debmartin

"Thanks for the warm welcome. I enjoy reading this site because the posters are very kind to each other -- which is rare at many sites." (quote, brat) welcome to the forum, where believe it or not civility is alive and well (just not in all posts): "Maybe we'll get lucky and this will be one of those deals where they open a fast food joint inside the big box store, too! How about Raising Cane's?" (quote, dalparadise - going up "biggest box store ever") i was little when kitirik (sp?) was on, but my big sister got on the show once for her birthday. do you remember the cadet don show? back to the topic - local tv unfortunately is so overshadowed by internet news/entertainment and cable programming it is nearly impossible for them to get noticed. so they resort to outlandish topics (demon hunters) or allow the most abrasive/offensive personalities to insult the people they should be interviewing. best to just turn the tv off and go with music while you get ready for work. deb martin

it's up and running on the 53 galleria, and takes a little getting used to. kinda like the train, which calls out all of the stations and you adjust to tuning the creepy robot voice out. i can see how this could really help anyone visually impaired, as well as people who are looking for a stop and/or unsure of the route. before this, people would always approach the driver and ask about stops, if they could push past enough people to do so (53 is packed to capacity most often). this was sometimes a distraction to the driver and if it happened to be one of the rude drivers it could make for a rather unpleasant ride. i am very pleased that metro continues to explore efficiency improvements, and i truly believe that if a few more improvements could be made more people would give public transportation a go. on their website i see they have planned a new galleria/downtown express, something they really need right now - there is truly very little incentive for anyone to utilize the 53 or 82 unless they have a couple of hours to ride around. deb martin

"Another awesome restuarant that I remember was Bud Bigelow's Steakhouse on Westheimer and Stoney Brook (where Molina's currently is) My parents used to take use there at least once a month. " (quote, trophy property) i cannot remember bud bigelow's but i thought there was a place at that location (molina's) called boston sea party a long time ago. my parents took us there and it was some kind of grand "all you can eat" seafood buffet. deb martin

"Isn't it located near a cemetary? " (quote, citykid09) this question seems simple enough to answer and not draw a flame. yes, the cemetary is located at dairy ashford & westheimer, called forest park westheimer. raising cane's will definately be something we'll try, since the kids are crazy about anything chicken. right now they're hooked on kfc's popcorn chicken and it's expensive and weird. a million years ago there was a place called "grandy's" and they served chicken and rolls that were pretty good, along with soggy veggies and fries that were not so good. 27, i hear what you say about crazy hours and playing the "what's for supper" game at 8pm. i have eliminated burger places from my take-out list, as well as taco bell/cabana and most other fast-food places. we get pizza delivered from barry's (pretty good), sandwiches from jason's deli, burgers from princes and occasionaly chinese food. since i do not eat meat (or chicken/fish) the places i buy from must have something vegetarian, and since everyone here is on a different schedule dining out is usually not an option. being from louisinana you obviously have a personal interest in this new place and there is nothing wrong with that (represent!) - living in the westchase district you have another reason to cheer on a new business. i think it's important to remember that a new eatery cannot depend on people driving over from across town - it's great if they will - but it is primarily the locals that will make or break a place (anyone who's been to dodo's chicken will understand this). the owner of raising cane's obviously took care of the marketing aspects and knows this is a part of town that is blooming. if the food, service and atmosphere work out the place should be a success. deb martin

a great documentary, i saw it years ago on PBS. i've always believed riverside would make a comback, some of the homes there are quite exquisite. debmartin

my dad told me tonight that the isis was a silent theatre, and that the iris was named by a man after his daughter. he gave me a framed print of the grand opening of the iris - it took place during the depression and the kids looked like a strong wind could blow them away - the santa clause was so thin his suit was hanging off him. my dad's a real movie buff since it's his business - i guess i never realized how much historical infomation he has for the asking. now that he's retired he has more time and i'm planning on writing down some of the interesting things he's got to say about early houston. he sells stills of the theatres and i just talked him into setting up downtown at the new market square outdoor market. if anyone is ever down there you can look him up and see some of the old stuff. debmartin

3 brother's bakery is great - west gray @ waugh near river oaks theatre. i have not been there for awhile but every summer i get birthday cakes for my sons. good luck - deb

