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Specwriter

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Everything posted by Specwriter

  1. Specwriter
    Since "regalia" is paraphernalia indicative of royalty I expect each unit to come with a crown, scepter, and an orb. Really, who comes up with some of these names. The design: eh.
  2. Specwriter
    Definitely the schools. When we lived in the 'burbs we had access to excellent schools and had a wonderful house in a great neighborhood for much less than the cost of living "in town" and paying private school tuition. My commute wasn't terrible usually - 45-60 minutes to cover 35 miles - but could balloon up to 90 minutes + if there was an accident, etc.
  3. Specwriter
    I don't go by the Sears on Shepherd much these days (my mother practically lived there in the early 1960's) but I take delight in knowing the key kiosk, if you will, is still there. Does anyone know of a Fotomat* still in operation? That would be remarkable. *If you are too young to know what a Fotomat is you can Google it.
  4. Specwriter
    I gotta get to the Continental Club and find out what the "Altuve Polka" is about.
  5. Specwriter
    I remember as a child seeing the very large Stuart's sign from the North Freeway as we traveled home from downtown. It made me a bit nervous.
  6. Specwriter
    The answer according to the Jewish Virtual Library is approximately 45,640 in the metropolitan area, or about 0.8% of the population. Dallas-Fort Worth has a like percentage with approximately 55,000 Jewish inhabitants. Understand that the Holocaust was a genocide of Jewish people but the Nazis did not stop at that. According to the Simon Wiesenthal Center approximately 5,860,000 Jews were murdered during the Nazi regime. What is interesting, according to the same source, is the recognized figure of non-Jews murdered in the same time period is approximately 5,000,000. Among the groups which the Nazis and their collaborators murdered were Gypsies, Serbs, Polish intelligentsia, German opponents of Nazism including Christian clergy like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, habitual criminals, and the "anti-social," e.g. beggars, and vagrants.
  7. Specwriter
    Indeed the store on Taft was my favorite too. Coincidence about our age, native-ness, and appreciation for (the real) Antone's? Who can say?
  8. Specwriter
    Whatever the height this image really looks good. I hope the completed building is very faithful to it. It is certainly not a banal box but it is not so over-the-top that it will look dated in the future.
  9. Specwriter
    I believe Utterly Urban is correct. If the building is not ready for classes to begin for the fall term it is probably less disruptive to wait until after the holiday break in December. Even if the structure is complete I'm sure a building with this program has much equipment that needs to be installed and commissioned (tested to make sure it works as it should).
  10. Specwriter
    Dixie Friend Gay does some wonderful artwork. I got to visit her studio a few years ago through a mutual acquaintance. I'm so glad I did.
  11. Specwriter
    Good to know. To think I lived just blocks from the Dorrington location for over two years and didn't get by the museum though I knew it was there. Shows how we can take things for granted. Oh well, I'll just have to travel a little further once I commit to go.
  12. Specwriter
    Will he be their spokesperson?
  13. Specwriter
    Awesome image. Compare it to an illustration of a proposed building by Hugh Ferris in the early 20th century.
  14. Specwriter
    When I was a child a neighbor had then Sgt. Garnett over as a guest. I believe they were members of the same church. All the kids on the cul-de-sac were invited over to meet Sgt. Garnett who was in uniform as I clearly remember. This was before the accident so he did not wear an eye patch at the time. Of course all adults seemed big to me at the time - even my 5'-4" 115# Mom. Sgt. Garnett looked really big in his uniform and his side arm certainly contributed to that. The neighborhood kids (probably about 12-14 in all ) sat on the stairs while Sgt. Garnett gave the usual spiel about traffic safety, etc. and answered some questions that cross children's minds. I do remember him as being very approachable, soft-spoken, and at ease in front of his audience. Learning of his accident and later death was upsetting to say the least. It ranked up there with hearing that the curator of the Burke Baker Planetarium, Armand Yramategui (for whom the Armand Nature Center was named) had been murdered.
