dbigtex56

So far as trashiness, lack of class, etc. - often the problem is that these people are used to rural life, and haven't adapted to our 'citified' ways. Therefore, chickens, outdoor storage, clotheslines, loud music... It's not a matter of a person's race or ethnic background. Not everyone has had the advantages that some of us have had, and more can be accomplished with patience than with hostility.

Had a friend back in Rochester who had a Steinway grand from the 30's - nicest piano I've ever played. For you non-pianists, it's like the difference between driving a Porsche or a Yugo. Also, it had the Aeolian Duo-Art reproducing piano attachment, and rolls of George Gershwin, Fats Waller and Scott Joplin playing their compositions. What a revelation to hear their music as it was intended to be played. One complaint about Steinway: they shouldn't sully their name by putting it on those upright pianos. My mother bought one 35 years ago, and it's had a mulitude of problems - keys stuck, pin block seperated, and an obnoxiously brilliant tone. And alas, I'm not a girl - even on my best day.

Seems like I've heard that this building was purchased by the owner of High Fashion Fabric - is that correct?

I noticed a London Fleet Car with the Hotel Icon logo the other day...very cool.

I think it's a race of people who are really good at folding paper into imaginative shapes.

"illeage Mexican trend continous." "immagrants form the other side of the world" "they no they need" Apparently, the educational problems in Houston are not restricted to those of Mexican heritage.

Mr. Cox does not address the issue of how longer, more frequent freight trains will affect traffic at grade-level crossings.

Hope kitty doesn't grow up to be a sprayer...he'll end up with a new hair-do if he tries to mark the zapper as territory.

2112, such a gentleman of culcha! I, too, grew up with classical music (my mother taught piano). Although I was given lessons, my piano forte was playing by ear. (Pause for groans...) Mostly I enjoy playing ragtime, boogie-woogie, blues - pretty much anything that would sound appropriate in a whorehouse. My piano formerly had the player attachment, but it was neutered before I obtained it. It dates from 1923 and suffers from arthritus and Alzheimer's, but the case is pretty. Alas, it's no Steinway; it's a Johnson (insert your own joke here). Fully agree about music from the late 70's-mid 80's: Blondie, Elvis Costello, B-52s, English Beat, Go-Gos, Yazoo, The Smiths will never grow old.

2112, cheers and applause for putting the issue squarely in perspective. Our attitudes are affected by our experiences and expectations. Having grown up in an almost exclusively 'white' (Anglo, whatever term applies) community, I vividly remember my first encounter with a Mexican-American family. The Martinezes moved to our town in upstate New York when I was about 14. Their father was raised in poverty in Mexico. He taught himself to read, studied hard and eventually earned a degree. They relocated to our town because he had taken a position as head of the chemistry department at a local college. So what did people make of this Mexican-American family? It was obvious; they were intelligent, hard working, church going people. Their children were brilliant and astonishingly good looking. We felt lucky to have them as neighbors. I never heard one disparaging word regarding their ethnic background. Imagine my astonishment when I moved to Houston, where people casually referred to 'messkins' as if there was something contemptable about ones ancestors having come from Mexico. What a sickening attitude! No one is better or worse than anyone else because of their ancestors. Heck, my English and Dutch ancesters had been here for a couple of hundred years before my Irish ancestors arrived; does that make my Irish side less admirable? There's an economic factor at work. So long as we have a corrupt, inconsistant immigration policy, there will be those who are desperate to work and those who are eager to exploit them. Undocumented workers, illegal aliens - call them what you will - are pretty much treated as slave labor. So long as there's the threat of deportation, these workers will do the hard, dangerous jobs without complaint. Who else will work the fields for practically nothing? or tar roofs and mow lawns in 100

I have lived inside the Loop for 23 years, and cannot imagine living anywhere else in Houston. This statement seems to bring out a knee-jerk reaction in some people. Perhaps if someone were to ask before passing judgement, this would be my reply: I do not own a car. I am a pedestrian, by choice. By living in Montrose, I can walk virtually everywhere I need (or want) to go. If I'm feeling lazy, there are buses and rail (for which I have an annual pass). I walk to the grocery store, to my dentist, my doctors, the museums, the library, to Spec's, to restaurants and bars, to KPFT and for the sheer enjoyment of it. Shabby though some of them may be, sidewalks can be found throughout Montrose. I enjoy the architecture inside the Loop. With few exceptions, post-WWII architecture just doesn't do it for me. This point cannot be disputed; it's a matter of personal taste. Give me a weathered bungalow or an early 20th century mansion over some plastic-coated fake stucco monstrosity any day. Mature trees, in addition to their beauty, also provide welcome shade from the brutal Texas sun. The concept of a neighborhood is important to me. Nearly every time I walk somewhere, I'll encounter someone I know. There are businesses I have frequented for years, and I enjoy being recognized when I walk in the door. We share a sense of the history of the neighborhood, and know its peculiarities. When a transsexual prostitute was murdered on Lovett Blvd earlier this year, it wasn't some grim giggle to me; I knew her by sight, and she always said hello. When you know people even slightly, they cease to be caricatures and remind us of how broad the human experience can be. Outside the Loop I've been burned too many times (both figuratively and literally). On a map, an address may appear to be an easy walk from the bus line. In reality, it's a sun-scorched hell, with absolutely no provisions made for pedestrians. I find no joy in walking past acres and acres of parking lots, nor starting down an endless block only to discover that the sidewalk abruptly disappears. There's no reason to feel defensive when I say that outside the Loop isn't for me. It's not meant as a slur or a challenge. It's my reality. And if that makes you want to gag yourself with a spoon (or anything else, for that matter), be my guest.

