Grand Opening Set For New Floating Bridge While In Fort Worth.....

My Favorite Nephew Jason, knowing of my interest in bridge building projects completed in four years or less, emailed me a link to a KOMO news online article about the Grand opening set for new 520 floating bridge.

The new 520 floating bridge is replacing the old 520 floating bridge. The old 520 floating bridge is the longest floating bridge in the world. The new 520 floating bridge, when it opens, will be the longest floating bridge in the world, spanning more distance that the old 520 floating bridge.

The 520 floating bridge floats on Lake Washington. It is one of two floating bridges which cross the lake. The 520 floating bridge is at the north end of the lake. One the east side of the lake the bridge starts floating not far from Bill Gates' home. At the west side of the lake the bridge floats near the University of Washington.

The cost of the entire 520 floating bridge project is around $4.65 billion. Construction of the new 520 floating bridge began in 2012, with the Grand Opening set for April of 2016.

Four years to build the longest floating bridge in the world.

Over water.

Meanwhile, in Fort Worth, a pseudo public works project known as America's Biggest Boondoggle, also known at the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island Vision is building three simple little bridges over dry land, connecting Fort Worth's mainland with an imaginary island, with a four year construction timeline.

No, that is not an artist's rendering of one of America's Biggest Boondoggle's bridges you see below.

The above is a WSDOT artist's rendering of the new 520 floating bridge, looking west towards Seattle. The University of Washington would be on the right at the end of the bridge, the Seattle Space Needle would be to the left, hidden behind a hill.

As you can see the new 520 floating bridge has a wide bike/pedestrian trail. I'm thinking this new bike bridge crossing would easily connect to the Burke-Gilman trail and possibly make for a bike ride loop around the north end of Lake Washington. That would make for one long bike ride. Long and fun.

The bike/pedestrian trail across the new 520 floating bridges has five bump outs, which they are calling belvederes, once of which you see depicted above.

I do not know if America's Biggest Boondoggle's three bridges have bike/pedestrian trails with bump outs. I suspect not.

I also have not heard of a Grand Opening date for America's Biggest Boondoggle's three simple little bridges being built over dry land.....

Why Don't Texas Schools Incorporate Native American Culture Into Their Curriculums?

What you see here is a screen cap from my old home zone newspaper, the Skagit Valley Herald online edition.

This blogging falls into the category of things I read in a west coast online news source which I would not expect to read in a Texas local news online news source.

Apparently the schools in the various districts in my old home zone of the Skagit Valley are adding courses teaching Native American culture to their curriculums.

Skagit County is home to three Native American tribes. The Samish, the Swinomish and the Skagit.

My current county of residence, Tarrant County, is home to zero Native American tribes.

Before the Texans arrived, Tarrant County and the surrounding area was home to many Native Americans of various tribes. In modern day Texas those tribes survive, for the most part, only in town names, like Waxahachie and Waco, and others.

The history of Native Americans in Texas is quite complex, quite interesting, and a history worth being known and taught.

Methinks it would behoove Texas to add Native American culture, and history, to their school curriculums.....

Festus Allcock Leads Confederate Battle Flag Charge During Fort Worth Stock Show Parade

This coming Saturday, January 16, the 2016 edition of the Fort Worth Stock Show Parade takes place, weather permitting.

I have watched the Stock Show Parade a couple times. It is one of the best, if not the best, parade I've ever watched.

Very entertaining.

The world's biggest non-mechanized parade.

Meaning no motorized vehicles, just critters and humans are in the parade. But, you are allowed to use a mechanized device to get yourself to downtown Fort Worth to watch the parade.

This year's Stock Show Parade has an added element which might make for some interesting viewing.

As you can see, via reading the screen cap above, which I gleaned from Facebook, a person named Festus Allcock is organizing what apparently are known as Confederate Flaggers to flood the parade route with Confederate Battle Flags to protest such flags being banned from the parade.

