Is Houston finally going to begin cracking down on its rampant panhandling problem? I'll believe it when I see it, but news like this gives me hope: a TV and radio campaign featuring the mayor urging people to help the homeless by giving to local charities instead of giving panhandlers spare change.
Of course, things won't drastically change until the police finally begin enforcing Houston's civility ordinances, but anything that attempts to combat the free reign panhandlers have in Houston is a step in the right direction.
I am really tired of being confronted by panhandlers on a constant basis: at gas stations, in grocery store parking lots, on METRORail platforms, at intersections, in front of bars and restaurants, even in the downtown tunnel system! Some of these people are clearly homeless. Some likely are not. Some of them are polite. Others are belligerent. It doesn't matter. When they come up to me and ask me for money, I find it incredibly rude, annoying and sometimes even threatening.
It is certainly appropriate to have compassion for the less fortunate. This is especially true for homeless people, since so many of them suffer from debilitating mental problems or drug and alcohol addictions. But one’s compassion for the less fortunate should not get in the way of the fact that panhandling is a public nuisance. It is disruptive and it makes people uncomfortable. It also can be dangerous, especially for the roadside panhandlers who dart into busy intersections to collect money from passing cars. And, most importantly, it doesn't really help anybody. Giving money to panhandlers only encourages the practice and, in turn, makes the problem worse.
So please: stop giving panhandlers your spare quarters or dollar bills. Give your money to a local charity instead: the Star of Hope, the Houston Food Bank, etc. By supporting organizations that are set up to help the city's less fortunate, you'll be doing more good than you'll ever accomplish by handing your money over to strangers on the street.
Friday, August 18, 2006
What urban rail systems have you used?
Via The Third Rail: how many metro systems have you ridden in your lifetime? Go to this site and make a list. Here's mine:
From the top: Berlin U-bahn, Berlin S-bahn, Dallas, Guadalajara, Hanover, Kobe, Kyoto, London, New York City, Osaka, Prague, Dusseldorf Rhein/Ruhr, Tokyo TOEI, Tokyo Metropolitan, Vienna and Denver. I guess it's a start.
The list isn't exhaustive; they don't have a logo for Cologne or, for that matter, Houston. But new logos are being added all the time; the Denver RTD logo is at the end because it's a relatively new addition.
In a few years, they'll be able to add the logo for this system to their list!
From the top: Berlin U-bahn, Berlin S-bahn, Dallas, Guadalajara, Hanover, Kobe, Kyoto, London, New York City, Osaka, Prague, Dusseldorf Rhein/Ruhr, Tokyo TOEI, Tokyo Metropolitan, Vienna and Denver. I guess it's a start.
The list isn't exhaustive; they don't have a logo for Cologne or, for that matter, Houston. But new logos are being added all the time; the Denver RTD logo is at the end because it's a relatively new addition.
In a few years, they'll be able to add the logo for this system to their list!
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
City of Cranes
Dubai's historic importance as a center for gold trade - a legacy that endures to this day in the city's shimmering Gold Souk - is the reason why the city has adopted its "City of Gold" moniker. But this Emirate's official nickname really should be "City of Cranes.” Nothing represents this city better than a construction crane, for this is, quite literally, a city under construction.
Depending on who you ask, somewhere between 15 percent and 25 percent of the world’s supply of tower construction cranes are currently located within this Delaware-sized city-state. If that seems hard to believe, it's because the amount of construction here is hard to believe - even when witnessed first-hand. The unreal construction frenzy currently underway in Dubai is unlike anything occurring anywhere else in the world. In fact, I'd go so far to say that this collective development effort, in terms of the sheer volume of structures being built at one time, is an event unmatched in human history. It's truly mind-boggling.
