying....

"Photo documentation of Spencer Jack photographing Lombard Street."

I suspect Spencer Jack and his dad were on some sort of tourist tour and not driving themselves around San Francisco. To get the full Lombard Street experience one must drive oneself up the steep hill that leads to the famous downhill part of the street, you reach the crest and then descend slowly, brakes applied pretty much the entire time.

Lombard Street is memorable to my memory for a couple reasons. One being the last time I attempted to drive down Lombard Street I was unable to, due to the fact my clutch would not allow me to ascend to the summit.

The main reason Lombard Street is memorable to my memory is due to the fact that it was on the last family vacation I was ever to take that we drove down Lombard Street.

The summer after my freshman year of high school we took our first family vacation to California and Disneyland. At that point in time there was an attraction in Disneyland called, I think, America the Beautiful in Circlevision. You stood while moving images surrounded you. You were advised to hold on to the handrails. At one point the Circlevision took us down Lombard Street. It was very dizzying.

We had so much fun on that family vacation to California that we went again the next year, staying longer and going to San Francisco on the way south, where we did the drive down Lombard Street.

I did not know, at the time, that that family vacation was to be my last family vacation. My baby blister was born soon thereafter, which ended going on fun family vacations, at least for me.

On that last family trip to Disneyland, in addition to San Francisco, we also drove across the border, to Tijuana, we did wine tours in the Napa Valley, drove Highway 1 south, past Hearst Castle, staying at Santa Barbara State Park, where I got the worst sunburn ever, leaving a weird white spot on my back which remains to this day, I think. I've not looked lately.

Just a sec, I must go see if my Santa Barbara white spot is still there...

It's still there, about the size of a small pea, currently red due to sun exposure today.

I hope Spencer Jack tours Chinatown before he leaves San Francisco. I've had myself a mighty fine time or two in Chinatown. One time all of us in my traveling group got ourselves Mao jackets and caps in Chinatown. This made us look like revolutionary communists. I recollect us all later wearing our Mao outfits to the Duffy's Disco in Mount Vernon. The gatekeeper hesitated in admitting us, and then I guess he decided we added an interesting visual element and let us enter.

You ain't seen disco dancing til you see a Gang of Four doing the Hustle in full Mao regalia....

Spencer Jack Has Me Wondering Why It Will Take Fort Worth Longer To Build 3 Puny Bridges Over Nothing Than It Took To Build The Golden Gate Bridge

This morning's email from Spencer Jack's dad confirming that he and Spencer Jack are currently in San Francisco had me motivated to blog about something I'd long intended to blog about regarding the Golden Gate Bridge.

This morning I found a Golden Gate Bridge image I intended to use for illustrative purposes and then, just as I was heading into Blogging World, fresh incoming email from Spencer Jack's dad included three pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge, two of which I include here.

From this point on I will now verbalize what I was originally going to say.....

No.

That is not an artist's rendering of tourists crossing one of Fort Worth's supposedly under construction, non-signature, non-iconic bridges you are looking at.

What you are looking at is Spencer Jack on some sort of tourist contraption heading to Marin County via San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.

The Golden Gate Bridge is an actual signature bridge. An actual iconic structure recognized world-wide.

The Trinity River Panther Island Vision Boondoggle's three bridges over nothing are promoted by that corrupt agency as being "signature" bridges, which will become "iconic" images of Fort Worth.

Do Fort Worth's propaganda purveyors not actually know what is meant by the word "iconic"?

Fort Worth's three non-signature, never gonna be iconic bridges over nothing are being built over nothing because this is supposedly easier than building over something, such as the un-needed flood diversion channel that some day may flow under Fort Worth's three non-signature, non-iconic bridges over nothing.

The three bridges supposedly began being constructed this month. The three bridges being built over nothing are scheduled  to be completed in four years.

Four years.

I know you are sitting there wondering how long it took to build the Golden Gate Bridge, a bridge which was not built over nothing, but was instead built over the Golden Gate Strait at the entry to San Francisco Bay.

Construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge on January 5, 1933 and was completed on April 19, 1937.

Four years later.

The Golden Gate Bridge is about 1.7 miles long, 90 feet wide, 740 feet tall, and 220 feet, on average, above the saltwater below.

Yes, unlike Fort Worth's non-signature, non-iconic three bridges, the Golden Gate Bridge was built over water, very deep water, water that moves due to this thing called tides.

So, how is it that Fort Worth's relatively puny, relatively simple bridges will take four years to build? How come I've not heard any of the locals asking why it will take so long?

I wonder if the reason it takes Fort Worth so long to build three little bridges has anything to do with how the building of these bridges is financed?

To build the Golden Gate the California Legislature authorized the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District as the official entity charged with the design, construction and financing of the project. But then the Wall Street crash of 1929 came along, followed by the Great Depression, which created a fund raising problem.

So, what did the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District do to get the funds to build the bridge?

Why they did something Fort Worth apparently does not know how to do.

