Heading To Arizona Twice As HOT As Texas

A few minutes ago I checked in on the current temperature at my current location, and the current temperature at the location I will arrive at later today.

In addition to this temperature information I also learned what the current time difference is between my current location in Texas and my future location in Arizona.

The time difference often confuses me, due to all of Arizona south of the Grand Canyon not playing along with the antiquated Daylight Savings Time nonsense.

Speaking of which, don't we soon switch back to Daylight Savings Time? Maybe that will have happened by the time I return to Texas, along with, I hope, warmer temperatures.

I thought it interesting when I checked on the temperature, at 9 am my time, that Phoenix was precisely twice as hot as where I am right now.

Last night Spencer Jack and Henry's grandpa text messaged me a couple times and in one of those messages told me 85 was the predicted high today in the Valley of the Sun.

I suspect tomorrow morning I will find myself in a swimming pool.

Tonight, an hour after I arrive in Arizona, if my flight is not delayed like it was the last time, sister Jackie and mom and I will make our way to the Alaskan terminal to pick up David, Theo and Ruby, along with their parental units.

I do not know what I will be getting to do with David, Theo and Ruby. I am hoping I get to drive them to the summit of South Mountain, and to the Chicago Cubs Wrigley Park playground. What I do know for sure is I am scheduled to go horse riding with David, Theo and Ruby on Friday. Well, to be perfectly accurate, I will be watching David, Theo and Ruby go horse riding.

For almost two decades now I have refused to get on top of a horse, due to an incident where a horse tried to kill me, or so it seemed, at a location I was unfortunate to live at, at the time, in the north of Fort Worth suburb of Haslet...

Why Can't Star-Telegram Tell Why Fort Worth's Panther Island Is So Complicated?

Yesterday on the day known as Sunday, after Elsie Hotpepper and Mr. Wayneman pointed me to it, I found myself opinionizing about that to which I had been pointed, that is the Sunday edition of the hard copy Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The result of that blogging is what you see here, a screen cap of part of the aforementioned opinionizing post titled Is Fort Worth Star-Telegram Finally Truthfully Reporting About Panther Island Boondoggle?

In that blogging I mentioned that I would withhold judgement on whether or not Fort Worth finally has a real newspaper til I could read the entire article to see if those feeling optimistic that their local newspaper was finally going to act as one, by accurately reporting on the mess which has become America's Biggest Boondoggle, or if the article was yet one more instance of incompetent reporting, combined with blatant propaganda.

The online version of the article in question showed up this morning, on this first Monday of March. The title of the article has been changed from the hard copy version, now acting as if the article is going to answer the question "Why Panther Island is so costly and complicated".

The screen cap from this morning's online Star-Telegram $1.2 billion and no end in sight: Why Panther Island is so costly and complicated article is what you see below...

The online article begins with a video, which is what you see above, above the title. The elderly gentlemen in the video is Woody Frossard, Tarrant Regional Water District Engineer. At the start of the video we are told via a caption "Engineer explains Panther Island flood prevention project".

But what Woody actually does in the video is bizarrely describe why it is impractical to raise the Trinity River levees (which have prevented flooding for well over half a century).

I think this raising the levees bogeyman is what is known as a straw man. As already mentioned, flooding has not been an issue for over a half century in the area claimed to be in vital need of new flood control. That is how this was sold to the apparently gullible public early in this century, that the Trinity River Vision was a flood control and economic development project.

And yet, if this flood control is so vitally needed, why has this project limped along in slow motion ever since it was foisted on the public?

Despite its title the article does not explain what is supposedly so complicated about this project, which seems to be a relatively simple project, compared to actual feats of engineering, such as something like the Golden Gate Bridge (built in less than four years over actual deep, moving, dangerous water), or the Panama Canal, or the new tunnel under downtown Seattle (also built in less than four years).

The majority of America's interstate highway system was built over fewer years than Fort Worth's embarrassing Boondoggle has been boondoggling along.

