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Turkey Trot Early Registration Ends Today

2008-11-16T18:17:00.005-06:00

Today is the last day for early registration for the 2008 Fort Worth YMCA Turkey Trot. Held each Thanksgiving Day morning. The biggest draw of the race is the 5k which attracts everyone from the serious runners to those just happy to finish the course in time for lunch. For the more adventurous, there's a 10k race, as well as a 1k race for the kids.

No matter what place they finish, all runners can take joy in their good deed. The Turkey Trot allows the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth to fund scholarships for thousands of local youth and adults so they can participate in YMCA activities.

Can't We All Get Along? Local Papers to Team Up

2008-11-10T18:18:00.007-06:00

That rumble you heard today wasn't thunder.

No. That loud sound was the late Amon G. Carter rolling over in his grave at the news that the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Dallas Morning News are going to share editorial content.

Wall St. Journal Takes Note of Gas Drop

2008-11-06T10:13:00.006-06:00

The Wall Street Journal has taken note of the recent decline in energy prices and its effect on the local economy:

The torrid pace of oil and gas exploration pumped billions of dollars into regions such as North Texas, bringing stronger housing prices, lower unemployment and soaring tax revenue as drilling rigs rose in urban neighborhoods. Many residents benefited directly from royalty checks and land-lease payments that soared toward $30,000 an acre as recently as this summer.
"We were all sitting over here in a kind of blissful stupor enjoying a great market compared to the rest of the United States," said commercial-real-estate broker Jack Huff. "Until 30 days ago, there was no feeling at all that anything going on in the rest of the country affected us."

The Journal notes that the price of oil has fallen by more than half from its all-time high of $145.29 a barrel, while natural gas is off nearly half from its 52-week peak of $13.577 per million British thermal units, finishing Tuesday at $7.219 per million BTUs.

The economic gap between the Lone Star State and the rest of the country is narrowing. In August, the state's unemployment rate of 5.1% was a full percentage point better than the 6.1% national mark; that difference shrunk to 0.8 point in September at 5.2% versus 6.0% nationally. More specifically in Cowtown, the growth in sales-tax revenue has begun to slow, and unemployment is rising.

The bright side from the Journal:

Some in Fort Worth argue that even if gas production declines drastically, it has left the local economy in a better position to survive the broader national downturn. The city has saved much of its natural-gas windfall in a rainy-day fund, and has put the rest toward long-term capital projects that won't evaporate if drilling slows.

Camp Bowie Stripling & Cox Set For New Shopping Center

2008-10-10T08:04:00.005-05:00

Shoppers along Camp Bowie Boulevard will have new choices in 2009 as the closed Stripling & Cox store will be torn down to make way for a new shopping center. According to Globe Street, Armstrong Development Properties Inc. has purchased the site and intends to tear down the old building and construct a 23,100-sf strip center of high-end retail called The Shops at Camp Bowie.

Plans call for a bank, a restaurant and upscale specialty shops. The plan is to have the project ready to open in late summer or early fall 2009. Southwest Fort Worth is an attractive place for retail with a vacancy rate 0.5% lower than the citywide average and rents on Class A space $1.50 a square foot higher than the city as a whole.

Drilling Opponent's Victory May Be Short-Lived

2008-10-08T12:30:00.011-05:00

The Cowtown City Council made history last night when they did something they had never done before. The council denied the request of Chesapeake Energy for a permit for a high-impact gas well near the intersection of 8th Avenue and Elizabeth Boulevard.

The permit faced determined opposition from the Ryan Place, Berkeley, and Mistletoe Heights, neighborhood associations. Most of those same residents have already signed gas leases and cashed their royalty checks. Yet apparently they were shocked to find out that getting natural gas out of the ground involves drilling a well. I suppose they thought the gas just appeared magically the way their organic lettuce does at Central Market.

While some are declaring this the dawning of a bright, new day in Cowtown, here's some sobering thoughts to ponder.

Gas Drilling Opponents May Have Won a Battle Yet Lost Their War.

The city has a Gas Drilling Task Force that is currently reviewing all the rules and regulations that cover gas drilling. Opponents have been urging the task force to recommend extending the buffer distance required from a well to a residence from the current 600 feet to something larger, like maybe 1,000 feet. The possibility that the Gas Companies will go along with such a recommendation now is absolutely zero. In fact, any attempt to increase the buffer distance would result in a lawsuit, a suit that would likely prevail. In such a suit the city might find it rather difficult to justify such a big change in the course of a couple of years, or why the city requires a buffer five times what the state does.

Councilmembers Will Now Claim Veto Power Over any High-Impact Well Permit.

When controversial zoning cases have come before the council; Members have traditionally bowed to the wishes of the councilmember whose district the subject property lies in. It appears that was the case last night with the council heeding the wishes of District 9 councilman Joel Burns, who was vocal in his opposition to the drilling permit.

Opponents may be just fine with that.

Right Now.

While Carter Burdette may look like he's been on the council since Jesus was in Junior High, the fact is city council terms are not for life. This new policy of approving or denying a controversial gas well request based on the wishes of the councilmember whose district is most affected might not look so great with different people on the council.

The Fort Worth City Council Cannot Legislate Economic Realities.

What most opponents of gas drilling fail to realize is this. For the vast majority of Tarrant County, the natural gas under the ground is far more valuable than anything that's on top of the ground. My own quick estimate is that Chesapeake Energy could easily purchase every property within the 600' buffer of the 8th Avenue site for less than $3,000,000.00. If Chesapeake owned all the affected land there would be no need to get a waiver and the wells would be drilled without any hearing. Now to most folks that might seem like a lot of money. But the gas under that site is worth far, far, more than $3,000,000.00. If high-impact waivers are never granted, the gas companies will opt to purchase all the affected land and drill anyway.

Should the council have granted the 8th Avenue waiver? I'm not sure. As a railroad switching yard, the site is already being put to some pretty heavy industrial use as it is. Proponents rightly point out the a gas well wouldn't be any noisier or uglier than the graffiti-painted railroad cars that are there now. On the other hand, it's been reported that the nearest residence is just 225' from the well so the case could be made that Chesapeake had no business trying to drill there.

However, 3-1/2 hour long, winner-take-all, city council sessions are definitely not the best way to make gas drilling policy either. The city needs to establish some mutually agreeable standards, stick to them, and move on.

20 Great Reasons to Visit Fort Worth

2008-10-04T11:50:00.013-05:00

The Austin American-Statesman recently published an article titled, "20 Great Reasons to Visit Dallas-Fort Worth." We'll ignore their dallas suggestions. After all, who the heck ever goes to dallas?

Instead here's their recommendations of things to see and do in Cowtown, along with some thoughts:

The impressionist paintings on loan from the Art Institute of Chicago at the Kimbell Art Museum. - No argument there. That exhibit has been high on the lovely Mrs. Smith's list of things to do since it opened.

The new Malayan tiger kitties at the Fort Worth Zoo. - Our world-class zoo is something we often take for granted.

Joe T. Garcia's. - Joe T.'s is fine for tourists. But puhlease, real Fort Worthians know Joe T.'s is way overrated.

Hangman's House of Horrors. - I'm too old and cranky to enjoy paying money to be chased with fake chainsaws.

Luskey's Western Wear. - Personally I don't go for the urban cowboy look but if I did I'd definitely take this authentic spot over the ones near the malls.

Angelo's Bar-B-Que. - Another place that is way overrated.

The Japanese Garden at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. - Another of Mrs. Smith's favorites.

The Fort Worth Herd Cattle Drive. - Ehh, I suppose it's fine for the tourists it is meant for.

Real western bars in the Stockyards: the White Elephant, or the Longhorn Saloon. - Growing up my parents forced me to listen to County & Western music virtually every waking hour. So the rebel in me still avoids these types of places, but they are fine for those whose tastes prefer it.

Texas Motor Speedway. - Definitely something they don't have in Austin, or dallas for that matter.

If they missed your favorite spot in Cowtown post it in the comments.

DFW Leads Nation in New Jobs

2008-09-30T17:42:00.003-05:00

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington led the nation's metropolitan areas in year-to-year job increases during the month of August. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 59,800 more jobs in this area when compared to August of '07. According to the BLS, unemployment in the metroplex in August was 5.1%. Nationwide, the rate is 6.1%.

Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown was 2nd among major metropolitan areas with 53,400 new jobs. The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area ranked 7th in new job creation, while College Station-Bryan was 8th.

FWCANDO - 'Non-Profit' a Figment of Don Young's Imagination

2008-09-27T15:06:00.010-05:00

Cowtown's Don Young is a man on a mission. The east-side anti-gas activist, who once led a protest of a church's Sunday morning services, is engaged in his own holy war to drive gas development from our city.

Mr. Young, saves his sharpest barbs for Mayor Mike Moncrief who he has all but charged with criminal behavior. However, when it comes to honesty and ethics, Mr. Young's own record of deception rivals that of our energy-enriched mayor.

Mr. Young's website intentionally misleads visitors to believe that he is head of a grass-roots, non-profit organization. After all, he openly solicits "donations"; his "Just say NO to Urban Gas Drilling" signs are not sold. Oh no, that's far too commercial for Mr. Young. No, his signs are offered for a "$3.00 donation". Mr. Young speaks in the plural, posting stuff like, "We believe... We are concerned..." We demand..." He even has the ".org" suffix in his web address that is commonly used by non-profits.

Yes a visitor would certainly believe that FWCANDO is non-profit organization dedicated to protecting our fair city from the evils of urban gas drilling.

There's just one problem. FWCANDO doesn't exist.

That's right, a check of state and federal records find that no such group has ever registered as a non-profit organization. So just how much money is Mr. Young raking in "donations" for those yard signs? Where does the money go that is "donated" to FWCANDO? So far as I can tell those donations are going into Mr. Young's pocket. However, since no real non-profit organization exists; an organization that would have to keep records and submit financial statements to the proper authorities; we'll never know.

Anti-gas activists have frequently criticized Mayor Moncrief for pocketing gas royalty checks while serving as mayor. Fair enough. But shouldn't the same standard apply to an activist that pockets money "donated" to fight gas drilling?

Note: I emailed Mr. Young some time ago asking him if his organization was a non-profit organization. Rather than answer my question he asked me why I wanted to know. When I explained why and spelled out the issues I've mentioned here he never responded.

Hotel Planned for Old United Way Building

2008-07-25T08:38:00.005-05:00

A a 150-room Hampton Inn is planned for the former United Way of Tarrant County building at

210 East Ninth Street according to Globe Street. The location is immediately northeast of the Fort Worth Convention Center. Plans call for the hotel to open in 2011.

The old office building will be torn down and new hotel will be built and managed by Pearl Real Estate. This marks Pearl's third hotel investment in the downtown area. The company already owns the Embassy Suites at 600 Commerce St. and the Holiday Inn Express currently being built at 1111 W. Lancaster St.

The United Way relocated their headquarters office to 1500 North Main Street.

Tarrant to Lose 8 Starbucks

2008-07-18T09:01:00.003-05:00

The Startlegram reports on the 8 Starbucks locations in Tarrant County that are to close. 3 are in Cowtown, 4 in Arlington. 1 is in White Settlement but that doesn't really matter because no one has ever heard of White Settlement. The store on McCart Avenue couldn't have been open more than six months. Perhaps such poor planning is the reason for the company's poor performance lately?

over in big d, the coffee chain is closing 21 stores.

