TOMIKA!

You may be happy now but i think two years from now you will be a unhappy camper

Oh Lordie no! Quite the contrary! I'll be so happy watching President Obama's acceptance speech, I might just drink so much champagne that I accidently invite some gay Evangelicals over and for some Meth!

Sorry about that last post. I'm just very excited as a Democrat today and my exuberance gave way to my being a little too crass. It's just been so long since I've felt even a little joy about America's political situation. Again, I'm really sorry if I offended. It's just been such a great day and I've had a little too much champagne!

I have no party.

Oh. I'm sorry you poor thing. Parties are for winners, not losers.

Go Senator Webb!!!!! Dems get the Senate too!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How old are you?

Now, now, TheNiche. No need to get bashful now that your party lost. Take it like a man (or woman).

Pop open the champagne! The Dems have "thumped" the GOP!!! FINALLY!!!!! Rumsfeld is out! Hastert won

F-ing Republicans! Why does it seem they are against everything positive and progressive in this city and state? Who the h#ll votes for these morons? Oh, I guess very few...

If all goes as predicted, gays will decide the election once again. In 2004 it was the Republicans that reaped the benefits. Now it's the Democrats. How sad that of all the issues that our country is entangled with (wars, environment, big oil, stem cell research), an issue involving gays will probably determine the election.

Personally, I'm having the time of my life watching the Republicans try to scurry to deal with all their mishaps lately. What's next, Cheney announces he's a tranny? Actually....

TJones, I hear you screaming, grasping for anything to differ attention from your party's pathetic recent track record. It's ok, so's your party:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,220680,00.html

"Foley Scandal Continues While Republicans....Blame Clinton"

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nati..._hastert16.html

"Hastert losing control of his team?"

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles...015/23races.htm

"Don't look now, but suddenly a new batch of GOP seats in the House is up for grabs"

http://www.commonconservative.com/fiore/fiore101606.shtml

"But in the end, Republicans have no one to blame but themselves. As this campaign season now goes from bad to worse, the GOP might soon be running campaign ads that will basically say:

I heard the name was going to be "Central Park." If that is indeed true, it will be a sad day in our fair city...

I trust fully that skeletons exist in the closets of all political parties. I have full faith that if the same thing had happened on the Democrat side, as has happened in the past, the same kinds of accusations would be flung at them by Republicans. Neither party is at all innocent of scandal or corruption, so it is a moot point insofar as I am concerned.

Is it worthy of coverage? Sure. Is it worthy of this much coverage? Not even close. In the grand scheme of things, its just a petty sex scandal.

My ultimatum to CNN and Fox News: cover the big issues that really matter or I'll change the channel.

I'm sure there are skeletons in the closet of most politicians...most human beings! But, for the "family values" party to be so imbattled with a sex scandal involving a homosexual man and children...well, that just makes for lively discussion. Everyone knows Democrats and all non-Republicans are sinners, but to have a REPUBLICAN, a CHOSEN ONE, that is a gay pedophile??? Well. Tell me it aint so grandpa!

the title of this thread is whack. if republicans are scum because of foley then:

gay people are scum because of jeffrey dahmer,

democrats are scum because of bill clinton,

white people are scum because of the unabomber,

arabic people are scum because of osama bin ladin (sp?), and so on.

ever heard of a republican environmentalist? or how about a democratic evangelical, pro lifer? as someone said earlier........."what's wrong with a gay republican?"). it is inflammatory (and i'm guilty of it too) to generalize about a group of people based on a bad apple (or two, or ten ).

this foley guy is simply a dirty old man. if this were female pages it wouldn't have half the attention it's getting. the media and the democrats homophobia is showing.

I'm a Democrat and, although I don't think it was right, I personally could give a darn what Foley did. Whatever he did was FAR less harmful to this country than what else is being done by Republicans. I think it is laughable (and very sad) that the hoards of people are dying in Iraq, the fact that our civil rights are being yanked away, and the fact that our environment is on the verge of disaster is not even being discussed...yet a few emails sent to teenage boys gets everybody all excited (no pun intended).

The part I'm so ecstatic about is that Republicans in this case are reaping what they've sewn. They're holier-than-though, intolerant attitude is biting them in the ass. I love it! Republicans really are scum, but not because of some stupid emails; it's all the rest of the crap. It's just funny our country likes to turn away from all the REAL problems and focus on things such as a gay pedophile. Gotta love it!

some details would sure help.

What kind of details are really necessary at this point? I mean, the list goes on and on!

This is fantastic! I shouldn't have to be subjected to cancer-causing smoke every time I feel like grabbing a drink with a friend. It's my personal freedom!

We've all known it for a long time, but are now being slapped in the face (or a$s) with it. How much more can this country take???

I'm actually being sarcastic, sorry. I'm just so flabbergasted that signs thanking God for a politician are appearing in a light rail debate. This is so utterly low I can't even begin to understand the stupidity and obvious sacrilege of the signs. I'm very offended to say the least!

All I gotta say is... Thank you JESUS CHRIST, MARY, and THE HOLY SPIRIT for Congressman Culberson!

