Why Aren't Retail Marijuana Prices Dipping In Texas?

I saw that which you see here this morning on my old home zone newspaper's online version.

An article about the price of pot dropping in Washington's marijuana stores.

This is sort of one of those articles I see in west coast newspapers which I would not read in a Texas newspaper, due to the fact that the land of the free known as Texas still criminalizes marijuana consumption in this current age of some enlightenment in other locations in America.

In other words the reason retail marijuana prices are not dipping in Texas is there are no marijuana retail  stores in Texas.

It is now legal to mosey around a Texas town with a gun displayed in a holster, like a cowboy in the Wild West, but smoking marijuana, like a cowboy in the Wild West is forbidden.

In some ultra wet locations in Texas while a modern day cowboy can mosey about openly carrying a pistol he can also openly carry and consume an intoxicating alcoholic beverage while smoking a tobacco cigarette, but not a marijuana cigarette.

Seems sort of convoluted to me.....

Why Is Fort Worth Police Observation Tower Watching Me & Molly The Trolley?

This morning's walk around my neighborhood had me wondering about a couple things, both of which you see in the photo you see here.

With the articles of wonderment being that tower you see rising above the parking lot and in the distance, behind the tower, a pair of what look like buses.

The tower is a product of the Fort Worth Police.

Why is a Fort Worth Police observation tower sitting on the Albertson's parking lot?

Has there been an outbreak of crime in the Albertson's parking lot which I've not heard about?

Or are the Fort Worth police keeping a watchful eye on the shenanigans going on a short distance to the north, left in the photo, at the Chesapeake Energy Barnett Shale Natural Gas Pad?

Usually in the noon time frame I will see several Fort Worth cop cars parked at the Italy Pizza & Pasta restaurant. You see a brick corner of the Italy Pizza place on the right of the photo. Have some Fort Worth cops been slacking off with extended lunch breaks, so that tower was put in place to make the cops wary that they were being watched? I suspect not, but I don't think I have seen a Fort Worth cop car at  the Italy Pizza place since the observation tower showed up.

The other thing I saw today that had me wondering was that which you see below.

Those two vehicles are parked at my neighborhood Fort Worth bus stop, but they are not regular looking Fort Worth buses. These look like the Molly the Trolley little buses that roam around downtown Fort Worth. If  these are Molly Trolleys what are  they doing so far from downtown?

Both of these buses informed potential riders that they were "NOT IN SERVICE".

Soon after the above picture was taken a regular Fort Worth bus showed up which was in service, and a little bigger than the little buses which look like Molly Trolleys.

So, there you go, that's been my excitement so far today. A bus and tower mystery.....

Was Someone High On Wax Before This Week's FW Weekly Went To Print?

When I picked up this week's Fort Worth Weekly this morning, and saw the headline for the cover story it had me wondering what fresh ridiculous nonsense is this?

The cover story is HIGH ON WAX, with a sub-headline of There's a new, cleaner way to smoke weed. And it's legal in Texas.

I got a text message a few minutes ago telling me that this week's Fort Worth Weekly has messed up bad, real bad.

I figured the real bad mess up must have  to do with the cover article.

I figured right.

Just a few paragraphs into the article I came to this gem....

"Originally called hashish, or hash, wax began its rise from obscurity in California around 1980. Wax is cannabis oil extracted directly from the buds that you would typically smoke in a joint."

West coast children of the 60s, does it come as a surprise to you that hash began its rise from obscurity in California around 1980?

What embarrassing, ignorant, inaccurate nonsense.

The article goes on  to elaborate on how one can make their own hash wax. And eventually makes an odd case as to how doing so is legal in Texas.

When it is not legal in Texas.

Two comments to the article sort of nail the problem Fort Worth Weekly has created for itself....

The headlines for this article are very incorrect. I hope people don’t go to prison relying on this misinformation! Wax, concentrates, dabs, shatter, etc. (Tetrahydrocannabinols) are listed in the Texas Controlled Substances Act as a Penalty Group II Controlled Substances. Possession under 1 gram is a State Jail Felony punishable up to two years in prison without any parole. Possession over 4 grams is a First Degree Felony punishable by 5-99 years or LIFE in prison! To say this is “legal’ in a headline is reckless to say the least! I would have loved the opportunity to tell this reporter this before you published this article.

David Sloane, Attorney
Public Information Officer
DFW-National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)

This article is misleading and very unethical as a journalist to publish. This article needs to be retracted. Wax is still illegal in Texas and for you to misinform your readers could lead to peoples arrest, fines and so forth. Do the right thing and retract.

____________________________________________

Clearly Fort Worth Weekly no longer has an adult on board its sinking ship.

Is Gayle Reaves still available?

Me & The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi World Premiere

I got my tickets today to....

PARAMOUNT PICTURES PRESENTS

A MICHAEL BAY FILM

13 HOURS

THE SECRET SOLDIERS

OF BENGHAZI

A World Premiere Event, Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 5:30pm in AT & T Stadium in Arlington.

I don't think I have been to a movie in a theater since seeing Gladiator early this century in the Cinerama in Seattle.

