It's No April Fool's Joke It's Really 90 Today In Fort Worth

As you can see we have hit 90, this Friday, first day of April. I think this is the first time we've been this HOT this year.

Oddly I've felt no inclination to turn on the A/C.

I'm assuming my A/C is now working correctly, though I was not here when it was worked on.

I made the mistake of driving up to Hurst sometime after 3 this afternoon. There are so many alternative routes one can take with traffic backs up in these parts.

Except this afternoon all those alternative routes turned in to back ups. Every day I-820, due east of my abode, backs up at rush hour. At least I avoided that.

Swimming was a little cold this morning. I suspect tomorrow's swim will not end up with me in shiver mode like what happened this morning.

I must go attend to a madman and his 80,000 tree army of state of the art flood prevention devices now.

Stepping On The Shadow Of The Tandy Hills Thin Man While Thinking About NATO High Command And MHMR Bullycrat Thuggery

That's my left foot stepping on the Shadow of the Tandy Hills Thin Man, today, a couple minutes past noon.

I don't think the Tandy Hills has gotten the memo that the Prairie Fest will be happening on the hills in 3 weeks, on Saturday, April 23. The Tandy Hills needs to start sprouting out a lot of wildflowers if it is going to be at its usual highly colorful standard of the previous Prairie Fests.

It was in the low 80s when I did my hill hiking. It is 86 right now at 6 minutes after 2 in the afternoon.

The power went out while I was out. I don't like resetting all the flashing digital time keeping devices.

I had myself a frustrating morning, computer-wise.

Frustrations due to trying to make a video. Usually making a video is fairly easy. But not this time. At one point my computer got totally hung up. I don't remember the last time that happened.

But, by the time I took off for the Tandy Hills I had the video clip in Windows Movie Maker, ready to turn into a video. I'm hoping to have no more problems.

I have not heard a peep from the Paradise Center people. So, I do not know what the current status is. Some of the blog comments from the MHMR bullycrat thugs to this blog and The Paradise Center Scandal blog have been downright scandalous with their nastiness. And illiterate grammar.

Yesterday's blogging titled "On Top Of Mount Tandy Thinking About MHMR Thugs, The Main Street Arts Festival And The American Way As Opposed To The Fort Worth Way," generated a couple interesting comments, one from NATO High Command, the other from FW Way $un-American....

BREAKING NEWS....NATO and the U.N. issue ultimatum for The Axis of Exploitation Moncrief, McDermott, and Granger to surrender themselves to the FBI or Homeland Security before they send in commandos from allied democratic nations to free the people of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, Texas. These perpetrators of crimes against decency and democracy must turn themselves an# their cronies in by High Noon today the First day of April 2011. Citizens are also deputized to apprehended these people wherever they're found today April the First of 2011.

By NATO HIGH COMMAND

________________________________________

This so called Fort Worth Way has a dark background because it refers to the "understanding" between those in power and the disadvantaged citizenry, particularly the long disenfranchised black communities in Como, Stop Six, Terrell Heights, etc. The clever white ruling group made this "behind the scene" method of dealing with discrimination and grievances so as not to have "messy" and loud Democratic processes like public protests, debates, discussions, and voting. So to keep the poor whites and colored folks "in their" and not draw attention, the FW Way allows a patron to patronage relationship to exist whereby certain acceptible leaders of these powerless groups could quietly go to the powers that be and humbly ask for certain concessions or "rights" in exchange for making sure "your people behave". It's a patronizing and condescending approach that naturally allows for abuses, corruption, and the violation of what most clear headed Americans, and non-Americans, usually consider the American Way..which is often messy, loud, and even contentious. But that is how free people behave (Dallas for instance) and how freedom-seeking people act ---see Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, AND PARADISE CENTER IN FW. THE FW WAY IS DEEPLY INGRAINED IN THE CULTURE AND WOULD EXPLAIN THE RAMRODDING OF GAS OPERATIONS IN EVERY ZONE OF THE CITY, THE FLEECING AND EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSING BT THE TRV SYNDICATE, AND THE UNMITIGATED ABUSE OF THAT INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT CALLED PARADISE CENTER.

By FW Way $un-American

I'm thinking it's time to go back to making a video now.

Up Early On April Fool's Day Thinking About Car Wrecks And Last Night's Party At Billy Bob's Texas

As you can see via the view through the bars of my patio prison cell I am up early on the first day the new month.