Here's the Tarrant coffee places that are closing:

View Larger Map

Lone Star State Tops For Business

2008-07-11T17:13:00.004-05:00

CNBC today revealed the results of its second annual study of America's Top States for Business. Broadcasting from Cowtown, Correspondent Scott Cohn announced that Texas was at the top of the list:

Texas takes over the number one spot from last year's Top State, Virginia. "Clearly, Texas benefits from the current strength in the energy industry," Cohn said. "But Texas is putting together a truly diverse business climate, with high scores in areas like technology and transportation."
To determine the rankings for America's Top States for Business, each state was scored – using publicly available data – on 40 different measures of competitiveness. States received points based on their rankings in each metric, which were then separated into ten broad categories: Cost of Doing Business, Workforce, Economy, Education, Quality of Life, Technology and Innovation, Transportation, Business Friendliness and Access to Capital.

Here's the top 5:

Texas
Virginia
Utah
Idaho
Colorado

The worst states for busness? Here they are:
46. Mississippi
47. West Virginia
48. Rhode Island
49. Hawaii
50. Alaska

Cowtown Gas Deals a Model for the Nation

2008-07-08T22:34:00.002-05:00

While some local bloggers portray Cowtownites as fools for buying the gas companies' bill of goods Time Magazine sees things differently:

Today's energy company landmen must deal with Texas soccer moms with their own websites and Pennsylvania dairy farmers/bloggers, all armed with Google maps and Excel spreadsheets. The domestic gas-exploration business has undergone a revolutionary face-lift.

Yep, according to Time, local homeowners are driving the hard bargains and taking the gas companies to the cleaners, not the other way around. And people in other parts of the country are taking notice:

[Ron] Stamets says what he and his Pennsylvania dairy-farmer neighbors are doing is based on the experiences of Fort Worth neighborhoods. The Barnett Shale site has long been known to Texas oilmen, but extracting what is estimated to be some 2.5 trillion cu. ft. of natural gas from the 350-million-year-old rocks beneath the Dallas-Fort Worth area only became feasible in the last decade with the advent of horizontal drilling techniques.

So the next time somebody whines about local citizens "selling out" just remember, we're not selling out, we're cashing in.

Cowtown Vets to get New Clinic

2008-05-30T16:00:00.004-05:00

Beginning in 2001 veterans in Fort Worth needing outpatient medical services will be served in a new $50,000,000.00 facility at the corner of I-20 and Campus Drive. The Dallas Morning News reports that Duke Realty Corp. has won a contract to develop and manage the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ new clinic.

Construction of the 213,029-square-foot building is slated to begin in the late fall. and will reportedly be the largest outpatient clinic development scheduled by the VA. The clinic will include surgical rooms and outpatient recovery rooms.

Fixing up Woodhaven

2008-05-28T08:55:00.002-05:00

A real estate developer has made a second multi-million dollar apartment purchase in Cowtown's Woodhaven area. Carlos & Costanzo LLC recently closed on the 176-unit Willows of Woodhaven complex. The company is promising to fix up the complex, telling Globe Street that plans call for spending $200,000.00 on improvements in an attempt to boost the property's meager 62% occupancy rate.

The latest acquisition, which reportedly valued the complex at $3,850,000.00, is next door to the 208-unit Huntington Apartments which the firm purchased back in April at a reported cost of $3,100,000.00

While the single family housing market has slowed down, developers and apartment analysts remain bullish about the Metroplex rental market, citing a strong economy and continued job growth.

The Woodhaven area has seen its share of troubles over the years but Carlos Vaz, a partner in Carlos & Costanzo sees brighter days for the eastside, telling Globe Street, "The area is going to get better."

Let's hope he's right.

From Cowtown to Boomtown

2008-05-01T09:35:00.004-05:00

CNNMoney.com has a pretty evenhanded article about the natural gas boom here in Cowtown:.

Welcome to Texas's newest boomtown, a city of 686,000 that just happens to sit on top of a giant natural gas field known as the Barnett Shale. With demand for natural gas rising... exploration companies have kicked off a drilling frenzy in Fort Worth.
The upside is palpable around town. Once-struggling oilmen and big landowners are suddenly flush with gas money, while thousands of average homeowners are now collecting modest monthly royalty checks...."It's created a new wealth in our city," declares Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief. "It's inoculated our economy. We find ourselves being an island in a sea of recession around us."
But the downside is palpable, too, especially in battles over the siting of almost a thousand (so far) natural gas wells - many of them incongruously close to parks, churches, and homes. The incursion of large-scale drilling into the city's daily life has raised questions not only about environmental and safety risks, but also the eyesores, noise and truck-traffic that gas exploration generates.

But of more interest to me was the profile of Aubrey McClendon, CEO of Chesapeake Energy the article linked to.

Mr. McCLendon, who is worth more than $3,000,000,000.00 is not one to shy away from a fight. When Jodi Rell, governor of Connecticut accused Chesapeake of "unconscionable fleecing of U.S. citizens" Mr. McClendon fired off a public, five-page rebuttal that basically called the governor a liar.

If Cowtown residents think a few yard signs will make energy companies like Chesapeake go away, they greatly underestimate the determination of people like Aubrey McClendon.

Exit Stage Left

2008-04-30T16:55:00.005-05:00

Denton Yockey, President and Executive Producer of Casa Mañana will leave his position with the Cowtown theater when his current contract ends at the end of August it was announced today. Mr. Yockey has accepted the position of President and Executive Producer for Starlight Theatre Association in Kansas City, Missouri.

“Denton has done an outstanding job for Casa Mañana and his tenure includes many artistic, organizational, and financial accomplishments. Though we would have been delighted for him to continue here, we are happy for Denton and his family,” said Teresa Hubbard the chair of Casa's board.

Mr. Yockey headed Casa Mañana since September, 1997, one of only four people to have led the organization since its rebirth in 1958. The Executive Committee for Casa Mañana’s Board of Directors has established a search committee, and has begun identifying and recruiting potential candidates. They hope to have Mr. Yockey's successor in place before he leaves.

Dickies to Purchase Workboot Maker

2008-04-01T20:35:00.004-05:00

Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co., maker of Dickies brand work clothes announced today that it has purchased Kodiak Group Holdings Inc., Canada’s leading manufacturer and distributor of work and outdoor footwear.

The deal calls for Kodiak to operate as an affiliate of Dickies. The company will continue to manufacture and distribute its footwear and apparel through its existing channels in Canada. Begun in 1912, Kodiak is best known up north for its Kodiak and Terra brand work boots.

“This acquisition continues our North American and global growth strategy, which in part includes identifying brands and products that mirror the values and authenticity of Dickies,” said Philip Williamson, chief executive officer for Dickies. Terms of the deal were not released.

Williamson-Dickie was born in Fort Worth in 1922. From its beginnings making bib overalls, the company has expanded in to all types of outerwear, work apparel, as well as school and work uniforms. Since it is privately owned, the firm is not required to release sales figures, and doesn't. Hoover's online estimates 2006 sales at $1,100,000,000.00.

Cowtown One of Top Places for Biz Launch

2008-03-31T21:29:00.004-05:00

Fort Worth ranked No. 9 on CNNMoney.com's list of the best places to live and launch a new business. Among the reasons cited were the city's "laid-back tax structure" as well as the various incentives the city offers for companies that locate in one of the its enterprise zones.

According to CNNMoney the hottest industry in Fort Worth (as well as dallas) is the life sciences - the region boasts nearly 500 biomedical technology businesses, and tourism.

Cowtown was one of the biggest cities to make the list.

Startlegram Exports Jobs to India

2008-03-11T19:18:00.003-05:00

The Star-Telegram is outsourcing part of its ad production department to Express KCS, Editor & Publisher reported today. The move will cost 26 Fort Worthians their jobs at the local paper.

The move had be widely expected since the paper was purchased by the McClatchy newspaper chain. Several other McClatchy-owned newspapers have announced similar moves.

Based in San Jose, Express KCS has operations in Gurgaon, India.

Thoughts From The Polls

2008-03-04T20:11:00.004-06:00

Just got back from voting. Some random thoughts:

It's the little things that really win elections.Little things like making sure your supporters know where to vote, not just who to vote for. At my polling place there were a whole bunch of people that showed up at the last minute to vote only to find out that they were in the wrong place. Many of them didn't make it to the correct polling place in time.

There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to how polling places are picked. In my case, to get from my home to the correct voting site I actually had to drive right past another polling place.

The large number of African-Americans standing in line to attend the caucus would seem to bode well for Senator Obama.

PUC Investigating Failure to Report Wind Shortage

2008-03-03T20:18:00.004-06:00

The Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) has started an investigation into last week's sudden drop in wind power the Startlegram reported over the weekend. Specifically, the PUC is asking why the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) failed to follow its own rules and make appeals through the news media for conservation during the emergency.

Last Tuesday (02/26) a sudden drop in West Texas wind power combined with an increase in electric use led to a sudden loss of stability on the electric grid. This caused ERCOT Engineers to implement the second step of an emergency blackout prevention plan and cut power to some large industrial customers.

So far, so good, but after a more serious situation in 2006 ERCOT established rules that require it to make appeals through the news media for conservation during such emergencies. No appeals were made. ERCOT officials say that by the time they could have contacted the media, the crisis was over. I suppose ERCOT doesn't have internet access?

Call me cynical but I can't help but wonder if the reason no conservation appeal was issued is that ERCOT doesn't want the public to know how unreliable wind power is. Texas leads the nation in production of wind power and plans are to greatly increase production. However, such increased production will entail massive new wind farms and hundreds of miles of ugly transmission lines. Perhaps some are worried that the public will balk at such a high environmental cost if they realize how unreliable so-called renewable energy is?

Local Dance Group Invited to China

2008-03-03T19:37:00.004-06:00

Texas Ballet Theater announced today that it has accepted an invitation to attend the prestigious China Shanghai International Arts Festival. The dance company is the the first North Texas arts group ever invited to perform at the event. The company's first Chinese performance, Cleopatra, will be televised to an audience projected to be more than 500 million people.

Performances of Western Ballet and Chinese dance, classical and pop music, opera and theatrical productions are scheduled for the festival. Arts groups participating include American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, the Paris Opera Ballet, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Kirov Ballet, James Galway, Andrea Bocelli, Yo-Yo Ma, and others.

The company was originally founded in 1961 as the Fort Worth Ballet. Upon the demise of the Dallas Ballet, the group changed its name to Texas Ballet Theater and began to focus on performing for the entire North Central Texas region. The ballet performs at Fort Worth's Bass Performance Hall, Dallas' Music Hall at Fair Park and the historic Majestic Theatre in downtown Dallas.

Southern FW Residents Told to Boil Drinking Water

2008-02-29T16:41:00.004-06:00

A power outage at two City of Fort Worth pump stations has caused the city to issue an alert urging residents in the southern part of the city to boil their drinking water. The affected area is the southwestern part of the city, south of Interstate 20, from Granbury to Crowley roads.

The power outage means that the city's water supply may contain bacteria and other microbes that are not suitable for consumption. To make sure the water is safe for drinking and other home use, residents in the area should bring the water to a rolling boil and then boil it for two minutes.

For those that can't or won't boil their water, the city will have bottled water available at the following locations:

Blue Raider Field, 4300 Altamesa Blvd.
Goodwill, at the intersection of Bryant Irvin and Dirks roads.
North Crowley High School, 9100 S. Hulen St.

The city hasn't mentioned how long this situation will continue.

