The Soviet Republic of Fort Worth and the Ruling Junta that Runs It

I think I've mentioned before that that newspaper I no longer subscribe to, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, sometimes made me think it acted more like the long gone Soviet Union's Pravda, broadcasting the party line of the Ruling Junta, rather than acting like a real truth seeking newspaper.

Since an election is coming up there are a lot of letters to the editor regarding Fort Worth's mayoral race. This morning there were 2 letters supporting current mayor Mike Moncrief and 2 supporting Clyde Picht.

What strikes me about the letters supporting Moncrief is how they have a propaganda-like, non-factual, Alice Through the Looking Glass, upside-down, reality-distorting feel to them. I'll copy the 4 letters and maybe do some more pithy commenting below the letters.

We like Mike

While it’s tradition that mayors of Dallas continually fight the public over their local issues, I am proud that Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief has been a consensus builder.

From citywide town-hall meetings to citizen task forces, Moncrief has proved that a good leader is a good listener.

He is a problem solver, and your city’s economy and neighborhood quality of life have benefited from his friendly style of results-oriented leadership.

I have a lot of friends in Fort Worth, and I have seen a lot of changes in their neighborhoods. I like Mike, and he has my full support for his re-election.

-- Sonja Moore, Arlington

For those who don’t know, being mayor is not just being in that position.

It is the caring for, the knowledge of and the ability to adapt to all situations, no matter how unpleasant, stressful or difficult they may be.

Decisions that affect the city and all the factions that make it up are difficult at times, and not everyone agrees with the decisions, but that’s part of being the mayor. Mike Moncrief has learned to drive the train, and it always arrives at the right station.

Of all the disasters that have befallen our city, I hesitate to think of the outcome if it had not been for Moncrief.

Listen to your conscience, not hearsay. Be aware of the accomplishments of Mike Moncrief and vote for Mike, the mayor with “you” in mind.

-- John Grammer, Fort Worth

We want change

The past few elections, voters have sent Mike Moncrief to the mayor’s office. Moncrief recently said he was running “on his record.”

Here’s the record: Fort Worth faces a $10 billion budgetary shortfall.

Instead of focusing on city streets and our horrible trash service, the city gave tax money to special-interest projects like the Mercado and the Trinity River “Vision.”

Moncrief accepted more than $69,000 of “special-interest” money, including from the oil and gas industry.

Moncrief is not a fiscal conservative. No surprise, as he’s a lifelong registered Democrat.

We need fiscal responsibility from a conservative with a proven record.

Clyde Picht spent eight years on the council voting against overspending and special-interest projects. He has the know-how to fix our budget without raising taxes.

On May 9, I will be happy to cast my vote for Clyde Picht.

-- John Austin Basham, Fort Worth

I hear the word change with regularity.

Why not Fort Worth?

Wouldn’t it be refreshing for the voters to supplant those rich and influential few now controlling every move this city makes?

Perhaps then we could cap out that Trinity River fiasco. And we could then hold for the future that light rail to lighten the burden on taxpayers.

Most importantly, Moncrief’s sanctuary city would cease in favor of law and order. Can you imagine the cost of harboring illegal immigrants? How about the illegitimacy of such a policy?

Clyde Picht would put an end to these trends. Not only is he a 22-year veteran with three Purple Hearts, he is a seasoned and ethical candidate prepared to represent the interests of the voters. He has served this city well for eight years on the council.

I cast my vote for Clyde Picht.

-- Nathan C. Vail, Fort Worth

Moncrief has proved he's a good listener? At city council meetings he limits citizen input to 3 minutes. Stalin allowed 10 minutes to a Politiburo member. Moncrief will not talk to Fort Worth's responsible, fact-finding, honestly reporting local issues newspaper, that being FW Weekly.

I can't think of a single thing Moncrief has done that has benefited the city of Fort Worth. These Moncrief supporting letter writers do not mention a single specific fact to support their propaganda.

The city's economy and neighborhood quality of life have benefited from his friendly style of result-oriented leadership? Huh? Please, some specific example of how Moncrief has affected the quality of life and the economy. By cutting back on library hours? By lining his own pockets with Barnett Shale money? Is that what they mean by him benefitting the city's economy?

The aforementioned FW Weekly has an annual Best of Fort Worth issue. Below are a couple examples pertinent to this coming election...

