Fort Worth's Trinity River Vision

Yesterday, in a blogging suggesting Fort Worth build a Rotating Tower, I mentioned that a current, slow-going project, known as the Trinity River Vision was a likely boondoggle.

Mr. Anonymous commented on the blogging and the reference to "boondoggle" with this:

"The TRV is crucial to the city's future. It's no boondoggle, and it's far more than what you're describing. It will serve as a critically important tool to give new residents an alternative to the idiotic suburban sprawl that cripples our wonderful city."

From Wikipedia, defining Boondoggle---"Boondoggle has come to refer to a government or corporate project involving large numbers of people and usually, heavy expenditure, where at some point the key operators have realized that the project is never going to work, but are reluctant to bring this to the attention of their superiors. Generally there is an aspect of "going through the motions"—for example, continuing research and development—as long as funds are available to keep paying the researchers' and executives' salaries. The situation can be allowed to continue for what seem like unreasonably long periods, as senior management are often reluctant to admit that they allowed a failed project to go on for so long. In many cases, the actual device itself may eventually work, but not well enough to ever recoup its development costs."

Note, I did not say the TRV project was a Boondoggle, I said it would likely become one. Now, why do I think this project may become a Boondoggle? Well. The proposed area is an industrial wasteland. I remember when Tacoma wanted to remove an old industrial plant from the waterfront called Asarco, it became one of the biggest Superfund pollution cleanups ever. I suspect when the bulldozers begin to do their thing and testing of the soil is done, bad things are going to be found.

Another reason I think this is a likely Boondoggle is originally the plan did not call for a flood diversion channel. That was added on so as to justify getting Federal money for the project. The Trinity River flooded badly at some point in the 1950s. After that, dam-like dikes were built to stop that sort of flood from happening again. Now those dam-like dikes are to be taken down due to the diversion channel supposedly being able to handle an epic flood.

Another reason I think this may turn out to be yet one more Fort Worth Boondoggle is I've seen so many since I've been here. The Sante Fe Rail Market Boondoggle where city planners claimed an extremely lame food court type thing was the first public market in Texas and was modeled after Seattle's Pike Place and markets in Europe. Instead it was a Boondoggle.

The Lancaster Avenue Redevelopment Boondoggle. Years ago a section of Interstate 30, that hovered above Lancaster Avenue, was removed, revealing a very run down section of highway, just south of another Fort Worth Boondoggle, that being the Convention Center, where few Conventions take place, and where a city-subsidized hotel is under construction which will likely turn into yet one more Boondoggle, when it fails to cause an increase in Convention bookings.

After the freeway came down the plans were to quickly fix up Lancaster Avenue, with landscaping. But for years it remained a heavily weeded eyesore. In the past year there has been some improvement. But there are still none of the promised restaurants or flurry of other development, except for converting an old building into lofts.

The whole Cabela's deal is sort of a Fort Worth Boondoggle.

The city of Fort Worth taking over the failed Mercado in the Stockyards zone is pretty much a Boondoggle.

So, it's no mystery to me why I think this Trinity River Vision may turn out to be yet one more Boondoggle. Mr. Anonymous said the vision is far more than I described. Yes, I failed to mention that part of the Visioneer's claims is that this will spur residential development, restaurants and other entertainment venues. Sort of the same stuff I read about what would happen with Lancaster Avenue and the Sante Fe Rail Market.

One good thing has been added to the Trinity River Vision, that being sprawling the project all the way to Gateway Park and restoring wetlands.

Now, I really hope the Trinity River Vision does not turn out to be a Boondoggle, I really do. But when you don't put such a thing to a vote of your citizens, when the person in charge of the project is the son of the Congresswoman who represents Fort Worth (this is what is known as nepotism), when you add bogus elements (an unneeded diversion channel), when there are great unknowns (a potential massive Superfund pollution cleanup), you've got a recipe for total Boondoggle.

Or so it would seem to me.

Fort Worth's Rotating Tower

One of beautiful Fort Worth's identity problems stems from the fact that nothing in Fort Worth creates an iconic image that the rest of the nation or world sees and instantly knows it's Fort Worth. No Golden Gate Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Hollywood Sign, Reunion Tower, Riverwalk, Space Needle, Washington Monument, Eiffel Tower, you get the idea.

Fort Worth currently has this likely boondoggle called the Trinity River Vision that copied a bigger vision in Dallas that the citizens of Dallas got to vote on, but which was rammed through in Fort Worth by the Ruling Junta, without the good citizens of Fort Worth getting to vote on the destruction of the historic confluence of the West and Clear Forks of the Trinity River.

