The Fort Worth Star-Telegram Needs Citizen Kane To Come To Town

Last night I watched the movie many consider to be the best movie ever made.

Citizen Kane.

I'd not watched Citizen Kane in a long long time. Watching Citizen Kane in 2012 was a different experience than when my much younger eyes watched Citizen Kane back in the last century.

My Texas experience caused me to see something in Citizen Kane I would not have made note of prior to moving to Texas.

Previous to moving to Texas I'd never lived in a town without a real newspaper.

I am not alone in thinking Fort Worth does not have a real newspaper.

There has been a time or two where a person or two has asked me why I say Fort Worth has no real newspaper, with the person telling me the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a real newspaper.

Which has me telling the person, no, the Star-Telegram is not a real newspaper.

Just one example. In a town with a real newspaper, when something happens like the Paradise Center Scandal, that scandal would be considered newsworthy.

There was a moment last night, while watching Citizen Kane, that I thought of the Star-Telegram and Fort Worth's lack of a real newspaper.

Charles Foster Kane was working on his first edition of his newly acquired newspaper, the Daily Inquirer, when Kane decides he wants a Declaration of Principles to be printed on the front page.

Kane's Declaration of Principles: "I will provide the people of this city with a daily paper that will tell all the news honestly. I will also provide them with a fighting and tireless champion of their rights as citizens and as human beings."

Does that sound like the Star-Telegram? Providing a fighting, tireless champion of its reader's rights as citizens and as human beings?

Again, the Paradise Center Scandal comes to mind.

Kane also said, "It's also my pleasure to see to it that decent, hard-working people in this community aren't robbed blind by a pack of money-mad pirates, just because they haven't had anybody to look after their interests..."

Money-mad pirates? Chesapeake Energy comes to mind.

Below is a YouTube video of the scene in Citizen Kane that brought Fort Worth's lack of a real newspaper to mind....

Prairie Festx3...Grand Finale...May 26

Just in from the Don of the Tandy Hills........

The last of three Spring festivals continues...
Saturday, May 26, 2012

• Wildflower-Prairie Hikes for all ages
• Solar-powered Live Music 
• Food and Brews 
• Movie Night on the Prairie

Come celebrate your connection to the natural world!

NEW for May 26 . . . 

• Movie Night on the Prairie debuts featuring,The General, starring Buster Keaton
• Plein air painters will be setting up easels and painting the prairie
• NEW Science-based Hikes for kids and families (see website for details)
• LIVE Musical performances (see below)
• Sponsor Info Booths including, Whole Foods Market, Electronic Waste Disposal, Greenling, Arlington Conservation Council, Tarrant County Green Party, Prairie Keepers and Texas Bluebird Society.

Event Hours
4 pm - Dusk
Movie Night starts at 8:45 pm  (Film running time: 78 minutes)
All FREE and open to the public

Stage  Schedule
4 pm: Sunshine Emery
5 pm: Fontanelle featuring, Jeff Prince & James Michael Taylor
6 pm: Rabbit's Got the Gun
7 pm: Pablo & the Hemphill 7
8:45 pm: Movie Night on the Prairie sponsored by, The Citizen Theater

Anonymous Says Constables Are Miniature United States Marshalls

A John Constable Landscape Painting

This afternoon I wanted an image of a Constable. Googling images of Constable got me dozens, upon dozens of paintings by John Constable. But, no images of the type Constable I wanted an image of.

Why did I want an image of a Constable?

Well, two Saturdays ago, May 12, voting took place all over North Texas. At that point in time, I mentioned that of all the issues and people that were being voted on, the only race I was even remotely curious about was Glen Bucy running for Constable.

I eventually learned that that particular election did not take place May 12, instead it takes place later this month.

The reason I know Glen Bucy is running for Constable is because I see this referenced in Facebook every day. That is how I know that Glen Bucy's opponent has spent a small fortune to try and get elected Constable.

I figure the Constable position must pay well if someone is willing to spend a small fortune to win the job.

The day after May 12's election was Mother Day. I mentioned in my annual Mother's Day blogging that I had not yet learned if Glen Bucy was elected Constable. I believe that was when I was told the election had not yet taken place.

