Friday, October 22, 2021

Ricky Gervais is right on the money on this pod cast.

 Sometimes, Art mirrors Real Life. Well, Ricky Garvais just proved that it does and the "Cancel Culture" is about to get its pay back on the upcoming generations, although, they don't know it yet. They are not as "WOKE" as they think they are.

https://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=342027&tst

 

The last that I heard officially, Walmart adds about $48 Million annually to their overall revenue from this  kind of thing. What is one mans garbage is another ones treasure. Recycle folks. It's not that hard of a thing to do. And, set up a separate savings account where you can place the earnings. Watch it grow and how much money you throw away from your shopping experiences. Not  talking about wasted food here at all. 

Article continues after the image here where it says Resume Post Here below left margin.

Resume Post Here:

For one, you have to be open minded to Ricky's type of dry humor. After all he is British.

For two, you must have understanding about what the "Cancel Culture" implies. Hollywood, included.

For three, I've only been saying this since 1970. Then, I said that it would take a generation and a half to get us out of this mess with youth today. In the 1980s I revised my estimate that it would take a full 2-generations to get us out from what parents let their kids get away with. 

And, like Ricky Gervais, I have wanted to see this mess reversed and hoped to see it in my lifetime. In the article, Ricky, says that today's version of my exact thinking. The only problem is that Ricky is younger than me and he probably will see it more than I will. 

Neuroscientist, Sam Harris in the pod cast, "Absolutely Mental" talked to Ricky about that very thing. In yet another Pod Cast, "Smartless", hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, allowed the conversation to turn to Cancel Culture and gave Ricky Gervais  a clear chance to further share his views on the subject. 

So, the bottom line here is that I concur with Ricky and Neuroscientist Sam Harris. In addition, I am greatful to the three host of "Smartless" to allow Ricky the opportunity to share his views on the subject. It has needed to be shared for many years. It goes back to what a longtime mentor of mine informed me that, " you never know how much clout you have until you exercise it."  I've been more outspoken in the last 5 years than at any time in my conservative upbringing. And while I was still in the corporate world I found out that I have much more clout than I could have ever imagined. Since then,  I have journalized in journals and in this blog. 

So, do YOURSELF a favor and listen to the pod cast or read the article associated with it on Fox News, in the article published by Julius Young, on 10-20-2021 at 6:04 PM.It opens in a separate window. It did for me on a test run of the link.

I call it my Road Diet as I listen to pod cast while riding the bus and the trains.

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Yesterday was the second anniversary of me almost getting blown away in a tornado (again!)

 Second year anniversary and some of the businesses and homes, churches and schools have not all been rebuilt. The shopping centers are making great strides, of course. St. Mark's School made way quickly to rebuild. Thank goodness, it is a premier school. Yesterday, Dallas County School Supertendent Dr.Michael Hinojosa,said it best: you look at the school and they are doing fine, leave them along. If you look at another school and they are having trouble, you give them lots of L-O-V-E! 

North Haven Garden Center was destroyed, re built and was hit again by another tornado the following year. It's always been a special kind of place for me in that Mom loved that place. It was only a few blocks from her neighborhood and I had drive back in the old neighborhood just a week before the tornado struck. It was in the patch of the tornado that was on the ground through north Dallas for 36 minutes. There were 9 tornadoes that day in north Texas. 

 

                                               Home Depot Destroyed and since been rebuilt

                                                   Shopping Center Preston and Royal

Just prior to this house being hit,   my front door blew open. As I got up to close it, I could see the funnel cloud. It crossed the street at my corner.  This house had about 4 minutes before being hit.


Seeing the pictures from the space station showed the path like a scar on the earth---which it was. 

Here in Texas we have two major tornado seasons. One in the spring and again in the fall. Although, tornados can strike any time of the year. Several years ago the Christmas tornados hit Rockwall. That year there were a total of 40 tornadoes. The average hovers some where around 20-25 I believe hearing.

Saturday, October 16, 2021

Velvet Taco for Dinner, Out all afternoon at Presidential Center's Nature Trails

 Well, the perfect fall weather day finally was at hand. It was a delight to be out in that type of weather. 

