I Beat The Scrabble Queen Of Washington Again!

I'm so happy. I beat the Scrabble Queen of Washington at Facebook Scrabble for the 2nd time ever. I don't know if this means I am getting better at it or if the Scrabble Queen has grown bored with how unchallenging I am, Scrabble-wise.

I find Scrabble works a part of my brain that is likely dormant most of the time. The same part of my brain that processes a complex math problem. Complex math problems are something my erratically developed brain has never been good at.

When you win a game of Facebook Scrabble you have the option of going for a re-match. I did so. My first word was "vexer." Worth, if I remember right, and again that erratically developed brain and memory storage is in play, but I think I got 32 points for "vexer."

So, I am well on my way to another stunning Scrabble win. Most likely not though.

Making Soup To Warm Up The Arctic Blast Blue Norther That Is Freezing Texas

It is 9:38 AM. As you can see in the screenshot from WeatherBug, which is saying it is 20.3 out there, with the wind making for a Wind Chill Factor of 5 degrees.

BRRRRRR.

I had me a night. Usually I go to bed early. Last night I did not turn out my reading light til a half hour past midnight. I tossed and turned til past 2:30 AM.

And then the nightmares started up, waking me up over and over again.

I slept in til almost 7. That rarely, if ever, happens.

I've dug out my long underwear and ski gloves and other seldom used cold weather gear. I'm going to go hiking the Tandy Hills today.

I am on a soup diet due to my sloth related unsightly weight gain. Yesterday I made Cream of Broccoli Soup. There is some of that left over, but today I wanted Tomato Soup, so that's what I made. I don't know why anyone would buy pre-made soup, due to it being so fast and easy to make homemade, much healthier, soup.

Lunch is around 2 this afternoon. Don't be late.

A Big Mess Of 6 Pumps Getting Ready To Steal Trinity River Water In Fort Worth

I dropped in on the Beach Street/Trinity Levee/Gateway Park Barnett Shale Gas Drilling water stealing operation late this afternoon.

I was once more surprised by what I saw. And a new sign. Sitting above a jumble of pipelines, the sign says "Unauthorized Motorized Vehicles Prohibited Violators Will Be Prosecuted." In the lower right hand corner of the sign it says "Texas Water Code 49.217."

Just 2 days ago, on Monday, I took pictures of motorized vehicles in the location of this sign.

Now, I previously said I'd learned that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality must issue a permit for any surface water to be taken in Texas.

Then I was told that the Tarrant Regional Water District manages the Trinity River in Tarrant County, selling the water to the drillers. At a steep discount, I suspect.

In the picture on the right you're looking at the pipelines leading from the above sign to the site of the pumps, where I was in for a surprise.

So, here's what I think is going on. Both this Tarrant Regional Water District and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have been corrupted with the installation of gas industry foxes watching the hen house of this corrupted zone of Texas I am living in.

I don't think permits are being issued. I don't think there is any oversight. I don't think there is any rule enforcement.

This type lawless environmental terrorism is what you get when the agencies that are supposed to safeguard the public's assets, like a river, are co-opted.

It's a variation of what President Eisenhower warned about in his farewell address, but, instead of a vast military industrial complex to be wary of, in Fort Worth we have a vast political/gas industry complex to be wary of.

Well, more than be wary, we are past the point of being wary doing any good, because an industry has already been allowed to control political power in Fort Worth by installing corrupt politicians and others in positions of power who do their bidding and run roughshod over Fort Worth's citizen's right to be safe and secure in their homes.

Count the number of pipes. There are 6 of them. The reason there are 6 is there are now 6 pumps sitting at the edge of the Trinity River, sitting on top of a very sloppily laid out "oil leak" catcher slab of some sort of impermeable material, that has holes in it.

See those white bags on the left, sitting on the wheels. Guess what those are? Give up? Look at the next picture.

Bags of oil absorbent. "100% Natural Product" it says on the bags. "Cleans up spills that can cause accidents. Soaks up oil, grease, water, coolant & more."

I think they may have already had to use some of this absorbent, because the area reeked of oil.

There are other problems with the spill containment method, which the picture below shows.