In that Mother's Day blogging titled Happy Mother's Day To All The World's Mothers in the part about Glen Bucy running for Constable, I said, "The Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy had a bizarre focus on the Glen Bucy Constable race that did not make much sense to me. I don't know what function a Constable performs. I know you don't have to be a cop to be one."

Now, someone named Anonymous, today, made a comment on that Mother's Day blogging, commenting about Constables and Glen Bucy....

Constables are sorta like miniature U.S. marshals, whose main duties involve carrying out orders of the 7 small claims courts in Tarrant county, especially serving Eviction notices and sometimes assisting with throwing people and their belongings out of a dwelling.

A man of Glen Bucy's caliber should seek a more substantial public service position, like as a FW City council rep when he was still a college student four years ago. He might not be getting the best political advice. He'll be a good asset to the community wherever he serves. Was just hoping he would take the seats of some other asses who control our tax dollars and formulate our public policies...and not use his talents to help landlords, sometimes slumlords, put people out on the street. 

Wikipedia has a very long article on the Constable subject. But no picture of a Constable. The Wikipedia article covers the entire world history of this job and how it varies from country to country and state to state.

Between what I learned in the Wikipedia article and what Anonymous had to say, I am sort of wondering why Glen Bucy wants this job.

Glen Bucy is a very smart guy, a very good speaker, with a high likability/charisma factor. The only thing about Glen Bucy that I see as a bit of a shortcoming is he calls himself a Conservative Republican. But then he mitigates that by adding that he is a Conservative Republican in the Ronald Reagan mold.

I liked Ronald Reagan. I think I may have voted for him at least once.

Arson On The Tandy Hills

Sometime between noon Saturday and noon today someone lit the Tandy Hills on fire.

The burned area is near the end of the trail that enters the Tandy Hills from the View Street Park.

The Tandy Hills are still green. Not in wildfire mode. To have burned this area I suspect some flammable liquid had to have been used, like gasoline or lighter fluid.

When this fire was burning it would have been visible from the I-30 freeway, which you can see part of in the background, in front of the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

The burned area is surrounded by rocky trail, thus making a fire stop. Without the fire stop I don't know if this fire would have spread, what with the Tandy Hills prairie is in its current mostly green state, seemingly non-combustible state.

But, regardless of whatever level of combustibility is current existing on the prairie, the Tandy Hills Arsonist must be stopped..

UPDATE: Now this is embarrassing. I have been informed that when I was at the Tandy Hills on Saturday that the burned mesquite bush I saw today was already burned when I walked by it on Saturday. I really need to learn to be more observant of my surroundings.

The 3rd Sunday Of May Dawns Late

I had an overnight guest who had me up late last night and up late this Sunday morning.

I am not a huge fan of having overnight guests. Although there are some aspects I find entertaining.

So, the view from my primary viewing portal on the outer world comes well after the arrival of the sun this Sunday morning.

I think I have grown bored with showing my one longtime reader the view each morning from either my primary or secondary viewing portal on the outer world, and then informing that one longtime reader what the current temperature is at my location.

I have already gone swimming this morning. It was a very pleasant swim.

Of late my Sunday habit has been to go to ALDI. I am not going to ALDI this particular Sunday.

A Windy Blue Sky Under The Tandy Bamboo Teepee Today With No Missing Prairie Dogs

In the picture you are looking skyward under the remnants of the Tandy Bamboo Teepee.

It is well over a year, now, that a dozen, give or take a pole or two, bamboo poles appeared near the center of the Tandy Hills, in a small open area, surrounded by a grove of brush and trees, with several of the bamboo poles assembled into being what looked like the framework of a teepee.

The Tandy Bamboo Teepee has blown down a couple times, but always gets resurrected.

It remains a mystery who it was who brought these bamboo poles to the Tandy Hills. Hauling in all those poles would have required a bit of effort, carrying them up and down a minimum of two hills.

A very strong wind was blowing whilst I was getting my endorphin inducing aerobically stimulating hill hiking today in the noon time frame. So, even though the air was being heated to a temperature somewhere in the 80s, the wind chill factor had it almost feeling chilly.

On the way to the Tandy Hills I saw that the big Dog Missing billboard on Meadowbrook Drive had been removed. As had other Dog Missing posters along View Street.

So, when I saw the Dog Missing sign was still up at Town Talk, I took it down.

I have been asked if a Welcome Home Olive party type deal is being added to next Saturday's Prairie Fest x3 Part 3.

