The First Thanksgiving Was In Texas, Not Massachusetts

I've been here almost a decade and Texas still has surprises for me.

Today, just days after Thanksgiving, a holiday that Yankees think started when some Pilgrims in Massachusetts put on some funny hats and invited the neighboring Indians over for a dinner to give thanks to all their good fortunes, I learned I've been wrong, for so many years, about the first Thanksgiving.

Apparently, the real First Thanksgiving took place on April 28, 1598, 22 years before the Pilgrims came to shore at Plymouth Rock. On April 28, 1598, a group of Spaniards, led by Spanish explorer Juan de Onate, put on big hats and feasted on the banks of the Rio Grande near what is now El Paso.

The Spaniards had made it through a 350 miles journey from Santa Barbara, Mexico, across the Chihuahuan Desert. so they had reason to be thankful and celebrate. However, no Indians were invited. The Spaniards did not treat the Native Americans very well. Long before the Americans came along. I don't know what the Spaniards ate at their Thanksgiving. I doubt it was turkey. Likely a beef product, it being the Texas Thanksgiving. Probably BBQed turkey.

Now, here is where it gets totally Texas funny. In 1990 the Texas legislature passed a resolution recognizing San Elizario, Texas, on the outskirts of El Paso, as the site of the first true Thanksgiving.

However, I don't recollect us having another Thanksgiving Day, here in Texas, on April 28. It's probably a big holiday here and I just haven't noticed. I can be oblivious at times.

Chased By Pack Of Wild Dogs & Mutant Turkey in Fort Worth

It is very windy and cold in Fort Worth today. So, I put on several layers of my Pacific Northwest type outerwear and went to Oakland Lake Park to walk around what I thought was Oakland Lake, until today, when a new sign informed me that I was walking around Fosdic Lake.

Where is Oakland Lake then? Why is Fosdic Lake in Oakland Lake Park? Fort Worth and Texas can really confuse me at times. Don't get me started on how Texas changes the names of roads as you drive around. Green Oaks Boulevard changes to Dottie Lynn Parkway. But you're on the same road. This type thing happens all over this D/FW Metroplex zone.

So, today at Fosdic Lake the first disturbing thing I saw was a very friendly bird that looked like it was the result of a Goose having an affair with a Turkey. The Turkey Mutant was standing alone, just to the left of all the birds you see in the photo on the left. It appeared to me that those Bigoted Birds were shunning the Mutant Turkey. The Bigoted Birds were birds of varied color and type. Geese flocked together with Ducks, very harmoniously. While the sad Mutant Turkey seemed like it was hoping I would be its friend. (that's the Mutant Turkey in the first photo above)

And then on the opposite side of Fosdic Lake I saw something even more disturbing than the Mutant Turkey. At first I thought it was boulders. But I've been at this location on many an occasion. There are no boulders. As I got closer I could tell it was 3 animals of some sort. The 3 were huddled together. I began to think they might be 3 cougars, well, panthers is what they are known as here.

It appeared to me the 3 animals were dead. I saw no movement, no breathing. Did someone kill them and dump them? My camera beeps when I take a photo. On the 4th beep one of the animals lifted up its head.

A dog's head.

Then the other 2 woke up. They started barking. As I started to back off, the pack of wild dogs started to chase me. I've not moved myself so fast since I was attacked by a vicious turtle in Lake Grapevine in July of 2002. I did not realize I could move so fast. I was pre-murderer OJ running through an airport. The dogs were gaining on me, ahead was a fence. I could climb under or go over. I chose the latter. I had no idea I could vault over a fence like some sort of Olympic Gold Medalist. All the while holding my camera.

The dogs abandoned their attempt to kill me after I got over the fence. I did not stop running til I was halfway across the dam that makes Fosdic, or is it Oakland Lake.

On my way back here I called 911 to report that there was a pack of wild dogs rampaging around Oakland Lake Park. And that the other birds were being mean to a Mutant Turkey.

Venting Safely & Effectively: Buzzworm Exhibition of Protest Art in Fort Worth

REMINDER:

Artists, Illustrators, Photographers, Sculptors, Filmmakers, etc. from all over the USA are invited to submit works to this exhibition of protest art in Fort Worth.

The possibilities are endless. If you need a kick-start, check out the FWCanDo.org website or the FW-Credo.com website for inspiration.

Vent away for a good cause: Your own health and safety.

I Cancelled My Fort Worth Star-Telegram Subscription

For decades virtually every morning my routine has been to lay on the floor and read a morning newspaper while drinking coffee. When I lived in Washington it was the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. In Texas it's been the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, except for a short bout with the Dallas Morning News, which was unable to reliably deliver the Dallas paper. So, I went back to the Star-Telegram, even though I preferred the superior Dallas paper.

It will be strange tomorrow morning to not open the front door to look for a paper. But, change is good.

My final straw with the Star-Telegram came when I got the bill for November. On the bill the carrier had highlighted via asterisks, "Remember, Star-Telegram distributors are independent contractors in business for themselves and have paid for the newspapers delivered to you." And, "If your subscription is paid, please disregard this statement. Thank you."