Construction sites are everywhere, and just about anything and everything is being built: office towers, condominium high-rises, apartment blocks, hotels, houses, hospitals, roads, bridges, airport terminals, schools, shopping malls, industrial parks, even a Metro (which is, of course, the reason why I’m here). They're even building man-made islands off the coast. Go to any vantage point in the city and you'll see clusters of construction cranes as far as the eye can see in every direction. The Dubai construction frenzy, furthermore, isn't physically limited to Dubai: it's occuring in aircraft plants in Seattle and Toulouse as well because Dubai's airline, Emirates, has over 100 passenger jets currently on order with both Boeing and Airbus.
As one of my co-workers joked, “this place is going to look really nice whenever they finish it.” But when will Dubai be "finished?" With new developments being announced on a daily basis, this construction frenzy appears to have no end in sight. Investors and developers from all around the world are jumping on the Dubai construction bandwagon, trying to get a piece of the action.
As I've asked on my Dubai page: is this incredible amount construction really warranted? Can all these new hotels, apartments, offices, condos, golf courses and shopping centers really be absorbed? Or is this fury of creation nothing more than a speculative bubble that is one day going to burst, leaving in its wake an economically-shattered city of half-built towers and abandoned developments? If Dubai builds it, will they really come?
Nobody can predict the future, of course, but right now, they're definitely coming. The same co-worker estimated that, since he was last in Dubai in November, this city has probably added somewhere between 200,000 and 250,000 residents. Soaring demand is placing considerable upwards pressure on housing prices. Cars choke this city's hopelessly overtaxed transportation network and new roadway construction cannot keep up with demand (and the first line of the Dubai Metro won't be open until 2009). Shopping malls are packed with people; finding hotel rooms is oftentimes difficult. People clearly want to be in Dubai, and as long as that demand is there the profilgate construction will contonue.
The only limit to this frenzy, it seems, are the number of construction cranes available.
Depending on who you ask, somewhere between 15 percent and 25 percent of the world’s supply of tower construction cranes are currently located within this Delaware-sized city-state. If that seems hard to believe, it's because the amount of construction here is hard to believe - even when witnessed first-hand. The unreal construction frenzy currently underway in Dubai is unlike anything occurring anywhere else in the world. In fact, I'd go so far to say that this collective development effort, in terms of the sheer volume of structures being built at one time, is an event unmatched in human history. It's truly mind-boggling.
Construction sites are everywhere, and just about anything and everything is being built: office towers, condominium high-rises, apartment blocks, hotels, houses, hospitals, roads, bridges, airport terminals, schools, shopping malls, industrial parks, even a Metro (which is, of course, the reason why I’m here). They're even building man-made islands off the coast. Go to any vantage point in the city and you'll see clusters of construction cranes as far as the eye can see in every direction. The Dubai construction frenzy, furthermore, isn't physically limited to Dubai: it's occuring in aircraft plants in Seattle and Toulouse as well because Dubai's airline, Emirates, has over 100 passenger jets currently on order with both Boeing and Airbus.
As one of my co-workers joked, “this place is going to look really nice whenever they finish it.” But when will Dubai be "finished?" With new developments being announced on a daily basis, this construction frenzy appears to have no end in sight. Investors and developers from all around the world are jumping on the Dubai construction bandwagon, trying to get a piece of the action.
As I've asked on my Dubai page: is this incredible amount construction really warranted? Can all these new hotels, apartments, offices, condos, golf courses and shopping centers really be absorbed? Or is this fury of creation nothing more than a speculative bubble that is one day going to burst, leaving in its wake an economically-shattered city of half-built towers and abandoned developments? If Dubai builds it, will they really come?
Nobody can predict the future, of course, but right now, they're definitely coming. The same co-worker estimated that, since he was last in Dubai in November, this city has probably added somewhere between 200,000 and 250,000 residents. Soaring demand is placing considerable upwards pressure on housing prices. Cars choke this city's hopelessly overtaxed transportation network and new roadway construction cannot keep up with demand (and the first line of the Dubai Metro won't be open until 2009). Shopping malls are packed with people; finding hotel rooms is oftentimes difficult. People clearly want to be in Dubai, and as long as that demand is there the profilgate construction will contonue.
The only limit to this frenzy, it seems, are the number of construction cranes available.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Made it...
