Shared Blog DNA Telegraph & Sprouts With News From The Community

It's a HOT one in Texas today. 87 right now at 3 in the afternoon. WeatherBug just went off with one of its annoying weather warnings.

I have WeatherBug set to only warn me if the weather warning is of the dire run for cover before you die type. But that setting function does not seem to work. So, I get warned about every little thing. Like right now the warning was because it will be a little windy for while. I can look outside and deduce that it's a little windy.

Today being Wednesday I made my usual journey north to Sprouts Farmers Market. I got a lot of good stuff. The Texas Red Ruby Grapefruit are being very good this year. Big and sweet.

Yesterday the Fort Worth Blog, West & Clear called it quits. That same day a blog called Fort Worth DNA, somewhat similar to West & Clear, sprung up, which mentioned the demise of West & Clear, saying...

"With the discontinuation of West and Clear, and the downfall of printed media, we wanted to create a local outlet. Anyone can post, and you can even share in any advertising revenue."

And another somewhat slightly curious thing about this new FW DNA Blog is their motto, or tag-line, or whatever it is you would call it...

"Written by the Community, for the Community."

Which reminds me of the motto, or tag-line, or whatever it is you would call it of another new Fort Worth Blog, one that that started up several weeks ago, that being the Star-Telegraph Blog which at the top says...

"Real Community News From The Community."

This must be one of those all great minds think alike type deals. Or not.

Tootsie Tonasket's Kentucky Grilled Chicken Free Meal Deal Woes

I have not yet tasted Kentucky Grilled Chicken. Apparently a lot of people are having trouble tasting Kentucky Grilled Chicken.

I remember reading awhile back that Oprah had some Kentucky Grilled Chicken Two-Piece Meal Coupon freebie deal on her show. People were told to go to a website to download and print a coupon for their free chicken.

Apparently, in these troubled times, way too many hungry people, with computers and the Internet and some spare time, printed up the coupons and overwhelmed KFC's with their desire to get a free KFC KGC meal deal. Some locations had near riot scenes.

I bring up the Colonel and his business at this point in time because I just got an email from the Freebie Queen of Area Code 506, Tootsie Tonasket, regarding the aftermath of the Oprah/KGC Missing Chicken Scandal.

I don't know where Tootsie's nearest KFC is, I'm almost certain there is none close by, due to Tootsie living in a rather isolated zone of Eastern Washington. But apparently Tootsie printed up one of the Oprah coupons and has been doggedly trying to get her free chicken ever since.

Below is the message sent to Tootsie Tonasket from KFC President, Roger Eaton....

Rain Check Policy from KFC

We are so sorry, but due to the overwhelming response to our FREE Kentucky Grilled Chicken meal coupon, we can no longer redeem the free coupon at this time. But we will honor our commitment to giving you a free Kentucky Grilled Chicken meal. Please visit a participating KFC restaurant for a rain check form. Complete the form, attach your original coupon, and give it to the KFC restaurant manager or postmark per the form's instructions, by May 19, 2009, and we'll send you a rain check for your free Kentucky Grilled Chicken meal at a later date, plus a free Pepsi with our compliments. Your participating KFC restaurant will provide you with the form you need. Please note that the redemption periods of the rain checks will vary. All other terms and conditions of the original free Kentucky Grilled Chicken coupon will apply. Thank you for your understanding,

Wow! That is a lot of hoops to jump through to get a couple pieces of chicken. Even with that free Pepsi thrown in to the deal. What if they run out of Pepsi? Do you have to fill out another raincheck form?

Hitler Was Murdered & Oswald Was A Patsy

I think I may be too easily swayed by people who make a good case to support what might be an erroneous conclusion.

I probably would not make a good juror.

Lately I've read a couple books that altered what I thought I believed to be true.

I've long thought those who doubted Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the JFK Assassination were conspiratorial nutjobs.

And then I read "Oswald Talked" by Ray and Mary LaFontaine. That book had all sorts of disturbing information I did not know about. Like Oswald had a lot of contact with the FBI prior to the Assassination. And Oswald was not some loony loner.

Now I'm reading "The Zapruder Film" by David R. Wrone. If you've never watched the Zapruder Film watch the YouTube video below. The Warren Commission conclusion has the magic bullet coming from behind Kennedy. Watch the video and see if that's your conclusion.

I just finished "The Murder of Adolf Hitler" by Hugh Thomas. This book makes the case that Hitler did not commit suicide. Rather, some of those closest to him were getting nervous due to the Soviets being a couple blocks from Ground Zero. Hitler had told his people he was going to commit suicide and gave instructions as to what to do with his and Eva Braun's corpses.

