VelvetJ

New Blight? Huh, those things have been a thorn in my side for the past 3 years. Next on the list is those do-it-yourself car washes. ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!!! Between those two and new drug stores, I don't know which make me want to scream more.

Lovely. I love the architectural designs that have been chosen for Atlanta. They seem to fit perfect with it's landscape.

Those are absolutely amazing. Not at the same scale of course, but I would love for Houston to return to the days of innovative designs like these once again. I love "different" designs.

Yummmmmmm, Pizza.

Interesting post west20th. "If removing barriers is affirmative action than I am for it". I love how you phrased that. That is exactly what it was and is for. I have found you and I actually agree on many things but I can't say I completely agree with you on this. I just don't believe we are at a point in this country where it is no longer needed despite the progress that has been made. On a somewhat similar note but not related to you west20th, I love how you mentioned judging. Prejudging is a interesting thing and I always get a kick out of when people hear the words Affirmative Actions they AUTOMATICALLY assume the person isn't qualitfied. I love how people hear the word Christian and AUTOMATICALLY assume we are all Republican. I love how we conviently forget who has benefited the most from Affirmative Actions (white women). I loved how Bill O'Reilly made it seem like ONLY Conservative Christian Republicans supported the phrase "Merry Christmas" and anyone outside of that particular group didn't . Anyway, just to stay on subject, I'm glad they signed Preston.

I wonder what gas prices will look like in 10 years? That on top of new tolls for the new toll roads? Hmmmmm. Torchlight- you didn't ask me but I'll bet my bottom dollar that route for the Fort Bend Tollway through Westbury (I cringe everytime I think of a freeway through there) is going to be congested like the Westpark Tollway, and anyone who doesn't think so is dillusional and not very observant. For a while now, I have wondered if pouring AS MUCH concrete as we have planned for the future is the wisest and best direction for Houston. But after seeing a comprehensive layout of it above, I am even more skeptical about it. Are some of these projects necessary, of course, but as a whole, I am afraid we have made plans to attack Houston 2025 problems with Houston 1984 solutions. If my opinion is right that we have too much concrete planned in our future, when will we as Houstonians realize it? And why haven't we realized it sooner? Yeah, I think the Chronicle or a TV news station have a interesting story waiting to be investigated.

What drives me crazy? When neighbors come home at 4 in the morning, stand in the courtyard and speak as if no one is asleep. THAT drives me crazy.

Well I'm late here but the word ignorance cannot escape my opinion of this thread. I am in utter amazement that only a couple of people here actually understood what Hank Aaron was saying. So many of us are so quick to point the finger at "THOSE" people, they haven't even stopped to try to understand "THOSE" people. They are soley going on what they THINK they see. Rap music and gangsta rappers? I have been of the opinion for quite some time now that we do not know each other. White don't know black, black don't know white, Hispanic don't know Asian, etc., and some of the opinions I've read here is proof of that. Some people here don't seem to know black Americans or what that all means in this country at all. They are letting television influence them more than getting to know people and finding out who they really are and what they really are about. There are those that only see things in black or white but life is not as simple as that. For example, people are much more complex than the physical bodies you see on the outside. The same holds true for pretty much everything else, even this situation. IMO that lack of an ability to understand that things are complex led to some to take Aarons comments out of context and say he was saying the Astro's are racist. That is not what he was saying. By they way, I am happy about the signing of Preston. *note* Someone asked who Aaron was? Incredible.

So TJones what would you say to a Born-Again Christian Democrat who has a friend who is Agnostic and they both support "Merry Christmas"? Would we fall under the Democratic or Republican wish? By the way, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Spit on The Fox News Network.

I'm all for Third Coast. I agree about the marketing strategy. The Third Coast would probably include more than just the Houston area but when the phrase is spoken, Houston could be the first thing that pops into mind.

