dbigtex56

After all, we don't go down to Harwin and knock the dick out of his mouth when he's trying to earn a living.

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And I'd like to thank everyone for that. Hate to think I'd spent $10 for nothing...

Welcome to to forum, kirbyaustex.

Thanks for sharing your point of view about Austin's new City Hall. Your comments about its suitability to that particular city make sense to me. From that perspective, it took courage to deviate from what is currently fashionable in some architectural circles.

I also agree that one cannot judge a building based on a rather blurry photograph of an architectural model. The materials used and the context in which it's set cannot be fully understood unless the building is viewed in 'real life'.

Do I like this building? Don't know; haven't seen it yet.

re: Houston City Hall.

I still maintain that Mrs. Lanier did us no favor with her rennovation of City Hall Plaza, especially the reflecting pool. Why the turquoise liner? It's not a kiddie pool!

Black is the preferred color, as it creates a more reflective surface. Local examples would be the reflecting pools at Hermann Park and Rothko Chapel.

So far as trashiness, lack of class, etc. - often the problem is that these people are used to rural life, and haven't adapted to our 'citified' ways. Therefore, chickens, outdoor storage, clotheslines, loud music...

It's not a matter of a person's race or ethnic background. Not everyone has had the advantages that some of us have had, and more can be accomplished with patience than with hostility.

Finally got my model B Steinway in 2000.  Its almost as good as sex, in my opinion.

Are you a girl?

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Had a friend back in Rochester who had a Steinway grand from the 30's - nicest piano I've ever played. For you non-pianists, it's like the difference between driving a Porsche or a Yugo. Also, it had the Aeolian Duo-Art reproducing piano attachment, and rolls of George Gershwin, Fats Waller and Scott Joplin playing their compositions. What a revelation to hear their music as it was intended to be played.

One complaint about Steinway: they shouldn't sully their name by putting it on those upright pianos. My mother bought one 35 years ago, and it's had a mulitude of problems - keys stuck, pin block seperated, and an obnoxiously brilliant tone.

And alas, I'm not a girl - even on my best day.

Seems like I've heard that this building was purchased by the owner of High Fashion Fabric - is that correct?

I noticed a London Fleet Car with the Hotel Icon logo the other day...very cool.

And what's a "origanal"?

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I think it's a race of people who are really good at folding paper into imaginative shapes.

"illeage Mexican trend continous."

"immagrants form the other side of the world"

"they no they need"

Apparently, the educational problems in Houston are not restricted to those of Mexican heritage.

Mr. Cox does not address the issue of how longer, more frequent freight trains will affect traffic at grade-level crossings.

Hope kitty doesn't grow up to be a sprayer...he'll end up with a new hair-do if he tries to mark the zapper as territory.

2112, such a gentleman of culcha!

I, too, grew up with classical music (my mother taught piano). Although I was given lessons, my piano forte was playing by ear. (Pause for groans...)

Mostly I enjoy playing ragtime, boogie-woogie, blues - pretty much anything that would sound appropriate in a whorehouse. My piano formerly had the player attachment, but it was neutered before I obtained it. It dates from 1923 and suffers from arthritus and Alzheimer's, but the case is pretty. Alas, it's no Steinway; it's a Johnson (insert your own joke here).

Fully agree about music from the late 70's-mid 80's: Blondie, Elvis Costello, B-52s, English Beat, Go-Gos, Yazoo, The Smiths will never grow old.

2112, cheers and applause for putting the issue squarely in perspective.

Our attitudes are affected by our experiences and expectations. Having grown up in an almost exclusively 'white' (Anglo, whatever term applies) community, I vividly remember my first encounter with a Mexican-American family. The Martinezes moved to our town in upstate New York when I was about 14. Their father was raised in poverty in Mexico. He taught himself to read, studied hard and eventually earned a degree. They relocated to our town because he had taken a position as head of the chemistry department at a local college.

So what did people make of this Mexican-American family? It was obvious; they were intelligent, hard working, church going people. Their children were brilliant and astonishingly good looking. We felt lucky to have them as neighbors. I never heard one disparaging word regarding their ethnic background.

Imagine my astonishment when I moved to Houston, where people casually referred to 'messkins' as if there was something contemptable about ones ancestors having come from Mexico. What a sickening attitude! No one is better or worse than anyone else because of their ancestors. Heck, my English and Dutch ancesters had been here for a couple of hundred years before my Irish ancestors arrived; does that make my Irish side less admirable?

There's an economic factor at work. So long as we have a corrupt, inconsistant immigration policy, there will be those who are desperate to work and those who are eager to exploit them. Undocumented workers, illegal aliens - call them what you will - are pretty much treated as slave labor. So long as there's the threat of deportation, these workers will do the hard, dangerous jobs without complaint. Who else will work the fields for practically nothing? or tar roofs and mow lawns in 100

I have lived inside the Loop for 23 years, and cannot imagine living anywhere else in Houston.

This statement seems to bring out a knee-jerk reaction in some people. Perhaps if someone were to ask before passing judgement, this would be my reply:

I do not own a car. I am a pedestrian, by choice. By living in Montrose, I can walk virtually everywhere I need (or want) to go. If I'm feeling lazy, there are buses and rail (for which I have an annual pass). I walk to the grocery store, to my dentist, my doctors, the museums, the library, to Spec's, to restaurants and bars, to KPFT and for the sheer enjoyment of it. Shabby though some of them may be, sidewalks can be found throughout Montrose.