It always amazes me how few comments are generated by what should seem to be a controversial article in the Star-Telegram, compared to other online newspapers I read, such as the Seattle Times, which on the morning of an article's publication can generate 100s of intelligent, responsive comments, whilst this morning's $1.2 billion and no end in sight: Why Panther Island is so costly and complicated in the Star-Telegram, covering a controversial subject, had generated only one comment by the time I read the article this morning, and that comment is a good one, which speaks to what I have already mentioned...

Beeks Land
Has anyone ever said exactly how much it would have to rain and for how long for the water to crest the levees in the vast majority of the river, from what I see the river has to rise up and out of its banks, then rise another 50 feet in some areas before it goes over the levees. This boondoggle will have a very hard time getting completed with the current leadership, however it looks like everyone will just look the other way and let it drag on. Stay on them for some accountability.

________________

Speaking of that which Beeks Land mentioned about the current leadership of this project.

No mention is made of the recent J.D. Granger controversies. No mention of the hostile work environment he created by having an extra-marital office affair with one of his sub-ordinates. Then promoting the girl friend to a job title for which she, like her boy friend, was not qualified.

No mention was made in this article over the public outrage over learning how much J.D. Granger and former girl friend (now wife, if the Caribbean wedding took place as planned in February) are paid in salary and perks and benefits.

Unless I missed it this article purporting to tell us why this hapless project is so costly, and complicated, does neither. Nor does the article give us an explanation as to why it is taking so long to build three simple little bridges over dry land.

So perplexing...

Is Fort Worth Star-Telegram Finally Truthfully Reporting About Panther Island Boondoggle?

I was in the midst of writing a relating blog post somewhat about this subject, and then this came in, which seemed more timely.

Apparently what you see here is the front page of the Sunday, March 3, 2019 edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Moments ago Elsie Hotpepper text messaged this to me via my phone.

Seconds later I saw myself flagged on Facebook via Mr. Wayneman. I went to Facebook to see this is also appearing on Facebook's "Panther Island Boondoggle" page.

I am not sure I remember if I knew there was such a Facebook page.

On that Panther Island Boondoggle Facebook page, regarding Sunday's Star-Telegram, Mr. Wayneman had this to say...

WOW did a journalist wake up from a coma to report some real news at the Star Telegram? It's been ages since I've bought an edition, but I might actually go out and get this one.

I was able to read the part of the article which is on the front page. At my current location I do not have access to the hard copy Star-Telegram.

From what I was able to read I am not sure if a journalist has actually woken from a coma to actually honestly, accurately report about this ridiculous absurdity which has been boondoggling along most of this century.

With no end in sight.

Does the article make mention of the Star-Telegram's complicity in this debacle? Starting with that long ago, early in this century, Sunday edition headline trumpeting "Trinity Uptown to turn Fort Worth Into Vancouver of the South?"

And all the following years of not accurately reporting on all the various aspects of this, which in the end may end up being some sort of criminal conspiracy of the RICO racketeering sort.

Will the Star-Telegram now report on all the dozens upon dozens of instances of eminent domain abuse which have left hundreds hurt by this project? With their property taken years ago, their land gone, some of which is now covered by those pitiful little bridges stuck in slow motion construction, over dry land?

Will the Stat-Telegram finally accurately report about those bridges? About what the construction problems are?

Will the Star-Telegram finally point out that it is a lie to claim those bridges are being built over dry land in order to save time and money.

When there was no option but to build them over dry land.

Because the funds to dig the ditch to go under the bridges do not exist. And if being built over dry land in order to save time, why has the construction now been going on for over four years? With the new completion dates being in the next decade?

Is the Star-Telegram answering those questions? If not, I think their reporter is still in a coma...

Going Around In Circles In Chilly Wichita Falls

March seems to be in roar in like a lion mode at my location in North Texas.

If all goes to current plan I will be in Arizona til the day the winter of 2019 ends, with the eagerly anticipated spring arriving the next day.

I am hoping March will be in lamb mode by the time I get back to Texas.

I do not recollect ever being so offput by offputting weather any year previous, as I have been this year.