I'm now at my hotel in Dubai, where it is about 12:30 in the morning local time. The trip was long and exhausting, but it wasn't horrible by any means. The added security measures in the United States meant that lines at the ticket counters were longer (because everybody was checking items they used to be able to carry on such as make-up and toothpaste) but the security screening lines were shorter (because there were fewer carry-on items to be scanned).
My flight from Houston to Amsterdam was on time and relatively free of turbulence. It’s gotten to the point that, even though I can’t sleep on these trans-Atlantic flights, I can at least put on my headphones and “zone out” such that I lose track of time and the trip seems shorter than it actually is.
Because I had a good six hours to kill between flights in Amsterdam, I decided to do a little bit of sightseeing. I left the terminal, purchased a train ticket at the NS counter at the front of the airport, and traveled to Haarlem, where I walked around, took pictures and sat at a café on the edge of Haarlem's market plaza, sipping a soft drink and taking in the delightful Dutch street activity and architecture. I really like the Netherlands. It’s a lovely country in its scale and composition and the people are friendly.
After a couple of hours in Haarlem, I made my way back to Schiphol Airport, grabbed a bite to eat, and waited for my flight to Dubai to depart. Since the last time I flew here, KLM was upgraded their equipment on the AMS-DXB route and now uses modern and spacious (relatively speaking, of course; they still try to cram as many seats as they can into the aircraft) Boeing 777s. The nice thing about the 777 is that every seat has its own TV monitor and you can watch what you want when you want. Once again, the flight was on time and the trip was smooth. Once again, I had no luck getting any sleep but was successful in "zoning out" such that the time passed quickly.
No hassles once I landed in Dubai; I went through passport control, collected my bags, strolled through customs and found a driver from my hotel waiting for me. This hotel is right down the street from the airport terminal and is rather nice with the exception that this internet connection I'm using isn't free; needless to say, I'll probably not be using it too often. My room has a view that overlooks the interchange of Airport Road and Al Garhoud Road; I also have a perfect view of DXB's runway so I can watch planes take off and land. I don't think this is serendipitious; I think the office manager here in Dubai remembered that I am a commercial aviation geek and specifically requested this room for me!
Anyway, it's time to get some sleep. I do need to make it into the office at a reasonable time tomorrow morning (although I doubt they expect to see me at 8 am sharp, given my late arrival), it's going to be a busy day.
My flight from Houston to Amsterdam was on time and relatively free of turbulence. It’s gotten to the point that, even though I can’t sleep on these trans-Atlantic flights, I can at least put on my headphones and “zone out” such that I lose track of time and the trip seems shorter than it actually is.
Because I had a good six hours to kill between flights in Amsterdam, I decided to do a little bit of sightseeing. I left the terminal, purchased a train ticket at the NS counter at the front of the airport, and traveled to Haarlem, where I walked around, took pictures and sat at a café on the edge of Haarlem's market plaza, sipping a soft drink and taking in the delightful Dutch street activity and architecture. I really like the Netherlands. It’s a lovely country in its scale and composition and the people are friendly.
After a couple of hours in Haarlem, I made my way back to Schiphol Airport, grabbed a bite to eat, and waited for my flight to Dubai to depart. Since the last time I flew here, KLM was upgraded their equipment on the AMS-DXB route and now uses modern and spacious (relatively speaking, of course; they still try to cram as many seats as they can into the aircraft) Boeing 777s. The nice thing about the 777 is that every seat has its own TV monitor and you can watch what you want when you want. Once again, the flight was on time and the trip was smooth. Once again, I had no luck getting any sleep but was successful in "zoning out" such that the time passed quickly.
No hassles once I landed in Dubai; I went through passport control, collected my bags, strolled through customs and found a driver from my hotel waiting for me. This hotel is right down the street from the airport terminal and is rather nice with the exception that this internet connection I'm using isn't free; needless to say, I'll probably not be using it too often. My room has a view that overlooks the interchange of Airport Road and Al Garhoud Road; I also have a perfect view of DXB's runway so I can watch planes take off and land. I don't think this is serendipitious; I think the office manager here in Dubai remembered that I am a commercial aviation geek and specifically requested this room for me!
