debmartin

imo a traveling salesman is hardly a level compass when discussing houston traffic and transportation. having lived in houston all of my 40 years i can remember traffic as a child while riding with my parents. i guess back then it was because the roads were few and far between - now it's because the population has swelled and property values have escalated, making sprawl a necessary evil. as i've said many times here, i grew up on the north side. back in the early 80's many of our neighbors moved farther north, up around the 1960 area as newer, nicer neighborhoods were being developed and (at the time) the aldine and spring schools offered better education than hisd. price wise there was something for everyone, from the upscale new champion forest to more moderately priced offerings where my uncle's family relocated to the humble area. my parents refused to move "up north", because despite the crime, poverty and overall "stepchild" status assigned us by the city of houston the northline area was still just 10 minutes away from downtown (except during rush hour). living just outside the loop was nothing to brag about, except for the accessibility to the 610 loop and later the beltway 8. their decision paid off when trendy greenspoint turned into "gunspoint" and those who had flocked to 1960 shuffled on up to the woodlands to escape the crime and crumbling schools. my uncle's family fled kenswick in humble for the livable forest of kingwood. even though some of the 'hood started looking like a bario, despite the weekly grocery sales flyers arriving in spanish instead of english, we embraced our new neighbors and learned a little spanish in the process. for the most part these were people who only wanted to raise their families in homes instead of run down apts or trailers. blue collar, working class now provided an opportunity for home ownership through outreach programs and better initiatives of the federal government. many of these very families have moved on themselves to the newly revitalized areas of houston and outlying areas like pearland and tomball. i have often wondered how the developers forgot that while they were packing so many people into their pre-fab communities it would be impossible to move the traffic without expanding the roads. seems to me the roads should have been enlarged first to accomodate the swell - a developer told me it was never done this way, and that only after the traffic was "out of control" could road expansion be justified. perhaps this disgruntled "ex-houstonian" was forced to relocate by his company and took his frustration out on us with this parting shot. a mere five years probably gave him just enough of a taste to feel a local and now he's moving again. the city of houston is currently undergoing a dynamic and exciting growth experience. wouldn't be the first time that someone denounced something they were being deprived of. personally, i feel sorry for the guy. debmartin

"I'm worried when an airplane is prevented from landing because Cat Stevens is on board. He was riding with his daughter; do you think the guy who wrote "Peace Train" is a threat?" (quote, dbigtex56) i'm worried along with you dbigtex - also about a woman arrested at a bush rally for simply trying to ask laura bush a question and a man arrested at the republican convention for yelling "no more years" while the bush supporters chanted "4 more years". all of a sudden, it is a crime to speak your mind in public and in light of how much the average person equates arrest with police brutality i'd bet the bush camp just about has everyone scared into keeping their mouth shut if they have a difference of opionion. shame on bush and his henchmen for stripping away what should be our protected right, "free speech". used to be everyone had (or could have) a different political opinion, which helped keep politicians in check. instead now if you oppose the president you are not viewed as "having a difference of opinion" but branded "unpatriotic", "unamerican" or worse, "traitor". i am not particularly impressed with kerry, but to me he is the "anti-bush". my slogan before kerry emerged from the democratic primary was, "vote for _______, he's not bush". many people have told me it would better for me not to vote at all than to vote against a candidate, but i disagree. the war in iraq has factored big in my decision that bush is an ego maniac who drove us into fighting to advance his political power. yes sadam was a bad person, wreaking havoc on his country but should we take our troops everywhere this is the case? what about sudan and countless other places where there are daily atrocities? weapons of mass destruction? they were not there but even had they been this alone has not driven us into the many other places they exist. we have weapons of mass destruction ourselves. should other "peace-keeping" armies storm in and disarm us? sorry for venting, but i'm getting so fed up i'm swearing off of cnn, fox, etc and the media in general until its all over. worse case and bush wins, i feel he will finally be exposed for what he is, a war monger who will at least be run off by the next election. in the meantime i think i'll re-read my al franken book because you simply cannot stay in a bad mood while rolling around on the floor laughing. and for the record, i respect cat stevens as a gifted songwriter and enjoy his recordings. it is embarrassing what happened to him about the plane - if he was so "dangerous" why was he allowed to fly in the first place? if we say he "slipped in" by accident we have weak security - if we admit it was a screw-up we look incompetent. i'm waiting to see how fast the cya team gets to work on this one. when will we wise up and realize that although all these terrorists have been muslim, not all muslims are terrorists? debmartin

will this replace the hermann prof bldg. across the street from the hospital?

