The Outhouses Of Dallas/Fort Worth: Part 4

I have slacked off on my popular Outhouses of Dallas/Fort Worth series of bloggings.

My one longtime reader may remember me being perplexed by the 100s of Outhouses I saw surrounding the new $1.1 billion Dallas Cowboy Stadium in Arlington.

I'd long been appalled by Outhouses I'd see at Arlington's wonderful River Legacy Park.

I thought my Outhouse series would be limited to Arlington. And then I remembered the unfortunate Outhouses I'd seen in Fort Worth, so I expanded the Outhouse search to include the entire Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. This is going to be a long series. And take a long time.

I'd mentioned in the previous blogging that I went to Gateway Park today with 3 purposes. The third purpose was to take an Outhouse picture. A couple years ago Gateway Park added some very well done, nice-looking soccer/rugby fields. They also added a cement enclosure which holds 4 or 5 Outhouses.

There are a couple other Outhouses, like the one you see in the picture, at various points on the parking lot. The last time I was at the soccer/rugby field a rugby tournament was going on. The parking lot was full. I had to park elsewhere. There was food for sale from several vendors, tacos, BBQ.

But, no Modern Restroom Facilities, or running water with which to wash ones hands. The Outhouses appeared to be heavily used. As in there were lines. Beer was likely being sold.

Regarding what initially got me on this Outhouse fixation, that being the 100s of Outhouses that surround the Dallas Cowboy Stadium, I have yet to hear from anyone telling me if other professional sports stadiums in America are surrounded by 100s of Outhouses.

The only professional sports stadiums I have personal experience with, other than the ones in Arlington, are the Seattle stadium's parking lots, where I do not recollect seeing any Outhouses. I'm thinking those picky, uptight Pacific Northwest sorts with their snooty ways would not look kindly on 100s of Outhouses being stuck on the parking lots of their new stadiums.

Texans are way more easy going. And way more used to Outhouses, I guess.

Is The Texas Commission On Environmental Quality Issuing Permits For The Gas Drillers Taking Trinity River Water?

I had to get outside today, what with the return of blue sky and the surprising, unpredicted jump in temperature, ending our North Texas Fort Worth Deep Freeze. For now.

So, I went to Gateway Park. I had a secondary and a tertiary purpose in addition to my primary purpose, that being going on a walk.

I'll get to my tertiary purpose in a subsequent blogging. My secondary purpose for going to Gateway Park was I wanted to check on the current condition of the Barnett Shale Anonymous Natural Gas Driller's Trinity River water stealing damage to the Trinity River Levee and to see if any fresh water thieving was going on.

As you can see, it is still a muddy mess, but the water suckers have not returned.

I have a good reason this is fresh on my mind.

I was looking through the 2010-2011 Texas Almanac. Fascinating stuff in there. No real Texan should be without this Almanac.

In a section about the Texas water supply, there is a highlighted section under the title Water Regulation.

In the first paragraph it says, "In Texas, surface water belongs to the state and, except for limited amounts of water for household and on-farm livestock use, requires permits for use."

The third paragraph says, "The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is responsible for permitting and adjudicating surface-water rights and uses. It is the primary regulator of surface water and polices contamination and pollution of both surface and groundwater."

Okay, back to the Gas Drillers sucking water out of the Trinity River. I have asked, previously, if a permit is required. And if so, why is this permit not posted by where the water is being taken?

Apparently Texas law requires a permit if one takes Texas surface water. That water flowing down the Trinity River appears to me to be on the surface. Of course, I'm no expert on such matters.

I may be wrong, but I believe no permits are being required by the City of Fort Worth or the Texas Commission on Water Quality for Gas Drillers to lay down pipelines across public land and take water out of the Trinity.

I believe I've read, more than once, that the quality of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has been co-opted by having industry stooges on the Commission, thus creating a fox watching the hen house type scenario.

But, this morning I blogged about the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's new methodology enabling citizens to report suspected Natural Gas Pollution. Have the foxes been removed from this hen house? Or is the TCEQ's new found cooperativeness, with those who hope to clear the air, some sort of toothless ruse?

If the TCEQ is issuing permits to the Gas Drillers to take Trinity River water, in a perfectly legal and environmental appropriate manner, why has no one straightened me out on this? If I'm wrong and permits have been issued, I want to know.

If the TCEQ has issued permits for the Trinity River water to be taken, how much does the permit cost? How much water is allowed to be taken? If these permits exist, why are they not part of some easily accessed public record?

