Chesapeake Energy's Aubrey McLendon's Lapdog, Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief

As you can see in the picture, Chesapeake Energy's basketball team stealing thief of a CEO, Aubrey McLendon, pretty much has in his hands, Fort Worth's corrupt, ethically challenged, Conflicts of Interest-laden mayor, Mike Moncrief.

Mayor Mike owns a piece of Chesapeake Energy, earning money from the entity that has come to his town to stick a lot of holes in the ground and run roughshod over a lot of the people whom Moncrief is supposed to serve and protect.

We are seeing in Fort Worth a real bad civics lesson in why there are Conflicts of Interest rules and laws.

I've been getting some good blog comments of late. Mostly generated by the outrageous continuing persecution of Steve Doeung by Chesapeake Energy.

Chesapeake Energy had bullied every homeowner on Carter Avenue, but one, to sign over the right to run a non-odorized natural gas pipeline under their homes. Threatening the homeowners that eminent domain would be abused to steal their property if they did not cooperate.

A month or two ago, Chesapeake Energy let it be known that a route other than Carter Avenue was being looked at. Carter Avenue celebrated. American flags lined the street.

Even though Chesapeake Energy publicly let it be known an alternative route was possible, their eminent domain case continued against Steve Doeung. How can this be? Why would the judge not simply throw the case out of court, since, with the alternative route, there was no longer any justifiable reason to continue with the eminent domain case?

And now Chesapeake Energy is back acting like they are going ahead with their plans to run a pipeline under Fort Worth citizen's homes on Carter Avenue, running the same type gas that resulted in the worst natural gas explosion, ever, killing 100s of school kids, right here in Texas.

Anyway, below are a couple of blog comments that I liked, both from my favorite commenter, Anonymous. The first was a comment to a blogging about the Fort Worth Library being closed. The second comment was in response to a blogging about the same subject as this blogging, that being Steve Doeung and the corrupt nature of the city Steve lives in.

"BINGO, Durango. You must not be from 'round these here parts. Too much book learning and questioning ain't part of the "Fort Worth Way". The gasbaggers like McClendon needs lots of workers devoted to taking orders and using their muscles not asking questions and using their minds and reasoning. See why they've been trying so hard to put down that Steve guy on Carter--can't allow any victory by the common man, it might give others "ideas" and even en-courage to do the same kind of thing. That guy and his stance--for so long and against so powerful aggressors--reminds me of "the tankman" who stopped (more like delayed, actually) those columns of Chinese commies' tanks in Tienanmen square twenty years ago this past summer. He might be whisked away eventually, but his bravery (or foolishness) has given the world an opportunity to see both the good and the evil sides of humanity."

"There certainly is a prevailing culture in the city of Fort Worth that tolerates this kind of corruption, which in turn filters down to lost and wasted tens of millions of tax dollars AND even to the fairly common but brutal suppression/oppression of free American citizens--both by muscles and tazers as well as by the weapon of eminent domain. This man, Mike Moncrief and his "court" might be rulers of the so-called "citizens of the shale"---not unlike the tactics and practices of Hitler's and other fascists. In fact fascism by definition is not a dictatorship per se--it is the people willingly allowing the "run of the government" in the hands of a few. Of course, power tends to corrupt. Guess what this mayor's predecessor is making million$$ doing now a days? If it helps, you can scratch off volunteering with Habitat for Humanity."

An 11 Year Old West Texas Boy & His Computer Addiction

The Queen of Wink and I have been trying hard to de-nerdify one particular Texan thought to be the smartest Texan in Texas. I'll call this Texan Top Texan. Or TT.

TT has a blog where he shares a lot of his elevated thinking. It's really inspiring.

On his blog TT describes himself thusly...

"I've been addicted to computers since I was perhaps 11. I have some kind of innate ability to intuitively know how they will behave. I architect computer systems and design and write software for a living. I'm very good at it."

TT has now slightly altered the above self-description as part of the de-nerdification process.