"Stuff like this has to stop! People need to wake up and see what's really going on." (quote, ssullivan) best thing to do is go out and get a copy of george orwell's "1984". recently i started putting things together like this bush fanaticism and it reminded me of something i'd once read, so i racked my brain and remembered this oldie but goodie. i picked up a copy of it and could not put it down - read it in one afternoon. all i can say is "if the shoe fits, etc." i'm thinking of ordering a few dozen copies of them on amazon and distributing them to all of my friends and family, many of whom could use a healthy dose of "wake up and smell the victory gin". debmartin

i'm with you, pineda, about the ferris bueller part. before things like kids going postal and shooting up schools high stepping jinks like this would be no big deal, like detention. this is primarily why i left the education field and turned to writing, so the only "bullets" i have to dodge will be on paper. my fourteen year old son goes to school with a "family code word" and a cell phone. hisd now allows phones as long as they're turned off during classes. this ruling came into play after 911 when most parents went crazy trying to locate their children and gather their families at home. i guess what i'm trying to say is that "things have changed" which sound like a cliche' but nontheless is a sad reflections of the times. my parents used to tell me stories of their pranks back in the 50's - apparently my dad and some other of his honorable st. thomas high pals used to routinely go around putting laundry soap in local fountains. today that could probably get a kid committed to the texas youth commission for some environmental protection law. looking back over my long winded post from last night, it looks as if i've lost my sense of humor and that's something i never want to do. i see my own children with laptops, cellphones, expensive digital camera equiptment and i tell them to enjoy the technology. i tell them about how in the 70's i grew up with a record player, without mtv and my friends and i could walk down the street and flip someone off without getting shot. they laugh and tell me it's "ancient" history and they cannot imagine being that "bored". by the way, ferris bueller is one thing i have passed down to my kids - it's a family favorite! debmartin