The Trinity River Vision is an un-needed diversion channel, a lake and some canals, ala San Antonio's Riverwalk and Oklahoma City's Bricktown. Trumpeted by the Ruling Junta's mouthpiece, known as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, to turn Fort Worth into the Vancouver of the South. Without mountains. Or oceans. A Vancouver of the South, with a canal and a lake. This was the same mouthpiece which trumpeted the party line that Cabela's would be the #1 Tourist Attraction in Texas. Til a month later when one opened by Austin.

So, I'm thinking if Fort Worth is trying to make something cool that might make someone somewhere see an image of it and instantly know it's Fort Worth, well, something tall is the way to go.

This month, in that zone of over the top architecture known as Dubai, a new tower will begin construction. So far the only name I've seen attached to it is The Rotating Tower.

The Rotatating Tower is 59 floors tall. Each of the 59 floors will be able to rotate independently. In between the floors, wind turbines will generate enough power to provide the electrical needs for 10 other towers, in addition to meeting all the Rotating Tower's power needs. There will be 48 wind turbines and solar panels on the roof.

I'm thinking scrap that silly Trinity River Vision and go for something that's not been done in Texas or America before. Fort Worth has plenty of sun, with lots of wind. It's a little weak on stunning views from the windows of those rotating floors, but it's not that weak. I remember the view from the Reata, before a tornado destroyed it, was quite scenic, especially at sunset.

Below is video of Dubai's soon to be Rotating Tower.

Speed Humping in Texas

I've intended to take a picture of one of these signs for a long time. And today I finally remembered. In other locales, where I've lived, there have been lumps placed across the road with the purpose being to slow cars down.

Usually the lumps are called bumps. As in Speed Bumps. But in Fort Worth a Speed Bump is known as a Speed Hump.

I don't know why that amuses me. But it does.

This particular Speed Hump sign is near Oakland Lake Park in east Fort Worth.

National Strategic Fat Reserve

Last week I suggested that Americans fight rising food prices by cutting back on what they eat and burning up some of the calories stored by over 63% of Americans in the collective National Strategic Fat Preserve.

A couple days ago I was at Wal-Mart and was being freshly amazed at how many people, mostly female, stuff themselves into clothes that are much too small for their swollen selves. I don't know how they get some of those jeans and shorts onto their bodies. It would seem those tight tops and bottoms would be very uncomfortable.

But to me it's the aesthetics that are the main issue. Don't these people have mirrors? I've really grown weary of seeing way too many people who look like they are about to explode, with their clothes straining to keep them from doing so.

So, yesterday as I drove away from my abode I saw a group of 6 women dressed very attractively and colorful in loose fitting native type garb. They looked really good. This got me to thinking why is this not the style that plus-sized American women universally adopt? It would seem to be way more comfortable, cooler in hot weather, aesthetically pleasing and just all and all would make going to Wal-Mart a visually more pleasing experience.

The Japanese Government has grown concerned that Japan is getting too fat. An April 1 Government edict requires companies to regularly measure the waists of employees aged 40 to 74 as they diet and exercise their excess weight away.

Toshido Okada has written a Japanese best selling diet book called "Sayonara Mr. Fatty." The book is based on his experience of losing 110 pounds and no longer being a Mr. Fatty.

The percentage of overweight Japanese is way lower than the percentage of overweight Americans. We lead the world in our level of stored fat. By far. The number one thing that surprises Europeans, upon their first visit to America, is the huge number of what they call "Balloon People." They see way less "Balloon People" when they visit the West Coast. Way more when they visit the South. Way way more.

Below, a video called "Fat Americans."

It's Cooler in Washington

Biking the Trinity Trail today from Gateway Park to the Stockyards I came upon a section of the trail that had little inspirational messages chalked onto the pavement. Blurbs like "Love, Live, Learn" or "Encourage the Person Next to You."

This must have been for some race or walk charity type thing. When the trail went by a church I came to the last of the messages, that being that "You Made It!"

Only one of the chalked messages seemed out of whack, though it made perfectly good sense to me, that being the one you see in the photo, "It's cooler in Washington." I don't know what meaning of the word cooler the writer is intending. Either would be right. I suspect in this case cooler is likely a temperature comment.

Barnett Shale Drilling at the Fort Worth Stockyards

Last Sunday I blogged about biking the Trinity Trail past the Fort Worth Stockyards and being surprised to see a Barnett Shale Gas Drilling Rig so close to both the Trinity Trail and the Fort Worth Stockyards.

