Star Telegraph's Way With Words

Several months ago a new blog showed up in town, calling itself "Star Telegraph." I do not know who is behind the Star-Telegraph blog.

Due to how I have, at times, made a little fun of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, I have been asked, a time or two, if the Star Telegraph is my blog. It definitely is not. But I wish I'd thought of that name.

Whoever it is who writes the Star Telegraph, he or she or they, have really good taste and a highly discerning eye for clear, high-quality thinking and writing.

Just this past Friday was the following blog post in the Star Telegraph...

A way with words

As usual, we enjoyed Durango's honest opinion about the Trinity River Vision Boondoogle. You will enjoy it, along with the interesting picture.

Read all about it on Durango's blog.

This was not the first time the Star Telegraph showed such good taste in singling out something in this blog. I can't remember when or what, right now, but thought I'd mention the latest.

Why Bother Looking For A Tandy Hills Tarantula?

Some mornings when it is time to get up I think to myself, why bother? Today was one of those mornings. But, I got up anyway.

About 6 I had my regular impulse to go swimming before the sun came up, but that why bother impulse struck, so I didn't bother going swimming.

After I didn't bother going swimming I got an email desperately seeking my help fixing an Internet related problem. My first impulse was to think why bother, but I overcame the impulse and fixed the problem.

After fixing the Internet related problem I thought of blogging, but I had nothing motivating me to blog about, that and I thought why do I bother with this blogging thing? Really? What is the point? Why bother? Even though I felt like not bothering, I bothered anyway and blogged. About what, I do not remember. That was this morning, it is now afternoon. How can I be expected to remember what I did this morning? I suppose I could look, but why bother?

Around noon I was really feeling tired of this hell I'm living. But I really did not feel like going to the bother of going to the Tandy Hills Natural Sanatorium Fortress of Solitude Area to get in my usual mood-lifting, endorphin producing, fast hiking up and down hills.

I sort of thought to myself why do I want to bother feeling better by forcing some endorphins into my bloodstream? Against my negative nature I forced myself to go to the Sanatorium.

After a mile or two of hiking I saw the wildflower you see at the top. It looked unusual to me. By then I started to feel a bit less bothered by the feeling that I didn't want to bother.

I learned yesterday that the last time Martha and Big Ed went hiking on the Tandy Hills they saw a tarantula. I have only seen one of those bugs once since I've been in Texas. It was on a trail in Cedar Hills State Park. Cedar Hills State Park is by Lake Joe Pool near the southwest side of Dallas.

Along side the paved biking/hiking/blading trail, in Arlington's River Legacy Park, there are signs telling you what wildlife to look out for. One of the signs tells you you can find tarantulas in the park. I've seen all the park's wildlife, depicted on the various signs, except for a tarantula.

That's all I feel like bothering to blog about right now.

Facebook Found Out I Know Sarah Palin

Facebook can be entertaining. When I first signed on to Facebook I figured it'd be like MySpace and I'd not like it and see no use for it.

Instead Facebook has me talking to people I've not talked to in in a long time.

Facebook has exercised my lazy brain due to me trying, unsuccessfully, to beat the Scrabble Queen of Washington, known as Scrabble Queen Karen, or SQK. Currently I have a slight lead in one game. That lead won't last.

Facebook is constantly suggesting that this that or another person may be a friend of mine. As you can see in the Facebook screen cap, currently among the many suggestions, is Sarah Palin. Now how did Facebook find out I knew Sarah back during her short stint in school in Idaho? It feels like some sort of Big Brother thing.

Also on the list is my ex-sister-in-law and the namesake of my ex-sister-in-law's grandson, Spencer Jack, with the namesake being my ex-wife, Loretta. How did Facebook know to put Loretta on this list? I have not seen Loretta in over a year. We don't email. How did Facebook know I know Loretta? Even if Loretta and I exchanged emails, that Facebook could somehow snoop, she doesn't use her Loretta name in Internet World. She calls herself Otterpengu.

On the list of possible friends is someone who would, in reality, be on my Enemies List, if I had such a list. How did this person get on a list of my possible friends? We did not go to the same school.

Years ago I made a website for a guy, here in Texas, named Lewis Shallcross. He is on the list of possible friends. I have never even met the guy. His website is not on this computer. How did Facebook make this connection?

Anyway, Facebook is fun and perplexing. And don't get me started on Farmville.