i know i'm stepping out on a limb here and my ideas could possibly piss off many people, still i ask you to hear my thoughts out. i taught school back in the early 90's at the intermediate level so i have a little experience in these cases. first, i recognize that there is a time when we as parents should go to bat for our kids against the schools system. teachers must be held accountable and curriculums are expected to meet the individual needs of each students. battles must be carefully chosen, because when the dust settles the child has to show up at school every day, not the parent. my concern is that more frequently through our choice of battles such as this, the attention is drawn away from the child's improper conduct and the focus instead becomes the "harsh" punishment inflicted upon the child. for many parents it is better to see their child in the "victim" role rather than the "accused". in reality, this is two separate issues and should be addressed as such. the first issue, the "prank" was undertaken by a "child' in the eight grade. students today are often already looking into college programs as early as 9th grade, and some are preparing for driver education. today's children are for the most part maturing at an early age, thanks to the media and pop culture they so rapidly absorb. obviously this incident was impromptu and therefore should be attributed to impulsivity rather than malicious intent. adopting the "boys will be boys" attitude however is disrespectful to teachers, invalidating their entitlement to unconditional respect. other aspects must be taken into account, such as the group dynamics of the class, since a teacher is often responsible for upwards of 30 students and order must be maintained to facilitate an atmosphere conducive to optimal learning. my few experiences with class clowns were overwhelmingly precipitated by a few hecklers and/or instigators who, lacking the bravado to attempt pranks themselves had no trouble enlisting the services of students seeking approval and acceptance. the old "look before you leap" phrase comes to mind. it is imperative that we, as parents take the time to educate our children that they alone are held accountable for their actions. yes, they will make mistakes, but we should not compound them by making excuses, whining about punishments and ultimately undermining the authority of the school. this child must have realized beforehand that his fleeting entertainment was being purchased by unavoidable, unpleasant aftereffects. having considered this he chose to go ahead. a lighter punishment could hardly serve as a deterrment to others - believe me in school suspension is just a regular school day, except undertaken in isolation. sometimes a student finds ISS actually increases his/her popularity and carries very little if any negative attachment. students are supported by their parents - teachers are (or should be) supported by their administration. when a parent interferes with the delivery of punitive action they in effect blur the lines of responsibility and do their child a grave disservice. student codes of conduct are clearly spelled out and distributed at the beginning of each school year. usually students and parents are required to sign an acknowledgement and agreement. the time to take exception with any measured consequence would be at that time and not after an offense has taken place. in my experience, most students and parents simply sign and return the conduct pledge and often do not even take the time to read what they are signing. what a great opportunity to introduce our children to the concept of action and consequences, yet time and time again i read of parents challenging their districts decision to apply penalties for breaking the code of conduct. also calling attention to the punishment applied to others only diverts attention away from the issue at hand, and sends a message to our children that what's really important is not that they atone for their mistake, but that they should ensure the punishments received by others should be equal if not greater. in my opinion this type of justification only teaches our children to "pass the buck", and the lesson is lost. i've spent enough time around the juvenile courts to tell you that this attitude often leads to teens justifying acts that range from irresponsibility to reckless endangerment. so conditioned to "blaming" and so unfamiliar with taking personal responsibility for their own actions, these youths are often the very ones who think that computer "hacking" is a victimless crime, or that painting their graffiti is an act of "art" instead of the vandalism that we know it is. call it harsh, but the very people who relocate to these stellar areas such as kingwood, conroe, woodlands and katy often chose to do so for the quality of schools. like anything else they buy into, the policies and protocols of the schools (which are readily available for review) should be considered before parents decide that it's the correct learning environment for their child. it sounds like this boy is good at heart and simply made a mistake. it would be so much easier to mediate a situation like this had the parents formed an association earlier to explore these potential areas of concern. regardless of the perceived rigidity of the district, the old "strength in numbers" principle still applies. many progressive districts routinely refer these infractions to "peer review", further empowering students to learn from mistakes by effectively placing them on both sides of the disagreement. debmartin

"I have friends in Spring Valley as well. I didn't know there were any homes in the $150K range there. Their kids go to private school, so I can't tell anything about how the school district is. What schools (public) are the kids from Spring Valley zoned to?" (quote, pineda) i can only tell you how it was 10 years ago when i lived there, but it's probably about the same. spring valley comprises a small area around I-10 and voss but shares the elementary school with the neighboring area. we lived in a small apt complex on pech rd. & westview, very well maintained by a private owner who lived on property. next door was valley oaks elementary - the school was ok but attended primarily by low income hispanic students from around the long point/wirt area and really bad mobile home parks further down westview. lucky for spring valley, their secondary students were strategically zoned across the highway to spring branch middle school and memorial high school, while the students where i lived (just a street or two away) were zoned down long point to langdon (hard core ghetto). also the bus running down westview is not allowed to pass through spring valley and must turn down pech road and travel long point for a giant detour. i also have friends who live in a fabulous home in spring valley and their children also attended private school, which is pretty much the norm. their home is at least half a million $$$ and i've never heard of a home in spring valley in the $150K range either. debmartin

beautiful uptown houston. debmartin

I know it's not strictly local, but those Mattress Giant commercials used to get on my nerves. "Ooooooooh Ah! Ooooooooh Ah!" It's like Mister Clean porn. (quote, editor) i had forgotten about that one (probably on purpose). right now the houston chron is running a really creepy one showing "new" subscribers who look like bobble heads. they're not even funny like the snapple bottles dressed up for drama like people, they're more like decapitated heads pasted on cartoon bodies. i watched it with my little nephew and he screamed and ran from the room. debmartin