Tomorrow, that being the first Sunday of March, possible snow is on the menu. Along with a wind chill nearing zero.

Arizona is going to feel so HOT. I hope.

So, early this morning when I looked out my kitchen window, whilst pouring coffee, I was surprised to see groups of people running and walking on the Circle Trail, heading south towards Lake Wichita.

Such a sight would be unusual on a pleasantly warmed morning, and so seemed extremely unusual considering the current drizzly chill.

And then I saw a group of three who appeared to be attired as Indians. Of the Native American sort, not of the nation of India sort. One was in a robe which reached the ground, all three were carrying what looked to be sticks covered with feathers.

A short while later I looked out the window again and saw a group of two with one carrying a sign, upside down, the message on which I was not able to read.

All quite mysterious.

Then, around 11 this morning, I decided to layer on the outer wear and make my way to the Circle Trail. When I reached the Circle Trail I headed north and soon came upon a chalked message on the cement informing me I needed a green bracelet.

Soon after that I came to the message you see above telling me to "KEEP GOING".

I followed the instruction to keep going, and then after I kept going for a couple hundred feet I came upon the perplexing instruction you see below.

I did as instructed, turned around and headed south, awaiting further instructions which I expected to see after passing the sign which had told me to keep going.

It was just too much for me to process, what with the Circle Trail basically having me going in circles, and so I made my way back to the relatively warm comfort of my interior space...

Sensuous Prairie Note Of Fort Worth's Mountain Range

That which you see above showed up in my email inbox this morning, March 1, 2019, part of the monthly Prairie Notes. This issue being Prairie Notes #147, titled "The Sensuous Prairie".

You can view the entire March Prairie Notes on the Tandy Hills official website by clicking on The Sensuous Prairie.

Looking at the Sensuous Prairie you will see a plethora of photos documenting the best scenic location in all of Fort Worth.

Seems like eons ago I was a regular hiker on the Tandy Hills, with those hills being my primary location to attain aerobically induced endorphins.

I do not do complex math calculations with any degree of reliable accuracy, but, near as I can count it has been at least three years since I have set foot on any one of the Tandy Hills hills.

I can't really say I miss hiking the Tandy Hills, unless I think about it, and then I do sort of miss it. Just like I miss hiking a Cascade Mountain trail if I think about, which I usually don't.

If I remember correctly I have sort of hiked Cascade Mountain type hills since I've hiked the Tandy Hills, that is if hiking and biking the hills of Tacoma counts, which it should, since the hills of Tacoma are more hilly than the Tandy Hills of Fort Worth, which are rather puny hills if you want to be truthful about it.

But, as we all know, Fort Worth is prone to exaggerating, which is a more polite way of saying untruthful.

Calling something a square before there was any semblance of such. Or a public market when such bore little resemblance to an actual public market. Or referring to an industrial wasteland as an island, when no sane person would ever refer to it as such. Or promoting a sporting goods store as becoming the #1 Texas tourist attraction, when anyone with even minimal functioning mental capacity knew was ridiculous. Or propagandizing that Fort Worth is one of America's economic powerhouses.

One can go on and on listing instances of Fort Worth exaggerations.

So, referring to a collection of knobby knolls as hills is extremely minor exaggerating when one considers the Fort Worth norm for exaggerating, which if the pattern were accurately followed the Tandy Hills would be known as the Tandy Mountain Range...

Toast & Jam With Mary Kelleher And A Fort Worth Prince

Now this is gonna be in the isn't that a strange coincidence category.

Earlier today I had reason to look for a long ago blog post from way back in 2014, looking for photo documentation of J.D. Granger with his children holding embarrassing, inappropriate signs.

I found that and then noticed two blog comments I had long forgotten, both mentioning someone named Jeff Prince.

I do not remember the incident, but, apparently I spoke to this Jeff Prince person. Following is one of the two comments mentioning Jeff Prince...

Bob has left a new comment on your post "Today We Learn How TRWD Nepotism Can Lead To Tacky Cheesy Signs":

The great Jeff Prince is a reader of your blog? Wow, he must really enjoy keeping up with your daily schedules and weather reports.

