The Fort Worth City Council RadioShack Prostitution Debacle

You are standing on the Trinity Trail, next to the Trinity River, looking west under Fort Worth's Main Street Bridge at RadioShack's defunct corporate headquarters.

Eight years ago Fort Worth's City Council approved a RadioShack incentive package worth up to $96 million over a 30 year period. This generosity was supposed to help RadioShack afford its new headquarters and to keep the company in Fort Worth.

Yesterday, Fort Worth's City Council approved an additional $10.7 million in tax rebates, to keep RadioShack in town.

RadioShack had been threatening to relocate and claimed it was exploring offers from other towns.

Yeah, right. That is believable.

What other town would want RadioShack, if it required prostituting itself to acquire the failing company as a hometown business?

In an unusual development, 3 of the 9 City Council members, Kathleen Hicks, Jungus Jordan and W.B. "Zim" Zimmerman, voted against the Ruling Oligarchy and against the RadioShack tax rebate.

What with all RadioShack has cost Fort Worth, I do not understand why Fort Worth does not ardently encourage the company to hightail it out of town. Because of RadioShack we lost those big, free parking lots that made going to downtown Fort Worth so nice and easy. And we lost the world's shortest subway, also free to use, to take you from those parking lots to the heart of downtown Fort Worth.

And what did Fort Worth get in return? Short version. Yet one more massive, embarrassing boondoggle. And in the end, even with the help from Fort Worth, Radio Shack could not afford its new headquarters. The building is now, primarily, a campus for Tarrant County College.

And this boondoggle is now being rewarded with $10.7 million in tax rebates.

Hasn't RadioShack done enough damage to Fort Worth?

Why the desperation to keep this extremely poorly performing company in town?

The only other urban area I have lived in is the Seattle metropolitan area. The Seattle area is home to many large corporations. I do not recollect Fort Worth style prostitution being practiced in the Seattle metropolitan area to service various corporations.

The Microsoft campus in Redmond makes the RadioShack headquarters look tiny. I don't recollect Microsoft blackmailing Redmond for any concessions. Maybe this occurred but did not cross my radar screen.

Costco is headquartered in Kirkland. I don't recollect Costco having any RadioShack style hissy fits to get tax breaks.

Amazon is located in Seattle. In a fairly large building. I don't recollect Amazon threatening to leave if Seattle did not do its bidding.

Boeing moved its corporate headquarters from Seattle to Chicago. I don't recollect this move being the result of Seattle saying no to some Boeing demand. The planes remain being built, for the most part, in the Seattle area.

So, I really think Fort Worth needs to grow up and quit prostituting itself anytime a business deigns to consider Fort Worth its home. The Cabela's con debacle comes to mind. Would it not be refreshing if the Fort Worth Star-Telegram investigated how other towns reacted to Cabela's concession demands? It might be eye opening for the locals.

Bottom line, I think the Fort Worth City Council needs to reconsider this latest extension of one of its worst boondoggles. Retract the rebate and advise RadioShack to be careful not to let the door slam it on its butt on its way out of town.

RadioShack has done enough damage to Fort Worth.

Saloon Hopping With Elsie Hotpepper To Billy Miner's Saloon In Fort Worth

Last night I was really looking forward to Elsie Hotpepper picking me up in the Elsie Hotpepper Peptomobile and going to downtown Fort Worth to Billy Miner's Saloon.

I have previously gone to a burger joint with Elsie Hotpepper, in non-saloon hopping mode, to the Love Shack in the Fort Worth Stockyards. We were a bit disappointed in the Love Shack's Dirty Love Burger. It did not seem to live up to the hype.

The last time I was really impressed with a burger, was in Phoenix, on February 22, 2004. An In & Out double cheeseburger. Even though I was already plenty full from having spent 2 hours at a Happy Hour, and, even with me due to get on a plane, I had myself 2 In & Out double cheeseburgers. This made for the most explosively bloated plane ride ever.