Renewable, But Not So Reliable

2008-02-28T20:19:00.006-06:00

We are scolded and told that it is imperative that we generate more of our energy from "renewable" resources. The dirty little secret the Al Goreans don't tell us is this: "Renewable" energy is not very reliable. The Startlegram reports today that a sudden drop in West Texas wind Tuesday caused the Lone Star State to narrowly avoid statewide rolling blackouts:

Operators of the state power grid scrambled Tuesday night to keep the lights on after a sudden drop in West Texas wind threatened to cause rolling blackouts, officials confirmed Wednesday.
At about 6:41 p.m. Tuesday, grid operators ordered a shutoff of power to so-called interruptible customers, which are industrial electric users who have agreed previously to forgo power in times of crisis. The move ensured continued stability of the grid after power dropped unexpectedly.
Dottie Roark, a spokeswoman for the power grid, said a sudden uptick in electricity use coupled with other factors and a sudden drop in wind power caused the unexpected dip. As a result, grid officials immediately went to the second stage of its emergency blackout prevention plan.
Kent Saathoff, vice president for system operations at ERCOT [Electric Reliability Council of Texas], said Tuesday's event illustrates the inherent challenges associated with using wind power. Because the wind sometimes stops blowing without a moment's notice, engineers at ERCOT must remain nimble enough to respond to resulting instability on the grid, he said.

Yesterday's event shows that so-called renewable energy is not suitable as a source of energy for a large heavily populated state like Texas. It is inconceivable that an energy-rich state such as ours should have to even consider the possibility of blackouts. Increasing our reliance on wind power will lead Texas backwards to the status of a third-world county.

Via Blowing Our Tax Dollars on Wind Farms.

Raider Run

2008-02-25T14:52:00.006-06:00

If all the talk about last week's Cowtown Marathon has inspired you to hit the track, consider joining me in the Raider Run. The 5k race takes place this Saturday (March 1) at Foster Park in southwest Fort Worth.

Besides the 5k race there will be a 1 mile run for the kids (12 and under). Awards will be given out for the top 3 finishers by age groups but the real reward is that proceeds benefit Mirage, a drug free, alcohol free alternative to senior celebrations at Southwest High School.

Some Cold Facts About a Hot Topic

2008-02-20T19:53:00.006-06:00

The subject of natural gas pipeline safety has become rather heated lately with various local bloggers posting scary pictures that would seem to indicate that our fair city is about to become a scene from Dante's Inferno. So let's leave the fear-mongering to others and like our old pal Sgt. Joe Friday deal with some facts, shall we?

The following facts come from the Office of Pipeline Safety, a part of the federal Department of Transportation:

The Lone Star State has about 198,708 miles of natural gas transmission, distribution and gathering pipelines. To put that in perspective, that is enough gas pipe to circle the Earth almost eight times.

From 1997 to 2006, these pipelines caused injuries to 65 people in Texas which which required hospitalization. That's an average of about 7 injured people per year. For the same ten-year period there were a total of 17 deaths from pipelines, an average of a little less than 2 deaths per year. Now lets get the obligatory feel-good statement out of the way. Yes, it is tragic that those 17 people lost their lives and this is not meant to minimize the loss of life.

Now let's put that in perspective. During that same ten-year period, 36,480 Texans died in automobile accidents. If my math is correct, that's an average of 3,648 traffic deaths per year. Have you caught the flu bug that's been going around? On average, about 3,550 Texans die every year from the flu and pneumonia. Own a pool? The Centers for Disease Control reports that on average 379 people in Texas accidentally drown each year.

Some bloggers insist that the city should ban natural gas pipelines in order to insure our "safety". But using that logic the city could make us even safer by banning swimming pools. Yes, on rare occasions natural gas pipelines are ruptured. When that happens it makes for some compelling pictures. But scary pictures are not the same as cold, hard facts. The facts show that transporting natural gas underground is safe.

I'll have more later.

XTO Reports Record Earnings

2008-02-12T17:12:00.000-06:00

All those gas wells you see around Cowtown are pumping money into the pockets of Fort Worth-based XTO Energy. The company released its financials for the 4th quarter of last year, announcing record production and cash flow.

XTO said the for last quarter daily production was up 30% from the fourth quarter of 2006. Total revenues for the fourth quarter were $1,590,000,000.00, a new record, and a 33% increase from 2006. Quarterly earnings for the 4th quarter were $464 million, an 8% increase from fourth quarter 2006. Operating income for the quarter was $813 million, a 15% increase from fourth quarter 2006.

For the quarter daily gas production averaged 1.67 billion cubic feet (Bcf), up 36% from fourth quarter 2006 daily production of 1.23 Bcf. Bob R. Simpson, Chairman and CEO attributed the record numbers to new acquisitions stating, "These producing properties and leasehold acquisitions, totaling about $4 billion during 2007, added immediate growth impact and even more important, expansive upsides for future growth."

T & P Warehouse Listed as Endangered

2008-02-11T09:23:00.000-06:00

The Texas & Pacific Warehouse located on the south side of downtown has been listed as one of the state's "Most Endangered Places" for 2008 by Preservation Texas. The building was built in 1931 as part of a three building complex that includes the Texas & Pacific Railway Terminal and the United States Post Office. The buildings were all designed by noted Fort Worth architect Wyatt C. Hedrick. While attractive, the eight-story building is a simpler version of the more elaborate terminal building.

The preservation group notes:

The Texas & Pacific Warehouse is endangered due to neglect and lack of maintenance. Currently the basement is filled with several feet of water. Previous owners had started renovations to the building and left the building open to damage from water. If the building is not maintained, the integrity of the reinforced concrete structure will eventually be compromised by the infiltration of water.

The building would seem ready for a renovation. The city is finishing up its beautification of Lancaster Avenue and the old terminal building has already been converted to loft apartments. Mayor Mike has set his eyes on buying and renovating the old post office for a new city hall as well. It remains to be seen if someone can orchestrate a successful renovation in time to the save it.

DFW Growth to Continue

2008-02-01T07:42:00.000-06:00

The rapid growth of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is expected to continue unabated for the next five years are so. That's according to a new article in Forbes. Gross metropolitan product growth, is projected to increase 20.51% from 2007-2012. That number places the region in sixth place among large metro areas. Austin, which ranked first among metropolitan area's projected growth was the only Texas city ahead of the metroplex. Houston came in 8th.

If you are looking for that small town feel, but still desire an area with increasing opportunities, you might consider Texarkana. The area, which ranked second in projected growth among smaller metro areas is expected to grow by 28.57% over the same period.

Cal to Face Air Force in Armed Force Bowl

2007-12-03T22:56:00.000-06:00

The University of California will face the United States Air Force Academy in the 2007 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl in Cowtown on New Years Eve it was announced. This will be the fifth straight bowl game for the Golden Bears which are 6-6 this season.

Like their opponent, Cal which is 6-6 this season, also emphasizes the running game featuring Justin Forsett. The senior running back has rushed for over 1,400 yards this season, 2nd in the Pac-10.

Kickoff is December 31, at 11:30 a.m. at TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN.

Californian Commends Cowtown

2007-12-01T11:58:00.000-06:00

Shirley Streshinsky writes for American Heritage. When her sister moved to Cowtown from Manhattan, the writer, who lives in the San Francisco Bay area decided to pay a visit. The result was a recent article that raves about the joys of our humble hometown.

Not surprisingly, the cultured lady from the left coast seems to have especially enjoyed the museums in the "sumptuously landscaped open space" known as the Cultural District, calling the centerpiece museums "..three of the best fine-art museums in the country, each designed by a famous architect and housing a collection considered to be world-class." Aw shucks Ms. Streshinsky, you're making us blush.

You can tell she's not from around these parts though. She seemed to have found something peculiar about a town that boasts masterpieces hanging in the Kimbell Art Museum along with signs that state that your gun must remain outside.

Welcome to Texas.

Five Centuries of Texas Maps on Display

2007-11-28T22:45:00.000-06:00

As the Father of Fort Worth, I'm keenly interested in Texas History. That's why I intend to check out “Going to Texas: Five Centuries of Texas Maps.” The exhibit features 64 historic maps dating from 1548 to 2006. It's a joint project of the Center for Texas Studies at TCU and the the Museum of the Big Bend at Sul Ross State University.

The exhibition just recently began a 2-year stay at the Old Red Museum in downtown dallas. After that, the collection will travel around the state, winding up at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame here in Cowtown in 2010. Don't tell Amon Carter, but I will probably make the trek east and see the exhibit in downtown dallas. But I'll be sure and take a sack lunch when I do.

AF Academy Falcons Headed to Cowtown Bowl

2007-11-26T20:06:00.000-06:00

The Falcons of the United States Air Force Academy have an invite to the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl on New Year's Eve. The game which will be the fifth annual, is set to be played at TCU's Amon Carter Stadium for December 31, at 11:30 a.m. ESPN will broadcast the event. The date is a change from previous events when the game was played on December 23rd.

The Falcons have won their last 3 games as well as 6 of their last 7 games. Air Force relies mainly on their ground game, which is strange for a school dedicated to air combat. Statistically, the team has the second-best rushing attack in the country.

This will be Air Force's 1st bowl game since 2002.

Frozen Turkey on Thanksgiving

2007-11-23T14:05:00.000-06:00

Well it sure seemed like a good idea at the time!

I'm talking about signing up to run the Westside YMCA's Turkey Trot. I remember sitting on my sofa, in my shorts and t-shirt, way back when, and signing up online.

But something happened on the way to my little jog through Ridglea.

It got cold. Real Cold. Bone-chilling Cold.

With a wind-chill in the 20's, I seriously thought about skipping the event. But I'd already picked up my official Turkey Trot T-shirt. There's something dishonest about wearing the shirt if you didn't run the race.

So there I was, standing in Camp Bowie with a bunch of other folks that were too darn honest to wear the t-shirt without running the race as well. The gun went off and off we went, most people running in an attempt to stay warm rather than to compete.

Of course, there were some that immediately ran way on out ahead of the pack. That group was comprised mostly of serious athletes. And teenage boys. So I plodded on, determined to earn the right to wear my Turkey Trot T-shirt. Actually it wasn't so bad once we got in the Ridglea neighborhood. Those great big two-story homes tended to block most of the wind.

I was satisfied with my time, and my effort. I even managed (barely) to finish ahead of a fit-looking, twenty-something guy. Of course, he was pushing a stroller.

I was even more satisfied by the number of teenage boys I passed towards the end of the race. And for you boys that ran out of steam and stood there looking back, acting like you were looking for a friend, I have one thing to say. You weren't fooling anyone.

City Ushers in Holidays WIth Red-Light Cameras

2007-11-21T12:05:00.000-06:00

Strings of street lights
Even stop lights
Blink a bright red and green
As the shoppers rush
home with their treasures

Red and green are the traditional colors of the holiday season. With that in mind, the City of Fort Worth is about to turn on their new-fangangled red light cameras -- just in time for the holidays.

According to Pegasus News, starting next Monday, Nov. 26, red light cameras will be activated at seven intersections in Cowtown. Get caught running a red-light before the new year and you get by with a written warning. After New Year's Day 2008, the city will issue a $75 fine.

Hate Crimes Numbers Meaningless

2007-11-19T14:04:00.000-06:00

"Hate crimes rose 8 percent in 2006" scream the headlines in the Startle-Gram. Okay, but knowing how little math is required to get a degree in journalism, I decided to dig a little deeper. Here's the next to the last paragraph of the article (emphasis mine):

Lack of full participation by the more than 17,000 police agencies around the nation somewhat undermines year-to-year comparisons.

Somewhat? No. Unless you have full participation by the same agencies, year to year comparisons are meaningless.