_______________

I read a comment like the one from Bob and wonder why Bob himself keeps up with my daily schedules and weather reports, since knowing such makes obvious Bob must regularly read this blog and thus able to make such an apropos comment.

Okay, avoiding the daily schedule and weather reports and back to the aforementioned coincidence.

So, a couple hours after reading the blog post and comments about Jeff Prince I get a new comment to a blog post from a couple days ago, also mentioning Jeff Prince...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Huge No Moat Transparency Accountability Reward Re-Electing Mary Kelleher":

Mary Kelleher and Fort Worth Weekly's Jeff Prince singing Proud Mary for Prince's Toast & Jam piece. 

_________________

The above was seen via FW Weekly's Toast & Jam, which I assume must be a new feature which has arrived since I lost access to Fort Worth's closest thing to a real newspaper.

In the video you get a look at Mary Kelleher's farm. I had a look at Mary Kelleher's farm a few years ago. I ended up with an ostrich egg from the visit. I had no idea Miss Mary is so melodious til I listened to her duet with the legendary Jeff Prince.

Best duet chemistry since Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga...

Hot & Cold Drive To DFW With Possible Fort Worth Outhouse Invasion

What a delightful day my monthly drive to and back from the Dallas/Fort Worth Metro Zone has been, so far.

Temperature barely above freezing exiting Wichita Falls at 8 this morning. Dense drizzly clouds severely diminishing visibility.

Temperature above 60 on DFW arrival, and when exiting for the regularly scheduled restroom break prior to reaching the regular final destination.

That regularly scheduled restroom break takes place at a park called Whites Branch Park.

One comes to the entry to this park soon after Western Center Boulevard changes its name to Watauga Road.

I do not know why the name switches from the pretentious boulevard nomenclature to the more accurate road nomenclature.

When I think of a boulevard I think of a broad road, with multiple lanes, a landscaped median, landscaping on both sides of the boulevard, along with sidewalks. Such does not describe White Center Boulevard. Or Watauga Road.

But, calling it a road works.

Whites Branch Park I have long thought was in Haltom City. Not Watauga. Not in Fort Worth. I do not know why I thought Whites Branch Park is in Haltom City. It probably is in Haltom City, but today I had reason to wonder.

With that wondering caused by an outhouse of the Fort Worth city park signature type sitting on the parking lot near the restrooms which have previously been functional, and unlocked. Which is what you see photo documented above.

I do not make use of outhouses when I am in an urban modern American location. And so it was on to Fuel City, which is for certain in Haltom City and which has no outhouses but does have modern facilities. And tacos.

So, with that unseemly outhouse stuck on a park's parking lot, is it the sad reality that Whites Branch Park is actually in Fort Worth? Maybe Fort Worth made one of its storied annexing moves and took over this park, thus its diminished quality.

Perplexing.

The drive back to Wichita Falls started with the temperature being near 70 when exiting WinCo. And then when I stopped to get gas in Decatur, an hour, and 30 miles north, later, the temperature had dropped to 36. With wind and drizzle.

A few dozen miles more, somewhere northwest of Bowie, the temperature dropped below freezing. The windshield wipers soon began having sweeping woes due to ice freezing on the windshield. Switching the interior heat higher and in defrost mode soon somewhat abated that windshield wiper woe.

A few miles from Wichita Falls the temperature dropped to 29. And road signs warned of "Ice Removal Equipment Ahead". Or some such thing. I never saw any ice getting removed by any equipment by the time I parked under my ice-free carport roof.

And, one more thing.

I was non-plussed when I realized I would be away from a TV whilst Michael Cohen testified today. I did read his opening statement before departing.

I tried to get the hearing on the radio, but I only found one station which seemed to be covering it, and that was a hate speech radio station, with the hate speecher being a right wing nut job idiot from the town I used to live in. Mount Vernon, Washington. Glenn Beck. I thought he had been taken off the air due to mental health issues.