This morning I realized TT might be an even tougher nut to crack than the Queen of Wink and I realize. Note that TT says that from age 11 he was addicted to computers, with an innate ability to know how they will behave.

Now, TT was born in 1969. In 1980 he was 11. The first mass-marketed IBM PC, the 5150, was introduced on August 12, 1981. It was very expensive.

Prior to the IBM PC you had Commodore products, like the VIC-20 and Commodore PET. There was the Apple II and Radio Shack's TRS-80.

I can't help but wonder what computer a little 11 year old boy in West Texas happened upon in 1980 that caused his addiction and revealed his innate ability to intuitively know how they will behave?

It's perplexing.

Getting My Dallas Cowboy Merchandise At The Dallas Cowboy Stadium Wal-Mart

I did not know if the Dallas Cowboys were playing in their shiny new stadium today, or not. Which means I did not know if the Dallas Cowboys Stadium Wal-Mart Supercenter was open or not.

I have still not received an explanation as to why the Stadium Wal-Mart shuts down during Dallas Cowboy home games, while all the other area businesses appear to remain open.

So, after I was done with Arlington's Chinatown I headed north on Collins Street to the Stadium Wal-Mart, which was open, with no football game being played across the street.

Inside the Wal-Mart there are a lot of flat panel TV's hanging down from the ceiling on which it appeared a Dallas Cowboys game was being played.

Inside the Stadium Wal-Mart there is an extraordinary amount of Dallas Cowboy merchandise taking up a lot of floor space. Like you see in the picture, with the game playing overhead.

I have not heard from the Mad Texas Grandma since December 15. You remember the Mad Texas Grandma, I am sure. She was mad because she and more than 50 others had their vehicles towed off the Wal-Mart parking lot on November 21, believed by the Mad Texas Grandma to have been towed illegally.

Wal-Mart denied knowing anything about the towing, or about A-AArlington Towing or about the dozens of taxis that showed up to take people to their hijacked vehicles.

The last I heard the Mad Texas Grandma was unable to reach the actual real manager of the Stadium Wal-Mart.

My best guess, as to what is going on with that Wal-Mart, is the manager, on his own, made a deal with A-AArlington Towing and the Taxis, with the manager getting a cut of the towing take.

Then, in a separate deal with Jerry Jones, the manager gives up a lot of store floor space to Dallas Cowboy merchandise, of which the manager and Wal-Mart gets a cut, along with Jerry Jones.

How all this wheeling and dealing between the local Wal-Mart manager, Jerry Jones and A-AArlington ends up with the Stadium Wal-Mart being closed during Dallas Cowboy home games continues to be a mystery.

The Mysterious Turquoise Blue Chesapeake Energy Pond In Far East Fort Worth

Way back on November 7 I blogged about the pond you see in the picture. On that day it was cloudy and so the pond did not look the unnatural shade of turquoise blue it looks under a clear sky.

I said I'd get a picture of the pond on a clear day, which turned out to be today on my way to Arlington.

This is a Chesapeake Energy pond located a few feet east of the intersection of Brentwood Stair Road and Cooks Lane in far East Fort Worth.

So, what's in this "water"? How is it used in conjunct with the Chesapeake Barnett Shale gas well that is adjacent to the Blue Pond?

What is in this pond that is so dangerous it requires being surrounded by chain link fence and barbed wire? It appears a dam-like structure was built to hold in the "water."

If that "dam" broke the "water" would flow towards the apartments you see in the background.

Are chemicals flashing off from this "water?" What happens to a bird that lands on this water?

The True Story Of The Little Boy Who Wanted To Be A Fireman & Was Not From Fort Worth

This morning Miss CVB of Sedro Woolley, Washington emailed me the story of a little boy who died from Leukemia, who wanted to be a fireman when he grew up. It was a touching story, but seemed hokey to me. So, I looked it up and quickly found there were several versions. The one Miss CVB sent me had the little boy being a Canadian in Calgary, Alberta.