A bond measure was placed before the voters in the counties that would benefit from the new bridge. The voters approved the bond measure in November 1930, with construction beginning less than three years later.

What a concept.

Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision Boondoggle has boondoggled along for well over a decade, un-funded, un-voted on.

How bizarre.

Why would you not have the public vote on a public works project that benefits the public by building a much needed flood control upgrade from the levees which have kept downtown Fort Worth flood-free for over a half century?

Oh, I think I just answered my question.

Anyway, below is another picture of Spencer Jack at one of the world's signature iconic bridges....

The Last Tuesday Of August Mud Rutting In Gateway Park Before Treasure Hunting At Town Talk

Til today it had been over two weeks since I last rolled my bike's wheels in Fort Worth's Gateway Park, Monday, August 11, to be precise, fifteen days ago.

Til today it had been even longer since I'd gone treasure hunting at Town Talk, with the last Town Talk treasure hunting taking place on Saturday, August 2.

Today's bike ride went well. I had some concern that the heat would be too HOT.  But, the majority of the Gateway Park mountain bike trail is under a good cover of shade, with only one extended, out in the open, with no shade, section, that being by the soccer  fields, which today had been irrigated which quickly had my tires sporting a thick coat of mud.

As you can see via my favorite Gateway Park photo op location the Trinity River is still flowing green, managing to find water even though not much precipitation has precipitated lately.

The last of this summer's Trinity River Panther Island Vision Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats happened a couple Thursdays ago.

I wonder if the river floating ceases because the Trinity River gets too green, and not from envy, when the temperature heats the water too HOT, turning the river into a thick bacteria laden stew?

Changing the subject from bacteria laden stew to Town Talk.

Today the big item that seemed to cause some excitement among some was flowers, as in bouquets of flowers. The female Town Talkers seemed to be liking the flowers. Two flower purveyors were handing out the bouquets. I overheard someone ask how much the flowers cost. I believe the answer was a dozen roses for two bucks. That seemed like a bargain to me. But, I resisted the flowery temptation.

I did get a giant tub of Chobani yogurt. Biggest yogurt container I've ever seen. I also got a big chunk of extra sharp cheese from England, plus a big bag of whole grain bagels, whole wheat tortillas, siracha sauce, soy sauce, sweet potato chips, smoked turkey legs, plums, tangerines, cucumbers and other stuff I am not remembering right now.

The last time I treasure hunted at Town Talk it was the busiest I've ever seen it. Busy to the point where it was not entertaining, more like being stuck in a bad traffic jam. Today was the opposite of that. However, I suspect I will likely return to Town Talk this coming Saturday, after another round of mountain biking at Gateway Park, creature of habit that I usually be.....

Photo Confirmation Has Arrived Confirming Spencer Jack Is Touring San Francisco

Yesterday in a blogging titled The Dog Days Of August Rolling With the Village Creek Indian Ghosts Wondering About Spencer Jack Going To Prison I wrote the following....

Changing the subject from Indian Ghosts to prisons. I just got the oddest blog comment from someone calling himself Anonymous about sending me photos of my favorite nephew and great nephew and Lombard Street in San Francisco. But this sending of photos must be postponed til after Tuesday, because on that day my favorite nephew and great nephew are scheduled to appear in prison.

I have no idea what this means. What in the world did Spencer Jack do at his young age that has him going to prison?

Below is the comment to which I refer....

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Recovering From Lombard Street Triggered Nightmare...":

Weird dream. Perhaps a 'great' and favorite nephew may send you a photo of their Lombard Street experience in a couple days. However both are scheduled appear in prison on Tuesday. 

As I attempt to decipher the above riddle I am wondering if it means that Spencer Jack and his dad are currently in San Francisco, and that tomorrow they are scheduled to tour Alcatraz? I suspect all will become clear eventually.....

___________________________________________

Well. In this morning's email inbox there were a couple emails from Spencer Jack's dad, with a couple pictures, one of which is above, with Spencer Jack standing in front of one of San Francisco's Cable Cars, with the text in the email saying....

Your speculation of your greatest nephew touring San Francisco was spot on.

When Spencer Jack's dad and his brother Joey were kids their favorite uncle used to have himself a mighty fine time taking those two to places all over Washington. But never anywhere as adventurous as San Francisco.

Til they got older.

I recollect Spencer Jack's dad and me riding Vancouver's SkyTrain from its southernmost station all the way to its northern end and then floating the Sea Bus across the harbor to North Vancouver. The only time I recollect taking Spencer Jack's dad and uncle out of Washington was when we went to Las Vegas the summer before I moved to Texas.

Today I suspect Spencer Jack will be winding his way down Lombard Street, with me eventually getting photo documentation. A photo of Spencer Jack in Chinatown would be a good thing. Along with riding BART under San Francisco Bay.

The Dog Days Of August Rolling With the Village Creek Indian Ghosts Wondering About Spencer Jack Going To Prison

These HOT final days of August have me looking forward to the fall following these dogs days.