Anyway, it's time to get some sleep. I do need to make it into the office at a reasonable time tomorrow morning (although I doubt they expect to see me at 8 am sharp, given my late arrival), it's going to be a busy day.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Back to the Emirates
Yep, it's official. Tomorrow afternoon I am once again making the journey halfway around the world to my company's offices in Dubai. That rapidly-growing city is in the process of constructing an urban rail network, and I've been called over to assist in station planning efforts. This will require me to be in Dubai for most of the next three months, although I have planned short trips back to Houston in early September and mid-October to take care of work and family obligations here.
This has all developed with such suddenness that my head is still spinning. It wasn't until Tuesday morning that I discovered they wanted me there this weekend, and I've spent the last couple of days rearranging my schedule (I don't have to attend those meetings in Dallas next week, obviously) and tying up loose ends at work so as to make this trip possible. There was also the minor issue that I didn't even have a valid passport in my possession on Tuesday; I had gone to renew it a few weeks ago but had to call the State Department to get the process expedited and the document overnighted once I learned the details of this trip. And I still need to pack!
I have mixed feelings about the trip. On the one hand, Dubai is an amazing city; I enjoyed being there in January and I'm sure I'll have a good time on this trip as well. While I'm there, I'm going to be gaining valuable experience on a project that interests me, and it will all end up looking good on my resume.
On the other hand, I will be away from Lori and Kirby for all but three or four of the next fourteen weeks. That's going to create hardship for Lori, who will have to take care of the house and the kid by herself (although she will get help from my family as well as her family). Being away from family and from home is probably going to make me a little anxious myself. (And this is just for a few months with periodic trips back home; I can only imagine the hardship that soliders shipped off to Iraq for a year or longer and their families are facing.)
The ongoing fighting involving Israel and Hizbollah as increased anti-American sentiment in the Arab world, which could make me a target for verbal abuse or, at the very least, nasty stares. And today's news about a foiled terrorist plot to blow up transatlantic flights isn't exactly comforting for me, one day before I fly through KLM's hub at Amsterdam.
But the worst thing about this trip is this: I'm going to miss almost all of football season! In a year that has the Houston Cougars playing seven home games (and eight games in the city of Houston), I'm only going to be able to be able to watch two or thee of them and that's only if I can arrange my short trips back to Houston to coincide with the games. That sucks! I spend the entire year waiting for college football season, and work-related obligations are going to cause me to miss it! I probably won't be able to watch any games from over there on TV due to the time difference and the fact that the ESPN and Fox Sports channels in Dubai are more likely to show cricket matches than they are American college football games anyway!
Of course, I didn't have to agree to this trip. I could have said "no, thanks" to the request without adversely affecting my job security. So why did I agree to go out there, and choose to put my work ahead of my family and my passion for college football? Quite honestly, I've asked myself the same thing once or twice over the last couple of days. But it comes down to this: by biting the bullet right now, I'm setting myself up for a better future. The fact that the folks in Dubai think highly enough of my abilities to specifically ask for me; the fact that I agreed to this assignment on a couple of days' notice; the fact that I completely re-arranged my schedule to make it happen are all things that my supervisors are going to remember when it comes time for raises and promotions, and that will benefit not only myself but Lori and Kirby as well.
Besides, I like Dubai. In fact, I think I'm going to try to fly Lori out there sometime in November, so she can see the city for herself as well.
Anyway, I'll try to maintain this blog while I'm away, mixing my thoughts on the coming football season with regular reports about my life and other goings-on in The City of Gold. I expect to be back in Houston in time for the first football game of the year (Houston vs Rice at Rice Stadium on September 2nd), but my travel schedule could change.