I suspect this may be the year that Fort Worth's Stock Show Parade gets national media attention.

How can it not? What with a name like Festus Allcock leading the Confederate charge.....

Balmy Walk With Village Creek Indian Ghosts Perplexed By An Odd Sign

A lot of people had the same idea I had today. That being that these suddenly almost balmy temperatures presented an excellent opportunity for a salubrious aerobic endorphin inducing visit to Arlington to exercise with the Indian Ghosts who haunt the Village Creek Natural Historic Area.

Along with the Indian Ghosts I was a bit haunted by that which you see in the photo.

Previously, whilst mountain biking, when I would zip at high speed across the dam bridge that crosses Village Creek, I would zip up the trail that had been worn in the short knoll you see here, facilitating making contact with the paved trail at the top of the knoll.

A bulldozer has pretty much obliterated the well worn trail. And the sign you see at the top of the knoll, with a close up view below, has been added to where the trail used to be.

As you can see, the sign is telling Ghost Whisperers to USE SIDEWALK, with a an additional message on the sign telling bikers to keep off.

I fail to see how that trail that had been worn on the knoll did harm enough to warrant going to the bother and expense of installing this sign. Particularly when you consider the ironic fact that a bulldozer made an actual mess, the likes of which the well worn path never made.

Very perplexing......

Why Is Spencer Jack Learning To Write Right Handed?

Interesting incoming email from Spencer Jack's dad, my Favorite Nephew Jason.

Subject line: Learning cursive (writing)

Does FUD think that this is necessary? Third grader FNSJ has informed me that his school is now requiring all homework be turned in in "cursive" (the new lingo for 'writing.')

Seems backwards.

In forth grade will they learn how to chisel into stone?

______________________________

I thought I'd read somewhere sometime ago that teaching kids how to write what I think was called "longhand" when I learned to write is, apparently, now, not universally taught.

I Googled to see if my memory was correct regarding "longhand" meaning cursive to see there is a Wikipedia article on this important subject titled, appropriately, "Cursive".

The first paragraph of the Wikipedia Cursive article....

Cursive, also known as longhand, script, handwriting, looped writing, joined-up writing, joint writing, or running writing is any style of penmanship in which the symbols of the language are written in a conjoined and/or flowing manner, generally for the purpose of making writing faster. Formal cursive is generally joined, but casual cursive is a combination of joins and pen lifts. The writing style can be further divided as "looped", "italic", or "connected".

So, I remembered correctly that I learned "longhand" whilst a youngster in grade school.

In the Wikipedia article we also learn that a nationwide survey found that the majority of elementary school teachers lacked training in teaching cursive handwriting, with only 12 percent claiming to have taken a course to teach it.

In the Wikipedia article we also learn that some states have opted out of requiring schools to teach cursive handwriting. And that as of 2011 44 states have adopted the Common Core State Standards, standards which do not include teaching cursive handwriting. The individual states are debating whether or not to include teaching cursive handwriting in their state's standards.

I have no idea what the current standard is regarding teaching cursive handwriting in the state Spencer Jack lives in. I do know that Spencer Jack does not go to a public school, which may explain why his private school seems to be being a bit strident about this teaching cursive deal.

The main thing I learned from this incoming cursive email is that Spencer Jack writes right-handed. Spencer Jack is the eldest son of an eldest Jones son. For generations the eldest son of a Jones son is always left handed. This usually also applies to the eldest son of the eldest daughter of a Jones son.

Now, in Spencer Jack's case he is the eldest son of the second eldest son of the eldest son of the eldest son of the eldest son of a Jones son, so, maybe that second eldest thing caused the right-handed loophole in Spencer Jack's case.

I remember being left-handed made learning cursive handwriting more difficult for me. Or so I thought at the time. My handwriting has always been a bit different from how it is supposed to look. In the modern era I use cursive handwriting so seldom that when I do the effort borders on being illegible.

