Fort Worth Weekly // January 20-26, 2021 by Fort Worth Weekly

January 20-26, 2021 FREE fwweekly.com

t y i C S l h e i n k e c i s N The grit and glory of the Rust Belt spirit thrives at this new South Main eatery/drinkery. B Y

FEATURE

Some people say the government is trying to control our minds â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or worse. BY TERI WEBSTER

C O D Y

METROPOLIS

N E A T H E R Y

Recognize and Rise is designed to support those who have experienced the impact of trauma, toxic stress, and adversity. BY MEGAN ABLES

SCREEN

The popular bodice-ripper Bridgerton is great but could be even greater. BY KRISTIAN LIN

MUSIC

With its debut recording, Lotus Sutra looks for a place for metal in the local scene. BY PAT R I C K H I G G I N S

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Vo lum e 16

Number 41

J an uar y 20-26, 2021

INSIDE

STAFF Anthony Mariani, Editor Lee Newquist, Publisher Bob Niehoff, General Manager

Gangstalking

Ryan Burger, Art Director

Is the government using microwave rays to implant thoughts in our minds and terrorize us? Some locals say yes. By Teri Webster

Jim Erickson, Circulation Director Edward Brown, Staff Writer Taylor Provost, Proofreader Michael Newquist, Regional Sales Director Jennifer Bovee, Marketing Director

Stacey Hammons, Senior Account Executive Julie Strehl, Account Executive Tony Diaz, Account Executive Wyatt Newquist, Digital Coordinator Clintastic, Brand Ambassador

A Bridgerton Too Far

On South Main, Nickel City is a taste of Rust Belt beauty. By Cody Neathery

Cover image by Cody Neathery

BLOTCH The Fort b Worth Weekly Blog

l tch

Hearsay . . . . . 24

26 Classifieds

Backpage . . . . 28

Too Soon

Bars and venues will remain open despite the surging COVID numbers. By Anthony Mariani

Feature Screen N&D Alive & Kickin’ Eats & Drinks Last Call Music

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Metro

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By Kristian Lin

Liam Daniel

Maybe a period piece isn’t perfect for the times.

Recognize and Rise

METROPOLIS

Mental Health Connection’s new program continues the agency’s work toward a trauma-informed citizenry. A B L E S

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A tragic event in Fort Worth’s history was a catalyst for change and continues to create hope for the future. Mental Health Connection of Tarrant County (MHC) conducts a multi-year campaign to help area residents understand the impact of painful and difficult events in their lives and find a path to healing. Recognize and Rise, a community awareness campaign launched in May, is designed to support those who have experienced the impact of trauma, toxic stress, and adversity. The MHC was formed in 1999 when seven people were fatally shot at Wedgwood Baptist Church in southwest Fort Worth. “The mayor at the time, Kenneth Barr, said we need to improve what we’re doing as mental health providers and find and fill the gaps in the community,” said Virginia Hoft, MHC executive director. “The goal and the

Static Homestead Review on Indefinite Hold The search for Tarrant County residents who misuse homestead exemptions is indefinitely on hold, and some wonder if the delay is tied to $17,000 in campaign contributions made to Wendy Burgess, Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD) tax assessor. In December, Burgess and TAD’s five appointed board members agreed on the need to strip deceased homeowners from TAD’s rolls. The children of those dead former residents are unfairly enjoying property tax breaks, said Burgess and the board members through public statements at the time. The December board meeting soon derailed, though, as Burgess (a nonvoting member of the board) and board member Joe Martinez attempted to bypass TAD’s staff recommendation for the administrative cleanup: Tyler Technologies. Burgess tried

a result, the MHC of Tarrant County was born. “The purpose of MHC,” Hoft said, “is to revolutionize the mental health delivery system by developing longterm changes while addressing emerging needs.” MHC has grown to include more than 100 diverse members across Tarrant County. That includes mental health providers, hospitals, practitioners, schools, juvenile and criminal justice systems, nonprofits, and individuals

vision for our membership is to ensure that those needing services are able to access them, in hopes that nothing as devastating as this happens again.” In 2000, Cooks Children’s Medical Center, Lena Pope, MHMR, the City of Fort Worth, the Fort Worth school district, and Tarrant County came together, along with senators and state representatives, asking what needed to be done to address mental health on a larger scale. As

and failed to force a vote in favor of Linebarger, the national debt-collecting company that, according to campaign disclosure reports, donated $17,000 to the tax assessor over the past three years (“Keeping Tabs on TAD,” Jan 6). The Tarrant County DA’s office appears to be blocking open records requests seeking communications between Burgess and Linebarger. Asking for a “legal brief ” from the state AG, as the DA’s office has done here, is a legal maneuver commonly used to prevent embarrassing or potentially incriminating communications from coming to light. Board members put the procurement process on indefinite hold at Friday’s board meeting. The campaign contributions to Burgess (and her heavy-handed push for the firm in December) likely muddied the entire process. The delay could mean the loss of millions in tax revenues for TAD and stakeholders like the Fort Worth school district. To add transparency to future vendor reviews, TAD leadership should consider only vendors that do not donate in local elections. Political gifts should never replace a competitive bid that seeks to give Tarrant County taxpayers the best return on investment.

Cour tesy WendyBurgess.com

M E G A N

Cour tesy Recognize & Rise

B Y

Could the delay in starting a homestead exemption review be tied to $17,000 in campaign contributions made to Wendy Burgess?

Cour tesy Recognize & Rise

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“We want folks to understand about the impact of trauma, adversity, and chronic stress and how it shows up in the way that we treat ourselves, our family, and our friends, and it impacts our body, as well as our mind and our spirit,” Hoft said. The Recognize and Rise campaign comes from the idea that the first thing that has to happen is for people to be educated that trauma is not something that only happens to someone else. “Now, with COVID, there is an even greater recognition that we all experience trauma,” Hoft said. “People can say, ‘I’m traumatized. I’m feeling isolated. I’m feeling anxious.’ We can blame it on COVID, and it doesn’t have the stigma that it had before. You have a reason to feel traumatized. We want to take the opportunity for people to start … and then we can begin to talk about how you move towards healing.” A newly created Learn a Latte webinar series features issues that speak on resiliency and trauma. MHC’s next one will be Jan. 26 and will be presented by Det. Nate Bishop from the Arlington Police Department’s Crimes Against Children Unit and Carole Logan, community engagement supervisor from the nonprofit Alliance for Children. The presenters will discuss ways to safeguard children from internet crimes. “Together, we can rise to be the best that we are,” Hoft said, “especially in this time when we so desperately need to be connected to each other, to be kind and loving to each other. We’re not asking for money. We’re not asking for effort or volunteers. We’re asking for people to be part of this idea that together we are stronger when we can recognize the challenges we all face and rise together.” l

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For MCH’s next installment of Learn a Latte, Jan. 26, Det. Nate Bishop from the Arlington Police Department’s Crimes Against Children Unit and Carole Logan, community engagement supervisor from the nonprofit Alliance for Children, will discuss ways to safeguard children from internet crimes.

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who have been impacted by mental health and substance use challenges. “The framework that MHC has created allows us to really leverage our collective impact by collaborating, networking, and innovating together,” Hoft said. While MHC does not offer any services directly, it does provide resources and a place for collaboration, with the idea that the community is strengthened when everyone works together. MHC effectively educates the public on important issues like trauma through campaigns like Recognize and Rise. “Recognize and Rise is a natural extension of the work that MHC has been doing for the past two decades to create a healthier, more trauma-informed and trauma-resilient community,” said Bennie Medlin, MHC board chair and director of Tarrant County juvenile services. “By building awareness and understanding, Recognize and Rise will help us develop a stronger foundation of support for all who have experienced the impact of trauma in their lives.” The word “trauma” has a different definition for everyone, Hoft explained. “Many people hear the word ‘trauma’ and think, ‘I’m so glad I didn’t have any of that.’ They see trauma only as an event like a shooting. Trauma is also chronic stress and adversity. Any kind of adversity is based on how you hold it in and how it impacts your thinking, your feeling, and your relationships moving forward. As a society, and especially within the southern culture, we’re kind of like, ‘Rub some dirt on it.’ What science has shown is the worst thing that can happen with trauma is when it gets stuck in our psyche.” Recognize and Rise is designed to strengthen Tarrant County by educating the public on the many facets of trauma and showcasing trauma-informed practices, resources, and expertise in Tarrant County. For example, MHC urges trauma survivors to talk honestly and tell their story without shame or fear of being judged by sharing stories of healing. “Research has shown that just by telling your story, it begins the healing,” Hoft said, “even if nobody offers you advice. “People need to understand that in order to treat violence, in order to treat domestic issues, in order to treat substance abuse, in order to treat what we’re going through with COVID, we’ve got to unpack this idea of what adversity and chronic stress does on our whole body, on our family, and on our community,” Hoft added. “Because the way that it impacts us individually and our community collectively, healing has to happen the same way.” The Recognize and Rise campaign is designed to help community members work toward healing.

