Mark F. Barnes

The following school districts and colleges have announced closures related to Hurricane Ike: School Districts: Aldine ISD all classes canceled Friday; all extra-curricular activities canceled for weekend Alief ISD all after school activities and events canceled Thursday; all classes canceled Friday Alvin ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Angleton ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Anahuac ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Barber's Hill ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Bay City ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Boling ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Brazosport ISD: all classes canceled Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Brazos ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Calhoun County ISD: all classes canceled Friday Channelview ISD: all classes canceled Friday Clear Creek ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Cleveland ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Columbia-Brazoria ISD: all classes canceled on Thursday, Friday Cypress-Fairbanks ISD: all classes canceled on Friday Dayton ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Danbury ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Dickinson ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Deer Park ISD: all classes canceled Friday East Bernard ISD all classes canceled Thursday, Friday East Chambers ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday El Campo ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Fort Bend ISD: all classes canceled Friday Friendswood ISD: all classes canceled Friday Galveston ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Goose Creek ISD: all classes canceled Friday Hardin ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday High Island ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Hitchcock ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Houston ISD: all classes canceled Friday; all athletic events, field trips canceled Thursday, Friday and weekend. Huffman ISD : all classes released early on Thursday, canceled Friday Hull-Daisetta ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Humble ISD: all classes canceled Friday Huntsville ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday and Monday Katy ISD: all after school activities, except YMCA After School, canceled Thursday, all classes canceled Friday, all activities scheduled for Saturday and Sunday canceled KIPP Schools: all classes will dismiss at 3 p.m. Thursday, all classes canceled Friday and Monday Klein ISD: all classes canceled Friday La Marque ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday La Porte ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Liberty ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Magnolia ISD: all classes canceled Friday Matagorda ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Montgomery ISD: all classes canceled Friday New Caney ISD: all classes canceled Friday Onalaska ISD: all classes canceled Friday Palacious ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday, Monday Pasadena ISD: all classes canceled Friday Pearland ISD: all classes canceled Friday Santa Fe ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Sheldon ISD: all classes canceled Friday Shepherd ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Spring ISD: all after school activities canceled Thursday, all classes canceled Friday; all activities scheduled for Saturday canceled Sheldon ISD: all classes canceled Friday Spring Branch ISD: all classes canceled Friday Stafford MISD: all classes canceled Friday; all extra-curricular activities Thursday - Monday canceled Sweeny ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Tarkington ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Tomball ISD: all activies canceled Thursday, classes and activities canceled Friday Texas City ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Van Vleck ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Wharton ISD: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Colleges: Alvin Community College: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday DeVry University Houston: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday, Saturday Brazosport College: all classes canceled after 10 a.m. Wednesday and all day Thursday, Friday College of the Mainland: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday Galveston College: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday, Saturday Houston Baptist University: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday Houston Community College: all classes at all campuses canceled Friday, Saturday, Sunday ITT Technical Institute - Webster: all classes canceled after noon Thursday, all classes canceled Friday, Saturday, Sunday Lee College: all classes canceled after 5:30 p.m. Thursday, all classes canceled Friday, Saturday, Sunday Lone Star College System: all campuses close at 3 p.m. Thursday; all classes canceled Friday, Saturday, Sunday Sam Houston State University: all classes canceled Friday; parent's weekend activities canceled San Jacinto College: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday South Texas College of Law: campus will close Friday and reopen Monday Texas A&M University at Galveston: all classes canceled after 5 p.m. Wednesday and all day Thursday, Friday Texas Woman's University: all classes canceled after noon Thursday; all classes canceled Friday, Saturday Texas Chiropractic College: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday University of Houston-Clear Lake: all classes canceled Thursday, Friday University of Houston-Main Campus: all classes canceled after 5 p.m. Thursday, all classes canceled Friday, Saturday, Sunday University of Houston-Victoria: closed as of 10 p.m. on Wednesday and all day Thursday, Friday Wharton County Junior College: all classes, activities canceled Thursday, Friday Other Closings Ben Taub General Hospital: All day surgeries, elective surgeries, outpatient therapy and specialty and outpatient clinic appointments will be canceled Friday Blood Drive at National Guard Armory: 15150 Westheimer Parkway, Canceled Friday Community Health Program: Neighborhood health centers, school-based clinics and homeless shelter clinics will be closed Friday. Houston Museum of Natural Science: Closed Friday, Saturday Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospitals: All day surgeries, elective surgeries, outpatient therapy and specialty and outpatient clinic appointments will be canceled Friday Porte of Call - Music & Art, La Porte: Canceled this weekend Quentin Mease Community Hospital: All outpatient services and physical and occupational therapy will be canceled Friday Social Security Offices in Houston, Angleton, Conroe, Galveston and Pasadena: Closed Thursday, Friday. University of Houston Football Against Air Force: Moved to Dallas

