brian0123

Good for her. I can't imagine the kind of impact being a news personality takes on family life (long/strange hours). I ran into Rucks Russell (sp?) at Freebirds one night. I felt sad for him because I was eating dinner with the wife and kids while he ate with his camera guy. I'd imagine that's probably most reporters' nights.

Galveston doesn't own the beaches and people shouldn't have to spend money to visit them. The question is how to improve the economy there. The answer is to get people there first so businesses can try to attract their business. The paid parking is a barrier to that and at least leaves a bad taste in their mouths.

Galveston was swinging back when they had gambling, and they should embrace that past and bring it back. That said, I also think... 1. Make parking free on the sea wall. 2. Revitalize interior by creating better corridors between Downtown and the beach. Pick a couple roads and rebuild them, put in wide sidewalks for biking, and help promote new development of housing and small business along it. 3. Add bike lanes everywhere. People bike up and down the sea wall... so make it easy for them to go elsewhere. Doing so may even attract smaller, creative type businesses where employees would like that option and can't get it in Houston. Basically, make it like a San Francisco of the south.

I know people in the energy sector tend to think the world revolves around them, but I'll remind everyone again that the Medical Center employs a 106k (and rapidly growing) workforce alone. That's not to mention all the growing hospitals in surrounding burbs. If anything,I think the lower oil prices could impact the energy corridor and Woodlands (really any far flung office space geared towards energy)... but it will take oil bring cheap for a long period. Houston itself is much more economically diverse than it has ever been. UtterlyUrban, if you're planning to stay here a couple years... you really should consider buying (if in an urban area). There's only so much land to go around.

My guess is one of those fake lakes/retention ponds they build for some townhouse complexes. Just ask a worker next time you see someone around.

I agree that turnout was the problem. Harris County is still liberal, but I think the Democratic party at large made the mistake of distancing themselves from Obama. They should have put him front and center, shown some reminder news clips about how far down the hole our economy nearly tanked vs where we are now. I like Obama, voted for Davis regardless, but think Obama showing up down here could have encouraged more liberals to get out and vote. The Democratic party ALWAYS makes the same mistake... playing the politically safe route. Each time it bites them in the butt. The last time they didn't go the conventional route was 2008.

For me, the video game Oregon Trail got me interested in programming. I wanted to major in music, though, and my dad shut that idea down thankfully. Went the computer science route as option #2 because pay is good for only a four year degree, and work is like solving puzzles. That said, I think that too much emphasis is placed on finding your dream career. There are a lot of crappy jobs in this world that have to be done, and there's no shame doing something you don't love for a paycheck to support your family. I'm actually finding people like that more admirable as I work longer.

Love the renderings. As a crazy ride, I think it would be awesome to include a reverse zip line that mimics what a homerun is... meaning you fly through the air on the same path as a homerun over the fence. They could even start where home plate initially sat.

What's the expected ROI of your new degree? Will you have to take out loans? If it's going to cost you $30k, and only increase your income such that you'd be retired by the time you break even... then forget it and invest the money. If employer is paying it, then go for it. Age discrimination is now a problem so plan for it (I already am at 31 even though it's still years away for me). Don't take on any new debt at 50 if you can invest. Employers won't care how many degrees you have if they view you as expensive, about to retire, or "old". It stinks, but that's our world today.

I'm confused by the ski idea. How long of a run will you have before it's over and you have to go back to the top? If it's 30 seconds downhill, then wait 15 minutes in a line to get back to the top... that's dumb and people will get tired of it.

I'm surprised that traffic is still something the news does. I think any major wrecks should be handled like any other story, and the rest people have phones for. Besides, not sure why someone even checks it during rush hour since it's going to be horrible no matter what.

Couldn't agree more. I lost my youngest brother to suicide last year and the pain it brings to everyone is horrible. I feel so sorry for this guy and those who knew him.

Is Natachee's losing their outdoor space for this? If so, it will never be the same. The main attraction of their restaurant was the sandbox and outdoor area for kids to run around while bands played to the patio. I'm excited about this dev but hope they'll keep some sort of outdoor area.