Some Fort Worthians believe they’re under secret attack by the government, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. B Y

“All we can do, Scully, is pull the thread, see what unravels.” — Fox Mulder, The X-Files

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ar on the outer fringes of Fort Worth are people who believe they’re being zapped by military satellites with deadly microwave beams. Cellphone towers and “super computers” are used to stream hateful messages into their subconscious minds, 24/7. These methods and more are part of a vast plot to exert mind control over and torture the entire population, these folks claim. According to the self-proclaimed victims, they are followed in public by street actors and flash mobs who are hired by shadowy government agencies and private contractors. Their tormentors follow, mock, and harass them, often recording the bullying with cellphones. The victims say that federal- and statebased data-gathering fusion centers, government agencies at all levels, an international crime syndicate, megacorporations, military contractors, local police, and even citizen neighborhood watch groups are all in on it. Who are these people who believe they are trapped inside an elaborate and vicious harassment program known as gangstalking or organized criminal stalking? They call themselves targeted individuals, and I tracked down some of them to hear their stories. This is not just a local phenomenon, by the way. Across the nation and around the globe are videos, websites, and social media posts about targeted individuals. Victims complain of small drones spying through their windows. Their cellphones and computers are hacked and fried. Home burglaries and vandalism are among the other complaints of the targeted individuals I spoke with. They also claim their harassers run “noise campaigns” of strategically timed jarring sounds. Monster pick-up trucks with loud mufflers

T E R I

roar down the street and cars blare their horns or squeal their tires at all hours. They also hear voices. Some targeted individuals believe the voices and insults are coming from “V2K,” a microwave technology known as voiceto-skull communication. The microwave technology is one piece of an arsenal of “directed energy weapons” used to harass and torture people, these people allege. Whether you believe their claims are real, imagined, or a little of both, many targeted individuals appear to be trapped inside a matrix of fear. Critics call the idea of gangstalking a giant hoax or a sign of mental illness, but the victims say the truth is out there.

Targeted individuals point to patents and testimonies from doctors, scientists, and high-profile people like whistleblowers Bill Binney and J. Kirk Wiebe of the National Security Agency (NSA) who have publicly said they are concerned about directed energy weapons. Binney and Wiebe preceded Edward Snowden, another NSA whistleblower. Snowden caused a global uproar when he leaked classified documents that showed how the NSA and other agencies are spying on the public. The former world technical director for the NSA, Binney has aired his concerns on The Jimmy Dore Show and other programs. To date, directed energy weapons have yet to gain the same widespread attention as massive government spying and surveillance. Binney said he and others are gathering scientific evidence to show the government is testing directed energy weapons on the general population. He further claims that legal actions — motions, affidavits, and injunctions — will be used to try to stop it. Directed energy weapons do not use new technology, Binney told the comedian

W E B S T E R

Dore. The technology was developed in the 1970s and 1980s and is even more advanced today. Other invasive technology aimed at the public includes “brain-tocomputer interfaces” or computer-based programs that can read your mind, he said. “Some of these other things are quite a bit nastier than just spying,” Binney said on the program.

Some of Fort Worth’s targeted individuals hover around an online Meetup.com group run by Richard Lighthouse, a rabid government critic from Houston. His online bio states that he previously worked for NASA and holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University. Lighthouse calls himself an advocate for targeted individuals. He has accused numerous U.S. intelligence agencies and contractors with the U.S. Department of Defense of using weaponized satellites to experiment on and torture the public. “This is not a joke,” Lighthouse warns on his website RLighthouse.com and in his dozens of e-books. The weaponized satellite program, Lighthouse believes, resides at the USAF Space Command at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado. There, military personnel are given orders to blast unsuspecting citizens with energy weapons that produce searing pain, unexplained burns on the skin, and bizarre neurological symptoms. The U.S. military is the strategic force behind the satellites, and the CIA in Denver provides the funding for the gangstalking program, according to Lighthouse, who is affiliated with the group TargetedJustice.com. “Cell towers are sending subliminal messages at everyone,” reads a statement on TargetedJustice.com. “Subliminal Messaging = Government Mind Control.” Lighthouse and his followers have sent cease and desist letters to virtually every U.S. intelligence agency, and they

have accused Lockheed Martin, AT&T in Dallas, and Raytheon of perpetuating the gangstalking “program.” Everyone in the United States, wrote the Targeted Justice group in a December 2018 letter to Gen. John Raymond of the Air Force Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, “is being tracked by military satellites — even your family members — and children are being hit with microwave ‘bullets’ from satellites and cell towers. These are directed at their heads and cause brain damage. The satellites are controlled from Schriever Air Force Base.” A July 19, 2019 letter posted on Lighthouse’s website shows a response from Robert Spencer, vice president and deputy general counsel at Lockheed Martin’s headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. “Lockheed Martin does not participate in the activities you describe in your letter,” Spencer wrote. Lighthouse has penned a poetry book, Nucking Futs, and written dozens of e-books with equally colorful titles. Clowns, Idiots, Assholes (CIA) & The Smoking Gun, The Governors of Gangstalking, and Cell Phone Hacking & the Nazi Stasi Academy (NSA) are just a few. Lighthouse’s e-books are peppered with photos of grinning U.S. intelligence and military officials, and swastika symbols are superimposed over intelligence agency logos. He also promotes his theories on time travel and parallel universes in his writings. In 12 EBooks Worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize, Lighthouse nominates himself for each of the highly prestigious awards. So, who believes this stuff, anyway? To borrow a line from The X-Files, let’s just say, “I want to believe,” but Lighthouse was not very helpful when I emailed him to request an interview. I was met with instant suspicion and an accusation that I’m a government agent posing as a reporter. That would make me a “perp” or perpetrator of gangstalking, as they’re

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operation or drill, and the aircraft appear to be less than 1,500 feet above the roof, he said. “I was feeling different, weird stuff,” Newton said. “They would electrocute me. The jets were releasing static electricity and had a device that would focus a beam of electricity on me like ‘boom!’ ” Newton said he didn’t tell his family and friends about his experiences for a long time because he feared they would call him crazy. Unfortunately, they did. After confiding in a close friend, Newtown was told, “ ‘You’re trippin’, man.’ ” His harassment carried over to social media and to Facebook, where people on Newton’s friends list would invite him to parties and other events yet would refuse to return phone calls or messages when Newton tried to obtain more details or confirm he would attend, he said. Employment doors are shut nearly everywhere he turns, he added. That reflects another common theme among targeted individuals. They say they become unemployed, unemployable, or homeless due to behind-the-scenes attacks on their character and reputation. “I’m being systematically torn apart,” Newton told me. His electronic devices are either fried beyond repair or have to be reset or replaced constantly. “I went through a whole bunch of phones,” Newton said. “At least five phones were destroyed.”

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Logistically, Young said, it is impossible to organize massive operations such as street mobs that follow people everywhere they go. Another local targeted individual I spoke with is Caleb Newton. The Fort Worth man describes himself as a “gypsy soul” who has traveled across the country doing construction work and odd jobs with his father. Much of the work was done on military bases and in churches, he said. Before Newton landed here, he was dating a woman in Fresno, California, who worked as an investigator for the IRS, he said. Shortly after the relationship ended, Newton saw “up to 12 cars following me or showing up at random places I went and street theater actors meeting me at places I had previously decided to go, acting out scripts in public and many times expressing personal stuff about my life no one could know,” he said. Sometimes the “actors” filmed him on their cellphones, Newton said. He also claims he has been subject to sound campaigns with nonstop blaring sirens and a noise like someone banging loudly on a pipe. The noises went on every night and day for months, Newton said. The weirdness followed him when he came to Texas. Newton claims to have seen drones, military planes, and “aggressive helicopters” circling over his home. They maneuver through the air as if doing an

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My search for local targeted individuals led me to Chris Young, who agreed to talk on the record about his experiences. A little more than a year ago, Young began hearing voices, he said. He wasn’t sure where they were coming from, but

he knew they were foreign and not chatter from his own mind. They played on and on, like a song stuck in his head, and connected the dots in his life “in the most horrible way,” he said. The voices, Young said, tried to illicit paranoia in him. They claimed people were tracking him, stalking him, and spying on him, he said. At first, he wondered if the NSA or FBI had launched him into an experimental program. Others told him they might be demons or the voice of the devil himself, he said. Young’s explanation is just as wild. “Are you specifically doing a story only on gangstalking or on the other common aspect of the ‘targeted individual’ experience described as ‘electronic harassment’?” Young asked. “In my personal experience, I have found that the former is nothing more than a delusion cultivated by the latter, which, however, is very real. “In other words,” he continued, “The ‘electronic harassment’ phenomenon of hearing 24/7 voices is generated by some kind of AI program that imitates a group of human beings stalking the individual. That is what elicits the paranoia and makes individuals believe that actual people in their vicinity might be stalking them.” Most people are “crazy for thinking the government or any other human organization on the planet could be involved in something like this,” he said.