Here are the numbers for the last three years as reported in the S-T:

Year: 2004
# of Agencies Reporting: 12,711
# of "Hate Crimes": 7,649

Year: 2005
# of Agencies Reporting: 12,417
# of "Hate Crimes": 7,163

Year: 2006
# of Agencies Reporting: 12,620
# of "Hate Crimes": 7,722

So what conclusions can we draw from this? None. The article notes that there are more than 17,000 police agencies in the U.S. of A. So in any given year, only about 3/4 of the police agencies bother to file a report. Is it the same 3/4 every year? Who knows.

Roughly 5,000 agencies did not file a report in 2005. Were there no "Hate Crimes" in their jurisdiction? If so, that's good news. If there were, it shows how ridiculous the whole thing is.

However, it does make for a good headline. Somehow, I think that was the main point in it all.

Turkey Trot Gives Kids a Leg Up

2007-11-17T16:32:00.000-06:00

It's not too late to sign up for this year's Turkey Trot. Held early Thanksgiving morning, the event features a 5k Run/Walk, a 10k Run and a 1k "Gobbler Trot" for the little ones. The first race starts at 8:00 a.m. with the awards handed out at 9:30, still plenty of time to make it to Grandma's for lunch and Cowboys.

Proceeds go to the help pay for scholarships for kids to enjoy the Westside YMCA. Which means that not only will you feel justified in having a second helping of pumpkin pie after your run, but you'll feel better knowing you done a good deed as well.

Rules of the Road

2007-11-11T14:36:00.000-06:00

4 or 5 times a week you'll find me out jogging on the local trail. I run about 16 miles a week. Now, I'm normally a rather easy going type, but lately some of you have been getting on my nerves, big time.

So it's time to establish some rules of basic etiquette:

When I fail to speak to you, it's not because I'm rude. See, I'm a fat old guy (though I still have all my hair). Often times I'm huffing and puffing, straining to make it back. If I fail to say "good morning" I'm not rude, I'm just out of breath. Trust me, if I were to attempt to say something, nothing would come out.
Clean up after your dog. It's a park, not a doggie bathroom, okay? 'Nuff said.
Slow traffic, keep right. This is for all you fat old ladies trudging down the middle of the trail in your velour jogging suits. Your butt is big, but it's not so big that there's not room for both of us on the trail, if you will just move over a little and let me pass.
Keep your dog on a short leash and away from others, especially me. This is goes double for those of you with your puny, yappy dogs. I love dogs, except for the little yappy kinds. But don't let your dog try and smell me as I go by, he might trip me.

Thanks for your cooperation. If everyone will follow these simple rules, I promise to pretend not to notice how big that jogging suit makes your butt look.

Coffee is Spiritual

2007-10-06T10:02:00.000-05:00

Starbucks has a new ad campaign where they announce "Coffee is Culinary". I have no idea what that is supposed to mean, but did you know coffee is spiritual?

According to the Gourmet Coffee Club, the delightful drink had been a part of Arab culture for centuries, but not so in the western European world. When the drink was first introduced, priests attacked it, and forbid its consumption, believing it to be the drink of the devil.

The thought was that Satan had invented the drink for the Muslims as a substitute for the wine they were forbidden. In the late 1500's Pope Clement VIII was asked to settle the dispute. A cup of the brew was brought to him. He sipped the coffee and found it delicious. Right then and there the Pope blessed the drink, and baptized it as well, permitting its enjoyment by the western world. The Pope reasoned that banishing this drink from the Christian world would be a sin.

So enjoy a second cup of coffee today. It won't get you any closer to Heaven, but it will make life here on earth more pleasant.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...Fall

2007-10-03T19:55:00.000-05:00

I returned from a business trip the other evening. The lovely Mrs. Smith greeted me at the door with a smile. "So, do you notice anything different?" she asked. Why do women always wait until the worst possible time to spring a pop quiz on you? So, I smile convincingly and reply, "Sure honey, your hair looks great!" I lie. "No" she says, "I didn't get my hair fixed." Uh, oh, I've got one more chance, better make this good.

Thankfully, Mrs. Smith decided to let me off the hook. "Look around the house" she announced proudly. I took a second look around the house. It was like Autumn had vomited orange and brown everywhere. Pumpkins, gourds, and all things FALL were all around the house. "So, what do you think?" she asked. Now, I'm not the brightest bulb on the string and I've even been called a slow learner. But I have learned a few things in our 20+ years of wedded bliss. "WOW! honey, it looks great!"

Decorating for Fall? When did this start? Why was I not invited to the meeting? I just don't get this decorating for Fall. Christmas I get. But Fall? Somehow I suspect the folks at Hobby Lobby are to blame for this.

Oh well, if the trend at the mall is any indication the Fall decorations wont stay up long. It's almost time to put up the Christmas tree.

The Turtle Restaurant

2007-10-02T08:30:00.000-05:00

The Turtle Restaurant
512 - 514 Center Ave
Brownwood, TX 76801
325) 646-8200

You probably don't associate Brownwood, Texas with fine dining. But you will after a trip to The Turtle Restaurant. Located in a restored building in downtown, The Turtle features wonderful salads and soups all made with the freshest ingredients that set the stage for delicious and innovative entrees.

Looking for fast food? Look somewhere else. The restaurant takes it name from the fact that each meal is hand made. Here food is celebrated, with a loving touch that borders on worship.

If you're looking for a bargain, try the lunch menu. Where else can enjoy a chef prepared meal for less than you pay at the chains out on the highway?

A true gem.

(Reservations suggested for dinner)

John Peter Smith Ends Self-Imposed Exile

2007-10-01T20:53:00.000-05:00

FORT WORTH - Noted Cowtown resident, John Peter Smith announced today that he was ending his 10-month blogging hiatus and would shortly begin unleashing his wit and wisdom on unsuspecting web surfers everywhere. "It's time to put the past in the past" he said.

The long-time Fort Worthian had suspended blogging as a protest of the miserable performance of the dallas Cowboys in the 2006 season. But with the 'Boys off to a 4-0 record, Smith said that his point had been made. "Obviously, I've been heard loud and clear over at Valley Ranch" he said.

Long Live The King

2006-12-31T18:18:00.000-06:00

Attendees of a funeral at Umkdait, India, were suprised when the man believed to be the deceased showed up alive at his own funeral. Frankie Synnah was reported missing by his wife Dec. 27. Laster family members mistakenly identified a body found at a local morgue as that of Mr. Synnah.

But Mr. Synnah was very much alive, having traveled to Guwahati for work. He said he tried to call his wife, but couldn't reach her. Upon discovering at her husband's funeral that she was not a widow after all, Mrs. Synnah declared that she was "the happiest person in the world."

So take heart rock'n'roll fans. Keep a watchful eye on Graceland and who knows. Perhaps The King may make an appearance.

Good Riddance

2006-12-29T22:31:00.000-06:00

Iraqi state-run television reports that former dictator and all-around bad guy Saddam Hussein was hanged tonight (early morning in Iraq). The 69-year-old Hussein was joined in death by his half-brother, Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court.

While I would never celebrate anyone's death, it's impossible to feel any sympathy or pity for someone as cruel as Hussein. May God repay him appropiately for his life here on Earth.

Nothing Like Turkey After Christmas

2006-12-27T20:04:00.000-06:00

Lockheed Martin Gets $635 Million Job to Modernize F-16 Fleet

The U.S. government awarded a $635,000,000.00 contract to to Lockheed Martin to upgrade the Turkish Air Force's existing fleet of F- 16s. The deal calls for Lockheed Martin to provide 216 modernization kits to upgrade the Turkish Air Force's F-16s as well as provide flight testing, training, technical support and sustainment activities.

Lockheed said most of the work will be done at its facility here in Cowtown and at Tusas Aerospace Industries in Ankara, Turkey. The contract will run for ten years. The company did not say if the deal will bring any new jobs to its plant here. But it certainly doesn't hurt the employment situation.

Twenty-four different countries fly the F-16 which is built in Fort Worth.

Merry Christmas

2006-12-24T23:54:00.000-06:00

In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. He was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn't make. Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

But although the world was made through him, the world didn't recognize him when he came. Even in his own land and among his own people, he was not accepted. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan – this rebirth comes from God. So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. -- John Chapter 1

It's A Wonderful Christmas

2006-12-24T17:04:00.000-06:00

Many people have special traditions at Christmas; grandma's favorite recipe, reading the Christmas story, whatever. What many women might find surprising is that for many men, the 1946 Frank Capra film, "It's a Wonderful Life" holds a special place in their hearts. It's not that they find the story so compelling, it's the memories they have a Christmas Eve's spent assembling bicycles and various other toys while the movie played in the background.

You see, years ago, it was not uncommon for the movie to be shown simultaneously on two or three different channels. So if you were a dad tasked with putting together the gifts left by Old Saint Nick in the middle of the night, it was either "It's a Wonderful Life", or the pope. Not speaking Latin, or Italian, or whatever it is the pope speaks, most dads, me included, opted for the movie.

In later years, I found out that the reason the TV stations aired the movie, was not out of sentimentality, but economics. You see, due to some legal screw up, the movie was not copyrighted, meaning that the networks could show it for free. A few years ago, some enterprising soul (probably a lawyer) figured out that while movie was not protected by copyright, the songs were. So the rights to the songs were purchased and the movie's holiday airing were greatly restricted.

Younger dads are missing out.

Thieves Attempt To Steal Christmas Joy

2006-12-23T10:49:00.000-06:00

Some Grinch broke into Hot Damn Tamales on Thursday and made off with valuables. No, there was no cash lost, something more precious. When owner Ione Stavron got to work Thursday morning she found that someone had smashed in the restaurant's front window made off with four to eight cases of tamales.

For those of you that don't know, tamales are a Christmas tradition among Hispanics (and even some gringos). Unfortunately, this seems like its becomining a holiday tradition as well. The same thing happened to the restaurant at Christmas time last year.

ACLU Threatens Suit Over Holiday Display

2006-12-21T21:55:00.000-06:00

It's an event that has become as much a part of the Christmas season as eggnog and wish lists -- it's the annual lawsuit festival conducted each year by the American Civil Liberties Union. Only this year the ACLU is putting a new twist on the tradition by demanding that Maui County (Hawaii) government officials put up a Christmas tree or be slapped with a federal lawsuit.

It seems that a local rabbi, after obtaining permission from the mayor, placed a lighted menorah in front of the Kalana O Maui Building. That's when the local ACLU wrote a letter threatening to sue the county. The ACLU warned that displaying the Hanukkah menorah was unconstitutional and that they would sue if the condition was not fixed. So five days before Christmas, government employees were sent out to put up an 11-foot Monterey pine next to the unconstitutional menorah.

After county employees adorned the tree with $250.00 worth of white lights and a bow with streamers, the ACLU pronounced the holiday display sufficiently "secularized" to pass constitutional muster -- and avoid a lawsuit.

A Rose By Any Other Name

2006-12-16T10:46:00.000-06:00

Stories about Baptist fussing and fighting are nothing new. What is new about the story from northern Georgia is the reason. Some of the of the folks in Gwinnett are upset about the recent vote to change the name of the local Baptist church there. Among the new names offered for the one hundred fifty year old church are: Oak View, Fort Daniel, Hamilton Mill, Mill Creek or Oak Hill.

The old name? Hog Mountain Baptist Church. Senior minister Barney Williams says a different name will attract more people to the church, which averages about 50 to 65 people for Sunday services. 'Sides that, Rev. Williams says that in the Bible, hogs are associated with sin. Sin, or no sin, the change has upset some older folks, like Charles Warbington, 65, who was a faithful member of Hog Mountain Baptist Church for 55 years. "All the old people around here, their hearts are broken," Warbington told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "You can change the name, but you can't change history. What're they going to do with the historic marker? Change it?"

