AVAST! Is Sailing Off My Computer

For a long long time I did not run an anti-virus program on my computer, due to believing that a virus could not activate without my active help. Since I don't click on anything without knowing what I'm clicking on, I figured I was fine.

And I was. Til I accidentally clicked on something while up in Tacoma. I quickly realized my mistake, but not before an annoying "fake" anti-virus thing was telling me I had viruses and needed to install the fix immediately.

It was fairly easy to fix that Tacoma problem. The computer virus problem was actually the least of my Tacoma problems, but I digress.

I run Windows Defender and a Malware Scanner. And every time Microsoft does one of its critical updates, Microsoft runs a worm removal tool.

So, I thought I was fine not running an anti-virus program. An additional reason is I've always found anti-virus programs to be as annoying as the problem they are supposedly stopping from happening.

And then my websites on my former bad webhost, IX Webhosting, started getting hacked. I was told I should run an anti-virus scan on my own computer to make sure it was not causing the hacking. That seemed absurd to me, but I was ready to try anything to fix the problem.

I was told AVAST! was a good, lean, anti-virus program. So, I downloaded, installed and ran it. No viruses were found.

Months ago I moved my websites to a new host and have had no more hacking woes. AVAST! has become my main computer woe. Several times a day AVAST! slows my computer down while a new version is installed.

But the really annoying thing that AVAST! is doing is to one of my websites, stulangley.com. AVAST! is claiming stulangley.com is a malicious website infected with malware that will damage your computer. The stulangley.com website was hacked only once while I was having that problem, with the hacking fixed quickly. AVAST! flags none of my other websites that got hacked, including my durangotexas.com one which had the hacking problem multiple times.

I had my new webhost check the stulangley.com website for any malware. I was told the website is totally clean.

So, AVAST! has no credibility with me and once more I'm thinking anti-virus programs are as bad a thing as the thing they are supposedly protecting me from.

Bye bye AVAST!

The Top 15 Texas Tourist Attractions With #1 Not Being Cabela's Sporting Goods Store

All of us Texans should have the Texas Almanac in our possession.

Among the best information, that I've found so far, comes from the Survey for Office of the Governor, listing Texas Traveler's Top Attractions.

My one longtime reader, and anyone reading this in the Fort Worth zone, may remember a few years back when the sporting goods store named Cabela's come courting Fort Worth.

Cabela's told Fort Worth officials, and the city's puppet newspaper, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which repeated it over and over again, that Cabela's would be the #1 Tourist Attraction in Texas.

The number of visitors predicted, that I read in that terrible newspaper, ranged between 4 and 8 million.

Like a lonely spinster, surprised to find a suitor interested in her, Fort Worth agreed to just about anything Cabela's asked for, like tax breaks, I forget what all the concessions were. Part of the deal was Cabela's had to meet certain performance criteria, and if those criteria were not met, Cabela's would pay for it.

I remember the first time I read that Cabela's was to be the Top Attraction in Texas, it just seemed such a ridiculous claim, that I was appalled the local newspaper of record fed that propaganda without questioning it.

Not long after Fort Worth got shystered by its Cabela's suitor, Cabela's announced that another Cabela's would be opening in Texas, down in Buda, south of Austin. The fact that Cabela's was cheating on its Fort Worth suitor, with another town in Texas, was not much mentioned in the Star-Telegram. Nor did the Star-Telegram ever admit, as far as I know, that the claims that Cabela's would be the Top Attraction in Texas, were, basically, a con job that Cabela's has pulled on other easy to dupe places.

In other towns, like Boise, Idaho, when Cabela's makes its play and asks for tax breaks and other breaks, Boise told Cabela's if it is not economically viable for Cabela's to operate in the Boise area, without being subsidized, then don't. Boise provided Cabela's no breaks. Cabela's built a Boise store, anyway.

So, I found it amusing to see a list, provided by the State of Texas, of what the Top 15 Tourist Attractions are in Texas, both for Texans and for out of state visitors.

I know it is going to shock you, but Cabela's is not the #1 Tourist Attraction in Texas. The Governor's survey combined the total number of visitors to both the Buda and Fort Worth Cabela's and even then Cabela's was only the #10 Attraction for Texans and #7 for out of state visitors.