So, it was with eager anticipation I anticipated a Billy Miner's Saloon Cheeseburger. This anticipation was made even more acute due to the fact that well-known local burger gourmet, Gar the Texan, had given the Billy Miner's Saloon Cheeseburger a rare 5 stars.

Cut to the cheese, I'd give the Billy Miner's Saloon Cheeseburger 4 stars. Not quite to In & Out 5 star worthiness. But close.

Now, you may be wondering who Billy Miner is or was.

Well.

Unlike most large towns, Fort Worth embraces its criminal past. Maybe this type embracing is part of the reason why Fort Worth, collectively, seems to have little problem embracing its criminal present, in the form of those, like the town's mayor, Mike Moncrief, a modern era Sundance Kid who does his robbing in much more sophisticated ways than using a gun to hold up a train.

Both the Sundance Kid and Billy Miner liked to rob trains. Fort Worth named its downtown collection of parking lots after the Sundance Kid, calling the parking lots "Sundance Square."

I believe this is the only downtown square in America named after a criminal.

Like the Sundance Kid, the legend of Billy Miner is that he was usually fairly non-violent in his criminal pursuits. During Billy's life of crime he spent 36 years in prison. He escaped from 5 of his prison homes.

Pinkerton agents were always after the Sundance Kid. Same with Billy Miner. Billy was chased all over America, while robbing trains and stage coaches. Billy was a suspect up in Canada, in British Columbia, in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Illinois and Michigan.

Obviously Billy Miner was very eclectic in the states and provinces he chose to work in.

Billy died at 71 years old, on September 2, 1913 in a Milledgeville, Georgia jail.

I can not help but notice that neither Texas, or Fort Worth, is listed among the locations where Billy Miner practiced his craft.

Regardless, even though Billy Miner may never have consumed a Cheeseburger in Fort Worth, or robbed a Texas train, he still is the sort of criminal we like to honor as a genuine folk hero, here in Fort Worth.

Wednesday Morning Texas Blues

As you can see in the view from my computer room window we are having a very blue Monday here in Fort Worth. Just a few little wisps of white in a sky of blue.

It is barely 9 in the morning and already in the 80s. So, no windows are opening today. The A/C is already cycling off and on.

I suspect it is going to be very HOT today.

Yesterday you may remember me mentioning that Elsie Hotpepper was taking me to Billy Miner's Saloon in downtown Fort Worth in her Elsie Hotpepper Peptomobile.

Well. That did not happen. I was very disappointed to find myself having to fend for myself to find my way to downtown Fort Worth and a cheeseburger.

I had myself a real fine time in the pool this morning. Perfect conditions. I will not be aerobicizing to get my endorphin fix on the Tandy Hills today in the noon time frame. If I get my hill hiking endorphin fix it will have to be later in the afternoon. I hope endorphin withdrawal does not kick in with its attendant grumpy irritability.

I hate it when I get grumpy and irritable.

The Queen Of Wink & The West Texas Yoga Trio

I knew the Queen of Wink is extremely talented. I also knew the Queen of Wink is extremely limber, able to contort herself into yoga positions I could never dream of managing.

Being so flexible has all sorts of practical uses as one goes about ones daily routines. Or so I would think.

It seems West Texas is a hotbed of retro. We have that melodrama in Midland called Summer Mummers, that is straight out of the Vaudeville era. Or before.

And then there is the aging rock band that calls itself Hotflash and may be leading West Texas into being the world's latest hot new music scene. When Seattle was the world's hot music scene it gave the world Grunge. If West Texas becomes the world's hot music scene I suspect it will give the world Sludge.

And then we have the Queen of Wink & The West Texas Yoga Trio (aka the Ross Sisters), channeling Betty Grable's 1940's, mixing in some 60's Wild Child-ness, combined with some modern era girl on girl on girl action.

I have seen the Queen of Wink remain steady, in that position you see her in in the above picture, for 20 minutes, effortlessly. It's amazing.