This has all developed with such suddenness that my head is still spinning. It wasn't until Tuesday morning that I discovered they wanted me there this weekend, and I've spent the last couple of days rearranging my schedule (I don't have to attend those meetings in Dallas next week, obviously) and tying up loose ends at work so as to make this trip possible. There was also the minor issue that I didn't even have a valid passport in my possession on Tuesday; I had gone to renew it a few weeks ago but had to call the State Department to get the process expedited and the document overnighted once I learned the details of this trip. And I still need to pack!
I have mixed feelings about the trip. On the one hand, Dubai is an amazing city; I enjoyed being there in January and I'm sure I'll have a good time on this trip as well. While I'm there, I'm going to be gaining valuable experience on a project that interests me, and it will all end up looking good on my resume.
On the other hand, I will be away from Lori and Kirby for all but three or four of the next fourteen weeks. That's going to create hardship for Lori, who will have to take care of the house and the kid by herself (although she will get help from my family as well as her family). Being away from family and from home is probably going to make me a little anxious myself. (And this is just for a few months with periodic trips back home; I can only imagine the hardship that soliders shipped off to Iraq for a year or longer and their families are facing.)
The ongoing fighting involving Israel and Hizbollah as increased anti-American sentiment in the Arab world, which could make me a target for verbal abuse or, at the very least, nasty stares. And today's news about a foiled terrorist plot to blow up transatlantic flights isn't exactly comforting for me, one day before I fly through KLM's hub at Amsterdam.
But the worst thing about this trip is this: I'm going to miss almost all of football season! In a year that has the Houston Cougars playing seven home games (and eight games in the city of Houston), I'm only going to be able to be able to watch two or thee of them and that's only if I can arrange my short trips back to Houston to coincide with the games. That sucks! I spend the entire year waiting for college football season, and work-related obligations are going to cause me to miss it! I probably won't be able to watch any games from over there on TV due to the time difference and the fact that the ESPN and Fox Sports channels in Dubai are more likely to show cricket matches than they are American college football games anyway!
Of course, I didn't have to agree to this trip. I could have said "no, thanks" to the request without adversely affecting my job security. So why did I agree to go out there, and choose to put my work ahead of my family and my passion for college football? Quite honestly, I've asked myself the same thing once or twice over the last couple of days. But it comes down to this: by biting the bullet right now, I'm setting myself up for a better future. The fact that the folks in Dubai think highly enough of my abilities to specifically ask for me; the fact that I agreed to this assignment on a couple of days' notice; the fact that I completely re-arranged my schedule to make it happen are all things that my supervisors are going to remember when it comes time for raises and promotions, and that will benefit not only myself but Lori and Kirby as well.
Besides, I like Dubai. In fact, I think I'm going to try to fly Lori out there sometime in November, so she can see the city for herself as well.
Anyway, I'll try to maintain this blog while I'm away, mixing my thoughts on the coming football season with regular reports about my life and other goings-on in The City of Gold. I expect to be back in Houston in time for the first football game of the year (Houston vs Rice at Rice Stadium on September 2nd), but my travel schedule could change.
¡Felíz Diez de Agosto!
Today, August 10th, is Ecuador's independence day.
To be technical about this holiday, Ecuador did not officially gain its independence from Spain (or Gran Colombia, for that matter) on August 10th. On that date in 1809, a group of nobles in Quito, a colonial city that served as the seat of an administrative district (audiencia real) essentially encompassing what is now Ecuador, apparently became agitated by Napoleonic intervention in Spain and declared the city to be independent of that nation.
Quito's "independence" was short-lived, however. The following summer, Spanish forces from Lima in what is now Peru entered Quito and killed the leaders of the rebellion. It would be another dozen years before Quito would finally be free of Spanish rule; On May 24, 1822, Spanish forces were defeated in the decisive Battle of Pichincha, which occurred on the volcanic slopes overlooking the city, and Spanish loyalists were subsequently expelled from Quito.
For the next eight years, Quito and surrounding districts were part of the Republic of Gran Columbia. Ecuador did not formally come into existence as its own independent nation until May 13, 1830.