Yes, there are tears in the impermeable mat that the pumps sit on, which turns them permeable. As in they'd leak. The pump's setup looks very sloppily assembled. The entire operation looked sloppy. Chunks of lumber were used to try and level up the pumps, which made more tears in the oil barrier.

A view of the "protective" mat and the pumps sitting at the edge of the Trinity River. How quickly can they get these pumps out of there if the river rises rapidly, which it is known to do?

This is going to be so noisy when those 6 pumps get pumping. I'll try and get video. There appeared to be a lot of pipe assembling that still needed to take place before pumping can begin. I don't know how they are going to fix the damaged protective barrier mat.

Oh, I know. They won't. Because this is an unregulated industry operating under the lawless protective bubble that covers the Fort Worth zone that causes the laws that govern the rest of America to not apply. Little things like a mayor with a criminal level of Conflicts of Interest, taking more than $600,000 a year from the drillers sticking holes in the town who's interests he is supposed to look out for, rather than looking out for his own interests and those of the gas drillers who have the man on the take.

TCU Purple Froggies Jinxed By Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief

Funny incoming from Don Young. I'm sure he's sent it to others, but maybe I'll be fast enough to be the first to blog it....

Dang it! I want a replay.

The mighty TCU Horned Frog football team lost the Fiesta Bowl to Boise State last Monday causing purple tears to flow like a river in Dirty Ol' Town. But don't blame the team. They were jinxed by Mayor Moncrief and cheated by the Barnett Shale.

Mayor Mikey's dumb idea to dye the Trinity River purple in honor of the Frogs was bad enough. Any scientist could have told him that. They could have also told him that Fort Worth air is so polluted from Barnett Shale gas drilling it's a wonder the team made it to the bowl game.

But, in his defense, Mayor Mikey can't help it. He's science-challenged.

Even though he was raised on oil and gas, his income depends on oil and gas and he's the mayor of the largest city in the USA to allow urban gas drilling he was dumfounded to recently learn that natural gas drilling is dangerous to human health.

He was shocked to discover that benzene and other toxic by-products of drilling are polluting north Texas air on a massive scale (not to mention our water and land). But he claims to be very concerned about the residents and quality of life in Fort Worth. He wants more testing done, dadgumitt, and he wants the State of Texas to do it with help from the polluters.

But, sorry, no moratorium on new drilling permits, says the mayor. We can't risk getting sued by the drillers. Besides, his income depends on the drilling. (Uh-oh!)

The university itself deserves some of the credit for TCU students and players getting a daily dose of benzene. They have been cheerleading the Barnett Shale for years. Maybe that's because several alumni own one of the largest drilling companies in FW.

As a result of their influence and the lure of Dirty Dollars, TCU set up the TCU Energy Institute, basically a lobbying group for gas drillers opposed to regulation and drilling reform.

If we keep waiting for drillers to do the right thing, we will all end up like the endangered Texas Horned Lizard. Don't it make your purple heart blue?

DY

PS: After you've had a good cry, write a letter to or call TCU Chancellor, Victor Boschini and tell him how you feel about TCU's support of gas drilling.

Chancellor@tcu.edu
817-257-7783

Still mad? Tell Mayor Moncrief to stop issuing drilling permits until the industry learns how to Drill Right:

Mike.Moncrief@fortworthgov.org
817-392-6118

Don Young
FWCanDo
P.O. Box 470041
Fort Worth, TX 76147
http://www.fwcando.org

"God bless Fort Worth, Texas. Help us save some of it."

One Last Tandy Hills Hike Before The Arctic Blast & My Friday Bro-Date

That is the Wednesday, 5 in the afternoon, view of a Tandy Hills Natural Area trail, looking north towards the incoming Blue Norther Arctic Blast from Canada.

I'd not been back to the Tandy Hills since Saturday's incident of being chased up the hills by a Wild Woman with such ferocity that I was sore all over for days.

I heard on the radio, on my way to the Tandy Hills, that with tomorrow's high wind and 15 degree temperature, the wind chill factor will make it feel like zero.

