dbigtex56

Didn't hear the details, and (as of now) no info on KHOU's website. Seems there's breaking news ...

Apparently dignified and credible newscasters are not currently in fashion. I shall miss him.

I've had the experience of being seated one of the forward rows, and finding that not only 'my' overhead bin was filled, but that the closest empty one was towards the back of the plane. Apparently, it's inconvenient for some people to haul their bags to their own seats. I find that random theft from their bags helps them to overcome this bad habit. But seriously - some airlines have started boarding planes from the front to the back, instead of vice-versa. Seems counterintuitive, but the slight delay in boarding time is more than offset by eliminating the chaos of people in search of their carry-on bags struggling to go in opposite directions upon arrival.

The Museum of Drawing and Quartering, in London.

I have mixed feelings about the neutral colors. Imagine a Day-Glo, black light psychedelic poster in grays; it would lose much of its impact. To a more subtle degree (one hopes), the use of color in design also applies to architecture. Color is an integral part of the design process. The renditions I've seen are small and lack detail, so it's hard for me to judge if the lack of color will transform a good design to something rather bland. From what I can determine, the proposed colors weren't garish.I understand that neighbors don't want something that looks like the Vegas strip. But trying to make a grocery store look like an extension of the Menil collection by using neutral colors seems like giving Pamela Anderson a tweed bikini in hopes she'll look more like a college professor. Why are people suddenly so afraid of color? Gray cars, off-white walls, beige stucco... safe choices! Also timid, uninspired and depressing.

Welcome to HAIF, Shannosa, and thank you for a very detailed and informative post. You've answered a lot of peoples' questions.

If you'll forgive a truly horrible pun ... you sly puss! That I hold seemingly inconsistent attitudes towards cats and human beings ought to trouble me, but it doesn't. We should respect other species, but our ultimate loyalty lies with our own. However inconvenient it may be, people have the right to reproduce - and the responsibility for the offspring is incumbent on us all.

While it doesn't go door to door, the 34 Montrose bus is within walking distance (or an easy bike ride) of many of Houston's museums. Most buses have bike carriers. I hope Metro will consider adding evening and weekend hours, and more frequent runs to the 34 route. An unrestricted day pass would also be an incentive for people to museum, restaurant and bar hop the neighborhood.

I scarcely know how to reply. I love cats. They're a marvel of contradiction; tough and fragile, aloof and affectionate, uncanny intelligence and stubborn idiocy. Their feral and affectionate natures intrigue me. Their beauty and grace inspire me. Allowing cats to breed without restraint means that a sizable number will die. I believe that they're intelligent animals, capable of feeling hunger and pain. To unnecessarily subject these wonderful creatures to a short, agonizing life seems wrong. The domestication of cats is a result of human intervention; therefore we have some responsibility for their welfare. People who indiscriminately put out food for stray cats mean well, but their actions are (IMHO) counterproductive. It falls in the same category as feeding deer, or bears. Artificially increasing their numbers ultimately results in even more animals who are doomed to short, miserable lives. So, it's with some abashment that I admit to feeding a stray cat. She's jet black, and a capable hunter; have seen her scurry away with a rat in her jaws more than once. What allows me to justify this indulgence is that she has a clipped ear. There's a program in which strays are trapped, neutered and released; to prevent further intervention, they also clip the point of one ear off. My understanding - belief - is that cats tend to limit their own numbers. Fertility isn't the factor; territory is. I think that anyone who's OK with disease and starvation as a control of stray animals is dangerously unfeeling. We cannot second-guess Mother Nature, but that doesn't mean that we should abandon the responsibility we assumed when mankind persuaded these wonderful creatures to trust us.

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My understanding is that so long as there's a original wall remaining, the existing footprint of the building is grandfathered.

Welcome (back) to HAIF. As a neighbor (I live about 2 blocks from this project), I'm happy to see a substantial, architecturally interesting and environmentally responsible structure being built. I hope it's an example which others will follow.

Thanks - and you're right about the itty-bitty images. Is voting on this project open to whomever shows up for the meetings, or are there criteria about proximity, owners vs renters, etc.?

When I click on the link, it takes me to the "Replying to Montrose HEB" HAIF screen.

I've also met up with him at KPFT's "After Hours" program. Haven't seen Island Man in a long time. True story: about 15 years ago, a friend saw him in his usual spot, but huddled under a blanket. Concerned, he went up and tapped him on the shoulder - "Are you OK?" Island man peeked out, and my friend could see that he had a tiny portable TV. "Shh!," he said "I'm watching Oprah!"

Read between the lines. The National Motorists Association is an organization sponsored by lawyers who make their livings by defending scofflaws' traffic tickets. Of course they're going to protest anything which makes their jobs more difficult. The claim that red light cameras increase the chances of rear-end collisions is patently absurd. If you think wealthy motorists should be able to buy their way out of traffic tickets, fine - vote no. I prefer that all motorists be held accountable. I'm voting yes, and hope the program is expanded.

Actually, these are recycled sets from a community theater production of "The Diary of Anne Frank".

Perhaps we could attend one of his sermons, and after each of his fortune-cookie statements everyone could shout, "IN BED!" instead of "Amen!" “You have something to offer that nobody else can give!” "IN BED!" “To affirm is to make firm.” "IN BED!"

Elevators have become boring, anyway. Those of us who remember ones in older buildings that still had mechanical controls could thrill to that weightless feeling in the stomach when they'd descend and feeling ones knees slightly buckle when ascending. Can't say if they actually were faster than modern ones, but they sure felt that way.

R.I.P. Hate to see it go, but it had deteriorated to the point of being unsalvageable. (Wish I'd known about the demolition, as some of the decorative details may have been salvageable.)

R.I.P. Hate to see it go, but it had deteriorated to the point of being unsalvageable. (Wish I'd known about the demolition, as some of the decorative details [imay have been salvageable.)

To bring up an old-fashioned term: is she merely claustrophobic? I've always found escalators terrifying. There's a step...and then - there isn't!

As one of 'those people' (I've worked as an election clerk for many years), no, we don't know who's voting for whom. The registration stamp applies only during primary elections. It has no bearing on voting in general elections. I've never seen (or heard of) anyone's right to vote being questioned on that basis. If you've observed anyone being denied the right to vote, please step forward. If you have proof of voter fraud, do the same. In the mean time I suggest you shut up.

As one of 'those people' (I've worked as an election clerk for many years), no, we don't know who's voting for whom. The registration stamp is only applied for people who vote in the primary elections. No one is denied the vote on that basis. If you have a specific gripe, take it up with the precinct judge. Your ignorance is disturbing and insulting.

And don't ever make the mistake of calling it "Schlum-Burger" in the presence of an employee. It's Schlum-ber-JZEAA! in addition to the remarkable art she collected, and her generosity in sharing it with the public, the sensitivity she showed in creating an urban environment which preserved and respected the neighborhood in which she built her museum is a wonderful legacy.