John Culberson (R-TX) Journal (Volume 4, Number 1 August, 2004): "I know that taxpayers can be repaid with Iraqi oil..." No wonder idiots think that.

Sure! It gives it that meth-y, gypsy flavor.

A bunch of studio apartments sounds like a pretty good idea to me. Not everyone needs, wants, or can afford some fancy-schmancy 3000 square foot loft. I think there's a market for 20-somethings in entry level positions who like the idea of living downtown. There's a lot of cities where 400 square foot apartments are advertised as 'spacious' A side benefit of small apartments is that people are forced to entertain elsewhere; who's going to cram four or five friends into a studio apartment? Instead, people tend to hang out in coffee shops or pubs, which become in effect their living rooms. Even if they don't spend much, this is good for business, especially if they're decorative or entertaining. People are attracted to people having a good time, and a resident population would help to reduce the amount of 'dead time' which seems so prevalent in downtown businesses. It all comes down to number-crunching. Can small, bare-bones apartments be developed and sustained at low rental rates? If so, I think there's a market.

I'm thinking that Mr. Bailey's piggishness (if you'll excuse the expression) may come back to haunt him. He'll be lawsuited out of his property before you can say 'oink', unless he has very deep pockets and very good lawyers.

I don't understand what criteria were used to compile these figures. Where's Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo? I thought the Valley was the poorest area in Texas (and maybe the nation).

pinda, I share your frustration with our educational system. If I came across as accusatory on any sort of personal level, I apologize. Your point about the failure of counselors to ensure that high school graduates have taken courses required to enter college is one that I missed. You certainly have the right to expect that the people who are guiding your child towards a college education should know what they're talking about, and that our schools should be capable of providing a foundation which is at least adequate. There seems to be some sort of disjoint between the standards required to graduate from a public high school, and those for admittance to a reputable college. Thanks for helping me to better understand this issue.

This lends some perspective to our belief that we're the Fourth Largest City - and why the rest of the nation doesn't view us that way.

hehe! You keep me honest, bachanon. No, I'm not suggesting that we should emulate that "Little Pink Houses" song by John Midtown Cougar Mellencamp. The suburban dictate that all structures should look exactly the same is anathema to me. I sure don't want the Doormat Police showing up at my door (...especially tonight. My cat just coughed up a hairball on my welcome mat. Talk about your mixed message). On the other hand, there are still reminants of what Midtown once was, and some beauty, in my eyes. There's some history here, and I'm glad these developers are aware of it. I agree with Subdude about continuity of scale (and situation). If this corner had been developed as another mindless 'safe' development, a strip center with parking in the front, it would detract rather than add to the neighborhood. It's sympathetic. I can walk past it without wanting to spit.

The catchy song is "Picture Book" by the Kinks. Love this ad, too.

I'm unfamiliar with Wendall Cox, but I'll keep an eye peeled. There's also something suspect when someone combines 'facts' from the Heritage Foundation with wistful allusions to Lou Reed, Bruce Springsteen and Walt Whitman. Creative? Yes. Credible? Not to me. The initial point about a carefully orchestrated media event such as driving a bunch of late-model cars guided by on road sensors is also a bit pie-in-the-sky. If private automobiles are expected to perform such feats on a daily basis, they must be rigorously inspected. Some drivers don't even have adequate windshield wipers; should we entrust our safety to high tech solutions which depend on compliance by your average Joe? In ten words or less: "I do not have an easy answer." And I'm suspicious of people who do.

And just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that they're not out to get you.

It's always something. If it's not one thing, it's another. The water in my apartment complex was cut off to fix a leak...two days ago. I cannot do laundry. I cannot shower. I am cross, stinky, unshaven and probably not very good company at the moment. Sigh. Maybe next time...

Perhaps if I was in solitary confinement, I'd have the time and inclination to knock down and drag out every argument the author made. Hell, I started skimming after the first 10,000 words... (OK, I exaggerate) He doesn't spend much time exploring the concept of walking distance. Any comparison using the term "passenger-miles" is simplistic and suspect. He views urban public schools as a lost cause. This article has more spin than a hard drive.

Let's put the blame squarely where it belongs: parents. Teachers get pressure from all sides to reward poor performance with good grades. Administrators and parents expect - nay, demand - that a large percentage of students should pass a course, even if they have not learned the material being presented. This results in a domino effect; how can someone compose a grammatically correct sentence if he doesn't know a verb from a noun? How do you teach algebra to someone who lacks simple math skills? Without the fundamentals, higher education is impossible. It's up to the parents to know their children well enough so that an accurate evaluation of their progress can be made. Teachers must be allowed to hand out failing grades without fear of reprisals. If the child is not learning, the parents must make priorities clear - no TV, no video games, no hanging out at the mall until they have earned at least a passing grade in all subjects. When I was a child, I'd ask my parents "what does this word mean?" And they'd say "Let's look it up", and we'd get out the dictionary. Eventually, I learned that the answer would be "go look it up", and it is a habit which has served me well. I wonder if the parents of those children who require remedial education take as active a role in their childrens development. Somehow, I doubt it.