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I apologize for my late response, but you ought to check out the most recent press release from HAR. Some tidbits: *Overall property sales includes single family, townhomes, condos, lots, and acreage. **This is a national trend brought on by dramatically more rigorous lending standards. ***Part of the cause here is that fewer people are listing their properties for sale; this has been a trend since 2006. But whether inventories are considered reasonable or not by HAR's public relations staff is probably of little consolation to someone trying to sell a building full of highrise condos. The fact is that if they bring a fixed number of units to a market with a declining number of listings, then they have to be able to capture a larger share of a smaller market (or induce the market to grow by lowering the price point). ****The median price increases as the average price declines. That probably reflects weakness at the higher price points. Not good if you're trying to sell expensive highrise condos.

Until I had to buckle down on my expenses, I used to really like sardines. I'd use them wherever I could, whether on their own, on a cracker (as you describe), or as a tasteful substitute for anchovies on a frozen cheese pizza. Mmmmm...gotta be careful not to drool on myself.

The first sentence already occurs, so not much tearing apart to do, except to point out that an HPD sergeant that I know who is part of the 'hot spot' squad that swarms areas with high crime told me that there were so many cops out in Gulfton that they were running into each other. He told me this anecdote about a year and a half ago, so I do not know if they are still there. From time to time I read about them in other parts of town. They are deployed in conjunction with HPD's computer analysis of crime trends. I have no idea what the last sentence means. EVERY person who is arrested for a crime is prosecuted, not just the 'serious criminals'. If your suggestion is that those with a long rap sheet should be arrested without having committed a crime first, but merely because they have a criminal record, I would question why you even live in the US. There are numerous countries that have the draconian laws that you espouse. It would be much easier for you to move to one of them than for us to get rid of the US and Texas Constitutions and institute a crime of being a 'person of poor character'. If your suggestion is more along the lines of setting higher bonds and bigger sentences to those who commit crimes in Gulfton than elsewhere, that is much easier said than done. However, there is no reason that the DA's office could not assign a task force to creating a coordinated prosecution of Gulfton's most wanted, though I would submit that they have too many task forces already. And there are many policies in place to handle 'revolving door' criminals, such as no bond for a person who commits a new felony while on bond for another felony. That is already done countywide. Much of the Gulfton apartment problem comes from the design of the apartments, allowing crime to occur in the courtyards, out of sight of the police. It is very labor intensive to inspect each of these courtyards, and drug dealers not being as stupid as one might think, post sentries at the gates to warn of approaching officers. Perhaps, rather than spend tax money to fix all of these problems, we should fine the architects who designed these crime traps for engaging in negligent design. That way, we could force architects to consider the societal costs of their ill-thought out designs. The fines collected could go toward salaries for the extra police required to patrol poorly designed apartments, and for razing of bad apartments and building of schools in their place.

Hey guys I browse this site weekly however this is my first ever post! When I lived in Houston's Post Midtown Square 8-9 years ago I prayed that "Midtown" would eventually get developed into this true urban oasis that many Haif'ers (like myself) crave, but when I would come back to visit 2-3 times a year I would notice that "Midtown" was at best slow to develop and half of the new development was disappointing to say the least (i.e. both new suburban style CVS stores). I live in Midtown Atlanta right in the mix of everything and would always wonder why Houston's "Midtown" couldn't get their act together. My neighborhood is vibrant, eclectic, and walkable with numerous newly developed and older highrise and midrise condos above retail. When visiting Houston back in June of this year I finally realized that "Midtown" is really not comparable with Atlanta's Midtown in terms of demographics, economics, and development focus. For years I had been comparing apples and oranges. However what I did observe is that Houston does have an "Atlanta-like" midtown area but it's just not called "Midtown". In fact I'm not sure if it really has an identifying name at all. I'd say the area west/southwest of downtown extending pretty much all the way out towards the River Oaks/Uptown area is Houston's true "Midtown"! The blighted area south/southwest of the CBD between downtown and the medical center has potential to be this great urban utopia, however I believe the attention of developers has always been the area more west of downtown for obvious reasons (demographics, median household income, population etc.)

Louis Black did an entire bit on those particular Starbucks being across from each other. Adding a coffee shop to the Barnes & Noble just makes it more comical. Maybe there's a lesson here about greed and brazen disregard to the pleas of the communities in which you operate. And maybe fewer people (myself included) will patronize those shops out of spite for Weingarten and their decimation of a local landmark.

For those of us keeping score at home, it looks like they took a building that was near 100% occupancy, and replaced it with a building that they can't get filled up. Suffice to say the plans for the rest of the center are on a long hold.

I've never liked energy bars, ever, except for this one chocolate "calorie stick" that had an astronaut on it (forgot what it was called). Regardless, they all seem to leave some sort of weird aftertaste. Pretzels are pretty good (but don't eat the dust...your mouth will BURN) as well as a nice glass of milk: keep it at 1% (or skim, if you stomach it). STAY AWAY FROM: A lot of times at the local Kroger and H-E-B one can find fried "veggie chips". They're too expensive, taste gross, and aren't much healthier than real potato chips. Cheese is not preferable. Sure, they make low-calorie cheeses, but they taste gross too...save your calories for something you REALLY want to eat (ice cream!) Fried pork skins. They have a strange taste but I've gotten a sick stomach after eating them...every time!

And the fact they have an uncanny resemblance to cat litter or that stuff they use to clean up vomit in elementary schools. (where's the sick smiley?)

Oh Yes - Houston in the 80's 1. Oil bust 1982-1986 2. Unemployment of 9.3% in 1983 3. Dozens of Banks and S&Ls go bust 4. Shamrock Hotel torn down 5. Nolan Ryan traded to the Rangers 6. Much of Market Square destroyed 7. The Katy Prairie begins to be destroyed 8. Houston Gamblers formed (what a joke) 9. Sheila Jackson Lee first elected to office 10. West U tear down phase begins

Ugh! Not again!