woolie

Is your monitor calibrated? It's a possibility I'm using 2.2 gamma on a Mac and you're probably using a 1.8 gamma PC monitor. The images should have embedded color profiles, if your browser supports that. Anyway, I know how to operate my camera and its light meter. It was a sunny day, and I took these pics at noon. It's a very high contrast situation and if I brought up the exposure or brightness any more, the sky would be 255,255,255 white. I did increase the shadow detail significantly to reduce the contrast, though, but it's probably obscured by differences in gamma. Regardless, though, these are just snapshots. If I intended to make art quality pics, I would have taken them much earlier or much later in the day. But I do hate to break it to you: Houston is, in fact, dirty.

Yeah, I live 4 blocks South of Alabama, in the lower half of a very nice duplex. Eagle @ Caroline. Of course it's an urban neighborhood, so it's difficult to describe. - Eagle, Caroline, and going North to HCC is very nice, tree lined older homes/duplexes and small businesses based in converted homes. Some townhome encroachment. - Going South, it is a bit gritty (Fiesta, low-rent businesses) until you cross Wheeler, where it becomes very expensive again (too expensive for me right now... :( ) and full of new townhomes. In particular I'd like to buy this townhome by MDGi http://mdgi.net/details.cfm?PROP_ID=73&sales=yes My pictures of the inside are here http://flickr.com/photos/irees/sets/72157594532174844/ - Going East is a mixed but still transitioning area. Some tear downs, some vacant lots. It'll probably all be townhomes in a few years, though, until Almeda. I used to live on Almeda @ N. MacGregor, in the shadow of the Mosaic (it abutted my backyard.) we moved to be closer to the train and a grocery store, among other reasons... fortunately the property is in the family, so the increasing value is being captured. - Going West is typical Main St. Houston dereliction and ugliness, until you hit Westmoreland after 5 or 6 blocks after the 527 Spur. Of course people have been holding their breath for a decade about the Main St. revival from the rail line. It'd come if people were willing (or able, due to the incredibly high land value) to invest in new midrise (e.g. Camden Ventana) or mixed use structures. It probably won't happen until the University Line is built -- which will then make this area IDEAL as it is near the junction. In ISOLATION, the Red Line is useful if you live on it, of marginal utility if you don't. I moved to take advantage of it now and go ahead and position myself to take advantage of the Univ. line in the future. The things I like most about the neighborhood are the proximity to transit, having a reasonably good full supermarket one block away, easy access to freeways, all while being close to our favorite places to eat and shop in Montrose and Midtown. Yes of course there are sketchy parts, and things to be aware of, like any real urban neighborhood. It isn't The Woodlands and that's one of the things I like most about it. There are a fair number of homeless or vagrants who pass by occasionally (they tend to stay under the 59 elevated regions, for shelter.) So you have to be aware of your surroundings when you're walking around, particularly at night. I don't think it's particularly dangerous because you're near streets with continuous traffic and the supermarket, but it's still important to be aware. It goes without saying that you have to be proactive in protecting your property. We park on street, so we don't leave any valuables in our car, period. We have full insurance as well, on the car, and renter's insurance. The most important piece of security is our high fence. It'd be quite difficult to enter our lot without the key. But I've lived in urban Houston almost all of my adult life, so I'm just used to these things and I'm not particularly concerned or afraid of them.

This is one of the two bike racks for my building at Baylor There are also three similar racks near the main entrance (fountain), and more in the garages on the back side. One of the professors in my lab group rides his bike all the way from Chimney Rock @ Braeswood! He brings his bike into his office to keep it out of the elements. The other set shown in the 'garage' pic is actually the pedestrian/street underpass beneath the UT-Med building. About 1/2 the racks are shown. Bike commuting in the TMC is relatively high because of economic incentive (or rather, disincentive.) There are approx. 25,000 students of various kinds in the TMC, generally either paying their way, or on modest salaries (stipends). Parking inside the TMC campus is very expensive ($10/day or ~$200/mo contracts.) Many places (Baylor) don't even offer garage contracts to students, even if they can afford it. There is offcampus parking at reasonable cost (Smithlands), but it's a big hassle (requires shuttle bus or long walk). If you live close enough, public transit, walking, or biking is much more convenient. Some people (I would never do this myself ) park at the Houston Zoo for free and walk Of course, they only open the parking lot gates at 9am and close them at 9pm, so you can get stuck in there. A friend of mine destroyed his brand new VW Golf by trying to drive over the wheelchair ramp/curb to get out after hours. Cut a hole in his oil pan and the car's engine blew up. Fortunately now that I live close enough, I don't have to hassle with the parking situation, since ALL of the parking options are suboptimal in some way.