I got a couple phone calls from west coasters whilst in DFW today. Both were surprised I was not in front of a TV watching the spectacle. Both thought Cohen came across credible, that the Republicans were embarrassing themselves. And that hopefully this marks the point when finally Trump is toast. I suspect that hope is in vain. I also hope I am wrong...

Huge No Moat Transparency Accountability Reward Re-Electing Mary Kelleher

That which you see here arrived on my phone last night, sent by the Hotpepper Coalition of Concerned Citizens.

There was no text accompanying that which you see here, other than two of those emoticon things which I usually am unable to tell what is being emoted. As was the case in this case.

I am assuming what we see here is a political advertisement which arrived in the mailboxes of those few who are allowed to vote in a Tarrant Regional Water District board election.

Apparently there was a drawing to determine ballot placement, and Gary Moates came in last place, as in, as the advertisement advises us, at "THE BOTTOM OF THE TRWD BOARD CANDIDATES".

I do not know what to think of the line which says "JUST THINK OF "MOATS" AROUND PANTHER ISLAND AND GO TO THE BOTTOM..."

Moats in olden times were water barriers around castles, filled with disgustingly dirty water, thus providing a barrier against those who wanted to storm the castle.

So, in this instance are we being advised to think voting for this Moates guy will somehow affect the moat around the industrial wasteland known as Panther Island? That being an imaginary island which may one day have a cement lined ditch filled with polluted Trinity River water, and thus, surrounding that industrial wasteland with water.

I do not think any of those who built castles surrounded by a moat thought the moat turned their castle into an island.

So, is this Gary Moates guy in favor of continuing with that which has become America's Biggest Boondoggle, also known as the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision? Or is he in favor of literally draining the moat and firing J.D. Granger?

And what has become of the biggest Texas investigation ever conducted into election fraud, triggered in part by the bizarre results the last time TRWD board members, Jim Lane and Marty Leonard, ran for re-election?

The recent revelations of Republican election fraud in a North Carolina district seemed to be from the same playbook as the Tarrant County election fraud allegations.

There is someone else on the May 4 TRWD board election ballot.

Mary Kelleher.

I saw this WANTED poster wanting Mary Kelleher this morning on Facebook.

The Mary Kelleher poster does not explicitly indicate if she is in favor of pulling the plug on America's Biggest Boondoggle, and firing J.D. Granger.

But, I think we can assume with the reference to "TRANSPARENCY" and "ACCOUNTABILITY" that neither the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle, or J.D. Granger could survive either transparency or accountability...

Missing Aslan From Wichita Falls Caribbean Neighborhood

This last Monday of February the outer world was warm enough to warrant a bike ride without needing multiple layers of outer wear.

And so I had myself a mighty fine time rolling down the Circle Trail, rolling around Sikes Lake, rolling through the MSU campus, along with rolling through the Wichita Falls version of Beverly Hills.

The past week I have noticed at various locations when I am out and about posters posted on various posts.

Today I finally stopped my rolling at one of those posts with a posted poster.

For 20 days ASLAN pronounced AZ-LYNN has been missing.

I do not know if all those posters I have been seeing have been about Aslan.

If not, are we having some sort of dognapping epidemic in Wichita Falls?

This above poster was posted on the Circle Trail near where Haiti Drive meets the road which runs alongside the Circle Trail. According to the poster Aslan's residence is on Tobago Drive, a short distance west, as in the next road one comes to on Haiti after one passes Barbados.

I have yet to learn why this neighborhood is Caribbean themed with its road names.

This Aslan poster had a poignant line near the bottom, above the phone numbers, "Missed by his Mommy and his Grandma (who is gravely ill).

I have no way of knowing if Mommy and Grandma are Aslan's birth mother and grandma, or if we are talking about his human Mommy and Grandma.

I suspect the latter...

Under Reported Explosive Growth In Fort Worth Star-Telegram Propaganda

 At the end of last year, if I remember correctly, I think I told Elsie Hotpepper that one of my few New Year Resolutions was to let go of pointing out the obvious regarding J.D. Granger and the epic incompetence  which has become America's Biggest Boondoggle, and to also cease with making fun of Fort Worth and the town's non-existent newspaper of record known as the Star-Telegram, which of late some wags have taken to calling the Star-Telesham.