'Course Mr. Warbington left Hog Mountain back in 1994 for a megachurch down the road.

Duck & Cover

2006-12-12T22:44:00.000-06:00

Blind To Be Given Hunting Licenses
I'll admit it, I'm not a hunter. Now before you categorize me as some PETA wacko, let me explain. I have nothing against hunting, I've just never seen the attraction of sitting in a tree in the freezing cold waiting for some deer to aimlessly wander by.

I've always suspected that for most men (not being discriminatory, I have just noticed that the vast majority of hunters are male) one of the big attractions is sitting around the fire drinking and telling hunting stories. Well if State Representative Edmund Kuempel has his way, the joy of sipping strong drink and swapping lies after a long day of hunting will soon be opened up to the visually impaired.

The legislator has introduced a bill that would allow blind people to hunt any game that sighted people can currently pursue. "This opens up the fun of hunting to additional people, and I think that's great," Rep. Kuempel told Reuters. While the law qould require that blind hunters have a sighted hunter with them, the thought of blind people being given high-powered rifles and sent into the woods strikes me as more than a little dangerous. It also gives me another reason to stay home where it's nice and warm, and safe, during deer season.

Behold! The Tax Man Cometh

2006-12-10T14:00:00.000-06:00

Big Brother will have a new tool for hitting your wallet if a bill filed by democratic state Rep. Mike Villarreal becomes law. The bill would require the disclosure of the sales price in real estate transactions.

The biggest proponents of the measure are the local appraisal districts. They are charged with setting the "fair market" value of all real estate for taxing purposes. Currently, state law does not require the disclosure of the purchase price in a property sale. While most appraisal districts get that information on residential property by joining realtor's multiple listing service, the Tax Men claim that such information can be much harder to come by on commercial property sales. The Texas Association of Appraisal Districts claims that $301,000,000,000.00 was left off tax rolls statewide last year.

Not so, say opponents, including the Texas Association of Realtors and Texas Apartment Association. They say that when it comes to commercial property, there are too many variables that determine the price someone paid for a certain price for a property and that such a price disclosure bill would lead to inflated commercial property appraisals.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

2006-12-04T20:03:00.000-06:00

"You could be a corpse and get 31 percent as the Democratic nominee just about any office." so said Chris Bell, the Democratic Party's nominee for governor back in mid-September.

So how did he fare in the election? When all was said and done Mr. Bell scored just 29.8% of the vote. Maybe next time the Democrats will take Bell's advice and nominate a dead guy.

From Rick Perry vs. The World, via Lone Star Times.

NYC Inspectors Say No to Armadillo

2006-12-03T16:44:00.000-06:00

Food safety inspectors in New York City are cracking down on markets that sell exotic meats such as armadillo and iguana. Authorities told the Associated Press they are seeing a trend where markets across New York are buying meat and other foods from unregulated sources and selling them to an immigrant population with a taste for more unusual fare.

Among other meats found in a recent sweep of markets were 200 lbs. of cow lungs as well as smoked rodent meat. Food safety officials say that in addition to rat, members of the city's immigrant population prefers turtles, fish paste, frogs and duck feet.

Yak Yak Yak

2006-11-30T21:10:00.000-06:00

Women talk about three times as much as men. That's according to a recently published book. In, "The Female Mind" female psychiatrist, Dr Luan Brizendine says women devote more brain cells to talking than men.

According to the doctor, the average woman uses up 20,000 words in a day. The average man? Just 13,000 words. The doctor also says that women also speak more quickly, devote more brainpower to chit-chat - and actually get a buzz out of hearing their own voices. But then, you knew that.

The book goes on to explain that the simply talking triggers a flood of brain chemicals which give women a rush similar to that felt by heroin addicts when they get a high.

Show Us The Money

2006-11-26T13:41:00.000-06:00

While motorists see red at traffic lights, the City of Arlington sees another color...green. The city, whose budget has been cramped by declining sales tax revenue in the last few years is set to close a deal with American Traffic Solutions. The deal will install 10 red-light cameras at a cost of $4,750.00 per month. Arlington's take? A staggering $3,800,000.00 a year. That means the cameras are expected to churn out citations worth $31,6666.67 a month giving the city a profit margin of over 65%.

I'm sure the city is motivated purely by concerns of traffic safety in doing the deal. A police department mouthpiece even told the S-T that the red-light cameras are to be installed at the, "10 most dangerous" intersections. For any residents of Arlington that believe that, I'll make you a deal on a boondoggle of a football stadium. Oh, wait, ya'll already bought that.

Shop Till You Drop

2006-11-25T19:30:00.000-06:00

Already behind in your Christmas shopping? DFW Airport suggests you kill two birds with one stone and get that special someone a gift while waiting for your flight at the airport.

The airport is touting it's terminal-based stores as a great place to beat the crowds at the malls. DFW International Airport’s is home to almost 100 retailers and specialty shops including Fossil, Brooks Brothers, MallaSadi Men’s Boutique, Brookstone, & Landau.

Deck Them Halls

2006-11-24T21:35:00.000-06:00

Freshly stuffed with turkey and feeling chipper after a Cowboys win on Thanksgiving Day, Fort Worthians headed out to the malls today. Nation-wide, some retails executives were predicting one of the best "Black Fridays" in years. Many stores used giveaways and deeply discounted prices on the most popular items to lure shoppers out before dawn. My own visual inspection of the mall parking lot indicated a less than spectacular opening to this year's shopping season. Perhaps the beautiful weather kept more people outside?

The Friday after Thanksgiving is almost always the busiest shopping day of the year. Surprisingly, it generally is not the day with the highest total sales. That is usually either Christmas Eve, or the Saturday right before Christmas as procrastinators like me rush to find that last minute gift.

So to all my fellow procrastinators, relax, there's still plenty of time.

Man Vs. Machine

2006-11-23T10:51:00.000-06:00

Those ubiquitous greeters you find at the entrance to your local Wal-Mart may be a dying breed if a Japanese company has its way. "Ubiko," a robot-on-wheels with a catlike face, is being rented out as a temp-worker by a Japanese job-referral company to stores, events and even weddings.

The company reports that the 44-inch tall robot, which can be hired for two hours for about $890.00, has already landed a job selling cell phones at a store next month. While that may sound steep, consider that Japan's declining birth rate as left the country with a labor shortage, not to mention the fact that the little robot is exempt from labor laws.

Associated Press reports that a hospital has already bought three of $255,000.00 robots to serve as receptionists.

Farmers Branch to Consider Ban on Illegals

2006-11-12T14:10:00.000-06:00

According to the AP, a suburb of Big D may become the first city in Texas to adopt a city ordinance designed to keep out illegal immigrants. The news service reports that a Farmers Branch councilman has given city attorneys drafts of an ordinance that would make English the city's official language as well as fine companies and landlords who do business with illegal immigrants.

More than 50 municipalities nationwide have considered, passed or rejected laws banning landlords from leasing to illegal immigrants, penalizing businesses that employ undocumented workers and making English the local official language. But until now, that trend hasn't been matched in the Lone Star State. "This is the first town in Texas that had the guts to do what's right," Susie Hart, who grew up in Farmers Branch, said during a recent demonstration outside City Hall. "The education system is tanking;" health care has gone through the roof, everybody is bilingual."

Such sentiments and the proposed ordinance trouble many people in Texas, where many Latino families can trace their roots here to the era before statehood. "This is not just a Farmers Branch problem," Elizabeth Villafranca said of the proposal. Villafranca, whose family owns a Mexican restaurant in Farmers Branch, said she worries that such laws will spread to other cities if the City Council Council approves the proposal. The measure is expected to be submitted to the council on Monday, but there was no indication when it might be put to a vote...

Huh?

2006-10-26T22:51:00.000-05:00

Go West Young Man

2006-10-20T10:21:00.000-05:00

Tarrant Population to Exceed Dallas?

If population trends in North Texas continue as they did from 2000 through 2004, Tarrant County's population will surpass that of Dallas County by 2030.

That prediction comes from analysts at the Texas State Data Center, the state arm of the U.S. Census Bureau, assuming that the 2000-04 period reflects fundamental changes in population patterns.

The State forecasts that in 2030 Tarrant County's population will be 2,981,701 compared to a population of 2,860,574 in our neighbor to the east.

Weed or Wildflower?

2006-09-27T22:39:00.000-05:00

Personally, I've always considered sunflowers big weeds. But then being a true Texan, I consider a double-wide trailer to be living large.

Kids, Ya' Gotta Luv 'Em

2006-09-13T20:45:00.000-05:00

Three people, including the daughter of a Cowtown police officer, could face charges after they took the officer's patrol car for a joy ride.

Police Lt. Dean Sullivan said the 21-year-old girl and two other kids took the keys from the sleeping officer's gun belt and drove the car around the neighborhood, turning the lights and sirens on and off and at one point pulling over a motorist.

The police say that they haven't been able to clearly establish who was actually driving the car yet.

United We Stand

2006-09-11T20:20:00.000-05:00

Christopher Hitchens sums up the events of five years ago and following the best in today's Wall Street Journal.

Solidarity
Our first duty is to stand together against bin Ladenism.

BY CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS
...The beginning of wisdom is to recognize that the United States was assaulted for what it really is, and what it understands as the center of modernity, and not for its unworldliness.

But here I am, writing that it was "the United States" that was assaulted. And there was the president, and most of the media, speaking about "an attack on America." True as this was and is, it is not quite the truth... It would have been far better if President Bush had characterized the atrocity as an attack on civilization itself, and it would be preferable if we observed the anniversary in the same spirit.
In the past five years, I have either registered or witnessed or protested at or simply "observed" the following:
(1) The reopening of a restaurant in Bali, where several dozen Australian holidaymakers and many Indonesian civilians had earlier been torn to shreds. (2) The explosion of a bomb at a Tube station in London which is regularly used by two of my children. (3) The murder of a senior Shiite cleric outside his place of worship in Iraq. (4) The attempt to destroy the Danish economy--and to torch Danish embassies and civilians--as a consequence of the publication of a few caricatures in the Danish press. (5) The murder of the U.N. envoy to Baghdad: a heroic Brazilian named Sergio Vieira de Mello, as vengeance (according to his murderers) for his role in shepherding East Timor to independence. (6) The near-successful attempt to blow up the Indian parliament in New Delhi, and two successful attempts to disrupt the commerce and society of Mumbai. (7) The destruction of the Golden Dome in Samara: a place of aesthetic as well as devotional importance. (8) The bombing of ancient synagogues in Tunisia, Turkey and Morocco. (9) The evisceration in the street of a Dutch filmmaker, Theo van Gogh, and the lethal threats that drove his Somali-born colleague, a duly elected member of the Dutch parliament, into hiding and then exile. (10) The ritual slaughter on video of a Jewish reporter for this newspaper.
...This has not dimmed, for me, the importance of what happened in New York and Washington and Pennsylvania. But it has made me slightly bored with those who continue to wonder, fruitlessly so far, in what fashion "we" should commemorate it.
The time for commemoration lies very far in the future. War memorials are erected when the war is won... But to the bored, cynical neutrals, it also comes naturally to say that it is "the war" that has taken, and is taking, the lives of tens of thousands of other civilians. In other words, homicidal nihilism is produced only by the resistance to it! If these hacks were honest, and conceded the simple truth that it is the forces of the Taliban and of al Qaeda in Mesopotamia that are conducting a Saturnalia of murder and destruction, they would have to hide their faces and admit that they were not "antiwar" at all.
"We"--and our allies--simply have to become more ruthless and more experienced. An unspoken advantage of the current awful strife in Iraq and Afghanistan is that it is training tens of thousands of our young officers and soldiers to fight on the worst imaginable terrain, and gradually to learn how to confront, infiltrate, "turn," isolate and kill the worst imaginable enemy. These are faculties that we shall be needing in the future. It is a shame that we have to expend our talent in this way, but it was far worse five years and one day ago, when the enemy knew that there was a war in progress, and was giggling at how easy the attacks would be, and "we" did not even know that hostilities had commenced.