Ecuadorians nevertheless consider August 10th to be significant because it marks their country's inital declaration of independence (primer grito de independencia), much like the Fourth of July here in the United States marks this country's declaration of independence. For that reason, Diez de Agosto is Ecuador's most important national holiday.
Don't ever say you don't learn something when you read Mean Green Cougar Red!
To be technical about this holiday, Ecuador did not officially gain its independence from Spain (or Gran Colombia, for that matter) on August 10th. On that date in 1809, a group of nobles in Quito, a colonial city that served as the seat of an administrative district (audiencia real) essentially encompassing what is now Ecuador, apparently became agitated by Napoleonic intervention in Spain and declared the city to be independent of that nation.
Quito's "independence" was short-lived, however. The following summer, Spanish forces from Lima in what is now Peru entered Quito and killed the leaders of the rebellion. It would be another dozen years before Quito would finally be free of Spanish rule; On May 24, 1822, Spanish forces were defeated in the decisive Battle of Pichincha, which occurred on the volcanic slopes overlooking the city, and Spanish loyalists were subsequently expelled from Quito.
For the next eight years, Quito and surrounding districts were part of the Republic of Gran Columbia. Ecuador did not formally come into existence as its own independent nation until May 13, 1830.
Ecuadorians nevertheless consider August 10th to be significant because it marks their country's inital declaration of independence (primer grito de independencia), much like the Fourth of July here in the United States marks this country's declaration of independence. For that reason, Diez de Agosto is Ecuador's most important national holiday.
Don't ever say you don't learn something when you read Mean Green Cougar Red!
Website finally back up
It took me much longer than I had anticipated, and there are still several changes and updates I want to make that I haven't yet done, but the entire content of my website is back online. There isn't any one "big" change to my website, but rather lots of smaller ones. I've added content to some pages, reformatted others, and also retired a handful of pages which had become dated. More modifications, additions and deletions are in the works, but it could be some time before those occur given the radical change in my schedule for the next three months.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
You want me where? When?
My company's Dubai office would like for me to come out there for a project meeting.
This Saturday. At 1:30 pm local time.
And I need to be back in Dallas by 9:30 am CDT next Tuesday.
This ought to be interesting...
This Saturday. At 1:30 pm local time.
And I need to be back in Dallas by 9:30 am CDT next Tuesday.
This ought to be interesting...
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
The Richmond rail squabble
Anybody who lives in Houston is by now pretty familiar with the "rail on Richmond" debate (if not, there's an extremely lengthy discussion about it over on the Houston Architectural Information Forum). In a nutshell, METRO would like to construct an east-west light rail line (called the "University Corridor") to complement its existing north-south rail line along Main Street (known as the "Red Line"). METRO is currently studying where exactly this east-west line should go: should it be built down Richmond Avenue, should it be put within an old railroad right-of-way adjacent to Westpark Road, or should it be built using a combination of the two?
From a ridership standpoint, Richmond makes much more sense than Westpark (as local engineer and transit advocate Christof Speiler explains). However, there is intense opposition to such an alignment from homeowners and business owners along Richmond who, naturally, fear the property losses and overall disruption that the construction and operation of a light rail line down Richmond might entail. There's also the little fact that METRO's 2003 referendum specifically named this extension as the "Westpark" corridor (and Christof takes issue with this point as well, although in doing so he seems to frame an absurdist discussion as to whether "Westpark" really meant "Westpark" [yet, to be fair, the Westpark right-of-way essentially ends at Shepherd, well before it reaches the existing Main Street line]).
But the "Richmond-versus-Westpark" discussion might be academic at this point. US Represenative John Culberson, a Republican representing the Texas 7th Congessional District who also sits on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, may have essentially settled the issue today when he announced his opposition to any rail alignment along Richmond Avenue. The section of rail in question sits in his district, and, given his influence in Washington, without his support for the project it likely won't get built.