What I actually believe is happening is the Trinity River water is being stolen, illegally, as just one more aspect of the result you get when you have corrupt politicians in office, operating with Conflicts of Interest, giving carte blanche to the Gas Drillers to do whatever they want, for the most part, in Fort Worth.

Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief rakes in more than $600,000 a year from his vested interests in the gas companies drilling holes in his town. Does Moncrief have a rather strong motivation, as in more than 600,000 strong, to look the other way when a little water is stolen? This type thing is why there are strong Conflict of Interest laws, in Texas, currently ignored in the lawless protective bubble known as Fort Worth and surrounding environs.

Fort Worth has a long and storied history of providing a safe haven for crooks. Why, Fort Worth even names its downtown collection of parking lots after a famous crook who used to hang out in downtown Fort Worth, he being The Sundance Kid and those parking lots named Sundance Square.

Texas Commission For Environmental Quality Wants Your Help

Dear Barnett Shale residents and visitors---

PLEASE take advantage of this EZ way to help clean the air.

If you live in or visit anywhere in the Barnett Shale and encounter an odor you suspect is related to natural gas activity in any way, the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ) wants to know about it.

TCEQ has stated publicly that they investigate ALL complaints and will dispatch a field inspector to your door within 12 hours of your complaint. Documentation is a critical first step to obtain the essential data. Your report will enable TCEQ to take enforcement action to stop toxic emissions.

Here's all you need to do.

Step 1- Print out the Odor Log and Nuisance Affidavit forms.

Step 2- Fill out the simple forms, to the best of your recollection, immediately after encountering an odor.

Step 3- Call the toll-free TCEQ Complaint Hotline and register your complaint. 1-888-777-3186

Step 4- When a TCEQ agent arrives, request their ID and hand them the forms. Keep copies for your records.

Step 5- Keep a personal record of your experience with the TCEQ for future reference.

Step 6- Repeat as often as necessary.

Odor Log and Nuisance Affidavit forms

My Sweetwater Texas Rattlesnake Roundup Video Has Been Banned By Some Countries

This morning a comment to my YouTube video of the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup caused me to go to my YouTube account. There I was surprised, first off, to see there have been 100 comments about this video. I read the comments when they come in, but I had no idea they had added up to that high a number.

The second thing to surprise me was to see that there was a copyright dispute regarding the audio soundtrack. I believe I used a Strauss piece of music. He's long dead. Can his music be copyrighted?

The third thing to surprise me was to see that the video has been banned in some countries.

The comments the video generates range from reasonably explaining why rattlesnake roundups should be banned, to totally angry about killing the snakes, to totally angry at the people who think the practice should be banned.

Today's comment seemed both reasonable and angry...

These people are undignified, mentally unstable, pathetic excuses for human beings reveling in animal cruelty at its worst. Roundups need to stop; they are nothing more than disturbing massacres of uniquely beautiful and ecologically indispensable creatures. A twisted delight for twisted people. There is no argument about it. However, the narrow minded people who indulge in these disgraceful activities will either try to argue in their defense, or simply carry on like mindless savages.

Below is the YouTube video that is banned in some countries.

I Am Ready To Use Some Salt Of The Earth To Spice Up Some Gas Barons

Today I watched the most amazing movie. Salt of the Earth. From 1954. I'd never heard of it before. As I watched it I was very perplexed. As in this was good stuff. I figured it was from the 60s. Or 70s. Being from 1954 really surprised me.

This movie had a powerful women's liberation theme that I would have thought not possible in 1954. And it had an incredibly strong anti-establishment theme that I also would have not thought possible in 1954.

After all, 1954 was the era of Red Scares and Commie Baiting and McCarthyism.

Well, it turns out Salt of the Earth is known as the only U.S. blacklisted film. Its writer, director and producer had all been blacklisted by Hollywood during that particularly shameful time in our nation's history.

According to Wikipedia, "The movie became a historical phenomenon and has a cult following due to how the United States establishment (politicians, journalists, studio executives, and other trade unions) dealt with the film."

Ironically, when viewed in 2009, Salt of the Earth seems almost Frank Capraesque in its uplifting Power to the People and Protest is the American Way of Righting Wrongs and Toppling Tyranny message.

Naturally, while I was watching this movie, my thoughts turned to Texas, and the current corruption, oppression and heavy-handed abuse by out of control gas drilling miscreants and their political lackeys, who act as their lapdogs, doing their bidding as the Citizens of the Shale have their property stolen, their air dirtied, their lives made miserable and their basic right to being secure and safe in their own homes eroded by the government that is supposed to protect them.

I'm thinking I'm going to be thinking of a Salt of the Earth type action if it ever comes time to totally stop Chesapeake Energy and Fort Worth's Mayor Mike Moncrief from running non-odorized natural gas under the homes on Carter Avenue.