Our North Texas Community

For months Big Ed has been working on what I thought was a blog. I looked at it a few times during it's genesis and it didn't make me cringe as bad as I often do when reading something written by Big Ed. I've only looked at a little of it. It is likely there is something in there that will cause cringing.

Big Ed's blog, or website, I can't tell what it is, I thought it was a blog, but it looks like a website, anyway, it is called Our North Texas Community. It is now ready for primetime.

I see a link titled "We Watch Out For Moms Here." Just the title made me cringe a little.

There is a list of Recent Posts. I see one titled, "What Turns You On?" I don't think I'm gonna click on that one.

The internet has this thing called Alexa Rankings that are sort of like the Nielsen Ratings. Only it is the popularity of a website that is being ranked instead of a TV show. The goal is to get into the top 100,000 of websites. If you do that, you've made it in Website World. It's like having a hit TV show.

Big Ed's Our North Texas Community currently has an Alexa Ranking of just over 500,000. Alexa's stats have Big Ed's visitors staying over a half hour on average.

Of my blogs, the one you are looking at right now has the highest Alexa Ranking, something in the 1,200,000 zone. The average stay of my visitors is under 3 minutes. I get a lot of comments on this blog. Big Ed has gotten 1 comment.

So, now I have yet one more thing to be perplexed about. Alexa Rankings. And our north Texas community.

New Dallas Cowboy Stadium Making Locals Cranky

That is the new Dallas Cowboy Stadium's roof above the FINA station. The view is looking northwest from the industrial blight area southeast of the stadium.

Several events have now taken place in the new stadium, including one or two football games of various sorts. I have seen no reports of traffic or congestion problems related to stadium events.

That surprises me, due to the fact that that area can be a bit congested, due to all the road construction, whenever I drive through the area.

I got feedback to my Eyes on Texas webpage about America's Team from someone who attended the first football game in the new stadium. The Dallas Cowboys call themselves "America's Team." This seems to be some sort of local delusion. The feedbacker was not happy about something he did not see.

Eyes on Texas,

What I noticed about the first game was what wasn't seen. No United States flag during the whole affair. Very little participation of players and fans when the national anthem was rendered. Some America's Team !!!!!!!

— Ray Pettigrew

And then this morning, in the Sunday Fort Worth Star-Telegram, there were 2 letters to the editor from a couple Arlington residents not at all happy with the new stadium. Both letters are below....

Stadium not disability friendly

Now that the world has said all its superlatives about Jerry Jones’ stadium, what does a handicapped veteran think?

When I bought my ticket, I asked about handicap parking. I was told to use the Rangers parking lot, where a courtesy cart would pick people up. There were three carts that could handle two people at a time for 78,000 fans, some handicapped. I waited with eight other handicapped people for 40 minutes. No cart.

I decided maybe I could walk. Along the way, I counted about a half-dozen people in wheelchairs being pushed up the hill by family or friends. I also saw numerous people using canes to help them walk. I talked to people who said they waited about an hour for a courtesy cart that never showed. It appeared that Jerry’s people had carts running here and there to pick up fans who were seemingly healthy enough to walk.

Once I reached the stadium, my knee was killing me so I asked the attendant if I could I go in the door. He looked at my ticket said sorry but my gate was on the back side. Once I got to the gate, I had to walk half way back to find an escalator to get upstairs.

I was unable to find a handicap stall in several restrooms. Aren’t there federal laws about handicap parking and restrooms? Did Jerry’s facility slip below the federal radar?

— Senior Master Sgt. David A. Fitzwater, retired, Arlington

Prisoner in own home

My home is cut off by barricades and if I want to go anywhere, I’m routed all over the place because I happen to live about a half-block from the new Cowboys stadium. Helicopters were overhead the entire day of the first game.

I have been subjected to this harassment many times this summer. Paul McCartney’s concert brought Excalibur Towing, parking two tow trucks in front of my house. Nobody else can park here, but it seems the tow trucks have priority, whipping their big trucks up and down this little street.

We had a buyer for our property, but when the buyer tried to get zoning for a parking lot, the Arlington City Council said, "No way!" The deal fell through. Now I see in the Star-Telegram that the council is going to approve the use of the city lots for Cowboy parking.

It’s becoming clear why they turned us down! They didn’t want the competition.

The city has ruined my and my neighbors’ chances of getting out of the rat race that this stadium has brought to our little neighborhood.

I am 74 years old and have been hospitalized twice this summer for surgeries, including an aneurysm, and I’m sure that I’m an unimportant person in your eyes. But I have lived here for many years and intended to live out my life here until the city plunked the stadium about 500 feet from my house. Now they’re making sure I’m stuck here.