Why is the latter part of August referred to as the Dog Days of August it just occurred to me to wonder?

Is this a Native American saying?

Speaking of Indians.

What with the heat and the humidity and what with needing to go to Walmart and ALDI I opted out of doing anything too strenuous during my regularly scheduled daily bout of endorphin inducing aerobic activity and instead had myself a leisurely roll through the shaded Village Creek Natural Historical Area, prior to ALDI and Walmart.

Eventually I left the shaded Historical Area and the Indian Ghosts and pedaled the less shady Bob Findlay Linear Park trail to the location you see in the picture, near a monument memorializing the murders, I mean, incident,  known as the Battle of Village Creek, a battle where a lot of the residents of Village Creek, natives, were killed.

Changing the subject from Indian Ghosts to prisons. I just got the oddest blog comment from someone calling himself Anonymous about sending me photos of my favorite nephew and great nephew and Lombard Street in San Francisco. But this sending of photos must be postponed til after Tuesday, because on that day my favorite nephew and great nephew are scheduled to appear in prison.

I have no idea what this means. What in the world did Spencer Jack do at his young age that has him going to prison?

Below is the comment to which I refer....

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Recovering From Lombard Street Triggered Nightmare...":

Weird dream. Perhaps a 'great' and favorite nephew may send you a photo of their Lombard Street experience in a couple days. However both are scheduled appear in prison on Tuesday. 

As I attempt to decipher the above riddle I am wondering if it means that Spencer Jack and his dad are currently in San Francisco, and that tomorrow they are scheduled to tour Alcatraz? I suspect all will become clear eventually.....

The Next To Last Hot Sunday In Texas

As you can see via the pool view from my patio this next to last Sunday of August it is yet one more almost clear blue sky day in Texas, with just a few wispy white clouds to break up the blue monotony.

This is being the coldest summer I have experienced since I have been in Texas. Yet I am finding myself being vexed by the HEAT more than in Texas summers past.

Is it because I've added a lot of weight with its resultant insulating heat gain?

No, that is not the cause of my HEAT aversion. I've lost weight this summer, skinnying down to my skinniest since the summer of 2008.

Speaking of which, I realized yesterday that this past August 20, that on that day six years ago, as in August 20, 2008, I returned to Dallas, via Love Field, from a month in Washington. A month which seemed much much longer than a month.

Six years is the longest I have gone without a return to Washington. When I left Washington I said it'd be 20 years til I returned. So, I guess I have 14 years to go. Maybe I'll make it back for Spencer Jack's college graduation.

Today MSG Kept Me From My Regularly Scheduled Saturday Mountain Bike Ride Followed By Town Talk

This next to last Saturday of August I have found myself rendered miserable by MSG.

I consumed some beef jerky and some tortilla chips not realizing both contained monosodium glutamate.

It was way back in the last century, whilst enjoying Chinese food at a Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Chinese restaurant in Vancouver's Chinatown when I found myself suddenly feeling nauseated, red-faced and hurting with a pounding headache.

I did not know at the time that I was super-sensitive to something called monosodium glutamate. It was some time later, after MSG became controversial, that I realized that it was MSG which caused me to not have myself a mighty fine time at times when eating out at some restaurants.

I got the MSG related illustration from a website dedicated to "The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about MSG" with the tagline "This Web site is dedicated to people with problems that once defied medical diagnosis -- people who discovered that elimination of MSG from their diets let them be well."

I have successfully avoided a MSG headache this century, until today. Hours after the poisoning I am slowly beginning to recover. But, it is too late and the recovery too weak, to go on my regularly scheduled mountain bike ride in Gateway Park followed by treasure hunting at Town Talk.

I have not been to Town Talk for several weeks. I was looking forward to going there today. Maybe I will feel up to Town Talking by Monday. I hope so.....

Funnel Cake Ale For The 2014 Big Tex Choice Award Win

Every year around Labor Day, after Big Tex announces the latest finalists for the State Fair of Texas Big Tex Choice Awards I blog about all the exotic fried food on this very blog you are looking at right now.

This year I decided to blog about this important subject on my Eyes on Texas blog, instead.

I just realized, I am pretty much blogging about the Big Tex Choice choices on this blog too, in this very blogging.

Anyway, you can go to my Eyes on Texas blog to the blogging titled The State Fair of Texas 2014 Big Tex Choice Awards This Year With Beer to read all the details of this year's finalists.

I do not remember there ever being an entry which was not deep-fried til this year.

The un-fried Big Tex Choice Award entry is called Original State Fair Brew – Funnel Cake Ale. One must be 21 to sample this Big Tex Choice. Apparently this is a beer type product which somehow tastes like State Fair Funnel Cake.

My one and only time tasting Funnel Cake I recollect thinking it tasted like powdered sugar on greasy fried dough. My taste in all matters is not very refined, so me thinking I would not like beer which tastes like powdered sugar on greasy fried dough would not stop me from taking a sip, or two, nor should it stop you from taking a sip, or two....