In a rather funny irony, two attractions in Fort Worth are more attractive to Texans than Cabela's, that being the Fort Worth Stockyards at #8 and the Fort Worth Zoo at #9. Six Flags Over Texas, in Arlington, is a bigger attraction than Cabela's at #5. I remember mentioning Six Flags in my letter to the editor of the Star-Telegram, asking if it really made sense, to them, that a sporting goods store was going to be a bigger attraction than Six Flags?

Anyway, below are the two lists, the first list being that of the Top 15 Attraction for Texans, with the second list being the Top 15 Attractions for out of state visitors.

Top Attractions For Texas Tourists

1. Alamo
2. River Walk
3. Galveston Island
4.(T) State Capitol
5.(T) South Padre Island
5. Six Flags
7. NASA Space Center
8. Fort Worth Stockyards
9. Fort Worth Zoo
10. Cabela's (both Buda & Fort Worth)
11.(T) Sea World
11.(T) Moody Gardens
13 Ballpark at Arlington
14. Kemah Boardwalk
15. San Marcos Outlets

Top Attractions For Out of State Visitors

1. Galveston Island
2. Alamo
3. San Marcos Outlets
4. River Walk
5. State Capitol
6. South Padre Island
7. Cabela's (both Buda & Fort Worth)
8. Sea World
9. State Fair of Texas
10. Six Flags
11. Kemah Boardwalk
12. Fort Worth Stockyards
13. Fiesta Texas
14. Moody Gardens
15. Ballpark at Arlington

My only problem with the Texas Almanac is there is so much information on its 736 pages that the print size makes it hard for me to read, at times, without a reading aid, like a magnifying glass.

Village Creek Flooding While I Make Lemony Chicken Spinach Soup

It was a balmy 30 when I took my quick dip in the pool this morning. The water was not freezing, but it was not much above freezing, or so it felt to me.

This morning the Queen of Wink sent me directions on how to construct Lemony Chicken Spinach Soup. I needed to go to Wal-Mart to get 2 of the items needed to construct the soup, a lemon and spinach.

Before going to Wal-Mart I wanted to go on a walk at Village Creek Natural Historic Area, with it being a short distance from Wal-Mart, that seemed to be the thing to do.

But, the park was closed, the gate blocking the entry to the parking lot. "Closed Due To Flooding" said the sign, or words to that effect.

This surprised me because we have not had any rain since, I think, Thursday.

I decided to drive to the Interlochen neighborhood where there is another entry to the park. When I got to where I could see the trail into the park I was surprised to see water running over the dam/bridge that takes you into Village Creek Park. It's easy to see the high water mark. It was not much higher than where the water level is now.

This was a bit perplexing. Usually when creeks, here in this zone of Texas, go into flash flood mode, it happens quickly and then the water recedes. Maybe water is being released from Lake Arlington. I think that's where Village Creek comes from.

Soups ready.

The History Of The Queen Of Wink's Texas Domain

You are looking at the building where the Winkler County Justice of the Peace dispenses justice, in Wink, Texas.

Wink lost the "ler" part of the county name when the town of Winkler asked the state of Texas for a post office. The town was told there was already a Winkler in Texas. And so Wink was born. That was in 1927.

1927 was also the year the first public school opened in Wink, one short year after the town sprung up in the West Texas desert after oil was discovered in the Hendrick Oilfield.

Before Wink was 1 year old the town had grown to a population of almost 4,000. By 1929 estimates range as high as 25,000 Winkites.

The Wink oil boom and population explosion brought problems to the new town. Lawlessness in the form of bootlegging, prostitution and gambling were big business in Wink. Organized crime took over the town, including the city government.

Wink was sort of a Fort Worth of its day.

In 1928 a District Judge ruled that the Wink incorporation election was void. The city government was then re-organized and made sort of legitimate, with the first city building opening in December of 1928. It was a jail.

In 1929 the Texas-New Mexico Railroad laid tracks from Wink Junction to Wink, connecting the town to New Mexico.

In 1933 Wink finally managed to get itself legally incorporated. During the Great Depression the Wink oil boom declined, along with the population. Many Wink businesses closed.