There are multiple fonts that replicate cursive handwriting quite well. Maybe Spencer Jack can type his cursive longhand handwriting at home and fool his teachers.....

Last Night Zelda Put Me To Sleep With A Tale Of Southern Racist Bigotry

The lady you see raising her fist here is Sheila James Kuehl.

Sheila James Kuehl rose to fame in the early 60s due to her portrayal of Zelda Gilroy on the CBS sitcom known as The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.

Last night whilst watching TV on my phone, horizontal in bed, waiting for the sleep bug to bite me, I came upon a YouTube video of Sheila James Kuehl reminiscing about an aspect of her time on Dobie Gillis.

With that aspect being Ms. Kuehl's fond, poignant memories of the castmate she refers to over and over again as Bobby.

Bobby, as in Bob Denver, he of Maynard G. Krebs fame on Dobie Gillis and Gilligan fame on Gilligan's Island.

The first fond memory of Bobby was not the part of the video which impressed me. It was the story Sheila told of an incident she and Bob Denver experienced  in Birmingham, Alabama which impressed me. An experience which ended with Bob Denver beaten by three white racists because he had the temerity to come to the defense of an elderly black woman the three bigots were harassing.

Racism that I have personally experienced in the modern day South has been troubling my conscience for a couple months now. In the video Sheila remarks that the racism experienced in Alabama was shocking to her and Bob Denver, with their Southern California sensibilities.

I'm guessing it is my Pacific Northwest sensibilities which cause me to have a difficult time understanding why so many people I have contact with, people born and raised in the South, seem to have no trouble being co-horts of overt racists, rationalizing being tolerant in ways unfathomable to me.

Anyway, watch the video below to hear Zelda's tale of Gilligan getting beat up by three idiot racists....

Too Cool To Pool Or Watch Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl Quest

Seems like only a couple weeks ago I had my last swim of the old year.

Ten days into the new year the pool looks as inviting as it did when I last got wet in it.

However, the outer world temperature currently is barely above freezing, at 36, after having dipped into the 20s during the night.

Hence the pool is too cool to be doable.

Last night was not cold enough to be what is known as a three dog night, but it was cold enough to be what is known as a three blanket night.

Currently a large number of football fans from my old home zone are enduring what may be the coldest NFL game in football history, hoping to beat some Vikings in Minneapolis en route to this year's Super Bowl.

I doubt many of the Seattle Seahawks are used to playing in sub-zero temperatures, while those Vikings may feel perfectly comfortable.

Does Minneapolis have a covered stadium, ala the Dallas Cowboys stadium? Or is it an open venue like the Seahawks home venue? I don't know if one could layer enough layers to spectate out in the open in sub-zero temperatures.

The coldest I have ever experienced is 17 below zero. Everything freezes, as in as you breathe eventually icicles form from your exhaust.  Your eyelids get frosty. Your nose turns numb. It is not a pleasant experience.

I don't know how many playoff games the Seahawks have to win to go to the Super Bowl again. But, I think it is probably too soon to be planning a Seahawk Super Bowl Party.

Why Aren't Retail Marijuana Prices Dipping In Texas?

I saw that which you see here this morning on my old home zone newspaper's online version.

An article about the price of pot dropping in Washington's marijuana stores.

This is sort of one of those articles I see in west coast newspapers which I would not read in a Texas newspaper, due to the fact that the land of the free known as Texas still criminalizes marijuana consumption in this current age of some enlightenment in other locations in America.

In other words the reason retail marijuana prices are not dipping in Texas is there are no marijuana retail  stores in Texas.

It is now legal to mosey around a Texas town with a gun displayed in a holster, like a cowboy in the Wild West, but smoking marijuana, like a cowboy in the Wild West is forbidden.

In some ultra wet locations in Texas while a modern day cowboy can mosey about openly carrying a pistol he can also openly carry and consume an intoxicating alcoholic beverage while smoking a tobacco cigarette, but not a marijuana cigarette.