As usual, the talking heads on TV have it all wrong. The Bin Ladens of Islamic Facism don't hate us because of what we've done, or haven't done. They hate us because of who we are. This struggle isn't about WMD's, it's to determine whether a fanatical band of murderers will be allowed to plunge the world into another dark age.

Redneck Bottle Rocket Launcher

2006-09-08T20:38:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'll admit it, I've become addicted to YouTube.

Get Out The Vote Spokesman Strikes Out

2006-09-06T23:50:00.000-05:00

Secretary of State Roger Williams held a news conference today where he introduced University of Texas baseball coach Augie Garrido as spokesman for VOTEXAS, his program to get more people to the polls. After giving a speech in which he compared the democratic process to a game and called voting "the fundamentals" Coach Garrido revealed that he hasn't cast a single ballot in the last 10 years. "I am not a very political guy," the coach explained.

One might think that state officials would be troubled by such an admission. After all, you wouldn't take you car to a mechanic who didn't drive. However, Secretary of State Williams said that Coach Garrido's total lack of involvement in the political process made him the ideal spokesman to encourage people to get involved in the political process.

Who Can't Handle The Truth?

2006-09-04T20:15:00.000-05:00

I had the day off, so I took the lovely Mrs. Smith to see World Trade Center. At the beginning of his movie, director Oliver Stone states that it is a true story. While overall the movie is pretty good, it's not the whole truth.

I'm specifically troubled by the sequence when the twin towers come crashing to the ground. Stone depicts people from all over the world sitting dumbfounded watching or listening to the news of the despicable attack. However, there is one place Stone's political sensitivities prevent him from going - the West bank and Gaza strip. I didn't see any depiction of jubilant Palestinians dancing in the streets at the horrific loss of American life. It might not be politically correct, but it is historically accurate and important to remember that.

When this country suffered the worst terrorist attack in its history, our friends in Israel wept. Cowardly terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah had a party.

Beauty And The Geek

2006-09-03T15:49:00.000-05:00

A CT scan of Jessica Simpson would probably reveal that she has marshmallow where her brain should be. Fortunately for her, that void in her cranium comes wrapped in a rather attractive outer coat. Which is why geeks everywhere must be rejoicing at news that the blonde singer is dating John Mayer. That's right, John Mayer.

John Mayer may very well be the geekiest pop singer since John Denver sang about sunshine on his shoulder. It's like the homecoming queen went out with the winner of the science fair. So cheer up geeks everywhere. If someone as ugly as John Mayer can date a hottie like Jessica Simpson, there's hope for you too.

Never Mind

2006-09-01T20:39:00.000-05:00

I rarely rail against the "liberal media", instead preferring to rail against the stupid media, of which, there seems to be an inexhaustible supply. However, an article in today's Washington Post about Wilson-Plame-Gate did catch my eye.

For those of you that attended public school, I've highlighted just a few examples of the Post's undying hypocrisy along with some commentary of my own.

WE'RE RELUCTANT to return to the subject of former CIA employee Valerie Plame because of our oft-stated belief that far too much attention and debate in Washington has been devoted to her story [Really? A couple of years ago when republicans said the same thing they were accused of a coverup] ... But all those who have opined on this affair ought to take note of the not-so-surprising disclosure that the primary source of the newspaper column in which Ms. Plame's cover as an agent was purportedly blown in 2003 was former deputy secretary of state Richard L. Armitage. [Well, I for one, am surprised. I had been led to believe that poor Ms. Plame and Mr. Wilson were the victims of a devious plot to destroy them]
...Mr. Armitage reportedly passed it along to columnist Robert D. Novak "in an offhand manner, virtually as gossip," according to a story this week by the Post's R. Jeffrey. [So? when White House staffmembers were accused of the same thing, there were widespread calls that they be tried for treason.]
It follows that one of the most sensational charges leveled against the Bush White House -- that it orchestrated the leak of Ms. Plame's identity to ruin her career and thus punish Mr. Wilson -- is untrue...
... Mr. Libby and his boss, Mr. Cheney, were trying to discredit Mr. Wilson... [No, Mr. Wilson discredited himself with his lies. The White House was merely trying to get the truth out, something a good newspaper would try to do as well.] ...
Nevertheless, it now appears that the person most responsible for the end of Ms. Plame's CIA career is Mr. Wilson.

I don't get the paper copy of the Post, so have no idea where it appeared in the paper. However, I rather doubt this article was given the widespread exposure given to the previous claims by Mr. Wilson. Claims that were totally baseless.

Pigskin Job Brings Home The Bacon

2006-08-27T18:00:00.000-05:00

The average paycheck for a head football coach in Texas' largest high schools is about $31,000.00 more than that of the average teacher at the same size school the Austin American-Statesman reported today:

Head coaches in Classes 5A and 4A --— schools with 950 students or more Ã— are making an average of $73,804 while teachers in those classifications average close to $42,400, according to records obtained by the Austin American-Statesman through the Texas Public Information Act...
The Austin American-Statesman asked every 5A and 4A school district in the state for the total compensation paid to head football coaches and for salaries of their highest-paid teachers, high school principals and superintendents for the 2005-06 school year.

Did the paper really need to go to all that trouble to discover that in Texas high school football is king? A drive through any small town would tell you that.

Not surprisingly, some teachers aren't happy with the situation. Texas State Teachers Association President Donna Haschke told the Statesman, "In Texas, everybody expects us to have big football programs. In my opinion, yes, we need to emphasize academics over sports more than we do. Sports has its place, and it's an important, positive place in the curriculum. But I think that we should be putting some of that time and money into education."

Personally, I've always been of the opinion that in a free society such as ours, people earn exactly what they deserve. While I may wish society valued my job of Community Blogger more than they do, I've come to grips with the fact that I'll never get close to the pay of Ennis High School's Sam Harrell, who earns $106,004 a year. But hey, a guy can dream.

Party On Longhorns

2006-08-21T14:07:00.000-05:00

The University of Texas at Austin is the country's best party school. The Princeton Review surveyed 115,000 students at campuses around the country and bestowed the honor(?) on the school. This is what our tax dollars support?

It's the first time U.T.-Austin topped the overall list. The Princeton Review ranked the school 2nd in the use of hard liquor, 3rd in beer drinking, and 13th in marijuana smoking. U.T. spokesman Don Hale told the Associated Press that campus leaders don't take such rankings very seriously. Maybe they should? Not surprisingly, the university finds itself way back in 47th place in U.S. News and World Report's ranking of "America's Best Colleges".

In December, Phanta "Jack" Phoummarath died of died of acute alcohol poisoning, as a result of fraternity hazing. Mr. Phoummarath's blood alcohol level was 0.50 percent, more than six times the legal limit.

The Search for Significance

2006-08-16T21:23:00.000-05:00

While today's web-savvy consumers wants something, "new", apparently, "free" is even better. That's the conclusion of Lee Gomes, writing in today's Wall Street Journal. Last week America Online released information on web-search data from 650,000 of its customers. So the industrious Mr. Gomes took the data set -- all 2.27 gigabytes' worth, and studied how people really use the Web.

Among his findings:

Something for Nothing
Ignoring prepositions and conjunctions, the most commonly used word in the 17.15 million separate searches was "free." The next-most common word was, "new".

A Plethora of Pervs
According to a research paper about the data prepared by an AOL-led team, porn was the third most common activity of Web searchers, behind entertainment and shopping. Mr. Gomes found that 14% of all users made some form of explicit sexual search

You Want Answers?

When it comes to finding the answers to life's questions, some things are apparently better left to the unknown.  35% of those that posed a question in a search engine didn't bother to click on a single link.  A random sampling indicated that those that did click on a link could expect to find a fairly accurate answer about 60% of the time.

The Truth is out There
Among the data there were 12 searches for the head of the United Nations, Kofi Annan -- 165 queries for the deceased nun, Mother Teresa -- 1,881 searches for Madonna and 3,279 attempts to find God on the Web.  Lest you mistakenly assume that this represents some new found spirituality among AOL users, consider this.  With 3,938 searches, more people are trying to find Britney Spears than God.  

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

2006-08-15T19:25:00.000-05:00

Barack Obama is considered one of the rising stars in the Democratic Party. The following is from News Channel 6:

Illinois Senator Barack Obama warns citizens at his 50th Town Hall meeting about gas guzzling. It was among many points made to the standing room only audience at the Metropolis Community Center. Obama spoke on everything from DC politics to global warming. He says part of the blame for the world's higher temperatures rests on gas guzzling vehicles. Obama says consumers can make the difference by switching to higher mileage hybrids. Today the Senator said, "It would save more energy, do more for the environment and create better world security than all the drilling we could do in Alaska."

After the meeting... Obama left in a GMC Envoy after admitting to favoring SUV's himself.

Al Gore, who is traveling across the country in a private plane to promote his movie encouraging energy conservation could not be reached for comment.

Hurrying to Post This Before my Laptop Burst into Flames

2006-08-14T19:12:00.000-05:00

I've been really pleased with my Dell laptop. Until today when I found out that it may burst into flames at any moment. While announcing the recall, Dell tried to pass the buck, blaming faulty batteries it says are manufactured by Sony.

I'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out if my particular model is one being recalled. If mine is faulty, and given my luck with laptops, I'm sure it is, If it's defective, I'll have to wait for Dell to ship me a new battery. Until then, the government says I should only use my laptop with the power cord. Kinda' defeats the purpose of buying a laptop in the first place doesn't it?

This is just another in a long list of problems I've had with laptops. My last laptop was a Toshiba. It quit on me four weeks after the warranty went out. Before that, I had a Hewlett-Packard laptop. After sixteen weeks of ownership, it conked out. No worry. It's still in warranty. That's when I found out that H-P's idea of warranted repair was shipping it off to God-knows where and waiting 6-8 weeks for its return. Who the heck can do without their computer that long? In the mean time, I'm surfing the 'net, looking for an asbestos blanket to lay across my lap to protect me from fire.

San Antonio Lady Turns 108

2006-08-12T19:49:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday! to Audrey Rose Sasser of San Antonio who is 108 years young today. UPI reports that Ms. Sasser celebrated her birthday with friends and family.

While she admitted to a few aches and pains, Ms. Sasser. who was born on a Louisiana plantation in 1898, reports that her her eyesight is still 20/20 and that she still takes a daily walk around her retirement community.

For those seeking her secret to a long life, Ms. Sasser's diet includes oatmeal and coffee daily. Mostly she says that her active childhood in the days before TV and video games are the reason for her good health.

Man Fails in His Attempt to Deal Hurst the Race Card

2006-08-12T09:40:00.000-05:00

Willie Hudspeth is mad at the Hurst Police. The Star-Telegram says that the Denton County man claims he is a victim of racial profiling by the Hurst Police Department. He says he was pulled over because he is black. Not so says HPD, which says officer C. Collazo made the traffic stop because Hudspeth was driving 55 mph in a 45 mph zone and because he had improper license plates. The officer says that the license plates on Hudspeth's pick-up were not readable and belonged on another vehicle.

