February 2004 Archives
29 February 2004
Lyle
Friend and occasional guest blogger Dave sends along this article from Editor & Publisher about Lyle Lovett's j-school days:
Asked about choosing songwriting over reporting, he said: "As a songwriter, I'm not obligated to tell the truth. I'm not obligated to make as much sense as I would have to if I were a journalist."Hell, he makes a lot more sense than some practicing journalists! :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/29/04 16:21 | Music | Technorati | Comments (0)
The Rick Perry Homosexual Rumor
This must be a very disappointing bit of news to liberals who hate Governor Perry (and his hair, but mainly his conservatism):
On Tuesday morning, a small group of protesters (almost outnumbered by reporters and photographers) gathered at the Governor's Mansion for what was disingenuously billed as a "support rally" for Gov. Rick Perry, under the theme, "It's OK to Be Gay." As any Austinite with access to e-mail or a cell phone knows by now, for a couple of months rumors concerning the governor's personal life have been flying furiously around the Capitol, the capital city, the state, and indeed most of the Western Hemisphere. The variations are multiple and quite inventive – we won't recount them here – but at their core is the tale that the governor's marriage is in trouble, that his wife Anita has/will/may decide to divorce him, and that the issue is Rick's alleged infidelity, with one or another member of his administration of undetermined gender. (Rumors of this sort, about multitudinous politicians, circulate all the time, but the current Perry rumors are indeed extraordinary in their baroque detail and remarkable persistence.)I'm happy enough. Now all of you losers searching on "Rick Perry Homosexual" and getting this unrelated page will have something more relevant to your searches.Hence the dubious demonstration – which just happened to coincide with President George W. Bush's declaration of war against same-sex marriage, which poses a threat to "the sanctity of marriage" so terrible it requires a constitutional ban. Last spring, readers will recall, Perry endorsed and signed the odious "Defense of Marriage Act," the Lege's latest gratuitous demonstration that it believes gay and lesbian Texans deserve fewer rights than other citizens.
For the record, Naked City looked into the Perry rumors when they first surfaced some weeks ago – inevitably accompanied by the warning, "The divorce papers are being filed today!" – and found no evidence of any truth to any of them, whatsoever. Amid much finger-pointing about who was the original source (and which political party he or she belongs to), nobody will go on the record. The governor's office (perhaps understandably) refuses any and all comment beyond a one-sentence statement from Perry spokesperson Kathy Walt: "These are false, malicious, and hurtful rumors, and the Chronicle's own investigation acknowledges that fact."
We also know that numerous other reporters, from here to New York, have looked into the rumors, with, as far as we know, an identical lack of results. Nor do we expect anything we say here to have any effect on the rumors, which have become entirely self-replicating as they echo through the blogosphere.
The liberal obsession with the governor's hair may now resume.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/29/04 15:52 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (6)
That's Our Comical
Beldar finds an instance of "cosmic stupidity" in the Comical.
Hard to believe, I know.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/29/04 15:32 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
More Of Lee Brown's Legacy: A Billion Dollar Hole For Houston
Let me repeat what I said during the last campaign for mayor: after six years of Lee Pothole Brown, I cannot imagine why anybody would want to be mayor of this city.
The story on the city's underfunded pension plan was hinted at in Kuffner's comments a few days ago, and now the Comical has run the story:
The city of Houston's main pension program has a billion-dollar funding shortfall because benefits have been boosted so high that many employees will earn more in retirement than they received while working, according to a report obtained by the Chronicle. A few will retire as millionaires.There's your legacy, Lee Pothole Brown. And all you Dems who voted three times for the silly b@stard because he didn't have a feared (R) by his name contributed to this problem. Give yourself a pat on the back.To properly reduce the shortfall, taxpayers would have to put nearly $100 million extra into the fund next year, according to an analysis prepared for the pension's board.
Further, the city cannot reduce the benefits for any employee who already has worked five years, thanks to a Texas constitutional amendment passed by voters last fall.
As a result, the city is considering closing the plan to new members and moving new employees into a less generous plan. The only alternatives might be a tax increase or widespread layoffs, city finance officials said.
"I feel so bad for taxpayers," said state Rep. Martha Wong, R-Houston, a former member of both City Council and the pension board who tried to sound an alarm about pension issues while in the Legislature. "Poor (Mayor) Bill White is stuck with it."
White knows he's stuck with the problem and has vowed to fix it. At last week's State of the City address, White was asked how his new job is going so far. He ticked off a list of tasks ahead, including "a billion-dollar mistake" in the city employees' pension fund.
The Houston pension is far more generous in every measurable way than similar-sized cities, including Dallas, Phoenix, Denver and Philadelphia, according to a consultant's report commissioned by the city late last year after the shortfall became apparent.
For example, employees who work 25 years and four months will receive 90 percent of their final salary in retirement, plus Social Security payments that will put them well over 100 percent of their salary. After they die, their spouses will continue to receive the full pension until their deaths.
And a special deferred-retirement program could allow some longtime employees to get million-dollar payouts in addition to their monthly benefits.
Mayor Lee Brown's administration approved the bulk of the extra benefits in 2001, despite a state board's warning that the changes would be costly.
The city did not conduct its own analysis of the proposed benefits. Instead, it relied on a cost report prepared by the firm that does work for the city's independent pension boards, all of which are controlled by employees and retirees.
As an aside, this is almost the same political strategy employed by Gray Davis in California: pay off your key political constituency in exchange for their support, and to hell with the fiscal consequences. At least in California, though, the voters finally had the sense to recall the fool. In Houston, Dems just kept re-electing ours. Again, nice job.
What is even more galling is the city has irresponsibly boosted its pension plan at a time when private industry has moved away from defined-benefit plans to 401k plans, for obvious reasons. Mayor White, who has managed a large business, understands this:
In an interview, White said the city could not afford to keep the current pension system and would be forced to make changes. New employees might get a "defined contribution" like a 401(k) plan rather than a "defined benefit" like a standard pension, he said.Unlike Lee Brown. One more time -- thanks, Dems, for electing that fool three times so he could do unbelievable damage to our city.White said he "can't rewrite history" and hadn't determined who was at fault. But when asked about the city's reliance on the pension fund's expert rather than hiring one beholden to the city, he said: "In my administration, I'll make sure we do have second opinions. Period."
"I personally will familiarize myself with the actuarial assumptions. I, the person who runs the city, will not rely on secondhand information," White said.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/29/04 10:51 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
There He Goes Again
Longhorn fans should worry:
Texas coach Mack Brown's recruiting skills are well documented, but Brown's on-field coaching acumen, particularly as an offensive strategist, is less publicized.Ah, the man that Spurrier once called Mr. Football just cracks me up.Wanting to get back to an aspect of the game on which he developed his coaching chops, Brown plans to become more involved in UT's offensive game plan next season, even stepping in for offensive coordinator Greg Davis to call plays when he thinks it is warranted.
Brown coached wide receivers his first seven years in the business and spent his other three years as an assistant coach as an offensive coordinator.
"I've missed being a part of the offense quite honestly," Brown said. "I felt at one time, what I did best was (run) the offense. I have not been involved at all in play-calling."
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/29/04 10:28 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (0)
28 February 2004
Flatlanders And A Flatline Baseball Team
Here's a decent piece on the Flatlanders from the Dallas alt rag.
I've always loved the name of their first album.
No music for me this weekend. Too busy watching UH play bad baseball. The good defense from last night didn't carry over tonight. Three errors, although four should have been charged (two and the one that wasn't charged occurred in the three-run inning that gave Long Beach State the 4-1 lead that became the final score). On a positive note, freshman Shea Hancock pitched well in relief (he may be pitching his way into the rotation), and the outfield made some nice plays. No hitting once again, and of course a man was picked off. Only about a dozen more ranked opponents in a row. The record could be 2-20 by the time we're out of this stretch. Ugh.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/28/04 22:24 | Music | Technorati | Comments (0)
USS Hamner
My dad served on this fine looking ship, among others.
(Update) They've added some more stuff from my mom's collection of goodies. Pretty neat.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/28/04 15:14 | Other | Technorati | Comments (3)
27 February 2004
Another Coog Loss
I think I'm bad luck for the Coogs.
I buy baseball season tickets, and they start the season by stinking it up.
There were 3 more hit batters today. They're averaging something like 2 per game. It's unreal. And another baserunner picked off today. They've had too many of those so far this season also.
