Bertha Will Be Done Digging Before Fort Worth's Boondoggle Bridge Ditch Is Dug

I saw that which you see here in the Seattle Times. I thought it to be interesting, the contrast between how a problem with a public works project is covered in a Seattle newspaper as compared to how the Star-Telegram covers a problem, or problems, with a local pseudo public works project.

The Highway 99 tunnel project in downtown Seattle has been stalled for about two years due to the world's biggest tunnel boring machine, named Bertha, running into some unexpected steel, causing a lot of damage to Bertha.

As you can read, via the text under the picture of the hole Bertha is in, the new tunnel was originally supposed to open this month.

If Bertha manages to bore successfully, the project timeline now has the tunnel open in  2018.

While Bertha was stalled, other parts of the approximately $4 billion project continued and are on schedule.

The Bertha problems and the ongoing fix have been reported in detail in Seattle media.

Meanwhile, in Fort Worth, there also is a stalled public works project, which used to be known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island Vision.

But is now known simply as America's Biggest Boondoggle.

Even with the delay Bertha will end up taking about four years to dig the biggest diameter tunnel ever bored.

While in Fort Worth, America's Biggest Boondoggle started construction on long delayed bridges in October of 2014, with a four year project timeline. To build three simple little bridges over dry land.

The Fort Worth bridge construction had no mechanical malfunctions to explain why it was a year after the supposed start of construction that big fanfare ensued due to bridge piers finally being under construction for one of the bridges.

Yes, you read that right. One year later only one of the Fort Worth bridges is under construction. And a big fuss was made because the wood forms for the bridge's piers could be seen.

Now, unlike the Seattle Times, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram makes no effort to explain to its few readers why this Fort Worth pseudo public works project has accomplished so little in a project which has spanned most of this century.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has not asked The Boondoggle for the real reason the bridges are being built over dry land, since it is obvious The Boondoggle's claim that the over dry land construction is a cost saving tactic is bogus. Because the reality of The Boondoggle's bridges is there will be no water under those bridges until a ditch is dug under them and water is diverted from the Trinity River.

Why does the Star-Telegram repeat The Boondoggle's propaganda about the bridge construction without questioning the obvious disinformation?

Why does the Star-Telegram not do some investigative journalism looking into the finances of The Boondoggle?

How many taxpayer dollars have been spent on the TRVA worker's salaries, including J.D. Granger's, over the course of this overly extended slow motion project? How much has the dithering added to the cost due to having to pay the people running The Boondoggle for years longer than if this had been a well executed project?

How much money has been spent on the frequent propaganda mailers sent out by The Boondoggle?

How much money has been spent on The Boondoggle's signage?

How much money has been spent on the The Boondoggle's Epstein propaganda purveyors?

How much money did The Boondoggle spend to dig the pond for the defunct Cowtown Wakepark?

If The Boondoggle was taking place in Seattle, or any other town in America with a real newspaper, you would have the answers to those questions, instead of reading the questions, unanswered, in a blog like this.

Come And Take It Durango

Someone I shall not name emailed me that which you see here.

What message is this conveying?

DURANGO COME AND TAKE IT

Come and take what?

And why is this message on the bottom of what appears to be a shoe?

Who is walking around with a shoe advertising this message?

I have a bad feeling I am never going to get any answers to these probing questions....

Are You One Of The Great American Embarrassments Supporting Trump?

Today when I hit the publish button on a blogging, and then checked to see that it published correctly, I was a bit, well, mortified, to see I was sort of advertising the world's currently most notorious human.

Donald Trump.

Well, maybe not the world's most notorious human, that title is likely still held by that other little man with bad hair, you know, that creepy killer who rules North Korea with bombast and firing squads.

But, I can not think of a human, currently, more notorious in America than The Donald.

I have no control over what ads Google's AdSense puts on my blog. I can only control the category of ads. Like maybe block political ads, but I'm not sure that blocking political ads is a blocking option.

The ads Google AdSense displays are contextual. Meaning Google tries to match ads with the content of the blog post and what Google determines are what the blog reader may be interested in. I must have been to some Trump-related thing, or maybe I mentioned Trump in a blog post, or maybe some Trump entity is paying a lot of many to put this Trump ad on any fool blog out there.

I really don't know.

What I do know is it is somehow just a little embarrassing to find myself, even indirectly, advertising anything to do with Mr.Trump.

I used to have a non-negative opinion of Donald Trump. Back when he was simply a billionaire who sort of made an ass of himself firing people on a reality TV show. He seemed innocuous til the day he announced he was going to attempt to become the next Republican president. His announcement was ripe with absurdly stupid hatespeak, which only signaled the beginning of a lot of absurdly stupid hatespeak to come.