"being a native houstonian and having a good memory, i remember quite a few cheesy commercials even when i was a kid in the late 70's. one of them drove me crazy because my brother used to follow me around screaming it. it was from a fish store called aquarama and the announcer screamed "A-Q-U-A-R-A-M-A!" over and over." (quote, debmartin) i wrote this several days back but nobody replied, so i thought i was the only one who remembered aquarama. glad to know i am not the only one with this crazy one committed to memory! i cannot believe they are still in business. did the commercial entice you to visit or were you really looking for aquarium supplies? debmartin

i think don nelson was on "dialing for dollars" on channel 13 before he was on the news. the woman on the show with him was jan glenn and she was married to bob allen, the sportscaster. they later divorced. as the world turns, on channel 13. debmartin my friends and i used to call brandon "ed the head". yes, he turned his life around which was no small accomplishment. it was generally decided that his being close friends with dave ward saved his job, along with the obvious reason that he was well perceived by the public. debmartin

those of you too young to remember the post and/or those who were not around when it was in circulation would be wise to go to the library and look it up and decide for yourself if it was a worthy read. my family read the post over the chron, probably because we had a close family friend who drew some of the comics. i've always felt it was a poor reflection on a city of our size to be unable to maintain only one paper, but the post went under at a time when the city was experiencing an economic downturn all the way around. funny, some of the post people turned up at the chron, like ken hoffman while others like editor lynn ashby went on to pursue other local journalistic opportunities. i seem to remember he started a local magazine called something like houston city where he was still cranking out very insightful, opinionated editorials - i always found his style honest and engaging. forgive my bias, but i spent some intern hours at the post and naturally the chron being the competition was considered the "evil" enemy. we will likely remain a one paper town, as the internet has become such a news tool it is unncessary to spend much time browsing local offerings. you can sit down at the computer with a cup of coffee and check out the news in any city in america or the world for that matter. frankly i do not understand how the chron will stay in business selling papers, when you just have to dial up their news online and it's free. this is not only convenient, but great for the environment. debmartin

anyone read al franken's book? besides being side-splitting funny it makes for some very interesting reading. of course it's a spin, like michael moore's movie and must be taken in that context, but it is amazing what lengths he went to to keep it factual. i never really took notice of ann coulter until i read the book and saw how franken totally trashed her - now i'm reading her book to keep it fair. comments? debmartin

cleburne cafeteria (expensive but the best) bibas ones-a-meal (west gray) house of pies (kirby & westheimer) jason's deli (downtown & galleria) katz's (special occasion, teenage son crazy about cheesecake shake) speghetti warehouse (often) hobbit cafe chuy's mama's cafe barry's and star (pizza) arby's (shepherd) kids used to love eating outdoors at bambolino's (but it looks closed down now) used to like souper/salad but quality went down also i admit to denny's (various locations, for convenience) for reasons most unfortunate my primary places of eating away from home are in the medical center, at various clinics and hospitals with one of my sons. most people would probably be surprised at how vastly improved "hospital" food has become. hermann's grill makes a great gardenburger and the plate lunch food at md anderson is good old fashioned cooking. starbucks and smoothie king are also good options, as well as the mcdonalds in st. lukes. between the dental college and md anderson there is an outdoor patio/cafe area with a waterwall just like the one at transco park. it's called the mcgovern food court or something, and if anyone can verify whether or not the same person designed the waterwall i would appreciate it. debmartin

when traveling through other major cities in the us and canada i use the subway to get around - i can always count on tunnels for shopping and meals, often 7 days a week and until late at night. since we do not have a subway system our tunnels are primarily utilized by 9-5'ers - i was one myself in the late 70's and followed the masses underground daily. those who rode in on the bus wore gym shoes and brought shoes for working - those who drove in wore work shoes and brought gym shoes to wear around at lunch while walking around in the tunnels. the tunnels catered to downtown workers, with merchants such as cleaners, shoe repair, banks, card/gift shops, bakery/coffee shops and of course eateries. believe it or not we had street people even "back then" which made the tunnels a great alternative to being up above. the fact that they connected building to building meant you could consolidate some aspects of business and pleasure. the fact that they closed after lunch was unfortunate because there were always errands that could have been handled after work, and many would have been happy to make dinner arrangements downtown. with the new rail prospects, street level retail will expand but i do not perceive any threat to the tunnels. in many ways they both aim at different audiences, and there's plenty of people heading downtown. debmartin