I've recovered from last week's sunburn, so today I decided to ride the Trinity Trail again and take my camera along.

That is the old Armor-Swift meat packing plant in the background. I call this the Stockyards Ruins. The FOX TV show, Prison Break, uses it as a prison set in Panama.

The official name of the Stockyards is Fort Worth Stockyards National Historical District. I wonder if this is the only National Historical District in America with a gas drilling rig?

Happy Father's Day

It's been over 2 years since I've seen my dad. And that was only during a 4 hour layover in Phoenix. I've not spent Christmas with my parental units since the year 2000, in Yuma. That was fun. That's Yuma in the photo. Me, mom and dad. I'm hoping to get to see Ma & Pa this summer up in Washington.

The older I get the more I realize how lucky I had it in the parental unit department. Most of what is good about my nature I got from my dad. I've never seen my dad get mad or lose his temper. I learned my style of driving from watching my dad. I am unflappable when driving. No matter where I'm driving, even notorious places, like Los Angeles, I'm always totally relaxed.

I never knew, when I was a kid, that not every family got to go on fun vacations. Usually the day school got out we'd take off on vacation. This is where I learned to like a long road trip. Me and my, at the time, 3 siblings, would beg to go to Disneyland, we wanted to see California really bad. When I was a 7th grader we took a week long trip to Oregon and Idaho. We were told if we behaved the next year we'd go to Yellowstone.

We behaved, so the next year we got to go to Yellowstone. We were told if we behaved on the Yellowstone trip the next year we'd go to California and Disneyland. We behaved.

So, when I was 13 we took our first trip to California. This remains the funnest trip I ever remember. Like I said, my dad is unflappable. We were barely 20 miles into our trip to California when something broke on the trailer. It was the trailer hitch. It'd cracked. The safety chain saved the trailer. Dad took apart the hitch. We drove into Everett. Dad found a welder to fix the break. We drove back to the trailer, dad put the hitch back together and we were back on our way. My mom and dad made this type thing totally non-stressful, like it was just part of the adventure.

In the LA zone we stayed at San Clemente State Park. Us kids were so antsy to get to the beach. We all had our little duties to do when we set up camp. We got those done quickly and found our way to the beach. We'd only been in the cold Pacific of the Washington coast. We'd not experienced warm salt water before. Or body surfing.

Disneyland was the best thing I ever remember doing as a kid.

We crammed in so much into our time in the LA zone, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Knotts Berry Farm. My dad only had 9 days off work. When it came time to head back north, mom and dad could tell us kids were sad. We made it as far as Ventura and pulled into a rest area. Mom and dad figured out they had enough money to take us to Universal Studios. And so we stayed in the LA zone one more day.

We had so much fun that we went to CA again the next year. I did not know it at the time, but that was to be my last family vacation. This is getting to me thinking back on this. That year my dad worked an extra job to save up enough so that he could take an extra week off. That year we did Tijuana and San Diego.

On our second trip to LA, our station wagon had a mechanical problem while we were in Hollywood to watch the Lawrence Welk Show get taped. We also watched The Dating Game. We were stuck in Hollywood for about 6 hours getting the car fixed. It was so much fun. My 2 older siblings and me took off exploring.

A mere 8 years later I was once more stuck in Hollywood, in the middle of the night. The clutch had gone out on my 65 Mustang after getting out of Paramount Studios about midnight after watching a taping of LaVerne and Shirley. We pushed the car to a Chevron station. And slept in the car til it opened. They were able to fix it.

My baby sister was born when I was 17, 3 years after my last family vacation. She never got to experience what it was like to be stuck in a car for thousands of miles with 3 siblings. And mom and dad.

The trips to California when I was 13 and 14 so imprinted happy memories on me that starting when I was about 20, for years, I'd go down there every year. The last time was Christmas of 1994. I remember once staying at San Clemente State Park, sometime in the 1980s, sitting on a picnic table, looking out at the Pacific and remembering back to when I was there when I was 13, with mom and dad and my brother and sisters. It made me feel sad. And alone. Sort of how I'm feeling right now.

Obama Sock Monkey

Just a couple days ago the use of the phrase "Obama's baby mama" was causing extreme umbrage and accusations of racism. And now a NAACP rep by the name of Jeanetta Williams is saying a Sock Monkey is "pure racism at its extreme."

The Sock Monkey in question is supposed to look like Barack Obama. It's made by a company in Utah. They have a website, TheSockObama.com. But if you try to go there you likely can't because when I tried I got a bandwidth exceeded message.