I don't like watching movies in theaters due to the fact I can't stand people talking to the screen as if they are in their own living room.

This 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi  movie is not going to be seen by me in a movie theater, but instead in a football stadium, where I don't think the talkers will bug me bad, due to watching the movie not being the main attraction.

The main attraction will be watching this movie in a football stadium with the sort of crowd attracted to a movie about Benghazi.

The movie poster indicates the movie is about "WHEN EVERYTHING WENT WRONG SIX MEN HAD THE COURAGE TO DO WHAT WAS RIGHT."

In all the years of excess Benghazi propaganda I have not heard of these six courageous men.

It has long seemed rather pitiful that the right wing nutters have tried to make so much out of the Benghazi incident, with me thinking, many a time, is that all they've got? Benghazi compared to a pre-emptive war based on lies  in which thousands of Americans were killed and wounded along with hundreds of thousands of Iraqis killed and wounded in a debacle which left much of the Middle East and the World in worse shape than before the Bush led debacle.

Anyway, I've not been in AT & T stadium since July of 2014 when I suffered through way too many minutes of a soccer match. I suspect I may have a similar attention span problem with this Benghazi movie....

Running From Miss Puerto Rico's Balcony Thinking About A Pacific Northwest Memorial

The early morning, pre-jog selfie view from Miss Puerto Rico's balcony, with me looking south and the view looking north.

As you can see, this 7th morning of January is gray, misty and cloudy.

But, not too cold, at a relatively balmy 47, heading to a predicted high of 67, before new incoming cold arrives.

Last night some precipitation precipitated, along with some thunder booming.

I do not know how long the precipitation precipitated or the thunder boomed because when it was time to get horizontal I blocked incoming noise with an incoming noise blocking device.

Changing the subject to something completely different.

A memorial service is occurring today up north in my old home zone for the mom of my most long time friend on the planet.

The day before yesterday my most long time friend on the planet, Linda R., emailed me the tribute she'd written to read today. To say this tribute was moving would be an extreme understatement. How she is going to get through reading this without breaking down, I don't know. But, I do know, there will be a lot of people there today in support mode, including Betty Jo Bouvier, who will let me know how it all went.

Linda R. called a couple days ago. I'd not spoken to her since I was up north in August of 2001 for my mom and dad's 50th wedding anniversary party. It is such a nice feeling when you talk to someone you have not talked to in a long time and it's like you just talked to them yesterday.....

Drive Down Jones Memory Lane Via The Slotemaker Road To Lynden

My Favorite Nephew, Jason Jones, sent me this months ago. I forgot about it til looking for a photo this morning.

The road sign you are looking at is located in Whatcom County in Washington. The Canadian border is about 10 miles to the north.

For you reading this in Texas, that big blue wall looking thing under the clouds is known as a foothill. In this case it is a foothill of the Cascade Mountains. If those clouds were not hovering we would likely be seeing the Mount Baker volcano.

My Dutch ancestors arrived in America in the early 1890s. I think 1892. I believe they entered America via Ellis Island, but I am not sure of that. I do not know if my ancestors were illegal immigrants or if they had passports and entry visas, or whatever the legal arrival document was at that time in history.

I do know the reason my ancestors wanted to move to America was to escape the constant European wars. Sort of ironic in the year 2016.

I also know my first ancestral Anchor Baby was my dad's dad, my grandpa, Cornelius. I am guessing my Dutch ancestors were legit American citizens before the birth of their first Anchor Baby. The only one of my original Dutch ancestors who I got to meet was great-grandma Tillie, wife of my dad's dad's dad, John. I learned a little Dutch from my great grandma. Words such as brookies.

My Dutch Ancestors quickly assimilated into America. Only great great grandpa, Cornelius, did not learn to be fluent in English. Great grandma Tillie had a bit of a Dutch accent.

Upon arrival the family of four headed west to find their future, going from one Dutch community to another. Always hoping for something better than what they'd found.

Eventually my great grandpa, John, was sent, by train, to the far Pacific Northwest, where the family had heard of a flourishing Dutch community. Grandpa John returned to his mom  and dad and wife to report that he had found their final destination, a land of fertile soil, like Holland,  the tallest trees he'd ever seen, fish in abundance in clear rivers, berries growing wild, along with apples.

The family soon headed west to their new home, bought land next to what became a road named after my family's Dutch name, before the name became Americanized to "Jones".

The Dutch are picky people. Which is why so many kept on heading west til there was no more America to move to, unless they wanted to hop a boat and try Hawaii. The town near the Slotemaker Jones Farm is called Lynden. Modern day Lynden is sort of a Dutch theme town, with windmills and precisely trimmed lawns where, unlike Texas, no litter is allowed.

And, like Texas, an inordinate number of churches.....

Possibly Going To Lunch In Houston With A Pair Of Pistol Packing Texas Cowgirls

I saw that which you see here via the Austin American-Statesman on Facebook.

Apparently there is a barbecue restaurant in Houston which will take 25 percent off your bill if you eat with your gun on display in your holster.

What fun. Barbecue with openly armed yahoos. I wonder if beer is served along with the ribs, brisket and sausage.