Well. The implication is that I'd been late paying for the paper. One thing I'm never late paying for is the paper. I well remember what a pain it was to collect when I was a paper boy.

In addition to highlighting the 2 items I already mentioned, the carrier billed me, ahead, for December, making the total bill $35.00.

Now, I think I know the reason the carrier may think I don't pay on time. The check is made out to the Star-Telegram and mailed to the Star-Telegram. Not the carrier.

Each month the check written to the Star-Telegram does not clear my bank account til about the middle of the month. I'm guessing that the carrier is paid after that. Why the Star-Telegram sits on the check for so long, I've no idea.

I also think the carrier may be strapped for Christmas money. Last January on the second day of the New Year, she called me, saying she was "clearing her year end books", whatever that means, and she wanted to know if I'd sent in my payment for December. Yes, I told her, it was mailed 4 days ago. I found that phone call so annoying I almost cancelled then.

On Friday I emailed Customer Service at the Star-Telegram, basically telling them the same thing I've said above and telling them I'm cancelling my subscription. I included the scanned image of the bill that was my final Star-Telegram straw. That's the bill below. I did not hear back from the Star-Telegram. This morning it was no huge surprise to find a newspaper outside my door. So, I just now called up and cancelled, again. I didn't get the satisfaction of explaining why I cancelled, because the Customer Service person didn't ask and didn't much seem to care that they'd lost a long time subscriber.

December 1st Swimming in Fort Worth, Texas

A month ago, when I made a video of myself swimming on the 1st day of November, I really did not think it was likely I'd be able to do the same thing on the 1st day of December. But, as I often am, I was wrong.

I'm not gonna tell you it wasn't cold. Because it was. It barely made it into the 50s yesterday and got in the 30s overnight. Tonight the low is predicted to be 35. On Tuesday it's supposed to warm up to almost 70. So, the pool water should warm up a bit again.

But, this morning it was so cold I only lasted about 5 minutes before I had to escape frostbite by getting in the hot tub. It didn't help that it continues to be windy. It blew hard all day yesterday, calmed down a bit when the sun went down and now, with the sun back up, it's blowing again.

I guess another month will pass by and I'll be getting in the pool and video documenting my first swim of the Near Year on January 1, 2009.

Last Day of November Swimming, Hiking, Texas Fire Danger

It has been very windy here in North Texas this last day of November. Due to the wind and the low humidity and overall dry conditions we are under a Red Flag Alert here, meaning, be careful not to start a wildfire. I'm careful not to do that, even without an Alert.

We are having gusts up to 33 mph. The overnight low was 45. I went swimming about 8am. I stayed in it longer than yesterday. At the start of November I made a video of me swimming and wondered if I'd still be able to do so come the start of December. I guess a video will need to document swimming on the first day of December tomorrow.

This afternoon I went hiking at the Tandy Hills again. I talked on the phone while I hiked. The gusts made that a bit difficult. And then towards the end of hiking I got an incoming second call and I was able, once more, to successfully answer the incoming call without disconnecting the first call. This skill has been years in the making. For a long time I did not even try to answer a second call. Then someone told me to hit the green button. That worked. The switching back to the first call can still vex me. Today it did not work.

Miss Puerto Rico called a bit ago, wanting me to go to Dillards with her to get a new outfit for Friday's Christmas party. Last year her 'new' outfit was wearing one of my shirts. I don't know why a new outfit is needed this year. What I do know is there was no way I was going clothes shopping with Miss Volatile Latina.

When Outrage Is Out To Lunch

Fort Worth's Foremost Activist, Don Young, is in the news again. This time in the Shreveport Times.

Don Young had this to say regarding the article and the controversy it covers....

Fort Worth has never been known a hot-bed of activism, but when the City of Fort Worth foolishly approved a High Impact drilling permit near Scott Avenue it was expected that area homeowners would be up in arms - that civil disobedience would take root - that the "tipping point" had been reached - that things might get ugly. Scott is a narrow street in an historic neighborhood next to an endangered prairie. This gas well pad-site would lead to the first UN-odorized gas pipeline in a neighborhood. Citizen outrage was a foregone conclusion.

Didn't happen. Why not?

Turns out, most had signed mineral leases with Chesapeake Energy and had cashed their "mailbox money" months before. They watched quietly from their front porches as giant Chesapeake trucks, assisted by the City of Fort Worth, rolled triumphantly down their street like Hitler's invading army.

C'est la vie.

Shreveport, Louisiana will likely be the next big city to allow urban drilling. People say that, the city and its residents will embrace drilling despite environmental and safety concerns. As we have learned in Fort Worth, money and false advertising blinds and deafens common sense on contact. Will Shreveportians gamble their future for mailbox money?

At least they've been warned. The message of common sense has been delivered by The Shreveport Times:

Fort Worth deals with shale environmental issues

FORT WORTH, Texas — Don Young, a Fort Worth resident, had a plan: He could park his van at the end of Scott Avenue. It's a public street, after all, and if enough neighbors joined him, they could legally block the trucks going to the natural gas drill site under construction.