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called in the world of targeted individuals. “We continue to have bad experiences with people sent to do interviews,” Lighthouse replied. “See the CIA program called Project Mockingbird. It is real and still exists today. If you only want an interview without reading the extensive evidence by medical doctors, former government agents, and scientists, then you already have an agenda.” Whether Lighthouse is a prophet, a comedian, a shill, or “nucking futs,” well, you decide. When I tried to convince him I’m not working for the CIA, he asked me to send him a list of questions. After reviewing my questions, he promptly turned down my interview request. The Targeted Justice board of directors was against it, he said. Unfortunately, he wrote, the group continues to receive interview requests from fake journalists and fake TV reporters. “I wish you well,” Lighthouse wrote in an email, and he vanished faster than a UFO flying out of Area 51.

No one believed Newton when he told them people were breaking into his home, stealing his belongings, moving things around, and putting drugs in his food, he said. Other targeted individuals I spoke with also claimed they were drugged or had their homes burglarized. Similar to Young, Newton believes technology is used to harass him. A cell phone app he uses shows he is being “doused with radiation,” Newton said. Additionally, he believes different frequencies are aimed at him and have caused everything from short-term confusion and fatigue to headaches and making his bowel movements go or stop. After we talked several times, Newton sent me a message saying the harassment against him was increasing because he was exposing the gangstalking program and how it works. “Do me a big favor,” Newton wrote in a text message. “Do humanity one, as well. Don’t let my death be in vain when this all comes down.” Stunned, I tried to contact him a few days later, but his phone was out of service. Text messages and emails I sent went unanswered.

After joining Facebook groups and reading numerous online posts on other social media outlets, I soon found that

there is no shortage of interesting people in the world of targeted individuals. “They are trying to destroy me and my credibility for some reason,” wrote a Fort Worth woman who identified herself as Deborah Withrow in a public Quora. com forum on gangstalking. “Who the hell is paying for this surveillance? They have been coming into my job the whole four years, putting something in the walls in my lobby and restroom walls that look like nano mics.” The microphones are “so small they look like a very small black wire with a black square on one end and barbs on the tail of the wire to make it stick in sheet rock,” she wrote. “People will come in with phone in hand and big earphones on to hear what they have gotten from mics. Why me? I’m a nobody.”

Another person I found online was Richard Moore, who runs the Facebook page North Mississippi Anti-Gangstalking Association and the United States Anti-Gangstalking Association on YouTube. Moore travels across the country talking with other targeted individuals and interviewing them on his social media pages. Moore says he is a targeted individual, as well. “I see dozens of people on a daily basis stalking me,” Moore told me in a phone

interview. “I’ve been harassed from one end of the country to the next.” The harassment ramped up when he recently drove from Mississippi to Mesa, Arizona, to visit a friend. “I was boxed in by 18-wheelers and had to take the left shoulder at 85 miles an hour,” Moore said. Drones come around his home at night, and a volunteer fire department building across the street has a camera trained on his home, he said. “I’ve had stuff done to my car,” Moore said. “All of my lug nuts were loosened on every wheel. I’m tired of this creepy-ass shit, people screwing with my shit, and God forbid if I get the name of any one of those drone operators.” To deter the drones, Moore installed colorful disco lights that strobe across his front lawn. This, he said, is designed to give the drones “the show of their lifetime.” During our interview, Moore told me he has a problem with those who say the concept of targeted individuals is made up. Too many people have similar stories, and “this is not a case of people suffering from a worldwide mass delusion,” he said. Adding to the problem, Moore explained, is that many people who claim to be advocates for targeted individuals are actually working against them. He believes they’re simply gathering testimonies to control the narrative, spread

disinformation and discredit the victims. “They know what’s happening because they’re the ones doing it,” Moore said. Moore is not a fan of the Targeted Justice crew. In his opinion, they claim to be preparing legal action, yet they are more talk than action, he said. “They will take, and they will throw gas on every theory, every hoax, every sleight of hand, and they’ll back it up with phony scientific proof, and, folks, that’s why I’m wearing shorts because the bullshit gets deep,” Moore also said in one of his videos. He agrees with them on some points. Moore concurs that everyone is targeted in the sense that we are all under some form of surveillance every day. Our data and electronics are easily monitored and mined for information. And as the NSA whistleblowers have demonstrated through classified documents and their testimonies, data can be collected on all citizens, not just suspected criminals or terrorists. Moore noted that after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Patriot Act ushered in sweeping government powers for surveillance of the citizenry. That included the birth of the Department of Homeland Security and “fusion centers.” The centers are promoted to the public as a way to reduce domestic terrorism through information shared among intelligence agencies and police organizations.

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The couple alleges the stalking began in 2007 over a land purchase dispute with a former fire chief, according to published reports. One problem facing targeted individuals is that their claims sound crazy and are often categorized under symptoms of paranoia and other forms of mental illness. They are often very difficult to prove, as well.

Although it does not prove they are used for widespread harassment against the public, directed energy weapons do exist. Strange neurological symptoms experienced by American diplomats in China and Cuba “are consistent with the effects of directed microwave energy,” according to a recent report by the National Academies of Sciences. The report stopped short of proving that it was due to a directed energy weapon. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Defense is developing directed energy weapons for war applications, according to the agency’s website. The Air Force Research Laboratory has developed a model for “high-power microwave systems, a class of directed energy weapons where a very short, extremely high-power burst of energy is transmitted to create a wide variety of

To find out what else could be at play, I sought the help of an expert, Dr. Michael Nuccitelli, a licensed psychologist in Brooklyn. Nuccitelli is also the founder and CEO of iPredator, and he researches cyberbullying, cyberstalking, online predators, internet trolling, and “the dark side” of human consciousness. “OK, Scully,” Nuccitelli said when I told him about the story I was working on. He jokingly nicknamed me the skeptical female sidekick to Fox Mulder on The X-Files. Nuccitelli agreed to anecdotally comment on gangstalking from a psychologist’s perspective. In essence, people who believe there is a conspiracy

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alleges were left in his yard on the night of his recent arrest. Like other targeted individuals, Moore has also complained of electronic harassment that produces physical pain and insomnia.

against them or that they are being followed everywhere they go are usually experiencing mild to severe paranoia or delusions, he said. Part of it involves something called “confirmation bias,” the act of stringing together events to create a narrative to support a belief. The internet, Nuccitelli said, has made that even easier. All a person has to do is find one other person to agree with them, and off they go. “If I see fog and believe I’ve seen a ghost, then it’s a ghost,” Nuccitelli explained, adding that it is difficult to change someone’s mind once a belief sets in. “Once you ask them to entertain the idea that it might be something psychological, they turn you right off.” He views “targeted individuals” as a fascinating study into the human need for self-preservation and the desire to belong to a group. “As part of the human condition, it is natural for all of us to practice selfpreservation,” Nuccitelli said. “We are social pack animals and genetically wired to protect ourselves and the proverbial ‘group.’ “Unfortunately, some people and groups exhibit paranoid thinking by going from skeptical and vigilant to hypervigilant and afraid,” he continued. “Paranoia is a psychopathological manifestation of selfpreservation and skepticism. Blind faith, confirmation bias, and mild to severe paranoid thinking leads some folks to believe in the absolute absurd.” Nuccitelli not only studies stalking behavior. He has experienced it himself. A group of podcasters who used to have Nuccitelli on their show had a falling out with him and launched a smear campaign against him, he said. In 2017, they created websites filled with wild accusations, including that he is a federal agent. (Sound familiar?) Nuccitelli calls his harassers “the tin foil hat crew.” They went as far as contacting the state licensing board to try to destroy his career. Although the complaint gained no traction, he still endured the stress of dealing with it. Ultimately, Nuccitelli decided to leave his critics alone and not attempt to have the content taken down from the websites, including WarOnWethePeople.com. “They simply prove everything I’m trying to warn people about,” he said. Not everyone is so lucky. Such attacks can damage a person’s credibility and reputation to the point where their entire life is destroyed. After several conversations about gangstalking, Nuccitelli asked me what I think about it based on everything I saw and heard. I couldn’t resist by replying with another X-Files reference. “The truth is out there,” I told him. “And Agent Mulder, it’s really out there.” l

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effects on a target, often focused on its electronics components.” Organized stalking campaigns are also conceivable. Companies exist that accept pay to destroy someone’s life. One of these companies, NefariousJobs.com, calls itself the “best revenge for hire service in the world.” Most of the dirty work is done by contractors offshore, although the company claims on its website that they do not break any laws. In a documented case of gangstalking, an Ohio couple filed a lawsuit alleging that for the past 11 years, residents — including city officials — have been driving by their home while revving their car’s engines, screeching tires, and honking horns, for as long as five to 10 minutes at a time. According to the lawsuit, there have been “thousands” of such events.