Thankfully for officer Collazo the traffic stop was recorded by the dash-mounted video camera. You can view the whole thing here. While we can't tell how fast Hudspeth was driving, one thing is clear from the video. You can't read his license plate or even tell that he has one.

Despite clear evidence that he was breaking the law, Hudspeth is attempting to play the race card, claiming he is the victim. Puhlease. The S-T says he was let go with a warning. I say he got off easy. He deserves to be pimp slapped.

RadioShack to Send 400+ Employees Packing

2006-08-11T20:15:00.000-05:00

Cowtown company RadioShack announced yesterday that it plans to reduce its workforce by around 400 to 450 positions. The company says that the layoffs will reduce the its overhead expense and improve its position in the marketplace. The company says that most of the reductions will come at its fancy new headquarters on the edge of downtown Fort Worth, though the exact number of employees to be let go there hasn't been decided yet.

Sharp Fort Worthians will recall that Cowtown taxpayers forked over about $20,000,000.00 in tax breaks to get the company to build its brand spanking new headquarters on the site of a low-income housing project a few years ago. So much for keeping jobs in Fort Worth.

Fortune ranks Radio Shack 423 among corporations with 2005 revenue of $5,081,000,000.00.

When Life Hands You Lemons...

2006-08-11T19:53:00.000-05:00

Make Lemonade!

The Houston Chronicle reports today on one poor college student that did just that during yesterday's terror alert.

At the entrance to Hobby's screening area, where passengers had dumped items including aftershave, shampoo and eye drops into large trash bins, Michael Wilkinson grabbed a half-empty tube of toothpaste and a used bottle of lotion out of the bin.

"It's free," said Wilkinson, a 19-year-old Blinn College student from Bay City who had dropped a friend off for a flight. "All these people are throwing (stuff) away. I might as well."

Via Lone Star Times.

Traffic in East Texas Fowled up by Wreck

2006-08-08T20:31:00.000-05:00

You think it's hot? Just imagine how those twenty-four penquins felt when the truck that was carrying them overturned in East Texas. The birds were traveling to Moody Gardens in Galveston when their chauffuer rolled the truck they were in into a ditch alongside U.S. 59 near Marshall.

Three penguins were killed by oncoming traffic, and one suffered a broken wing.

Workers from the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler assisted DPS officers in rounding up the rest of the flight-less birds. A chemical company was called which brought a refrigerated trailer for the animals to ride in. Now that's the way to travel this time of year.

Dial "F" for Frustration

2006-08-08T19:50:00.000-05:00

Interesting story in today's Wall Street Journal about a website that provides a "cheat sheet" for those callers wishing to avoid big corporation's phone systems and actually speak to a real live human being. The list comes from gethuman.com and it provides instructions on bypass the phone trees of 415 corporations and get through to an actual person.

Now if someone would just start a website with instructions on getting through to a person that is actually on this continent.

Tax-Free Weekend Puts absurdity of the Nanny-State on Display

2006-08-05T11:47:00.000-05:00

The state's annual "tax-free weekend" is now in full swing with the parking lots of area malls and Wal-Marts packed. But not everything is exempt from sales tax and the list can be quite confusing. Looking over the lists of what is tax-exempt and what is not, I can only conclude the list was produced in Boston or somewhere. It certainly could not have come from Austin:

Belts with attached buckles are exempt, but a belt buckle by itself is not. What self-respecting Texan would dream of going back to school without a big shiny belt buckle?
Tennis shoes are exempt, bowling shoes are not. This is a clear case of class-discrimination. Buffy can get a good deal on shoes to where to country club whereas Billy Bob as to fork over sales tax on a new pair of shoes to where bowling?.
Football jerseys are tax-exempt, but not football helmets. As one who has been frequently accused of not wearing my helmut during my football playing days, this angers me. Whut 'bout the childlin'? Don't they deserve all the protection that they can get?
Dresses are exempt from taxes, but a purse to match is taxable. I've been married for over 20 years, 15 of them happily. If there is one thing I've learned about women, it's that whenever they get a new dress, they have to have a purse to match.

Aside from the absurdity of the list is the absurdity of the entire premise that big government should be allowed to tell us what we should and shouldn't buy. If sales taxes are a hardship on families trying to send the kids back to school, then sales taxes are too high. Period.

Here is Cowtown, we struggle with one of the highest sales tax rates in the country. Let's cut the sales tax for all citizens, not just those that meekly do as they are told and buy when and what they are supposed to.

Stop Shooting At Us So We Can Kill You

2006-08-05T11:11:00.000-05:00

Iranian Terrorist-In-Chief, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad this week called for an immediate cease-fire to end the fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah.

The leader of the out-law country went on to offer his own solution to the crisis in the Middle-East: Destroy Israel.

"Although the main solution is for the elimination of the Zionist regime, at this stage an immediate cease-fire must be implemented," Ahmadinejad said, according to state-run television in a report posted on its Web site Thursday.

And people wonder why there is no cease-fire. Why would any country negotiate with people that are sworn to kill them?

Millions & Millions Served

2006-08-01T21:19:00.000-05:00

Mozilla announced yesterday that its Firefox Web Browser had been downloaded 200,000,000 times. Firefox 1.0 was made availible on the net a year and nine months ago. Since then, Firefox has captured 15% of the web browser market in the United States and become the first challenger to Bill Gate's security-plagued Internet Explorer since the demise of Netscape.

Computer Geeks say that Firefox is much more secure that IE. 'Sides that, the tabbed browsing feature is a really handy way to view multiple web pages -- and is a feature still not found on IE.

You can beat the price either. It's availible free.

Deja Vu All Over Again for Texas Golfer

2006-08-01T17:42:00.000-05:00

Most golfers dream of making a hole-in-one just once in their life. Lubbock resident Danny Leake got to live that dream recently during the Texas Tech Rawls Course club tournament. Then he got to relive that dream the very next day. On the exact same hole, with the exact club.

No word on whether he was wearing the the exact same underwear, but I'll bet the next time he hits the links, he's wearing the same briefs.

ESPN has the rest of the story here:

...Leake, 53, aced the sixth hole Saturday with a 5-iron from 174 yards. He aced the same hole with the same club from 178 yards in Sunday's final round.
Leake, who has a 14 handicap and was seeded in one of the tournament's lowest flights, quickly became the talk of the clubhouse.
"My 5-iron is becoming my favorite club," Leake was quoted as saying in Monday's editions of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. He said he was more than satisfied with his ace Saturday and had no thought of repeating the shot.
Leake went on to win the sixth flight with a score of 87-84-85--256.
"I've always wanted to make a hole-in-one, but I'm nowhere near as good a golfer as most of the people [at the tournament]. That's what make this whole thing crazy," Leake said. "I'll probably never hit another one as long as I live, but I'm OK with that."

Yankee Reporter Visits Cowtown

2006-07-30T20:50:00.000-05:00

The Washington Post has a story today about development of the Barnett Shale gas field here in Cowtown.

Here's the Reader's Digest version:

In Fort Worth Neighborhoods, Residents Know the Drill
Gas Sites Are Seen as Found Money -- or Unwelcome Intrusion
By Sylvia Moreno
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 30, 2006; A03
FORT WORTH --...Welcome to the newest, largest, most productive and most urban natural gas drilling site in the nation. As a huge billboard ad for drilling services just south of downtown Fort Worth says: "If you want a gas well . . . get one!"
Thousands of residents in this metropolitan area of 1.3 million have done just that. They have signed over the mineral rights in the land under their homes for lease bonus payments and the promise of monthly royalty checks for decades from companies erecting well pad sites and derricks all around town.
And it's not just homeowners who can reap benefits. Any entity that owns mineral rights -- whether or not it owns the land above the minerals -- can.
In less than a year, the City of Fort Worth has earned $9 million from signing bonuses and gas royalties after leasing 2,400 mineral acres to companies drilling near three city parks and the municipal airport. The money will fund park and airport improvements...
This gateway to the West, as Texas lore describes Fort Worth, sits atop one of the largest, deepest and richest gas-infused formations of black rock in the United States. Discovered in 1981, the formation, known as the Barnett Shale, was little more than a geological footnote until this past decade, when technological advances made drilling possible through the hard, dense rock...
In the past two years, drilling companies have flocked to the city and the surrounding 14 counties that sit over the Barnett Shale, and there's little to stop them. In Texas, state law gives owners of mineral rights the prerogative over owners of surface land. The companies have to negotiate only with the mineral rights owners to get to the natural gas.
"We cannot prohibit gas drilling within our city, and if we did, we would have to pay compensation to every mineral estate owner within the city limits who would no longer be allowed to access his mineral rights," said Sarah Fullenwider, Fort Worth's assistant city attorney...
"It's one of the best and most exciting plays in North America," said John Richels, president of Oklahoma City-based Devon Energy. The company, which has leased 720,000 acres in the Barnett Shale, has drilled more than 2,500 wells and produced more than 800 billion cubic feet of natural gas.

Though it pains my native-Texan soul to admit it, the yankee reporter from The Washington Post did a pretty good job. Even though the story starts out with the obligatory whining neighbor, overall it's a fairly balanced look at the issue here in Cowtown. 'Sides that, not once did she call Fort Worth a suburb of dallas.

House Votes to Increase Unemployment

2006-07-29T22:54:00.000-05:00

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 230-180 in favor of increased unemployment, especially among teenagers and the unskilled. While you won't see that in the headlines, that will be the net effect if the Senate goes along with the house's stupid plan to raise the $5.15-per-hour minimum wage in three 70-cent steps until it reaches $7.25 in mid-2009.

Some basic facts:

If you raise the price of something, including labor, people will use less of it. Even liberal economists admit that an increase in the minimum wage increases unemployment.
A minimum wage increase hits unskilled workers and teenagers especially hard. A 2004 study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the vast majority of minimum wage earners lack high school diplomas. 1/2 of all minimum wage earners are younger than 25, with 25% of them aged 16-19. These young people can benefit greatly from on-the-job training. Yet an increase in the minimum wage makes such training cost prohibitive.
Few, if any, people are trying to raise a family on the minimum wage. The same study found that never married workers were much more likely than married workers to earn the minimum.
A minimum wage increase will make it harder on people that only want to work part-time. Part-time workers are much more likely to earn the minimum wage than full-time workers. Yet every mandatory increase in the cost of such part-time labor lessens the demand.
Such a move is unnecessary. Since 1979, the percentage of hourly workers earning the minimum wage has decreased from 13.4% to 2.7%. The odds are that the kid handing you your Big Mac is making a lot more than the minimum wage, without Congress's meddling.

With all the sound arguments against raising the minimum wage, who's for it?

Unions. At first glance, one wonders why union members, who earn way more than the minimum wage, would care. Simple. They know that their own bloated contracts make their employers inefficient. Raising the minimum wage is their way of trying to make the rest of American business equally inefficient. Combine that with the fact that some union contracts are pegged to the minimum wage and you can see why raising the minimum wage is Job #1 for union bosses.
Democrats. They do the bidding of the union bosses that funnel their member's dues into their campaigns. Their protests not withstanding, they care nothing about the average worker. If they did care, they would reduce the huge tax burden workers face.
Cowardly Republicans. The issue came to a vote because some Republicans are nervous about their chances in the upcoming election. While its hard for me to say, I think I'd almost prefer a Democratic majority in Congress over this budget-busting, cowardly bunch of Republicans we've got in Washington now.

The bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where only 1/3 of its members face reelection each year. We can only hope that the Republicans in the upper house will let this bill die the death it deserves.

