dp2

Venice with pirates. And an Abominable Snowman Swamp Monster. And some Killer Bees.

Looks great. Warm and inviting, implies its role. Blends a mechanical service function with an urban/suburban neighborhood instead of simply contrasting. Ugly, disjointed, cold, dehumanized, anti-social. Some silly pseudo-deep artistic/social/political statement first, function an afterthought. Clashes with the surrounding neighborhood instead of integrating into it. The parable of 'The Emperor's New Clothes' is timeless.

Strip clubs are for losers. That is the last thing we need downtown.

Here's the new mascot: The team will now be (appropriately) known as the Quivering puppies. I am certain that 95% or more of Houston hispanics don't care a whit about the name, but idiots like Sylvia Garcia will help create stereotypes and a backlash that could end up hurting her supposed constituency. There's already a lot of grumbling that more should be done to police the borders and reduce illegal immigration. Add in blather idiots like her that presents the false impression that "Mexican-Americans" are antagonistic and resisting assimilation, and the sentiment grows. Nobody wants this area to turn into a Paris suburb. Of course most of them aren't, it won't, and there is actually very little comparable, but perception and myth often drive political movements. Every time racism appears to die out, morons like Sylvia Garcia try to fan the flames. Does she ever think before she speaks?

Cool. I didn't realize that we had manatees in Texas, always thought of it as a Florida creature. Kinda amazing one would survive all the propellers moving about the ship channel.

Diogenes is still searching in vain for one NIMBY spokesperson who doesn't lie and hyperbolize to the nth degree. The Tomball to 610 tollway has been in the works and publicly discussed for several years, including on the HGAC 2025 maps. But since it wasn't outlined in yellow highlighter nor an alert mailed to that Bozo's house, I guess it is really a grand conspiracy by developers, General Motors, Halliburton, and the Illuminati. BTW, to lessen the future shock for this guy, there has also been talk of trying to find a tollway alternative that would expand capacity for Loop 610 west. TXDOT wanted to double-deck 610, Galleria area merchants were opposed, so they've looked at using the RR track ROW that runs through Memorial Park. To the expected howls of many, including the Chronicle, and thus a tunnel option is even on the table. Lots of public discussion so far, though I'm sure at some point down the road this guy will pronounce that a secret plan has suddenly been uncovered, and somebody somewhere is trying to pull a fast one. BTW, who cares if a tollway goes near a school? Ever heard of a fence? I thought teaching kids not to play in the road was one of the first things parents teach, or is that considered too hard on junior's self esteem these days? And if the road does end up passing through where the school is, they'll build a new and better school(100% tollway funded) in a better location that is acceptable to the neighborhood (the placement would be subject to public input.) But I suspect that the school issue is just an attempt to try to hit an emotional hotbutton, gripe and moan and see what sticks.