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“I lost everything,” he said. Moore also alleges that law enforcement is perpetuating the harassment against him. In late December 2020, Moore was arrested for cyberstalking for what he categorized as calling out the names of his alleged stalkers on Facebook, which included members of law enforcement. Moore said he did it because he was frustrated at the nonstop surveillance and lack of any help. Moore alleges that after he was arrested and placed in jail overnight, someone broke into his home and turned the oven on full blast in an attempt to set the house on fire. He also claims he was strip-searched and manhandled by officers at the jail. On his Facebook page, Moore posted photos of sexually explicit signs he

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Locally, the North Texas Fusion Center in McKinney describes itself as “an all-crimes, all-hazards approach to the intelligence cycle in an overall effort to mitigate threats or hazards to the North Central Texas Region while protecting the constitutional rights of all citizens.” The center works with government and corporate “stakeholders,” according to its website. “Data is being collected on every breathing entity in the U.S.,” Moore said. “It’s a fact, and it’s designed that way. It’s used as an attempt to interject into someone’s life, to slow it down or speed up … and nothing stops them from doing that.” Under the guise of national security, people are placed on watch lists as persons of interest or suspected terrorists. The catch is you will never be told you are on a list and you cannot challenge it, Moore said. In Moore’s opinion, “It’s massive fraud.” But why go to so much trouble? Because there’s big money and grants galore in the business of policing the homeland. In 2020, a total of more than $1.1 billion in federal grants was budgeted for the state homeland security program, urban area security, and “Operation Stonegarden,” a border security program, according to government documents. Moore said his many complaints and reports about being stalked are ignored. He has called the FBI, the sheriff ’s department, and 911 to complain about the drones hovering around his home and peering in his windows, but no one wants to listen to him because “they already had their story, and their story is a damn lie,” Moore told me. Moore, a former businessman, said that because of his criminal background, his many reports and complaints are ignored. He voluntarily told me he is an exfelon who served time in federal prison for a crime he maintains he did not commit. A character assassination was launched against him after he made enemies in business, Moore said. Specifically, a mail advertising flyer he created was stealing too much ad revenue from a local publication, according to Moore. That led to a criminal setup that involved planted evidence, he maintains. In a January 2006 article, a local publication wrote that police and county sheriff ’s officers “were conducting a burglary investigation at Moore’s residence, which resulted in the seizure of various pieces of evidence, including his personal computer and a printed image of child pornography.” According to Moore, a foreign exchange student who temporarily stayed in his home accessed underage pornography, but because Moore owned the computer, he was charged with the crime.

SCREEN Love & Friendship

Breaking down how Netflix’s bodice-ripping romance is (and isn’t) of our moment.

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Liam Daniel

K R I S T I A N

In a recent movie review, I mused that ancient British baronial estates are not known to be welcoming to Black people. One of the provocative things that Netflix’s new period romance Bridgerton does is ask, “What if Black people owned those estates?” This bodice-ripper set in England’s Regency period sets out to do more than that, which is likely one reason why it’s turning out to be the hit show of the season. Race is the first of many liberties the show takes with the series of Julia Quinn novels that it’s based on. There is some historical evidence that Charlotte, the real-life British queen during 1813, had some African ancestry, so the series constructs an alternate version of history where the queen (Golda Rosheuvel) is a Black woman who has elevated a number of other Black families to the ranks of the nobility. The main family, however, is of white nobles named Bridgerton. The father of the eight Bridgerton kids is dead, so stick-in-the-mud eldest brother Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) is in charge of finding a husband for his oldest sister Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) when she comes of age. He’s never made matches before, which is why he’s so bad at it. On the verge of becoming a social pariah, Daphne meets Anthony’s friend Simon, the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), a smoldering Byronic type who has vowed never to marry despite every eligible woman wanting him. Simon’s the one who proposes a sham courtship with Daphne to make her more attractive to men while discouraging female attention from himself. They’re good enough at

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B Y

Regé-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor have a fake relationship for Regency society in Bridgerton.

faking love to fool the Gossip Girl of this social set, an anonymous self-published writer using the pen name of Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews). What’s the game here? The social norms here are familiar to anyone who’s read a Jane Austen novel, but this series has both people of color and way more sex (especially in the sixth episode). At social balls, musicians in powdered wigs and waistcoats play string-quartet covers of Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande. The show deserves credit for not casting the actors of color willy-nilly, the way other recent British dramas have done. If no white characters talk about race here, it makes sense that anyone harboring racial prejudice would keep quiet about it with a Black woman on the throne. There is a general sense that the noble Black families are the nouveau riche, and if the show were to expand on this in upcoming seasons, it would definitively improve on

the books. That said, I kept waiting in vain through the first episode’s eight seasons for the characters’ race and the music to snap the historical drama into focus, the way it did for the stage musical Hamilton. The spectacle of women of all stripes falling over one another trying to land the rich, handsome Black man is something that British prestige TV hasn’t given us before, but the writers can’t quite demonstrate how the London ton in the 19th century is similar to the dating scene now. Bridgerton’s directors inject a proper amount of fizz into the proceedings, but they’d be helped by snappier writing. As annoying and self-satisfied as I’ve found Downton Abbey to be, that show’s writers bring the funny lines. The show does have the high level of acting you expect from a British import, with Page doing well by a tortured man with a traumatic childhood. The talent

runs deep, too — the show’s fans are justly lining up behind the character of the Bridgertons’ neighbor Penelope (Nicola Coughlan), an overlooked fat girl who’s often smarter than the room, but I have a soft spot for Daphne’s younger sister Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who watches Daphne go through all the societal rituals for a woman seeking a match and decides she wants no part of that for herself. The show’s treatment of sex does yield some conversation fodder, like a sex scene between Daphne and Simon where both parties do some detestable stuff, or when an incel of a lord (Jamie Beamish) tries to rape Daphne and Anthony believes the accusation against him only when it’s leveled by another man. More consistently pointed commentary like this would turn Bridgerton from a pleasurable item of interest into a truly great show. l

Promotional support provided by

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The exhibition is organized by the Museo Egizio, Turin, and StArt, in collaboration with the Kimbell Art Museum. It is supported by the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Fort Worth Tourism Public Improvement District, and the Consulate General of Italy in Houston.

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December 6, 2020--March 14, 2021

This is Kendra Scott. It’s not her first rodeo.

In honor of National Getto-Know-Your-Customers Day, Kendra Scott — a Thursday well-known purveyor of fashion jewelry and philanthropic efforts — has a unique offer for rodeo fans who, sadly, will be missing out on the actual rodeo this year. (Thanks, Rona.) For the first time, the KS locations in Fort Worth (1612 S University Dr, 817-484-5580, and 5217 Marathon Av, 682-316-2261) and Southlake (321 Grand Av W, 817-4423859) will be selling the exclusive Rodeo Collection usually sold only on-site at rodeos around Texas. These limitededition pieces are available for in-store and curbside pickup now. From 9pm to 2am, The Funktion (3435 May St) is hosting Dope Skate Night Friday for the skate community to hang out, listen to music, and, of course, skate. For non-skaters, there will be a designated dance floor. This party is ’70s/’80s themed, so come dressed to “get your boogie on.” DJ Mr. Would will spin from 9pm to 11pm and 1am to 2am with a disco set in between from 11pm to 1am by DJ Natev. You’ll need to wear a mask and bring your own skates. The cover is $10 per person. Email TheFunktionFW@ gmail.com.

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Historic art movie house Texas Theater (31 W Jefferson Blvd, Dallas, Saturday 214-948-1546) is the local sponsor of a special livestream presentation of the campy horror flick The Evil Dead. Join them on the worldwide web at 6pm for a virtual screening of the 1981 Sam Raimi classic with hero Ash (Bruce Campbell) doing a live commentary, sharing anecdotes, memories, and stories from the film[,] followed by a Q&A. The livestream also includes a video on demand for viewing again after the event. Tickets are $25 at lnk.bio/TexasTheatre.

There is also a VIP ticket for $50 that includes a limited-edition poster that will be mailed to you.

In commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz, the Dallas Holocaust & Sunday Human Rights Museum (300 N Houston St, Dallas, 214-7417500) is hosting a special program for International Holocaust Remembrance Day at 2pm via Zoom. Join speakers Mary Pat Higgins, president/CEO of DHHRM, Barbara Marcum of Lovers Lane United Methodist Church, and Rabbi Debra J. Robbins of Temple Emanu-El for a moment of peace and hope for the future. This program is free, but registration is requested at SForce.com/2WbH5pD.

I’ve grown to hate the grocery store. After working all week, who Monday wants chores over the weekend? If you successfully avoid adulting on Saturdays and Sundays, you may be a little hungry by Monday. That’s where the Aledo Farmers Market (104 Robinson Ct) comes in. While other FMs shine on the weekends, AFM does its thing every Monday from 3pm to 7pm. Local artisans and farmers bring their seasonal produce, locally made products, and crafts to the heart of Aledo, assuring you’ll have fresh ingredients for dinner when you finally get home.