The Donald's hatespeak has gotten so much worse.

But, he speaks the language of the great mass of under educated, ill-informed, nonsense spewers who are what I refer to as The Great American Embarrassment.

The Great American Embarrassment is all over the Internet. Or listen to right wing talk radio. Or read the comments to a FOX News online article. Or attend a Tea Party meeting. Or a Sarah Palin speech.

Methinks the Great American Majority has had their fill of the Great American Embarrassment, with a big change coming via the next election.

Then again, I have previously admitted I am a hopeless optimist who is frequently disappointed and thus fully prepared to seek refugee status in Canada, should Donald Trump or Ted Cruz get elected by the Great American Embarrassment, which would mean that the Great American Embarrassment had become the Great American Majority, to the shuddering horror of a lot of Americans and the rest of the world....

Why Is America's Biggest Boondoggle Celebrating A Brewery Birthday?

That is J.D. Granger you are looking at here, holding what appears to be some sort of adult libation. I am not sure who the lady is standing next to J.D., except for being fairly certain it is not J.D.'s wife. The lady does look like a lady we saw years ago in a Dallas hotel with J.D., but the name escapes me.

A blog comment showed up this morning which pointed me to this photo...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Dam Failure Endangers Dallas With No Army Corps Of Engineers Help":

J.D. Granger and Matt Oliver sightings if you have any interest:

Pics: Panther Island Brewing's 1st birthday party

Granger - pic #141
Oliver - pics #37, #51 and #142

_________________________________________________

The Matt Oliver being referred to is, along with J.D. Granger, one of the TRWD's most infamous nepotism cases, what with Matt Oliver being among the Jim Oliver relatives on the TRWD payroll.

The concept that nepotism is a form of corruption did not get taught in civics class at this location on the planet.

So, it has been a big week for America's Biggest Boondoggle. We had the ridiculous dedication ceremony for a piece of alleged "art" which has been met with widespread revulsion and disgust plus a party to celebrate the one year anniversary of a brewery associated with The Boondoggle.

It gives one pause to wonder if a qualified project manager had been put in charge of what has become America's Biggest Boondoggle if we would be seeing things like the goofy dedication of an ugly artwork in an unfinished construction zone and a party to celebrate a brewery anniversary?

Would we be seeing this Panther Island nomenclature embarrassment plastered all over? Would a qualified project manager have nixed putting time and money into "branding" with that branding labeling a chunk of land as an island, when it is not an island, and will only be an imaginary/pseudo island if a ditch is dug into which river water is diverted?

If a qualified project manager had been hired would we being seeing things like a flooded wakeboard pond? Would we be seeing inner tube floats in the polluted Trinity River? Would we have seen resources diverted to create a barebones, shoddy, tacky, outhouse serviced, music venue, touted as Panther Island Pavilion?

Would we be seeing multiple beer and booze parties, in various iterations, throughout the year?

Would we be seeing a pitiful ice rink showing up for a few weeks during the winter, called Panther Island Ice?

Would what is now known as America's Biggest Boondoggle already be completed if a competent qualified project engineer had been hired? Would a competent qualified project engineer sign off on a project timeline of four years to build three simple, little bridges over dry land?

Or would a qualified project engineer have been mortified regarding the damage to his reputation that would result from being part of taking four years to build three simple, little bridges?

Over dry land

Alleging doing so to save money, as opposed to building over water. Where there will be no water until the river is diverted into the un-dug ditch.

How many more years will J.D. Granger be being paid his over $100,000, plus expenses, annual salary? How much has it added to the cost of America's Biggest Boondoggle to be paying J.D. and his cohorts in incompetency years beyond what it would have taken a well-managed project to be completed?

America's Biggest Boondoggle is very boggling.....

Happy Birthday B.K.S. Iyengar You Yoga Monster

This morning's attempt to do a yoga routine did not go much better than my last attempt. The Reverse Plough, which I used to easily do, continues to vex me.

And then, a few minutes after being vexed by the Reverse Plough I go to look up something on Google to suddenly find  myself wondering why is Google mocking my yoga woes?

However, I quickly figured out that I was being hypersensitive regarding my yoga issues, with all knowing Google knowing nothing about them.

I eventually figured out the reason a skinny cartoon figure was doing yoga positions on my Google screen was due to today being the 97th birthday of someone named B.K.S Iyengar.

I had no clue what this Iyengar guy had to do with yoga, so I Googled his name to learn....

Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar, better known as B.K.S. Iyengar, was the founder of the style of yoga known as "Iyengar Yoga" and was considered one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world.
I do not know what the style is of the yoga I am inept at doing. I'd not heard  of the Iyengar Yoga style til today.