I didn't take any pictures on the train because I wasn't in the mood for a fight yesterday (they were all taken while walking). Regardless of the legality (it is legal), people have strong opinions to being photographed on the train, or people photographing while on the train or platforms. I often do it, but yesterday I just didnt feel like being hassled. I got on the train at the stop with the empty green field, and got off on the next picture, showing the TMC platform and the other train in the background.

My transportation plan for Houston involves three key steps: 1) Leveling most of the city and rebuilding it to look like Amsterdam so everyone can get around on bike 2) Large-scale climate engineering to make it exactly 75 degrees year round 3) Replacing most surface roads with tree lined bicycle paths or two-lane streets.

leaving my house http://farm1.static.flickr.com/213/492099186_651aa9a203.jpg meat cutters union building http://farm1.static.flickr.com/204/492118285_b4c3592cbc.jpg fiesta http://farm1.static.flickr.com/221/492119001_7138aed6e8.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/217/492119465_13e88c4494.jpg highway 59 http://farm1.static.flickr.com/206/492119915_e5b8bf01a1.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/214/492102212_a117be2693.jpg looking towards TMC http://farm1.static.flickr.com/209/492102736_a738fcda01.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/221/492103332_e339db64af.jpg looking towsards downtown http://farm1.static.flickr.com/200/492122215_5072f6f00d.jpg Future site of Red Line / University line LRT interchange http://farm1.static.flickr.com/231/492122861_1b5b75ea1b.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/227/492104940_0f78ee7883.jpg TMC stuff http://farm1.static.flickr.com/226/492123961_587b9a364c.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/218/492106326_14d7b0e400.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/194/492106954_697c0efeef.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/217/492107866_ed480e3c33.jpg my building (Alkek tower) http://farm1.static.flickr.com/191/492108450_a692c92448.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/191/492108832_ca60fba651.jpg my desk (with diet cokes) http://farm1.static.flickr.com/208/492109664_83a1ecdfc0.jpg view from window http://farm1.static.flickr.com/215/492110282_2458fafebd.jpg larger versions and titles here http://flickr.com/photos/irees/sets/72157600199249587/

I never watched the local news because I've just assumed it's all as bad as Fox news. "Are ONLINE PREDATORS STEALING YOUR CHILDREN'S PRECIOUS BODILY FLUIDS??? A CAR THAT RUNS ON WATER?? FIND OUT TONIGHT AT 9!!!"

Sure, that'd be fine. What depresses me are: # Klein Lakes High School # Klein Woods High School # Klein Ranch High School # Klein Meadows High School # Klein West High School # Klein Ridge High School # Klein Manor High School Generic names for people living generic lives in generic places.

Those names are all depressingly generic. I think the names of most Houston subdivisions are insultingly bland and have no relationship to anything real.

I'll take pictures of anything if others provide the equipment. My gear isn't up to the quality required for serious architectural photography (e.g. large format, Tilt/Shift)

What is your better way? Can you find me another dozen acres just laying around the area, unclaimed by anyone?

The thing is, though, that intellectual property rights are a careful balance of rewarding the author, but at the same time, making knowledge and art available to everyone. As such, copyrights and patents expire. Design patents, what covers furniture, expire somewhat quickly. As such, there's no need to license the design -- only the name. All of these pieces were very popular even while still under design patent protection, so I don't feel I'm particularly depriving the Mies, Jacobsen, Nelson, Knoll, etc., estates from royalties. They knew the patents would expire, but created the works anyway. It's the way it works -- I know someday the work I create myself will be in the public domain. Anyway, yeah, I think I'll probably get a repro Nelson bench (mostly because the construction is very simple and the materials not exotic -- anyone can make one), but I'll probably save for a used or licensed Eames lounge (because they are more difficult to construct and require special processes.) I'd like the Barcelona chair as well but I'm not sure the base is sturdy enough for me. btw, I love your Knoll sofa. It's exactly the one I wanted... but the cheapest I've found used is $4k and new is over $8k. We bought a similar design from High Fashion Home for $1200 that will last until we can buy the real thing.... It's hard to balance obtaining what we want with our salaries. The greatest irony of course is that the banner of modernism carried the promise of industrial mass production, prices affordable to everyman... yet, 80 years later, a Barcelona chair is $4,000.