Oh, Holy Spirit, this humble man you gave us has come down from Heaven to deliver us from the EVIL...of those poor people that ride public transportation. GOD, in all your holiness, SAAAAAVE USSSSS! Can I get a "Praise the Lord?!!!!"

Thank GOD!

I protest! Congressman Culberson has inserted HIMSELF in this transportation debate. The Transportation section is where he deserves to be. Thank GOD!

Thank you oh heavenly Lord for this wonderful man...

Just had to say it

What has Culberson ever done that's positive for the Inner Loop? It's a shame he has to be so involved. I know I wasn't allowed to vote for (or against him) because I was out of his district, now he seems to really be affecting my life. It just doesn't seem fair...

Still more good news to come in the coming weeks. Groundbreaking is still scheduled for late October or early November. Unless permitting takes longer, we should start to see some dirt move pretty soon.

Tenants are being added and dropped daily. The big guys are all still on board at this point and more might be on the way...

Thanks everyone. Tomorrow I'm looking at quite a few. Your suggestions have been extremely helpful. Thanks again!

Hey guys,

I'm looking for a decently priced condo in the inner loop or close to the Galleria. Trying to stay under $200,000. Anyone know of any good projects or brokers that can point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

kjb434, I appreciate the time you took to put forth your views, but your explanation just doesn't add up. Here's why:

Greenhouse Effect -

The concentration of the most important greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, has increased in the atmosphere from 290 ppm (parts per millions) in 1880 to 363 ppm in 1997, and is going to increase in the next future, because carbon dioxide, with water, is the final product of the combustion of fossil fuels (oil and derivatives, methane and hydrocarbons, coal), and of living and dead vegetation (biomass burning). The fossil fuels can be considered reservoirs of carbon, made ages ago; their combustion lets carbon return (as dioxide) into the atmosphere, increasing the greenhouse effect.

Carbon dioxide is easily soluble in water: the oceans contain enormous amounts of it, but the temperature increase (due to the greenhouse effect) reduces its water solubility, releasing new gas into the atmosphere, and accelerating the greenhouse effect.

The overall amount of ozone is essentially stable in a natural cycle. This has been true for millions of years.

Now, according to atmospheric measurements, ozone layer is getting thinner , specially over Antarctica, where a seasonal ozone layer "hole" appears ( in the NASA image the blue color means lack of ozone).

Recently, in 1997, another "hole" has been detected over North Pole.

Ozone -

According to scientists, certain man-made chemicals are major contributors to the problem. These chemicals are called Ozone-Depleting Substancies (ODS) and include many gases containing chlorine and bromine, such as: chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs, substances containing chlorine, fluorine and carbon) used in refrigerators and blowing agents for foams the "Halons", used for fire fighting, methyl bromide, used in agriculture.

Since WWII, CFCs have been widely employed, mainly because they are chemically inert and, as a consequence, non toxic and extremely stable.

CFCs do not dissolve in rain: after several years, carried by the winds, they reach the stratosphere without being modified. Here their molecules are broken down by the intense UV light, and free chlorine atoms are created by this degradation.

Each chlorine atom can destroy several thousands of ozone molecules before being removed from the atmosphere: chlorine is a catalyst for the ozone depletion. Bromine (e.g. from methyl bromide) is even more effective than chlorine.

Toxic Chemicals -

Often there is little scientific evidence of widespread ill health or ecosystem damage caused by manufactured chemicals, apart from special cases (ozone layer depletion, and acute impacts, such as from accidents or local spillages).

"No evidence" does not necessarily mean "no effects": damages due to toxic chemicals may be evident, often in an irreversible way, after long exposure time at low dosage.

A particularly famous case is the Minamata disease, in Japan, due to a diet rich in fish coming from water polluted by industrial wastes containing mercury.

As a consequence, it is now introduced, in many international agreements, the "precautionary principle": to introduce actions for reducing exposure without waiting for certain proof of harm, particularly in the case of substances that persist and bio-accumulate.

The problem of finding the best way to protect our environment is one of the most difficult to solve; unfortunately fighting against pollution or save endangered species is not enough: we need a global environmental strategy.

The developed nations, whose population is one fourth of the world total, consume 80% of world goods. The developing nations consume their environment and their renewable resources faster than one can rebuild them.

The concept of "sustainable development" can lead us towards a strategy that will consider the environmental problems, the hopes of the developing nations and the needs of future generations as well.

But, inaction due to a stance that many Right Wing politicians and strategists have taken regarding the environment could undermine any efforts to improve the environment. The Right Wing is a pernicious force that disclaims any scientific data which opposes its views. Therefore, a vast conspiracy has arisen from pseudo-scientific data that seeks to refute empirical evidence.

With all due respect, kjb434, you are wrong. I don't know where you've been, but to say the "environment is better than ever" is just about the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Where's the evidence? You must have been hangin' around too many darn Republicans!

Way to go, Downtowner!!! I wrote to them although I'm pretty sure they won't consider it right now. I think Midtown needs one or more smaller grocers that are urban in scale but still sell organic food etc. Sandy's Market is a good start.