I suspect B.K.S. Iyengar was easily able to do the Reverse Plough position, likely up til the day he died.....

Best Fort Worth Weekly In Eons Has Me Wanting To Powwow

I think, if I remember right, a time or two I have mentioned that ever since a Beer Hall Putsch removed Gayle Reaves from being the brains behind the quality of Fort Worth Weekly, the quality of that weekly publication has seemed to sink.

I did not get around to reading this week's Weekly til yesterday.

Best issue since that aforementioned Beer Hall Putsch.

The Static column about Barnett Shale driller scams titled Methane High was up to a Reaveseque level of succinct pointedness, with subtle snark.

The Metropolis Third World Child Welfare article about a Fort Worth CEO's  revelations learned from a visit to Cuba was top notch.

And then there is the cover story titled The Way They Were, A once-lost silent film tied to Quanah Parker’s legacy is a bittersweet gem.

The first four paragraphs....

White Eagle has fallen for the Daughter of Dawn.

But the prettiest child of the Kiowa chief has more than one suitor. Black Wolf, despite Red Wing’s love and devotion, can offer plenty of ponies to the beautiful maiden’s father. All that White Eagle can give is himself, his bravery, and his love. The Daughter of Dawn must choose between the two men.

Sounds like a soap opera, but it’s actually a 1920 silent film.

The Daughter of Dawn was thought lost until 2005, when the 83-minute feature was discovered and restored. After screening at colleges all across the country and now becoming available on Netflix, the film written and directed by Norbert A. Myles comes to University of Texas-Arlington in February, prior to the school’s annual Powwow, a celebration of Native American culture.

Most who know me know I am an aficionado of Native American history and culture. The Cynthia Ann Parker Story is a bit of history each new generation of Americans needs to learn, along with the story of Cynthia Ann's son, Quanah, he being the last Comanche chief, and a leader who made the transition to living successfully with the American invaders.

Modern technology has made silent films very watchable, rendering them as they were originally viewed, not the jerky type motion picture that was the result of earlier tape transfer technology.

Who wants to go with me to UT Arlington in February for the Powwow viewing of The Daughter of Dawn?

Dam Failure Endangers Dallas With No Army Corps Of Engineers Help

What you are looking at here is a screencap from Facebook, a post from former Tarrant Water District Board candidate, John Austin Basham, raising an alarm about that which you see in the photo.

That being a failing Lake Lewisville Dam.

Lake Lewisville is a reservoir at the north end of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

Lake Lewisville is currently at full pool, meaning the reservoir is full, thus putting maximum stress on the dam which holds back a 65 foot tall wall of water from careening though the heart of Dallas.

In other words the Army Corps of Engineer's has indicated a Lake Lewisville Dam breech could put some 431,000 people in harm's way.

But, the Army Corps of Engineers says it will need millions of dollars to  repair what is known to be one of the nation's most dangerous dams.

Well.

Meanwhile, a few miles to the west of Lake Lewisville we have the Army Corps of Engineers spending millions of taxpayer dollars on an un-needed flood control project where no flood control project is needed, not needed because over a half century ago the Army Corps of Engineers spent millions to build massive levees which have prevented flooding for decades.

The Army Corps of Engineers has signed on to the absurd idea of taking down those levees, replacing them with a "flood diversion channel" which will fast track a flood past downtown Fort Worth where it will then get slowed down by a forest of what are known as J.D. Granger's Magic Trees.

Should not those Magic Trees already be planted, so that they may be well established if that flood diversion channel ever actually gets dug and shoots a volume of water at high speed towards Arlington?

How many millions would it take for the Army Corps of Engineers to fix Lake Lewisville Dam before a disaster strikes?

How many million has the Army Corps of Engineers already wasted on America's Biggest Boondoggle?

Two comments from Mr. Basham's Facebook post I thought worth repeating....

Tony Pompa: If the possibility of a 65' wall of water traveling at 34 MPH right through the heart of Dallas does not get their attention, then I don't know what would! This should be fixed, like yesterday!

Mr. Spiffy: Very frightening. But on the upside we have a new kinetic sculpture in Fort Worth that cost several hundred thousand and millions of taxpayer dollars spent on fun parties and cool marketing campaigns. Meanwhile they have tarp and duct tape holding back a wall of death.

The kinetic sculpture to which Mr. Spiffy refers is that which I blogged about in America's Biggest Boondoggle's Million Dollar Wind Roundabout Ridiculousness.