"Wow you have a good memory! LOL!" (quote, BayouCityGirl) that's one way of putting it, better than the fact that i've been around awhile. being a native houstonian and having a good memory, i remember quite a few cheesy commercials even when i was a kid in the late 70's. one of them drove me crazy because my brother used to follow me around screaming it. it was from a fish store called aquarama and the announcer screamed "A-Q-U-A-R-A-M-A!" over and over. debmartin

i remember a ridiculous rodney d. young commercial with some moron running around dressed like a caveman. also an urban cowgirl for thunderbolt, whose big caddy breaks down/gets fixed to the tune of "we put the yeeeehaaaa in your motor and transmission". when i was a kid there was a commercial for LAW1000, just an announcer saying "divorce, bankruptcy, call LAW-1000". i seem to remember that was when attorneys started advertising on tv. there was a real creepy commercial for a restaurant/cantina called the blue agave', with a female lounge lizard singing "just follow me - to the blue agave" and then she would repeat "the blue agave' while her voice went lower and lower until she was no longer singing but speaking in a weird monotone. probably a lot more i've successfully blocked out of my mind until i read this thread. now i'll have to get them all out of my system all over again. debmartin

one of the best tools available to review school districts is www.har.com. just click on "find a home" and you will see the "school finder" link at the bottom of the page. you can then search by name of school, or even by district or county. once you select a district, you can view the stats such as student population, number of students enrolled in gifted/talented and special ed. you can review the percentage of low income students as well as obtain breakdown of student and teacher ethnicity. TAAS/SAT scores are also available district-wide as well as by individual campus. the really great thing about this is that once you settle on a school, you can look at available homes (sale or rent) by using the school's zip code for your search criteria. in all fairness i cannot highly recommend hisd, except to mention secondary programs like health careers, criminal justice and hsvpa. there are some great elementary schools such as poe, river oaks and the few others sprinkled in the more affluent sections of town like bellaire, west u and the villages such as hunter's creek, piney point and bunker hill. we are fortunate, however, to be surrounded by cyfair, conroe, ft. bend, clear creek, klein, kingwood, and katy districts just to name a few. all of these great districts are adjacent to good living, so it's just a matter of narrowing down what area works best for your overall family needs. good luck and welcome to houston! debmartin

"Question: Can anyone name the largest high school in Texas by enrollment?" (quote, WestGreyGuy) by largest do you mean the size of the campus or population? debmartin

"I saw a shopping area called Hilland Village I keep riding and there was lots of on street shopping and on street resturants it was very nice. After a while I saw the downtown skyline. It was all amazing! I never new that, that area of Houston exzisted. Why is it keeped such a secret?" (quote, citykid09) highland village was updated but has been around for a long time. its kind of a well kept secret for "upscale" shopping but is totally decked out at christmas with holiday decorations and looks lovely. i cannot recall anytime that highland village was even remotely assoicated with the motrose area - they represent two totally different poles of houston society. debmartin

the "west loop/galleria/memorial" seems like quite a consolidation. when the concept of "uptown" was first introduced to describe my neighborhood i was worried that it sounded a bit stuck-up - but then downtown caught back on and mid town was firmly established and it seemed to fit in. no matter what area i find myself traveling each day i always know i'm close to home when i see the tower and it's a great feeling. it may sound corny but it somehow keeps me feeling grounded. btw, i will probably forever call it "transco" tower" since that's how i grew up knowing it. debmartin