Al Jazeera's Report About America's Own Taliban & Texas Governor Rick Perry

Not all that long ago the greatly respected (by few) governor of Texas, Rick Perry, came to Fort Worth where he engaged in a shootout with then Fort Worth Mayor, Mike Moncrief, in downtown Fort Worth.

Photos of this shootout in downtown Fort Worth were widely circulated.

This morning, thanks to world-wide Watch Dog, Don Young, I found out that the infamous photo of this infamous Texas governor and equally infamous Texas mayor, has made it to the Middle East and the newsrooms of Al Jazeera.

This photo was used for illustrative purposes in a July 28, 2011 article titled "America's Own Taliban."

Below is an excerpt from "America's Own Taliban.".....

There's a right-wing politico-religious presence centred in the US, but with a global reach, engaging in similar practises, destroying religious and cultural artifacts as a key aspect of its ideology of "strategic level spiritual warfare" (SLSW).

Until recently a fringe evangelical movement, warned against as deviant, "spiritual warfare" is rapidly positioning itself within America's mainstream political right. It's well past time for political journalists to start covering what this movement is up to.

Known as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), a term coined by its intellectual godfather, C Peter Wagner, this movement surfaced in the 2008 campaign, with video of one of its most prominent practitioners, Kenyan witch-hunter Thomas Muthee, anointing Sarah Palin - but the mainstream media largely missed the real story on a number of counts.

This election cycle, the media will have another chance to get the story right. The NAR has made great strides since 2008, and already, NAR figures are deeply involved in organising for Texas Governor Rick Perry's August 6 prayer meeting, "The Response". 

On July 12, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow did a segment highlighting some of their more bizarre claims in a series of video clips. These included Wagner saying that the Japanese stock market collapsed because the emperor had sex with a demon (the sun goddess), another leading NAR figure, John Benefiel, calling the Statue of Liberty "a demonic idol", and a third figure, Mike Bickle, calling Oprah Winfrey "a forerunner to the Harlot movement", or, as Maddow put it, a "harbinger of the antichrist".

_______________________________________________

It is sort of impressive that Al Jazeera has become such a respected news source, a lot more fair and balanced, or so it seems, than some, uh, western news organizations which claim to be fair and balanced. But aren't.

Are You Ready To Go Over The Edge In Fort Worth?

Well. Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. is providing me blogging fodder today, both times courtesy of Andy Taft, he being the President of Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.

Earlier today I blogged about DFWI's Picnic & Politics in the Park event where you can attend an old-fashioned political picnic for a measly $60.

And then this afternoon I get an email informing me that there are only 24 spots left where you can rappel down a Fort Worth short skyscraper for the bargain price of, if I'm remembering right, $1,000.

Apparently this is a "remarkable opportunity to do something you or your friend will talk about for the rest of your life!"

Now that is just sad.

I remember years ago I made a website for a guy here in Texas who had a ridiculous business where he'd put giant signs on victim's yards, celebrating things like birthdays, retirements, divorces and prison release dates.

I remember meeting this sign guy for the first time and him explaining his business to me, saying something along the line of his signs "give people something they will talk about for the rest of their lives."

I remember looking at this guy's crossed eyes and thinking to myself that I was staring at pure idiocy.

Just like I thought when I saw the graphic in today's email from DFWI of Fort Worth's goofy mayor, Mike Moncrief, going "Over the Edge on Media Day!"

I need a break from goofiness. It is beginning to wear on me.

I Am Going Over The Edge In Downtown Fort Worth For Only One Thousand Dollars

Yesterday I blogged that the entity known as Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. was sponsoring an event in Burnett Park on June 9 called Picnic & Politics in the Park.

I opined that Picnic & Politics in the Park struck me as a bit odd.

Just like how I think the Cowtown Wakepark is a bit odd.

The Cowtown Wakepark is part of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle. The Wakepark is the first part of the vision able to be seen.

And then there is the Rockin' Live on the Trinity River, TRV sponsored Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats. With music. Very, very, very odd.

The Trinity River Vision and Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. are tightly connected entities. Both Fort Worth Ruling Oligarchy operations.

I think the Trinity River Vision and Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. must be consulting the same creative geniuses. Geniuses specializing in raising goofiness to some sort of art form.

Outdoing the Cowtown Wakepark, for sheer goofiness, is Downtown Fort Worth, Inc.'s "Over The Edge" event.

Fort Worth's current goofy mayor, Mike Moncrief, has been practicing for this event for at least a month.

Mayor Mike's first rappelling lesson ended up with him upside down on the side of a Fort Worth skyscraper.