But, at the end Hitler was a mess, according to those there, barely able to function. So, Hugh Thomas puts together a pretty good argument that in the end Hitler was murdered, quickly disposed of, with the remaining Nazis running like rats to escape all the Incoming Ivans.

So, this week I'm choosing to believe Hitler was murdered and Lee Harvey Oswald was a patsy.

Durango World America

I'm sure I'll come to regret it, but I started another blog today, well, actually, finally decided to go ahead with it and post something.

I'd grown bored and annoyed with the TV Blog I started months ago. At times that Blog can get thousands of visits a day. But it doesn't generate the ad revenue one would think thousands of visits would generate, due to the type ads the TV Blog attracts, I guess. While this blog you're reading right now does not, usually, get as many visitors as the TV Blog, it generates way more ad revenue.

I know from my Eyes on Texas website that travel and tourist information causes real good ad revenue generation. So, a travel/tourist type blog, which is actually something I can get more motivated to write about than TV, seemed like a good idea. I don't even watch all that much TV. But I have done some traveling and touristing while I've been on the planet.

When you make up a blog name in the Google Blogger it can be a bit frustrating. I don't even remember what name I hoped to get, but they kept getting rejecting, due to all ready being taken. Which is how I ended up with Durango World America. It sounds real global. It may grow on me in time.

So far, the blog has only the first posting, that being the one I wrote today. If history is any indication, I am likely about to go into maniac mode on this new blog and will quickly have it having an awful lot of posts. I'm amazed I've spewed out about 200 TV bloggings. That's impressive, if I do say so myself, what with what little TV viewing I do.

Now, that has been my day. A lot of aggravation and a new blog.

Windy Texas Bike Riding With Snakes, Lizards & Wildflowers

I'm having me a day that's having me feeling like a tired worn out old man. I woke up way too early. My bedroom window was open, by morning it had gotten cold, as in the 60s. A bird started up some siren, alarm clock type warbling, well before the sun came up. I assume it was a bird.

So that warbling bird got me up early. I then got on the computer where one thing after another sucked my mental energy while trying to figure out annoying website and blog issues.

Around noon I had had enough of straining my easily strained brain. I needed some fresh air and sunshine. The closest available source is Village Creek Natural Historic Area. Or Historic Natural Area. I never remember which way that goes. Neither way makes a lot of sense. Is it a natural historic area? Or an historic natural area? It's perplexing.

It was being very windy around noon. With the wind pushing me, it was very easy to pedal over 20 mph. That was fun. Heading back into the wind I was lucky to go 10 mph. That also was fun. I pedaled about 11 miles before I had had enough.

Of all the Texas wildflowers I think the pink primrose ones are my favorite. Maybe because they last the longest, as in the bluebonnets seem to be long gone, but these pink things just keep blooming along. And they were the first Texas wildflower I ever saw, coming in from the west, just east of Amarillo, they started appearing. There were several big patches of the pink wildflowers waving in the breeze at Village Creek today.

I saw some wildlife, while pedaling today. Two snakes and a big lizard. The snakes weren't moving too fast, due to it not being all that warm, with them being cold-blooded little monsters. The lizard did move fast. Aren't they cold-blooded, too?

That's been my day today in Texas. Tomorrow will be better. It always is. Sometimes.

Putting The Dallas Morning News On The Do Not Call Registry

Yesterday I blogged about getting pestered by multiple phone calls from (636) 925-1746 and how a little Googling led me to learning that this number is a phone bank thing used by newspapers. I speculated it was either the Dallas Morning News or the Fort Worth Star-Telegram trying to get me to re-subscribe.

I was wrong. It's even stupider.

My one reader may remember me dropping the Dallas paper after they stopped delivering due to them never managing to get a bill to me after my 3 month pre-paid subscription had run out.

When I told their customer service guy I was not going to pay them $30 a month, for their paper, I also told him to send me a bill for the amount owed, which was $27.50, I think.

I have not received a bill. But I have been getting those annoying phone calls. Today I decided to answer it.

A woman not fluent in English fumbled through mispronouncing my name, mangling it really bad. Then she tried to do some "how are you doing" type pleasantries. To which I said what do you want and why do you keep calling me?

To which she said she was calling on behalf of the Dallas Morning News to tell me I was late paying for my subscription.

I told her I was told I would be sent a bill and no bill has arrived. To which she said "Thank you, sir. I will put in a request for a bill on your behalf." Or something like that.