Forbes- The Most Expensive States To Insure Your Home By Sara Clemence Texas is tops--at least when it comes to homeowners' insurance costs. You might guess that California, where houses go skidding down mountains, are torched by wildfires or get rattled by earthquakes, would be the most expensive place to insure a house. Or Florida, which was hammered by no fewer than four major hurricanes last year. But in Florida, the most recent data available from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) shows that the average homeowners' premium was $786 in 2002. The average in Texas was 58% higher. California didn't even make the top ten. The hitch? In those damage- and destruction-prone states, earthquake, hurricane and flood insurance policies are sold separately, and not factored into the ranking. Yet in other states, more mundane weather events can create actuarial nightmares. Several years ago, when Bob Hunter left Northern Virginia to become Commissioner of Insurance in Texas, he found that his insurance bill had doubled even though he'd bought a similar home. "Since I was commissioner, I asked [the company] to produce the data underlying the rates," Hunter says. "The thing that was really different was hail and wind. The risk of natural disaster was much greater. That caused maybe 90% of the difference in the rates, between Northern Virginia and Austin." Weather is a major factor in determining the cost--and cost range--of homeowners' insurance, says Don Griffin, a vice president at Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI), a trade association whose members write about 40% of the property and casualty insurance policies in the United States. "Insurance is really based on looking at the past," says Griffin. When determining premiums, insurers look at claim trends on a broad basis, such as state and regional levels, and as closely as a ZIP code or even a street. Companies then begin with an average price for premiums, depending on how expensive it has been to fill claims in a location. If you have a wood-framed house in an area without fire coverage, you will pay more than someone who lives in a brick house next to the fire station, Griffin explains. But, brick doesn't respond well to earthquakes, tending to crack and crumble, so near the San Andreas Fault the potential damage would be greater. The cost of real estate and rebuilding are also taken into account, which is one reason insurance is more expensive in cities than in rural areas (though that probably doesn't hold true if you live on a barrier island). "If building material is in short supply or there isn't an abundance of skilled labor, that's going to factor in," says Kip Diggs, spokesman for Bloomington, Ill.-based State Farm Insurance, the largest home insurance underwriter in the country. In general, homeowners' insurance costs are leveling off, says Loretta Worters, spokeswoman for the New York-based Insurance Information Institute. One reason is that people are maintaining their homes better, she says. Mold damage claims haven't been as costly as insurers had predicted. Bob Hunter, who is now director of insurance for Consumer Federation of America (CFA), points out that for years premiums had increased at around the annual inflation rate. According to CFA, in 2001 homeowners' insurance rates went up by a median 7%, and in 2002 by a median 13%. Reasons include dropping interest rates and a stock market slump, he says. Both mean it's harder for insurance companies to make money on their investments. The increases dropped back down last year, to around 4% or 5%, says Hunter. "This year we're talking back around inflation." But if you live in Texas, Florida or any of the states with the expensive homeowners' premiums, don't start packing your bags for Wisconsin--the state with the least expensive premiums--just yet. Not every resident has to pay at the top rate. Plenty depends on how elaborate a policy you choose, and even where you live within a particular state. In Oregon, costs are similar whether you're in Portland or Coos Bay, Hunter says. In Maryland, State Farm charges nearly twice as much in Montgomery County, which butts against Washington, D.C., as in Frederick County, which is one county north. Other companies have different premium scales in the same area. "Insurance companies do charge very significantly different prices," Hunter says. "You can easily pay 50% more if you go to the wrong company." That's why it pays to shop around and do some background research. Most states have free insurance-buyers' guides, and the NAIC offers complaint ratios, as well as licensing and financial information for different companies on its Web site (http://www.naic.org/). Besides that, you don't necessarily get what you pay for. "Our research shows that you don't have to pay more to get good service," Hunter says. "Some of the least-expensive companies have the best service." (Forbes)