Those surge model slides shown at the Perry's announcement didn't look to promising.

Was living in Brazos County, got a lot of rain, that's about it, some mild winds, nothing too terrible. Wasn't near the Media that we have now, hell most folks didn't even have TV's.

This should be a sticky, hello mods, to keep it up top until this storm is gone or not a possible threat. Western Montgomery County, Staying put, no worries.

All you Bush hating bastards out there have got to laugh at our boy Dubya, nobody makes better fun of him than himself. Enjoy! I nearly pissed my pants when I ran across this! Now that's funny, I don't care who you are.

Place the Bong at your feet and step back, because you have got to be high!

Okay I am going to try the spoon feeding technique for a change. Let's use common sense, all your BS partisan politics aside. You can do a search on McCain over the past 20 some odd years and he's used this very line over thirty times. In comes Palin and puts Lipstick on a Pit bull to get a laugh, and it's a hit, and she's identified with lipstick in the general public. And she it the only person in this race that actually wears the stuff. Now comes Obama a week later and uses the lipstick on a pig metaphor and it's blown up in his face. You can search his entire career and see that he's never used that metaphor in his entire life, that can be found in a recorded public forum. So why does he chose to use it now. I'll tell you, not a damn clue to how timing works, and his speech writers should be fired on the spot for letting it happen. Metaphoric or not, it's out of character for him, and it's gives the appearance of a direct shot at Palin, whether it is or not. The damage is done. That my friends is inexperience at it's finest. No one with any common sense would have gone there. Plain and simple. You think I am wrong, keep watching. McCain doesn't even have to address Obama's comments of this morning that it's something the McCain camp has done to distract from the issues. What a literal dumbass, McCain is not the distraction, YOU are the distraction. Quit trying to be cute and comedic and stick to your original policies, and quit changing your stance on issues daily. No offshore drilling, well maybe some with limitations, Get out of Iraq, well maybe get out in due time, The surge was a failure, Oh it work better than anyone expected. Jesus H Christ make up your mind. McCain is not going to have to beat Obama, his handlers will implode him if he doesn't start thinking for himself.

Sales and property taxes are cheaper there, but they also have a State Income Tax so it may balance out.

They must have dug up Nipsey Russell to write speeches for Obama lately, even though it may well be metaphoric, this pig deal is on fire. Jesus what can his people be thinking, he has got to think these things out, Nipsey Russell got away with this type of stuff, Obama can't. This thing is getting halareous now.