At 6pm, Tarrant Regional Water District (800 E Northside Dr, 817Tuesday 335-2491) is offering a free 45-minute class called Backyard Composting. Turning your kitchen and yard scraps into compost for garden use creates enriched soil for a healthy landscape. It also reduces the amount of waste sent to the landfill, which is why TRWD wants to get the word out. Register at Backyard.Comp.Eventbrite.

Cour tesy Facebook

NIGHT&DAY

Cour tesy Facebook

BIG TICKET McGregor: “I like Dustin. I think he’s a good fighter. He’s even a great fighter, but great is still levels below me.”

Poirier vs. McGregor com whether you are attending or not. That way you have access to the recordings afterward. To learn more about TRWD’s water conservation efforts and watersaving tips, visit SaveTarrantWater.com.

At 10am today thru Mon, Feb 1, at midnight, Wednesday experience the virtual Denton Black Film Festival with more than 100 hours of programming, including film screenings, interactive workshops, live interaction, video on demand, and a virtual lounge for creatives, plus panel discussions about artificial intelligence/virtual reality, podcasting, social justice, and more. This event also features live musical collections from Tatiana “LadyMay” Mayfield, a gallery exhibition by artist Dick Hendricks, and the world premiere of Take Back the Crown (Episode 1, “The Process”). Some DBFF events are free to attend, while film screening passes and packages range from $24.99 to $129.99. Register to attend and purchase tickets at DBFF.Eventive.org.

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God bless Tom at Tom’s Burgers & Grill (1530 N Cooper St, Arlington, 817-4599000). He lost most of his kitchen staff on New Year’s Day — including his longtime cook Jesus, who is very ill (but not with COVID-19) and some walkouts — and ran the kitchen all by himself, like the trooper that he is. After closing early that day, Tom announced that they would be scaling back their hours while they trained a new team. Until further notice, the new temporary hours are 9am-3pm Mon-Fri for breakfast/ lunch and 5pm-8pm for dinner. Stop by if you’re seeking a meal or a job. (Also, there is a Go Fund Me for Jesus. To contribute, go to bit.ly/3oMPEUi.)

By Jennifer Bovee

For only the second time in UFC history — with the first being in 2014 — Dustin Poirier is stepping into the octagon with Conor McGregor, UFC Featherweight and Lightweight champion. Early preliminaries for UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi start at 5:15pm Saturday, so you can make a whole night of it. Last time, McGregor won. This time, we’ll see. The fight card also includes Dan Hooker vs. Michael Chandler and Matt Frevola vs. Ottman Azaitar in the men’s lightweight division, Jessica Eye vs. Joanne Calderwood in the women’s flyweight division, and Marina Rodriguez vs. Amanda Ribas in the women’s strawweight division, among other bouts. There is much to see. If you’d like to stay home and watch it, know that this is a pay-per-view event available on ESPN for $69.99. Along with traditional cable or dish platforms for viewing, according to the entertainment experts at IGN.com, ESPN is also available as an app on devices like Android and iOS, smart TVs, and through Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Google, Oculus, PS4 and 5, Roku, and Xbox One, Series X and S. If you’d like to break down and order cable or dish, there are several providers listed in our Bulletin Board in Classifieds. If you’d rather get out of the house instead, many local watering holes are screening the fight. Please wear your mask and practice social distancing. COVID-19 is not the fight we want to fight. Having said that, a few options include Boomer Jack’s Grill (2300 Airport Fwy, Ste 222, Bedford, 817-267-0267), Buffalo Bros (3015 University Dr, 817-386-9601), Buffalo Bros Sundance (415 Throckmorton St, 817-887-9533), City Works Eatery & Pour House (5288 Monahans Av, 682-207-1500), Coyote Drive-In (223 NE 4th St, 817-7177767), Texas Live! (1650 E Randol Mill Rd, Arlington, 817-852-6688), Toadies Bar & Grill (1705 Airport Fwy, Ste B, Bedford, 817-283-9090), and World Of Beer (3252 W 7th St, 682-708-7021).

2021

If you have ever wondered whether CBD oil might be beneficial, just ask Eddie. Well, you can’t ask him. He is a 1-year-old Yorkie mix. But you can ask his owner, Victoria Graham, who lives in the Hill Country and makes regular visits to her hometown of Arlington. The first time Eddie accompanied her on a trip, he became carsick. The next trip, Victoria dosed him with Cerenia, an FDAapproved anti-vomiting medication. Eddie didn’t puke but “seemed really drugged,” she said. Before the next trip, Graham researched natural remedies but wasn’t having much luck when a friend suggested CBD oil. “I really did roll my eyes at first, but time was running out before the Christmas road trip, so I thought I would try it,” Graham said. She bought a bottle from a chiropractor who said he put one drop of the oil in his small dog’s food prior to road trips to

prevent carsickness. First, Graham tried a dosage on herself that night before bed and slept really well. The next day, she put a drop in Eddie’s food about an hour before embarking on the trip, and the dog stayed calm and traveled well without incident, sleeping most of the way, she said. “I would say it just takes the edge off, which is basically what everything I’ve read says,” she said. There is plenty to read. CBD-based products for humans and pets are sold in an astounding array of places. People use the product to treat anxiety, insomnia, inflammation, depression, acne, or any number of other ailments – including carsickness for mutts. At locally owned Thrive Apothecary, Dr. Lisa Gardner-Phillips and her husband Trey invest in 3rd party testing for all their products to keep high standards for their oils, serums and edibles. “I’m a retired Fort Worth police officer, and my wife is a doctor, so we’re trying to bring some legitimacy to the CBD world,” Phillips said. “A lot of people think CBD is just something for stoners. They don’t know what it is at all, and we’re trying to change that.” The couple recently started an online buyers club. WelCel.com features a unique formulation of full-spectrum

CBD comes in drops and treats for doggos.

CBD oil that leverages the benefits of ginger, peppermint, and turmeric. “The enhanced entourage effect naturally balances the needs of your body,” Dr. Lisa says. With the WelCel Champion Referral Program, customers can earn money and be rewarded for referrals. Fort Worth resident Chris Kerr began using CBD to treat his back pain in the summer of 2018. He never realized how much the product would change his life. “I was also using it for migraine headaches and basic general wellness,” he said. “It’s a really good antiinflammatory.” He and others

appreciate the benefits of hemp without the high. Eddie, for one, is still wagging his tail. Back then, Kerr was buying CBD online from a Colorado-based supplier. After the 2018 Farm Bill eased legal restrictions, Kerr decided to sell CBD himself and created the Fort Worth based Tiki Biosciences to provide high quality hemp supplements at affordable prices. He joined the millions of Americans selling CBD products either full-time or as a side business. For many, CBD has become the latest, trendiest side gig a la Avon or Tupperware. “I thought it was a really good product and also a decent business opportunity,” he said. Kerr has plenty of company. A 2019 Gallup Poll showed that one in seven Americans use CBD products. The usage is poised to increase in the years ahead since the largest percentage of use is by young people between the ages of 18 and 29. Throughout DFW, the abundance of CBD availability has exploded. Brick and mortar retailers such as Thrive Apothecary, Behance Wellness and Bloom Hemp Market, plus online companies like Fort Worth based Craft CBD Co., add a local flare to consumers options.

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CBD For Pups & Their People

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Whether it’s shedding those holiday pounds, prepping for swimsuit season, or keeping a newly-made resolution, the New Year is the time that many people strive to make real life changes. From healthier food choices and fitness ideas, to info on CBD, Alive & Kicking 2021 has a bit of everything. Enjoy.

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It’s a cliché because it’s true.

