dbigtex56

Overthrowing foreign governments, killing or kidnapping foreign leaders, invading countries without provocation, detaining people without due process or access to legal advice, violating the rules of the Geneva Convention, illegal wiretapping, rigging elections, restraining freedom of speech...these seem like un-American activities to me. During the Cold War, we were told that this is what the bad guys did. It troubles me that any questioning of, or opposition to, this administration or its policies is construed as "bashing America". It's our duty to protest when the very qualities that made this country great are under attack - by our own politicians.

After reading the above posts, I'm thinking maybe it should be called the SuperBowel? Stock up on the Charmin.

I used to frequent Cactus Records several times a week because of their superior video rental selection. I give them full credit for helping me develop into an insufferable cinema snob. (and yes, AudioVisual + had a great selection, but their nasty, arrogant policies have make them irrelevant.) Soon after Napster hit the scene, I read an interesting article about music pirating. Back in the 19th century, people were hired to patrol the audience at live performances, and to expel anyone who brought writing materials with them. Seems that some talented individuals could notate music as it was being played! ("Miss Jones, please take a symphony....") Pirated sheet music was a big business. When I was a kid, we used to record favorite songs off the radio on cassette tapes (which meant that none of the recordings included the intros...) I think amazon.com and NetFlix are more to blame for the demise of brick-and-mortar stores like Cactus than is illegal downloading. A shame, too...some of my favorite music has been discovered accidently through browsing bargain bins at record stores. Likewise, some favorite books were discovered while searching the card catalogues at libraries. Technology sometimes has unexpected drawbacks. Cactus Records will be missed. YAY! Echo & the Bunnymen!

Welcome to HAIF, 940. Do you have a way of posting pictures on the internet, and linking them to this forum? Many of our members are interested in the history of Houston. Thanks for your recollections.

An excellent question, sohomod. Browse through the posts in HAIF and you'll find that (some) Houstonians are asking the same thing. I've been here for 25 years, and still marvel that words like 'ambience' and 'quaint' are met with blank looks or giggles. The concept simply doesn't exist to many Houstonians. Part of the local charactor is a fierce opposition to regulation and even fiercer defense of property rights. Having moved from a neighborhood (in Rochester NY) where repainting ones front door involved going before a committee and several weeks of discussion, I was initially appalled by the slap-dash approach to urban development one sees in Houston. I still am, sometimes. A little thought and cooperation could do wonders. The local market supports the idea that bigger and newer is better; architectural or historical significance decidedly takes a back seat. Yet, this is part and parcel of the messy vitality which is one of the city's chief charms - a boomtown mentality which places more importance on the present than the future or past, and on the individual than the common good. People tend to be more pragmatic than idealistic: imagine, that one can own a huge new townhome in Houston for half of what a cramped apartment would cost in Manhattan! And if you have to tear down something small and old, who cares? Many people prefer to have a new townhome because (presumably) they're trouble-free and require little maintenance. By the time major repairs are needed, they will have moved on to greener pastures anyway. People are more attracted to the opportunities in Houston than its physical qualities. They come here to live well, make a buck or two, and spend them as they damn well please. (disclaimer: these are broad, general observations and exceptions abound.)

Houses, and very nice ones at that. Early 20th century - one that I most fondly remember was clapboard and had a turret, similar to some houses I've seen in the Heights. They had been well maintained, not restored, situated on large lots. There was a park/esplanade north of the apartment complex on Commonwealth. An article appeared about these houses in one of the free local papers at the time they were demolished, but I don't remember if it was Houston Press or the Voice. Needless to say, people were pissed. A couple of similar houses stood on Hyde Park (north side) east of Commonwealth as well. Seems like they had been owned by some cheritable institution, and there was some question/dismay/anger about how the sale was handled at the time. edit: corrected subtitle

Thanks, WGG (so you're a Mythbusters fan, too?)

Welcome to HAIF, table (Ryan). This must be a difficult time for you. People are passionate about what few historical structures we have left in Houston, and feel their trust has been betrayed. It's as if someone announced that he was going to adopt the orca from Free Willy, then declared a week later, "We decided it would be better to have him put down. By the way, he'll be on the menu tonight." The structural problems with the house seem entirely plausable. Could it have been saved? Of course. With sufficient money, any house can be saved; but funds are a consideration for nearly everyone. Presumably, you're no exception. The only way out (that I can see) is to do a full-out Jimmy Swaggart: "Ah....hayve....SINNED!" With tears.