i've banked with bofa since they were gibraltar savings back in the late 80's, starting with a savings account i opened for my son when he was born. i've never had any problems and get free checking with direct deposit. i cannot remember the last time i was in a branch, since i do all of my banking online - i think it was before tropical storm allison when my safety deposit box was downtown. after the flood the bank took everything to a storage facility on griggs rd and i had to deal with people in space suits who cleaned everything up - they helped me file my insurance claim and sent me a letter giving me a free box for a year for the trouble. there seem to be plenty of atm's so i don't worry about fees for that, and the one or two times when i've needed customer service i just send an email or call the 800#. i no longer even have a checkbook, as my visa checkcard is all i need and i even got my kids a teen visa so i can transfer their allowance and help them learn to budget and reconcile. i can transfer money between all my accounts and pay my bills online. since i've always been happy with my bank it's interesting to hear all the comments. lately i have noticed there is not as much advertising for banks on the radio and tv, and i figured it was because many of the banks have consolidated. debmartin

"Although Walsh and Wilson said they could not predict how the situation would be resolved, they said possibilities include the owners finding financing to begin paying the loans, restructuring the debt or having the city take over hotel operations" (houston chronicle/sunstar) "I don't know...I've just become jaded with Midtown. I am tired of the F#$*)$(%$ bums and crackheads walking around the neighborHOOD. I do see less than in the past, but the area under the Pierce Elevated has become homeless haven." (quote, rayLSU) perhaps these two problems could be solved together - the city could take over hotel operations and grab up some of the federally allocated funds for SRO's (single room occupancy). the only SRO the city of houston sponsored was located in the old howard johnson hotel at I45/crosstimbers, and due to mismanagement they lost the funds. since that time millions in federal matching funds have been left on the table by houston, while other major cities turn hotels into housing for the homeless. i attended a houston housing forum a couple of years ago and brought this up to gordon quan, who was interested and promised to look into possibilities. i realize these hotels are not the type generally associted with "bums and crackheads" but with so many newer hotels being built it might be difficult to keep them running as usual. debmartin

it seems a little creepy to me, homes built over a prison with so much negative energy. maybe not as bad as the homes built in the movie "poltergeist". i suppose most of the people buying them will be from other places and will not find out - probably not something to be included in the advertising though. debmartin

bach, don't let it get you down - just think of the karate kid painting fences and waxing cars, only to discover he'd learned martial arts! but seriously, at age 14 kids are so self-absorbed (mine is) an experiential math lesson may not be such a bad thing. as a teacher i was guilty of quite a few myself. you are correct to be concerned because the days of creative teaching are long past, with the single-minded emphasis on standardized testing. and do not fool yourself that the problem only exists in public school, because i've taught in private schools as well and it's not altogether different. i'd have to say there's somewhat of a decline in education overall - at the least a pronounced gap between secondary and post-secondary readiness. now for the good news- never thought i'd ever have one good thing to say about rick perry but i must give credit where credit's due. i nearly dropped my coffee this morning reading the chron - about perry supporting shirley neeley of TEA in rejecting the federal guidelnes of "no child left behind". i've always assumed perry was a bush puppet but it appears he's made a decision to stand up for the students and teachers of texas in a major way. i left teaching when i realized my own children's educational needs were not being met, and it felt hypocritical to focus on the needs of other kids while mine languished. since they're nearly grown and on solid ground, i've been working as an educational advocate and it's been almost if not more discouraging than teaching. all of a sudden, hisd's being restructured, neeley's been appointed to head TEA and now the gov has decided to be a stand up guy - talk about a turn around! houston is changing for the better, and with properly integrated state support it now appears as if our kids will get what they deserve. debmartin

"What about kids who have bad parents?" (quote, westguy) i guess according to some people on this board this would not be your concern, although when they are not encouraged to stay in school and spend more time on the streets committing crime, your tax dollars will be spent working them through the system. and if you want to know how successful probation and parole programs are, just read the courts/crime section in the chron. i never paid much attention to "no child left behind" - it seemed just another publicity stunt and a big waste of money to tell the public something teachers and parents have known for years. then i read the part about keeping the learning disabled students down to 1%, and that anything over 1% would be counted as failure. i realized it was no wonder texas schools were seen as so inadequate, as setting up that quota for L/D students sets up our state for failure! it took courage for the TEA to stand up to washington - as i said i hope federal money is not withheld as a consequence. debmartin