Wink's population continued to decline through the 1940s, shrinking to around 1,500, with 40 businesses still operating.

During the 1950's Wink's population remained stable at around 1,500. In 1958 Wink lost its railroad connection to the outside world.

In the 1960s Wink's population rose a bit, to a high of 1,800, but then declined to a new low of less than 1,200 Winkites.

In July of 1960 Wink received an urban renewal grant from the federal government of over 1 million dollars. The money went to paving roads.

In the 1970s and 80s Wink's population continued to decline. By the end of the 1980s the number of businesses operating in Wink had dropped to 5.

The 2000 census counted 919 people in Wink.

Wink is often the hottest location in Texas. At times Wink is the hottest location in the United States.

Wink is also known for its sinkholes. There are some who believe Wink is slowly sinking.

Famous Winkites include Roy Orbison (Wink has a Roy Orbison Festival & Museum). Other well known Winkites are the Queen of Wink and Gar the Texan.

The Wild Woman Of Woolley Tells You Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You

There is a town in Washington called Sedro Woolley. There is a group in that town that is called the "Wild Women of Woolley."

I think I must have mentioned my Fort Worth neighborhood's increase in burglaries, and armed robberies, to the Wild Woman of Woolley, who for privacy purposes, I refer to as Miss CVB.

This morning Miss CVB sent me 21 anti-burglar tips.

Friends of mine in Seattle have had their house broken into twice, with one of the times the burglars were an organized gang that had a little kid do the initial break-in, going through a small window opening, witnessed by a neighbor.

So, I've seen first hand how traumatic it is to have your house trashed and your stuff taken. If the Wild Woman of Woolley, Miss CVB's, 21 tips could possibly cause someone somewhere to do something that might thwart such a trauma, I guess that's a good reason to print the tips here....

Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You:

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste ... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.

5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.

6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom-and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather...

9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)

10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

11. Helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)

14. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

15. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

16. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.

17. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

18. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.

19. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.

20. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.

21. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

Happy Birthday Mom From Fosdic Lake & The Ducks In Fort Worth

I escaped here around noon. Could take being housebound no longer. Decided to drive to Oakland Lake Park to hike around Fosdic Lake.

It was 25 degrees with a wind chill factor making it feel like 15. I did not put on enough layers to keep warm. Including forgetting that long underwear might be a good idea.

There were several groups of ducks huddling to keep warm, but more were not huddling, instead floating solo or sitting on logs.

I think the last time I was at Fosdic Lake it was in the 50s and ducks were huddling and circling. The non-huddling duck behavior today was perplexing, with it being so cold.

With it being so cold there were no turtles to be seen. As we learned last week, the turtles, cold-blooded reptiles that they are, go into hibernate (technically speaking the word should be brumate) mode til their home warms up again.

I did not get gas today, but I called my mom in Phoenix, while I walked in the cold, because today is my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday, mom. I told mom how cold it was after she asked why my voice sounded so shaky. Mom asked why I choose to live in such a place with such a harsh climate. I told mom I have no idea why. And that this is the worst Texas winter since I've been exiled here.

It Feels Like 15 Degrees This Saturday Morning In Fort Worth

I've nothing else to talk about right now, so I'll talk about the weather here in my frigid zone of Fort Worth, Texas.

It is almost 25 degrees. With the wind making it feel like 15.

Most of the water evaporated from the streets before the freeze got cold enough to make it an icy mess out there. That's what I've been told. I have not eye witnessed the streets.

I did go outside on my way to the pool. However, that effort was thwarted due to ice rendering it impossible. No, the pool water was not frozen.

I need to get outside today and do something aerobic. What and where I do not know.

This morning I got email from the Queen of Wink in which she indicated she thought I'd been in Texas since 1990. That is off by about a decade. Blondes.

Japanese Sneak Attacks On My Blog

Every day, sometimes dozens of times a day, I get gibberish comments to my blogs. From Japan. When I get the email telling me there is a comment I need to moderate, the "From" part of the email is always a string of question marks. As in "????????".

Is anyone else being plagued by these "comments?"

There has also been a recent rash of comments along the line of, "I enjoy what you say, it help me with my school work. I please to tell others." Or, "Interesting blog. Great topic. You need to add more pictures."