The defense was better at least. And even though the bats were kind of quiet, the guy who pitched against them is one of college baseball's best.
This string of highly ranked opponents is just killing UH right now. I'm starting to worry this season is going to be like 1998, the last year they missed the NCAA tourney. I'm hoping for a turnaround, of course, and will be hanging out at the park regardless. But geez, it's more fun when you're winning a few. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/27/04 21:38 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
Danger!
The Danger Train suffered another collision with traffic today:
Another light rail accident -- the second this week.Here is coverage from KPRC-2 and KHOU-11. KHOU-11 also has a slideshow of the festivities.It appears a car turned in front of a train on Fannin near Hermann Drive. It happened around 10:30am. The driver, a woman, was injured and taken to the hospital. No one on the train was hurt.
This is the 19th light rail accident since training runs started running in October.
(Update) Well, kids, when I first posted the link to ABC-13's coverage earlier, there had only been one accident. They've updated the story, and it turns out there have been two traffic/train collisions today. It's early yet, maybe we can go for the Hat Trick?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/27/04 12:50 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (4)
Drayton, Gerry, and $15 Million
Richard Justice pens a column about the rift between Astros owner Drayton McLane and GM Gerry Hunsicker in today's Comical. It's an interesting piece, but what caught my eye is this:
But for a few weeks last fall, things seemed to be coming unraveled. The Astros collapsed during the final weekend of the season. Then McLane, citing losses of more than $15 million in 2003, ordered the trade of closer Billy Wagner.For months, the Comical writers have been citing losses of $15 million for the Astros last year, giving it the appearance that McLane's contentions are somehow verifiable fact. Justice has done it in past columns, so it's good to see him act like a journalist and stop. I would have preferred he use the term "claiming" instead of "citing," but it's the Comical, so I guess we have to be happy with baby steps.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/27/04 06:47 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
New Chief
Insiders who expected Mayor White to name someone from within HPD as chief got a surprise today:
Mayor Bill White will announce today that he has selected Phoenix Police Chief Harold L. Hurtt, a career law-enforcement officer, to become Houston's new police chief.It would have been nice to see a little more detail about the new chief, but I suppose there's plenty of time for that.The appointment, to be announced at 10 a.m., surprised those who had expected White to select one of several candidates from within the Houston Police Department.
White's spokesman, Frank Michel, confirmed the appointment, but said neither he nor White would discuss the decision before this morning's announcement. Hurtt, who did not return calls seeking comment, was introduced to the department's command staff in a closed meeting at HPD headquarters late Thursday afternoon.
Hurtt, 57, called Phoenix City Manager Frank Fairbanks around 6 p.m. Thursday to report that he had accepted the Houston job. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said Hurtt told him that he had been recruited to interview for the post.
White passed over several local candidates, including members of the HPD's command staff, considered strong contenders for the job. Among those candidates were acting Police Chief Joe Breshears and executive assistant chiefs Dennis Storemski and Tim Oettmeier. Breshears, who became chief after Clarence Bradford's resignation in September, declined interview requests Thursday night.
White's decision to recruit Hurtt may reflect a desire to bring new life into a department embarrassed by several controversies in recent years, including police shootings of unarmed teenagers, the closure of its crime lab amid charges of incompetence, and a botched mass arrest in a Kmart parking lot that resulted in lawsuits against the city.
Hurtt spent 30 of his 36 years in law enforcement with the Phoenix Police Department, where he worked his way up from patrol officer to police chief. He earned strong reviews from his bosses and employees.
"Houston will be getting one of the top law-enforcement chiefs in the country," Gordon said from Phoenix. "His strongest legacy here (is) a department where the community wants to see the officers in their neighborhoods and not try to keep them out."
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/27/04 06:44 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (1)
26 February 2004
Steaks, Beer, Baseball, 80s, Houston
I lived across from the place for two years.
I never went over for steak night. I walked past people I knew enjoying steak night. But I never actually DID steak night.
So here's an official PubliusTX.net recommendation: We like steak night at PJ's (West Gray and Stanford).
Two people get a good (not great) steak, salad, and potato (each), and a pitcher of beer for 20 bucks (or something close to that). You can't eat that well anywhere else for that price. And the neighborhood is one of Houston's best (in my view). Unless you're uptight (in which case you should stay away).
That's all for tonight. And you won't get much more tomorrow out of me, because I'm off to UH baseball after work, and then it's Molly and the Ringwalds after that. Apologies for the limited updates.
But you folks know to check out the blogroll to the right when things get busy, yeah? Yeah. Or come tip a beer at UH baseball or the Continental Club on Friday. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/26/04 21:16 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
25 February 2004
Unearthed
Paul Beston says Johnny Cash's Unearthed collection is a treasure:
The rest of the review is here.When Johnny Cash died last September, he had already recorded at least 50 songs for American V, the next album in the highly acclaimed series he began in 1994 with producer Rick Rubin. In Cash's absence, that album will be released in much the same fashion as its predecessors -- the dozens of tracks will be evaluated and a select sample will make the final cut. Rubin and Cash accumulated a huge backlog of unreleased work, and before Cash's death they decided to release Unearthed to commemorate their first decade together. They both hoped there would be much more ahead.
Its uncomfortable title aside, Unearthed is that rare boxed collection that lives up to its size and grandeur.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/25/04 21:44 | Music | Technorati | Comments (0)
NFL
Just another sorry incident from the National Felons League.
The NFL must be very proud of its second leading rusher in history.
In honesty, the charge does seem kind of lame:
Lewis is charged with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms of cocaine and using a cell phone in the commission of the first count, according to U.S. Attorney William S. Duffey.Using a cell phone?
Please tell me this isn't somehow related to the Patriot Act.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/25/04 21:37 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
UH v. OU?
It looks like OU may add the University of Houston to this fall's football schedule:
Oklahoma's not-yet-released 2004 football schedule is undergoing an extensive facelift.UH already has tentative games with LSU and Miami scheduled. I would hope Oklahoma would be a replacement for one of those games. Otherwise, that schedule's just much too brutal. Art Briles has the rebuilding project off to a great start, but UH isn't ready to take on 3 potential Top 10 non-conference opponents just yet.According to a source, OU has nearly finalized a two-game series with Oregon that would bring the Ducks to Owen Field on Sept. 18. OU is also close to a one-game deal with Houston that would be played Sept. 11.
If finalized, Oregon and Houston would replace games already scheduled with Florida A&M and Arkansas State. Bowling Green is scheduled as the season opener Sept. 4.
OU athletic director Joe Castiglione confirmed Tuesday he had been in discussions with Oregon, but he declined further comment. The game would probably be televised by ESPN. OU would play at Eugene, Ore., in 2008.
Good for Joe Castiglione trying to upgrade Oklahoma's schedule. I hope it works out, because it was too weak as it stood.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/25/04 17:54 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (2)
24 February 2004
Sexist Comment Of The Evening
She's such a nice looking woman to be accused of such a ghastly murder (stabbing her hubby nearly 200 times).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/24/04 21:39 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (6)
How The Southwest Was Won
T.R. Fehrenbach reviews a couple of new books on Texas history in the Washington Post:
The fact is, no historian today can really get into the minds of men like William Barret Travis or James Bowie, or Sam Houston as he retreated toward Buffalo Bayou. No one knows exactly how or where Davy Crockett died, or how many defenders there were at the Alamo -- we keep getting add-ons -- although ideas and positions are passionately argued and debunked by both Texans and non-Texans. As with all folk histories, local authorities claim uncontested ownership of the Anglo-Texan myths of creation -- and people shouldn't mess with Texas, as signs throughout the state attest. This does not prevent historians from trying, or a continuing stream of writings and/or films about 1836 and all that. For the creation of the Republic of Texas forever changed American history; it took place within a vast mosaic of international rivalry and intrigue; it revolved around an incredible cast of characters -- dictators, presidents, loyal soldiers, scheming diplomats, rogues, entrepreneurs, hucksters and heroes -- and involved acts and scenes of bloody violence, cruelty, kindness and self-sacrifice, spawning legends and a mystique that will never die.With regard to the bold italicized part above, I've long thought that the political theory of Texas is understudied. I don't expect historians to do it properly, and it's not really something that political theorists -- who have a hard enough time finding academic employment -- can tackle in a dissertation and hope to get a job (it sort of limits one's marketability outside of Texas). Still, it's heartening to see more interest in the topic.Many of these efforts are academic exercises, trying to impose one trivia point over another. This is not true of either of these new books about Texas. They are not just about "the Alamo," nor do they revisit the Texas Revolution as conspiracy and land-grab. They both make salient points that are increasingly recognized by national historians: The independence of Texas was central to American Western expansion, it was the key that opened the way to United States predominance, it was part of a revolutionary age, and it was fundamentally democratic vis-à-vis a decadent Mexican empire.