Recovering From Lombard Street Triggered Nightmares Searching For The Missing Village Creek Indian Ghosts

Today was the first day I got around to rolling my bike's wheels after fixing the rear wheel flat that flattened the last time I rolled my wheels with the Indian Ghosts in Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

As you can see,  it was back to Village Creek I rolled today, with my bike's handlebars posed on the overlook which looks over the former Blue Bayou of Village Creek.

The Indian Ghosts were not in evidence today. Methinks they are not fans of HEAT and  HUMIDITY.

Vegetation seems to be choking the water out of the Village Creek Bayou. The first deep freeze of the year should be interesting regarding what will become of all that vegetation. I suspect it will be a mess.

I do not know why, what with this being the mildest summer since I have been in Texas, but the HEAT is getting to me this year. Not enjoying the natural sauna steam bath effect to the level I enjoyed it in Texas summers past.

In addition to HEAT exhaustion I'm also suffering the effects of a slight bout of sleep deprivation. In other words I had bad nightmares last night.

Near as I can tell the nightmares were triggered by reading that the Texan who goes by the name of John Spivey ran down Lombard Street in San Francisco yesterday.

The idea of running the streets of San Francisco would be enough to provoke nightmares, but what Mr. Spivey's Lombard Street running tale triggered was a long suppressed memory of a time back in the last century when my ancient 65 Fastback Mustang's clutch started slipping as I tried to drive up the steep side of Lombard Street which leads to the curvy, scenic downhill side. I had to back down the hill, cars were honking. taxi drivers were shaking  fists at me.

It was traumatic.

Last night my long ago Lombard Street woe morphed into a nightmare where I get an unexpected call from my Little Blister, calling from D/FW airport, insisting I pick her up and deliver her to the University of Dallas. So, I pick up the Little Blister who proceeds to be a bit typically overbearing, unpleasant, humorless and demanding.

Apparently my speedometer makes an annoying repetitive noise that was unacceptable.

The drive to Dallas was very dark. I reached downtown, pulled over to look at a map to try and figure out where the University of Dallas was, due to never having heard of it before. In my nightmare the topography of Dallas was hilly, with Dallas surrounded by water on three sides. Totally not like flat, waterless Dallas.

When I awoke from the unsettling nightmare I realized I'd turned Dallas into the nightmare which is driving around in San Francisco, what with way too many hills, absolutely no freeways and no easy orienting landmarks like I usually use to find my way around a town I am not used to.

If I remember right I think I read on Facebook that Mr. Spivey is planning on going on a run in Carmel.  I had another incident in Carmel. Police were involved. I got out of it unscathed.

Reading about a Carmel run probably will not trigger a nightmare.....

John Basham's Psychic Ability To Predict Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorials

Yesterday, regarding yesterday's Fort Worth Star-Telegram's latest slanted, biased article about the latest TRWD meeting fiasco's villainizing of Mary Kelleher and John Basham and their co-conspirators in imaginary crime, John Basham opined, regarding the Star-Telegram article by Bill Hannah, that since the article made the mistake of giving Basham the last word this would surely result in yet one more Star-Telegram editorial in which the Star-Telegram acts like the obedient lapdog of the corrupt Fort Worth powers that be.

John Basham apparently possesses some sort of intuiting psychic powers, because just as he predicted, this morning the Star-Telegram published yet one more of its biased editorials regarding the Tarrant Regional Water District Board scandals.

This morning one of John Basham's imaginary co-conspirators emailed me the link to this morning's Star-Telegram anti-Basham/Kelleher editorial titled Latest episode of Tarrant Regional Water District soap opera is disappointing.

However, due to what amounts to being a form of censorship, I am unable to read the Star-Telegram's editorial. Or any other article in the Star-Telegram, for the most part. Clicking on the link to the Star-Telegram editorial brings the reader to a webpage which is quickly rendered unreadable, as you can see, screencapped below.

After the screen goes gray that which you see below pops up, indicating one must be a Star-Telegram subscriber to read a Star-Telegram editorial.

While the Fort Wort Star-Telegram is not a real newspaper in the way newspapers of record in other towns I have lived in have covered the news, it still is what passes for the only newspaper of record in Fort Worth.

I know the Star-Telegram is not doing well, financially, and thus is thrashing about trying to raise revenue. But, I really don't think cutting down your number of readers in this censoring manner is really the way to go. When one is allowed to read a Star-Telegram article one is subjected to multiple ads. The Star-Telegram needs readers if it wants those advertisers to keep on advertising.

Lately I have discovered a much better source of online local news, via the WFAA website. WFAA is the ABC affiliate in the Dallas Metroplex. The WFAA website is well done, has limited ads, does not censor articles, requires no subscription, and comprehensively covers the entire Dallas Metroplex, unlike the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which primarily focuses on Fort Worth and Tarrant County.

Is Vegas taking bets on how long it is til the Star-Telegram folds for good? My bet would be sooner than later. There are just too many local sources of news which do a much better, much fairer covering of the news than does the Star-Telegram....