I enjoy the architecture inside the Loop. With few exceptions, post-WWII architecture just doesn't do it for me. This point cannot be disputed; it's a matter of personal taste. Give me a weathered bungalow or an early 20th century mansion over some plastic-coated fake stucco monstrosity any day. Mature trees, in addition to their beauty, also provide welcome shade from the brutal Texas sun.

The concept of a neighborhood is important to me. Nearly every time I walk somewhere, I'll encounter someone I know. There are businesses I have frequented for years, and I enjoy being recognized when I walk in the door.

We share a sense of the history of the neighborhood, and know its peculiarities. When a transsexual prostitute was murdered on Lovett Blvd earlier this year, it wasn't some grim giggle to me; I knew her by sight, and she always said hello. When you know people even slightly, they cease to be caricatures and remind us of how broad the human experience can be.

Outside the Loop I've been burned too many times (both figuratively and literally). On a map, an address may appear to be an easy walk from the bus line. In reality, it's a sun-scorched hell, with absolutely no provisions made for pedestrians. I find no joy in walking past acres and acres of parking lots, nor starting down an endless block only to discover that the sidewalk abruptly disappears.

There's no reason to feel defensive when I say that outside the Loop isn't for me. It's not meant as a slur or a challenge. It's my reality. And if that makes you want to gag yourself with a spoon (or anything else, for that matter), be my guest.

This is not a war over Oil, we're not going in to take Iraq's oil. and there are idiots that think that. 

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John Culberson (R-TX) Journal (Volume 4, Number 1 August, 2004):

"I know that taxpayers can be repaid with Iraqi oil..."

No wonder idiots think that.

Sure! It gives it that meth-y, gypsy flavor.

A bunch of studio apartments sounds like a pretty good idea to me.

Not everyone needs, wants, or can afford some fancy-schmancy 3000 square foot loft. I think there's a market for 20-somethings in entry level positions who like the idea of living downtown. There's a lot of cities where 400 square foot apartments are advertised as 'spacious'

A side benefit of small apartments is that people are forced to entertain elsewhere; who's going to cram four or five friends into a studio apartment? Instead, people tend to hang out in coffee shops or pubs, which become in effect their living rooms. Even if they don't spend much, this is good for business, especially if they're decorative or entertaining. People are attracted to people having a good time, and a resident population would help to reduce the amount of 'dead time' which seems so prevalent in downtown businesses.

It all comes down to number-crunching. Can small, bare-bones apartments be developed and sustained at low rental rates? If so, I think there's a market.

I'm thinking that Mr. Bailey's piggishness (if you'll excuse the expression) may come back to haunt him.

He'll be lawsuited out of his property before you can say 'oink', unless he has very deep pockets and very good lawyers.

I don't understand what criteria were used to compile these figures.

Where's Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo? I thought the Valley was the poorest area in Texas (and maybe the nation).

pinda, I share your frustration with our educational system. If I came across as accusatory on any sort of personal level, I apologize.

Your point about the failure of counselors to ensure that high school graduates have taken courses required to enter college is one that I missed. You certainly have the right to expect that the people who are guiding your child towards a college education should know what they're talking about, and that our schools should be capable of providing a foundation which is at least adequate.

There seems to be some sort of disjoint between the standards required to graduate from a public high school, and those for admittance to a reputable college.

Thanks for helping me to better understand this issue.

This lends some perspective to our belief that we're the Fourth Largest City - and why the rest of the nation doesn't view us that way.

what a suburban thought dbigtex,  "continuity of architectural style..."?  ..."a 'real' neighborhood"?  come on, i thought it was diversity, old and new, contrasting structures that created a 'real' urban fabric. 

actually, i agree somewhat.  the statement you made seems to contradict what many people love about being in an urban environment.  i do prefer that an architect consider the neighborhood before designing; however, i'm really sick of red brick here in suburbia.

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hehe! You keep me honest, bachanon.

No, I'm not suggesting that we should emulate that "Little Pink Houses" song by John Midtown Cougar Mellencamp. The suburban dictate that all structures should look exactly the same is anathema to me. I sure don't want the Doormat Police showing up at my door (...especially tonight. My cat just coughed up a hairball on my welcome mat. Talk about your mixed message).

On the other hand, there are still reminants of what Midtown once was, and some beauty, in my eyes. There's some history here, and I'm glad these developers are aware of it. I agree with Subdude about continuity of scale (and situation). If this corner had been developed as another mindless 'safe' development, a strip center with parking in the front, it would detract rather than add to the neighborhood.

It's sympathetic. I can walk past it without wanting to spit.

It's not a local ad but I really love the new HP digital photography ad where the people pick up empty white photo frames and hold them over their face and their expression instantly freezes and becomes a photo, which they set down or hand to another person who holds it in front of his/her face. It's a really creative ad with a catchy song. There are a couple of versions of it running on TV, with a long full version running at some of the movie theaters around town.

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The catchy song is "Picture Book" by the Kinks.

Love this ad, too.

I'm unfamiliar with Wendall Cox, but I'll keep an eye peeled.

There's also something suspect when someone combines 'facts' from the Heritage Foundation with wistful allusions to Lou Reed, Bruce Springsteen and Walt Whitman. Creative? Yes. Credible? Not to me.

The initial point about a carefully orchestrated media event such as driving a bunch of late-model cars guided by on road sensors is also a bit pie-in-the-sky. If private automobiles are expected to perform such feats on a daily basis, they must be rigorously inspected.

Some drivers don't even have adequate windshield wipers; should we entrust our safety to high tech solutions which depend on compliance by your average Joe?

In ten words or less: "I do not have an easy answer." And I'm suspicious of people who do.

And just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that they're not out to get you.