Materene

Why should we find this surprising, the same has gone on for years in different settings. We older children of the people that fought this war know the truth, there was no immediate coverage or satellite feed with reporters trying to win a Pulitzer with the best spin. It took weeks for any news to reach the Country and it was censored and screened to remove objectionable material that might cause a security problem or harmful to families that were losing loved ones. In truth more photos and film were kept and archived from WWII than any war, Vietnam film and photos were shredded at the request of that Bastard Johnson, if you really want a crook then take a good look at him and his actions. Have you ever wondered why there are no film archives from Vietnam and a 10 year war! Here's the link for a good book burning and re write of history to appease the conscience of our enemies in 1941, it has been paid for in part by your tax dollars.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/professor-exposes-federally-funded-revisionist-history-conference/

Yeah, I didn't want to get all critical on here but the sub-heading does say "music stars". I noticed that first thing. But then, I DO remember B.J. and Billy! How 'bout Kenny Rogers?

(I initially wondered why the political post.)

Thanks for the heads up on Kenny Rodgers, I don't think he was one of my favorites but this song was tops in my days of clubbing!

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/42973/the_life_and_times_of_kenny_rogers.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj_NjLBPotQ

Let's also not forget the Rev Wllie G (Billy Gibbons), one of the greatest Blues guitarists of all time.

Rev Willie F (Billy Gibbons) He's 2 years younger than myself! Johnny Winters is my all time favorite but then he's from Beaumont..

When I was a kid I sold Newspaper Subscriptions for the Houston Press, pretty good money for young guy 75 cents per write up! The press was popular and had a good base so making money was pretty easy. Our Press leader was this dork that was the manager for the paper routes in the area, so he also did the double duty taking the crews out and selling the paper after school. I'll always remember this guy because he was totally engrossed with the Colt 45's, his attire was always Colt 45 Jerseys and caps, seriously I don't think he owned any clothes other than those, and he probably slept at the ball park. I would bet he died when they changed the name to the Astros.

2. However, when you created this thread, "Houston Most Famous," you should have anticipated that any reasonable person could/would interpret that broad category identification as encompassing any famous person claiming Houston. If you want to be more specific, I suggest you change the thread title.

Specific = Any reasonable person that does not consider rap as music

I never heard of BJ Thomas. Houston's most famous musicians are rappers. . . oh yeah, and Beyonce.

. . . and another notable/famous person I guess you could claim is George Bush. However, he's not even originally from Texas.

What a coincidence, I never heard of that person with the funny name, and as for rap all it needs is a C in front of it. If George Bush isn't from Texas or Houston then why did you mention him? This isn't a political topic!.

Why? They have nothing to do with Walmart. And Materene's points are completely inconsistent with prior posts waxing on poetically about how wonderful the Heights was in the 1950s. Now Materene thinks the Heights was kind of a dump in the 50s and we should all be glad that builders want to tear down bungalows to build giant houses for rich people. But Materene didn't like how Heights Blvd only had homes for wealthy people in the 50s. And to answer the question, people have been restoring homes in the Heights for decades. My little bungalow was renovated in the 1980s to enlarge the kitchen and make a utility room where the back porch used to be. It was renovated again in 2005 with a complete updating of the kitchen and bath. I have done a rewire, major plumbing and drainage repairs. And there is plently left to do. Hundreds of residents in the Heights have invested heavily in renovating and restoring historic homes. Anyone with a sense of history in the Heights would appreciate that. But, Matarene has this wierd love/hate relationship with the Heights of old. So, I am not really sure what the point is.

And for all the grousing about the activism in the Heights, it is clear that the resentment is really jealousy. Houstonians are generally alienated from their neighbors thanks to sprawl developments, HOAs, and generic strip mall developments. The Heights has retained a character and community that is closely guarded by a very active citizenship. Houston has tried to sprawl-ify the Heights by imposing suburan sized homes and strip mall developments on the Heights. The Heights has fought back and is disliked for doing so because success for Heights residence means a barrier for those who love their sprawl, but want to live in the Heights. Historic preservation means smaller home size that is not compatible with those who can't live without their 3000 sq ft Perry Home. Anti-Walmart means that those who want sprawl retail in their backyard will have to drive an extra 5-7 minutes to get to the other two walmarts that are opening around the Heights.