There's a persistant story that an A&M alum designed a library for their campus, but forgot to factor in the weight of the books. If so, do you know the details? or is this another urban myth?

Practical though these suggestions may be, let's stick with tried-and-true technology, such as hybrid diesel/electric buses producing wormholes through which the space/time continuum is warped, and you arrive at your destination before you leave home. Think of the savings!

Thanks for the link. Wow. I had no idea - 258 proposed houses just from this one company! They should call this the "Bridge of Dreams" development: "If you come, they will build it!"

Although I've seen the movie only once, certain scenes come back to me, and make sense in retrospect. For example, when Ennis and Jack are driving the sheep to another pasture, Jack is carrying one of them. Why? No explanation is given, yet the symbolism makes sense when the movie is viewed in its totality. Ennis is like that sheep *. And Jack's wife! It's as if every time she took her hair a shade lighter, a bit ouf humanity was sucked out of her, too. She was quite blonde at the end... The MSNBC reviewer is correct when he says that the more specific the story, the more universal it becomes. Speculations about how the story would have played out with charactors of different genders or orientations are useless. It's like saying, if you changed a couple of Greta Garbo's genes, would she still have been pretty? People who haven't seen this movie often seem to think that it's "pro-gay". I didn't get that impression at all - in fact, to my great discomfort, some of the anti-gay rhetoric that people spout is given validity. It challenged my beliefs by raising intriguing and difficult moral questions. Some people won't especially like this movie. Some people didn't especially enjoy analyzing stories in high school English class, either. Call me a nerd, I liked both. *If someone wants to make an idiot of himself, giggle about the sheep reference.

Happy birthday! Go back to that intersection to check how clearly "no left turn' is marked. If there's any question, take a picture. Last week during the public session of the city council meeting, there was discussion about the man who was killed when his Hummer hiit a bridge abutment downtown; his sister maintains that it was due to poor signage. Mayor White took interest in this issue, and you might get a sympathetic ear if the sign isn't clearly visable.

Oooo! I think I just found my new drag name.

Crocodile tears! If the house was unsuitable to be gutted and refitted to whatever configuration they'd decided, then go elsewhere. As the house stood, there was no suggestion of structural problems. Did these people not take the obvious step of hiring a structural engineer before they started ripping the place apart? Quote: "Our contractors, by the way, have been active in saving and restoring old properties - and been awarded for their efforts." A beautifully constructed sentence - but it doesn't really tell us much. Which properties? What award? As anyone who's familiar with old houses knows, repairs and alterations can be daunting tasks - which is why a suitable structure should be chosen before undertaking such a project. Often, it's easier just to start from scratch. Which is what they've done. But they still have the location...goody. Edit: Quote:lilyheights Posted Today, 01:58 PM Does the city issue a condemned certificate of some sort? If so, I'd like to see it. If they don't have one, what other proof besides a paid-for opinion of their engineers do they have? I'd like to see the paper before I believe their story. I didn't see the word 'engineer' mentioned in Mr. Hanna's letter. Just 'contractors' - and anyone can call himself a contractor. Isn't it usual to get a second opinion before pulling the plug on a patient?

What an unsettling article. It's as if FEMA is going out of their way to do a bad job. Mere stupidity does not account for their actions.

Markus's house:

Finally, some good news on the local presevation front! Thanks for the update, SWF.

Excellent idea! Talk about a captive market... btw, does The Sharper Image still have a store downtown? oops, never mind...they don't. Maybe it's time they reopened one.

In a word? THEATER! (...and probably some tax restructuring and ousting corrupt politicians didn't hurt, either)

ah, thanks! I shoulda known.

And that's why he confides in AP reporters...? Hating? More like ridicule, if that's any better. The substance of the article is that there is no substance to the article (see above quote). The Donald is, if you'll excuse the expression, a media whore - Paris Hilton with a comb-over. He's a brilliant promoter, and a shrewd businessman, who never passes up an opportunity for free publicity. By no means is this a slam at Dallas. And let's not kid ourselves - Houstonians would pay attention if Trump expressed an interest in our city, too. It's just that this article makes one's BS meter go off the scale..

Any word on projected prices for units in the Houston House condo conversion?

We appreciate that.

Overt sexual references will be deleted.