Today is the day that in the past I've announced I am moving out of Texas. And then at some point in the day someone realizes this is my idea of an April Fool's joke.

Well, this year it is no joke. I am moving out of Texas. I just don't know exactly when.

Did everyone have as much fun as I did last night in the Fort Worth Stockyards at the 30 year anniversary party for the world's biggest honky tonk, Billy Bob's Texas?

I learned today that deaths from driving accidents fell to the lowest level since 1949, according to the Department of Transportation, in 2010, with 32,788 highway deaths.

The biggest decline was in the Pacific Northwest zone of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. Arizona, Hawaii and California also had a big decline.

I assume the decline is due to cars being safer, people wearing seatbelts, fewer drunk drivers and better roads. And people driving less.

I read nothing about what the Texas road death's statistics are. I would hazard to guess it's not so good.

Well, the sun is now up, it's 50 degrees, so I am going swimming now.

On Top Of Mount Tandy Thinking About MHMR Thugs, The Main Street Arts Festival And The American Way As Opposed To The Fort Worth Way

You are with me on top of Mount Tandy, in the picture, looking west at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

It was a good thing to be back on the hills again. I'd not had that type salubrious aerobicizing since my vehicular malfunction on Monday.

I did not go swimming this morning. It is 75 right now coming up on half past 4 in the afternoon. I will be going swimming tomorrow morning.

Yesterday, about an hour before I was planning to take off for the Stagecoach Ballroom, I checked in on my Google Webmaster Tools to find a long long long list of errors generated from my Eyes on Texas website. It took me awhile to figure out what had happened and that it was no big deal.

Then today I got email from the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce telling me what the correct info is for this year's Parker County Peach Festival. I thought I had that up to date. I did not. It was the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup that I'd recently updated.

This led me to realize that it is almost time for Fort Worth's Main Street Arts Festival. The date information for that one also needed updating. Fort Worth's biggest festival takes place April 14 - 17. The Fort Worth Main Street Arts Festival is something that Fort Worth does really well. Really.

I've heard no word from the Paradise Center as to whether they found a new home. This is the last day of the month. I believe by today the Paradise Center was told by the corrupt MHMR thugs that by today they had to have moved the POD storage container in which the MHMR thugs put all of the Paradise Center's property, after the MHMR thugs staged their coup d'tat, taking over the Paradise Center's facility.

The Paradise Center Scandal keeps seeming ever more bizarre to me. And ever more indicative that there is something really dire about the Fort Worth Way of operating. The problem with the Fort Worth Way came up at last night's TRIP meeting.

I have long opined that Fort Worth is badly damaged by not having a real newspaper. That fact was brought up last night in part of TRIP's "Up a Creek" movie. It pleased me to realize I am not the only one who realizes Fort Worth operates without a legitimate newspaper acting as the Fourth Estate advocate of the people in seeking truth, justice and the American Way.

The American Way. Not the Fort Worth Way.

Which is quasi-democratic and a really shameful spectacle to witness at times.

Like right now.

Up Late On The Last Day Of March Thinking About Wildflowers, Sweet Tomatoes & Shooting Ronald Reagan

I was up way after midnight, well into the wee hours of the last day of March of 2011.

Which has me up well after the arrival of the sun has revealed that the last day of the month is a clear blue sky day, so far, in my zone of North Texas.

I am not going swimming this morning. It is only 42 degrees out there. I don't know if the 24 hour average has been over 50 degrees. I suspect not. I'm not in the mood for a shivering episode of the extreme trembles.

I learned, this morning, from one of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin's botanists, that this year's Texas wildflower crop will not be a bumper one.

I also learned that a Sweet Tomatoes restaurant is coming to Fort Worth. Sweet Tomatoes is a good thing. A really good thing. The Fort Worth Sweet Tomatoes will be among all the other restaurants in the booming Fort Worth zone of West 7th.

It was 30 years ago, yesterday, that Ronald Reagan was shot by a Jodie Foster addled crazy man. How can that be 3 decades ago? Time flies way way too fast.

Case in point, it is already past 8 this last morning of March of 2011. It is now time to go do something other than swimming. Like maybe have breakfast.

I Was Not Up A Creek Without A Paddle Tonight At The Stagecoach Ballroom In Fort Worth

I made it safely back from the world premiere of "Up a Creek" at the Stagecoach Ballroom.