We are at 48 now at 6 pm. The Arctic Blast should arrive soon.

I returned to my abode via Beach Street again. And saw some interesting stuff in the Beach Street/Trinity Trails/Gateway Park Trinity River Water Stealing Operation Zone. I'll get to that in a subsequent blogging.

On a Tandy Hills related note. On the recently concluded Survivor Samoa's final tribal council, Brett asked Mick what they would do on a bro-date. Everyone cracked up. I'd never heard that term before. And have wanted to use it ever since I heard it.

So, today I made a bro-date for Friday to go hiking on the Tandy Hills. This bro-date is a real mystery bro. I know no photo taking of the mystery bro will be allowed. He protects his identity. Which is part of what makes him a mystery bro.

I also did not get a good picture of the Queen of Wink on Saturday. When she saw my camera aimed her way she artfully got herself not pictured, in the face-wise. Due to myself hating having my picture taken, I never bug anyone to look at the camera for me.

Now, my bro-date told me not to wait for him if he does not show up at the appointed time. I have never been stood up on a bro-date before, due to this being my first bro-date. So, the mystery bro better show up. Unless it's too cold. I'll try to understand.

National Weather Service Arctic Cold Front Wind Advisory For North Texas For Thursday

When you've got nothing else to talk about there is always the weather. Especially here in Texas.

As you can see from the 4 in the afternoon screen shot from WeatherBug we are at a balmy 46.2 right now, with a slight Wind Chill.

The National Weather Service minutes ago issued the first alert regarding the incoming Arctic Blast of Extreme Cold.

This was a Wind Advisory in effect starting Thursday morning at 6 til 6 in the evening. With the 15 degree low expected tomorrow and that wind, it is going to feel a bit cold out there.

I think I may take off and go on a hike while it's still semi-HOT out there.

Below is the National Weather Service Alert....

The National Weather Service In Fort Worth Has Issued A Wind Advisory, Which Is In Effect From 6 AM To 6 PM CST Thursday.

A Strong Arctic Cold Front Will Sweep Across North Texas After Midnight Tonight Bringing Strong North Winds Of 25 To 35 Mph With Gusts Over 40 Mph. These Strong Winds Are Expected To Persist Through The Day On Thursday And Will Begin To Diminish Around Sunset.

Precautionary/Preparedness Actions.

A Wind Advisory Means That Sustained Winds Of At Least 20 To 30 Mph Are Expected. Winds This Strong Can Make Driving Difficult, Especially For High Profile Vehicles. Boaters Should Use Extra Caution When Venturing Onto Area Lakes. Residents May Wish To Take Action To Secure Trash Cans, Lawn Furniture, And Other Lightweight Outdoor Objects That May Be Blown Around In The Strong Winds.

I Am Prepared For The Incoming Blue Norther Deep Freeze In Fort Worth Texas

I had to be in Southlake today, so it seemed a good idea to make a visit to Sprouts Farmers Market.

The view you are looking at in the picture is sort of looking north.

Which means a wind from the south is blowing the flag and pointing it north.

In a few hours the direction is going to change as Texas is invaded with the coldest Arctic Deep Freeze in a decade.

My shocking introduction to how cold it can get in Texas. And an Ice Storm. Came about 2 weeks after my arrival in Texas. I'd never experienced such weather. We'd gone to the Fort Worth Stockyards to, now long gone, Riscky Rita's Mexican food lunch buffet, coatless, temperatures in the 50s. Upon exiting Riscky Rita's I was appalled to find the temperature nearing freezing, with a strong wind making it feel way colder than freezing.

The was my introduction to a Blue Norther.

When I heard on the radio today that the incoming cold was expected to be the coldest in a decade I assumed the decade old cold was that cold I just mentioned that introduced me to the volatile Texas weather 10 years ago.

Below is the forecast for Fort Worth issued at 11:21 this morning. If the predicted Freezing Rain happens, tomorrow should be interesting. I'm well stocked with goods. I can handle a 5 day siege.

The Queen Of Wink Gets Winded & Pneumonia While Gar The Texan Has An Attack Of The Vapors

I'm finding out all sorts of surprisng things this morning.