For a long long time a pair of Texas gals, Elsie Hotpepper and Miss Mary have been saying they are going to take  me out to lunch. I have long assumed they mean take me out to lunch at a restaurant, not some other meaning of the "out to lunch" phrase.

I believe both Elsie Hotpepper and Miss Mary are a pair of pistol packers. I do not know if as of January 1 the are openly packing their pistols in stylish holsters.

If Elsie Hotpepper and Miss Mary take me to their long promised lunch at this barbecue restaurant in Houston that 25% savings might pay for the gas it would take to drive there, what with gas being so cheap lately....

Playing In The Tacoma Snow With David, Theo & Ruby

This just in from my baby sister in Tacoma and too cute not to share.

All my baby sister had to say about this picture was, "We got a little snow yesterday and the kids made a new friend, pic attached."

The attached pic was named fred.jpg, so I am assuming the kids named the snowman Fred and made him their friend.

In the pic you are looking at the twins in front, my nephew Theo and niece, Ruby, in one of her signature purple outfits, with their red-head big brother, David, in the rear.

I can not remember the last time I had fun playing in the snow with kids. Last week it was Spencer Jack who had me missing real snow, and now this.

Yet one more of the growing number of reasons my 2016 New Year's Resolution is to move back to Washington......

Elbertt Elmerr Cautions No Clicking If You Don't Have The Stomach For J.D. Granger

Earlier today I blogged about an aspect of the slow motion public works project known as America's Biggest Boondoggle.

A short while after hitting the publish button I heard from Elbertt Elmerr via a blog comment...

Elbertt Elmerr has left a new comment on your post "Will Slow Progress Of America's Biggest Boondoggle Result In Contract Default? ":

Fearless Leader scoffs at your facts and figures.

Click to enlarge if you have the stomach for it.

_____________________________________

When you click to enlarge you are greeted with a big version of the above photo. That is J.D. Granger at the podium. I am assuming this was at the extravagant ceremony celebrating the arrival of the spaceship, I mean work of million dollar art, you see behind J.D.

I am assuming the Fearless Leader, to whom Elbertt Elmerr refers, is J.D. Granger. I do not know what  facts or figures are being scoffed at.

You have to admit, after Boondoggling along for most of this century, it is rather impressive that all America's Biggest Boondoggle has to show for the effort is a flood destroyed wakeboard park, one of three simple bridges under construction, a roundabout under construction.

And this beautiful million dollar work of art.

And maybe one or two other products. Like convincing people to have floating beer parties in the Trinity River.

How big a ceremony will we be having if one of those three simple little bridges is ever completed, connecting the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island? I suspect that will call for a week long city wide celebration.

With fireworks and TNT explosions....

Will Slow Progress Of America's Biggest Boondoggle Result In Contract Default?

A couple weeks ago I saw that which you see here from the Austin American-Statesman, via Facebook, and forgot about it til this morning.

The text you see above the photo of a construction mess....

Frustrated with slow progress on the North MoPac Boulevard expansion project, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority on Thursday notified its contractor, CH2M, that it considers the company in default of the $136 million contract to add a toll lane to each side of the 11.2-mile stretch of the highway.

I read the above and it got me wondering about America's Biggest Boondoggle's slow motion construction of three simple bridges, over dry land, connecting Fort Worth's mainland to an imaginary island.

Who got the contract to slowly construct The Boondoggle's bridges?

Why would a legit construction contractor commit to building bridges in slow motion?

Was there a competitive bidding process to award The Boondoggle's bridge building contract?

Was The Boondoggle's bridge building contractor given any sort of incentive to speed up the building process, like the incentives that were given to speed up the Grapevine Funnel Project and the I-121 upgrade? Both of which cost billions and were finished ahead of schedule.

I have seen with my own eyes the fact that Fort Worth can manage to have big public works projects built quickly and efficiently. Such as the ongoing upgrade to East 1st Street and Randol Mill Road. This project began last April. The project is nearing completion, with three bridges, one of which spans the Trinity River, with water flowing beneath the new bridge under construction over the Trinity River.

That new bridge over the Trinity River,  located on the north side of Gateway Park, has big piers already built, ready for the road bed. No fuss has been made about those new bridge piers rising out of the Trinity River near  Gateway Park,  unlike the bizarre fuss made by The Boondoggle over its pitiful wooden V pier forms being a product of The Boondoggle one could actually see.

I blogged about The Boondoggle's V Pier fuss in Beautiful Fort Worth V Piers The Likes Of Which The World Has Never Seen.

I blogged about the East 1st Street/Randol Mill Road road and bridge project in Looking Close At A Non-Boondoggle Fort Worth Bridge Project.

So, does anyone know what the deal is with the contractor contracted to construct The Boondoggle's three simple bridges over dry land? Why would a contractor agree to take longer to build those three bridges than what it took to build an actual feat of bridge building, like the Golden Gate Bridge, and many other bridges, detailed on this blog, which took four years, or  less, to build.

Why would a legit contractor allow itself to get tied down by a slow motion, under-funded project?

Who is the contractor slowly building The Boondoggle's three simple bridges?