INSIDE ALIVE & KICKING... Fitness: Inursha Food & Nutrition: Green’s Produce, Juice Junkies & Salarritos. Health & Wellness: VIP Total Wellness Home Resources: Staging With Angela Medical & Dental: Dovato, Physicians Mutual Insurance & UTSW Medical Center Where to buy CBD: Bloom, Craft CBD Co & Thrive Apothecary

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NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

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Important Facts About DOVATO

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. This is only a brief summary of important information about DOVATO and Some medicines interact with DOVATO. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. and treatment. • You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that What is the most important information I should know about DOVATO? interact with DOVATO. If you have both human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis B • Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your healthcare virus (HBV) infection, DOVATO can cause serious side effects, including: provider. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to take DOVATO with • Resistant HBV infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV other medicines. infection before you start treatment with DOVATO. If you have HIV-1 and What are possible side effects of DOVATO? hepatitis B, the hepatitis B virus can change (mutate) during your treatment with DOVATO can cause serious side effects, including: DOVATO and become harder to treat (resistant). It is not known if DOVATO is • Those in the “What is the most important information I should know safe and effective in people who have HIV-1 and HBV infection. about DOVATO?” section. • Worsening of HBV infection. If you have HIV-1 and HBV infection, your HBV • Allergic reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away if you may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking DOVATO. A “flare-up” is when your develop a rash with DOVATO. Stop taking DOVATO and get medical HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. Worsening liver help right away if you develop a rash with any of the following signs or disease can be serious and may lead to death. symptoms: fever; generally ill feeling; tiredness; muscle or joint aches; blisters ° Do not run out of DOVATO. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare or sores in mouth; blisters or peeling of the skin; redness or swelling of the eyes; provider before your DOVATO is all gone. swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; problems breathing. ° Do not stop DOVATO without first talking to your healthcare provider. • Liver problems. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus may have an If you stop taking DOVATO, your healthcare provider will need to check your increased risk of developing new or worsening changes in certain liver tests health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your liver. during treatment with DOVATO. Liver problems, including liver failure, have also What is DOVATO? happened in people without a history of liver disease or other risk factors. Your DOVATO is a prescription medicine that is used without other HIV-1 medicines to healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your liver. treat human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection in adults: who have not Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following received HIV-1 medicines in the past, or to replace their current HIV-1 medicines signs or symptoms of liver problems: your skin or the white part of your when their healthcare provider determines that they meet certain requirements. HIV-1 eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark or “tea-colored” urine; light-colored stools is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It is not (bowel movements); nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; and/or pain, aching, or known if DOVATO is safe and effective in children. tenderness on the right side of your stomach area. • Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis is Who should not take DOVATO? a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare Do not take DOVATO if you: provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms that could • have ever had an allergic reaction to a medicine that contains dolutegravir be signs of lactic acidosis: feel very weak or tired; unusual (not normal) or lamivudine. muscle pain; trouble breathing; stomach pain with nausea and vomiting; feel • take dofetilide. cold, especially in your arms and legs; feel dizzy or lightheaded; and/or a fast or What should I tell my healthcare provider before using DOVATO? irregular heartbeat. Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including • Lactic acidosis can also lead to severe liver problems, which can lead to if you: death. Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may develop fat in • have or have had liver problems, including hepatitis B or C infection. your liver (steatosis). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any • have kidney problems. of the signs or symptoms of liver problems which are listed above under • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. One of the medicines in DOVATO “Liver problems.” You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe (dolutegravir) may harm your unborn baby. liver problems if you are female or very overweight (obese). ° Your healthcare provider may prescribe a different medicine than DOVATO if • Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) you are planning to become pregnant or if pregnancy is confirmed during the can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may first 12 weeks of pregnancy. get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body ° If you can become pregnant, your healthcare provider will perform a pregnancy for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having new test before you start treatment with DOVATO. symptoms after you start taking DOVATO. ° If you can become pregnant, you should consistently use effective birth control • The most common side effects of DOVATO include: headache; nausea; (contraception) during treatment with DOVATO. diarrhea; trouble sleeping; tiredness; and anxiety. ° Tell your healthcare provider right away if you are planning to become pregnant, These are not all the possible side effects of DOVATO. Call your doctor for medical you become pregnant, or think you may be pregnant during treatment advice about side effects. with DOVATO. • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take DOVATO. ° You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. ° One of the medicines in DOVATO (lamivudine) passes into your breastmilk. ° Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.

SO MUCH GOES INTO WHO I AM HIV MEDICINE IS ONE PART OF IT. Why could DOVATO be right for you? DOVATO is proven to help control HIV with just 2 medicines in 1 pill. That means fewer medicines* in your body while taking DOVATO. It’s proven as effective as an HIV treatment with 3 or 4 medicines. Learn more about fewer medicines at DOVATO.com DOVATO is a complete prescription regimen to treat HIV-1 in adults who have not received HIV-1 medicines in the past or to replace their current HIV-1 medicines when their doctor determines they meet certain requirements. Results may vary. *As compared with 3- or 4-drug regimens.

T:11”

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

New to treatment? Considering a switch?

Ask your doctor about DOVATO.

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August 2020 DVT:4PIL Trademark is owned by or licensed to the ViiV Healthcare group of companies.

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Where can I find more information? • Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist. • Go to DOVATO.com or call 1-877-844-8872, where you can also get FDA-approved labeling.

DENTAL Insurance Medicare does not cover dental care1. That means if you need dental work done, it can cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars out of your own pocket. Get Dental Insurance from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. It helps cover over 350 procedures — from cleanings and fillings to crowns and dentures. • See any dentist you want, but save more with one in our network • No deductible, no annual maximum • Immediate coverage for preventive care

Call to get your FREE Information Kit

1-888-361-7095 dental50plus.com/fortworth

“Medicare & You,” Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2020 Includes the Participating (in GA: Designated) Providers and Preventive Benefits Rider. Product not available in all states. Acceptance guaranteed for one insurance policy/certificate of this type. Contact us for complete details about this insurance solicitation. This specific offer is not available in CO, LA, NY; call 1-800-969-4781 or respond for similar offer. Certificate C250A (ID: C250E; PA: C250Q); Insurance Policy P150 (GA: P150GA; NY: P150NY; OK: P150OK; TN: P150TN); Rider kinds B438/B439 (GA: B439B).

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After receiving her degree in Interior Design from Stephen F. Austin, she has made a little dream into a reality, inspiring vision for realtors, investors, sellers, and homebuyers. “I go above and beyond expected. I love seeing a client’s expression after walking into a staged home and creating an emotional connection to the space. It is gratifying.” turf to life for your personal edification. To The Fort Worth resident is proud to bring her that end, she suggests three ways to create a fledgling business here but is gladly serving calming space and soothe your soul. all the metroplex areas. UTILIZE THE RIGHT COLOR - Colors In professional staging, most homes affect our mood, and the sooner you pick are empty shells, and many potential colors that calm the space, the better. Angela homebuyers struggle to envision what a uses greys, tamed blues, and muted greens living space could potentially look like. Art, to add life and create calmness. “If we enter furniture placement, and even new wiring into a room with a chaotic color scheme, will bring space to life and embrace its our moods can switch immediately.” If your potential esthetic. Souder believes that the room’s color doesn’t exude calmness, then same principles apply in bringing your home it’s time for a change.

BRING NATURE ALONG - A combination of the right flower type and the ultimate vase can amplify your chosen aesthetic, help center your soul, and soothe the room. Angela always uses pops of natural elements, whether bedside or dining platform. A biophilic design helps restore the balance by bringing certain natural elements inside, helping people feel healthier and more energetic. CUT OUT CLUTTER - SWA offers a “partial stage” option using existing furniture and recommends removing clutter, including artwork, accessories, and furniture to help reduce tension and create a more calming space. “It’s okay to let it go, part with your art, purge the paper,” says Angela. “Remember it’s also okay to simply store your momentous and file away the memories.” Sometimes less is more. Stage With Angela can help to achieve balance in any space: she strives to create beauty, comfort, and functionality by playing with colors, materials, and furniture to create a space to soothe the soul. For ideas on home staging and house redesign for occupied or vacant properties, follow her at Facebook. com/StageWithAngela or call 817-501-5076.

Help fight COVID. Join the study today. •

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Angela Souder has taken the North Texas market by storm with her growing business Stage With Angela Interiors. With her upbringing in construction, she can recall following her father to subcontracting jobs as a child and channeling her mom’s creative nature. Angela has chosen to continue following in her parent’s footsteps but in her own way in the design/decorating realm.

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LIVING Local

Stage Your Life: How Interior Design & Home Staging Can Lift Your Spirits

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A Special Fort Worth Weekly Advertising Supplement

LIVING Local

Craft CBD Company: Questions & Answers We have a lot of questions about CBD. Doesn’t everyone? Local manufacturer Craft CBD Company has the answers — or some of them, at least — complete with lab reports available to the public on their website. Let’s begin.

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WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS? People have used CBD traditionally used for thousands of years to treat various pain types, but the medical community has only recently begun to study it again. The possible benefits of using CBD include helping with arthritis pain, chronic pain, gut health, inflammation, mood disorders, and multiple sclerosis.

WHAT IS CBD? It comes from the Cannabis sativa plant, which is also used to produce hemp and marijuana. CBD is extracted from the resin of cannabis buds and flowers and usually diluted with another oil, like MCT. The significant difference between CBD and marijuana is that it does not contain THC, the psychoactive compound that probably comes to mind when you think of marijuana. That means you won’t get high from using CBD. WHAT IS CBD OIL? There are different levels of compounds found in the natural hemp or cannabis plant. How people breed the plant affects the CBD levels. Most CBD oil comes from industrial hemp, which usually has a higher CBD content than marijuana. Makers of CBD oil use different methods to extract the compound. The extract is then added to a carrier oil and called CBD oil. CBD oil comes in many different strengths, and people use it in various ways. It is best to discuss CBD oil with a doctor before using it.

