dbigtex56

Congratulations on your graduation, jman. "studies of the futures"...the next Miss Cleo, maybe?

Kyrie has read way too much Fran Liebowitz. She's got the irritating part down pat, but none of the insight.

The Clots are crused.

On the topic of restaurants - does anyone know the name of a restaurant or deli on the west side which serves South African cuisine? There was an article in the Chronicle about it 1-2 weeks ago; it had burned a year or so ago, and recently reopened. I mentioned having seen the article to a friend from South Africa, and he's keen on going there.

Typical liberal hippie.

Honesty is the best policy. Haven't we all observed people who are, you know, trashy? And others who are (for lack of a better word) just a little too pissy? My brother lives in a suburban neighborhood, and maintains his house well. But some of his neighbors were concerned because he doesn't have ChemLawn come by every couple of weeks to spray herbicides on his lawn. If a dandelion or two pokes up, some people freak. He doesn't, and feels that spraying herbicides indiscriminately isn't such a good idea. His lawn is kept mown and neat. A couple of weeds is no reason to get excited. I'm old enough to remember what America looked like before Lady Bird Johnson. It was she who made people aware that litter and billboards and junkyards are unsightly, and that we can do better. As bad as our streets and highways are today, they are much better than they were 40 years ago. She's an unsung hero. Call me a liberal. Call me politically correct. But never say I'm not a realist, because I've seen people of all stripes act in similar ways. Mexicans are filthy; so are black people; so are white people. Mexicans take great pride in maintaining that which is theirs. So do black people. So do white people. I'm old enough to remember going on long trips as a child, and eating lunch in the back seat. Paper napkins, orange peels, Coke bottles got thrown out the window, to join the rest of the litter which lined highways at that time. How trashy! But we - nor anyone else - never gave it a second thought. Not until Lady Bird made her appeal did we reconsider - that our trash was part of the problem, and that everyone is expected to be part of the solution. "Don't Be A Litterbug!" I think it's not a matter of ethnicity, nor even of economic advantage. It's about education, and we all have a responsibility to teach others what is acceptable - and what isn't.

J.A.S.O.N. , thanks for sharing these pictures. What beautiful structures, and how sad that they're gone, forever. Our current wealth and technology cannot duplicate the materials and workmanship which made such buildings possible.

Darn tootin'. That's why I find the term "Anglo" so offensive. I've done some research on my geneology, and lumping my Celtic ancestors with the Anglos is frankly offensive. Also, my German ancestors are requesting that my Teutonic roots be acknowleged. And the Dutch ancestry is appalled to be lumped together with the others. Heck, one of those liberal bastards even married a Huguenot, so I'm about 1/128th French. I enjoy reflecting on my varied ancestry, and am consumed with self-loathing. What fun!

I've been furrowing my brow trying to figure out what you're trying to say. If Botox becomes necessary, I'm sending you the bill. Are you joking or serious? I honestly don't know. Perhaps our backgrounds or points of view really are that different. For the record, I think the Humble (Exxon) Building has its own appeal. I especially like how Cesar Pelli paid homage to it with the new Enron II building (if you look east while standing on Smith St. you'll see what I mean). Sure, it needs some attention (would it kill them to give it a good powerwashing?), but the bones are there. I didn't know how radical a departure this building was, when it was erected in 1963. Seemingly, it's still viable as a building; it's been in use continually since it was built, and I've heard of no plans for demolishing it. Likewise, the Astrodome was a building which captured my imagination since I was a kid - I remember reading about it in "My Weekly Reader", which was a newspaper aimed at the under-ten crowd back in the 60's. Unfortunately, the 'dome is no longer needed for its intended purpose. I sincerely hope that someone who is audacious, imaginative and rich enough will come up with a viable use for this wonderful building. But I'm puzzled at your contempt for Houston's earliest buildings. They have so much to teach us. There's nothing like the authentic, real article; Z-Brick will never compare with the weathered bricks of La Carafe. It gives us a standard by which other buildings can be compared. Imagine! There were once log cabins in the Houston area, and Victorian houses where skyscrapers now stand. Perhaps schoolchildren will gain an appreciation for architecture, because we have this small park dedicated to its preservation. As you pointed out with the Humble Building, understanding the past gives the present more significance. Sometimes I wonder if I'm preaching to the deaf. It's like those mosaic tests where the colorblind cannot see that the number '42' is spelled out in different colors. Perhaps they think the rest of us are crazy. For me, it's important to see what passed as a fashionable house 100 or 150 years ago. The historic buildings at Sam Houston Park include the Saiti House, which was dismantled and moved from my neighborhood. I watched 'em do it; it had to be cut in half, and reassembled. How does it compare with the 'McMansions' of today? You be the judge. The Market Square area owes its popularity to the fact that it's unique and irreplacable. If you don't see it, well, sorry. Some people do. These are the same kind of people who didn't see the French Quarter as a dump which should be demolished - and New Orleans has been handsomely repaid by their foresight. I doubt if the revitalization of downtown Houston would have succeeded without its few surviving historic buildings.