Well, I just watched the video and I have to say the song has grown on me. I can say I actually like it and I enjoyed the video. However, I stand by my opinion that her beauty is overrated and feel she has been given a unfair advantage soley based upon her skin color. Keep in mind I never said Beyonce' was not attractive, it's just IMO she is no more attractive than say a Megan Good, but most people would say she is. And whether they realize it or not, they would view Beyonce' as the more attractive one simply because she has light skin. We still live in a society where caucasian features are the basic standard of beauty for EVERYONE. And no matter who you are, the more caucasian you appear to be, whether in hair or skin color, the more attractive you are considered, and Beyonce is no exception. That's why the other girls in the group had to go to tanning salons, and change their names to ones that are "less ethnic", while she didn't. Oooops, did I say too much? Oh, no I didn't say too much because that has already been adressed and admitted to by Tina Knowles. I'm sorry guys, skin color in terms of one being superior to the other has always been a pet-peeve of mind, particularly in the black community. Anyway, I am glad she has Bun and Slimm in there.

But Houston is so diverse and cheap. It's a place for business...nothing more and nothing less and we as Houstonians are fine with that. Nothing else should matter. Besides, what are you trying to do, turn Houston into New York City? But don't worry, all of the stuff other cities have built, and are in the process of building, Houston will start in about 10 years and will do it a heck of a lot cheaper by excluding creativity in the design, so be patient. It takes time to plan things after everyone else has done it. Just let Houston be Houston and not worry about what other cities are doing. And one last thing, look at how many sports arenas Houston built within a 5 year period. There, top that. If that doesn't prove Houston is the 4th largest city in the country, nothing will.

Good point. Some people were bent out of shape because of a few things the journalist from New Orleans said in her column....but they were true. Of course there have been situations where Houston was treated unfairly, particularly within the past 5-6 years, but overall much of the so called "bashing" is based in truth. It IS sprawled to a fault, the pollution IS bad, it IS surprising that a city our size doesn't have more rail, our freeways ARE huge and cluttered (which for the most part gives us our ugly label), for a city our size Houston is NOT tourist friendly, too many of our medians ARE trashy, our summers ARE unbearable, it IS humid, the city DOES lack pedestrian areas terribly, traffic IS bad, the city DOES lack a sort of vibe, and the drivers ARE crazy it seems. In most cases it's pretty obvious when someone is blowing smoke and don't know what they are talking about. Do you guys remember that former Houstonian now in New York, who criticized Houston in a New York column for having so much air conditioning? I think we all saw through her and knew her piece was a bunch of bologna. And I think we finally realized how full of it Men's Health and Fitness Magazine was when we found out a source that carried a lot of weight in their obesity "study" was the Yellow Pages, and a lot of their conclusions were based upon how many fast food joints were listed in the phone book ( which is silly considering our city limits are larger than the average city. Compare Houston city limits and San Franciscos). Every city has flaws but I think Houston's flaws are magnified many times because there is nothing else to destract you from them. New Orleans and Miami are hot and humid as well, but people are distracted by the culture, party scene, and beaches. Los Angeles and Las Vegas sprawl also, but people are distracted by the sheer number of attractions, and quality of them. Dallas and Atlanta probably have more in common with Houston than any other cities, and although they are many times criticize for the same things we are, they have Southern Charm and "Texas" Culture to meet people's expectations. Also those cities to a degree seem to be moving in a different direction than Houston and are doing it at a more rapid pace. In all honesty, I have always considered Atlanta to be a non-contender when it came to Houston. But I seriously think it will surpass us in population, importance, stature, and quality of life standards, and I fear it is going to happen sooner than later . Heck two weeks ago, I am home watching the Price is Right and a prize up for bid was a trip to Chicago, Boston, and Atlanta. I wondered to myself if a trip to Houston could make it on the Price Is Right? ( I think I now understand Philly's paranoia when Houston was bumped up to fourth largest city ). Personally, I love our diversity, our no zoning, our mulitiple skylines, our modern architecture, our people, our ability to get things done, , our "middle of the rodeness" (although I do believe we are going more and more conservative to a fault), our restaurants, the trees, the proximity to the Gulf, the Museum District, etc. But even with that, everyone knows I am a relentless critic of Houston, but it's only because I want and think the city could be sooooo much better than it is. *side note* Midtowner, I have found that I agree with a lot that you have to say on this board, but the Superbowl thing, I have to say you are incorrect this time. It was indeed political. Nothing more and nothing less. *****Another note and possibly another thread****** This can also be traced back to a criticism that some have of Houston. What would you guys suggest to someone ( possibly me), who would have the responsibility of entertaining 6 teenage boys ages 14-17 from Long Beach California on their very first trip to Texas and Houston, next summer for a week and a half? I am always one of the first to get defensive when outsiders say there is nothing to do in Houston. Now someone ( possibly me) will be in a situation where I will have to prove to myself that Houston is not a boring city. Help.