I know of some bloggers who do not moderate their comments. So, why are they not getting these type comments?

Can anyone reading this read Japanese? Is that Japanese being written in the comment?

It Is A Wet Fort Worth Friday With No Ice, So Far

That is the 10am view out my computer room window this wet Fort Worth Friday. So far the temperature seems to be staying steady at 35. No ice. But a low of 25 is the prediction. If that happens it will be a slippery mess. I don't know if the Ice Storm danger has passed.

I had myself a very disturbing night, full of aches and pains. I had a nightmare, well, it was more of dream because it was sort of fun. Gar the Texan, aka Rag Boy, suckered punched me real hard on the right side of my jaw.

I then proceeded to give Rag Boy a sound thrashing, which probably was a bit of bad sportsmanship bad behavior on my part, even if I was sucker punched, because Rag Boy is just this little scrawny guy, like a lollipop, a skinny stick with a big head stuck on top.

I woke up from the beating up Rag Boy dream to find that my jaw hurt so bad where he'd sucker punched me, I don't recollect pain this bad, worse than post-surgery pain, worse than the chipmunk cheek pain I had years ago after my wisdom teeth were pulled.

Getting socked in the jaw occurred around 3 in the morning. I got up and looked for painkillers. I had none. I then started moving my jaw bone up and down, fighting the pain. The pain quickly became less painful. I went back to bed, slept in late, til past 6. When I got up the jaw pain was a distant memory, replaced by really bad back pain. Laying on the floor, reading and drinking coffee, got rid of the back pain.

So, without going on and on with the rest of my litany of misery, suffice to say, on this last Friday of the first month of 2010, I am a mess.

And, I have not heard from the Haltom City creek monitor this morning. This concerns me.

Oh, I forgot to mention, the aforementioned Gar the Texan, aka Rag Boy, this morning, offered to fix the Queen of Wink's dead computer. I don't know if me beating him up caused him to have this change in attitude, or what.

UPDATE: When I finished this blogging and hit the publish button, I checked the temperature to see we are now at the freezing point of 32 degrees, here in Fort Worth.

The Rain Is Downpouring In Fort Worth, Soon To Be Freezing Rain

I managed to get in my daily early morning pool dip. But by the time of my usual daily aerobic habit the sky had turned dire, here in my zone of North Texas, soon wet stuff began to hit the ground.

So, I decided to get my daily walk by pushing a grocery cart at my neighborhood Wal-Mart Supercenter.

On the way to Wal-Mart I needed gas. As I was pumping, an ol' geezer pumping from the adjacent pump asked me a question.

As in, "What's the difference between this gas station and Jesse James?"

I said, "I dunno. One's dead?"

"No," the ol' geezer said, "Jesse James used a gun to rob you."

Or something like that. I gave the ol' geezer a courtesy laugh. But I was not amused. In a public restroom I don't want the person using the adjacent urinal talking to me. I feel the same way when I'm pumping gas. Unless it is a being flirted with scenario, that I don't mind. But, no jokes when I am pumping gas.

As my one longtime reader knows, when I get gas I call my mom and dad in Phoenix and tell them how much it cost. But they were not home, so I left a message.

After about a half hour of pushing the heavily loaded grocery cart around in Wal-Mart it suddenly became very noisy, like a pounding roar, which it was, because the rain had shifted into downpour mode.

I checked out and on my way out of the store I asked the Wal-Mart greeter if she could please walk me to my car under an umbrella? The Wal-Mart greeter gave me a polite courtesy laugh. I was glad I'd anticipated a possible downpour, so I parked close to the door. Usually I do not park close to the door.

Right now it is 54 out there. That number is supposed to begin to drop, going below freezing sometime early tomorrow. I'm thinking it is going to be a real slippery mess in Fort Worth and North Texas soon. I hope it does not go into Ice Storm mode. Ice Storms wreak havoc with power lines. I don't want to lose power.

I forgot to tell you, the picture at the top was taken near the Handley Post Office, heading east on Ederville Road, with one of the flyovers that connects I-820 to I-30 overhead.

I must make a beauty named Elsie a map before lunch. Make that after lunch, I just heard the lunch is ready noise.