dbigtex56

The first iconic Texas drive-through I saw was Prince's Hamburgers, one of which used to stand at the corner of Westheimer and Montrose (now occupied by Stop-n-Go.) According to their website, only three remain. Pretty good 50's deep-fried stuff, and of course hamburgers.

For those who saw 9/11 play out live on TV, there was a period of wondering "Is it really over?". At one point, we were told that five planes had been highjacked, and that Air Force One also was under attack. I was scheduled for jury duty that day, and intended to report for it regardless, but was told that downtown was being evacuated and I wouldn't be allowed in. The most notable response was the sense of unity that those tragic events brought. People no longer viewed one another as black or white, rich or poor, liberal or conservative; we were all Americans. We were kind to one another. A couple of days later I learned that my cousin had been killed in the collapse of the South Tower. His brother (who lives in Houston) had to rent a car so he could drive home to be with his family because all domestic commercial flights had been grounded. He said that the hardest part was that there was no escape from the grief; reminders were everywhere. How eerie it was to never hear passing airliners; they're so much a part of life that their absence was noticible. So strange that the only planes were jet fighters. The first television I recall seeing which didn't relate to 9/11 was when the David Letterman show resumed. There was not a bit of smart-alec about him, and his words were heartfelt and courageous. He displayed great dignity. Has anyone else noticed that the opening to Letterman changed forever after that broadcast? The opening used to vary every night:"From New York...Hookers now half-price!" (or whatever); now it's always "From New York...The Greatest City In The World."

Not sure quite what you're saying here. In the aftermath of Katrina, there was a crisis in New Orleans. While there was inaction at a federal, state and local level, Mayor White and Judge Eckels courageously made decisions which saved human lives. The immediate issue of providing the bare necessities of life was the priority. Within days of opening the Atrodome, plans for finding more suitable shelter were in place. The Convention Center became a huge job fair for people who had lost everything, followed by the "Work Texas" program. These steps seem reasonable to me. The actions which have been taken have discouraged the establishment of a permanant Katrina underclass in our city. One of the charactoristics of Houston is a readiness to accept newcomers. "If you've lived here six months, you're a Houstonian" is an expression I've heard since I moved here 25 years ago. Those who want to be Houstonians will build new lives here, and those who are looking for permanent handouts will be disappointed and move on.

Before speculating, perhaps we should consider that the man may have medical or personal issues. Even celebrities have off days and some expection of privacy. No need to submit an outline for Almost Golden: Part II just yet.

Maybe he's growing some donor hair.

If you please, it's Times Square, not Time Square.

Absolutely agree. Some of the changes over the past couple of years have been welcome. Editorials occasionally take a centerist approach; overall they continue to lean to the right. Political reporting remains weak. How helpful it would be if the Chron were to list how each city council member votes on specific issues. Nancy Sarnoff has been a welcome addition to real estate reporting (with the occasional lapse - psst! - Ms Sarnoff? In your update on the Plaza Hotel last week, you referred to its architectural style as "Art Nouveau"; try Italian Renaissance .) The Chronicle remains weak on fact checking and proofreading for clarity and accuracy. Last week it was reported (both in the headline and body of the article) that Cheney's shooting victim had expressed an apology to the Vice President. He hadn't, of course. He had only expressed his concern and best wishes, which is not at all the same thing. Lana Berkowitz is an embarrassment. Dump her. Patricia C. Johnson and Kathy Huber (art critic and garden columnist, respectively) are knowledgable, insightful and dedicated to their subjects. I appreciate their unadorned writing styles and clarity. One last complaint - is it just me, or are four pages of comics overkill? Does any other daily devote so much space to comic strips?

Perhaps the management of The Huntingdon might have information about the picture. (713)528-7300. An aside: Ken Lay, former Chair/CEO of Enron is a resident of The Huntingdon. Any relationship to Robin Hood has not yet been established.

merged threads - existing topic

And that's the part I have a problem with. I'm not doubting that some people use graffiti techniques in the creation of good art. It's the idea that the motivation is the thrill of getting away with something - of violating others' rights. Did Winona Ryder have to steal those clothes from a Beverly Hills boutique? No. She could easily have bought them. Instead she did it for the rush - and that makes her a crook. Is it OK to set up hidden cameras in locker rooms and take pictures of unsuspecting people? No, because the thrill comes from violating other people's expectation of privacy. Is it OK to sexually assault children, or to slip date rape drugs into someone's drink? No, because it's for the thrill of violating others to make oneself more powerful. And is it ok to vandalize other people's property just for the thrill of getting away with it? NO. Calling it art is no excuse. Otherwise we'd have to forgive shoplifters, child molesters, peeping Toms and rapists, because they're "expressing themselves artistically". That's why I'll continue to view graffiti as an act of aggression, performed by cowardly people.