Number 1, the Queen of Wink is ailing with a case of pneumonia, that she may have already contracted when she was a Wild Woman last Saturday on the Tandy Hills.

I was also surprised to learn that at some point on the Tandy Hills the Queen apparently got totally winded, but kept it to herself lest she be thought less of a Wild Woman, or a wimp coming down with a case of the Gar the Texan-like vapors.

The getting winded thing really surprises me because we really weren't hiking all that fast and the hills really aren't all that steep, albeit we were going fast enough and steep enough that it likely would have triggered a vapors attack in Gar the Texan. But the Queen of Wink appears to be in excellent shape. It's very perplexing.

Speaking of Gar the Texan, this morning I was surprised to learn he believes I have a reading comprehension problem and should seek therapy for this ailment. And to quit being so mean to him. Gar the Texan expressed this slightly more colorfully. I can't imagine why he thought I was being mean. I thought I was being helpful, explaining to him how the American political system works.

I did not go outside yesterday, except for a brief time, delivering a print out of Miss Puerto Rico's travel itinerary to her. It is almost balmy out there right now, 5 degrees above freezing. But I can't go on a hike til later in the afternoon. I have to head up to Southlake at noon.

I am rapidly gaining weight due to all this sloth. I think I crossed over 200 pounds a couple days ago. I walk with a waddle, my beer gut makes my back ache. I'm a mess. I'll try and have myself back to normal by tomorrow. Or the day after.

The Big Chill Is Coming To North Texas

It really perplexes me that there are Global Warming Skeptics. Why, here in Texas we are having the most balmy winter since I arrived in this sun kissed state.

No. That's not right. I'm having a bit of a brain freeze problem due to the constant chill I'm trying to survive. The reality is, barely 16 days into winter, this is the worst, coldest winter since I moved to Texas.

And it is about to get worse. By Friday the low is predicted to be 13.

This morning Miss Puerto Rico called me to tell me she is booking a shuttle to the airport next week, due to the forecast being extreme cold and ice, with me being unreliable to make an airport delivery, due to me not operating an ice storm friendly vehicle.

I'm not all that unpleased with that turn of events. I do not much enjoy running airport deliveries. It always seems to turn into an aggravation.

I may be a bit incommunicado in coming days due to weather related woes. I'll likely survive.

The Flock Of Texas Sheep Being Led To Slaughter Without A Protest

I read an article and saw a photo in the Seattle P-I this morning that made me think of Fort Worth and how different things are here.

In the photo you are looking at Seattle citizens protesting the construction of what was then known as the Everett-Seattle-Tacoma Superhighway, now known as Interstate 5.

The protesters did not like the fact that the new road would cut a big gash through Seattle, cutting off neighborhoods.

In the end the freeway was built and then the gash was somewhat mitigated by a huge convention center and a lid being built over a large section of the freeway, with the lid turned into a park, called, appropriately, Freeway Park, and which is very similar to the now defunct Fort Worth park called Heritage Park.

One of the many things that perplexed me when I moved to Texas was what seemed to me to be the lack of people being organized to do this that or the other thing, or stop this that or the other thing.

Shortly before I moved to Texas, Seattle passed a citizen initiated bond issue to build a $billion plus new monorail. Issues arose, other citizens petitioned for another vote and then 5 votes later the monorail was dead.

In Fort Worth there are a few voices saying that the voters should get to vote on the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle. I have no understanding of how such a project can be initiated without a public vote by the taxpayers. In Washington a voter can force a vote by getting enough signatures on a petition. This is called an Initiative. Does Texas not have this?

Which brings me back to those Seattle protesters back in 1961. If Chesapeake Energy goes through with its threat to run a non-odorized natural gas pipeline under Carter Avenue, among the 700,000 plus Fort Worth citizens, will 1/700,000 of those citizens, as in 1,000 show up with signs and block Chesapeake Energy with a protest? If not, why not?

What happened here in Texas that's made so many Texans so passive and so much like a big flock of sheep willingly being led to the slaughter, so to speak? Even sheep can outnumber a wolf if they get organized and show a little initiative.