Looking At The Forlorn Skyline Of Dull Downtown Fort Worth While Thinking About How To Compile The MHMR-Gate Scandal

In the picture we are on the Tandy Hills looking west at the forlorn skyline of the dull downtown of Fort Worth, Texas.

As you can see, today at noon, the forlorn skyline of dull downtown Fort Worth is under a gray, hazy sky. It has brightened up a bit since noon.

Usually I describe this view as looking at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

Then a couple days ago, someone asked me if I really think the Fort Worth had a beautiful downtown with a stunning skyline.

Or was I being sarcastic?

I thought the sarcasm was obvious, but I guess I need to start using my sarcasm font when the sarcasm is not sarcastic enough for easy discernment.

The Tandy Hills hiking was nice today. Not too hot, not too cold.

Despite yesterday saying I wouldn't, this morning I braved the 8 degrees of freezing temperature and went swimming. Just like yesterday, due to the air being way colder than the water it made it almost seem like a heated pool.

Change of subject to the MHMR-Gate Scandal.

A "Sick-n-Tired Employee," of the Paradise Center or of MHMR asked me....

Mr. Durango,

Could we suggest that you, if feasible, combine all the various postings and comments about this foul smelling scandal in one section or something like that so that we and the public could examine more closely this major scandal?

Well, this is a blog, I don't really have the ability to arrange the blog postings. It doesn't work like a website. I suppose I could webpage the various bloggings and postings. But that would take some time to do. I'll think about it.

The Skinny Dipping Shadow Of The Thin Man On A Cold Texas Morning On The Ides Of March

In the picture that's the Shadow of the Thin Man in skinny dip mode, well before the arrival of the sun on the Ides of March, the third Wednesday of March.

It is currently only 8 degrees above freezing. I have not decided if I want to attempt jumping in that aqua-marine oasis you see glowing below me.

I had a sort of rough night of nightmaring. Shock treatment via cold water would likely be a good treatment for the currently foul mood I am in.

In the worst of last night's nightmares I was back in Burlington in the house I grew up in. All sorts of things were wrong. And then I walked in my bedroom to find that enormous entity I call Fubbo. I immediately tried to remove her from my bedroom, but due to the enormous heft I was unable to budge the behemoth.

It was horrifying.

First Convenience Bank Is Not Only Not Convenient It Is Worse Than Inconvenient

In late February I blogged my disdain for First Convenience Bank and my realization I'd made a mistake opening an account there.

The issue at that time was my payment from Google that had been issued, but had not shown up in my account.

Eventually it showed up.

I opened the First Convenience account due to not liking how Chase Bank operated, changing the terms of my account with Washington Mutual.

So, before the Google incident, I'd told Big Ed I thought First Convenience would be convenient. So, he opened an account. About a week later he went to deposit a large check. He was told it would take 9 days to clear. The check was drawn on Wells Fargo, so Big Ed decided to forego First Convenience and open a Wells Fargo account.

Big Ed had opened the First Convenience account with just a $10 deposit. After he'd activated the debit card it did not work. The checks from First Convenience never arrived.

So, today Big Ed was in Wal-Mart and decided to get his 10 bucks back. And what does he learn? The debit card that never worked for him had worked for someone else. On the 23rd it was used to attempt to charge $75 and on the 26th it was used to attempt to charge $51.

First Convenience did not let these charges go through because Big Ed had not approved overdraft protection.

But, even though those charges did not go through, First Convenience charged Big Ed's account $2 for each charge attempt. So, his $10 had become $6.

He was given a number to call to get the other $4.

Now, why was Big Ed not notified of these 2 charges on his card? He was in the bank 2 days after the first charge was made on the 23rd, trying to deposit that check. Why was it not mentioned at that time that a $75 charge had been attempted on the account.

How did this happen? Big Ed was never able to use the card. It did not work. But someone else used the card's numbers, a card which had never been used, successfully, by Big Ed, to try and steal $126.

Why would the bank, today, not treat this like a serious matter. Big Ed told the bank guy that it would appear this would have to be an inside the bank problem.

Who do you call in Texas when you have a bank fraud deal like this?