Thing Tarrant County Needs

Critic's choice: A revolutionary with moxie

Lots of folks are whining about how the gas drilling companies are taking over Fort Worth, stepping on its citizens, and controlling city hall. Whine, whine, whine. This city needs somebody to go all Pancho Villa on somebody's ass - in a nonviolent way - and really kick up some resistance against city officials and corporate robber barons who treat residents like floor mats and rely on unfair laws put in place by co-opted legislators.

Politician Most Likely to Sell Grandma to the Highest Bidder

Readers' choice: Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief

Another Arlington Park Trail Closed By A Pipe

For a couple weeks now, when I return from mountain biking at River Legacy Park I've noticed a Sidewalk Closed sign, with crime scene tape stretched between sawhorses, at the bridge over Village Creek and the Village Creek Paved Trail on Green Oaks Boulevard.

This sidewalk is actually part of the paved trail that connects the Village Creek Historical Natural Area with the paved trails in River Legacy Park.

I was curious as to why the the trail is closed at that particular point. So today I took my bike to Village Creek and learned what is causing the problem.

In the first picture you are looking north at the Sidewalk Closed sign on the other side of the problem that brought about the Sidewalk Closed sign I'd been noticing for a couple weeks. As soon as I saw this other sign, I saw the problem. A big pipe crosses the trail.

At first I thought the pipeline must be sucking water out of Village Creek. I was wrong. The pipeline crosses the creek and continues on, I suspect to a natural gas drilling site a short distance away.

So? Where is the water coming from for this pipeline? The tangle of pipes heading towards the source were not heading towards the Trinity River. Instead they seemed to be heading into Interlochen. Could they be sucking water out of the Interlochen canals?

The pipelines made quite a mess as they went across private property. When you enter this section of the Village Creek trail there is a sign telling you that the trail is a public easement through private property. You are warned to stay on the trail and off the private property.

So, how do the gas drillers get to go across private property and lay out a mess of pipelines? I could see trucks had driven over the lawns after our recent rains, because they left ruts in the lawn. I'm sure the property owners are happy about that.

This makes at least 2 of Arlington's city parks with trails blocked by pipelines. In River Legacy Park the obstruction is a pipeline ditch that shortens the paved trail by almost a mile.

It surprises me that there aren't little acts of sabotage directed at things like this Village Creek pipeline. Was there any public notification? Does permission get asked of property owners? Or do the drillers just litter the landscape with pipelines wherever they want? If there is no public notification, with this trail just arbitrarily closed, would a citizen be within their rights to clean up the mess by taking a chainsaw to it?

Swine Flu Closures Epidemic in Dallas/Fort Worth

Attempting to stop the new variant of Swine Flu from going pandemic is causing some strange inconsistencies.

All the schools are closed in Fort Worth. Dallas has not closed all its schools.

Fort Worth has canceled MayFest, this hugely popular arts, crafts and music festival in Trinity Park along the banks of the Trinity River. Cinco de Mayo Festivals in the Dallas/Fort Worth area have been canceled.

I have not heard that Dallas Maverick basketball games have been canceled. Or Texas Ranger baseball games. It would seem being in tight quarters with a mass of humanity in a sports venue would pose a much greater virus passing chance than an outdoor event.

The Dave Matthews Band and Kenny Chesney are at 2 Dallas venues on Saturday. I've not heard that these have been canceled.

I don't know if the world's biggest honky tonk, that being Billy Bob's in the Fort Worth Stockyards, has closed.

Yesterday I saw that Wal-Mart has now placed hand sanitizers at its entry. I did not see anyone bothering to use the hand sanitizer.

2009 Texas Execution #14: Derrick Lamone Johnson

The latest execution in Texas was reported in today's Dallas Morning News in a little blurb on page 2 of the B section of the paper.

This time it was a Dallas man, Derrick Lamone Johnson, who got the lethal needle for the rape-murder of a Dallas woman, LaTausha Curry, who he abducted while she was trying use a pay phone 10 years ago.

Johnson's final words were a bit odd. He said, "Don't cry. It's my situation. I got it. Hold tight. It's going to shine on the golden child." He then told his mother, witnessing her son's execution, "I love you. That concludes the statement."

With last night's administration of the lethal needle in the Texas Death Chamber it brings the year's total in Texas to 14.

Durango Texas Going To Be On Japanese TV

A few days ago I got an email from a researcher for a Japanese TV production company in New York City telling me that one of his clients, "Nippon Television Network, is interested in using your video footage from the 2009 Sweetwater Rattlesnake Round-Up in a segment as part of a weekly prime-time TV program called "The Most Useful School in the World". The show is a family-oriented program that introduces a wide variety of subjects to its viewers."