Was at Discovery Green last weekend and got an interesting perspective on our city from a couple of tourists. A couple in their 40's asked me to take their picture while they stood on a platform that said "Houston, the city without limits". They seemed completely enamored with everything and we got to talking. Here are the highlights... - They were in town for a Puerto Rican festival - From San Antonio, so they were comparing Houston to San Antonio and said our city is much cooler. - Loved that we had tons of things to do late at night - Loved DG and were amazed by our parks. They said SA didn't have cool parks like us. - They said the coolest thing about our city is the size and how urban we are. The buildings, our boundaries, the different areas and sections. They said we aren't just a city, but a mega city like LA or NYC. - They said everything was very clean for a big city - The food and festivals are awesome - They plan another visit again just to see more of Houston (esp zoo, Miller Outdoor, and parks). It was interesting talking to someone who hasn't been to Houston before and hearing what they found cool. If parks and big things blow people's minds, I think the dome indoor park idea might be an insane tourist attraction. They seemed so overwhelmed by the size and things to do, they had no clue what to see in their weekend here... and to some extent that was what they liked.

The frontage along S Main is definitely skinnier than the length of the lot (which goes way back to our neighborhood towards Lorrie). I think an orientation like this would make sense and the front along S Main most likely being an office. I'm more curious about what it will be like on the side facing our neighborhood.

For all I care, when compared to what was on this lot previously, it's one of the finest pieces of architecture this city has ever seen. In all seriousness, I have a feeling this section of S Main is starting to take off. Too many huge chunks of land with currently rundown apts/car washes close to a million awesome things in the city. Plus, more big events (and possible tourist attraction if dome is done right) across the street.

My biggest problem with the burbs is the environmental impact and waste. As someone with asthma, I don't like choking on fumes from buses and cars parked on a freeway and polluting the air I breathe. I also don't like nature being plowed over so someone can have a new house to drop tons of water on a yard, with new roads and utilities that will degrade over time (and by the time they need to be replaced the tax revenue from those that use it can't finance it).

I wouldn't say defensive... just tired of Apple taking advantage of people by offering tech that's been around for years at $$$ prices.

For a good commute to the TMC and Downtown with your budget, you can also look at SW part of 610 (Westbury, etc.). I'm nearby just inside 610, love the water, and getting to Galveston is only 50 minutes. Schools will be dif by the time your kids are in JH. We're zoned to Bellaire and Pershing and all our doctor neighbors send their kids there. NRG Stadium and Braes Bayou bike trails aren't far so there are also fun things to do nearby.

I want to go, but I've been to these before and they are a waste of time. Last one for the TMC just had a bunch of posters with their ideas and no one talked or took suggestions from the huge crowd. They did have a sheet you could fill out with concerns but no one ever responded. I might try once more and see how it goes.

Without mass transit and it not being as easily accessible compared to Downtown and the TMC, my guess is that it will reach a tipping point where it can't grow further due to traffic problems and street layouts. It will get bigger, but there are more "obstacles" it has compared to Downtown and TMC.

The point about police in the city versus the burbs is spot on. The biggest challenge the suburban police will have in the future is an ever expanding coverage area with not enough police to cover it. Factor in cheaper large houses that make great grow houses, slower police response times, and those wide open roads to move around quickly... and yes, it makes complete sense to be conducting criminal business out there. I think their best bet would be to increase tax rates (yes, I know people move out there for cheaper rates), and hire more police. I'm not sure how bad crime will have to get to convince the burbs of that.

That's awesome Tigereye. I'm just still shocked this morning that we're even having this conversation. For such a long time, it seemed they wouldn't even touch an idea like this. They should have done this a long time ago instead of rebuking all ideas without funding. A leader is supposed to lead us to a final result, not just expect one to fall in his lap. The judge is actually impressing me now.

I actually really love this idea. It's practical, serves a common need, and might even be a tourist destination. It even benefits any event at NRG. As for funding, I say sell advertising in it, throw in food vendors, and allow portions of it to be rented out.

Anyone against rail should swing by the TMC one work morning. Look at the mass amounts of people it brings in to a dense area with limited parking, and then think about the population projections for our city 20 years out. Rail is expensive, but the costs to build it 20 years from now (with land even more scarce) will be astronomical. The rail isn't a toy for the TMC, but a necessity for it's continued growth. It will be needed for Houston's future growth as well once other employment centers get as dense.