Near as I can from what I have read, regarding the reaction to Fort Worth's newest sculpture, "disgust" seems to be the thought most frequently expressed in various ways. As in a disgusting waste of money for something that looks like the ruins of a water tower or a garbage can. And which is designed to be a big shiny object casting random bolts of reflected light at driver's trying to navigate around a big roundabout.

Fort Worth's #1 Boondoggle's absurdities are pretty much hopeless at this point. Apparently there are no adults in the room to intervene with the foolishness.

One would have thought that the fact that The Boondoggle's first completed project, Cowtown Wakepark, has been flooded multiple times, shut down, gone out of business, that this first project of something that touts itself as a flood control project, would see its first project destroyed by floods, that whis would cause some sort of backlash where people come to the realization that what used to be known as the Trinity River Vision is now an embarrassing boondoggle.

Why would The Boondoggle dig a wakepark pond where it would get flooded every time the Trinity goes into flood mode? I remember when I first saw Cowtown Wakepark thinking won't there be a lot of damage when the river floods? It seemed sort of obvious.

And I can't be the only one who wonders what calamity will ensue the first time the Trinity floods into that flood diversion channel if it ever gets dug.....

East Fort Worth's Boy Scout Troop Restoration Of Harrison Cemetery

Way back in August of 2013 I blogged about an abandoned cemetery in East Fort Worth.

At that point in time the cemetery was an overgrown jungle, yet it had a Texas State Historical Marker near the side of the road, which is what caused me to stop to see what was being marked.

When I read the historical marker I was surprised to learn this overgrown cemetery was the final resting place for a local notable, J.C. Randol, he of Randol Mill fame.

Anyone who drives anywhere in the Dallas/Fort Worth zone has found oneself driving on Randol Mill Road at some point in time. For me it is pretty much anytime I drive anywhere.

A couple days ago someone named Anonymous commented on that blog post from way back in 2013.....

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Today I Found East Fort Worth's Abandoned Harrison Cemetery":

A local Boy Scout troop cleaned the cemetery in 2014 and again in October 2015. You might want to drop by again...

I did as Anonymous suggested and dropped by the Harrison Cemetery again.

Well.

That Boy Scout Troop deserves a medal or two or some special accolade.

Harrison Cemetery has been restored. That is how I found, above, the obelisk marking the grave of J.C. Randol.

Below is the aforementioned Texas State Historical Marker. Now you can see the cemetery behind it. Go to the original Today I Found East Fort Worth's Abandoned Harrison Cemetery blog post and see what this looked like two years ago.

What motivated this Boy Scout Troop to do this good deed? Methinks some sort of reward is warranted.

Did the Fort Worth Star-Telegram have an article about the restoration of this East Fort Worth cemetery? If not, why not?

Betsy Price's Tarnished Golden Rule of Pseudo Compassionate Service

Compassionate Fort Worth.

Sounds like a good idea.

I often see a thing or two, or hear of a thing or two, in Fort Worth, which I think could use a little compassion.

Fort Worth's Mayor, Betsy Price, is spearheading a program or event or public relations operation called Compassionate Fort Worth, asking that people who are part of a compassionate Fort Worth organization to participate so as to gain more attention for their project.

My instant reaction upon learning of Betsy's Compassionate Fort Worth operation was to think here we go, once more down the Rabbit Hole, where Up is Down, Right is Wrong, Stupid is Smart and Heartless is Compassionate.

I am not suggesting there are no compassionate people or groups in Fort Worth, because there are plenty of such.

What I am about to suggest is that it is a bit hypocritical for Betsy Price and her city government to be part of an operation called Compassionate Fort Worth. Because the City of Fort Worth, under Betsy Price's reign has not been compassionate in more than one instance where a compassionate person would have exhibited compassion.

Included in the document announcing this Compassion Initiative is a letter from Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. You can read the entire letter below, but, before you get to that, take a gander at the first paragraph of this letter from Fort Worth's mayor......

Last year, the Fort Worth City Council signed the International Charter for Compassion, designating Fort Worth as a "Compassionate City". I believe that actions motivated by the Golden Rule, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you", will help us become an even greater and compassionate city.

Betsy Price practices the Golden Rule?

Last year I wrote a couple blog posts about how well Betsy Price adheres to the Golden Rule.

Fort Worth Shrugs Its Shoulders While Hundreds Of Citizens Are Given 30 Day Eviction Notices

and

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price Has No Comment About 30 Day Evictions Of 100s In Her Town

Now, if I was a town's mayor and some out of town developer came to town and coldheartedly issued eviction notices in a manner which violated decency, and maybe the law, well, I would have directed that something be done to help those people. Betsy did nothing.