It never crossed my mind that today was the final weekend of the Texas State Fair at Fair Park and the buses and most of all, the trails were loaded with bodies going to the fair. So, some of the schedules were a bit off as it takes the non-regular riders more time to figure out what to do at the station. Well, you start by getting your gear ready and ready to move when the train stops and the doors open.  Anyhow, there was a bit more time lost because of that than anything else and I made it to Mocking bird station by riding a bus and a train to get to Mockingbird. Saw some SMU video crews outside the Angelica. Stopped to chat with one of the girls about what was going on. The SMU students had made a movie and it was being premiered at the Angelica. On to SMU via Bush Avenue to enter the Nature Trails of the George Bush Presidential Center. The nature trails cover the entire south end of the property from SMU St. and Bush Ave. to the southbound service road of the North Central Expressway (US75) which had that section named for George Bush as well. Then, its across the shopping center on Mockingbird to Bush to complete a few acres of property.

Last year was the first year to check out the plantings and this year have been looked forward to,to see how much the annuals had grown and what was new for this season. It was somewhat a surprise to see 6-7 foot tall golden rods. Wow, the allergies of students, faculty and nearby residents will love that as well as the  docs  who make their living by treating patients with allergies. While they are very pretty for color, Going there was a total surprise with that straight out the gate. 

After walking two of the trails (they all come back together from south to east and west sides of the center) the landscape was pretty but I was a bit disappointed to find so much of those golden rods. If it hadn't been for the large Monarch Butterflies surrounding the tennis courts and the La Cross field, it might had been a bust. At Mockingbird station retail sections pumpkins had been on sale. But when I was there the remaining pumpkins and hay bales were being given away to those that wanted them. 

Instead of walking back to Mockingbird or catching one of the free shuttles from the Center back to the trail station, I walked up SMU toward Greenville Avenue, then decided to stop at the Velvet Taco to have dinner. Then, I watched for the buses but missed all of them and ended up back at the Lovers Lane Rail Station on foot. So with that, I have now walked the distance from Lovers Lane to Mockingbird in both directions; then caught the train to my regular stop and then my bus home. It was so nice I might 

 


do something like that tomorrow. As far as the weather goes, it doesn't get much better than this. Low tonight will be 48°F and 73°F during the afternoon tomorrow. Clear and blue sky.

 

                                  Fruit tree produced fruit this year.                              

Monarch Butterfly stops to refuel on its migration to the mountains of North Mexico for the winter.





Thursday, October 14, 2021

A Real Cold Front Moves inTomorrow Morning with Beautiful and chilly fall days afterwards.

 Got the book out tonight to see when I had to turn on my heat last year. It was October 27th when it hit 39°F. It is going to be close with 41°F forecast for Saturday morning. I've got my camera all charged up and ready to go beginning Saturday. I am ready for fall weather, for sure.

The State Fair ends this weekend. Does not seem like the three-week-run is nearing the end already. Didn't get a chance to try the fried jello or any of the other specialties this year, even the Fletcher's corny dogs. Didn't make it to the Arboretum for the 90,000 pumpkin displays, either. Covid has been a monster of sorts. It has touched almost everything. 

 

 

                                                                         Pine Nuts

                                                                              A-Train      

 

 


Monday, October 11, 2021

TS Pamela in the Eastern Pacific due to hit N.Texas late Wednesday and Thursday with heavy rainfalls.

 It has long amazed me how living here in N Texas, we get more weather from Eastern Pacific hurricanes than we do from the Gulf and the Caribbean Sea hurricanes. Tropical Storm Pamela is at 70 MPH winds as this is being written. It becomes a hurricane at 74MPH and the storm is strengthening to near 115MPH at landfall as it crosses the Baja California Peninsula into  Mexico.Then it picks up speed and moves Northeast into Texas with heavy rains due Late Wednesday and Thursday here. Flash flood warnings will be issues if needed with Urban and Flash flooding possible. 

The good news is, Saturday and Sunday this coming weekend will be pure fall with highs in the 70s and lows in the upper 40s.