So, anyway. Mr. Fiscelli doesn't have the most sparkling prose I've read, but the jist of his argument seems to be that rail cannot succeed because of our existing Euclidian political divisions. Correct me if I'm wrong; I don't want to have to read that again. In other words, we need regional planning which is hampered by our current political divisions (villages, cities, counties - what have you). Here's a local example: the Metropolitan Transit Atthority is supposed to address public transit issues in the Houston area. However, when it was formed, some municipalities (Pasadena, Baytown, Deer Park, etc.) chose to 'opt out' of their plan - which is why you can't catch a bus to much of the suburban areas east of Houston. So long as there's powers of local governments (which may have made sense at the time they were formed), they will interfere with future developments of mass transit. But exactly what seperates Deer Park or Baytown or Pasadena in the 21st century? Even if the answer is 'nothing', there's entrenched political power, which is never easily overturned. Each community jealously holds on to its identity, regardless of the common good of the region - or even their own community. I think what he's trying to say (again, Mr. Fiscelli will never work for Hallmark Cards) - is that mass transit is being strangled by an obsolete seperation of governmental powers, and that red tape will succeed in strangling even the best laid plans for rail. Thoughts? Correct me if I misinterpreted this article. If need be, I'll read it again. (sigh)

I think a more appropriate song could have been chosen. Something about third graders dabbling in social satire kind of sickens me. This is adult humor, even if it's not sexual. Imagine that. 'Offensive' is perhaps too strong a word to describe the lyrics of this song, IMO, although I can see how there's something there to offend more sensitive listeners, regardless of their race. Yes, I wish people would lighten up and get a sense of humor - and I also wish that those who practice what used to be known as 'common courtesy' wouldn't be accused of that worst of sins; political correctness. Now, if PETA protested "Jingle Bells" because it exploits animals, that would be too much. "Bells on bob-tails ring?" Don't you know the torture horses experience from having their tails bobbed? But asking eight-year-olds to sing about racial stereotypes in a public school...nah.

If you'll notice, the article was written by members of the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance, not by developers. I agree that this neighborhood of charming Victorian houses could be something special. Unfortunately, it's in Houston. I'm afraid that if GHPA wins this battle, they'll still lose the war - unless Houston enacts some preservation ordinances with teeth, on which day the flying pigs will rejoice.

Coog, the Chicken Coop (like the Midnight Sun across the street) was an overtly 'hustler' (male prostitution) bar. It was a real dump - even John Waters would have been appalled. Part of the Midnight Sun still stands - they tore down the front portion of the building for parking, and what used to be the dance floor/stage area is now a veterinary clinic. There were about four other buildings on the south side of Westheimer on that block - seems like maybe three of them were antique shops, and a private home occupied by a very sweet old lady who'd lived there since it was built circa 1920. If I recall correctly, none of these buildings burned - they were demolished for McConnell's failed development. Across the street was the Happy Budda restaurant, which had a giant gold-painted concrete Budda in front of it. It burned, as did the Westheimer Mini-Mall next door (which used to house the Wilde-n-Stein bookstore). Yes, WGG, there were several fires which took out buildings in that part of Westheimer. In the early 80's this was a haven for runaways, and whether they or irate neighbors were responsible for the fires is unknown. The fires which made the biggest impression on me were in the Whitney/W Drew/Fargo area. There were maybe 7-8 on that block in one summer (1982?), and a large townhome development promptly sprang up. We used to sardonically refer to it as "Arson Acres".

H2B, I see your point now. I agree, the Astrodome is probably still more of a tourist attraction than Reliant Center will ever be. It's iconic. Stanley Marsh 3's Cadillac Ranch is about 10 years younger than the Dome, and (from what pictures I've seen) is showing the ravages of time. This is perhaps acceptable for this particular work of art, but a decaying Dome cannot be a good thing. In Neil Young's words, "Rust Never Sleeps". According the the County, to maintain the Dome is very expensive, whether it's in use or not. I'd be perfectly happy if it were to remain purely for its visual presence; but even doing nothing with it is terribly expensive.

Maybe you should move to Massachusetts and renew your vows...just to be on the safe side...