And then I see something in the Star-Telegram, like you see here, and my New Year Resolution melts away due to an appalled reaction to the severe stupidity of the propaganda I am reading in this pitiful newspaper.

Now, I have been asked a time or two by people I know from my previous life on the west coast if Fort Worth is really as bad as I make it out to be. And why does it vex me so?

I do have some really good answers to that question, but for now, in this blog post, let's just look at this State of Fort Worth is good; here’s one way to make it better article as an egregious example of this pseudo newspaper's bizarre tendency to act as some sort of Chamber of Commerce propaganda spewer.

You can click the link to read the entire piece of propaganda, but for example purposes let us just look at the first few paragraphs...

State of Fort Worth is good; here’s one way to make it better

Fort Worth’s explosive growth — near the top nationally — means plenty of transplants who could share stories of dysfunctional, even incompetent political leadership and underperforming communities where they used to live.

An entirely different picture emerged Tuesday at the State of the City luncheon hosted by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.

Aside from a far-reaching onstage interview of Mayor Betsy Price touching on both the city’s accomplishments and challenges, the Chamber highlighted four of Fort Worth’s most dynamic small businesses.

Fittingly enough for a flourishing city, the top emerging business, 6th Avenue Homes, was also named “Grand Forte,” as Small Business of the Year.

Witnessing the energy and enthusiasm of the audience for 6th Avenue Homes — as well as other winners Silver Creek Materials (manufacturing/distribution), Tribe Alive (consumer/retail) and Elements of Architecture Inc. (professional services) — was a reminder of what really makes this city go: a bold, passionate, business community risking everything to fulfill folks’ basic needs and wants, and maybe a few audacious dreams.

_________________

Fort Worth's explosive growth? Near the top of the nation? With newcomers sharing stories of the woeful towns from whence they came? Escaping other towns with a dysfunctional, incompetent leadership of underperforming communities?

Star-Telegram could you please name these other towns which are even more dysfunctional with even more incompetent leadership leading communities even more underperforming than Fort Worth?

I was once a newcomer to Fort Worth. And my reaction almost from the start was that I had no idea there were places of the big city sort so backwards, so poorly developed, so delusional, so in dire need of help in America.

I knew there were pockets of poverty in America, obviously. I knew some towns were more dynamic than others. But I did not know there were cities like Fort Worth.

A modern American city without a real newspaper, where most of the town's few city parks lack modern facilities such as restrooms and running water. But, plenty of outhouses. Where most of the city streets lack sidewalks. Where the downtown is a ghost town on the busiest shopping day of the year, due to few restaurants, few downtown residents and zero grocery or department stores. Where a town of over 800,000 population has no public pools.

A town with a park celebrating the town's heritage, ironically called Heritage Park, sitting at the north end of the downtown, across from the county courthouse, blighted as a boarded up, cyclone fenced, barb wired eyesore which has been closed now for a decade.

If you could still get into Heritage Park you would have a bird's eye view of the most bizarre public works project currently not working in all of America. The Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, more often referred to as America's Biggest Boondoggle, or, simply The Boondoggle.

So, Star-Telegram, take off your propaganda blindfold and look around your own town if you want to find stories of dysfunctional incompetent political leadership and an underperforming community.

Start with showing your few readers the ridiculous propaganda installation on the Star-Telegram building's ground floor. Then send a reporter to tour the vast areas of Fort Worth in dire need of improved flood control, actual needed flood control, not imaginary not needed flood control such as you can find detailed in that bizarre mess cluttering up your ground floor.

I almost forgot to make mention of that one way to make Fort Worth better, which is referenced in this article's State of Fort Worth is good; here’s one way to make it better headline.

You will think I am making this up, read the article and you will see I am not.

So, what is that one way to make Fort Worth better?

Well, that one way to make Fort Worth better is to aim to get all third-graders reading at grade level by 2025.

Oh, yes, that will be a sure fix for all which ails Fort Worth...