I'm in the mood for some Rabble Rousing. And I'm sadly perplexed that there is such a need for Rabble Rousing in the Texas of almost 2010.

North Texas Tuesday Snow Storm Arrives On Schedule In Fort Worth

Our previously scheduled Tuesday Afternoon Snow Storm arrived right on time, starting around 2. By 3 I was out in it, heading to the library, which finally opened again after a long shutdown.

You are looking west on Bridge Street, the library is on the other side of that clump of shrubs on the right.

After I finished with the library I stopped at the Post Office on my way to Wal-Mart. By the time I got to the Post Office it was snowing harder than it was during the Infamous 2009 Texas Christmas Eve Blizzard. Today's storm is not a blizzard, the snow is falling straight to the ground with no wind interfering with its descent.

About a half mile from the Post Office I decided to take video of the drive to Wal-Mart. YouTube is processing that video even as I type. YouTube must be located on the West Coast, because, looking at it right now, as it is being processed, it says the video was added at 02:53 PM. It was added at 04:53 PM Central Time.

Tomorrow I believe the weather conditions will keep me from my regular morning icy dip and hot tub flash. By morning it will likely be a very slippery mess out there.

Okay, the video is done processing. It's a long one. I should have turned the radio down. It drowns out my pithy commentary at times. I did not notice, til watching the video, the black car that sort of spins on the ice in front of me, early on in the video. I did notice that that was the only spot where I could tell I was slipping a bit.

The Texas Conflict of Interest Laws Made Simple Enough For Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief To Understand

I have a slight problem, at times, confusing my dreams with reality. It is now obvious to me that I was dreaming when I said I had had a long talk with Fort Worth Mayor, Mike Moncrief, in which I was able to get him to understand why he is committing a serious crime with his Conflicts of Interest involving his Barnett Shale Natural Gas Drilling Company holdings and he being mayor in a town that's getting drilled.

Apparently, I was also dreaming when I said that Moncrief had agreed to use his ill gotten gains to fund the Fosdic Lake Dam Vision.

See that dollar bill with Mike Moncrief on top of George Washington? Moncrief makes over 600,000 of those dollar bills, annually, from his holdings in each of the gas drillers drilling in Fort Worth.

Now, there are those in Fort Worth, like the city's attorney, who do not think the Conflict of Interest laws apply to Fort Worth or Mike Moncrief. Both the city attorney and Mike Moncrief apparently are ignorant of the fact that the State of Texas has quite strict, precise Conflict of Interest Laws.

The State of Texas even conveniently put an explanation of the Texas Conflict of Interest laws on a website, under the title 2010 Texas Conflict of Interest Laws Made Easy.

Made so easy, in fact, that I'm almost certain a simpleton, like Fort Worth's mayor and his city attorney might finally understand that Moncrief is breaking the law and needs to be removed from office, jailed and fined, now that the Conflicts of Interests have grown so dire with Moncrief in cahoots with a corrupt company like Chesapeake Energy in their abuse of eminent domain in a basically Nazi-like attack on Steve Doeung and the citizens on Carter Avenue.

I think I'll send a letter to the FBI today. Surely it's time the feds intervene in Fort Worth now that the political racketeering has reached its current level of corruption.

Below is a short excerpt from 2010 Texas Conflict of Interest Laws Made Easy. Read it and ask yourself how in the world the Mayor of Fort Worth and his idiot attorney can claim he has no Conflict of Interest when he owns a piece of the drilling companies and looks the other way while they steal Trinity River water, abuse eminent domain and pollute the air?

What conflict of interest laws apply to local public officials in Texas?

The general conflict of interest law for Texas city and county officials, as well as officials of other Texas political subdivisions, is found in chapter 171 of the Texas Local Government Code. Chapter 171 establishes the standard for determining when a local official has a conflict of interest that would affect the ability to discuss, decide or vote on a particular item. Chapter 171 conflict of interest provisions apply to all local public officials. Within a governmental unit, “local public officials” are defined to include:

1) elected officials such as the members of the city council or county commissioners (whether paid or unpaid); and

2) appointed officials (paid or unpaid) who exercise responsibilities that are more than advisory in nature.

It should be noted that other state and federal laws, as well as local provisions in the case of cities, may be applicable to officials in a particular situation. Whether a law is applicable depends on the activity that the official is undertaking. Officials should work with local legal counsel to determine whether their activities are subject to any such provisions. However, the general conflict of interest provision for officials remains chapter 171 of the Local Government Code.