So, with me thinking the story was a total hoax, urban legend, myth type thing I changed all the instances of Calgary to Fort Worth. And blogged it.

Soon after that Miss CVB emailed me that she was "crushed to learn it was not true."

Then I got a message from Steve A telling me, "The story IS true, albeit from Phoenix rather than Fort Worth. Even the off the wall bit about the firefighters climbing through the window is true."

Well, sort of true. In the real story it was 5 firemen, not 16. The boy's name was not "Billy." It was Frank "Bopsy" Salazar. The boy was 7, not 6. The story was lifted from the original Chicken Soup for the Soul book. The boy was the first "wish child" helped by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The little boy wanted to be a fireman, ride in a hot air balloon and go to Disneyland. He got all 3 wishes. It is true the little boy was given a fireman's uniform. In the real story he got a ride in a firetruck and squirted a few cars with the fire hose.

In the real story the boy's condition worsened after the trip to Disneyland. He was back in the hospital, third floor. A fireman knocked on the room's window, it was opened and in crawled the 5 firemen. Later that evening the boy died.

The Am I A Fort Worth Fireman Yet Urban Legend

In Fort Worth, Texas a 26-year-old mother stared down at her 6 year old son, who was dying of terminal leukemia.

Although her heart was filled with sadness,
she also had a strong feeling of determination.
Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up & fulfill all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible, the leukemia would see to that. But she still wanted her son's dream to come true.

She took her son' s hand and asked, "Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grew up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your life?'

Mommy, "I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up."

Mom smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish come true."

Later that day she went to her local fire Department in Fort Worth , where she met Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Texas.

She explained her son's final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her 6 year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine.

Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have your son ready at seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him an honorary Fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform for him, with a real fire hat - not a toy - one-with the emblem of the Fort Worth Fire Department on it, and a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots. They're all manufactured right here in Fort Worth, so we can get them fast."

Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy, dressed him in his uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck.

Billy got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station. He was in heaven. There were three fire calls in Fort Worth that day and Billy got to go out on all three calls.

He rode in the different fire engines, the Paramedic's' van, and even the fire chief's car.

He was also videotaped for the local news program.

Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Billy, that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible.

One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in the hospice concept - that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital.

Then she remembered the day Billy had spent as a Fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his transition.

The chief replied, "We can do better than that. We'll be there in five minutes.. Will you please do me a favor? When you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that there is not a fire?"

"It's the department coming to see one of its finest members one more time. And will you open the window to his room?"

About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open window-------- 16 fire-fighters climbed up the ladder into Billy's room.

With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they LOVED him. With his dying breath, Billy looked up at the fire chief and said,

"Chief, am I really a fireman now?"

"Billy, you are, and the Head Chief, Jesus, is holding your hand," the chief said.

With those words, Billy smiled and said, "I know, He's been holding my hand all day, and the angels have been Singing..."

He closed his eyes one last time.

---

This was way too good a story with way too many improbable elements. "Am I a Fireman yet?" is yet one more Urban Legend that has been circulating around the Internet for years.

A Yellow Wildflower Blooms In Fort Worth Texas After Surviving The Christmas Eve Blizzard

Until today I was pretty much housebound due to the North Texas Christmas Eve Blizzard. On Christmas too much ice and snow lingered to make it seem like a good idea to drive anywhere.

Today I could take being housebound no longer. So, I went to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake. A lot of people seemed to be of a similar mind, to get out and enjoy the balmy 40 degree temperatures.

I was very surprised today to see an exotic, beautifully yellow, wildflower blooming (that is one in the picture with Fosdic Lake in the background). How do these wildflowers survive 14 degree temperatures, a raging blizzard and being covered with snow? There were dozens of these beautiful wildflowers coloring up the landscape. I would have picked a bouquet, but that seemed wrong to do. That, and these wildflowers do not smell too nice.