Feb. 26, 2005, 10:58AM State defies U.S. rules on grading schools TEA maneuver cuts number of failing campuses but may endanger federal funding By JASON SPENCER Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Faced with the prospect of tagging nearly half of the state's school districts with failing grades under the federal accountability system, Texas Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley instead changed the rules to reduce the number of failing schools sixfold. The move, described by some as a direct challenge to the U.S. Department of Education's enforcement of the controversial No Child Left Behind Act, sets up a potential showdown between Neeley and the Bush administration. National education observers said Neeley's move makes Texas the first state to outright refuse to follow the law's requirements. Texas receives more than $1 billion in federal money tied to compliance with No Child Left Behind. Some of that money could be in jeopardy, depending on how federal officials react to Neeley's decision. The TEA released grades Friday. "It sets up, obviously, a rather interesting situation between the U.S. Department of Education and the state of Texas and you could see administrative funding cuts due to noncompliance," said Scott Young, a senior policy analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures. Just days ago, the Denver-based group issued a report criticizing the president's education initiative as an overly rigid piece of legislation that undermines states' efforts to educate students. The disagreement centers on the federal government's requirement that schools exempt no more than 1 percent of their students from testing because of learning disabilities. Once a school crosses that 1 percent special education threshold, any additional students must be counted as failing. In Texas, nearly 10 percent of all students don't take the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills because of their special education needs. Instead, they take a state-mandated alternative test. It's a predicament that has hurt the ratings of schools in other states as well, including Michigan, where special education participation rates were mostly to blame for the failing grades that went to a third of that state's schools. Waiver request denied Last April, Neeley asked the Education Department for a waiver from the special education policy. It was denied in July, long after Texas students had already been tested. But rather than go along with the ruling as did many other states that lost similar appeals, Neeley granted appeals from 431 school districts and 1,316 campuses that stood to fail under the federal guidelines. When she was finished, only 86 school districts and 402 campuses were on the "needs improvement" list. Those that make the list in consecutive years must allow their students to transfer to better schools. "We really think this is more of a fairness issue," said Debbie Ratcliffe, a Texas Education Agency spokeswoman. "The poor school districts are caught between conflicting state and federal laws." The number of passing schools varies wildly under the federal system because each state develops its own tests and sets its own standards. So comparisons across state lines don't work. In Alabama and Florida, for example, 77 percent of schools missed the mark, while all but 4 percent of Wisconsin's campuses got passing grades. The Washington, D.C.-based Achievement Alliance criticized Neeley for giving the failing schools passing grades. Alliance members include Just for the Kids/National Center for Educational Accountability, the Education Trust, the Citizens Commission on Civil Rights and the Business Roundtable. "This is a message that we're not going to pay attention to the indicators. Instead, we're going to change the indicators so that we as schools look good," said Delia Pompa, the alliance's director and a former Texas Education Agency assistant commissioner. "The focus shouldn't be on whether the school looks good, but on whether children are learning. If children are learning, eventually, the school will look good." HISD benefited The Houston Independent School District was among the hundreds of school systems that benefited from Neeley's decision. The district would have landed on the "needs improvement" list had Neeley followed the federal guidelines. The number of failing HISD campuses shrunk from 77 (more than a quarter of all Houston schools) down to 26 because of her ruling. HISD officials said they had no reaction to Neeley's ruling. "That is between the TEA and the U.S. government," said district spokesman Terry Abbott. "We simply follow the guidelines of the TEA." All of the state's other major urban school districts

"However, this would be a hockey team named the Oilers. As long as the colors aren't the same, along with the logo - (quote, 27) what, no more "luv ya blue"? debmartin

"I see we have another person with reading comprehension issues." (houston19514) i too, object to flaming. debmartin