In Fort Worth there is a wall that is slowly coming down, making a lot of Fort Worth citizens nervous. Plea after plea to the city, and to Betsy Price, for help, has resulted in no help, nothing, absolutely no doing unto those people the way you would want yourself to be treated in a similar situation.

I have blogged about the Pulte Wall of Shame multiple times, including a recent blogging pointing out Betsy Price's neglect of this issue in Why Is Fort Worth's Best Public Servant Ignoring The Pulte Wall Of Shame?

Compassionate Fort Worth.

A week does not go by where I do not see a mom struggling to push a stroller along side a Fort Worth street, with that street lacking a sidewalk. Want to initiate something meaningful and compassionate, Betsy Price, how about advocating for a sidewalk building program for Fort Worth?

A mom and dad take their kids on a picnic to a Fort Worth park. Mom looks for running water to wash her kid's hands. Dad looks for a restroom to which to take Junior. Neither are to be found in most Fort Worth parks. That is right, in the city which is the envy of the nation the majority of the town's park have no running water, along with outhouses serving as restrooms.

What is the City of Fort Worth's Compassionate Program to help all the panhandlers and homeless people? Day after day I see panhandlers at various intersections. Just yesterday it was a mom with two girls, near the Jack in the Box at 820 and John T. White Road. Mom's sign said "Please help. I need a job." She was not begging for money. She was begging for a job.

I'm sure this Compassionate City thing makes Betsy Price and fellow sorts feel real good about themselves. But, how about doing something actually meaningful that addresses something real?

Below is the aforementioned letter from Betsy Price and below that the reasons why you should participate in the Mayor's Week of Compassionate Service....

Throwback Thursday To Ruby, Theo & David's Mustanging Mama

What with today being Thursday I guess this is one of those TBT Throw Back Thursday things, which I have never done before.

That would be my little sister, Michele, you are looking at here. I don't know if this is her kindergarten profile pic, or first grade.

A couple weeks ago Michele asked if I could be any help with a school project of my nephew David. David's assignment was to write a brief history of his family. I sent David my take on his family history. I do not know if David got a good grade on this assignment, or not.

In more family history news, last week, out of the blue, my little brother texted me asking what year my Mustang was. I replied it was a 1965 Mustang Fullback. My little brother texted back "Fullback", to which I replied, I am border line elderly and thus a bit senile. I corrected Fullback to Fastback.

I mentioned to David's mother that our little brother had asked me about my old Mustang's age and mentioned that somewhere I have a photo of David's mother with my old Mustang. David's mother replied that she remembered seeing such a photo.

I figured the Michele Mustang photo must be in one of my ancient photo albums. I looked to no avail. I did find photos of my old Mustang, but not the one I was looking for.

Then it occurred to me  that this photo might have been one I scanned way back in 2001. I had roadtripped to Washington for my mom and dad's 50th Anniversary Party. At that party I was shown some photos I'd not seen before. Old family photos from way back in the 1910s, or thereabouts. I think it was that same day I was shown a big  box with a lot of photos. I recollect asking if I could take this box back to Texas with me so I could digitize a lot of the photos.

I did so.

I eventually turned those photos into a website.  Mom and dad were here the following October. I returned the box of photos to them at that point in time. I have no idea where that box is now.

Eventually I found that photo I was looking for of Michele and my Mustang, and a lot more.

So, for the viewing enjoyment of the twins, Ruby and Theo, and David, photos of your mom when she was a baby, and a bit older....

Above is Baby Michele being held by your Great Grandma Slotemaker.

That is your Aunt Jackie holding what appears to be crybaby Michele.

Mama Michele's first Christmas. She could not yet walk but she was able to rip open Christmas presents.

Here Mama Michele is the guest of honor at your Aunt Jackie's birthday party. I built that picnic table in wood shop when I was a freshman in high school. I wonder if it still exists? I suspect not.

I have no idea where the pony came from, but that is Aunt Jackie and Mama Michele being cowgirls.

And here is the photo I was looking for, Mama  Michele climbing into the front seat of my 65 Mustang.

Michele sitting on the hood of the Mustang. That was the funnest car to drive I have ever had. That car took me a lot of miles to a lot of special places. Many special events took place in that car.

Above we see Mama Michele driving her first car. I do not know the make or model.

By the time Michele reached parade age mom and dad were not quite as industrious with parade float building as they were when Michele's siblings were her age. The red, white and blue theme and the street makes me think this may be in Sedro Woolley's Loggerodeo Parade, not Burlington's Berry Dairy Days Parade.

So, there you go, Ruby, Theo and David, photo proof your Mama Michele was once a little kid, just like you, but better behaved, because she had a lot of older siblings to keep her in line....