Yet even though Lone Star Nation and Lone Star Rising cover the same era and material, they are quite different books. H.W. Brands spins his tale mainly through the eyes of contemporaries, both the usual suspects -- presidents and heroes -- as well as many people unknown to published history. In thoroughly modern style he has researched women, slaves and paupers as well as princes. The innumerable quotations and references sometimes get in the way of the story, but they are entertaining and interesting. There is a bit too much explanation and detail, perhaps; we do not need to know that the Latin word for lead is plumbus (actually plumbum) in explaining that lead was used for plumbing. But he understands that those who went West for reasons other than to acquire land were fools, and that the so-called American empire was a series of private mini-empires, fashioned as private exercises. And Lone Star Nation devotes too little attention to that nation itself, the Republic and early state, where much of the Anglo-Texan subculture and mindset was formed. Brands rushes off to the Civil War, depicting it as the engine that brought genuine democracy. However, his book is a good read in current style, and clearly adds to our knowledge of an era when men rode to the sound of guns and honor was a comprehensible concept.
Lone Star Rising is shorter, more magisterial and narrative in form. William C. Davis compresses times, men and events into pleasantly organized and understandable overviews. He devotes more time to the salient facts and results than to the vast detritus of Texan trivia. And he recognizes that the American march westward was irresistible; revolution was inevitable once Anglo-Americans were ensconced in Texas, and overall this was no bad thing. Texans never achieved their ideal of a white, male Jeffersonian republic in which every citizen was a landowner -- the industrial revolution would have prevented that -- but this fiercely independent state and people did not do badly, either for themselves or the greater nation.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/24/04 21:04 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (5)
The Second Coming Of Joe
Peter King expresses some skepticism about the Second Coming of Joe:
Gibbs told me that the Redskins would probably spend less this year on their quarterbacks than almost every other team does. He's right. Assuming he stays around, Ramsey will count $1.65 million against the Redskins' cap. Add Brunell's $2 million and the $380,000 of projected third-stringer Tim Hasselbeck, and the Washington signal-caller budget will add up to a tidy sum -- $4 million. When your quarterback allotment is only five percent of your $80.5 million total payroll, it appears to be smart cap management ... unless you consider the fact that you still have those nine holes unfilled.I'm not so sure that Joe Gibbs the general manager is exactly what the Redskins needed, but I sure remember how much the guy won the first time. I have a feeling he'll put a much better team on the field than we've seen recently.No one in the current Washington organization can tell Gibbs, "Joe, that's dumb. Don't do it ..." -- as Bobby Beathard did in the old days. Gibbs is the guru now. He's going to get everything he wants. I'll be curious to see if Gibbs is happy with his decision in Week 7, when his defense gets strafed for 34 points because there's no one to rush the passer and the run defense is crumbling.
Gibbs is going to learn some harsh lessons the second time around. I said it before and I'll say it again: I think he's going to be successful in Washington. This will be no Steve Spurrier replay. But I also think Gibbs is going to look back at this dual decision about the quarterbacks -- signing Brunell, refusing to deal Ramsey when the time was golden -- with regret in a few months.
I do feel pretty good about the Cowboys chances against the Dannyskins, though (if Big Bill can get a running back and can move Galloway for a player). For one thing, Bill Parcells hasn't been out of the game for 11 years. For another, he was pretty good at beating Gibbs when they were in the division together:
Joe Gibbs is delighted to be back in the NFL after an 11-year hiatus, but there is one thing the Washington Redskins' head coach isn't looking forward to: going up against Bill Parcells.No! It's only February, and I'm having football withdrawal. We need to move the thing up, if anything.Gibbs and Parcells had some epic battles against one another when Parcells was head coach with the Giants and Gibbs was with Washington. Unfortunately for Gibbs, he was on the losing end of most of them.
Parcells was 11-6 against Gibbs, winning the last six matchups from 1988-90.
"I'm not looking forward to that," Gibbs said of facing Parcells, who is now coach of the Dallas Cowboys. "He did a pretty good job on us as best I remember. I did not like playing him. I don't like playing him again. He's very good at what he does and has a natural way with players and acquiring talent. That's not going to be fun. If you don't mind, I'd just as soon put this off as long as possible."
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/24/04 20:19 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
The Danger Train
The Danger Train suffered another traffic collision today:
METRORail recorded its 18th accident Tuesday after a car collided with a train in southwest Houston, News2Houston reported.ABC-13 reports that the driver was cited. Also, the figure of 18 accidents seems high. Just a week ago, my count was 13, and I'm pretty sure I haven't missed multiple accidents since then.The accident happened around 10:15 a.m. near the intersection of Fannin at Dryden.
Officials said a car, trying to make a left turn collided with the railcar.
No injuries were reported.
METRO officials said the train and the car received minor damage, and that the scene was quickly cleared.
Police have not said if the driver was cited for the accident.
(Update) It's not on their website, but the daffy crew at ABC-13 at 6pm reported that it was the 18th accident. I guess that means that somehow, 5 accidents or so have gone unreported in the last week.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/24/04 13:47 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
23 February 2004
Geekery
I just spent a bit of time "upgrading" Callie to a newer PDA (my old Visor Neo).
There wouldn't normally be much to upgrade, as Callie isn't really much of a PDA user.
BUT, I managed to convince her that she ought to put it and her Nokia/Cingular wireless phone to work. Most of the Nokia phones on the Cingular network can work as a modem, and have an infrared port that talks beautifully to PDAs. For all of $3.99/month, Cingular users can set up their accounts so that voice minutes can be used as data minutes. Their network is painfully slow (unlike the speedy 3G cdma networks of Verizon and Sprint), so it's not something one would use for surfing the web. But it's handy to check one's email in a pinch (with Eudora's free web suite for Palm).
Besides, it's just a very cool thing. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/23/04 21:32 | Other | Technorati | Comments (10)
Fly Me To The Moon
The writer of one of my favorite Sinatra tunes has died.
Bummer.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/23/04 19:24 | Music | Technorati | Comments (2)
METRO and Houston Public Works -- A Winning Combination! *ahem*
Here's a juicy story on the degree of ineptitude that pervades both METRO and Houston Public Works:
The deadline for Metro to complete rebuilding Travis Street in Midtown arrived today but the 20-block stretch remained in miserable shape despite it serving as one of the primary detour routes for closed Spur 527.Brilliant.Contractor KCC Group said it would have met the deadline if it weren't for what it described as major incompetence by the transit authority's project managers and the city's Department of Public Works and Engineering. The two agencies failed to promptly respond to problems and added nearly $1 million of extra work, said KCC owner Anthony Karam.
"We send somebody a question and it takes three-to-four months to answer," Karam said. "Because of all these changes, I am not done yet. ... I don't have much left."
The Metropolitan Transit Authority said its project management team "is competent and professional" and is still reviewing delay claims filed by KCC. Metro had already awarded the firm an 18-day extension.
"Any delay beyond the additional 18 delay days is the responsibility of the contractor, unless the contractor can substantiate further valid cause for delay," said Metro spokesman Ken Connaughton.
Karam cited a debacle south of Berry Street, where the Spur 527 frontage road turns into Travis. Metro's contract engineer managing the project told KCC -- without explanation -- to stop all work south of Berry, according to documents shared with the Houston Chronicle. The engineer then gave a written notice to proceed with work more than two weeks later.
That delay meant workers were unable to finish pouring new concrete lanes by the weekend of Feb. 13, when the spur was shutdown for a three-year rebuild by the Texas Department of Transportation, Karam said.
By the way, if the commentary on Travis doesn't sound familiar, perhaps this little photo-blog entry will serve as a refresher.
Apparently, however, Mayor White found the mess unacceptable given the Spur 527 closure:
After Mayor Bill White expressed outrage that Travis wasn't ready to handle the diverted freeway traffic, the supervising engineer sent Karam a fax stamped 4:32 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13., ordering him to temporarily repave remaining lanes with asphalt by Sunday night. This would make the lanes ready for the Monday morning rush, the first weekday with the exit ramp from the Southwest Freeway into downtown closed.No doubt, this decision delayed the overall project slightly, but saved a bigger traffic mess during the first week of the Spur 527 closure. Kudos to Mayor White for getting it right (again). I can only imagine how bad it would have been if Mayor Pothole and his cronies were still "managing" things.Karam said his crews hurriedly worked in the rain to finish the patch in time, racking up bills to Metro that could exceed $200,000. Now, Karam said, he was directed Monday to rip out the asphalt and replace it with permanent concrete.