Feb. 24, 2005, 1:58PM To the Republicans on City Council: Your party is keeping an eye on you Local GOP upset they're supporting Democratic mayor By RON NISSIMOV Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle The Harris County Republican Party has a warning for Republicans on Houston's City Council: Be careful about supporting Mayor Bill White. RESOURCES Graphic: The Party Line and the Council Vote In recent weeks, as the popular Democratic mayor was taking flak over of his Safe Clear freeway towing ordinance, the local GOP saw two opportunities to humiliate him on the council. Instead, White garnered enough Republican support to prevail on both issues, maintaining Safe Clear with modifications and spending up to $100,000 for an outside law firm to defend his Proposition 1 spending cap in court. "There's a lot of disappointment that the mayor was able to get Republican council members to support him," said Jared Woodfill, chairman of the Harris County Republican Party. The City Council is officially nonpartisan, but eight of its 14 members are Republicans. That's enough to defeat anything the mayor proposes, even with White casting the 15th vote. "We're not looking for council members who are going to go along and get along," Woodfill said. "We're looking for council members who are going to stand up for conservative values." On Jan. 19, the council voted 8-4 to hire the outside firm to defend Proposition 1 against a lawsuit filed by backers of Proposition 2, a more restrictive revenue cap White opposed. All the no votes came from Republicans, but three Republicans sided with White. One Republican and one Democrat were absent. On Feb. 2, six Republicans joined all six Democrats in a 12-2 vote to amend White's Safe Clear ordinance rather than dismantle it. The two Republicans who voted against the ordinance also proposed to repeal it or place it under a moratorium, but the other Republicans joined Democrats in rejecting those measures. Exact opposite stance The executive committee of the Harris County Republican Party has voted overwhlemingly to support Proposition 2 and to repeal Safe Clear. The local party's Web site has links to council voting records maintained by the city. Woodfill said the Harris County Republican Party has a good relationship with Republican council members and is not planning immediate action against them. But he said the party is keeping a closer eye on them and may take more aggressive stances if they continue to vote for what he called liberal positions. City Council members don't run as members of a party, but Woodfill said the GOP executive committee could influence their political aspirations through such measures as endorsing an opponent and putting out "score cards" on their votes. "Our goal is to educate our constituents on how people vote and to hold people accountable," Woodfill said. But two local political scientists said what really rankles the Republican Party is that White sometimes acts like a Republican, making him one of the few Democrats regarded as a rising political star in conservative Texas. "Republicans have said they wanted a mayor who runs the government like a business, looks at the bottom line and is consumer-friendly,"said Rice University political scientist Bob Stein. Stein said the Republican Party is worried because White has often been praised for being such a mayor

"Ah! I see what you are saying. If anyone is at fault here, it is the writer. Multiple meanings can be inferred from that sentence. Reading the sentence, "We still occasionally encounter a cigar smoker in a private party trying to sneak a smoke", a casual reader would simply infer that a person who smokes cigar was trying to smoke one at a party. One would assume that the writer already knows that the person smokes cigar. However, another analysis would reveal the other meaning, that is, the writer is ok with cigar smoking but is complaining about a cigar smoker trying to smoke a cigarette instead." Oh well, we are really splitting hair. (quote, kzseattle) i was beginning to get worried, usually i am able to make my point perfectly clear, although recently my posts seem to attract a great deal of confusion. i agree the writer did a not so great job of organizing the facts, but then again i get this a lot with the chronicle. recently a reporter ran a story about cps defending their investigating priorities, and quoted a cps worker saying it was a waste of time to investigate a 17yr old who was slapped by her dad for staying out. i emailed her and reminded her that perhaps the teen stayed out because the dad was free with the slapping, and that many teens often take to the streets to escape abusive situations ignored by cps. i rec'd a reply that if the child had been 1 or 5 slapping would be abuse, but 17 was not. i emailed her back to remind her that each incident must be investigated on a case by case basis, and in high school wrestling teams separate participants in weight classes - that a 200lb student would not be allowed to take on a 100lb student. i also offered my opinion that a heavyweight striking a featherweight would not be a fair match, especially in anger, and that any discpline carried out in a rage held the potential for abuse due to lack of impulse control. i challenged her to stop performing as a puppet for cps and write something based upon common sense, or at least try and see the issue from both sides - she replied i should stop looking for abuse where none was to be found, so i guess it would be pointless to tell her about my experiences as a volunteer at covenent house. good old chron, luckily for them we are a one paper town. thanks for the "fair and balanced" reply and you're correct, splitting hairs does not an interesting conversation make. deb