The city of Arlington should be ashamed!

— Anne Blanchard, Arlington

The Skinny Texas Summer Weight Loss Diet

Every summer since I moved to Texas I've lost weight. Except for last summer and the summer of 2004, because those summers I spent a month in Washington.

Last summer in Washington I only gained a few pounds, even with the boarding house matrons, who ran the place I was staying at, insisting I eat dinner, despite me repeatedly saying I don't eat dinner. Big breakfast, big lunch, something light at night. But no dinner.

When I got to Washington, last summer, I think I weighed about 170. If I remember right I weighed 178 when I got back here. So, they did manage to fatten me up, somewhat. I suppose I caused some fatten me up motivation when I remarked that I weighed less than any of my adult female relatives.

So, why am I going on with this boring subject you're sitting there wondering? (if you've read this far) Well, I had not stepped on the scale for awhile. This morning I stepped on it to see I've hit a new low. As in 168. I have noticed that going up the Tandy Hills has seemed easier of late. And now I know why. I'm hauling less of me up those hills.

I've also noticed lately that I have very little floatibility when I'm swimming. The most I've ever weighed is 217. With all that fat I was my own air mattress. I could just lay on my back and float. I try that now and I slowly sink.

I knew I'd been losing weight and have been trying to eat more. I've observed the feeding habits of people who know how to pad themselves with thick layers of adipose tissue. But ice cream, bag of chips, butter on everything and lots of bacon just do not appeal to me.

This morning, as part of my stop the shrinkage campaign, I had a 3 egg omelet with lots of cheese, two slices of whole wheat toast and hashbrowns. And a banana.

I see a lot of really BIG people here in Texas. There are many reasons Texas is known as a BIG state. It seems to me it must be miserable carrying around all that heft in high temperatures. Then again, you really do not see the real Biggies out and about much in the outdoors. They are probably masters at going from one air-conditioned venue to the next.

So, why does the Texas summer make me skinny? Well, heat depresses my appetite. I'm sort of addicted to enjoying going out in the heat. I burn a lot of calories out in the heat. That's my simple skinny Texas diet. Eat less and go out in the heat. Anyone can follow this easy diet. Well, you do have to move to a place where it gets hot. But, other than that, easiest diet ever.

Tandy Hills Fossils & Eagles Soaring

I saw some wildlife whilst hiking the Tandy Hills today. There were several birds that looked like eagles circling above me, trying to decide if I was a rodent worth grabbing, or not.

Apparently I did not look like a good dinner, so the birds of prey did not prey on me.

I rarely see humans hiking the Tandy Hills, other than the humans I bring with me once in awhile. Today I was lost in thought in the peaceful solitude when I was startled by a man and his son.

I startled them too. The man said he'd been hiking the Tandy Hills for years and rarely sees a human, so it startles him when it happens, too. The man and his son had been fossil hunting in a dry creek bed. He told me there are a lot of fossils to be found.

It got into the low 60s overnight, in the 80s when I went hiking. There was a slight hint of cool in the breeze that sort of felt like September is almost here. Swimming this morning was noticeably cooler. Very pleasant.

About 10 minutes after my encounter with the fossil hunters I heard voices. I don't often hear voices while in the Tandy Hills Natural Solitude Area. I looked the direction of the voices and saw the fossil hunters making their way up the hill I'd made my way up minutes before. I zoomed in on them and got a bad picture of one of my rare human encounters in the Natural Area.

Thinking About Moving To San Manuel

I have had me a rough few days. Savagely, brutally attacked by hackers, twice. In between hack attacks I got a text message from my mom and dad that caused me to collapse while hiking the Tandy Hills Natural Area's mountains.

Today was my first day back stomping on the Tandy Hills since I got battered and banged by rough rocks. I was slightly concerned that there might be another fall. Apparently falling down is a common malady of the elderly, I learned this morning from Nurse Martha.


We had a good storm last night. A lot of thunder, but not a lot of water. Today, for the most part, the Tandy Hills were mud free. But whatever rain fell, it made for extra humid hot air. But it was not too bad because it was not even in the 90s. I think our 100 degree days of the year may be over. Overnight it is supposed to get down to 65. That should make the pool refreshing in the morning, for the first time in a long time.