I continue to wonder why Bill White wanted to be mayor so badly. He's just up against it trying to undo the general ineptitude that is Lee Pothole Brown's legacy.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/23/04 18:34 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
Might As Well Get The Annual Hoops Post Out Of The Way
The Austin American Statesman runs a good profile of KU basketball head man Bill Self.
As folks know, I don't really follow Big 12 hoops, but I've always liked Self. So there ya go.
Locally, one wishes there was a Bill Self somewhere around town. Alas, UH's program seems no further along than it was during the horrendous Alvin Brooks days, and I imagine Willis Wilson is going to have to win the WAC tourney to get Rice in the big dance (Rice's record is decent, but their schedule is weak). I think both coaches expected better.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/23/04 18:07 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
Baseball's Incredible Shrinking Men
Much as Jeff Bagwell appeared noticeably smaller last season, Jason Giambi seems to have shrunk at the beginning of this baseball season:
Noticeably trimmer to Joe Torre and most everyone else at Yankees camp, Jason Giambi explained that better eating habits and hard workouts had left him leaner. He emphasized one more thing: Steroids had never been a part of his diet.Sure. That's it. Better dining and better workouts. Giambi just dropped a little fat (because men are notorious for storing lots and lots of body fat near the pecs and biceps). Had nothing to do with steroids. There ya go. Who could argue with that?Giambi said he'd lost four pounds, down to 228, during the offseason by cutting back on fast foods and doing extensive rehab from knee surgery. Standing at his locker Monday at Legends Field, his chest, biceps and legs appeared smaller - enough so that many people did a double take when they first saw him walk through the clubhouse.
Well, maybe Skip Bayless...
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/23/04 17:54 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (6)
Someone Nudge Him Into Retirement
How nice of Andy Rooney, equating nutty old Pat Robertson with nutty old Mel Gibson.
And what a lovely statement, coming from God to Andy in an imagined conversation:
"As far as Mel Gibson goes, I haven't seen his movie, 'The Passion of the Christ,' because it hasn't opened up here yet. But I did catch Gibson being interviewed by Diane Sawyer. I did something right when I came up with her, didn't I," added God. "Anyway, as I was saying, Mel is a real nut case. What in the world was I thinking when I created him? Listen, we all make mistakes."Ah, yes, that does sound so much like the God of Christianity, expressing regret for creation.
If it was an attempt to be funny, it failed. If it was an attempt at something else, I can't figure it out.
One other thing I can't figure out -- why in the hell is that crazy, bitchy old coot still on the air?
But hey, those are just my thoughts, worth exactly what you paid for them (zip). If you have any thoughts on the matter, there's no need to share them with me when you can let CBS know how you feel by using this form.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/23/04 17:35 | Other | Technorati | Comments (1)
Pop Culture Passes Me By
So, Sex and the City ended its run last night.
I didn't see it. Actually, I have not seen a single episode of the show. But maybe I'll give it a try with Netflix one of these days. It may take a while, though. In my effort to watch all of the X-Files episodes again, I've just now reached Season Three.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/23/04 17:19 | Other | Technorati | Comments (5)
22 February 2004
Coog Troubles
Not a very good day for the baseball Coogs today, either.
It would be nice if they could find a few pitchers who could string a few innings together. Or a few who could stop hitting batters (UH is averaging about 2 HBP per game). And scoring a few runs would be nice. Maybe a little defense and some better baserunning (2 guys picked off second this weekend).
It's still way early in the season, and they've been playing all ranked opponents, so there's still plenty of time to get things going the right way. I just hope it starts to happen soon. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/22/04 18:30 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (1)
21 February 2004
Saturday, 70 And Sunny, Slow Blogging
The Coogs played a nice game yesterday, winning 3-2 against a quality opponent.
We followed that with a trip to Wharton for a great dinner followed by the Randy Rogers Band at the Innkeeper Live. Quite an evening.
More baseball tonight at Cougar Field, so no updates here for a while. I hope everyone is enjoying this great weekend so far!
(Update) The Coogs looked like a Beer League softball team tonight, or maybe worse. Their defense was as bad as I've ever seen a Rayner Noble-coached team, their pitching for the most part was awful, and their hitting was not very selective. I think Rayner's assessment summed it up pretty well:
"The difference in the game was they pitched and we didn't pitch," said UH coach Rayner Noble. "And we played poor defense on top of that.For a program that's been to 3 of 4 Super Regionals and cracked the NCAA tourney 5 years in a row, yes."It was just a bad game for us. This is about as poorly as you can play."
Still, I think there's potential on this team. But one can't help but wonder if the kiddie coaching staff (not much experience among Rayner's assistants this year) can keep this program where it's been (in the Top 25).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/21/04 17:18 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (5)
20 February 2004
Coog Baseball
It looks like I'm gonna be able to get out to see UH's home baseball opener after all, as they've moved the game up to 4pm.
For a change, the weather looks like it's going to be awesome. I can't wait to blow outta work and get over to Cougar Field. What a great day for a little afternoon baseball.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/20/04 12:51 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
19 February 2004
Greens With Your Traffic Jam?
The Comical is getting better.
It took them hardly any time at all to comment on the new Spur 527 salad at Mission Burritos.
Used to, they were behind the Houston Press by a month or so.
Now, they're running behind little-known bloggers by a week. The photo is nice, though. :)
I do recommend ditching the corn nuts. Do that, and you'll have an excellent salad.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/19/04 22:45 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
Mike Reid
I'm listening to a really old song by country music singer/songwriter Mike Reid ("Walk On Faith") at the moment, and started wondering what ever happened to the dude.
So I did a search, and the first thing that came up was this.
Here's some more info about Mr. Reid. How many people win the Outland Trophy, go to the NFL as a #1 draft pick, have a music degree, have written multiple #1 country songs, and also write operas and other classical compositions?
And then condescend to write songs for people like Tim McGraw. Ugh.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/19/04 22:33 | Music | Technorati | Comments (5)
Bye Bye Gary
At least Mack Brown is a lovable loser. And trust me, we OU fans do love him. :)
Then there's Gary Barnett, who's an a-hole AND an underachiever.
I haven't really commented on the mess at Colorado, because what is there to say really? It seems to be the very definition of "lack of institutional control." Maybe not as bad as Oklahoma at the end of the Switzer era, but not that far off (the machine guns and the drugs at OU then were arguably not as evil as multiple instances of rape).
Anyway, the folks at ESPN2 have saved me the trouble of going off on CU and Gary Barnett, so just go read them.
I wonder what Bill McCartney is doing these days? Last I heard, he was running around leading prayer groups. That might make him the perfect person to step in when Barnett's @ss is permanently canned, because CU is in need of a lot of help.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/19/04 22:06 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (0)
Mack Is Such A Lovable Loser
Mack Brown is such a lovable loser:
If they could just close the Cotton Bowl to the media every October, then Mack's life would improve considerably.Texas football Coach Mack Brown has made a big change in his spring workout program. For the first time in his six years with the Longhorns, fans and the media will not be allowed to watch the majority of practices.
All but two practices and two scrimmages will be closed to the media, according to the Texas sports information department.
The first of 15 workouts is scheduled for March 1. Spring practice concludes April 3, with the annual orange-white scrimmage. For the first time in Brown's tenure, the annual spring scrimmage will be at night, with kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m.
Practices are scheduled to be open to the public March 1, 2 and 6.
"We have a few changes on our coaching staff and a lot of different things we want to look at and hope to accomplish," Brown said in a statement. "We hope the fans will join us for the first couple of practices as we kick off the season, then, once we get into pads we will close the workouts in hopes of having the best practice focus possible."
As one might imagine, the folks on the Sooner boards are having fun with this.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/19/04 21:58 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (0)
18 February 2004
The Spur
So far, the Spur 527 reconstruction has not caused the mess in the neighborhood that many of us predicted.