She said "We still occasionally encounter a cigar smoker in a private party trying to sneak a smoke" Nothing was said about any cigar smoker trying to sneak a cigarette. And if a cigar smoker is having to "sneak a smoke" one would think it would be pretty obvious that the establishment does not in fact allow "a private party room full of cigar smoke". (quote, houston 19514) how would she know the person "sneaking" the cigarette was a cigar smoker? i guess she could have inquired, but it's more logical that he was taking advantage of smoking the cig in the private party room where cigar smoke is allowed. why not a cigarette smoker sneaking a smoke? no, to me the way it was worded implied she was expecting cigar smoke in the private party room and a patron took advantage and smoked a cigarette. i'll give her a call and get this cleared up. heaven forbid an accusation of hypocrisy. debmartin

"I personally think that all drugs should be legal, as long as they are regulated, monitored, & controlled by the government. It seems to work just fine for tobacco & alcohol. I don't see what the difference is for drugs." (quote, 27) hypothetically this would seem to be a good argument for personal choice, however the laws are constantly being redefined to appease the public's outcry. aside from appointments, most of the government is elected by the people so ironically while it would appear you do not wish the government to interfere with your own personal views, it is actually "the people" who do so. case in point, the smoking ban being considered by the mayor - i'm not sure about his personal views on smoking but it does seem he is bending to public pressure about the hazards of second hand smoke. alcohol increasingly comes under scrutiny, like the harsher penalties for drunk driving and happy hour regulations imposed a few years back. so when you say "as long as they are regulated, monitored and controlled by the government" i would agree because like it or not, the government is empowered by the people to do just that with almost every facet of our lives. when you say it works just fine for smoking and drinking i'd have to disagree because the laws are constantly being challenged and changed, depending upon public opinion. the good news is that public opinion is often changed by scientists and healthcare professionals who provide vital information about what constitutes harmful lifestyle choices. if you don't see what the difference is for drugs, call up any of the pharmaceutical companies and ask them why certain medications will always be prescription only, such as antibiotics. sure it's a pain to see a dr. when you're sick and feel you should just be able to go down to cvs and buy some, but if that decision was left up to the public we could face a national health crisis. the prostitution "stings" i read about in the paper all the time are prompted by irate citizens who swamp the police with complaints - it seems those interested in maintaining property values feel the presence of hookers and johns pose a threat. again, law enforcement reacting to the opinion of the public - same goes for the game rooms recently raided with slot machines. i think too much emotion is attached to these issues and it would be helpful to redirect the argument towards how our quality of life here in houston is affected. taking this into consideration, i can see how "sin" taxes on drugs, alcohol and prostitution might boost the city's bank account, although regulation would be costly and i can't see legalizing them helpful to promoting tourism. oh, and about that other thing (two party system) i think it's outdated and a hoax. democrats and republicans have their conventions where the platform is preached, then each individual candidate spews their own agenda, often in direct opposition of the party. the whole donkey/elephant red/blue thing is a joke as well, although i've been told it's tradition. there could be a third party of moderates who perhaps would explore issues rationally and independently but without the $$$ of big political machines this will never happen. debmartin

"deb- your comments kind of confuse me. does she state there is a smoker ready party room? i re-read it three times and missed that each time. also smelling the cigar over the cigarette... are the two events connected some how?" (quote, lowbrow) lowbrow - my comments probably confused you because they were dripping with sarcasm, sorry. when i said she "had me" until the end i meant that i thought a smoke-free dining facility was great. the comment about the cigar smoker "sneaking" a cigarette threw me for a loop because as far as smell is concerned i find cigars even more offensive than cigarettes. i also re-read it a few times and it appears she maintains a smoke free place that allows "private party" diners to smoke cigars, which means the place is not smoke free. all that carrying on about smoke smelling bad and harming the employees loses credibility from that point on, and the article left me shaking my head. deb

aw dad....you never let us have any fun! but seriously, it's great that you keep us in line. debmartin