Originals from Knoll, Herman Miller, etc., can be astronomically expensive. I look forward to buying new pieces from licensed producers in the future, made with labor in high wage countries, etc., but I simply can't afford it now. Specifically I want a George Nelson slat table. Will I be committing a serious ethical violation if I purchase an unlicensed reproduction in the $300 range instead of $900 from Herman Miller? Similar situation with Barcelona chair and Eames lounge.. What would be an appropriate penance if I committed these sins? Or should I just stick to the used market?

I picked up a copy of Booming Houston. Great book.

What's new? - Wonderful couch from High Fashion Home. $1150. - Beautiful 60's Lane end tables from Metro Retro. $500 for set. - Curtains on street-facing windows (left side.). $60 per pair. - Orchid, paintings, etc. What's left to do: - NEED a rug. - Install remaining set of curtains (already purchased) on back window - Install ceiling fan (already purchased) for superior cooling without using noisy A/C - Install mounting brackets for pictures - Deal with the side chairs until we can afford something nicer (see below.). I love my Sikes office chairs -- I have two, the other is in my office, may buy another set -- but they're a little off in a living room setting. Slightly longer term plans: - Thinking about moving our 32" LCD TV (not shown; to the right of camera position) to the bedroom and getting a 40" Samsung. about $1200. - Book cases along back wall. approx. $500 - Trying to find the 'right' arm chair. The matching chair for the sofa is $750. I'd like a Mies Barcelona chair, but we're both a bit on the heavy side, so I'm afraid it would break. I'm still open to suggestions... we haven't seen a nice sturdy side chair we've really liked yet. - Norh celadon green speakers. about $500. - Eventually, Eames Lounge Chair and small table behind couch in 'reading room'.. a nice condition used one can be had in the $1000-$1500 range. - Again, save up for a George Nelson slat table... (but this similar design is beautiful too) --- So far, it's fantastic. There is some freeway noise from the nearby section of 59, but it's not a big deal. I love being able to walk to Fiesta in 3 minutes. I walk to Wheeler LRT station in 5 minutes to get to work. I can bike around the neighborhood. musicman mentioned the interesting foot traffic. I really do think it's one of the things that makes it feel like a real neighborhood, as opposed to some tract out in Sugarland.

So I mean, let's be objective. I'm not clear how much better than Park Shops this is going to fare, or any number of a dozen attempts at urban pedestrian malls. DT still doesnt have -- may never have -- critical local mass to be much more than a business district. Houston's real action is always going to be in the inner loop neighborhoods.

Do they allow you to take pics from the Hilton restaurant? Or do you have to buy a lunch first?

One of the reasons I moved to midtown was for more cultural diversity. I think the Fiesta on Wheeler is probably the most interesting mix of classes, cultures, and ethnic groups anywhere in the city. And it's a 3 minute walk from my front door. I love it.

I also think they should do speed limit enforcement with the same cameras. It's easy to do; law of averages.

ooh, a scam, how exciting!

O'Toole is discredited because he's ideologically driven, and opposes transit in principle. People like that will find whatever conclusion they like in their "data." Books and newspaper articles aren't peer reviewed.

Yes, as others have said, the white clouds are 1) actually steam from heat exchanges -- vented waste heat.. and 2) dissipate very quickly. Look at some of my pictures of Lyondell Citgo, the most dramatic of all the smokestacks -- visible from downtown. The most visible emissions from the refineries are actually what's harmless. I believe most of the actual particulate and other pollution is released from other sources, e.g., the flare vents where they just (partially) burn everything.

Almost no one lives IN the TMC. But there are tens of thousands of units just south of it within walking distance of rail. I believe the TMC has the highest transit density of any center in Houston. Something on the order of 20%. Trust me, I take the trains through the TMC. They are generally at least half full and often packed tight.

it's no more harmful than vinegar. here's the MSDS. http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-b...amp;id=19001030

again, if we went fully nuclear/wind/hydro, we'd actually be able to use our beautiful incandescents again with no guilt.