I think that's largely because of the efforts of nieghborhood groups like WALQ, who brought enough publicity to the issue to force TXDOT to reconfigure a significant portion of its plans (which were inadequate at the start). And credit also goes to the White Administration (which has even drawn praise from White's one-time mayoral opponent Michael Berry for its handling of the issue):
But the mayor said traffic, since the closure of the spur, has been far less bleak than officials predicted.So far, so good. I still am suspicious of the mayor on smart growth and taxes, but he seems serious about managing traffic issues, and after six years of Mayor Pothole, that's a start."We've managed the traffic and provided detours for motorists," White said. "We concluded it would not be a good deal for motorists to run through those neighborhoods (surrounding the spur). So we made the alternatives more desirable."
White said the city will play a more active role in informing residents about traffic. For example, the city will now post on its Web site a schedule of construction on Smith.
White also said that he and David Saperstein, who heads the mayor's new Office on Mobility, are working on an "aggressive and radical" plan for incident management on the city's highways.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/18/04 21:27 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (5)
Ciao Down? No Thanks
Robb Walsh writes some great food columns (and has long been one of two big reasons to read the Houston Press, the other being Rich Connelly), but I always enjoy his infrequent rants against BAD restaurants the most. He's in rare form this week:
"Ciao Down!" is the slogan of Terra Bosco's Italian Restaurant on Westheimer. The idiotic bilingual pun accurately reflects the sensibilities of what may be the most clueless Italian restaurant in the city. The first time I ate here, the food was so bad, I decided to do the place a favor and not write a review. The restaurant was nearly empty, and I doubted it would remain open long enough for me to get something into print.Their judgment on Houston restaurants seems about as sound as their judgment on football. Texas Monthly just isn't what it once was.But I can't ignore the place anymore, because Terra Bosco's was recently named one of the top ten new restaurants in the state by Texas Monthly. The magazine's restaurant critic, Patricia Sharpe, included only new restaurants in her annual roundup, which she calls "Where to Eat Now." Why on earth would she rank Terra Bosco's fourth in the state in this category? In an interview on the Texas Monthly Web site, Sharpe credits the magazine's Houston reviewers with keeping her in touch with the local scene. Then she adds, "I have to say that we also depend heavily on press releases from the restaurants."
Her reliance on press releases might explain why Sharpe raved about the Riviera Grill's relocation to the Sam Houston Hotel in last year's roundup. The restaurant was trashed by both the Chronicle and the Press, after which the chef departed and the name of the restaurant was changed. But granted, they did serve up a great press release. And in the 2002 version of "Where to Eat Now," Texas Monthly enthused about another awful restaurant that received scathing reviews from both Houston newspapers and quickly went out of business. "The most sizzling hot spot in Houston is Ling and Javier," wrote Sharpe.
Can this lady pick 'em, or what?
Evidently, if a restaurant seems stylish enough, Texas Monthly's reviewer can overlook other little problems like, say, wretched cooking.
Go check out Robb Walsh's spanking of that magazine and a bad restaurant. His last paragraph is harsh. I love it. :)
Here's his earlier review of the now-defunct Ling and Javier, which for some reason he didn't link from this week's article.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/18/04 20:55 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
17 February 2004
Build Rail, Reduce Livability
Rob Booth calls our attention to this recent rail study:
Does rail transit improve urban livability? To answer this question, the Reason Foundation reviewed transit, congestion, cost, safety, and other data for all two-dozen U.S. urban areas that have rail transit.Rail in Houston, of course, isn't about reducing congestion or improving overall mobility, but about promoting a certain way of life. Enthusiasts of that way of life dare not call it zoning, but instead toss about words like livability, world-class, density, and the like. So it goes.Our conclusion is that, far from enhancing livability, rail transit reduced the livability of every urban area that has it. Los Angeles’ rail system scores particularly poorly because rail transit did almost nothing to prevent a huge increase in congestion. The Los Angeles light-rail and commuter-rail trains have also unnecessarily killed many people.
Our study found that rail transit tends to reduce the mobility of both transit riders and auto users. Collectively, the two-dozen urban areas with rail transit lost 33,000 transit commuters during the 1990s. By comparison, the two-dozen largest regions with bus-only transit gained 27,000 transit commuters in the 1990s.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/17/04 20:58 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
16 February 2004
Day One Wasn't Horrible, But It Was Also A Holiday
Since Presidents' Day is a holiday for me, Callie and I went walking all over the neighborhood checking out the traffic and such around 59.
Thankfully, it wasn't bad in the neighborhoods. Richmond and West Alabama didn't really seem any busier than usual, nor did Shepherd/Greenbriar. That's good news.
The bad news is, a bad accident is almost inevitable on the new contraflow West Alabama. We saw dozens of people pulling into the middle lane the wrong way to make left turns (by wrong way, I mean facing traffic that had the green arrow from the other direction), both at intersections and along stretches of West Alabama where the contraflow lane is clearly marked with a Big Red X.
It did not help that at West Alabama and Mandell, the left turn lane headed eastbound had a "Left Turn Yield" sign showing, instead of a "No Left Turn" sign that should have been displayed. Fortunately, we didn't see an accident, but there were several close calls. It's hardly surprising that the signage isn't working properly. We noticed work crews still putting the finishing touches on the contraflow lanes yesterday. There's no way the system was properly tested before being put into use.
I took some photos of the illegal turns and general confusion, but am too lazy to post them tonight. I'll add those tomorrow and turn this into a photo essay. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/16/04 20:51 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (7)
Dumbest Comment So Far Re: Spur 527
Bruce Petit seems to misunderstand the point of freeway reconstruction. Here's what he told KHOU-11 on the topic of the Spur 527/US 59 project:
It could be bad in the next few days, but some say it will be worth it. "Eventually it will be fabulous. There will be two new bridges like this over Graustark and Montrose," says Bruce Pettit. "So this whole landscape will change dramatically. All of our real estate values will increase dramatically. I think as long as people keep that perspective this shouldn't be a big controversy."Progress is necessary, of course, and the Spur was aging and needed some help. But the point is to replace the aging infrastructure with a better section of freeway (to move traffic), not to boost Mr. Bruce Pettit's property values. What a goofy comment to make.
Mayor White was out monitoring the Spur/59 situation earlier, and gave the whole thing a B-. I can imagine it will be worse tomorrow after today's federal holiday. Anyway, nice to see the mayor out and about working on the problems of the city, instead of flying to far-flung places at the taxpayers' expense like Lee Pothole Brown.
(Update) More coverage from the Comical.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/16/04 09:04 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (2)
Beware The Danger Train
The Danger Train (thanks for my friend Mr. Vaughn for the name) has reduced congestion by one more vehicle!
This time, the nitwit in question blasted through a red light right into the path of the train, which had just left the platform and wasn't moving that quickly. Luckily.
I think the photo above from the Comical can now replace this early, prescient effort from Owen.
Incidentally, the news accounts are calling this the twelfth traffic/train collision, but they've lost count -- it's actually the 13th. Here is the eleventh (on 1-27), and Rob posted on a subsequent incident after that (#12, even though the pro-rail Comical called it #11) making this latest the thirteenth. ABC-13 also referred to the 12 accidents back on 2-6 (meaning today's was #13), but even they called this the twelfth incident in their report today.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/16/04 08:53 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (1)
15 February 2004
Tommy Thomas
The Comical endorses Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas today.
I'm down with that, I guess.
But as a complete aside, what the HELL were young Thomas Thomas's parents thinking to give him that first name?!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/15/04 19:13 | Other | Technorati | Comments (3)
14 February 2004
Postseason Aggie "Honors"
The "Coach Fran" era at Texas A&M just keeps rolling, with some rather dubious postseason "honors" for various players:
The football team has had more arrests than wins since September. That is never a good sign.Broken-down athletic department?[snip]
Too many Aggies, most from the football program, are learning about the inner workings of the court system.
Seven football players have been arrested in the last six months. The most recent arrest involved kicker Todd Pegram of Plano, who was charged last weekend with evading arrest after police questioned him about underage drinking.
Some of the offenses have been college kids doing stupid things, as they always do. Other charges have been more serious.
Athletic director Bill Byrne was out of contact because of a family illness. In a message on the athletic department Web site, Byrne admitted he is concerned about the arrests.
"There is no question that student-athletes are held to a higher standard in these matters than the general student body," Byrne wrote. "With the advantage of 20 years as an athletic director, I've learned that tough love is often the best remedy."
[snip]
Three players from Franchione's heralded first recruiting class have been arrested. A member of the second recruiting class, Quentin Gardner of Tyler, was arrested last Saturday and charged with robbery.