^^^^ Not meaning to start an argument here, but was she really berating Houston in the article? I personally didn't take it that way and we all know how I take things is the way everyone should take them.

Well Redscare you beat me to it. There are times when I think we are from different planets but then there are times when it seems as if you have reached into my brain and pulled out my thoughts. I couldn't have said it better. The article really wasn't even about Houston. Besides Houston is incredibly sprawled and can be difficult to navigate, especially if you don't have a car. And yes, there is the Montrose and the Heights, but we can't deny the common street scene of Walgreens, nail shops, beige strip centers to no end, and fast food joints. Has anyone ever taken FM1960/Highway 6 from say 45 North down to 59 South? The same scenes seem to literally repeat themselves many times over. Yeah, we should lighten up folks. The article wasn't bashing Houston so much as it was highlighting how different it is from New Orleans.

But didn't you hear Redscare say the city already markets Chinatown pretty heavily? The promotion that you and I think our Chinatown needs, apparently already gets it. Right? Redscare, I will admit I have not seen any official city promotional videos since the late 90's (I am in a industry that would actually give me the opportunity to see things before they were released to the public. In fact I saw the proposals for Enron II before many of the executives). The videos I saw then didn't give me a true reality of how diverse Houston is. Of course the narration would say Houston is diverse and they would show a couple of Asians dancing around in traditional Asian garb during a festival, but there are a ton of less diverse cities that do that. In fact I have seen tourism videos from Birmingham Alabama that show the exact same thing but when you think of Birmingham, typically one doesn't think a large Asian population. Images like that don't stick or have much of an effect.....at least for me. I only hope our most recent promotional tools are done better and provide more information. I'm with you editor in that something serious is going to have to be done to really put our Asian asset on the map. It deserves to be.

Now that's what I'm talking about. It's good to see others see the value in a city our size having a strong tourism element and why that's important. But watch out snoopy123, someone may accuse you of wanting to turn Houston into Las Vegas . Snoop123, you also hit the nail on the head about making Houston's large Asian community a major attraction. That's what I meant when I stated earlier that Houston should take advantage of the fact that we have the largest Asian community in the south and the only designated "Chinatown". Promote it, push it, emphasize it, make signs directing people to it, place a huge spotlight on it, scream to the heavens about it, etc. Does the average person know Houston has the largest Asian community in the south? Does the average person know Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the nation? Probably not. That should change. That is not saying Houston does a terrible job now, it's just we could do a lot better. And when people come here, they should be able to see the diversity, feel it, smell it, hear it, and engage in it. For example, we all know about the Harwin retail district, but I would love to see a more cohesive scene there that sort of tie everything together. Instead of having to jump in and out your car driving from one warehouse to the next, why not create a sort of designated shuttle that starts at a Harwin Main Center type of development, and can drop people off at different locations so they can shop. Plus add a huge sign at the beginning of the district to indicate the start and end of it? I'm just rambling but hopefully I got my feeling across. Jeebus, since you don't feel there is any hope for old Chinatown, then why NOT just bulldoze the whole place and build Sugarland and a trolley afterall? Also, there is nothing to face. We know the New Chinatown is the happening place right now. My point is why can't it be happening along side Old Chinatown? At this point, the Bellaire strip center corridor may always be the stronger of the two, but IMO there is no need to just throw Old Chinatown to the wolves. It's location alone and the future of Downtown, is enough for someone to keep an interest in it. I do feel there is still hope to revitalize old Chinatown. It just needs a good plan and some good people behind it. Oh and of course money .