  15. Specwriter
    While this is certainly the lower Heights geographically and topographically I get a real kick out of the paradox of the phrase "Lower Heights." Hopefully there will be a seafood market that sells fresh jumbo shrimp.
  16. Specwriter
    The timber trusses are just too cool.
  17. Specwriter
    I remember writing the same thing in the Canino's/Farmers Market thread. Also, we don't all drive Audis though I wouldn't object to driving one.
  18. Specwriter
    I believe Canino is an Italian name. There were many Italians who settled in that area and who were truck farmers (grew vegetables which they sold at market). There were also some Japanese families that settled in the area and were farmers. Two names I recall are Io and Okabayashi.
  19. Specwriter
    There's nothing wrong with being 'country' in my book. What I meant was Aldine was in the process of ensuring its students were well prepared for college or the work world when they graduated. One rumor (possibly apocryphal) was that one had to have a 'B' average from an Aldine school back in the 1950s to be considered for admission to the U of H when a 'C' average from most other Houston area schools was acceptable. When I started college in the late 1970s I was as well prepared as many of my counterparts who attended private college prep schools. I agree, MartiMoser, if someone wants to enjoy the peace and quiet of the rural life one must expect to forego some of the "conveniences" of the big city. One really cannot have it both ways.
  20. Specwriter
    Great Southwest probably has little or no meaning to the general population these days but "Petro" sounds like some cut-rate gas station. Why not "The Cambria" in backlit letters? For the curious, Cambria is another name for Wales. It is the Latinized version of the Welsh Cymru. If it is associate with Great Britain it must be classy.
  21. Specwriter
    Cherry Demolition may still move structures.
  22. Specwriter
    Read Robert Dallek's Lyndon B. Johnson, Portrait of a President. It seemed to be a balanced biography of the man. Knowing about his life before he entered Congress makes it easier to understand his motivations as president. I do believe a statue of a human being can only be so big before it starts to look out of proportion. Maybe because the average person's eye level is somewhere around five to six feet above the ground. There is an eight foot tall statue of President Kennedy in front of the Hilton Hotel in downtown Fort Worth that, IMO, looks "right." The statue of Sam Houston just off Interstate 45 in Huntsville looks odd, again IMO.
  23. Specwriter
    I'll let Firebird fill you in. I'm sure his memory and research are much better than mine. I do remember Bobby McGee's was at the end of the strip shopping center closest to Dyna. My then girlfriend was a hostess there and I frequently met her there when her shift was up and drove her home. She did not own a car or have a driver's license at the time. There wasn't an opportunity to "go on a date" after her shift because it was usually too late in the evening and most other places were closed.
  24. Specwriter
    Yay! Now I get to find out if the hot dog I had 50 years ago was a good one.
  25. Specwriter
    That's great, MartiMoser. I guess once a teacher, always a teacher. There have been several in my family going back to my great grandmother's sister. My own sister retired at the end of the 2016-2017 school year after 26 years on the job. This past year she has done quite a bit of substitute teaching! I was in Aldine schools in the 1960's - 1970's. Then Aldine was in the process of shedding its 'country' image. I was fortunate to attend during what I consider the golden era of the school district. Our English teachers from junior high on demanded the best from us. That said, those teachers were also most willing to give their best as well. I was in that group who hungered for knowledge. Looking back 40+ years later I am most appreciative of my teachers' dedication and the sense of personal accomplishment for its own sake my parents instilled in me. Getting back to Canino's (singular possessive ), I was there 34 years ago last Saturday (which was also a Saturday - June 2, 1984) picking up fresh fruit for my wedding reception which was held that same afternoon. The caterer was a personal friend of the family. Her wedding gift was to cater the reception so I was most happy to help her out. Among the many, many, visits I've made to the farmers' market, that one will remain the most memorable. Oh yes, I am still married to the same brilliant, beautiful woman. We will celebrate our anniversary with a trip to New England later this month. What could be more romantic than getting away from the Houston heat and humidity.
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