The Lonely Bench That's Not On The Loneliest Road In America

That's a Lonely Bench looking out at one of the ponds at Village Creek Natural Historical Area. I have never seen anyone sitting on this bench, including today when I took the picture of the Lonely Bench.

I have no idea why, but every time I see this bench I think to myself that's the Loneliest Bench in the World. There are a lot of lonely picnic tables in this park, too, that I've never seen used.

I saw several humans at Village Creek while I pedaled today, some biking, some walking, with one pair engaging in behavior best kept out of public view. I think they figured they were in an isolated spot and did not realize how quickly a biker could close in on their location. I politely averted my eyes, for the most part, and zoomed away.

Years ago on a very fun road trip, one part of the trip took the drive across Nevada that is called "The Loneliest Road in America." I think it was an article in Life magazine that dubbed it that. There is a giant sand dune that you drive by on the Loneliest Road. By that sand dune is a phone booth that has a sign that says "Loneliest Phone Booth on the Loneliest Road in America." I wonder if that phone booth is still there? I saw it early on in the era of cell phones and the demise of phone booths.

I think it was all the lonely stuff on the Loneliest Road that causes me to think that's the Loneliest Bench every time I see it. So, despite what I said above, I guess I do have an idea why I think that's the Loneliest Bench every time I see it.

Finally A Bill For Zero Owed From The Dallas Morning News

A couple weeks ago I blogged the sad story of the demise of my longtime habit of reading a newspaper in the morning.

I had pre-paid for the Dallas Morning News for 3 months. When that 3 months was up I was not contacted by the Dallas Morning News to ask if I wanted to continue my subscription.

The paper continued to show up on my doorstep for 43 days after the 3 pre-paid months were up. On day 44 there was no paper on my doorstep. I had no idea the 3 months were up, since, like I said, there'd been no contact from the Dallas Morning News.

So, I called to complain about the missing paper. I was told the paper had been stopped due to me not paying the bill. I told the customer service person I had received no bill. At that point in time it had not occured to me that I had not authorized continued delivery after my 3 month pre-paid subscription was up. And that I owe them nothing.

And then I started getting daily phone calls from an unknown number. After a week or so of that I answered the phone to learn, via fractured English, that the calls were in regards to the un-paid bill that I had not received. The caller told me she'd inform the Dallas Morning News that they needed to send me a bill.

So, today I finally got a bill from the Dallas Morning News. That's part of the bill, at the top, that says I owe $0.00 for my subscription. And asking me to donate $2.00 to Newspapers in Education. And telling me that that $2.00 is due May 15, which is today.

And it's a mystery why the newspaper business is in trouble?

To make it even more ironic and funny. And incompetent. There was a letter enclosed with the "bill" from the Editor of the paper. I can't make out the name, it's in bad long hand. Maybe the last name is Morry. No clue about the first name, it looks like it might begin with a B.

The letter is addressed to "Dear Subscriber," It starts off with "I wanted to thank you again for reading the Dallas Morning News and for your loyalty."

Thank me again? This is the first thanks I've gotten. My loyalty? I no longer get the paper.

The letter continues on about how the paper wants to continue serving me and the community and their commitment to me and a whole lot of other nonsensical blather that is silly because I'm not a subscriber and no longer read their paper.

I liked it while I read it, though, even said nice things about that paper on this very blog. And then they went all screwy on me. And continue to be screwy. At least now I have a piece of paper from the Dallas Morning News that quite clearly says I owe them no money.

Only Child Syndrome & The Mommy Playbook

Yesterday I blogged, again, about Only Child Syndrome. I'd seen a lot of people coming to my blog via searching for help in dealing with the syndrome.

And then I saw one of the relief seekers had come from a website called "The Mommy Playbook." I then visited "The Mommy Playbook" to discover a forum in which someone had started a thread titled "Too Hot to Touch" in which one of my bloggings about Only Child Syndrome was copied in its entirety. Which set off a lot of Mommys commenting.

There were several amusing comments to what I had to say about Only Child Syndrome. Below is one of my favorites...

I've never understood the need to have a huge celebration when it's someone's birthday.

On the subject, I think the author is a wee bit cranky, but does make some valid points. I've known some only children that were just awful to be around. I've also known only children that grew up to be wonderful, well-adjusted adults.

It totally has to do with parenting. I think yes, it probably takes a lot of work on the parents' part, but is well worth it to the child's future.

This article made me think of one horror story of a friend I had who was an only child and fit that description completely. Her parents made her the center of their world and she completely thought, and still thinks she is the center of the universe. I really hope I don't make the same mistakes.

The above is correct. The author was a bit cranky when he wrote about Only Child Syndrome. He'd dealt with the disturbingly bizarre behavior of one of the worst of the breed and was trying to figure out what causes such twisted, self-centered, irrational behavior.

Strange thing, in "The Mommy Playbook" thread about Only Child Syndrome I saw no link to my blog. So, how did this website show up in my stats as having a link to my blog? It's perplexing.