Well, I suppose I didn't explain myself. What is in Old Chinatown right now is all we have left of it. From there, I say build and revitalize. My initial post was not to suggest we tear down all of the buildings, wipe the slate clean, build Sugarland and add a trolley car. What was meant was to add more urban development to what is already there in terms of mixed-use more pedestrian styled buildings, and let the place grow into whatever it is going to be. I agree we can't turn back the hands of time and build a old urban neighborhood in the place of old Chinatown, but a more urban pedestrian styled artificial one can be no worse than having to drive from strip center to strip center on a traffic filled boulevard in the suburbs. Besides, whatever urban styled addition to Old Chinatown would eventually "season" just like the strip centers on Bellaire that were built throughout the 80's and 90's. If old Chinatown were revitalized today, what would it be in like in 30 years? I would also like to reiterate that no one is suggesting Bellaire should be abandoned. You don't believe it's going to happen and neither do I. Lastly, with regard to the trolley, the only reason I suggested that was because of 59 and the GRB. Those things do indeed act as a sort of wall, not to mention the area underneath 59 can be all out scary at times. Two of the greatest things about the Chinatowns in SF and NY are they aren't scary or difficult to get to, and they are neighborhoods but visitors/tourists are also a strong part of them. Why can't Houston have the same sort of thing? And that sort of thing is much more possible in the Old Chinatown area than in the strip center corridor on Bellaire. Will Old Chinatown Houston ever be Chinatown in NY.....no, but it could be better than it currently is and reasonably priced quality mixed-use pedestrian styled development can help make it better. note- Too bad about the gates that are stuck in a local warehouse. That sort of thing, that I'm sure predictably many Houstonians would swear Houston doesn't need, would be great for the area. Hopefully a legitimate plan can be hatched for Old ChinaTown and they can be erected.

Well maybe I shouldn't have said classically trained. But my point is, there are people who have acted all of their lives and go to school for years and pay tons of money to learn to be actors and actresses. Those roles should go to them IMO. That is what I was really trying to say. With regard to going into details of my semi-bitterness, there is no point in me doing so. What happened was something that I myself took personal, and there is no reason to make it a public issue. But the only thing I will say is since it was their last tour performing as a group, a group that was started and supported by Houston, I expected a little more from them. *Hint*-Did you guys hear the ladies talk to ANY local radio stations on this monumental last tour? No you didn't. There is a reason for that.

Jeebus, Why does the Bellaire strip have to be abandoned? Why can't there be two successful China Towns? The 4-5 miles of strip centers along Bellaire could still thrive because it is indeed established and the resident's that support it now could continue to do so. I think there could be a market in Houston for a more urban type China Town. I'm sure there are many Asians in Houston who would actually enjoy the type of layout of say ChinaTown in San Francisco or some of the other traditional American styled ChinaTowns. The key is to make the housing reasonably priced. The urban design should make it convenient for the residents but another key would be to make it inviting to help make the area lucrative. With the plans and potential for Downtown's future, the completion of the new park near the GRB, and the growth of Midtown could set ChinaTown up for definite success. But again, it has to be made to be inviting and convenient to get to, not only for the residents but the potential visitors from surrounding neighborhoods and for tourist from downtown as well. I would love to see a "Road to China" with a little trolley car on a rail like in Uptown Dallas, that starts in Downtown, goes past the new park, past the GRB and into the heart of ChinaTown. It could work. I've said this before, but Houston has the largest Asian population in the South and the only "ChinaTown" in the South. We should really try to take advantage of that. Other cities in our region are growing quickly and becoming just as diverse as Houston. Before you know it, we won't be able to lean on "But Houston is so Diverse". This is one thing we are ahead of many others on and we should try to milk it for all it's worth while we can.