Seems sort of convoluted to me.....

Why Is Fort Worth Police Observation Tower Watching Me & Molly The Trolley?

This morning's walk around my neighborhood had me wondering about a couple things, both of which you see in the photo you see here.

With the articles of wonderment being that tower you see rising above the parking lot and in the distance, behind the tower, a pair of what look like buses.

The tower is a product of the Fort Worth Police.

Why is a Fort Worth Police observation tower sitting on the Albertson's parking lot?

Has there been an outbreak of crime in the Albertson's parking lot which I've not heard about?

Or are the Fort Worth police keeping a watchful eye on the shenanigans going on a short distance to the north, left in the photo, at the Chesapeake Energy Barnett Shale Natural Gas Pad?

Usually in the noon time frame I will see several Fort Worth cop cars parked at the Italy Pizza & Pasta restaurant. You see a brick corner of the Italy Pizza place on the right of the photo. Have some Fort Worth cops been slacking off with extended lunch breaks, so that tower was put in place to make the cops wary that they were being watched? I suspect not, but I don't think I have seen a Fort Worth cop car at  the Italy Pizza place since the observation tower showed up.

The other thing I saw today that had me wondering was that which you see below.

Those two vehicles are parked at my neighborhood Fort Worth bus stop, but they are not regular looking Fort Worth buses. These look like the Molly the Trolley little buses that roam around downtown Fort Worth. If  these are Molly Trolleys what are  they doing so far from downtown?

Both of these buses informed potential riders that they were "NOT IN SERVICE".

Soon after the above picture was taken a regular Fort Worth bus showed up which was in service, and a little bigger than the little buses which look like Molly Trolleys.

So, there you go, that's been my excitement so far today. A bus and tower mystery.....

Was Someone High On Wax Before This Week's FW Weekly Went To Print?

When I picked up this week's Fort Worth Weekly this morning, and saw the headline for the cover story it had me wondering what fresh ridiculous nonsense is this?

The cover story is HIGH ON WAX, with a sub-headline of There's a new, cleaner way to smoke weed. And it's legal in Texas.

I got a text message a few minutes ago telling me that this week's Fort Worth Weekly has messed up bad, real bad.

I figured the real bad mess up must have  to do with the cover article.

I figured right.

Just a few paragraphs into the article I came to this gem....

"Originally called hashish, or hash, wax began its rise from obscurity in California around 1980. Wax is cannabis oil extracted directly from the buds that you would typically smoke in a joint."

West coast children of the 60s, does it come as a surprise to you that hash began its rise from obscurity in California around 1980?

What embarrassing, ignorant, inaccurate nonsense.

The article goes on  to elaborate on how one can make their own hash wax. And eventually makes an odd case as to how doing so is legal in Texas.

When it is not legal in Texas.

Two comments to the article sort of nail the problem Fort Worth Weekly has created for itself....

The headlines for this article are very incorrect. I hope people don’t go to prison relying on this misinformation! Wax, concentrates, dabs, shatter, etc. (Tetrahydrocannabinols) are listed in the Texas Controlled Substances Act as a Penalty Group II Controlled Substances. Possession under 1 gram is a State Jail Felony punishable up to two years in prison without any parole. Possession over 4 grams is a First Degree Felony punishable by 5-99 years or LIFE in prison! To say this is “legal’ in a headline is reckless to say the least! I would have loved the opportunity to tell this reporter this before you published this article.

David Sloane, Attorney
Public Information Officer
DFW-National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)

This article is misleading and very unethical as a journalist to publish. This article needs to be retracted. Wax is still illegal in Texas and for you to misinform your readers could lead to peoples arrest, fines and so forth. Do the right thing and retract.

____________________________________________

Clearly Fort Worth Weekly no longer has an adult on board its sinking ship.

Is Gayle Reaves still available?