Dinner Bell - Big Tom's Barbeque

2006-07-29T22:15:00.000-05:00

Big Tom's Barbeque
6500 Denton Highway
Watauga, TX 76148
(817) 503-8214

Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. When you show up at a barbeque joint at ten minutes till noon and find that you are the only customer in the whole place, that should tell you something.

Nevertheless, on a recent weekday I decided to give the place a chance. Who knows? Perhaps it was an as yet undiscovered jewel?

The fella' behind the counter greeted me promptly, after all, it's not like he had a lot to do. I don't know if he was Tom or not, he wasn't really that big. Another thing that wasn't big was the helping of sliced brisket he delivered to my table shortly thereafter. Heck, I normally nibble on more meat than that while passing it around the table.

I wish I could say that the meat made up for the puny portion with a hearty flavor. Alas, such was not the case. I've chewed on wallboard that was more flavorful and tender. The bottled barbeque sauce didn't help much either. Yes, I said bottled barbeque sauce. What self-respecting barbeque place serves bottled sauce?

The potato salad held out promise. Rather that the mush most places serve, Big Tom puts small chunks of potatoes in his salad. Unfortunately, what Big Tom doesn't put in there is flavoring as the salad was just as bland as the half warm, half cold, corn-on-the-cob.

I'm pretty sure Big Tom's has been in business in Watauga for quite some time, though I can't for the life of me figure out how. Perhaps in the sea of fast-food chains along Denton Highway Wataugans just don't know any better?

Feds After Fort Worth Tax Man

2006-07-28T15:54:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit to stop a Cowtown resident from preparing federal tax returns for others. The Houston Chronicle says that the Feds are accusing Phillip M. Ballard of preparing tax returns showing zeros on all lines. Ballard claims that his customers aren't subject to federal income taxes because they are citizens of their states, not the United States. 'Course, with zero income, his clients wind up owing zero tax.

The government also alleges that Ballard falsely claims to be an attorney, and asks that he be stopped from selling "insurance" promising to protect customers from taxes, penalties and interest.

If you've engaged the services of Ballard's firm, Asset & IRS Shield Inc., you have reason to worry. In addition to asking the court to order him to stop representing his customers before the IRS, the government also wants a list of the names, contact information, and Social Security numbers of his customers.

Another Round? Have Another Puff

2006-07-26T22:20:00.000-05:00

Having a cigarette while drinking may reduce the effects of the alcohol, scientists suggested. The BBC reported this week that researchers in Texas tested the alcohol blood level in rats after feeding them varying doses of nicotine and alcohol. They found lower alcohol levels in "smoking" rats than in the "non-smoking" rats.

Writing in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, the scientists theorized that nicotine delays the movement of alcohol into the intestines - a major site for the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.

The researchers cautioned that the tests have only been carried out on rats so far. 'Course tests on rats doesn't stop the government from banning stuff so this must be serious stuff.

It's Official: Yates is Insane

2006-07-26T21:36:00.000-05:00

A Houston jury found Andrea Yates not guilty by reason of insanity today in the death of her children. Yates drowned her five young children in the bathtub of her home.

Her attorneys said the 42-year-old woman suffered from severe postpartum psychosis and, in a delusional state, believed that Satan was inside her and that killing the youngsters would save them from hell. She will be committed to a state mental hospital and held until she is no longer deemed a threat. A conviction would have sent her to prison for life.

Four years ago, another jury convicted Yates of murder, rejecting her claim of insanity. However, an appeals court overturned the convictions because of erroneous testimony from a prosecution witness. In the prevous trail, Dr. Park Dietz, a forensic psychiatrist, told the jury that before the drownings, NBC ran a "Law & Order" episode about a woman who was acquitted by reason of insanity after drowning her children. It was later learned that no such episode existed.

Yates' chief attorney, George Parnham, called Wednesday's verdict a "watershed for mental illness and the criminal justice system."Yates will be sent to North Texas State Hospital in Vernon, a prison-like maximum-security facility encircled by a 17-foot fence and guard towers. Experts say it can take decades before psychiatrists decide that a patient is healthy enough to be released, and even then a judge can reject those findings.

Prosecutors had maintained that Yates failed to meet the state's definition of insanity: that she was so severely mentally ill that she did not know her actions were wrong. "I'm very disappointed," prosecutor Kaylynn Williford said. "For five years, we've tried to seek justice for these children."

Keith Olberwho?

2006-07-25T20:39:00.000-05:00

So the blogosphere is lit up with the story of the "feud" between Keith Olbermann and Bill O'Reilly. At the Television Critics Association's summer meeting, Olbermann reportedly opened his session by whipping out a mask of O'Reilly and offering a Nazi salute, a stunt the head of Fox News called, "over the line."

So, I just have one question - who's Keith Olbermann?

Soldier from Fort Worth Killed in Baghdad

2006-07-25T20:09:00.000-05:00

Captain Blake H. Russell, a Fort Worth native who was serving in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division was killed by enemy fire in Iraq on Saturday. Captain Russell was killed while investigating a possible mortar cache during operations in Baghdad. The career army man was a graduate of Boswell High School and Texas A&M University. He is survived by his wife, a 7-year-old son, and a 3-year-old daughter.

Complete article from Dallas Morning News.

Lost in New York

2006-07-24T17:32:00.000-05:00

Missile falls off truck onto New York highway

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A missile fell off a truck and onto a New York highway on Friday, but the weapon did not have a warhead and posed no danger, police said. WCBS radio reported it was a Tomahawk cruise missile. Police and fire department officials could not confirm that. The cargo came loose when the truck carrying it collided with another truck on a motorway in the Bronx. "It was a military-type missile but it was inert. There was no danger and no one was harmed," a police spokesman said.

In the words of one of the city's most famous residents, "Somebody's got some 'splaining to do!"

'Nuff Said - Hezbollah

2006-07-24T17:01:00.000-05:00

Via Cox & Forkum.

Strayhorn Strays From Republican Party Values

2006-07-22T20:59:00.000-05:00

Carole Keeton Strayhorn likes to portray herself as a tough-minded, fiscally conservative Republican Grandma. She's quoted on her website as saying, "Texas belongs to no special interest group, no special political credo, no special individual." Sounds great, huh? Then why is the current comptroller who wants badly to get the nomination of the Republican Party for Governor getting into bed the trial lawyers?

According to Texas Shark Watch, Strayhorn' s most recent campaign finance report filed in June reveals that personal injury trial lawyer Lance Lubel has kicked in another $10,000 to her campaign. This is on top of the over $1 million she had already received from Lubel and other plaintiffs' personal injury lawyers.

Lubel, who is with the Houston firm Heard, Robins, Cloud & Lubel, has given tens of thousands to liberal Democrats John Edwards, John Kerry, and Nick Lampson, as well as to the state Democratic parties in Texas and New Mexico.

The Dallas Morning News reports that among the lawyers who have contributed to Strayhorn are Tobacco Five tycoons Walter Umphrey of Beaumont and John Eddie Williams of Houston, who each gave $100,000, and Michael Gallagher and Mark Lanier, both of Houston, who each gave $50,000.

Is Strayhorn so desperate to reside in the Governor's Mansion that she is willing to sell her sole to the devils to do so? Or perhaps she is really a Donkey in Elephant clothing? Most importantly, what do these ambulance-chasers know about Strayhorn that has prompted them to give so generously to her campaign? Something Republicans might want to find out before the primary.

Green Beret from Fort Worth Killed in Afghanistan

2006-07-22T11:07:00.000-05:00

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A Green Beret based at Fort Bragg died this week when he was shot during a combat reconnaissance patrol in Afghanistan, the Army Special Operations Command said today.

Staff Sgt. Eric Caban, 28, of Fort Worth, died Tuesday after being hit by small arms fire, the military said...

He left active duty in 2002 to attend college. His brother, Efren Caban Jr., said he completed one year at the University of Texas at Arlington, but his heart wasn't into school.

Caban returned to the Army in 2003 and served as a sniper instructor before being selected to join Special Forces...

He was awarded a posthumous Bronze Star for valor...

Complete article from Houston Chronicle.

Suing Mommy Dearest

2006-07-20T21:00:00.000-05:00

MADISON, Wis. -- An Illinois woman is suing her Wisconsin parents for maintaining an icy driveway that she blamed for a fall that broke her ankle two winters ago. This week, a federal judge refused to toss out the lawsuit, setting up a trial for November. Carriel Louah, 25, visited Darlington, Wis., to surprise her mother on her birthday in January 2005. But the next morning, she was injured when she slipped and fell on her parents' driveway. She filed suit against her parents earlier this year.

The daughter said that a letter from her mom apologizing months after the fall proves that her parents knew they had a defective gutter for years and did nothing about it. She's seeking more than $75,000 in damages for medical bills and lost wages.Her parents said that she can't prove the driveway was icy at the time or that their drainage system was faulty. U.S. District Judge John Shabaz said that a jury should decide the matter.

From Local6.com via Lone Star Times.

Cowtown Neighbors Rat on Each Other to the Water Police

2006-07-19T19:57:00.000-05:00

Well June was our first month for water rationing here in Cowtown and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says that the city water department received 529 complaints from folks that said their neighbors were not adhering to the new rules that restrict outdoor watering. Now days, watering your lawn between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. is forbidden.

The folks whose neighbors ratted on them got a warning letter this time, telling them that they had better obey the new rules. If they don't, they could face a fine of up to $2,000.00.

The city water department mouthpiece proudly told the S-T that Cowtown joins cities such as Arlington and Dallas in restricting when its citizens can water their lawns and that such a move shows that the city is preparing for the future.

Okay, but if the City of Fort Worth truly is running low on water, why does the city continue to sell water to 28 other cities and other governmental entities at wholesale rates? Shouldn't the city take care of its own citizens first?

Hurray for Global Warming

2006-07-18T21:59:00.000-05:00

While Cowtown sweats out a triple digit heat-wave, some folks are hoping the current heat-wave really is the beginning of a world-wide warming spell. The Wall Street Journal reports today that folks over in Greenland are thoroughly enjoying warmer temperatures. The reason? It makes for a longer growing season and opens up more land for agricultural use.

The Journal reports that according to the Danish Meteorological Institute average temperatures in Greenland have risen by 2.7 degrees over the past 30 years. The institute predicts that by the end of the century, temperatures could rise another 14 degrees.

While 2.7 degrees may not sound like much of a heat wave, the recent changes in the weather has had a big impact on the arctic island:

Higher average temperature warms mean fewer number of freezing nights which produces stronger, healthier plants and provide farmers larger crop yields.
The temperature rise in Greenland has extended the growing season by two weeks since the 1970s giving plants a better chance to survive and thrive.
Increased hay production has resulted in fatter sheep. Sheep flocks have increased 10% in the past three years.
Drawn by higher water temperatures, cod, one of the region's most commercially lucrative fish, are booming in the coastal waters.

If temperatures continue to rise, the longer growing seasons could mean an economic boon for consumers as well. Currently Greenland must import much of its food and pay sky-high prices; a head of lettuce costs about $5.00 and a pound of carrots goes for $7.50 for a pound of carrots.

Of course there's no pleasing the "glass is always empty and the sky is falling" enviro crowd who refuse to even discuss possible benefits to rising temperatures. Dr. Wallace Broecker, a researcher at Columbia University's Earth Institute, told The Journal, "I'm not keen to provide ammunition to those who oppose action. Of course there will be benefits. But the net will be bad."

So while you're out suffering in the blistering sun remember, somewhere way, way, way, up north, a reindeer rancher is really enjoying this heat wave.