It is almost September and there are still wildflowers coloring up the Tandy Hills prairie. I do not remember seeing flowers this late last summer. And I was back on the Tandy Hills by this time last year, using strenuous hiking and its attendant endorphin release to help mediate the pain I was feeling from all I endured in Tacoma. Maybe I was too distracted by all I was aggravated by to notice something like a flower.

I am thinking about moving to San Manuel, Arizona. That's a mining town. There is a house there waiting for me. It is semi-close to Tucson, with a semi-good buffer from my brother, sister and parental units. I'm sure they'd call first before dropping in for a visit.

My therapist, Dr. L.C., sent me an email this morning with the word "love" in the subject line. That sort of word in the subject line always makes me a bit nervous to open the email. Turned out there was nothing I needed to be nervous about. The "love" in the subject line was the first line in a sentence continued in the body of the email, as in "love the blog!!! you rock."

I like it when someone uses teenage type lingo directed at me. It does not happen very often.

J.D. Granger's Trinity River Vision In 2021 Dollars

That is my Facebook friend, J.D. Granger in the picture, guzzling down some beer. J.D. is the son of Congresswoman Kay Granger. Kay Granger represents the district Fort Worth is in.

Sometime late in the last century a vision came to Fort Worth that became known as the Trinity River Vision. That vision foresaw building a little lake at the confluence of two forks of the Trinity River on the north end of Fort Worth's downtown.

As the vision grew brighter 3 signature, fancy bridges were added. After awhile the vision started to see some canals. As the vision grew clearer the price tag kept rising. A way to pay for the vision had to be found.

And so an unneeded flood control diversion channel was added. With the unneeded flood control diversion channel added, Federal dollars might more easily be secured. To secure help in that regard, Kay Granger's son was put in charge of the vision, even though he had no experience with such things, but it sure gave his mom a reason to be an ardent supporter of the vision.

The Trinity River did flood real bad back in the 1950s. To make sure that did not happen again massive levies were built, likely with help from the Federal government. Those levies have kept dry parts of Fort Worth from getting wet for over 50 years.

On August 24, 2009, the Fort Worth Business Journal had a very interesting, sort of bizarre article about the Trinity River Vision. The price tag has now inched closer to $1 billion, with the latest price tag being $909.6 million.

In the article, and this is one of the bizarre parts, J.D. Granger explains that the cost figures are based on 2021 dollars. Huh? How is that done? In our mixed up economy someone is able to say what the dollar will be worth in 2021?

The $909.6 million price tag being based on 2021 dollars, is, according to J.D., "A move few projects make because of its shock value."

The above and below quotes from Granger are excerpted from the FW Business Journal article.

Granger said, "You'll not find another project done that way. Funding estimates for projects are always done on the front end. They're always done based on the year in which the estimate was made. But we wanted a clear picture of the end amount for this project. I don't know if anyone will ever do it again after we've done it, but the public said it wanted it, so we did it and we'll see how everyone likes it. Everyone is still watching us to see how it turns out."

J.D really likes to use the word "it" a lot. How did he find out the public wanted it? I am part of the public. I didn't want it. With it being the cost figures being based on 2021 dollars. I know other members of the public and I've heard none of them say they wanted it.

I have heard a lot of the public verbalize concern over this boondoggle, particularly with the 2021 price tag going up and up, while the vision fades, with the signature bridges gone, replaced by bridges designed by a local architect. The canals are gone. And the lake has shrunk. The FW Business Journal says it will be a 33 acre lake with two islands. I had not heard of the islands before. A couple weeks ago the Fort Worth Star-Telegram had an article about the growing boondoggle which said the lake had been shrunk from its original size to something like 17 acres.

I don't know if 17 acres qualifies as a lake. Sounds to me like the lake vision has turned into a big pond with a big price tag.

Friday Morning With No New Hacking Attacking

Google is no longer telling people that my website is a threat to humanity and their computers. That's a relief.

Yesterday's hack attack wasted a few hours. After spending an hour on the phone with my web host tech support person I was able to combine what she told me with the confusing Ukrainian written instructions and figured out how to add to files to the root directory of my website.

Below is what was added that supposedly makes it impossible for bad guys to penetrate my space.

ftp.deny:
ALL: ALL

ftp.allow:
ALL: 201.6.100.90
ALL: 91.24.12.0/255.255.255.0
ALL: 76.162.

The numbers above have been changed so that any of you bad guys reading this can't attack me.

I agree with what one of my Facebook friends had to say about my hack attack...

"I never could understand why somebody would do that kind of stuff. In my mind, the only people that have something to gain are the "anti-virus" people. Without viruses, they would be out of business."