Franchione does not have a history of cutting corners by bringing in high-risk players. He cannot let the pressure of playing catch-up in the Big 12 force him to change that approach. The task of propping up a broken-down athletic department does not need to be made more difficult.
Ouch.
After listening to Aggies the last several years, I thought the only problem was R.C. Slocum. I guess not, eh?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/14/04 23:09 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (0)
Sprawl? Yeah, Maybe. So?
I've always been amused by the fact that Continental Airlines actually has a flight from one Houston airport to another one.
Alas, that will no longer be the case:
Ah well, it was fun while it lasted.A free shuttle flight that ferries Continental Airlines passengers between Ellington Field and Bush Intercontinental Airport _ one of the shortest regular flights in the country _ is set to shut down in early September.
Continental Express' 28-mile trip between the two airports is popular with Houstonians because travelers from Ellington are credited with extra frequent-flier miles and also get to park for free. Those who use the service say getting through security at Ellington is easier.
Houston-based Continental said it's discontinuing the shuttle flight for financial reasons.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/14/04 22:02 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (1)
Just Your Typical February Baseball Weather
Heavy coat?
Check.
Gloves?
Check.
Thermal underwear?
Check.
I think I'm officially prepared to go watch some college baseball at Minute Maid. UH plays at 3, and given the traffic situation, I think we'll be cruising that way shortly.
(Update) DAMN, that was cold. And UH lost. Brrr.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/14/04 13:44 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (1)
Observed While Cruising Montrose Today
Further to last night's posted observations from midtown, I just dropped off some UH tix to friends who live way across on the other side of Montrose, and had the opportunity to check out all the traffic cruising through the neighborhood with US 59 closed today.
As you might expect, it's a mess. Heavier traffic than the usual busy Saturday traffic all around the neighborhood, long lines at intersections, multiple bottlenecks. And I saw two ambulances having difficulty getting where they needed to go as a result of congestion on Richmond (the closest neighborhood street parallel to US 59, and where much of the traffic to/from downtown seems to be flowing at the moment).
One reason why traffic is so congested on Richmond? Because there's a major choke point at the Shepherd/Richmond intersection, where traffic is down to one lane each way at points because of construction that just started mid-week.
Yes, that's right -- we know we're shutting down US 59 all weekend, we know Richmond will be a major detour for that traffic, but let's go ahead and tear up an already busy chokepoint of an intersection anyway and just leave the mess in place for the extra traffic. Brilliant. I'm sure motorists did appreciate the signs along Richmond headed east to that intersection that said "Through Traffic Merge Right" however (I didn't have my camera, but I'll be sure and get some photos over this long weekend).
I know it takes time to fix six years of ineptitude in public works, but people expect better than this (or this) from you, Mayor White. Especially after your campaign promises to "Get Houston Moving. There's no reason some of these projects can't be coordinated a little better, instead of creating choke points out of some of the most critical areas in your detours!
(Update) There were problems further down Richmond today as well:
A loud boom startled some residents on Houston’s west side Saturday morning.The damn city is falling apart. There's your legacy.An underground gas line ruptured at Richmond Avenue and Timmons.
The gas exploded, blowing off the manhole cover and creating a small fire.
Parts of Richmond had to be shut down which caused even more problems for people detouring around construction on the Southwest Freeway.
BTW, Richmond/Timmons is NOT West Houston, it's Greenway. Why can't these news outlets get Houston's neighborhoods right?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/14/04 13:40 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
13 February 2004
Observed While In Midtown Tonight
It's all well and good that West Alabama is now reworked into a reversible mess to accommodate the Spur 527 closure.
Unfortunately, West Alabama dumps that contraflow traffic onto Travis headed into downtown.
And Travis is undergoing yet another reconstruction, and is confined to one lane both ways.
Nicely done, Public Works. It's almost like Mayor Pothole is still with us.
Monday (a federal holiday) and Tuesday are going to be traffic nightmares around the Montrose and Upper Kirby neighborhoods.
(02-15-04 Update) I cruised through this chokepoint on my way to see baseball yesterday and took some photos to illustrate the mess. Click on the MORE link to see them.
[Read More]Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/13/04 23:46 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
A Sense Of The Macabre?
So, Callie's Halloween roses are delivered a day early.
Instead of a dozen, there are 13.
Someone at the florists either has a sense of the macabre or a sense of humor.
Either way, I'm amused.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/13/04 23:01 | Other | Technorati | Comments (5)
Site Problems
My apologies for the connectivity problems today.
Apparently, the datacenter has been having some issues. Not sure when things will get back to normal.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/13/04 14:41 | Web Stuff | Technorati | Comments (0)
Bonnie and Blythe
I mentioned that I saw Bonnie Whitmore filling in as a session bass player for Frank Neville a few weeks ago. I also noted that the highlight of Frank's set was HER doing a cover of "Gold Dust Woman."
When we talked afterwards, she said she was working on a new project, Bonnie and Blythe. Via TexasGigs, I see now that they've put up a few goodies here. I also see on Jamie Blythe's site that they play together in Gruene quite a bit, but always on days that are difficult for a roadtrip.
Anyway, go check it out. The downloadable movie is kind of fun, as are the music files. And if you can catch 'em live, do so. Lucky Gruene people. :)
(Update) I'm serious here. If you people haven't gone and listened to this stuff, you should. These gals are REALLY talented. I wouldn't point you the wrong way.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/13/04 14:17 | Music | Technorati | Comments (0)
Speedtrucker and Phil Pritchett
In separate emails, reader Thomas Stephenson suggests that Speedtrucker (opening for Phil Pritchett) at the Firehouse tonight would be a worthwhile show, and Alex endorses the Pritchett show as well.
I've seen Speedtrucker (a fav of our friend Cindy), and they're good. I've not managed to get to a Pritchett show yet, although I almost did a few weeks ago (was there for the opening act, but the place got way too full and way too smoky for me, so I bailed). I probably won't make it out to the Firehouse tonight because of other commitments and plans, but I imagine it will be a packed house.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/13/04 13:44 | Music | Technorati | Comments (0)
The British Press
I love the British press.
Call it tabloid if you want, but it's usually not difficult to figure out where a British newspaper stands on various issues.
The photos of alleged Dem philanderers are an especially nice touch.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/13/04 10:48 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
Happy Friday the 13th
Happy Friday the 13th, everyone.
Don't forget your sweetie on Halloween tomorrow. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/13/04 08:54 | Other | Technorati | Comments (3)
12 February 2004
Get Ready West Alabama
Throughout the whole Spur 527 debate, TXDOT essentially lied and said no traffic would be diverted onto neighborhood streets.
Mysteriously, however, the city is finalizing all sorts of changes to West Alabama to prepare for this weekend's shutdown:
Starting at 9:00 Friday night all lanes of Highway 59 -- that's in both directions -- are going to be closed between Highway 288 and the West Loop.Leave it to the nitwits at Channel 11 to insert a handy reminder about not losing your table on Valentine's Day.But when cars are allowed to hit that road again at 5:00 Monday morning only two lanes will be open in each direction, and this won't change for the next three years.
That's how long it will take to overhaul Spur 527, which is a main artery into downtown and also closes 9:00 Friday night.
This trouble spot carries 275,000 cars a day, and will impact West Alabama where drivers will deal with travel restrictions.
West Alabama near downtown is getting a facelift. And you may not recognize it come Monday morning.
Old stripes are being replaced so the center lane becomes what's called a reversible lane. This is being done to get ready for an onslaught of traffic no longer able to use the downtown spur.
"What we are going to do optimize this traffic so we can get traffic through as quickly as possible," explains Wes Johnson with Houston Public Works.
Starting Monday, from 6:00 to 10:00 in the morning, every day, two of the three lanes will be for inbound vehicles with no left turns. From 3:00 in the afternoon until 7:00, the same thing happens for outbound traffic, again no left turns.
"I find it very confusing," says area resident Allison Leal.
Some people say the changes will cause chaos in their neighborhood. "I think a lot of cars stacked up behind me here on Shepherd, instead of waiting to get down onto Alabama are going to come down our neighborhood street here to get through," says Wayne Leal. "And just make a short cut."
Worried residents met with the mayor on the eve of the changes. "We now need to protect our neighborhood," says Diane Biegel with 59 Gridlock. "And we don't believe there's any way to mitigate that traffic. And we believe it's going to be just horrible."