I'm appalled that the Dallas Morning News has gone from the slick way they hooked in a new subscriber, to continuing to totally botch up ever since.

Fort Worth's West & Clear Gets Cloudy

No, I am not referring to pollution at the point where the West & Clear Forks of the Trinity River become one.

I'm referring to the Fort Worth blog that many believe to be the best of the Fort Worth blogs, West & Clear, and the fact that West & Clear has decided to call it quits.

This morning's West & Clear post, "Goodbye To A River," says farewell. The 5 guys who worked on West & Clear, for over a year and a half, have decided they don't have the time to maintain their website in the style we've all grown accustomed to.

I thought West & Clear had been around a long time. It surprised me to learn it's about the same age as the blog you're looking at right now.

Maybe the 5 West & Clear guys will do some re-considering and figure out a way to keep alive this thing they've created that really is way too young to die such an untimely death.

(636) 925-1746 Sorry Wrong Number

Ever since the Dallas Morning News failed to bill me at the end of my 3 month pre-paid subscription, I have not received a final bill, but I have been receiving a daily call to my cell phone, no Caller I.D., but I do see the number, it being (636) 925-1746,

I generally don't answer calls when I don't know who is calling. I looked up the area code and saw it was in Missouri. I know no one in Missouri. No voice mail was left.

When today's daily call arrived, for the first time I flipped the phone open and said nothing. After about 20 seconds a male voice said my first name and then hung up.

So, I Googled the number. And what do I find? This number is used by some service that newspapers contract with to call people to get them to subscribe to their newspaper.

Two days after I stopped the Dallas Morning News, after they stopped me first, a Fort Worth Star-Telegram showed up on my doorstep. Prior to that I got a special offer, in the mail, from the Dallas Morning News, significantly cheaper than what their rep had offered me on the phone, that caused me to no longer want to get the paper.

So, which of the two papers is behind the annoying repeating phone calls?

It's been a week, I think, and I've not missed reading a morning paper. I feel like I still know what's going on in the world.

Fort Worth's Forward Thrust Making Fish Safe To Eat

We had ourselves a stormy morning here in North Texas. The stormy morning has moved east to Louisiana, so we are back semi-sunny, with cool temps in the 70s.

When the rain let up around noon I had had enough of going stir crazy, so I escaped stir and drove to Oakland Lake Park. Any other nearby walking option would have been too wet.

The powers that be have lessened Oakland Lake's previously, more dire, "Don't Eat the Fish" warning signs. Now the warning signs just say, "A Fish Consumption Advisory Exist for this Water Body."

I saw a couple guys fishing today. What if they couldn't read English? And ate the fish they caught, not knowing there was a Consumption Advisory in place? There are also signs forbidding boating or swimming in this lake. I would not want to swim in that water, but what would be so bad about floating my boat in it?

If this water is so bad, why are there so many turtles and birds happily using the lake? Not to mention fish happily swimming about.

If the water is so bad, why is there no effort to clean it up? Way back in the 1960s, Lake Washington, by Seattle, had gotten badly polluted. I think fishing and swimming were banned. Several Washington lakes were in bad shape. Then there was this bond election called Forward Thrust that included new water treatment plants, among a lot of other things, like building the Kingdome, re-doing Woodland Park Zoo, fixing up Pike Place Market, I forget what else was voted on in the Forward Thrust election.

As a result of decisions made way back then, Lake Washington and other bodies of water in the Puget Sound zone have been clean and safe now for decades.

Fort Worth could use a Forward Thrust type election. But that's not the Fort Worth Way. First off, to have a Forward Thrust you'd have to have people willing to vote and able to see the vision involved in the Forward Thrust.

I really don't think Fort Worth needs to be building a little fake lake and some canals that the people of Fort Worth have not voted to build. I think Fort Worth needs a Forward Thrust that does things like bringing Fort Worth up to modern city mode by building sidewalks. I have never been in any other city where I've seen so many people walking on dirt paths, where in other towns sidewalks exist. Where there are sidewalks they are often so narrow that two average plus-sized Texans couldn't meet without one having to step off the sidewalk.

Before building a fake lake I think Fort Worth should clean up the lakes that already exist.

And as part of Fort Worth Forward Thrust, how about fixing the eyesores in the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historical District. Start with the New Isis Theater.