One last thing. Beyonce' is jumping on the Houston gravy train NOW because of the success of local rap scene. Was she breaking down the door to use Houston talent before it exploded......no. Bun B has been established forever in Houston, why use him now? So was Slim Thug and Paul Wall. Now all of a sudden, they want to jump on the Houston bandwagon. Why don't she stick to the "boys up top from the BK" that she seem to like so much. Beyonce and Destiny's Child never talk about Houston like those in Atlanta always prop up Atlanta. Usher, Bow Wow, Monica, Ciarra, TLC, Bobby and Whitney, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, etc., all have had tremendous success yet they keep the word 'Atlanta' on their mouths. Now that the Houston scene is exploding the way it is, I'll bet the ladies will start to jump on the Houston tip once again. I will admit their may be a little "hateration" on this post but to be honest, I am a little bitter from a few little situations when Destiny's Child was in town for their last and final tour as a group. I'm not going to go into detail but I have a semi-bitter taste in my mouth after their last visit to Houston. This city seems to be a far off place in the distant past for them now (Or at least until they claim Houston once again because the hottest rappers in the nation happen to be from and still reside in Houston).

Well, it's all about opinion but I stand by my statement about Beyonce' being overrated. IMO, she couldn't even survive American Idol, and Kelly and Michelle definitely couldn't. And record sales really mean nothing to me. IMO Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, and Ashanti all have weak vocal ability, yet they have all sold millions. With regard to acting, Beyonce is not THAT great of an actress either IMO. I have seen worse but for her to be cast in Austin Powers, and the upcoming Pink Panther? Please, what happened to classically trained actresses being cast in those types of roles. I obviously have not seen the new Pink Panther but I'll bet Bernadette Peters would have been great in it (I know I'm being presumptuous). And let's face one last thing, Beyonce is a nice looking woman but she isn't one the makes my jaw drop. I have never understood why so many people "die" over her and rave about her beauty ( I feel the same way about Dominique Sasche of channel 2). This may be a little strange for some here to understand but I think Beyonce' has gotten a unfair advantage soley based upon her skin color. Let's be honest about something, Beyonce' would have been successful regardless because she does indeed have some talent, but would she be AS successful if she had the same skin coloring as Kelly Roland? I personally do not think so? I don't think she would have been approached by all of those advertisers if she shared a skin tone with Kelly or say like Rozonda "Chili" Thomas of TLC. It's amazing how light skin and a blonde wig can change people's perceptions. I digress. I have also heard the clothing line would be reasonable but those prices aren't what I call reasonable. But then again, I find $60.00 for a pair of jeans to be expensive as well . Anyway, paying a lot of money for basic things is not my thing anyway, nor is fashion so I suppose should have just kept my mouth shut. *By the way, I do not hate Beyonce', so before anyone accuse me of being a "hater", it was all just my opinion. I actually enjoy some of their music. I even own the second and third albums. So just because I state my opinion doesn't mean it's truth for everyone else.

First of all, I will have to agree with you TJones on being overrated. And I mean in every way. Citykid, IMO if the line is based in another city, which more than likely it is, it is due to business reasons. The line would probably have more of a chance of being a success in a place like New York or Los Angles. Also considering Beyonce' no longer lives in Houston (actually none of the members reside here any longer) would make it easier for her to run it from New York. From what I understand her mother plays a large roll in the line, and I know she still lives here, so I'm sure some of the operations may be based here. But since Houston is not a "fashion" or "entertainment" city, the bulk of it may be in New York. With regard to local talent taking their business elsewhere, I think they go where the money is. Like I said, Houston is not a Entertainment type city, so people that have strong interest in that go where it is and in many cases that means New York, Los Angeles, Miami or Atlanta. Matthew Knowles is trying to change that a little and the success of the current crop of rappers from Houston have definitely gotten some people's attention, but Houston will never be like New York or L.A., and we are really many years from even being what Atlanta is. So until then, I think you will see local talent that reach a certain level of success bypass Houston. But some successful Houstonians keep their base in Houston. Matthew Knowles' Music World is based here. Two of the Gospel Worlds biggest names are still based in Houston ( Yolanda Adams and Israel and New Breed), and Scarface, who spent a time in Atlanta, is back permanently in Houston. Plus Frankie J lives here, and don't forget Lyle Lovett. So all hope isn't lost.

Absolutely WOW!!!!! Have these been posted at that other place?

Ashikaga, my concern is not their religion, as I am a Christian myself. My issue is them fooling so many people by using Christian labels and principles to do their dirty work. And are so extreme in their thinking, they end up hurting Houston in the long run more than they help it.