On Friday, June 24, for only $1,000, you can rappel down the side of the 26 story XTO building at 714 Main Street in beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

This is limited to only 80 participants, so you'll want to sign up as soon as possible, because those 80 slots are going to go fast.

According to the DFWI website, you will "Get a whole new view of Downtown Fort Worth during this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience big thrills and excitement!"

The DFWI website also suggests, "If you want to live on the edge, this is your chance! Go as a solo climber, or sign up a representative from your organization. Pool your money and "toss your boss." Or give this unique experience as a Father's Day or anniversary gift."

The DFWI website claims this is "A Lofty Fundraiser for Downtown Fort Worth" where "Your participation will help Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. (DFWI) continue to improve our wonderful Downtown. You'll be supporting projects like the JFK Tribute, our downtown marketing programs, Burnett Park, Heritage Park, our social media efforts and everything DFWI does for Downtown!"

This will help support projects like Heritage Park? Heritage Park is a closed, surrounded by chain link fence, downtown Fort Worth eyesore.

If 80 people actually pay $1,000 to rappel down a building, that is only $80,000. Minus, I am sure, a lot of expenses. How is this measly amount going to help Heritage Park, where the latest estimate of the cost to restore it to its former glory is something like $7 million?

That would take a lot of people paying $1,000 each to rappel down a Fort Worth building to raise $7 million.

An Early Texas Saturday Waiting For The Rapture While Wondering How A City Gives A Right Arm & Other Moncrief Nonsense

I am up early this Saturday morning of May 21, looking through the bars of my patio prison cell at what looks like a cauldron.

So far I have heard no news of the Rolling Rapture of 2011. No earthquakes. No reports of Christians flying skyward.

But I did learn in the Seattle P-I this morning that Rapture 2011 has sparked a lot of End of Earth parties.

When May 22 arrives on schedule tomorrow, what do all those people who spent their life savings buying all those billboards do after their erroneous beliefs are shattered?

Speaking of erroneous beliefs.

This morning's Fort Worth Star-Telegram had another article about the plan to finally put a square in Sundance Square.

According to the article, "For years, downtown leaders have wanted to create a plaza, or square, to host events and gatherings."

So? What has stopped those downtown leaders from turning some of those downtown parking lots into a square for all these years?

And then, in a paragraph which has the words "Mayor Moncrief said" without making clear, with quotation marks, what he actually said, the article said this...

"That need became even more evident when ESPN set up its broadcast center during Super Bowl XLV in February on the very lots that Sundance Square wants to transform, Mayor Mike Moncrief said. Those events drew thousands of people downtown."

I added the quotation marks you see at the start and end of the above paragraph.

So, the need for a plaza became apparent after the ESPN debacle where ESPN set up a broadcast center on one of the parking lots, and then retreated when it got really cold and snow arrived. It has only been a few months since this occurred. And yet the Star-Telegram is re-writing history to suit its propaganda. The ESPN "events" only drew people to downtown Fort Worth on the Saturday before the Super Bowl. Because it was too COLD on the previous days.

In reference to the downtown Fort Worth parking lots and the dream to turn them into a real square, the Star-Telegram quoted Fort Worth's goofy mayor, again, and this time put what he said in quotation marks.

"A lot of cities would give their right arm to have what we have and will have," Moncrief said.

A lot of cities would give their right arm to have what Fort Worth has? And will have? Give up their right arm to have surface parking lots at the heart of their downtown that will become a square/plaza?

I think it'd be more accurate to say a lot of cities, with a population over 500,000, would be embarrassed that their downtown is so undeveloped that is has acres of surface parking lots at the heart of its downtown.

This downtown square propaganda is reminding me way too much of the downtown Fort Worth and Fort Worth Star-Telegram propaganda about the pathetic Santa Fe Rail Market boondoggle. Sold as the first public market in Texas, modeled after public markets in Europe and Seattle's Pike Place Market, the reality turned out to be lamer than a small town mall's food court.

This morning's article about the downtown plaza, that other cities would lose an arm to have, also said, "Fort Worth's Bass family developed Sundance Square."

How does one family develop a town's downtown? That is sort of bizarre.

Then again, in this week's Fort Worth Weekly, I read about the Bass Machine's secretive project to replace the elderly Will Rogers Coliseum. Apparently an attempt was made to get a bill passed that would have raised the tax rate on downtown Fort Worth hotels. Somehow this was to finance the construction of the new arena.

But, somehow the shady Bass Machine operation came to light and the bill was pulled. There is talk of having an actual bond election where the citizens of Fort Worth would actually be allowed to vote on this project. But so far, The Bass Machine is providing no details of their latest development.