As part of Fort Worth Forward Thrust how about landscaping the freeway exits in town, like most towns on the west coast do? Or at least landscape and keep litter free the two exits to Fort Worth's main tourist attraction, that being the Stockyards. Here, go to my Eyes on Texas website and the webpage about the Stockyards, scroll down til you see the part about the Stockyard's freeway exits. There is a picture of one of the freeway exits at my old hometown of Mount Vernon, a little town of less than 30,000 that manages to keep its freeway exits landscaped and litter free.

I walked all over Tacoma last summer. Everywhere I walked there was a nice wide sidewalk.

Now I know the climate in Western Washington is more conducive to colorful landscaping, but how is it that many towns on the West Coast manage to hang huge flower baskets from lamp poles all over their downtowns? Leavenworth, in Eastern Washington, has a much more Texas type climate than the west side of the Cascades. Yet, little Bavarian-themed, tourist town, Leavenworth, has huge hanging baskets of flowers all over town and on the ground? How is it Leavenworth can do that, but a town like Fort Worth can not?

Go here and get a look at Leavenworth. Ask yourself if that little town can make itself into such a hugely popular tourist attraction, with no eyesores, why can't Fort Worth, with its 3/4 of a million people population, do a makeover of the Stockyards, that turns it into all it could and should be?

I know, it's not the Fort Worth Way. I know there is no way for the Fort Worth Way to change, when only 6% of the people bother to vote. That's sad. It could be so much nicer here with a little citizen backed Forward Thrusting replacing Ruling Junta Boondoggles that get undertaken with little public input or debate. I think the people of Fort Worth might learn to like it if they got together to Thrust Fort Worth Forward instead of letting the Ruling Junta take the town places the people don't really want to go.

Okay, I'm done venting over Saturday's debacle election. For now.

President John Tyler & Texas

There is a town in Texas called Tyler. I've got some blog stalkers that come from Tyler. I'm almost 100% certain Tyler, Texas is named after President John Tyler, due to a special connection between this particular president and Texas, which I'll get to below.

Some time back I was appalled to read about a survey that found that over 60% of Americans did not know when the American Civil War took place. I don't understand people who have no interest in history. I don't see how you can understand today if you don't know what happened in the past.

When Israel was having its recent problem with the Gaza Strip I was in the presence of a person who thought this was just the worst thing ever. I mentioned the Yom Kippur War and the Six Day War. She had no clue about either. This is a person who did now know why she grew up speaking Spanish on an island that was part of the United States.

Anyway, back to John Tyler. He was our first unelected president. Tyler had been vice-president for about a month when William Henry Harrison became the first president to die in office.

Do you know what one of the few things was that Tyler accomplished while president? Three days before James Polk took over as the next president the Republic of Texas was annexed to the United States. This was the accomplishment about which Tyler was most proud.

John Tyler had more kids than any other president. Fifteen. 8 by first wife Letitia, 7 by second wife Julia. Letitia died in 1842, a year after Tyler became president. It did not take John Tyler long to find a new wife. His son, John Jr. had fallen for a young beauty named Julia Gardiner. When John Jr.'s dad met Julia, he was smitten too.

The president began actively pitching woo to his son's girl friend. Julia became enamored of the president, but kept saying no to the let's get married question.

And then tragedy struck. On February 28, 1844 the president and an entourage of Washington elite were on board the new frigate Princeton taking a cruise on the Potomac for a demo of a new cannon, the world's biggest, called the Peacemaker. The crew did one test blast. Then another. Everyone loved the big boom so much that when they passed George Washington's Mount Vernon home someone suggested firing the cannon off one more time.

But that time the cannon exploded, turning the boat into a killing ground. Among the instantly killed were Secretary of State Abel Upshur, Secretary of the Navy, Thomas Gilmer and Julia's father. When Julia learned her dad was dead she collapsed in the president's arms. Tyler carried Julia off the burning ship.

Soon thereafter, 23 year old Julia had a change of heart and married the president in New York City on June 26, 1844. When they got married Julia was 5 years younger than Tyler's oldest daughter. Yes, the step-mom was younger than the step-daughter.

Some wag asked Tyler if he weren't a tad old to be marrying such a young woman. Tyler replied, "Pooh. Why, my dear sir, I am just full in my prime." Tyler was 54 when he married Julia.

Now here is an interesting factoid. John Tyler was born while George Washington was president (March 29, 1790). Tyler's youngest daughter, Mary, born when Tyler was 70 years old, died during the Truman administration, a span of 32 Presidents and more than 150 years.

Now that's your history lesson for today. When next I'm in the mood to give a history lesson it'll likely be about Tyler's successor, James Polk and how he was an inspiration for the dirty deeds of a psychotic maniac named Adolf Hitler.