The email said they were interested in licensing this footage for a one time only use and if interested, use one of the contact options to discuss licensing fees.

I had no idea what one might expect to be paid for such a thing, so my email reply pretty much said just that.

Then this morning I got another email from NYC. I'll paste the pertinent part below.

"Thanks for your quick response and I apologize for the delay. The producers of the segment want to pay you $3000 for the clip. It will be for one time use and broadcast only in Japan. The broadcast will only happen on terrestrial TV - i.e. no internet or DVD release or anything like that."

I thought about it while walking at Village Creek Natural Historic Area and when I got back here I replied, saying I'll do it.

And now just as I'm typing this blogging I get another email, with verbiage that would have puzzled me, as to why, if you'd told me that today I'd get an email with this phrase, "We just need to check in with the producers in Tokyo."

Ironically, during lunch I was watching The Military History Channel documentary on how close Japan came to having an atom bomb and the American B-52s firebombing of Tokyo.

The video that Nippon Television wants to use is the first video I made, about a week after I bought the camcorder. The YouTube version is below...

I'm Taking a Hike While Wal-Mart Milk Price Drops a Cent

That's the new observation deck that looks out on a bog at Village Creek Natural Historic Area. The bog used to be more of a pond, but now it's getting so thick with greenery that the greenery is coming up through the deck.

It was in this bog/pond that I saw my first water moccasins. A couple guys were staring at something. I stopped and asked what they were looking at. They pointed towards a small herd of snakes.

There were no signs of flooding, seen by me, when I walked through the park. I've no clue why it was closed 2 days ago, with the sign saying the closure was due to flooding.

It was very humid, dripping wet stuff from the trees today. I sort of liked it.

And on the Wal-Mart Milk Front. My one longtime reader may remember me complaining a time or two at Wal-Mart's milk price on the shelf being $1.98 but ringing up at $2.00 This "problem" had been happening for over a month at various Wal-Marts. Complaining brought no fix. Just a two cent refund.

So, I needed milk. I saw the big price sign had been changed to $1.97. But the price on the shelves still said $1.98. I fully expected the $1.97 milk to ring up at $2.00. And was shocked to see it rang up at $1.97.

Center for Diseae Control Swine Flu Announcement

In addition to not doing what's being done in the picture, the Center for Disease Control recommends....

Avoiding contact with ill persons.

When you cough or sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or your sleeve (if you do not have a tissue). Throw used tissues in a trash can.

After you cough or sneeze, wash your hands with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand gel.

If you think you are ill with flu, avoid close contact with others as much as possible. Stay at home or in your hotel room. Seek medical care if you are severely ill (such as having trouble breathing). There are antiviral medications for prevention and treatment of Swine Flu that a doctor can prescribe. Do not go to work, school, or travel while ill.

The symptoms of Swine Flu in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu in humans and may include:

* Fever (greater than 100°F or 37.8°C)
* Sore throat
* Cough
* Stuffy nose
* Chills
* Headache and body aches
* Fatigue

Swine Flu Death in Texas, Fort Worth Shuts Schools

Overnight the Swine Flu epidemic has gotten worse. I read in the Seattle P-I this morning that Washington now has confirmed cases.

As you can see in the picture of the Dallas Morning News we've had a Swine Flu death in Texas and Fort Worth has closed down its schools.

But, the most disturbing Swine Flu news this morning is the reason why they think this strain of the virus is killing healthy people, in addition to those who are usually more vulnerable to the flu, like the elderly or those with weak immune systems.

This strain of the flu virus triggers a strong immune system response in those with healthy immune systems, with the strong immune system response damaging the throat and lung tissue.

I believe I have a healthy immune system, due to the fact I rarely get sick. The main thing I remember about my worst case of the flu, back in the early 1990s was how it hurt to breathe, like my lungs were sore. So, I'm thinking if I get this new Swine Flu, I'm likely a goner.

In the meantime I guess I'll live each day with a lot of gusto, which this morning meant I went swimming.

Naked Sleepwalking in Texas

I'm having me a day. It started by having a bad night. I've not mentioned it before, because, well, it seems a bit embarrassing. But for awhile now I've had myself a little sleepwalking problem.

I always thought sleepwalking was a myth type thing, til it happened to me. I remember none of last night's sleepwalking.

But, I've been sort of able to piece last night's incident together. I believe I got up, started walking to my bathroom, then knocked over a little bookcase. This caused me to fall down.