Cleaning the site, you say? "'If seven maids with seven mops Swept it for half a year, Do you suppose,' the Walrus said, 'That they could get it clear?" 'I doubt it,' said the Carpenter, And shed a bitter tear. Lewis Carroll, "Through The Looking Glass"

Here's another interesting take on the subject: Grocery options tied to obesity Study shows inner-city stores lack healthy foods By ERIC BERGER Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle The world is full of assumptions, such as money equals happiness. Some assumptions are true, some are not. In science, when a researcher decides to test an assumption, it becomes a hypothesis. The basis of all scientific experiment and observation is the testing of one or more hypotheses. This makes Galileo Galilei a real hero to scientists. For nearly two millennia after the height of classical Greece and the teachings of Aristotle, the basis of "science" was theory. Galileo — shockingly — determined it might be a good idea to test these theories with actual experiments. Do heavier objects actually fall faster than lighter ones, as Aristotle proclaimed? They do not, Galileo found. Modern science was born. There remain many untested assumptions. Rebecca Lee, an assistant professor of health and human performance at the University of Houston, decided recently to examine one. A common refrain among health researchers who study obesity is that residents of poor inner-city neighborhoods don't have easy access to fruits and vegetables. Residents of these areas — across all ethnic groups — have higher weights than the general population. Is a lack of fresh, healthy food a contributor to obesity? To answer this question, scientists first needed to determine, for sure, whether this perceived lack of access to healthy food really existed. So Lee and her colleagues in Kansas City studied 13 urban housing developments (with median incomes of $23,000) there and four suburban communities (median incomes of $42,000). The researchers found that all 13 urban neighborhoods had at least one store that sold food within half a mile. But, in a majority of the neighborhoods, the available options were liquor and convenience stores or pharmacies. Just three of the neighborhoods had supermarkets. Green beans were available in just one of the 13 neighborhoods, while oranges and apples were available in at least eight. All of the suburban neighborhoods had a well-stocked supermarket. The quality of produce at the suburban stores were also rated significantly higher than in urban stores. Lee and her colleagues confirmed their hypothesis. How realistic is it, then, for doctors to advise patients in low-income, urban neighborhoods to improve their diets to become healthy? "From a public health standpoint, it is simply unrealistic to put the burden on responsibility when there are no health choices for them in their neighborhoods," Lee said. Lee is now testing whether the same effect exists in Houston neighborhoods. Link

You'd think because hi-rises contain more people that they naturally would spill out to the street. But look at the area around 2016 Main, or the Houston House. The residents pretty much communicate with the outside world via the parking garage. Of course, if there was something worth walking to once outside, the situation would be quite different.

Absolutely agree, squatterkid. Houston is beyond indifference to pedestrians - it's outright hostility. Where else do people park with impugnity across sidewalks, knowing they'll never get a ticket? Where else can you walk several blocks on a sidewalk, only to discover that it abruptly ends in the middle of nowhere? The existing sidewalks are often a joke, too. Utility companies put poles and equipment in the middle of them. They're the first thing to flood when it rains, and the last to dry out. Trees and other overhanging vegetation sometimes make them impassible. Crosswalks and sidewalks are sometimes 10' out of alignment at intersections, and observing the "Walk" lights is purely suicidal, as they're often not coordinated with the traffic lights. On the flip side, Houston has some truly idiotic pedestrians, too. People walk in the street even when sidewalks are available, cross the street in the middle of the block, and ignore traffic signals. If some common sense was used when constructing sidewalks, some maintenance performed, and with more rigorous enforcement of existing laws, many of these problems could be alleviated, at minimal cost.

I briefly knew McConnell's secretary; she was kind of, um, shady, too. The 500 block of Westheimer (between Whitney and Stanford, south side of the road) was supposed to be one of his developments. One of the more bizarre photo ops at that time was a hard-hatted Mayor Kathy Whitmire at the controls of a bulldozer, knocking down the imfamous Chicken Coop (which was at the corner of Stanford). The scandal broke before construction began, and the block remained vacant for the next 15 years. Seems like it was some sort of title fraud scam that he was running - financing new projects by using existing ones to which he didn't really hold clear title. Yes, he was found electricuted in his cell; seems like there was some suspicion about his brother, although the details escape me...sordid business.

Sure. And let's give the Mona Lisa breast implants, too.

While this is an interesting topic, please remember this thread is about the Dome.

Zero tolerance for littering starts with each of us. I never litter. Never. To my shame, I still smoke; and I'll carry the butt in my hand until I find a trash barrel, or put the stinkin' thing in my pocket. If I see someone littering, I speak up. This includes people who allow their dogs to defecate, but do not pick up after them. I've found people take me more seriously if I use words like 'defecate' and 'feces' than the more tempting term. People who drop trash on the street can expect to hear "Excuse me, sir; I think you dropped something." Do not smile while saying this. Perhaps it helps that I'm tall, but I've found it to be quite effective.

Already, then! Guess we've pretty well wrapped this one up. Move along, folks...nothing to see here. Thread closed.