Fosdick Fountain Fizzles While Fort Worth's Favorite Blowhard Calls Mary Kelleher A Puppet

I'd not visited Fosdick Lake in Fort Worth's Oakland Lake Park lately. Til today.

Upon arrival at the park's east side parking lot I immediately noticed something was missing because I was not seeing the white spray of Fosdick Fountain spouting above the lake.

Exiting my motorized transport device I soon saw that the former Fosdick Fountain has been reduced to a sputtering stubby version of its former self.

It has been at least a year since the mysterious appearance of Fosdick Fountain, suddenly spouting with no apparent fountain building project having been in evidence. And now something has turned down Fosdick Fountain's volume. Is Fosdick Fountain now in slowly disappearing mode?

Speaking of blowhards.

Whilst walking around Fosdick Lake I got a text message telling me that the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy referred  to John Basham and Mary Kelleher as being puppets of Dallas puppeteer Monty Bennett.

That's the translated version. The actual text message said "Dud called John and Mary Bennett puppets."

I wonder if Bud Kennedy knows that a lot of people  refer to him as Dud?

I don't know why Bud Kennedy seems to have such a grudge against Mary Kelleher. Does it have anything to do with the fact that Mary Kelleher, and her supporters, refused to talk to Bud Kennedy on the night of her stunning, record breaking TRWD board election victory?

The People's Republic Of The TRWD Battle Against Those Who Oppose Their Shady Shenanigans

Well. Yesterday was one of the more disturbing days I have spent being perplexed in Texas.

Being perplexed started early with a text message telling me that Mary Kelleher was heading into battle at the TRWD, with limited pre-battle warning and thus limited backup.

I asked what the battle was about this time to be told it had to do with the ongoing objections to Jim Lane and Marty Leonard continuing to serve as TRWD directors without benefit of being re-elected to the post.

I was walking with Arlington's Indian Ghosts when I got some more text messages telling me I needed to check my email inbox for a pdf regarding one of the lawsuits against the TRWD and that I needed to check a specific Facebook page to read play by play of the ongoing Battle at the TRWD.

By the time I got back to my computer there was an email from John Basham telling me I needed to check out his Facebook page.

I checked out the Aaron Harris Facebook page first to read the TRWD Battle play by play. There I learned Jim Oliver and his TRWD director minions had stuffed the meeting with TRWD lackeys, whilst banning Mary Kelleher supporters to a separate room. And that, unlike the Mary Kelleher censure farce, this time there was a uniformed armed guard of some sort in the room.

I don't quite understand the why of it, but there were multiple calls to the Tarrant County sheriff seeking some sort of law enforcement intervention in what I guess the Mary Kelleher supporters perceived to be criminal behavior by Jim Oliver and his TRWD board minions in conducting a public meeting without the public allowed to attend.

At one point in the meeting Mary Kelleher excoriated the board, topping off her excoriation with a call for the resignation of Jim Oliver.

After reading through the info on the Aaron Harris Facebook page I was off to John Basham's Facebook page, where I quickly found myself appalled, disgusted and dismayed.

John Basham posted his own very well reasoned excoriation of the TRWD's latest shenanigans, in part saying, "....the TRWD has decided to take on; Mary Kelleher, Adrian Murray, Andy Nold, Monty Bennett, Craig Bickley and Me for a trumped up set of issues regarding campaign finance reports. In short ANYONE who has ever opposed the current money & power brokers at TRWD are now under the legal cross-hairs of this agency using YOUR tax payer dollars."

"I personally want to apologize to ALL of the people listed above for being dragged into such a petty use of tax payer resources on a personal vendetta. IN SHORT THE TRWD IS SENDING A MESSAGE: IF YOU SUPPORT JOHN BASHAM OR STAND WITH HIM AGAINST US, WE WILL SUE YOU OR TRY TO CRIMINALLY CHARGE YOU.... Hey wait! Isn't this same thing happening in Austin to Rick Perry? Welcome to THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF TRWD, where the powerful elite will ruin your name if you disagree with them."

The object of John Basham's righteous ire is a document prepared by a San Antonio law firm, the cover of which is screencapped above, titled INVESTIGATIVE ANALYSIS REPORT ON CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTING COMPLIANCE AT THE TARRANT REGIONAL WATER DISTRICT.

Apparently the TRWD board directors, except for Mary Kelleher, decided it was a real good use of taxpayer money to spend some of those funds investigating the past couple TRWD board elections, basically going after all those who have opposed the TRWD's shady dealings.

To what end? And why?

When is there going to be an investigation of the TRWD's shady dealings? Such as the sweetheart deal which resulted in the world's first new drive-in movie theater of the 21st century? When is there going to be an investigation of the TRWD's bidding practices? The nepotism?

When is there going to be an investigation of the TRWD's abuse of eminent domain and that abuse's possible resulting financial gain for various TRWD board members?