There are lot's of Stuckey's still around Texas, you don't get outside the Loop much do ya! Stuckey's at Lone Star Mobil Food Store of Van Alstyne 312 US Highway 75 North & Farm Market Road 121 Van Alstyne, TX Phone: 903-482-5008 Stuckey's at Citgo Food Mart of Giddings 791 North Main Street (US Highway 77 & Independence Avenue) Giddings, TX Phone: 979-542-7507 Stuckey's at 7-Eleven Fina of Wichita Falls 7351 NW Freeway (TX Highway 287 & Farm Market Road 369) Iowa Park, TX Phone: 940-855-5925 Stuckey's at 7-Eleven Fina of Harrold 19765 US Highway 287 (US Highway 287 & TX Highway 240) Harrold, TX Phone: 940-886-2661 Stuckey's at Conner Corner Grocery Diamond Shamrock of Edna 102 East Houston Highway (US Highway 59 & TX Higway 111) Edna, TX Phone: 361-782-7216 Stuckey's of Winnie I-10 Exit 819 Jenkins Road Anahuac, TX Phone: 409-374-2132 Stuckey's at 7-Eleven Fina of Sweetwater I-20 Exit 244 1811 Lamar Street Sweetwater, TX Phone: 325-235-4553 Stuckey's at 7-Eleven Fina of Abilene I-20 Exit 288 1657 State Hwy 351 Abilene, TX Phone: 325-677-7622 Stuckey's at Tiger Mart Exxon of Lancaster I-20 Exit 468 3799 Houston School Road Lancaster, TX Phone: 972-228-3300 Stuckey's at Ross Shell Truckstop of West I-35 Exit 346 16074 North I-35 West, TX Phone: 254-829-0669 Stuckey's at Tiger Mart Exxon of Italy I-35 Exit 386 101 LR Campbell Road Italy, TX Phone: 972-483-7600 Stuckey's of Adrian I-40 Exit 18 Adrian, TX Phone: 806-538-6353 Stuckey's at Tiger Mart Exxon of Wilmer I-45 Exit 270 105 South Interstate 45 Wilmer, TX Phone: 972-441-3330

Bob Woodward! Come on Red, If Woodward told me water was wet, I'd question the validity of his source. Woodward and Bernstein built huge careers off of the fact that a DC snitch felt grew a conscience and felt compelled to drop the big one in these to bumbling idiots laps, that blew up one of the biggest scandals in DC's history, and they've used it to give them some kind of credentials as the great water walkers in investigative reporting. These two clowns even distorted the truth, when the truth sounded better, to make their book on the Watergate Scandal seem more dramatic. They were given the goose that laid they golden egg, and still had to distort truths, to make themselves appear to be more than they were. Watergate was a gift from the reporting gods, but these two Shmoiger's (that's a Yiddish term for total idiot and screw up) tried their best to screw that up. I speak of this from first hand knowledge and not some slanted political view. I have had a lengthy conversation with Mark Felt over this very subject. He lives next door to my sister in Santa Rosa. Though he's been accused for years of being Deep Throat, he still denies it to this day. He says he knew Woodward well, and refers to him as a "Jock Sniffer", but also a bumbling fool. And Felt had him kissing his ass for leads all the time. They had the world dropped in their laps and still had to be spoon fed. He says the truth was, unlike the movie and book portrays, that Deep Throat sought them out, rather than they did the seeking. They were chosen because of the high probability that they screw it up, because they had a track record of doing so. And if they did, so be it, the snitch would have a clear conscience, and no one would be the worse for wear for the most part. Try that they did, it all came together, and brought down a lot of the top ranks at 1600 Pennsylvania. So I guess crap will do for brains, if luck is on your side. If it weren't for Tricky Dicks own stupid paranoia nothing would have ever come of this, but Dick imploded as we all know and the rest is history.

You tried to make your summation of HWY 6's post look as though you two agreed when you obviously didn't, and tried to throw in the "We agree", in hoping he's slip and just say yes, and then you'd have your silly point high lighted by baiting him into agreement, however he out thought you, and made his edit. I just found it humorous. Irony of it all is ALL Politicians are full of crap. They will say whatever whenever to get what they want out of you, mainly your vote and your money. They are the pimps of our society, they do little and take most of the profit, and the hole time we are the one's getting screwed. So you figure it out. You don't hear me bashing Obama because I don't play like that. I hash out my views on issues and vote the way I want come election day. I f Obama would have stuck to his guns, you might have heard some praise from me, but he's flipped just like the rest of them. Knew it was to good to be true, not that I ever really believed, he was a man of his convictions and would face the fire, no matter what. He's resorted to the same ole tired rhetoric as the rest of them. So frankly he's just as full of crap as the rest of them, and with zero experience in the real world, my vote goes elsewhere. He couldn't even stand up to lame ass Bill O'Reilly's cross examination, without getting thrown off and stammering around like a little kid. What do you think is going to happen in the face of pressure in the White House. That is a big ass chair to fill. George W Bush like him or not, he's a man of his convictions and he pretty much sticks to his guns. Good bad or indifferent. He's not a smooth talker, and even a worse dancer, but he's stays true to his beliefs, no matter how off they may be. He walked into a buzz saw when he took office, with all that happened in his first year of office, and he took it like a man. People have fun pot shot-ting him over his verbal blunders, and stupid jokes, but he's been Popeye through it all. "I ams what I ams". And he's not spent half his tenure dodging senate subcommittee Q and A's, hasn't been caught committing adultery in the white house and then lying about it on national TV and under oath in a legal proceeding. His law firm hasn't been under indictment for stealing funds from tax payers in his former state, and when he gets out of office , he's welcome in Texas and we're glad to have him. He may not have been Ronald Reagan, but he's kept the office some kind of respect. The left haters can say all they want, he's not been through possible impeachment proceedings, and I'll bet he doesn't pardon a bunch of shady ass criminals his last day in office. The next guy in line can deal with the leftovers, and I admit it's not going to be pretty, but it may be just me, but it's not as bad as the media loves to paint it every election year. We go through this every time. The media cries the sky is falling, and the sheep go for it, they get fresh blood in the white house and it's all good again for another 4 years. Same ole same ole.