Whoa there man, no where have I said I hated the 50's or even now, you are mis-quoting me. I was simply saying what the Heights was like in the 50's and how diverse it was and still is. Also I never said I was jealous of home owners living on the Blvd, fact of the matter is I was stating what the Blvd was in the early 1950's. The Heights is still heavily mixed with different income level owners, in my era living in the Heights you were rich if you had two TV's or an air conditioner. My views weren't meant to be used as a political speech by anyone. Issues won't change there because of a Wal-Mart nearby, there are too many people not interested in the same perception's you have. It's wonderful people like yourself are doing the renovations there's no resentment from me, I don't even live in the state any longer and certainly have no horse to ride in this or any other issue. Houston is my home and will always be my home, it's called home of record, this is where I was born and spent most of my life. Now I live in the Country and do my on thing, the nearest Wal Mart is 18 miles to one, 34 miles to another and about 40 miles to the Baton Rouge stores. Off hand I can't think of anyone I am Jealous of , except maybe that person that won the recent 350 Million PowerBall!

Really I hope all of you good folks come to an agreement to serve all of your needs. I've been around the world a few times and really Evil things other than Wal-Mart are lurking.

Add anyone to this list and I'll provide the linking and mp3 if I can find it!

Houston's own Super Stars

Click image for mp3

I like to take static works that are inanimate and give them some movement and lighting. In no way shape or form am I an artist. This one work of Morell is incredible untouched but it is also bland and with dead lighting. There are two photos one original and the other animated and re-lit. I suppose there is a Heights in every city and country.

The enlarge feature of the board is broken so I'll hotlink them.

Original

Animated Lit

Houston like many large Texas Cities at one time had dozens of Country Western Swing clubs, they all flourished in Houston for about 8 years, some were even around for over 35 years! Around 77 or 78 the scene died suddenly, one reason the particular locations of all the clubs suddenly found themselves in high crime areas with people having their vehicles vandalized even stolen. Nothing can kill a large club quicker than a bad neighborhood, of course it wasn't the only factor but certainly had the most influence on people clubbing. I suppose the second reason was all the youngsters that were enjoying the clubs married and moved on, it was the singles aspect of the clubbing that was popular, not a place for married people generally speaking, nothing worse than having an old girl friend or boyfriend showing up and introducing themselves to your spouse.

Hey! It's October 30th, 6:20pm. Regrettably, I can't go see the model...

Just goes to show nothing in Houston is sacred!. Visited that park one time, I refused to get on that roller coaster with my wife, or by myself..

There used to be a Famous Location out a little past Hockley. Today, if you were to go there you would encounter a black hole.

Not knowing if you were pulling my leg I took a stroll thru Hockley and behold ! there indeed is a black hole in the town of Hockley. It is located at that Stop light , I copied a picture entering it, then turned 180 and this what you see.

There used to be a Famous Location out a little past Hockley. Today, if you were to go there you would encounter a black hole.

Today I wouldn't know how to get there. After I came home 2005 I was looking for my Father in-Laws old shop on 290, he was an Electrical contractor in the 70's and the shop was there on 290 close to Bingle Road. I was shocked coming in from Austin to find the new freeway, even more shocked to see I can no longer drive down 290 to Hempstead!.

One note AJ Foyts Ranch is there in Hockley, never knew that. Too many changes for me.

Somehow I retained the taste for Cheese even after tasting that god awful stuff they had in the B2 c-ration, it came in a small tin about the actual size of a can of boot or shoe polish, which is what it happened to taste like, and you could actually shine your boots with it! Those menus listed above sound really good but I live in the country and have mastered the use of a microwave, well muh two dogs think so.

Are you referring to the Western Swing?

The other building is (and always has been) a convenience store/gas station. The Jack In The Box is (was? I haven't been in that area in several years) further north on Airline, out of the picture.

You got it, I haven't been there since 77 so much has changed , I can remember standing across Airline and there was a big ditch !! that's where everyone usually parked on Airline. I would have sworn that was the Jack in the Box right there on West Road. The Singer was Randy Corner of course, he also played the Wells Fargo often before he built that place. It still has an imprint on the concrete at street level but it is completely gone now.

Only older people like myself would remember this, but let's see if anyone on this board at some time when they were young wore Boots and a Hat.

This is the corner of West Road and Airline. The Green circle is the main property that was once owned and initially developed from an empty lot, by a very famous Houston Native Country Music Star. That other small circled building was a Jack in the Box back then.

Note: after looking at this photo three times I had to go back and redo it because the Fiesta Property is not the same, however this photo is at a preset height on Google Earth and at Street Level the original Property has been demolished and removed, so Google Earth is usually two years behind at certain heights. That circled building was the only property there in 76, there was no development behind it!!

It's like the heads were switched.

Hate to say this but the one on the left looks like a young Bill Cosby!

I was around 8 and remember Utah Carl very well, also remember he would say "Ah pick it Herbie". Some place in the back of my mind I remember a commercial with Milk Drop Mo, just can't remember if it was on his show.

I don't know, something just don't look quite right about these photos

I like Proposition 1 because it does not exempt churches and schools which to me should not be exempted from ANY tax. 