The noise awakened others. I then left my bedroom and headed to the front door. By then I was being observed. Apparently I was speaking gibberish in what sounded like a language other than English. Then I got more lucid and began walking robotically, saying go away, I'm fine, I hurt my back.

Then I walked into the kitchen, turned on the light and began swatting imaginary cockroaches. After that I went back to bed. When I woke up this morning, late, I had no memory of any of what had happened.

Last week I had a very weird sleepwalking incident. I woke up, walked into the kitchen, made coffee, then opened the front door to get the paper. No paper. I came back inside, walked back in the kitchen, something seemed wrong, I walked back in my bedroom and saw that it was 1 in the morning. I turned off the coffee and went back to bed. Now, unlike last night's incident, I remembered the coffee incident.

So, I Googled for info about sleepwalking. I had no idea it is such a common problem. And it has been on the increase. Of late hotel and motel chains have made note of a big increase in the number of naked sleepwalkers, almost always men. I always sleep in the buff, so this makes me one of the epidemic of naked sleepwalkers.

The Wikipedia article on sleepwalking had several bits of info that hit bingo with my experience. One interesting thing I learned was in 1846 legal history was made in Massachusetts when Albert Tirrel was found not guilty of murder, arguing if he did commit the murder, he did it while sleepwalking. The sleepwalking defense earned him an acquittal.

So, I guess looking on the bright side of sleepwalking, I have myself a pretty good excuse if I do anything bad.

With last night's sleepwalking, and who knows what else went on, but by the time I got up I felt exhausted. This morning there was no swimming, stormy weather stopped any biking, hiking or roller blading. My only escape, today, was going to Sprouts Farmers Market and getting a lot of good stuff, and hopefully not a Swine Flu Virus from being in that crowded store today.

Dallas & Fort Worth: A Tale of Two City's Convention Center Hotels

Way back in December I got rid of that newspaper that was always managing to vex me, that being the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, replacing the vexation with the Dallas Morning News.

It is now almost May and I don't believe I've read a single thing in the Dallas paper that vexed me by being either stupid or just plain wrong.

The Dallas paper seems way more community minded than the Fort Worth paper. The Dallas paper does not seem to be some sort of Chamber of Commerce propaganda spewer. The Dallas paper seems to honestly and accurately cover issues.

Take the current debate, in Dallas, over building a taxpayer subsidized hotel for the Dallas Convention Center. Fort Worth recently opened a taxpayer subsidized hotel for its convention center where rarely anything convenes.

In Dallas, a grown up city with the representative democracy form of government, a vote by the citizens will determine if the citizens will build a taxpayer subsidized hotel. In Fort Worth such things are not put to a public vote. Including Fort Worth's Convention Center Hotel.

In Fort Worth when the hotel was being discussed, with the Ruling Junta insisting it was necessary in order to book conventions, I thought it odd that nothing was ever said, that I noticed, regarding the idea that if private business did not see it as a good idea to build a hotel, maybe the idea had a flaw.

In Dallas the idea that if private business did not see the value, then maybe the idea is flawed, is part of the discussion. Including the point that the real problem is not the lack of hotel causing a lack of conventions, but rather it is the lack of Dallas having attractions downtown that make people like the idea of convening there.

When Fort Worth had the hotel debate I don't recollect the real problem ever being mentioned. It's sort of a sore subject, I suppose, but it seems so obvious, unless your town is some sort of tourist draw you are not going to draw a lot of conventions.

Now, obviously some tourists do come to Dallas and Fort Worth. But not in the numbers that go to places like Orlando or San Fransisco or New York City or Chicago or New Orleans or Seattle or dozens of other American cities.

So, in Dallas it has entered into the Convention Center Hotel debate the idea that Dallas needs to work on being more attractive to tourists. Now, to me, Dallas already seems like it has a lot of good attractions, though of late the West End and Deep Ellum have gotten tired.

In Fort Worth the Ruling Junta has finally gotten around to fixing what would seem to me to be the biggest problem that caused convention bookers to balk, that being the unsightly mess that Lancaster Avenue was for years after the overhead 1-30 eyesore was removed.

Dallas has a lot of big downtown hotels. I've been to a convention in one. It was huge. I don't see why the taxpayers of Dallas would vote to build a $500 million hotel. It makes no sense to me. But the debate they are having in Dallas over the issue, does make sense to me, unlike debates in Fort Worth over similar issues.