So if they have a clean record they walk? That's news to me. Unauthorized possession of a concealed weapon has been altered? Have to study on that a little. My original point, from post #1515 was the criminals, already have them illegally, how is taking mine away going to prevent that? Answer is, it's not. Nothing is short of locking them away for life or putting a pill in the noggin'. Bar that, the criminals are ALWAYS going to be armed. Those that don't have records are not criminals yet, I guess, but they keep that up they are on the road to being one.

I know we're splitting hairs here, but when we speak of criminals, we're talking about convicted felons. You're not a criminal until you're convicted of something. Now if a Policeman pulls over a carload of gang-bangers and they're criminals by my definition, and they have a gun, they are going straight to jail, and not only face State criminal charges, but also Federal criminal charges, and you know that Red. If they are riding around in their car and have no criminal record, and have a concealed handgun in their possession, they are going to jail, record or no record. That's the Law as it reads, no debate about it. If they are standing outside a bank with a handgun hidden or not, they are going to jail, and you know that, don't try and muddle that up. If the DA is not charging them and convicting them, that's their fault, not the rights of law abiding citizens. With the handgun laws as they are today, even if you have a concealed handgun permit (CHP), you can't go in a Bank, Post Office, School, Library, and many many other buildings, if you do, you are going to jail. That's the law as it reads. It's up to prosecutors to prosecute. Concealed handgun laws are very very stringent. If I get pulled over and do not present my CHP along with my drivers license, I can be taken to jail. for not volunteering my CHP. When the police run your license, your CHP is attached to it, and will come up on the DMV run, and if you haven't presented your CHP in advance, you are in serious trouble. So I am not buying the "that a proactive policeman now has NO authority to arrest a criminal with a gun that he suspects is about to commit a crime." Policeman can take you to jail for suspicion of just about anything, for little if no probable cause. But if you are riding around in a car with a pistol and no CHP, you are going to jail period.

Anyone who thinks that we can really be off of foreign imported oil in ten years, is really clueless, and has not one clue what the real world is really like. No matter who's plan they use, ten years is absurd. You cannot build hybrid cars and alternative sources fast enough to even make it seem the least remotely reasonable, especially when our growth and usage is more than we can keep up with using foreign oil.

Careful TV, I will agree Adams has a huge tendency to implode himself every chance he gets, but let's not forget the first year as the Titans they were 1/2 yard short of winning a Superbowl. Still one of the top 5 Superbowl's ever played.

Nice bait and switch in the summation!

I am pretty sure the founding fathers never envisioned April 12, 1861, however none the less it's part of the Constitution, and stands to this day. Everybody wants restrictions, hell there are restrictions. Hell let's put restrictions on the 1st Amendmant while your at it. That's it, nothing but Baptists allowed, because you or someone else has no use for Catholics. And shut down this forum because you have no right to speak your mind. Take a close look, no eraser marks or multiple choice here. Live with it or move to France.