I really did not know what to expect to see in tonight's movie premiere.

I knew, sort of, what the subject matter was, that being promoting an adult version of improving the Trinity River and its tributaries and actually doing something about the flooding problem, other than building the world's best artificial wakeboard lake.

And stopping the bizarre Trinity River Vision Boondoggle.

The movie starred a young lady from Haltom City named Layla Caraway. It tells the story of how it came to be that Ms. Caraway is so passionately fighting the bizarre political power structure that runs roughshod over Fort Worth and Tarrant County.

Or as one of the talking heads in the movie said, "Fort Worth, the eminent domain abuse capital of Texas."

No. I was not that talking head.

I must say, Don Woodard is a Fort Worth treasure. His letters to the editor of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram are great. But that man and his one-liners are even better. Clyde Picht is another Fort Worth Treasure.

There are a lot of Fort Worth treasures.

Unfortunately the current system of conducting business, in what is known as the Fort Worth Way, sort of stops Fort Worth's treasures from turning Fort Worth into the treasure it could be, rather than the poorly run company town it is.

Tonight, before the movie, while I hid in the dark, observing the crowd, a young lady approached me and asked if I was Durango. This type thing always makes me nervous, shy guy that I be. I said my name is not Durango. The young lady insisted that it was. And so I agreed. And then I learned it was she who emailed me today about something about Montana. It is from that email I know this was Georgia S. I met tonight.

I also met "Tarrant Liberty Guy" who had commented on my blogging earlier today about tonight's movie premiere, saying "Hope to see you and Ms. Hotpepper tonight!"

Well, Tarrant Liberty Guy saw me, but I don't know, for sure, if he saw Ms. Hotpepper.

"Up a Creek" will soon be available for viewing online. I'll  direct you to that when it is ready to be viewed.

In the meantime, I've got myself a problem with a video of J.D. Granger, who was not at tonight's TRIP meeting movie premiere.

Ironic, because it is J.D. who is sort of up a creek. With no clue he is missing a paddle or two.

Don't Litter At Tonight's Fort Worth World Premiere Of TRIP's Up A Creek Movie Documentary

I am not absolutely certain, but I think trash and litter in the Trinity River may be part of what is covered in TRIP's "Up a Creek: the Movie."

I went swimming (not in a creek) this morning, even though it was only 40 degrees. The water was warmer. I did not stay in the water long enough to induce a case of the shivering trembles.

I went to Oakland Lake Park at noon to walk around Fosdic Lake today.

I've long been amazed at these ugly green litter barrels that litter Oakland Lake Park, along with these worn paper messages stickered on the barrels, saying "Don't Litter - Put It in the Can! Keep Fort Worth Beautiful."

Well.

You'd need to click on the picture to enlarge it, but, ironically, there is litter on the ground between the two litter barrels you see in the picture. There is a lot of litter in Oakland Lake Park. A lot of the litter floats in Fosdic Lake. I suspect this type litter is some of what ends up in the Trinity River when it goes in to flood mode.

At least we now know it is all the litter that is what is keeping Fort Worth from being beautiful.

I suspect if you go to the Stagecoach Ballroom tonight you may learn more about the bad stuff that goes in to and gets done to the Trinity River by its many abusers.

The Stagecoach Ballroom is located at 2516 E. Belknap, aka 377, in Fort Worth, just a short distance northeast of The Smoke Pit, with The Smoke Pit being my favorite place to get BBQ, whilst served by scantily clad servers.

The Red Carpet for the movie premiere starts at 6:30, with "Up a Creek" screening at 7:00. To fortify yourself, for viewing the movie documentary, adult beverages will be available. I'll be in the VIP area signing autographs with Elsie Hotpepper. Or not. I've not decided yet.

Below is map that should help you find your way to the Stagecoach Ballroom....

Up Late On The Last Wednesday Of March Thinking About Spending Time On The Texas Death Row

I was up late last night, thus up late this Wednesday morning of the next to last day of March of 2011.

Looking out one of my viewing portals on the world one can guess from the steamy windows that it is cold out there.

40 degrees.

To swim or not to swim?

Yesterday morning I was obsessed with the woe of having to take care of my vehicular transport problem.

Everything about fixing that woe went well.

And then when I took off to drive, starting the vehicle was startling. The new starter starts the engine like an explosion. I don't think I'd realized how tired the old starter had become.