How would I know?

But, it sounds like a good idea. Olive the Prairie Dog strikes me as the type dog who likes a good party.

The Saturday Morning Of May Day 19 With No Air Quality Alert

Looking skyward through the bars of my patio prison cell I see some clouds slightly clouding the clear blue sky this May Day 19, the 3rd Saturday of the 5th month of 2012.

Currently it is 69 degrees in the outer world at my location, heading to a high 20 degrees hotter.

The Air Quality Alert that I've been being alerted with the past several days is not alerting me this morning.

Last night, before the setting of the sun, I had myself a severe bout of eye irritation, burning, the likes of which I remember years ago in Los Angeles, whilst waiting in line at Universal Studios, that being the first time I experienced smog as a miserably bad thing.

I dripped Artificial Tears eye lubricant drops into the burning area, which fairly quickly abated the burning.

This is the first morning in 5 that we don't have a missing Olive the Prairie Dog to worry about.

The FW Weekly Blotch Blog has an amusing entry about the return of Olive titled Olive is Home.

It is that time in the morning where I am scheduled to go swimming, likely followed, later today, by some hill hiking. And then a visit to Town Talk.

Olive The Prairie Dog Is Home!

I was just finishing the previous blogging, where I mentioned, again, Olive the Formerly Missing Prairie Dog, when I got a call from Big Ed telling me he'd just seen on Facebook that Olive has been returned home.

On Facebook this is what Don Young had to say....

Guess who's back? OLIVE the prairie dog! Don't ever think that plastering the town with lost dog signs is an overkill. We did an overkill and it paid off. A nice gentleman who works nearby saw Olive outside last Sunday and was concerned animal control might get her. A few days later he saw our big signs and today we got the call that many wish for but few ever receive. Debora and I are very grateful for all your prayers, lighted candles and positive thoughts.

I'm being amazed at how fast the news of Olive the Prairie Dog's return is spreading. I'm getting emails, blog comments and phone calls telling me this happy, good news.

Getting My Daily Endorphin Fix Looking For Olive The Prairie Dog

On the way to the Tandy Hills today I came upon a big billboard offering a reward for the return of the Mascot of the Tandy Hills, Olive the Missing Prairie Dog.

I am guessing that Perro Perdido means Lost Dog in Spanish. But, this is just a wild guess. I am not bilingual.

The case of Olive the Missing Prairie Dog bothers me a lot. I don't really know why. I've only met Olive a couple times.

I remember how bad I felt when I was in college and learned our little poodle, named Peppy, went missing. I remember how bad I felt when my cat, Hortense, went missing for a few days.

My Prickly Pear Patch

I know how bad I felt when my bike was stolen. A bike going missing is nothing compared to Olive the Prairie Dog going missing. Having a bike stolen is just aggravating, it wasn't something that I felt mournful about.

After I took a picture of the Olive the Missing Prairie Dog billboard I continued on to the top of Mount Tandy to get me some aerobic stimulation and that peaceful feeling that comes from endorphins.

Being an endorphin addict is a difficult monkey to have on your back. If I don't get a regular fix I don't feel right. After I get a fix I'm good to go for a few hours. And then I need another fix.

I have tried to break myself of my endorphin addiction, but I am too much of a wimp to endure the withdrawal pains and always give in and go get another fix.

I wish there was some sort of support group I could join where I'd learn how to peacefully sit still for long periods in a sedentary state eating potato chips.

I just got some BIG news. I'm going to hit the publish button then go read about it and then blog it.

The Morning Of May Day 18 Being Alert About The Air Quality

Looking through the bars of my patio prison cell on the morning of May Day 18 it appears to be yet one more blue sky morning in North Texas.

A blue sky morning chilled to 68 degrees, heading to a predicted high of 87. Yesterday heated up into the 90s. I don't know why today is predicted to be colder.

Yet again we are being told to be on alert regarding the air quality.

I don't quite know how I am supposed to be vigilant about the air. I have my windows open so as to help me be alert regarding what is going on with the air this morning.

Currently the air seems to be fairly stationary, thus not enabling any wind chill effect.

I am hoping by midday a wind chill will be in effect to help mitigate the steambath effect that occurs whilst I go hill hiking on the Tandy Hills in the noon time frame.

In the meantime I am going swimming before it gets any hotter.