Is the fact that the TRWD wasted public funds to conduct this Investigative Analysis of Campaign Finance Reporting, in a vindictive effort to stifle opposition, not an extreme abuse of power worthy of an FBI investigation?

What is the real reason for not holding an election, thus giving Jim Lane and Marty Leonard an extra un-elected year? Is it yet one more effort to postpone a day of reckoning? The day when a couple more Mary Kelleher-esque honest real public servant sorts get elected to the board? A day when the TRWD board and Jim Oliver can no longer stonewall regarding the release of public documents to the public?

Like I already said, this is all very perplexing. And once again causes me to lament the fact that Fort Worth suffers from not having a real newspaper.....

An Unexpected Flat Had Me Ghost Walking With Litter Before Getting My Mysterious Reward

On the left you are looking at the latest litter log jam on Arlington's Village Creek, at the southern dam bridge crossing in the Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

I knew there had been flash flood warnings a couple days ago. But at my location in the Dallas suburb of Fort Worth I did not see rain fall in amounts copious enough to flash flood.

I am always impressed that a fresh flash flood is able to find a fresh supply of wood and litter in the short distance between Lake Arlington and the litter log jam.

I had intended to roll my wheels today at River Legacy Park. But that plan went all asunder on me. Early this morning, after my regularly scheduled swim, I fixed my bike's flat rear tire. After fixing the flat I re-inserted the bike into the motorized transport device I use to haul the bike to its various rolling locations.

A few hours later I exited my abode to head to the aforementioned motorized transport device where I discovered the rear tire had gone flat again. Apparently I had not located all the punctures.

So, I aborted the wheel rolling plan and instead had myself a mighty fine time walking with the Village Creek Indian Ghosts, after which I headed to Walmart to use up an AT&T Reward Card that AT&T inexplicably mailed me.

Reward for what? I have no idea.

Today I Learned I Would Rather Die Than Move From Artistic Fort Worth To Dallas

A blogging yesterday resulted in an interesting comment from someone with the gender neutral name of Anonymous...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "A Stormy August Sunday In Texas With Lightning Strikes, Thunder Booms & Wandering Birthday Cards":

Fort Worth, the tiny burg of family, food and Frogs and their fatuous fixation with Dallas:

10 Fort Worth Stereotypes That Are Completely Accurate

The link in the Anonymous comment went to a webpage on some sort of real estate entitie's website with that webpage listing 10 supposed Fort Worth Stereotypes. The list had a lot of typos and even more dubious claims, but, all in all, I found it amusing.

You can click the 10 Fort Worth Stereotypes That Are Completely Accurate to read all ten stereotypes, plus some very amusing comments.  Below I have gleaned 8 of the 10 stereotypes, followed by me commenting about each stereotype and then some of the more choice comments....

1. Fort Worthers Would Rather Die Than Move To Dallas

Call Fort Worth a suburb of Dallas and, if looks could kill, you’d be dead in a Texas second. The only thing the two cities have in common is an airport that shares their names.

I currently live in Fort Worth. I would not rather die than move to Dallas. I like Dallas. Dallas reminds me of Seattle, except for the lack of scenery in Dallas.

3. Everyone In Fort Worth Is Fiercely Loyal To Kincaid’s Hamburgers

Kincaid’s is widely considered to be the best bite in Fort Worth and, dare we say it, possibly the entire Dallas Metroplex area. People in the Fort have enjoyed double cheeseburgers with everything and lemonades for generations.

Okay, in the number 1 stereotype the claim is that calling Fort Worth a Dallas suburb can get you a killing look, while in the #3 stereotype we refer to the "entire Dallas Metroplex area"?  Not Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex Area? Kincaid's is widely considered the best bite in Fort Worth? And all of D/FW? I have had two Kincaid's burgers during my over a decade stay in D/FW. I was not impressed. Not at all.

4. Fort Worthers Are All A Little Horny… When It Comes To Horned Frog Football, That Is

In Fort Worth they know to Fear the Frog and the will convince the rest of the nation just how intimidating they are the only way they know how—by fighting until hell freezes over then fighting on the ice.

Fort Worthers? The above contains a couple of the aforementioned typos. Convince the rest of the nation to fear the Fort Worth Frog? Really? I really hate to be the bearer  of sad tidings, but I  don't think the rest of the nation pays much attention to Fort Worth football.

5. People Here Are A Whole Different Breed Of Racing Fans

The Texas Motor Speedway is one of many badges of honor that Cowtowners take very seriously. Racing pride is all over town. You can find local’s favorite driver on bumper stickers, in windows and liberally applied across all apparel.

Fort Worth's racetrack is one of many badges of honor? Really? What are the other badges of honor? Cowtowners take their racetrack very seriously? With racing pride all over town? I have never noticed this racing pride all over town. The local's have a favorite driver? On their bumper stickers, windows and clothes? I am sure I would have noticed such a thing if it existed.

6. People From Fort Worth Are Fortified Authentic Texas

Talking to folks around Fort Worth is like taking a step into a time machine and waking up in the good old days when being down to earth friendly was standard and politeness was a virtue.