 

 

 

 This is the last time we got a Pacific Hurricane and it was 2018.





Saturday, October 9, 2021

The Best Football Game That I Have Seen In Years

 Texas scores 2 touchdowns in the first 3 minutes of the game. They led every quarter until the fourth. Oklahoma tied the score at 48-48 by going for the 2-point conversion. Then, at the very last minutes of the game, Oklahoma was going to go for a field goal, but Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma's coach, had another plan. They went for the goal line and made the winning touchdown. It was an energy, fun and nail-biting packed game with some amazing plays on both side. 55-48 Oklahoma at this years Red River Shoot Out.

The Cotton Bowl at Fail Park was packed to capacity with fans from both sides of the state line. The State Fair is also running.The Cotton Bowl sits in the middle of the Midways and booths. The economic impact is figured to be $32Million for the Red River Shoot Out's 92,000 fans attending the game today.

                               File Photo 2016: inside the seating area below the upper decks

                                                   File Photo from 2016: The outside decks
                                                 



                                                  File photo from 2016 : concession area


                                                File Photo 2016: the new digital screen

                                           File Photo from 2016: outside look at the field.

The best action -filled game I've ever seen from start to finish was played right here on this field today,October 09,2021, save none. Cotton Bowl, Fair Park, Dallas, Texas.

Thursday, October 7, 2021

A-Train to Denton. Lunch at Cartwrights. Changes Are Astonishing Downtown.

 Well, I backed out of hitting Senior's Day at the State Fair in Fair Park. If it had not been for the Coronavirus, I might had gone. Exploring options, the trip up to Denton to Cartwright's for lunch out on the sidewalk across from Courthouse Square, won out. It had been a couple of years since making my last trip up to have Cartwright's Ranch House cook my meal. They are noted for their Chicken Fried Steak Lunch Specials. Last time, it was a burger with all the trimmings. But, breakfast was only a sausage on an  English Muffin toasted with orange juice before leaving the house. Chores were light, too. Took the garbage out, got the mail in, stopped to talk to a couple of neighbors before walking down to the bus stop. 

Yesterday, the research showed that a bus from the train station went directly to the train station at the transfer point to the A-train. So in two bus trips the time leaving the bus, catching the elevator up to the A-train's platform, the A-train was there.The first time riding the A-train up to Denton, the Denton Country Transit Authority had only one of the new engines from Europe and they pulled the old Budd Companies passenger cars.  Of course that's all changed now and the new passenger cars are running as envisioned. It's quiet,smooth, but not a rocket, so to speak. It took 45 minutes to get up there from the hour and 45 bus rides Still,two and a half hours isn't bad for the distance. But, on the other hand, 5 hours of travel for lunch and 60 shots isn't a game changer either. Never-the-less- I made  it home by 5:30 Central Time.  Actually, I feel pretty good. Not tired one bit. The weather was 85/15 perfect. Humidity and dew points were low.  The bummer was the three weather systems did pull the heat up to 95°. Our average daily high this time of year is 82°F.

So, in the past thirty days, train rides on three of the four rail lines have been ridden; DART to Terminal A at DFW; TEXrail from DFW to Grapevine returning later  on DFW Terminal B and walking over to Terminal A to ride DART back into the system home. That's 3 of the current 4 rail systems for passengers in the Metroplex. A few years ago riding the TRE to downtown Ft. Worth was made. Riding the TRE  in the same year as the other ones is being planned. However, this time it will include riding DART to the American Airlines Center, transfer to the TRE to Ft. Worth, walk over to the TEXrail platform and ride the TEXrail  to Terminal B, walk over to Terminal A and board the DART home. completing the south route to Ft.Worth by transfer to the north route and complete the circle of all three trains. Plus going north up to Denton on DART's Green Line enabled me to take the A-train. BTY, checked on new station construction at Addison Transit Center for the new Silver Line across the north on the old Cotten Belt Line and it is looking  good today.





Just a Kid when the Northern Lights were seen by me. This week, I missed the first night and last night it was cloudy.

Thank goodness I can say that I have at least seen the most fab light show in nature.  Today will be 100 % rain. It's another indoor day...