Looking For Snakes & Armadillos In Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historic Area

In the picture you are looking at a colorful tree in the starting to green up Village Creek Natural Historic Area in Arlington.

I used to see a lot of armadillos in this natural area. I can't remember the last time I saw one.

Village Creek Natural Historic Area is also the location where I've had more snake encounters than any other outdoor spot.

I've seen Copperheads, Water Moccasins and Rattlesnakes.

And my one and only Alligator Gar sighting. Since I saw an Alligator Gar in Village Creek I have never gotten back in a Texas lake.

I was a bit under dressed for being outdoors today. As in I got chilly. It was about 50 with a strong wind, hence the Wind Chill Factor making it feel colder than 50.

The air was heated to 44 this morning when I went swimming. With a strong wind. But the water was so much warmer than the air it felt like it was a heated pool. Which it is not.

I don't think I will be getting in the pool tomorrow morning.

Daylight Savings Time Has Me Up Too Early Thinking About Fort Worth's MHMR-Gate Scandal

Due to Daylight Savings Time messing with the time I am up way before the sun this second Monday of March of 2011, as you can see looking through the bars of my patio prison cell at the blue oasis below.

It is only 44 this morning and very windy.

I think the videos I have been watching of the tsunami in Japan have been causing me some bizarre water related nightmares. Every morning the news out of Japan seems to be worse than the morning before.

Total switch of subject from a Mother Nature disaster to a man made one.

I keep getting blog comments regarding the MHMR-Gate Scandal. This has been going on for several weeks now. A strange pattern has emerged with the comments. The pro-Paradise Center comments have been articulate, level-headed and well-written.

While the anti-Paradise Center, pro-MHMR and its CEO Jim McDermott comments have been mean-spirited, vitriolic, inarticulate, badly written and sort of nonsensical.

Like the comment I got this morning from the Ubiquitous Anonymous to the blog post titled "County Commission Gal Explains Fort Worth's MHMR-Gate Scandal In Detail....."

I agree with the short tv report on WFAA two weeks ago that a disgruntled employee and a few followers was picketing outside Paradise Center. Anon I agree that Fort Worth Star Telegram does not find this news worth reporting. The clients are not suffering. Ther are having fun with new staff and new peer leadership. Sebrina and Dale are back from Teresas little group. Paul is back and back to ordering supplies. Lynn has condensed alot of the paperwork to a smoother running center. Two of the male clients volunteered to keep the four bathrooms clean on a daily basis. Time to move on like the clients have. 

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has shrunk back so deeply that it really does not function as a real newspaper anymore, leaving a town with a population over 700,000 with no real newspaper of record.

Let me see if I can sum up a short version of my understanding of the MHMR-Gate Scandal.

MHMR CEO, Jim McDermott and his staff came up with a scheme to use the Paradise Center to generate revenue. The woman who ran the Paradise Center, Teresa Davis, refused to agree to things she knew to not be true. Ms. Davis was then fired, with the reason given that she failed to attend a meeting.

At the same time Ms. Davis was fired, MHMR locked up the Paradise Center, denying Ms. Davis and her staff entry.

Inside the Paradise Center building were a lot of possessions of the Paradise Center which did not belong to Tarrant County MHMR.

Eventually, after complaints and protests. MHMR removed the Paradise Center possessions to a POD storage container.

The actions of MHMR was a major disruption for a lot of people who depended on the Paradise Center.

There is a lot more to this scandal than my short version. To me it is sort of like the Watergate coverup. The fact that Tarrant County officials seem to have done nothing to rectify this wrong, just adds to the scandal.

Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup Pageant Hopefuls Decapitate & Skin Snakes

CNN.com has an interesting article about an event ending today out in Sweetwater, Texas.

That event being the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup.

CNN's article is titled "Pageant Hopefuls Decapitate & Skin Snakes at Rattlesnake Roundup."

In this article I learned some things I did not know about the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup.

For instance, as part of the Miss Snake Charmer pageant that starts off the Roundup on Thursday, each of the contestants  chops off a Diamondback Rattlesnake's head, holding the murdered snake up with one hand while giving a beauty queen wave with the other hand, as cameras flash.

And then the contestants rub their hands in the murdered snake's blood to memorialize the kill with a handprint on a wall.