Hot Hiking & Canton First Monday Trading Days

This is Thursday and it is not raining. My one longtime reader might remember that means there is a good chance I went hiking today at the Tandy Hills Natural Area. My one longtime reader would be correct.

Slightly warm today and not very breezy, making for some HOT hiking with minimalized clothing to maximize comfort.

It would appear the wildflowers have peaked, judging by what I saw today. I don't know if it qualifies as a wildflower, but the prickly pear cactus were busy blooming. They sprout out a nice big yellow flower that eventually turns into an edible piece of fruit. I bit into a prickly pear once. I can see if one were real hungry one might eat one.

May this year ends on a Sunday, which makes the first Monday of June come on the first day of June, which makes the next Canton First Monday Trading Days take place the last 4 days of this month due to First Mondays taking place the 4 days prior to the First Monday of any given month.

Someone got a new car and wants to take it on a short road trip and is trying to convince me to drive her new car to Canton at the end of the month. It sort of sounds fun, except, by the end of May it can get really really hot. My first time to First Monday was late in the month of April. And it was HOT. I was not as acclimated, then, to the Texas HEAT as I am now, but still, it was HOT. I was in Canton the next time in October with very pleasant temperatures, with the last time being in December, two years ago, when First Mondays was the busiest I'd ever seen it, due to Christmas. The December visit to Canton managed to be warm and muggy.

Texas weather can manage to be warm at any time of the year.

LOST In Texas With A TV Star For A Friend

A couple months ago I'd grown tired of reading about Facebook to the point I was finally curious enough to check it out. But there was a catch. I had to create a Facebook account to do so.

In the process of creating the Facebook account I used my Internet nickname, not my real name. Some of the info was correct, like the name of my high school and where I went to college. Most info I was not accurate about.

During the process of creating the account there is a step where you are shown a list of names you might know. I thought I was supposed to select the names I recognized. So, I did so, not realizing this sent out "Friend" requests to these people.

That resulted in me getting embarrassing messages like "How do I know you and why do you want to be my friend." Eventually one of those to whom I had inadvertently sent out a "Friend Request" figured out who I was. She now regularly beats me at Scrabble. It's humiliating. I used to think I was pretty smart til Scrabble put me in my place.

So, this morning I got a fresh "Friend Request" from Beth in Hawaii. I've no idea how Beth figured out she knew me. Maybe it's through the Scrabble Queen. Who knows? Or cares? When I confirmed that I was, indeed, a friend of Beth's I went to look at her profile I found out what Beth has been up to since I last saw her sometime late in the last century.

I knew Beth now lived in Hawaii. We used to both live in Mount Vernon, Washington. I did not know she is now an actress! She's been on LOST, playing one of the crash survivors in that first plane that crashed on LOST that started the show.

I don't know if Beth goes skinny dipping with Matthew Fox, aka Jack Sheppard. I've read that several castmates join him in his regular skinny dips.

It does not shock me that Beth would be on TV and in movies. She's always been a real cutie, with a very easy to listen to voice. I think this may be the first time I've been friends with a TV/Movie star. I'm all atwitter. Whatever that means.

P.S. I forgot to mention, Beth is the one second from the left in the picture, behind Charlie.

Only Child Syndrome: Another Outbreak

I wish I knew what causes the outbreaks of people suddenly looking for help in dealing with Only Child Syndrome. Yesterday I had one of those outbreaks, with relief seekers coming in clusters.

This time the outbreak was limited to the U.S. and Canada. Maybe OCS is a plot-line on a soap opera that popped up yesterday. Or maybe Oprah did an episode on the Syndrome some psychiatrists have opined is a disease.

I've blogged a number of times on this serious subject, originally doing so because I was trying to figure out the mentally ill behavior I experienced from an Only Child last summer in Tacoma.

The bloggings about Only Child Syndrome get a lot of comments. Yesterday's outbreak on people seeking Only Child Syndrome information generated an inadvertently funny comment from an Only Child. This is not the first comment I've gotten from an Only Child in which the Only Child seems to be both arguing against the reality of the Syndrome while at the same time exhibiting symptoms of the Syndrome.

Below is the comment.....

I feel like this is ridiculous.

Only Child Syndrome is a term used to describe selfish characteristics that tend to be exhibited in children with no siblings. being an only child has nothing to do with grammar, intelligence or, family dynamics. The truth of the matter is that growing up in a household where there are no other children you learn some vital survival skills, the first of which is that mom and dad don't always have time to play so be creative and play single person games, second; there is no one to share the task of chores with, so while "John and Jane" get to split and alternate, you are stuck doing dishes every day, third; the only reason to be angry with anyone is when they are insulting/disrespecting you or invading your space. I agree that it is more difficult for only children to make emotional attachments, but I think that with time the difficulty eases and we learn. The moral of the story, We ARE entitled, We DON'T have to share, and if you want us to share maybe you ought to be nice!

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.