Research has shown several CBD oil benefits, ranging from alleviating social anxiety to improving rheumatoid arthritis.

HOW DOES THE BODY HANDLE EDIBLES? When CBD is swallowed, it enters the digestive system before being absorbed. The hemp extract in the product passes through the portal vein into the liver, which metabolizes the CBD and other molecules. This process called first-pass metabolism is the slowest route for CBD to reach its targets but is also the most extended time that it’s active! WHO SHOULD TRY CBD OIL? According to a recent report from the World Health Organization, CBD is safe for almost everyone but check with your doctor before starting any CBD product, especially if you are pregnant or on any medications.

Along with CBD oils, other items you can purchase from CraftCBDCompany.com for personal use or wholesale for a business include CBD flowers, dog treats, gummies, lip balm, tinctures, vape liquids, and vape mods.

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Julian Frederick is dedicated to helping other kids through cooking. Advertising Feature

Julian was a state finalist for the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge in partnership with the White House Let’s Move Campaign. He has served on the Kids Advisor y Board for ChopChop Magazine, an awardwinning kid cooking magazine, and was featured on the cover of the premiere issue of CEOKid Magazine. Lear n more at www. stepstoolchef.com.

The Step Stool Chef Cooking School For Kids launched in late 2020 and is now online at SideChef. com and through the SideChef app on all Apple iOS and Google Play d ev i c e s . T h i s m i n o r i t y - ow n e d business, co-founded by Julian and his mother, Toria Frederick, has been featured in magazines, newspapers, and major TV networks across the United States.

Step Stool programs and products — like its kids’ cookbook and cooking kits for kids — help foster independent learning using a “kids teaching kids” approach to cooking, making it fun and approachable for children and easy for the parents. Instead of parents taking the lead in the kitchen, kids can now contribute to the cooking fun with Chef Julian’s step-by-step video tutorials, available

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North Texas native Julian Frederick, the 12-year-old Head Chef and CEO of Step Stool Chef, landed a deal w i t h a g l o b a l t e c h c o m p a ny called Side Chef to launch new on-demand cooking classes exclusively for kids.

“I want to help kids build their cooking skills and confidence while creating great family time memories for everyone that may be at home due to the pandemic,” says Chef Frederick. “The Step Stool Chef teaches kids to be leaders in the kitchen, providing tools and solutions for them to learn to cook in a safe space with little to no help from parents. At the Step Stool Chef, the kids are the chefs. Parents are the assistants.”

Julian Frederick, 12-year-old Chef and CEO, has an app for that.

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When relocating to new real estate, we frequently seek sources to remind us of something former and familiar. Sometimes we discover that acquaintance au courant without attempt. And if it doesn’t exist, we are afforded the ability to roll up our sleeves and build it. While Buffalo, New York, is a long way away from Fort Worth — 1,549 miles to be exact — that’s precisely what Buffalo native Travis Tober did. With Buffalo, alternatively coined Nickel City, a nickname derived from the obsolete nickel of the same name, Tober borrowed that moniker for his acclaimed Austin bar as one of several nods to his hometown. He followed suit for the sister location which opened in October on South Main Street, albeit one year behind schedule. Paying reverence to his family, a pristine collection of vintage alcohol signs for Schlitz and Canadian Club emerge from dated brick walls that recall memories of his grandfather’s bar, where Tober found

Cody Neathery

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C O D Y

Cody Neathery

Though a newcomer, Nickel City already feels like a veteran.

work during his teenage years, with pinball machines that pay respect to those located in his father’s bar. Maroon and gray checkered tiles and mustard yellow curved booths inspired by his high school colors greet your entrance, although eyes are immediately lured to a commanding triple arch Brunswick bar aged 115 years and bought from auction in Cincinnati. Heads of carved lions keep guard over an expansive inventory of liquor bottles that glow under Edison bulbs turned tightly into the mouths of the felines. A brightly lit marquee of everchanging jokes shares wall space with a menu board of classic bar food complete with mix-matched pricing which yields wings (created at Buffalo’s Anchor Bar in 1964) in one- or two-pound increments, fried cheese curds, a fried bologna sandwich, and a slider that begs to be a normal-sized smash burger, in addition to juicy onion rings and a Coney dog serviced from the on-site food truck. While a solo TV hangs on the distant end of the bar near the patio doorway, rarely is it on as this space conjures more community than exclusivity. Another sepia-toned sentimental beer sign might offer more usage if not for the occasional screen time demanded by sports. Sounding off with stages of familiarity, well known, lesser known, and unknown begin the menu’s stroll into the cold beer and mixed drinks territory. An Old Pal’s rye is leveled off by splashes of apertivo and dry vermouth, rendering it a distant relative to the Old Fashioned. The Alabama Slammer, a drink with an appearance in the 1971 Playboy Bartender’s Guide, trades the original Southern Comfort for peach-infused bourbon piggybacked by peach bitters, amaretto, gin and “magic” OJ. Novelty turns serious when a Ramos gin fizz captures the youthful flavors of Fruity Pebbles cereal. Lesser-known cocktails aren’t actually that when understanding the beverages

were actually created by popular bartenders from various cities. Former New York City barman and author Jim Meehan makes an appearance with his mezcal mule recipe, followed by fellow New Yorker Sam Ross’ scotch-based Penicillin that leverages flavors of ginger, honey, and lemon floated by 10-year Laphroaig scotch. Step into the unknown with a Coco Beware, which delivers coconut-washed Maker’s Mark, apricot liqueur, lemon, and honey served with a personal-sized carafe to continue pouring on your own. If this seems like a lot to swallow, wait, there’s even more. Boilermakers fluctuate from customary, such as Coors and Jim Beam, to irregular, like when a Wild Acre agave beer is met with mezcal and Montenegro. Or with the Turtle Back, which rattles with a Martin House pickle beer and hums with Jameson Black Barrel. All this before surfing into the Pacific realm of Polynesia, which features classic tiki drinks, including a zombie and a Mai Tai. They even have room for two frozen drinks, including the Irish coffee, similar to that of the original creation located at Erin Rose in New Orleans, and a strawberry Negroni. An obscure element to Nickel City’s buildout is that the walls give birth to an intimate 15-seat bar within the main barroom. Bar Bagazo, which translates to “husk” or “waste,” is a shrine to mezcal, the spiritual agave liquid with origins to Oaxaca, Mexico. Nickel City’s foray into the South Main neighborhood already exudes the vibe of a tenured veteran of the local bar scene. Having characteristics of a blue-collar dive, a dime a dozen in the Northeast and Midwest, it feels like a bar made for everyone. As the South Main area continues to develop, Nickel City will subsequently take part settling in somewhere between something familiar and something well-known. l

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Lotus Sutra’s Mourning Dawns

This resurrected sludgemetal trio is trying to find its place within Fort Worth’s scattered metal scene. B Y

P A T R I C K

H I G G I N S

HearSay Status Quo (Not the Band)

For seating capacity at restaurants to be increased and for bar-bars to reopen, Gov. Greg Abbott says, essentially, that the number of available hospital beds must increase for seven consecutive days. I’m sorry to say that this won’t be happening anytime soon. On Monday, Tarrant County reported a single-day high 40 COVID-19 deaths and 3,021 new cases. Since the pandemic started, the county has confirmed 195,518 COVID-19 cases and 1,892 deaths, with about 139,890 recoveries. The hospitalized patients are the ones Abbott is keeping his eye on. From a high of 1,528 patients just last week, the number has gone down to 1,461. Confirmed COVID patients account for about 24% of all available beds in the North Central Texas Trauma Region from a pandemic high of 38% 10 days ago, according to Tarrant County.