Bill White promised to monitor traffic and work on fixing problems.
Traffic signals are being adjusted and large X's and arrows have been hung to help drivers know what to do [It's worked out so well on Main with the rail line! -klw].
It could be awhile, though, before people get use to all the changes.
And with that stretch of Highway 59 shut down this weekend, remember to leave yourself plenty of extra time if you have Valentines Day reservations at a restaurant. That way you won't be late and lose your table.
So, reversible lanes, no left turns, new signage -- even though that TXDOT liar Janelle Gbur says no traffic will be diverted into neighborhoods.
I'm glad Monday is a work holiday for me. I think I'm going to be roaming the neighborhood with camera to see what transpires. Given our problems with left turns on Main, revamping West Alabama with reversible lanes, confusing signage, and weird rules about left turns ought just to be a hoot.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/12/04 23:36 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (2)
Baseball This Weekend
It's February and the weather's taken a turn for the worse in Houston, which can only mean one thing:
It's time for the college baseball season to kick off, with a showcase of excellent teams at Minute Maid all weekend long, including the defending national champs (Rice), UH, and UT.
I'm going to try to get out for at least one UH game, most likely on Saturday. Even though I'm taking Friday off work, I'm not so sure that I'll get down to UH's 11 am matchup. I'm guessing Minute Maid doesn't have any heaters, and even with the roof closed, highs in the 40s just ain't right for baseball.
(Update) For those stuck at work or unwilling to brave the cold, UH's games will be broadcast over the internet. Cool.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/12/04 22:51 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
Where Is Big Country?
Our good friend, occasional guest blogger, and Big 12 basketball guru Dave H makes an appearance in Grant Wahl's SI column:
WATN: Big Country found!Nice job, Dave! But you really must stop stalking Big Country now.Many thanks to readers for pointing out the whereabouts of former Oklahoma State star Bryant (Big Country) Reeves, in particular David Hamby of Tulsa, Okla., who sent all sorts of info. These days Country is running a cattle operation in his hometown of Gans (pop. 208), and (as ESPN viewers saw this week) he gets to a lot of Cowboys games. It's not a bad life. Reeves lives with his wife, April, and their three kids (all under the age of 6), and he has become one of Gans' most prominent philanthropists. Not only did he contribute money to help start a football team at Gans High (where the gym is named Bryant Reeves Fieldhouse), but he also donated his family's former diner to the City of Gans for use as a new town hall.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/12/04 22:08 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
Where Might Barry Get Steroids If He Wanted Them?
The war on drugs moves to steroids:
Barry Bonds' personal trainer, a track coach and top executives of a San Francisco-area nutritional supplements lab were charged Thursday with running an illegal drug distribution operation.We all know Barry Bonds would never bulk up on steroids, right? *wink* *nod*The 42-count federal indictment returned by a grand jury in San Francisco and obtained by The Associated Press alleges the scheme provided anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, EPO and other drugs to major league baseball and NFL players, as well as track and field stars.
None of the athletes was charged and none was named in the court documents.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/12/04 18:02 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
11 February 2004
The Spur 527 Salad?
At least one good thing has come from the pending Spur 527 mess:
The Salad 527 from Mission Burritos.
I had one tonight (sans the corn nuts, which are just weird things to put on a salad), and it was d@mn tasty!
I do love the quirks of this city.
Actually, another good thing has come from the preparation for the mess:
Rick Grochoske, assistant city public works director, said about 100 traffic signals on Richmond, Alabama and Bissonnet have recently been synchronized to ease the flow of traffic. He urged residents to call 311 to report malfunctions with signals.The sychronization has been noticeable lately on trips across West Alabama to Diedrich's and back. Why Mayor White could get this fixed in a few weeks since he took office, but Mayor Pothole couldn't in six years remains a mystery. I guess Mayor Pothole was too busy working on his legacy.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/11/04 22:31 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (2)
Doug Carr -- That's C A R R -- Remember It!
A METRO cop has received a complaint for his second incident of buffoonery in a week, but maybe something will be done about it this time since the recipient of said buffoonery actually recorded it:
A METRO cop in hot water, caught on tape going way overboard.The METRO chief trotted out to say everything will be just fine:The officer was working what should have been a routine traffic stop of a taxi cab, but it's what he said to the driver -- all recorded by the driver -- that makes this a much bigger deal.
"How he took my driver's license was just crazy, like 'Just give it, give it, give it!'," said cab driver Amanuel Hadis.
Moments after being pulled over for allegedly running a red light at an intersection in downtown Houston, Hadis says he reached for his cell phone, not to make a call, but to record what he calls abuse from the METRO cop who stopped him.
[snip]
"He had a bad temper and I thought he was going to kill me or do something to me and I was afraid, scared of that."
The voice on the tape apparently belongs to Officer Doug Carr, a former president of the METRO Police Association. Hadis says Carr pulled him over after the front wheels of his cab touched or crossed the white lines of the pedestrian crossing.
Voice on tape: Let me tell you something, (expletive). You crossed that white line out there. That's running the red light, period. You want to argue with me or do you want to go to jail?Hadis is a naturalized citizen, originally from Ethiopia. He fled the civil-war torn country twelve years ago, but now says he's afraid to drive in downtown Houston.Voice on tape: We don't need your kind here. You can go back to where you come from if you don't want to abide by our laws. You understand me?
Hadis: Yes, sir
Voice on tape: Look at my name. Remember it. Remember C-A-R-R 'cause the next time I find you on a city street in Houston, Texas downtown and you (expletive) up and break the law, I will put your (expletive) in jail.
"Number one, I'm embarrassed for the agency and I want to apologize on behalf of all the staff," said METRO police chief Tom Lambert.From what I've seen of Tom Lambert's act, his best apology might be hanging Mayor White his letter of resignation. After firing Officer C-A-R-R.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/11/04 22:08 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (3)
Of Course
Janet Jackson's now-infamous breast jewelry came from a Montrose-area shop (Taurian).
Shocker, eh? :)
Incidentally, why is it that Jackson is now being "shunned" but the little ape that ripped her clothes off is still a little darling? Can anyone explain that to me?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/11/04 20:55 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (4)
Bring Back The Polka Dots
Here's an interesting tidbit buried in the speculation about Ray McCallum's inability to revive UH basketball:
Some of the names floating around regarding the UH job are former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson, Pro Basketball Hall of Fame member and former Rockets guard Calvin Murphy and former Cougar David Rose, an assistant at BYU.Nolan Richardson? *slow whistle*
The man has plenty of detractors, but I'm not one of them. I liked his teams at Tulsa, and his teams at Arkansas.
Nolan's just quirky enough that he might be an interesting fit at Houston. Unfortunately, this is probably just typical message board speculation that's found it's way into the newspaper.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/11/04 08:11 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
10 February 2004
Phoenix --> Firebird --> Firefox
First, it was Mozilla Phoenix.
Then, it was Mozilla Firebird.
Preview release 0.8 of the best Windoze browser is now available, with a new name: Firefox.
If you run Windows and you're not using this browser yet, you should be. It really is that good.
Thunderbird, Mozilla's standalone mail client is pretty good, too. I've been using it a while now as a replacement for Outlook Express (blech), and it's a much better (free) mail client.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/10/04 20:28 | Web Stuff | Technorati | Comments (12)
09 February 2004
The Problem With Geriatric Coaches
Joe Gibbs was rushed to the ER today for an indisclosed ailment.
He's not coached a down yet in his comeback, and it's already put him in the ER. Maybe getting a close look at Danny Snyder's roster did it? :)
I'm sure my DC friend Renee was gripping.
Please, please Lord, let Bill Parcells live long enough to finish rebuilding the Cowboys. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/09/04 22:39 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (1)
We Voted For Lee Brown Three Times, So I Shouldn't Be Surprised
Good gawd, Houstonians picked Bob "Berman always beats me to all the stories" Allen over Chris Berman (who finished last among the big four) for best sportscaster?
And that dreadful Milo Hamilton as best play-by-play announcer (over, say, anyone -- but especially Gene Peterson)?
Sad.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/09/04 22:27 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (5)
Spur 527 Update
A federal judge turned down a request today from the West Alabama Quality of Life Coalition for an emergency injunction to stop the Spur 527 reconstruction.
As big a mess as that construction is going to be and as much as I sympathize with the WALQ folks, I'm not disappointed in the legal outcome. We have way too many activist judges out there just shooting from the hip. Kudos to Judge Hittner for resisting that impulse.