In non-vehicle news of the morning, I was surprised to learn this morning that someone in Texas is calling for a 2 year moratorium on executing killers in Texas. A man who was up close and personal to the Clarence Bradley travesty is leading the moratorium effort.

Two decades ago Clarence Bradley was released after spending 10 years on the Texas death row for a murder he did not commit.

I can't imagine how cranky it would make me to spend time on death row when I knew I'd done nothing wrong.

Elsie Hotpepper Got Me To Thinking About The Real Fine Times I Used To Have In My 65 Ford Mustang Fastback

That is a 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback you're looking at in the picture. My first car was a 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback.

Mine is not the one in the picture, but that one looks close to mine, color-wise.

I just got called and told my current mode of vehicular transport has been repaired and is being delivered.

Back when I had my first car I worked on it myself.

I hated working on a car.

I fixed all sorts of things on my old Mustang. New shocks, fuel pump, carburetor, I forget what all. I'd replace the spark plugs. On my current vehicle it is not possible for me to change the spark plugs. I don't think it has a carburetor. I used to change the oil myself on my old Mustang. I have no idea how to do that with my current vehicle.

Elsie Hotpepper brought to mind, a few minutes ago, my history of car troubles with my old Mustang. It would over heat. The spark plugs would get fouled. I got stuck on Lombard Street in San Francisco with the clutch slipping. That same clutch, on that same trip, totally went out in Hollywood, late at night, after having watched the live taping of a TV show at Paramount Studios.

Oddly enough, to get that Mustang clutch fixed all those years ago cost almost the same as today's starter repair, both slightly over $200.

Another fun, unplanned stop, in my old Mustang was when it overheated on the Oakland Bay Bridge.

It amazes me now, looking back on it, that I went on so many roadtrips in that unreliable car. It took me to Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, numerous times to Los Angeles and Disneyland, up to Canada, down to Mexico.

I put a lot of miles on my old Mustang by the time it died.

The Queen of Wink's son is lobbying hard to get an old 65 Mustang from his dad. I told the Queen of Wink I did not think this was a very good idea. It'd be a 46 year old car. Where would you find parts? How much would they cost if you could find them? Then again, if you fixed an old 65 Mustang up to its original glory, they are worth a fortune now.

After my old Mustang no longer ran a guy saw it sitting in a forlorn pasture, gathering moss, in rural Skagit County. This guy paid me $12,000 for that long dead car that I'd only paid $1050 for my senior year in high school.

About a year after selling the old Mustang the guy who bought it showed up at where I was living in Bellingham, showing off my restored old Mustang. I have no idea now how this guy knew where I lived. I shall have to ponder that one.

A short time later I learned that the rear end of my old Mustang had come undone, causing my old Mustang to be totaled. No one was injured.

When my old Mustang was running good, it was the funnest car I've ever had. I had myself some real fine times in that car, real fine times.

Well, enough of that. I've just been informed my newly restored current vehicular transport has arrived.

Riding A Fort Worth Bus To Meet A Towing Truck & Talk To My Mom About My Aunt In Israel

I've had myself another fun day traveling the streets of Fort Worth.

I hopped aboard the #21 Fort Worth bus a little before 10 this morning to transit back to my disabled vehicular transport.

Fort Worth's buses are rather barebone and stark with a very fun, wild ride that reminds me of something you might get on board in a theme park.

I exited the bus at Barnett and Oakland and walked to my stalled transport. I was hoping for a miracle, that it would now start.

It didn't.

So, I called AAA. I was told it would take 35 to 40 minutes for help to arrive. Instead it was less than 10 minutes.

Then it was off to the repair place. And then back here where I await the diagnoses.

It was foggy this morning, then the fog turned into a light rain. I got a little wet out in it.

When I got back to my homebase zone I went over to Miss Puerto Rico's to take a picture of her foggy balcony view.

It is being a stereotypical Pacific Northwest winter day today in my area of North Texas.

I suspect enough rain has fallen today that March of 2011 will not set a record for the least rain recorded in North Texas.

I called my mom and dad whilst waiting for a bus today. I was surprised to learn my Aunt Judy is currently over in Israel. Somehow this does not seem to be a good time to be being a tourist in the Middle East.

My mom told me they are having a heat wave in Phoenix. I told my mom we are not having a heat wave in Fort Worth.

I'm in the mood for a heat wave.