ESPN is owned by ABC, and when Roone Arlidge was out of the sports loop there, it went straight down the crapper. Nuff Said. Arlidge revolutionized TV sports and news, there was nobody better. Arlidge ate, slept and drank Sports TV, and he created "Monday Night Football", and "The Wide World of Sports". He also began the "up close and personal" interviews of athletes in which we were told tales of their personal lives. This really humanized them and gave some interest to the behind the scenes of the games. It was his approach to sports TV that influenced people like Ed Sabol, and his son Steve, that now produce those "NFL Films", that gave us all those great shots and drama, that was punctuated with the deep and powerful baritone voices, such as Harry Kalas, and the famous John "The Voice of God" Facenda. So if you wonder what's happened to ESPN and ABC Sports TV, that's my take on it.

Vince doesn't have problems, now Tom Brady has a problem now. As well as the Pats, without saying..............

Agreed. I have no use for a M-16, (they're basically junk in my book) not a fan of an AK-47 either. However I do own an FN-FAL, of which I am a big fan. As well as a Barrett Light-fifty, and HK-416 and HK-USC. I do consider myself to be in my right mind most of the time. Now for the facts as they sit today. 1. A thorough background check is done on anyone who buys any type of firearm, period. 2. No convicted felon can buy a firearm period. 3. An aggravated offense (crime against a person involving a weapon, even a knife or baseball bat) is punishable up to life in Prison. Of this sentence there is no early release for good behavior. you will do 80% of the sentence given to you. If they get a 99 years sentence they will do 79 years of it flat. If you kill someone during the act of committing a felony, you got two choices, Life or Death. There is no plea bargain really for Capital Murder. So the laws are pretty tough, prosecutors just need to apply them and quit plea bargaining lower sentences to streamline the court system. If you commit a crime involving a weapon, you should be ineligible for a plea bargain IMHO. So we pretty much agree on that subject Ricco, just a very minor differences.

The average John Q Citizen can't legally own any of those things you just mentioned. The paperwork to legally aquire any one of those items would blind you. Criminals however can own any of those things illegally, and no paperwork whatsoever.

You can ban weapons all the way down to a common butter knife, you are dreaming and living in fantasy land if you think it will make us safer. Do you not understand that criminals don't go to the local Academy Sporting Goods to buy their weapons? They are criminals, they are already banned from them having anything over a 4 inch pocket knife. Yet they still have them. Why you ask? BECAUSE THEY ARE CRIMINALS, AND THAT's WHAT THEY DO, BREAK THE LAW!!! Weapons ban for the sake of getting them off the streets is the biggest farce known to mankind. Crack is illegal and they still have it. Heroin is illegal and they still have that. Are we getting it yet. Banning weapons is nothing more that violating the second amendment rights of those that obtain weapons LEGALLY. Plain and simple. Do I own any assault weapons, yes I do. I also hold a Class "A" FFL and can legally do so. I also hold a concealed handgun permit. I have never robbed anyone, but I have stopped someone from being robbed. My father was a peace officer for over 60 years, I have nothing but respect for the law, and have little tolerance for those that don't.

ALL RIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am going to come to the defense of my good friend, because I have just about had it with this BS name calling, while hiding behind a keyboard under some fake name like some coward. My boy TJ is a lot of things. He's got a passion for a lot of things also, especially Oreos, and just the shadow of his ass weighs about 35 pounds, but a BIGOT he is not. TJ doesn't have a bigoted bone in his body, and I draw the line there. He and myself don't always see eye to eye, just like Red and myself, but to call someone a bigot just out of the blue is uncalled for. And if you a hair on your backside, you refrain from such things until the next HAIF get together and see for yourself just who you are talking to. Believe me you wouldn't be able to miss either of us, unless you are Ray Charles and then the distinct smell of fresh Nachos and beer would be a dead give away. This thread is about the Election and the people involved, not TJ, Red, myself, or any other HAIF member. This is horse-crap to keep going on like this. Wayne ought to slam the door on the the whole damn thing, if it can't stay on topic. This baiting and name calling has gone too far IMHO. Red, TJ, and myself can argue for hours and never resort to name calling, what is so damn hard about it. I can even tolerate Niche and not call him a single name, usually because he has put me to sleep while giving me a long winded lesson in his version of economics, but none the less, it doesn't resort to name calling. SOMETHING HAS GOT TO GIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!