As you can see above, snow still lingers where the blizzard blew it into drifts. There were still some icy spots on the road in shady spots, so it's still a bit dicey driving out there, requiring caution. I'm not used to having to use a lot of caution. I usually throw it to the wind.

I'm on the west side of Fosdic Lake, looking east at a family feeding the Fosdic Lake Birds. The family is standing on what the Fosdic Lake Dam Vision envisions being a beach, where Fort Worth kids can play on the sand and run into the lake for a swim, while thanking Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief for making it all possible.

So, that's been my boring post-Christmas day. I actually got un-housebound prior to going to Fosdic Lake. After I came in from my morning quick dip and hot tub roast I had a hankering for bacon. This required a quick trip to Wal-Mart. I also had a hankering for waffles. These type hankerings and my decreased activity level are still causing constant weight gain, despite my therapist Dr. L.C.'s orders to the contrary.

My Traditional Texas Thai Christmas Dinner

Christmas has me being a weather related housebound victim in Texas this year. I was well prepared for this eventuality.

You are looking at my Traditional Texas Thai Christmas Dinner in the picture.

That is a bowl of Coconut Chicken soup on the left. Those are Coconut Shrimp on the big plate next to Jasmine Rice covered with Stir-Fried Celery, Onion, Green Pepper and Garlic, with a Peach, Apricot Oyster Sauce. The little bowl has a spicy dipping sauce for the Coconut Shrimp.

The only non-traditional thing I had was Blackberry Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream.

The Queen of Wink made Butterscotch Pie. I'd never heard of that before. I had a bad incident with Butterscotch when I was a kid, the details of which I do not remember, but ever since then I have found Butterscotch disturbing. I have a similar problem with bread sticks.

Clearly I have some culinary issues.

I'm sure that pigging out on all this Classic Traditional Christmas food and the weather related inactivity has caused my weight gain problem to grow worse. I must determine a plan to rectify this situation before it slides further out of control with the return of a beer belly and man boobs.

Merry White Christmas From A Skinny Dipping Santa In Texas

The Dallas Morning News article about yesterday's day long Christmas Eve snowstorm called it a blizzard. I thought it looked like a blizzard, heavy wind blowing the snow horizontal, but since I'd had never been in a blizzard I didn't really know for sure.

Three inches were recorded at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, with that three inches being the first Christmas Eve snowfall since the National Weather Service started keeping records in 1898.

The National Weather Service was keeping records where D/FW Airport is located? Way back in 1898?

At times, during the blizzard, visibility was reduced to around a quarter-mile. A lot of flights did not make it out of the airport yesterday on time.

This morning it was well below freezing when the sun came up. Making this a White Christmas. Because it was so windy a lot of the snow got blown into little drifts. I have a little snowdrift outside my front door. The snow had mostly blown away from the cement area around the pool.

We have now gone above freezing so the white stuff is starting to disappear.

Like I said I would, yesterday, despite my therapist Dr. L.C.'s admonishment not to, I went swimming this morning and photo documented it. And like I said I would, all I wore was my Santa cap. I believe this is the first time I've gotten into the pool when it was below 25.

Since the water in the pool was not frozen it was significantly warmer than the air. So the immediate reaction to getting in it was that it felt warmer. I have no idea what the temperature of the water is. We got to almost 80 two days ago.

Thai food is my Christmas feeding theme. With blackberry pie. The feeding is around 2. Don't be late.

The Christmas Eve Snow Continues To Fall In Fort Worth Texas Guaranteeing A White Christmas

It is 5pm, Christmas Eve in Fort Worth, Texas. I am snowbound.

It is 26 degrees. Snow continues to fall. All is blanketed with white.

I canceled my plan to go to Miss Puerto Rico's tonight, due to weather related hazards.

In the photo, that is my swimming suit, from this morning, sitting outside my patio screen door, under cover, yet frozen and covered with snow from the continuing blizzard.

As God is my witness I shall not let this keep me from the pool in the morning. I shall photo document that event, complete with Santa hat. I may skinnydip just to make it more interesting.