dbigtex56

I think some huge stubbed-out cigarette butts emerging from the top of the building would look wholly appropriate.

The Officer's Club was on Albany St., in a building which was built to be an orphanage (the DePelchin Children's Home.) Later it would house Emo's and Club Some; currently it's been converted into several condo units. (Interesting sidebar: the same architect who designed this building also designed the Hotel Galvez, in Galveston. His name escapes me at the moment...) I think Grant Street Station was located in the building that now houses Lola's. Yes, The Deep was in a converted house, wasn't it? And just beyond that was a large bar which had various names - I remember it as Ray's Five & Dime. I think this building is now a private residence. It featured a large game room with several pinball machines, pool and foosball tables, a photo booth, video games, etc. One afternoon a friend and I were playing pool there when this half naked guy came flying out of the photo booth and fell flat on his face in front of us. Seems his legs had become tangled in his pants and underwear, which were still around his ankles. He had been standing on the stool taking a (ahem) very special self-portrait and lost his balance. Boy, was his face red - and not just because of the blood.

One of the first people I met in Houston when I moved here in 1981 lived at 2016 Main; he told me that the floor above his (the penthouse) had been used as a location for the luxury highrise in Urban Cowboy. Since he was a native Houstonian and a real estate broker, I tend to believe him.

OK Humor me. First of all, (me being of inferior intellect and uneducated and all) I cannot find a reference for the word 'disamenity'. You're going to have to help me out with that one. The supposed meaning is "that which people don't like". Is that right? In the same ballpark? Here's the crux of the matter: that maybe people cannot be treated as mere widgets. Maybe there's a reason that people are more willing to accept long commuting times than they care to admit. Maybe you're giving more weight to flawed methodology than you ought. But what do I know? I think that there are aspects of being a lone commuter which are insufficiently explored. For many people, it's the only time they have to express themselves without being judged. For many people, it's the only time they have the luxury of being alone - to rant and rave in private, to listen to whatever music one likes and express opinions without being judged by ones employer or family. It's a form of freedom - an emotional outlet. And people want to guard that time. It's an aspect which needs to be considered.

OK What this kid, this young man did is horrifying. What kind of monster could perform such an act? So... here's the question: at what age is a person responsible? For murder? For sex? For a credit card? Or to serve in the military? Or get married? At what point do we stop protecting children, and start holding them responsible? And is it the same time as these other aspects?

Congratulations on being precisely correct. Me, being of a congenital low brow, had to read that sentence three times before it made sense. In simpler terms, a person is more willing to devote time as a commuter than he cares to admit. He (or she) does not value the time spent commuting for some reason. Are we on the same page?

You'd love Toronto. There's an example of how government, investors and the citizenry came together. I'd swim the St. Laurence Seaway to be a Canadian Wetback.

Including the "edited by TJones" part? Hmmmmmmm.......I really need to get my time machine fixed.

You lose. We accept PayPal.

And if you need more information on what a pathetic case Michael Weiner really is, click here. Such a demented little hypocrite! I hope no one is silly enough to take him seriously.

Rats. Here's Happy's less-than-happy water tower:

Hmm.... It would be appropriate if this was located in Happy, TX. The town was so named because early settlers were happy to find water there.

According to the Handbook of Texas Online, that distinction belongs to Hortense Sparks Ward, who passed the bar in 1910 aged approximately 38 years. Nowhere in her biography is it mentioned that she ever held public office. Regardless, the accomplishments of the house's former occupant are very impressive.

There's a bar at the River Oaks theater. Maybe we should agree to meet when a movie of general interest is playing. We'd be killing several birds with one stone - experiencing local architecture, contributing to its preservation, a chance to meet up and have a drink or two, an excuse to eat fatty salty foods...the list goes on and on.

There's another reference to the Booby Rock here

And remember when EJ's was on Richmond Ave.? With the cages filled with finches and budgies? The original building was torn down in the 80's. Local legend had it that it was a beatnik hangout in the late 50's/early 60's and was where Janis Joplin first started performing in public. I think it was on the site now occupied by Decades.

a.k.a. The Different Drum.

What a grisly way to go!

Same topic - merged threads.

Not using the same equipment, one hopes....

I think you mean the Methodist towers. When it (they?) were first built, some people referred to it as the "Madonna Towers", because of the two pointy things... To me, it looks like twin hypodermic needles, which seems appropriate.

Ms America, I'm with you all the way. The advice you gave was very sensible and constructive. Sometimes the so-called "little things" get overlooked, which can diminish what would otherwise be a pleasant dining experience. Let's hope the young man passes your advice on to his co-workers. I went to Cafe Flores a couple of weeks ago, and it's a place which would be at home in Midtown, Montrose or The Heights. Maybe it can become to the East End what the late, lamented Diedrich's was to Montrose. I hope it gets the local support it deserves.

Perhaps some good will come of the news coverage this tragic incident generated. Maybe now people will take seriously the recommendations of stocking their cars with safety and survival supplies, and of the consequences of taking risks. (You know, like people who run red lights, and brag about it.... ) So far as second-guessing his actions...were you there? No? I didn't think so. Maybe it was his wife who insisted on taking that route. Maybe the sign was obliterated by snow. I seriously doubt that he thought, "Hey! We have a 50-50 chance of surviving this thing. Let's do it!" It doesn't take a psychiatrist to understand why people need to find some reason to blame the victim. It makes us believe that we're still here and alive due to our good sense, so we're protected forever. Such is not the case. We all make mistakes, and some end up being far more dire than we could ever have anticipated. Also, do not forget that Mr. Kim's trek was not in vain. It was due to his discarded clothing that the searchers were able to back-track to his car and rescue his family. If he had notgone in search of help, the same people who ridicule his actions now would have said that he was a wimp for not at least trying. Right? Right.

If you've got a problem with a thread, try reporting it to a moderator before going off on a rant. If you've got a problem with a moderator, take it up with the editor. If you've got a problem with the editor, I suggest you go elsewhere. Thread closed for review.

The Pop Rocks urban legend began as a lame joke. Mikey was a little boy who appeared in TV ads for Life cereal. Q: What happened when Mikey mixed Pop Rocks and Coke? A: He lost his Life! (told you it was lame.) Anyway, some people didn't understand that it was a joke, which started the "Mikey died" story.