The Sock Monkey company has issued a sort of apology saying they "are saddened that some individuals have chosen to misinterpret our plush toy." They claim total innocence regarding any racist element being behind their motive for making the Obama Sock Monkey. They simply were sitting around and made the "affectionate observation of a charming association between a candidate and a toy we had when we were little."

The Sock Monkey people go on to say, "This is only our introductory plush toy. If we choose to move forward with a Republican candidate, we’ll begin with an elongated and slightly lumpy, fuzzy Idaho potato. Had a different Democratic candidate won the nomination, we were prepared to move forward with the cutest, fluffiest 12″ chestnut and golden-haired squirrel, with a short Farrah-like do in a brown pantsuit and call her Squirellary."

I'm thinking King George would be a good candidate for being a Sock Monkey. He certainly looks more like a monkey than Barack Obama does.

Below is a video about the Obama Sock Monkey from a Utah TV News Show.

Washington Casinos

Earlier today I blogged about the absurdity of the sanctimonious attitude, of some, towards the concept of allowing casinos to operate in Texas, a prohibition which sends untold millions of Texans across the borders of neighboring states in order to get their gambling fix.

Well, after I blogged about that I remembered I'd taken photos of the new, then, Tulalip Casino in Washington, when I was up there in, I think, 2004.

That is the Tulalip Casino in the photo. That is an Orca (Killer Whale) jumping out of the water in front of the casino. Seen anything like that in Texas?

When I remembered those photos, I thought, hmmm, I should make a Washington Casino webpage and add it to my Washington webpages. And so I did.

So, now you can go here and see some photos of the Tulalip Casino in Marysville, Washington. Now, I ask you, would this type thing be such a horrible thing to add to the Texas landscape??

Wal-Mart Not Doing Well

Several months ago I recollect blogging about Wal-Mart, with the title being "Wal-Mart Sucks." I don't remember what it was at the time that had me thinking that.

But I do remember what it is that has me thinking that lately.

A couple years ago I read Thomas Friedman's The Earth is Flat. The book is pretty much all about globalization and the new world economy. Friedman uses what he portrays as the wonder that is Wal-Mart as being a good example.

Friedman basically said something like when a bag of popcorn gets sold at any random Wal-Mart that information is sent along the supply line instantly, so that Wal-Mart can closely control its inventory.

Well. Yesterday I visited one of my nearby Wal-Marts because I wanted popcorn, among a few other things. Wal-Mart was out of the popcorn I wanted. This is not the first time. Lately I've noticed many shelves in Wal-Mart having missing items. A few weeks ago there were no large cans of tomato sauce. That was at the Dallas Cowboy Super Wal-Mart. That Wal-Mart was also out of the popcorn I wanted that day.

My closest Wal-Mart is a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market. They are small grocery store type Wal-Marts. The self checkouts are often not working. Lately the store has been a mess with shelves missing a lot of items. A few days ago I was in there and the canned vegetable area looked like half the cans were missing. Most of the grocery carts have wobbly wheel issues.

And then today, the Wal-Mart visit that prompted this particularly blogging incident. I'd been hiking at Tandy Hills Park. That is close to what is known as the Beach Street Super Wal-Mart. It's a nice looking one. I was only getting a few things. I wanted a Texas Sweet Onion. The Super Wal-Mart had none. So I got a White Onion instead. I wanted to get 93/7 turkey burger to make spaghetti sauce tomorrow. They were out of it and only had 2 packages of the breakfast sausage version and 4 of the higher fat 85/15 version. So, 2 of the 5 items that I wanted, Wal-Mart did not have in stock. But I was able to get the popcorn that I wanted yesterday.

I know what you're thinking. As in quit going to Wal-Mart.

Well, it ain't like I've got a lot of good choices here. The grocery store situation here in North Texas is not what you people in other parts of the country, particularly the west coast, are used to.

I like Sprouts, but the closest one is 20 miles away. Central Market and Whole Foods are good, but also too far from here.

I've got an Albertsons across the street. In Washington Albertsons was at the bottom rung of the grocery store ladder. Here it's seen as a good grocery store. Also within walking distance is a Krogers. I've had more price errors, always in Kroger's favor, than any store I've ever been in. I've had incidents where I'm only getting 5 items and 2 of them will scan with an incorrect price.

Wal-Mart rarely has price mistakes and its usually cheaper than I expected. Maybe that's why I go to Wal-Mart. Just last week I bought apricot jam thinking it was $1.68 and it rung up at $1.18.