I also did not know that visitor's to the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup could pay $10 to skin a Rattlesnake. And dip their hands in the blood to leave a memorial handprint.

The video that is at the top of the article is well worth viewing. There are several jaw dropping parts. Like a dad from, I think, Dallas, taking his kids to Sweetwater to hunt Rattlesnakes. In the video we see the kids catching snakes.

In the video you will also see the bloody handprints. Along with Miss Snake Charmer.

Below is my video of the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup. CNN's is much better than mine.

A Windy Visit With The Soldier In Arlington's Veterans Park

As you can see in the picture of the soldier standing guard at the Veterans Park Memorial in Arlington the blue sky of this morning became cloudy by noon.

And windy.

It is 3 in the afternoon now, with a brighter sky, heated to 72, with no return to total blue.

A possible Thunderstorm is scheduled for later today.

We are due for a Thunderstorm in these Thunderstorm prone parts.

Swimming went well this morning. The water has now warmed to a level where a long stay in the pool does not result in an hour of intense shivering.

I think I may be going for another swim. I am scheduled to go over to Miss Puerto Rico's at 4.

Daylight Savings Time Has Arrived In North Texas Making Me An Hour Late

Due to the government mandating that time be shifted an hour, I am up later than I would have preferred.

It is past 8, well after the arrival of the sun, this second Sunday of March.

As you can see, looking through the bars of my patio prison cell, it is a sunny Sunday in North Texas.

Sunny and 60 degrees.

Which means, even though I am running late, I'll be going swimming this morning.

I think around noon I will be heading to Veterans Park in Arlington and then on to the ALDI in Pantego. That is what I did last Sunday, and creature of habit that I be, I tend to repeat myself.

We Need To Thin Down The Population Of Rattlesnakes At Our Ranch

The Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup, in Sweetwater, Texas, is taking place this weekend.

Hundreds upon hundreds of rattlesnakes are executed over a 4 day period.

Some people object to these snake executions as being barbaric.

There is an official Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup website. But, for some reason, the webpage I made of my visit to the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup  usually Googles in the #1 spot.

Due to Googling in the #1 spot a lot of people come to the erroneous conclusion that I am somehow associated with the Roundup. I get asked all sorts of strange questions about rattlesnakes. Frequently from the U.K.

A couple hours ago I saw an incoming email with "Snake Resources" as the subject line. I figured this would be a Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup related question. Asking how much my rattles cost? Or do I sell rattlesnake meat? Or do I have hats made from rattlesnake skin? Or necklaces made from rattlesnake fangs?

Instead the "Snake Resources" email was of an entirely different sort.

Below is the message in the email...

We need to thin down the population of rattlesnakes at our ranch. Do you have any names of research companies or resources that would like hundreds of live rattlesnakes from Montana?  We have wranglers who can keep them alive for whoever wants them.  

Please contact me,
Linda / 406-581-8358

I've seen rattlesnakes in Eastern Washington, so I guess it shouldn't surprise me too much that there'd be rattlesnakes in Montana. In her email, Linda included 3 pictures of rattlesnakes on her ranch. That is one of them at the top.

Is there anyone out there who can help Linda with her rattlesnake problem?

Below is the YouTube video I made years ago of my one and only visit to the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup....

The Shadow Of The Tandy Hills Thin Man Takes A Hot Saturday Hike

It was well into the 70s when I hiked the Tandy Hills today. Very pleasant with a minimalist need for outerwear.

The burned log I found laying atop the Tandy Escarpment yesterday was gone today. All that remained was a blackened spot on the Escarpment and ash. Where did the log go?

Yet one more Tandy Hills Mystery to add to the Bamboo Teepee and randomly placed rusted vehicles.

I've got the windows open with absolute minimalist clothing and I am overheating.

I think it is time for the first turning on of the ceiling fan in 2011.

Okay, the fan is spinning. Let's see if it cools me off.

I heard from Mr. Galtex regarding me swiping a couple of his Seattle photos. I mentioned this in a blogging earlier today. He said someone ratted me out. I hate snitches.

Mr. Galtex told me it's raining. In Seattle. That is shocking news.

I need to go attend to some rattlesnakes now. The ceiling fan has done its job.