Check your West Texas club listings to see where the Queen of Wink & The West Texas Yoga Trio are appearing if you'd like to catch their act live. If that is not possible you can listen to the girls sing "Solid Potato Salad" and watch them do their yoga contortions in the YouTube video below...

Hiking & Heading To Downtown Fort Worth In Elsie Hotpepper's Peptomobile

You are looking west towards the stunning skyline of downtown Fort Worth skyscrapers, all 4 of them, this Tuesday in June, around noon.

The temperature was a pleasant 86 when I hit the Tandy Hills Natural Area Sanatorium, with the humidity having the Heat Index make it feel like 92.

A breeze counteracted the humidity, somewhat. It was good to get an endorphin fix today after yesterday's withdrawal.

Speaking of downtown Fort Worth. In a few hours Elsie Hotpepper should arrive in my neighborhood to pick me up in the Elsie Peptomobile to head west to Billy Miner's Saloon for a cheeseburger.

I think, in addition to the cheeseburger, there will be some people seeking ways to stage a revolution against the Fort Worth Oligarchy and the Good Ol' Boy & Girl Network that has foisted the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle on the Fort Worth public without a vote on the issue.

And maybe learn a thing or two about fighting back against wanton eminent domain abuse, such as what is practiced in this, the Eminent Domain Abuse Capital of the Civilized World, Tarrant County, Texas.

That garish pink of Elsie Hotpepper's Peptomobile may seem a bit extreme, but it comes in real handy when it comes time to find your car in a busy parking lot. It sort of stands out. Just like Elsie Hotpepper.

Another Texas Sinkhole, This Time In Weatherford

Early this morning a sinkhole popped open in Weatherford. Weatherford is about 25 miles west of Fort Worth.

Several things are memorable, to me, about Weatherford.

First off, on my first visit to Texas I got the worst case of food poisoning I'd ever suffered, courtesy of a tainted burger from a cafe on the Parker County Courthouse square.

Weatherford is memorable as the burial site of Oliver Loving, drug back to Weatherford for burial by his best friend, Charles Goodnight, in an incident made famous, in fictional form, in Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove.

And Weatherford is memorable to me due to being the location of the Parker County Peach Festival, one of the best I've been to, with this year's festival fast approaching on Saturday, July 10.

This morning Weatherford woke up to a problem that needs a fix before the Peach Festival opens. A big sinkhole opened up by the intersection of Highway 180 and Sante Fe Drive, right on the path of people making their way to the Parker County Peach Festival.

Several roads have been closed.

The sinkhole is currently 10 feet deep and 30 feet across.

I am very wary of bringing up the subject of another Texas sinkhole. The last time this subject came up it was in regards to the Wink Sinkhole. That turned into a raging debate between Gar the Texan and the Queen of Wink as to the source of the Wink Sinkhole water.

I do not know if the Weatherford Sinkhole is going to be equally controversial. If it grows as big as the Wink Sinkholes, Weatherford will be facing one seriously HUGE problem.

I Am Over Capacity Tweeting, Twatting & Twittering in Texas

I have found some amusement, at times, via Twitter. When I was first exposed to Twitter I thought it was pure ridiculous idiocy. After about 4 months of thinking that, I finally, sort of, got it.

Since then I've used Tweeting on Twitter to direct traffic to my websites and blogs. I'm never quite certain how well this works.

Last night I blogged about a couple of TV shows I had just watched. Then I went to Twitter them. Or tweet them. Or twat them. I'm never sure what the proper Twitter verb is.

Anyway, I could not do the Twitter thing last night. Twitter kept telling me it was "over capacity."

I was up later than my norm, it was prime time on the west coast, I figured a lot of people were busy doing what they do on Twitter.

And then this morning, when much of America is asleep, Twitter was still "over capacity." I got that message a couple times and then, apparently Twitter went into "under capacity" mode and I was able to do my Twittering thing.