Some of the changes have political roots. During and after WWI there was a lot of anti-German sentiment. Therefore, what used to be called German Ave. was changed to Canal Street. Also, the street formerly called Euclid was renamed Waugh in honor of a veteran killed in WWI. I assume that what's now the 600 block of Marshall was renamed from Oxford Street, because Houston Heights already had a street by that name. There's a lot of odd little tidbits on that map for those who are familiar with Houston.

Interesting map, 57Tbird. Your comment about the font size makes sense to me. Another thing (to answer a question which no one has yet asked): "How come anyone cares about this subject, anyway?" Some of it is idle curiousity - a need to understand how come Houston came to be the way it is. But a more important reason just occured to me. A few years ago when the Fourth Ward (Freeman's Town) was starting to be redeveloped, investors demanded that a new survey be taken. This is perfectly understandable; huge amounts of money were at stake, and they had an obligation to buyers to show that new housing was being sold with a clear title. What they discovered was unsettling. it seems that the original plats didn't correspond with existing streets and lots. In some cases a person's deed description might include part of a city street, and vice-versa. The property lines and street alignments people had assumed - for many years - were correct were suddenly brought into queston. Which takes precidence? As I recall there were numerous court battles fought, a lot of financial settlements and hard feelings. And this might help to explain an observation I made on another thread. A couple of weeks ago I noticed surveyers on the vacant lot at the corner of Westheimer and Helena. After learning the history of how street names and placements have changed in the area, it seems like a reasonable precaution to take before buying or building on that particular property.

Thanks, sevfiv. It's a confusing area - hard to tell if there was a crossing at the railroad tracks (at Crocker) linking Westheimer and Hathaway, and when the section from the original Westheimer was extended east from the curve south of the Cherryhurst neighborhood.

Will microfilm/microfiche records be available during reconstruction? Where will they be housed?

Does it really matter where (or if) they build it at all? With this administration's penchant for secrecy, they'll probably weld the front door shut anyway.

"So which one of you is the woman?" That's priceless.

Experience? Well, she's attended a lot of parties. And who can forget that, nine years ago, she headed up the Houston Image Group? Except maybe everybody. Let's put it this way - she's every bit as qualified for the position of Port Commissioner as she is to reprive Marlon Brando's role in On The Waterfront.

As a starving artist, I'm thinking that probably money is a factor. Do you have a circuit tester? They're inexpensive and it's not that hard to learn how to use one. This could help determine which wire has been gnawed. I've had to (reluctantly) learn basic piano tuning and repair, and while I'm not what you'd call proficient, it's saved me some $$ and allowed me to limp along.

When did this happen? They were there a few days ago.

The drinking part or the younger part?

btw, I notice that Kroger has added a space next to the handicapped spots with a sign saying "Expectant Mom's" [sic] Do we take a woman's word for it that she's expectant, or is she required to furnish a urine sample prior to parking there?

What comes across in this article is that what's-his-name is a nobody who can't get invited to the best parties, meet famous people or afford the best accomodations. Therefore, he's trying to shame and bully his way into having insecure Houstonians pick up his bar tabs and provide him with free hotel rooms, meals, transportation, etc. . It's an old game, but I've seldom seen it so artlessly done. "Be nice to me, or I'm gonna tell everyone that Houston sucks." It's called extortion. I've got three words for him, and they're not "Welcome To Houston." And ESPN? Please send a professional journalist next time.

What's-his-name will check himself when ESPN stops writing him paychecks. And ESPN will stop writing what's-his-name paychecks when people stop talking about him. So don't talk about him. By the way, are there any sports commentators (aside from Bob Costas) who aren't total jerks?

There's been a radical approach to this problem. Some high speed trains actually tilt to compensate for lateral forces on passengers. Currently this seems impractical at slower speeds, yet we're made some great strides in engineering. Cost effective, reliable technology could open up some alternatives in the proposed route. I know that's asking for a lot, but a person can dream.

VelvetJ, I've been thinking about your reply for a couple of weeks, and what you're saying makes sense. This woman is not saying "You gotta buy me these things or you're going to hell." She's not begging anyone to give her expensive gifts. She's not saying that God will reward people for giving her these things. She's not pretending that these gifts will ultimately benefit the poor. In other words, there's no false pretenses. I think that what bothers people is that often to achieve Christian goals materialism, vanity and selfish desires must be sacrificed for the greater good. Rather than judging this woman for her expensive tastes (and aren't we directed not to judge?) we should reflect on our own behavior, and strive to personally do better. If you don't feel good about giving this woman expensive things, then by all means don't do so. And I assume that since these are personal gifts, and not gifts to her ministry, that they are not tax-deductable. On the other hand, we have Tom DeLay's Save-The-Poor-Little-Orphan-Children charity, which seems like a tax write-off, influence peddling and political fundraising combined with limited benefits to those who are supposed to be helped. Is it legal? Maybe. It skates right on the razor's edge. Compared with a birthday wish-list, I find his actions more morally questionable.