All the Churches with the exception of a few mega Churches are stone dead broke! They can't even pay the light bill, this is why you see the ownership of all the small independent Churches returning to the Largest Church of the umbrella or one with the most membership and funds. Very likely you would never see any tax revenues from Churches simply because they don't profit any longer.

Just out of curiosity when did the Heights actually start this obsession with restoring old homes, and the Heights is a very big area that does not have big beautiful homes on every street. Still a mixed ethnic and working class that share these boundaries, or do people investing in these better homes want to separate themselves from the rest of the Heights. The Blvd looks wonderful with the wide streets but I got to tell you it was not like that in the 50's, nothing at all even near that. We had narrow separated traffic of the esplanade with two lanes, old cracked lumpy sidewalks that were never repaired. The new construction had long ceased in the 50's and empty lots were everywhere. In my mind there is only one picture of a historical Heights and that was the main Blvd with the rail, there wasn't that many homes on the Blvd, only the well to do lived there, it was the outskirts of the Heights that grew and became what you now see. Building codes were never strictly enforced until 40 or 45 years ago, this was the way it was. I have a hard time coming to grips with such a small group of people defining what your property should look like or what color the paint is or what ever. What's wrong with the old way, if you wanted to move up and could afford that then that's what you done. Most people wanted to move to Spring Branch 50 years ago, that was the up and coming area to be in. GAWD look at it now!

There's a small difference between not completely stopping at an empty intersection at 2 in the morning and sailing through a busy intersection two seconds after the lights have turned red at rush hour. If you're only risking your own life, up to you I suppose, but anyone else's, that's a no-no. Cameras help a stretched police force do their job at a time when resources are stretched then. Expand the program.

You have a very good point there saying resources are stretched thin, and the reason resources are stretched so thin is the fact no money is spent or allocated to HPD to do their job. I've watched for over 40 years as Houston spread out annexing neighborhoods and municipalities and they did not have the capacity to provide services for the new prey. It's no different now than then and the first priority for any large city should be policing of the city, there was no incremental plan to do that in the past and I doubt one exist now. All you hear is we don't have the resources, but yet we have the money to buy cameras and pay to install and maintain them, not to mention pay employees to handle the input and do the administration, was that 16 million a figure before or after all these considerations. I believe any money spent should go to more Police officers and equipment, I would much rather have a Police officer on every street than a camera, it serves more than one purpose, the deterrence alone seeing a patrol car is worth the money. Everything in society has been criminalized for money, to serve and protect is no longer the norm for city hall. There was a time when an accident was just that! an accident, not planned or done to harm or cause trouble just an accident. I was born a free man and plan on staying that way for just a few more years, it's a shame the younger generation hasn't a clue to the meaning. You can still be a free man or woman and a law abiding citizen at the same time not be a robot. Well I don't have a vote since I'm no longer home but only an opinion, at least I have a voice. No secret I would vote no! Now some new cadets or vehicles that always get's a yes.

It only "watches" you when you break the law and only "steals" your money when you break the law. What the problem? No one is getting rich, get over it already.

There's nothing to get over, you don't tell me what to believe or do. You see that's what the problem with society is now, a few think they speak for everyone, you do as you please power to you. This is pretty weak telling someone to get over it, a difference in opinions is how I see it. I have no problem with your beliefs and I would never tell you to get over it because I had opposing views. We differ. How bout them Rangers

Having a camera in a convenience store or private property is not the same as having big brother watching every move you make. The stores paid for the cameras not your tax money, big difference. The argument is un winnable anyway, I haven't had a ticket in over 35 years so to have someone watching me so they can steal my money is a bit too futuristic for me. If you want to put an end to automobile accidents or abuse then destroy about 2/3rds we now have and that should do it. Transportation right of ways are too small for the mass number of people living in our cities, all the cameras in the world aren't going to make someone slow down or heed the law, especially when they are late for work. It's another dead horse making someone else very rich... Besides most people receiving tickets for these infractions don't even realize they are being filmed, the population and driving numbers are changing each and every hour of the day, there is no end to new people not knowing about cameras and where they are. Give a human a job and call him a traffic cop!! and a judge with some b-lls.

Any cameras in the public sector are an invasion of privacy. The answer to make us safer and fight crime is to drop the hammer on those who commit them. I do believe every violation caught by one of these cameras is already covered under the laws and statutes of the city and state. Why is it necessary to continue spending money for something you already pay for. Some one made a killing on selling these things and once they have the foot in the door it will never end. Won't be long one will hanging on your front door to make sure your going to work each day so you can pay for the upkeep and expansion. I'm sure the next thing will be robot meter maids, they already have those don't they. This Nation would indeed be a rich one if we just dump government by about 60 to 75 per cent.