But a funny thing happened. Almost no one came.

"You don't do it thinking you're going to win," Young said of his plan. "You do it to draw attention, to gauge reaction. I think I learned a lot from that too. I expected most of the people who live on the street to join me. But I discovered most of the people signed with Chesapeake (Energy Corporation) ... It was a bit of a letdown for me."

GO HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE SHREVEPORT TIMES ARTICLE

In the Land of the Stupid

No, I'm not talking about Texas. I'm talking about the country Texas is a part of. As in a report from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute on America's civic literacy found that most Americans are too ignorant to vote.

1,800 of 2,500 randomly selected residents, college students and elected officials flunked the 33 question Civics Quiz. Even more scary, the elected officials scored 44% compared to the average of 49%.

I first learned of this Civics Quiz while reading Gar the Texan's fascinating Blog. I was not too shocked to read that Gar the Texan scored 77%. That boy's world revolves mostly around fiction. His understanding of politics and history seems quite limited. When I read that Gar the Texan scored 77% I thought that this was a bad score. And then this morning I read a column by the Washington Post's Katheen Parker all about the Civics Quiz. It was there I learned the average score was 49%. So, Gar the Texan's understanding of politics and history is far better than my judgemental rudeness gave him credit for.

When I took the Civics Quiz the questions seemed rather simple. I was surprised I got 3 of the 33 questions wrong, with a score of 90.91%.

You can go here and take the Civics Quiz and see if you are too stupid to vote.

A couple samples of how simple this quiz is...

In what document do the words "government of the people, by the people, for the people" appear?

Identify a right or freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment. Only 27% of elected office holders got that one right. 43% did not know what the Electoral College does. 46% did not know that the Constitution give Congress war declaration powers.

I don't believe the majority of my acquaintances would do very well on this Civics Quiz. One thing I've long noticed, while living in the Land of the Stupid, is that the stupider they are the more defensive they are about being stupid. Saying things like "I'm not interested in subjects like that." Or, "I find that subject boring." Or, "Why does anyone need to know this stuff." Or, "I don't need to know history, I'm only interested in today and tomorrow." Or, "I have too much already in my brain, I can't add any more extra stuff."

I can't help but wonder how George W. would do on this test. I think we all have a pretty good idea. On an encouraging note, regarding people so stupid they should not be allowed to vote, one of the more stupid people I have ever known is banned from voting. Now if we could only get more of them banned.

Icy Swimming Again In Texas

As you can see quite clearly in the photo I am not the only person in the world who enjoys swimming when it is icy cold.

But this morning's frigid dip really tested my limits. It was cold all day yesterday, no sun. It was 40 this morning when I went to the pool. It felt colder. The water was warmer than the air, so it was easy to get in the water.

I lasted 5 minutes, tops, before it seemed like a good idea to get in the hot tub. I know I've mentioned it before, but it so strange to go from the cold water to the hot. It takes several minutes before I actually feel the heat. Instead it feels cold. It must have something to do with the way the skin's nerves transmit cold info to the brain. The switch from icy cold to hot must cause confusion in the internal information processing center.

It dripped all day yesterday and is still cloudy. Yet for some reason the Weather Service has issued a dire fire warning through tomorrow. I would think the tall grass would be too wet to easily burn. Maybe the rest of North Texas did not get dripped on like we did here in Fort Worth.

Black Friday Wal-Mart Stampedes and Shootings

The day after Thanksgiving is a very dangerous day to shop. Unless you go to downtown Fort Worth where you'll find very few shoppers because there are very few stores.

Stampeding shoppers at a Long Island, New York Wal-Mart at the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, knocked down a Wal-Mart worker and then trampled over him.

Police gave the trampled man CPR to no avail. He died a short time later. One cop said, "When the doors opened, all hell broke loose. The dead man had been trying to restrain the incoming onslaught when he was knocked to the ground at 5:03am.

I was at my nearby Super Wal-Mart yesterday around noon. It was very busy. But there were a lot of checkers, so there was no line to wait in. I saw no stampeding. I did hear some very loud chanting. Dozens of Wal-Mart workers were having some sort of pep rally. It sounded very chaotic.

I've never participated in the day after Thanksgiving shopping madness. However, my mom and sisters have been known to. For years a former friend of mine, known for her habitual lying, told me she'd seen my mom and little sister on a Seattle TV news report about the Black Friday shopping, in which my little sister said something like "every year on this day we go shopping to get our year's supply of socks." A couple years ago my little sister and the person who told me the socks news story were in the same room. My little sister confirmed that it was true, and not only that, she continues to get socks on the day after Thanksgiving.

And people wonder why I've had DNA testing done to see if there was any chance I'm not actually related to these people.

The video of a Wal-Mart Stampede, below, is not from yesterday's deadly Wal-Mart Stampede, it's from another Wal-Mart Stampede were shoppers got knocked to the ground and trampled. Christmas shoppers are such an unruly mob. What would Jesus say about this behaviour one can't help but wonder.