If the above is a subtle way of saying Fort Worth is a bit backwards, I guess I can agree with that stereotype.

7. Fort Worth Is Full Of Dare Devils

For all their laid-back qualities, Forters are as wild and untamed as the Western roots they hang their hats on. “Hey watch this” may as well be their motto because it gets dropped on the daily.

Forters? Again a typo renders the above a bit confusing. The only Fort Worth dare devils I can think of are those foolish enough to get wet in the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats.

8. And They’re Real Ropers

School is closed during the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, not to pay tribute to all the hard-working cattle wranglers, but because otherwise everyone, faculty included, would be absent anyway. The event is legendary and every year about the time that talk of the last ride starts dying off the countdown for next year begins.

School is closed during the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo? Who knew? I really don't think this stereotyping stereotyper has actually been to the Fort Worth Stock Show if he or she actually thinks it to be anything legendary. While the State Fair of Texas, in Dallas, now I can see where one might, maybe, legitimately attach the legendary label to that event.

9. People In Fort Worth Are All Artists At Heart

Fort Worth boasts one of the world’s largest epicenters of the arts, and that is something that wouldn’t be possible without a huge community of avid art enthusiasts. Whether it’s frequenting the five iconic museums in the heart of the Cultural District or experiencing art first-hand at the Main Street Fort Worth Arts Fest, people in the Fort take supporting the arts to a whole new level.
Oh yes, I have seldom seen a big city with more of an artistic aesthetic than Fort Worth. Just look at the beautiful way Fort Worth landscapes the exits from its freeways, like the exits to the Fort Worth Stockyards, for instance. I really don't think any other big city in America landscapes exits to its tourists attractions in such an attractive manner as Fort Worth.

Then there is Heritage Park at the north end of downtown Fort Worth. That park is really representative of the Fort Worth artistic aesthetic.

Fort Worth boasts one of the world's largest epicenters of the arts? Why is this valuable information being kept from the rest of the world?

Five iconic museums? Again, I hate to be the bearer of sad tidings, but the only thing in Fort Worth which remotely approaches being iconic, as in recognized elsewhere, is the Fort Worth Stockyards sign, which sort of clues people in other parts of the world that this is in Fort Worth, due to the town's name being on the sign.

Five iconic museums? I doubt 95% of Fort Worth natives could name five of Fort Worth's museums. Let alone the rest of America.

And now, some of the amusing comments....

Someone said, "And y'all forgot Amon Carter's famous quote: Fort Worth is where the West begins, and Dallas is where the East peters out! :)"

To which someone else replied, "Amon Carter was provincial and ignorant and kept his head in the sand in Fort Worth."

Regarding Fort Worth burgers someone said, "Kincaids sucks. You guys have it wrong on that. And while it's way better than mcdonalds, it is substandard compared to several other places in town. Rodeo Goat may be new, but it is by far the best burger in Cowtown. And if you want a traditional burger at a long time FtW institution, look no farther than Fred's Burgers, much better atmosphere there as well."

A former Fort Worthian said, "I left Fort Worth in 1970. I now live in Dallas. I am always baffled by the hateful things people from Fort Worth say about Dallas. Natives from Dallas don't say such hateful things about Fort Worth. Fort Worth folks seem to have an inferiority complex. I doubt that I would ever move back to Fort Worth. I have friends in Fort Worth who turn their noses up at me when I say I live in Dallas. Some even refuse to visit, because I "defected" from Fort Worth. Fort Worth is a nice place to visit, but Dallas has so much more to offer. I don't think most residents of Dallas think there is much of a contest."

Another commenter had another comment about burgers, racing and football, "#1 is true. Kincaid's hamburgers are tough and overcooked. Charlie's burgers are much better. I don't know a single person that has ever roped a bull. We're not all stuck in the past, there are no more daredevils here than anywhere else, NASCAR is stupid, and TCU football sucks. Other than those things, great list. Thanks for perpetuating an ignorant series of stereotypes."

And then, regarding what to call the natives, "We are not "Fort Worthers", we are "Fort Worthians." Other than that, no real complaints."

A Stormy August Sunday In Texas With Lightning Strikes, Thunder Booms & Wandering Birthday Cards

This 3rd Sunday of August is being a stormy one at my location, that being the tiny burg of Fort Worth in a state called Texas.

There was some slight brightening in the dark sky when I entered the outer world this morning to make my way to the pool. Due to the time, as calculated by my clock, I believe this was soon after sun rise, but no sun was visible through a thick cloak of clouds, other than the slight brightening.

Seconds after getting in the pool lightning began to strike, thunder began to roll and rain began to pour.

In other words I had myself a mighty fine time swimming in the rain this morning, along with some very special Mother Nature sound effects.

In the picture we are looking at the post swim view of the pool and the storm clouds as seen from my elevated patio vantage point.