How does Twitter monetize itself I've wondered more than once? There are no ads that I've noticed.

Twitter is very perplexing.

It Is A Chilly Windows Open 75 Degree Tuesday Morning In Texas

The morning view from my computer room window seems to have become a repeating theme. This morning you can see a small patch of blue sky peeking through the clouds.

I have no idea what the forecast is for today. I suspect HOT. But, right now, I have my windows open. I do not recollect opening the windows in mid June in Texas, previously.

It is currently only 75, about 7 degrees below what I have the air conditioner set at. So, I'm being naturally air conditioned right now.

I ended my non-aerobicizing sabbatical early this morning with a highly aerobic totally salubrious bout of swimming.

I got up well before the sun did this morning. By noon, or thereabouts, I see some further aerobicizing in my future, with a long-awaited return to the Tandy Hills.

I'm not certain, but I think this evening Elsie Hotpepper wants me to go to downtown Fort Worth with her. If that is the case, Elsie will need to provide chauffeur service and come pick me up.

Tonight Barack Obama gives a speech from the Oval Office for the first time. Oval Office speeches are usually only for the most dire of messages. Kennedy's Cuban Missile Crisis speech. Nixon's resignation speech. George W. Bush's 9/11/2001 speech. President Obama's first Oval Office speech will be about the BP Gulf of Mexico spill.

I don't know if I will be home to hear it. I'm sure I'll hear about it later.

Don't Mess With A Texan Woman!

My therapist, Dr. L.C., did not think it a good idea from me to not subject myself to anything aerobicizing today, due to the fact that the endorphin withdrawal would likely cause me acute anxiety.

Dr. L.C. is a Texan Woman. A full bore, born and bred, complete with a drawling accent, that never met a 'g' that she did not want to drop from a word. I guess I should not mess with her advice.

I don't remember where I came upon this "Don't Mess With a Texan Woman!" message today. Was it via Zelda del West? I really should keep notes.

And doesn't it make more sense to say "Texas Woman" than "Texan Woman?"

The admonition to not mess with a Texan Woman sounds like a warning. During my exile in Texas I've only met one Texan Woman who is a bit scary to mess with.

Elsie Hotpepper.

The scary women to mess with in Texas have not been Texas Women, but transplants. The worst was a transplant who came to Texas via New York and Washington. I have never met a woman from New York who was not extremely difficult. But, I must admit my sampling is very small, as in I've only known 2 women from New York. Weirdly, both were nurses and both had the same last name. And epic psychotic PMS.

The woman I know in Texas, who you really don't want to mess with, is also a transplant. Miss Puerto Rico. She has the stereotypical Latina temper down to an art form. It's actually amusing, if it's not directed at me.

Well, enough of this messy Texas Women talk. It's giving me a headache. Either that or the endorphin withdrawal.

Fort Worth's East Regional Library's Freshly Painted Parking Lot

You're looking at the East Regional Library in East Fort Worth in the picture. Library hours have been cut back in Fort Worth. And elsewhere.

The East Regional Library is closed Friday and Sunday. It is Monday today, with the library open from noon til 8. It is also open from noon til 8 on Wednesday. The other days, when it opens, the library is open from 10 til 6.

Today I was at the East Regional Library just a few minutes after it opened. Every computer terminal was already in use. I counted 6 people using their laptops. I'd guess there were at least 100 people using the library.

Of late I've noticed a lot of blank space on the library shelves. And a big increase in paperback books. I assume this has to do with the funding woes.

What surprised me today was the bright, new striping that had been painted on the parking lot. Plus the curbs had been painted bright red.

I'd not noticed the parking lot striping looking in need of being re-done.

I've no idea how much it cost to re-paint a parking lot. It would seem like this is a type of spending that could be postponed. Spending money on painting a parking lot seems like it should be lower on the priority list than buying new books or keeping libraries open.

It's perplexing to me.