What types of issues are covered by Texas conflict of interest laws?

Texas conflict of interest statutes do not address every conceivable conflict that may arise for a local official. In fact, chapter 171 conflict laws are generally financial in nature and only cover two types of conflicts of interest:

1) Business Entity conflicts: Conflicts due to a local official's substantial financial interest in a business entity and that has an issue before his or her governmental unit;

or

2) Real Property conflicts: Conflicts due to a local official's substantial financial interest in a real property and that would be affected by his or her governmental unit's action.

What is considered a “substantial interest” in a business entity (such that it would amount to a potential conflict of interest)?

There are four ways that a person could be deemed to have a “substantial interest” in a business entity that would raise a potential conflict of interest. A person has a substantial interest in a business entity if the person has a(n):

1) Stock interest: If the official owns 10 percent or more of the total voting stock or shares of the business entity;

2) Other ownership interest: If the official owns either 10 percent or more, or $15,000 or more, of the fair market value of the business entity;

3) Income interest: If the official received more than 10 percent of his or her gross income for the previous year from the business entity;

4) Close family member with any of the above interests: If a close relative of the local official has any of the above types of interest in a business entity. A local official is considered to have the same interest in a business entity that his or her close relatives have in that business entity. In this context, close relatives of an official would include persons who are related to the official within the first degree by consanguinity (blood) or affinity (marriage). Such relatives would include an official father, father-in-law, mother, mother-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law, son, son-in-law and the spouse of the official.

Attacks Of The Mad Fort Worth Fosdic Lake Ducks & Texas Blizzard Deniers

I did not think the Tandy Hills would be available for my noontime daily constitutional due to the remains of our Christmas Eve unpleasantness still not fully melted.

Speaking of our Christmas Eve unpleasantness, just this morning Miss CVB of Sedro Woolley, Washington had the raw gall to tell me that that raging blizzard the blew for 7 hours on Thursday was nothing but a light snow flurry.

So, it was back to the site of the Fosdic Lake Dam Vision to do some more imagineering.

Those really are some happy ducks that float on top of Fosdic Lake. Today they were in full loud quack mode. Practically every time I'm at Fosdic Lake there is someone throwing bread or other duck food at the birds.

The Fosdic Ducks are so used to being given food they have developed quite an attitude of entitlement. If you stand at the shoreline taking a picture, for instance, a herd of the little beasts will make a beeline for you and when you don't deliver the goods they keep on coming, as if chasing you is going to free up something to eat. It has been quite unsettling on more than one occasion.

After I was done communing with nature I headed to Town Talk. I found no good stuff today. Got big containers of cinnamon and black pepper. That's all. My favorite Town Talk checker's line was open. Previously she'd lamented regarding the upcoming Christmas.

So, I asked her how Christmas went. "Christmas was fine," she said, "but Christmas Eve was a nightmare."

"Why?" I asked.

"The blizzard," she said.

I told her I'd been informed that the blizzard was a light snow flurry.

"Well, that light snow flurry took me an hour and a half to go what should have taken 20 minutes," said she, quite testily.

The nerve of some people. Suggesting that the historic Texas Christmas Eve Blizzard of 09 was nothing but a little snow flurry. I tell you, those people from Washington can be so uncouth. Makes me glad I'm a Texan.

Manly Men & Wild Women Of The Fort Worth Texas Prairie

Incoming Invite From Don Young:

Need a post-holiday workout in the great out-of-doors? Something vigorous but not too challenging? Feel a need to test your mettle? You're in luck!

Celebrate the new year and the 50th anniversary of THNA by participating in the First Annual Manly Men and Wild Women Hike at Tandy Hills Natural Area.

This will be a border-to border-to-border-to-border hike, tracing the steel cable that defines the 160 acre boundary. Here are five good reasons to join in:

1) You will lose at least 2 pounds. (results vary)
2) See sections of the park known only to birds and coyotes. (and gas drillers)
3) Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the coolest park in Fort Worth. (2010)
4) It won't kill you but will make you stronger (for the Brush Bash)
5) Work up a good appetite for a group lunch (TBA)

Who: Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area

What: Manly Men & Wild Women Hike. (All ages welcome.) No wimps allowed.

When: Saturday, January 2, 2010
10:00 am (allow 1.5 hours for hike)

Where: Tandy Hills Natural Area
3400 View Street
Meet at the Prairie Fest entrance

Why: For the fun and glory of it and to prepare your body and mind for the upcoming Brush Bash (January 23, 2010)

Bring: Water, snack, camera, hiking boots, hat.

RSVP: > > > to Don Young ASAP. <EMAIL>

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."