"That's about it. As for my reasoning behind marijuana, abortion, prostitution, and gambling: These are all victimless crimes. No one forces you to do any of these things. These are all things you choose to do. Sure some will argue their points that there are victims (mostly collateral type victims like family members & friends), but the fact remains: the only victims in these crimes are the people who commit them. Why is it we have laws that punish us for doing something to ourselves?" "Just my thoughts. I'm not running for office, nor am I trying to convince anyone of what I think. I'm just answering the questions. Please don't email me trying to convince me to change my mind, call Jesus collect, or to drink the kool-aide." (quote, tw2ntyse7en) 27 i applaud your honesty, even if we disagree on a few points. and i am the #1 fan of tolerance, diversity and respect for an individual's point of view. i would never try and convince anyone to change their mind, i've found jesus does not accept collect calls and i despise kool-aide because of the unhealthy added dyes. that said, i sincerely hope you are open to some dialog, because often times we can see a situation in a different light when reflected through the eyes of another. i'm not touching abortion because it's a religious issue, but i would like to share my views with you on gambling, drugs and prostitution as i feel these issues are of grave consequence to a civilized culture. in earlier times, these "ills of society" were commonplace and in order to elevate the standard of living the pro's and con's were weighed in by the people, who decided they should be if not phased out at least toned down. often it proved the wrong course of action, an example being prohibition, as drinking simply went underground and the gangsters that took control were deemed an even larger detriment. prostitution and gambling, imho harm humanity by attracting those with the least willpower and lowest threshold for self-improvement, and the result is a gradual weakening of a person's resiliency. this leads to certain lifestyle choices where the end result is one who feels fortunate to survive and never learns to thrive. on the surface these may seem like victimless crimes but consider what goes hand in hand with prostitution and gambling: crime! just like the recently raided "gamerooms" which are more frequently being robbed - more police calls translate into more probability for gunfire. prostitution more often than not goes hand in hand with drugs - this takes a toll on society when the county emergency rooms are clogged up with hookers who o'd trying to get high enough to forget what their lives are all about. pot smoking is more complicated for me, because my biggest concern with it would be the whole "gateway drug" thing because i grew up in the 70's and found this to be true. once i had kids of my own my views changed as perhaps yours will, but maybe not. recreational use might be ok, but when someone is depressed and using to dull the pain (life avoidance) it's an issue and often contributes to suicide. i'm sure you see your fair share of what drugs can do to the human body in your line of work, and again, the toll on society can be measured by the increased burden on our police, fire and other emergency services, as well as our public hospitals which are running out of resources. i'm sure you are a good person or you would be in another line of work altogether. it has also occurred to me that in order to avoid the burn-out associated with hardcore public service, a certain level of detachment is needed. aside from my concern with the impact of these "victimless" crimes on society at large, i too am a live and let live kind of person. generally i find people must set their own standards and only make improvements when THEY feel they have not measured up to them. debmartin

Houston Chronicle Feb. 19, 2005, 8:11PM Not at my table Why a restaurateur banned smoking and why Houston should, too By ELOUISE ADAMS JONES Not long after I re-opened Ouisie's Table in 1995, a reporter arrived to interview me. With the reincarnation of the original restaurant on Sunset Boulevard came the obvious questions: What would be different and what would be the same in this new and much larger space? The reporter and I spoke about the restaurant's history, about food, about wine, service and location. As our time was drawing to a close, the reporter brought up my decision to keep the restaurant a smoke-free environment. She asked me if I didn't think the rule would backfire on me, causing me to lose customers or not be able to attract them in the first place. Wouldn't a smoke-free policy hamper any attempt on my part to build a strong customer base? I thought the choice of "backfire" was an interesting one. Now, 10 years later, Houston City Council is debating the merits of having all the city's restaurants be smoke-free. The irony of that reporter's question comes home. My reply in 1995 was an emphatic No. In fact, I noted, the reaction had been support and appreciation for providing a smoke-free environment. I added that I felt there would be a bunch of folks who would be very grateful, and that as time went by, nonsmoking environments would be sought after. I did not feel that the reporter was convinced. After our interview, I watched the door close and realized this person was a smoker. I did have naysayers. I had a few who told me it wouldn't work, much like the reporter, and I had a few who tested us all by lighting up. They were asked to put it out or go outside. Most smokers were OK with it

what about live music dt at dean's? i've not made it by there but a friend invited me to come out on a sunday and hear him play. anybody know about the place? debmartin