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Often hidden in the shadows of every music scene, clandestine among fawnedover stylish and attractive indie rockers, concealed behind the glitzy flex of the hip-hop set, obscured by the wholesome, heartland marketability of singersongwriters, is invariably a surreptitious underground metal scene. Dirty, loud, unforgiving metal. Fort Worth is certainly no different. The genre reached its apotheosis nearly three decades ago. In the mid ’90s, thrash and grind bands somehow found their way onto MTV. The sudden spotlight

The dip isn’t something to start making party plans on. Since the pandemic began, we have seen peaks and valleys in the numbers. For the foreseeable future, business will continue as usual. For venues, there is hope in the form of Save Our Stages, the awareness campaign that resulted in about $15 billion from the $900 billion COVID relief package to be disbursed at some point soon. Hopefully, that phat, phat cash will help places like Lola’s Trailer Park, MASS, The Post, and a few other progressive local venues to hang around a bit longer, at least until everyone is vaccinated and life returns to normal, well, semi-normal. All I want to do is see a show, and my stir craziness is starting to scare me. For very good reason. I’m thinking I may be a super-spreader. Last February, before the pandemic took hold, my wife and I vacationed in Italy, Venice specifically. On our last night, I became violently ill. I wrote it off as food poisoning until we landed back in the States, where we learned that Italy would be

Willis Brown

MUSIC

accorded local metal hotspots like Joe’s Garage full to bursting with distorted and detuned guitar-ravenous heshers on any given night, but, discounting a brief ripple of resurgence with the rise of the more accessible versions of doom and stoner metal in the late aughts, the focus has been steadily dissipating in the minds of most music fans. Despite a total lack of any mainstream attention, thanks to a cadre of rabidly hardcore fans, metal has never really gone away. And likely never will. It exists in the fringes, but it still exists. Long-haired dudes clad in black denim and T-shirts with reticulate and illegible band logos rarely grace the pages of local music coverage. These bands abide a lack of venues catering to their demo and constantly being billed on ill-fitting, mismatched lineups. Yet the scene somehow continues on in outof-the-way dives or the more hard-bitten clubs around town just the same. One such group still trying to make its way among the diluted heavy music scene is sludge metal outfit Lotus Sutra. Though originally formed more than 12 years ago, after a long hiatus, the trio is back together and has just released its first EP, Mourning Star. “Back then, there was this sort of melting pot of metal bands in Fort Worth,” said drummer/singer Dave Cooke about the state of the scene back when they originally formed. “But a lot of those people are gone by the wind or just aren’t here anymore. We kind of feel like the old dinosaurs, like we’re some of the only ones still playing this kind of music.” After a pause of several years due to typical adult life intervening, Cooke and guitarist Willis Brown and bassist Mike MacWhirtier hooked back up and started playing again two years ago. The

(From left to right) Willis Brown, Mike MacWhirtier, and Dave Cooke think now is the perfect time for Lotus Sutra.

resurrection has been part nostalgia trip, part new adventure. Roughly half of the material that appears on Mourning Star dates back to their initial run, which straddled the turn of the previous decade from the aughts to the early teens. The rest has come from the inspiration of making music together again. “Now we have a little more salt in our dish,” Cooke said. Though the three of them have a long history of playing together, they’ve had little to officially document their efforts. Mourning Star is Lotus Sutra’s first proper recording. “This is the [only] record that we’ve made,” Cooke said. “We’ve recorded jam room stuff, but as far as actually doing anything legitimate and putting a quote unquote notarized seal of approval on it, this is it.” The debut effectively documents Brown’s thick, megafauna-sized riffage and Cooke’s angst-ridden, aggro vocal. The band’s cage-rattling mood evokes all the shutting down due to the novel coronavirus that had spread rapidly … in Venice. Still feeling like utter crap, I called my doc for a sick appointment. Due to the COVIDs, she said I had to go to the ER. When I told the ER nurses that my doctor said I had to see them instead of her, one of them scoffed and said, “I just have one question for you.” “OK?” “How much did you love Italy?” The ER doc who treated me was a little less blasé. Dressed in what looked like a Hazmat suit, she checked me out and tested me. For the flu. I asked if, y’know, you guys have any COVID tests lying around? “I wish we did,” she answered, “but you’d probably have to go to Dallas for one.” With a negative flu result and some scripts in hand, and with a no-effingway-am-I-driving-to-Dallas attitude in my heart, I strolled back out into the wide, wide world, and after a few weeks, I started to feel better. My wife and young son have not had any problems, either. *knocks on wood*

rankle of Clutch but slowed to a Melvinsesque tempo. Their sound is absent the amphetamine-clipped triplets of thrash and is instead mired in a tar pit of viscous dirge. Lotus Sutra is deliberate and paced, each palm-muted chug like a rage-filled hammer to the chest. It’s just the sort of neck-snapping, fist-pumping catharsis needed in this moment. The provocation in their tone acts as a sort of open pressure valve bleeding off just a bit of the pent-up anxiety most are currently suffering. The six songs were recorded in just one day by engineer and Deadbot bassist Josh Fagan at his home studio in Denton in the spring. There are a couple of notable locals who cameo on the project. Revered lead-screamer of legendary metal-core pioneers Brutal Juice Craig Welsh adds his signature guttural shout along with Cooke’s on a track. Perhaps Fort Worth’s closest iteration to a living, breathing Charles Bukowski — artist, musician, and poet William Bryan Massey III — provided the EP’s Haitian-style voodoo zombie cover art. The piece was created using the unconventional media of red nail polish, tobacco spittle, and ebony wood epoxy. Lotus Sutra celebrated the release of Mourning Star with a show at Lola’s Saloon last weekend. They were accompanied by Uboat and the aforementioned Massey III. Though the metal scene is smaller than it was years ago, the trio feels they’re in the exact spot they’re meant to be. “I think — and why? don’t ask me — but now is the time,” Cooke said. “There’s not a better time than now. I feel like I’ve got my hands on the wheel, and I’m finally heading home. Home is not a place. It’s not a porchlight. It’s in your heart. It’s all I’ve ever been looking for.” l

All of this means that I can’t be a superspreader. If I were, then surely I would have super-spread it to my family. Right? No one will give me a straight answer, not even Sir Google Googleymore. Still, I’m pretending I may be a 5-foot-10, 200-pound walking virus. My wife and I will sit down for a bite and some beverages out on the town about twice a month — but only if we are 12 feet or more from the next customers, so, to my vegetarian wife’s dismay, no can do Spiral Diner on weekends. (That place is always packed.) Or maybe I tell myself I might be (or have been) a super-spreader to avoid leaving the house anymore. Venues have been doing a great job livestreaming shows, and I hope they continue into the future. I love ’em. And for my next column, I will write about how cargo shorts and sports-team sweatshirts should be accepted showgoing attire. At least for now. — Anthony Mariani Contact HearSay at anthony@fwweekly.com.

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TRANSFORMER FIELD SERVICE TECHNICIAN - JUNIOR Reinhausen Manufacturing, a world leader the Electrical Power Engineering industry has an opening for a Junior Transformer Field Service Technicias in the Charlotte, NC area. This is a remote position with a home base in the Charlotte, NC area. Applicants can live anywhere but travel is required! The technician will be responsible for servicing transformers for Reinhausen clients located primarily throughout the US. Some of our transformer clients are located in Canada, Mexico and Europe. The Transformer Field Service Technician is responsible for preparing equipment and job sites, as well. Summary/ Objective: The Transformer Field Service Technician – Junior is responsible for preparing equipment and job sites as well as perform installation, maintenance, trouble-shooting, testing & repairs with minimum direction. Essential Functions: • Close collaboration with and technical support of the Transformer Field Service Team • Basic assembly of transformer and components • Assist in all craft classifications • Set-up / operation of Processing Trailer • Compilation of periodic reports (i.e. timesheets, expense reports, job information, customer information, KPI’s, etc.) • Responsible for personal development to advance knowledge and experience of the Transformer Service Field • Other tasks as assigned by Supervisor • Computer skills including Word and Excel • This position is 95% % travel with overnight travel expected. • Must be able to obtain necessary clearances to perform essential functions including background testing, random drug testing and customer requested testing * Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This role is primarily a traveling outside maintenance position. Off-site work at customer sites will be required causing exposure to extreme environment elements & conditions such as heat, cold, rain, snow, etc. This is largely a physical role with frequent need for handling and lifting of equipment to repair, test, & assemble. Climbing, walking, kneeling, bending, and lifting is necessary. Ability to lift a minimum of 35 – 60 lbs is required.

Must be legally authorization to work in the United States Reinhausen provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Reinhausen complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

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This position works “as needed”. Work days and hours will depend on the specifics of the job, as well as the amount of hours worked in a day/week.

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EMPLOYMENT: ENGINEER

GM Financial seeks a Data Engineer: Req BS in MIS, CIS, CS, CE & 2 yrs. exp in a data modeling and database engineering using Hadoop and SQL. Position located Arlington, TX. Mail all resumes with Ref#JL483574 to Yesenia Castillo Valdivia, 801 Cherry St, Suite 3500 Fort Worth TX 76102. EOE.

EMPLOYMENT: ENGINEER

KPS Global, LLC seeks Associate Mechanical Engineer in Fort Worth, TX to engineer new & update existing product design standards & engage with engineering, manufacturing, sales, & supply chain depts. Reqs. Bachelor’s in Mech Engineering, Industrial Design or related field, plus 1 year post-baccalaureate experience in CAD Design, Mech Engineering or related role. Exp must include MATLAB, MS-Excel, SolidWorks, & AutoCAD. Also requires completion of Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification. Mail resume to: KPS Global LLC, c/o Lisa Holiman, 4201 North Beach Street, Fort Worth, TX 76137.

PUBLIC NOTICE

The following vehicles have been impounded with fees due to date by Lone Star Towing (VSF0647382) at 1100 Elaine Pl, Fort Worth TX, 76196, 817-334-0606: 1992 Internat’al, 1HTSAZRN2NH397201, $600.52. 2007 Flagstaff, 4X4CFS6197D158213, $754.65.

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