The fun will all start on Friday the 13th. It's going to be exciting when all of those confused drivers who plan on exiting Spur 527 instead get dumped on the new Main Street exit with the rail line!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/09/04 21:46 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (2)
08 February 2004
A Kerry Drinking Game
Here's a drinking game for people who want to get drunk quickly:
Watch a John Kerry speech. Any John Kerry speech.
Every time he licks his lip (top or bottom), have a shot of your booze of choice.
Every time he licks BOTH lips in the same motion, have a shot of Red Bull (it'll help keep you awake during the sheer boredom of his speech).
It won't take any time at all to catch a good buzz.
Seriously, why does the man do that? It's creepy. He's like a lizard or something, shooting that damn tongue out on himself constantly. Ick.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/08/04 18:39 | Other | Technorati | Comments (4)
Mayor Pothole's "Legacy"
Here's a good one from the Comical's dreadful letters page:
Do you hear that "giant quiet sound" coming from the Lee Brown critics? Can you hear it? Or did you hear comments from local citizens and especially out-of-town visitors to our city recently for the Super Bowl? "I love the train; it is smooth and sleek looking" or "This reminds me of New York's Times Square" or "This reminds me of New Orleans' Bourbon Street, only cleaner and bigger" or "Downtown looks great" or "You guys have great facilities," etc., etc., etc.!Giant quiet sound?I remember a man who took the Houston mayor's job six years ago stating his own personal "I Have a Dream" speech. Some of the comments in that speech were "I want to make downtown Houston one of the best in the country" and, one of his personal favorites, "I look forward to the day when someone from San Antonio says they came to Houston to enjoy our downtown restaurants and bars." Houston is on an incredible high right now for doing everything in the trenches a former mayor took heat on.
In fact, no other mayor of this city has taken so much criticism for tackling the tough job of remaking our downtown by fixing streets and infrastructure and pushing the building of fantastic facilities. Has anyone bothered to say thank you to Brown publicly except Marvin Zindler? Maybe we would hear more when the critics remove their feet from their mouths. In the meantime, former Mayor Lee Brown, can you hear me now? Thanks! I appreciate what you have done, and your legacy will only grow.
James A. Henry, Houston
It came out last week that the buffoon underestimated budget revenues AGAIN, leaving the White Administration in a pickle (although one could say that White's contention that he alone had the expertise to fix the mess was responsible for his being elected).
As for Mayor Pothole's "legacy" -- is James Henry on crack? Just look around at the potholes, deteriorated roadways, construction projects that should have been finished long ago on Mayor Pothole's watch, graffiti, and such. Especially look around at the downtown streets that were ripped up multiple times during Pothole's tenure, and are being ripped up yet again -- those streets we kept Super Bowl visitors away from. Parts of downtown STILL resemble a disaster area. There's your legacy.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/08/04 10:11 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
The Sound Of Leftist Nitwits
KPFT's general manager tries to sell Thom Marshall a line of bull in today's Comical:
Q: What is different about the music programs today, compared with those of the previous administration?While it's true that you can still hear some good Texas/Americana music on KPFT, you have to work a lot harder to do so than during its brilliant "The Sound of Texas" run, and you have to sit through many more far-Left extremists. Who really cares what the fringe Leftist nitwits do with their little radio station, but they should at least be honest about what they've done. Music is way down their list of priorities, unfortunately, leaving the "country" airwaves in town to Kenny Chesney corporate radio programming. Blech.A: Depending upon where you look, things haven't changed at all. There are parts of the KPFT schedule that are largely untouched and virtually exactly the same as they were two years ago. ... When you look at some of the folks in American music today from this part of the country, almost every one of them got their first exposure through KPFT. I'm talking people like Guy Clark and Jerry Jeff Walker, Nanci Griffith, Eric Taylor, Lyle Lovett. I mean Lyle Lovett didn't get airtime until KPFT put him on the air back 15 or 20 years ago. And we're doing the very same thing, still.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/08/04 09:50 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (3)
Humbug
I watched this X-Files episode on DVD last night.
"Humbug" is/was brilliant television.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/08/04 09:33 | Other | Technorati | Comments (1)
Dear Gawd
There is a documentary on "Noodling" on PBS-8 at the moment.
All of the "noodlers" are from Oklahoma.
Scary.
(Update) This is the documentary. There were no dueling banjos in the background, but there should have been. Apparently, this thing won prizes at South by Southwest several years ago. Shows you what I'm missing by avoiding the People's Republic of Austin during that august event, I guess. I just stuck in a photo from their site (on the left).
Noodle away.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/08/04 01:17 | Other | Technorati | Comments (1)
07 February 2004
More On The Boob
I have no idea if this is legit or the work of Photoshop, but it's kind of fun nonetheless.
(found at Confessions)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/07/04 22:54 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
Friedman
David Friedman popped in to Duff's journal and posted.
For you Objectivist/post-Objectivist/anarcho-capitalist types, it might be of interest (and certainly several orders of magnitude above the level of the typical LJ post).
Everyone else, please feel free to ignore.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/07/04 22:49 | Other | Technorati | Comments (2)
Wi-Fi World
I just went poking around a bit on the wi-fi sites, and discovered that two neighborhood favs offer free wi-fi access: Cafe Artiste and the Stag's Head.
So coffee, beer, food, and wireless internet are now covered.
Even more of an excuse to think about one of these puppies. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/07/04 22:19 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (1)
METRO's Ridership Numbers
METRO has released what it claims are ridership numbers for the rail line over four days of Super Bowl festivities:
METRO says 177,000 passengers rode the rail during the four day weekend, even though it had to shut down for hours because of crowds standing on the line.Is METRO actually claiming 177,000 people paid for train passes?
It's hard to see how they would be able to come up with a figure any other way, since there is no ticketing mechanism on the trains themselves to count passengers boarding.
Claims of ridership are nice, but it would be even nicer to know how METRO conjured up their numbers. Especially since at least one news account has suggested that rail only has the capacity to move about 2,000 people per hour. Clearly, the METRO estimate exceeds that number for a four-day period (since the trains don't operate 24 hours and were further shut down because of crowds).
Further on the topic of rail, here's a Freeper posting on his experience riding the choo choo. He's absolutely correct to suggest that the stations need some indicator of delays. Actually, I would go further, and suggest they need some indicator of when the next train is arriving. The London tube stations all have this, and there's no excuse for Houston's shiny "world-class" choo choo not to have it. Then again, there's no excuse for using stinky port-a-potties on the silly line either. A boondoggle like this ought at least to have real bathrooms!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/07/04 21:27 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
Stoops On Oklahoma's Haul
Bob Stoops talks about Oklahoma's recruiting class here.
It's all pretty standard stuff that you hear from any coach of a Top 25 program -- our haul is great, we're so happy, we filled needs, we got studs.
But the comments on individual recruits are kind of interesting.
It looks like Stoops probably outrecruited Mack Brown again in the Big 12, and that "Coach Fran" did a pretty good job at A&M. Texas Tech seems to have had a pretty good class. Everyone else in the Big 12 is looking up at those guys. I would have guessed Okie State would have done a little better.
Of course, it's hard to know about these things. Best to check in 2-3 years from now and see how this class is stacking up.
However, I can't wait to see Adrian Peterson in the crimson and cream. Maybe even next year. I think he's going to be a special one.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/07/04 16:26 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (2)
Tweedy
Jeff Tweedy has a book of poetry coming out.
I don't quite know what to make of this.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 02/07/04 16:13 | Music | Technorati | Comments (1)
Houston Drivers Are Below Average
Here's another for the "Houston drivers are idiots" files:
I'm heading north on Shepherd to the Randall's at the corner of Westheimer a little earlier.
There's heavy traffic, and Randall's has their usual cop working the exit/entrance to the parking lot.
I pull into the parking lot and head on my way.
About 2 seconds later, we hear a * C R U N C H *
Some dumbass in an econobox had flown out of the Randall's parking lot to make a left turn, disregarding the fact that the cop was not even in the intersection and was not stopping traffic.
In the ensuing collision with the Chevy Suburban that was following a ways behind me, the econobox lost. Rather badly.
No chance of a hit-and-run, though. Dude had the misfortune of driving like a retard right in front of the off-duty Randall's cop who was directing traffic.
There are some bad drivers in this city.
It should get even better when they close Spur 527, and funnel those drivers into Montrose and onto Main (with the rail line!). Oh yeah. That should be fun.
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