Yesterday I got a bit drenched trekking to the mailbox for my daily search for a missing card from my mom and dad. That was a totally unexpected drenching which felt very good. However, the wet card search was to no avail.

Searching for a missing card from my mom and dad is an annual event which begins on August 11 when I call my mom and dad to wish them a happy birthday, due to that day being the day their eldest was born. Each year I say, "Happy Birthday" to which my mom  asks "Did you get a card?" To which I annually reply "No".

After it is established that no card had arrived this signals the beginning of a week of queries inquiring if the card had arrived yet, with me always saying I'll call (or text) if it arrives. On Friday mom called, whilst I was driving, with the latest card query.

Somehow the missing card issue had compounded itself due to random phone calls from a foreign sounding voice somehow leading to the suspicion that the caller had somehow come into possession of the missing card.

And then yesterday, Saturday afternoon, my phone lights up with an incoming call from mom and dad. I answer to hear my mom ask "Guess what?". I then said, "I dunno, the missing card arrived back in your mailbox in Arizona like it does every year?".

To which my mom asked "How did you know?"  I did not reply that I made that educated guess because this happens every year.

This year's addressing problem and resultant failed delivery was due to forgetting that an address needed  a number, as in "701". Apparently in a big city simply having a person's name and the name of the street the person lives on is not sufficient information for a successful card delivery.

Every year the missing card gets stuck in a new envelope and re-mailed. It is once again in transit to Texas. Maybe with a full address on the envelope this time.

But, we will not know that until the card arrives...

Apparently A New Version Of The New ISIS Is Threatening To Come Soon To Fort Worth

In the past week or two direct threats to America  have been made by the idiotic barbaric miscreants who have co-opted the relatively sane religion of Islam, whilst Blitzkrieging across Iraq, delusionally thinking they are establishing a medieval caliphate while brutalizing an already brutalized Iraqi population with the worst brutality yet, far out-doing anything of which Saddam Hussein was ever accused.

Or did I miss, among the bogus Bush claims, such as the claim Saddam was hiding weapons of mass destruction, that Saddam also had the heads of little kids chopped off to be displayed in Iraqi city parks?

I know I am totally ignorant about all things political, particularly anything going on anywhere else in the world, but I know I could more willingly get behind the idea of sending in American troops to save little kids from barbaric head chopping monsters than I could get behind the idea of sending in the American troops to rid Iraq of imaginary weapons of mass destruction.

I digress.

So, the leader of the band of barbarians that was calling itself ISIS, before shortening the name to IS, threatened that the barbarians would be visiting America soon, places like New York City and Washington, D. C.

No mention has been made, that I know of, by the barbaric leader of the ISIS barbarians, of a threat to come wreak their warped, sicko brand of havoc on Fort Worth.

However,  today I saw evidence that maybe the ISIS barbarians are much more long term planners of murderous mayhem than anyone has credited them with being.

And that Fort Worth is a target.

How else can one explain the existence of a building in the Fort Worth Stockyards called the New ISIS Theater?

With the New ISIS Theater's billboard threatening, in very fractured English, "COIG ON THE NEW EW ISIS".

Which I translate to be saying, "COMING SOON THE NEW NEW ISIS".

So, the new ISIS is coming soon to Fort Worth? That should put Fort Worth on the national and international radar screen for the first time in its history.

But, I don't think this will likely make other towns, far and wide, green with envy.....

Rolling My Wheels Under A Mysterious Giant Glass Orb In Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area

As you can clearly see I am standing under the mysterious giant glass orb which hovers above a curve in the paved trail in Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area.

Underneath the mysterious giant glass orb a sign has been installed which says "Village Creek Selfie Photo Op Location".

I may have made up that thing about the selfie sign.

I had myself a mighty fine HOT bike ride with the Village Creek Indian Ghosts today.

Upon arrival at Village Creek, as I was unloading my bike, an Arlington Animal Control Officer arrived in his truck which holds captured critters. Usually it is captured possums I see get released, which is what happened today. Four of the creepy critters. I see this happen so often at this location, it must happen other times when I am not there.

I can not help but wonder how many possums have been released in this natural historical area.

Do possums eat snakes? I rarely see snakes in the Village Creek zone anymore. Years ago I regularly had encounters with all sorts of snakes, including venomous sorts like copperheads.

Upon leaving Village Creek my usual destination of late is ALDI. That was not the case today. My destination was Walmart. Midway to Walmart my phone made its incoming call noise. I could not get to the phone in time to answer it. At a stoplight I found the found the phone and saw it was my mom and dad calling. I called back as I waited for the light to turn from red to green.

As I called back the phone made the incoming call noise again. I got all bum puzzled, but eventually figured out how to answer it, as I was trying to call out. It was my mom, calling a second time.

Every year my mom and dad send me a birthday card. Just about every year the card goes on an adventure that has it not arriving in a timely fashion, which then gets my mom all concerned as to the whereabouts of the tardy card.

I have not checked the mail yet today, so I do not know if the tardy card has arrived.

What I do know is it is now time for lunch....