No surprise here. Culberson is an opponent of urban rail. He co-chaired the coalition that opposed the 2003 METRO Solutions referendum. He knows that the Federal Transit Administration is not likely to provide matching funds for a Westpark alignment because it won't generate enough ridership to make it competitive with competing transit projects. And without federal matching funds, the project simply won't get built. Thus, by limiting the alignment to Westpark - even though Westpark doesn't exist east of Shepherd - Culberson might keep the project from being built at all. Back to Christof, who calls Culberson's manuever a political stunt.
This fight might not be over. METRO says that it has no plans to take a possible Richmond alignment off the table in spite of Culberson's stance, and there remains the possibility that some sort of compromise will be worked out in the coming weeks. But, by virtue of the fact that he controls the federal purse strings, Culberson's the one who has the most control over the issue.
Given that fact, I'm not going to bet that we'll be seeing any light rail on the west side of town anytime soon.
From a ridership standpoint, Richmond makes much more sense than Westpark (as local engineer and transit advocate Christof Speiler explains). However, there is intense opposition to such an alignment from homeowners and business owners along Richmond who, naturally, fear the property losses and overall disruption that the construction and operation of a light rail line down Richmond might entail. There's also the little fact that METRO's 2003 referendum specifically named this extension as the "Westpark" corridor (and Christof takes issue with this point as well, although in doing so he seems to frame an absurdist discussion as to whether "Westpark" really meant "Westpark" [yet, to be fair, the Westpark right-of-way essentially ends at Shepherd, well before it reaches the existing Main Street line]).
But the "Richmond-versus-Westpark" discussion might be academic at this point. US Represenative John Culberson, a Republican representing the Texas 7th Congessional District who also sits on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, may have essentially settled the issue today when he announced his opposition to any rail alignment along Richmond Avenue. The section of rail in question sits in his district, and, given his influence in Washington, without his support for the project it likely won't get built.
No surprise here. Culberson is an opponent of urban rail. He co-chaired the coalition that opposed the 2003 METRO Solutions referendum. He knows that the Federal Transit Administration is not likely to provide matching funds for a Westpark alignment because it won't generate enough ridership to make it competitive with competing transit projects. And without federal matching funds, the project simply won't get built. Thus, by limiting the alignment to Westpark - even though Westpark doesn't exist east of Shepherd - Culberson might keep the project from being built at all. Back to Christof, who calls Culberson's manuever a political stunt.
This fight might not be over. METRO says that it has no plans to take a possible Richmond alignment off the table in spite of Culberson's stance, and there remains the possibility that some sort of compromise will be worked out in the coming weeks. But, by virtue of the fact that he controls the federal purse strings, Culberson's the one who has the most control over the issue.
Given that fact, I'm not going to bet that we'll be seeing any light rail on the west side of town anytime soon.
I hate August
Today marks the beginning of August.
I hate August.
During August, the oppressive Houston summer is at its worst. The heat and humidity combine to create a climate that is truly unbearable. August is also when hurricane activity begins to pick up; in fact, some of the nation's most devastating hurricanes appear in August, including Andrew in 1992 and Katrina last year. There's something brewing out in the Atlantic right now, as a matter of fact.
August is also boring. There are no major holidays during this month; no events that make the month otherwise special or noteworthy. Just about every other month has a holiday or other event associated with it: February has Valentine's Day, July has Independence Day, October has Halloween. April is associated with the beginning of spring; September is associated with the beginning of fall. August is associated with, well, nothing. To me, the only thing noteworthy about August is my son's birthday. Kirby will be two years old on the 21st. Otherwise, the month of August represents little more to me than thirty-one days of hot, boring, droning summer.
And of course, the wait for my favorite sport, college football, is especially agonizing during August, precisely because it's so close to the start of the season. Although I'm trying not to get too excited about the upcoming Cougar football campaign, I'm nevertheless ready for it to start simply because it's just four weeks away.
Yep. I hate August.
I've hated August ever since I was a kid, because its arrival meant that summer vacation was quickly coming to an end. Of course, when I was a kid we didn't have to go back to school until the last week of August. These days, kids have to head back to class in mid-August. So kids today might hate August even more than I do.
Which would say something, considering how much I hate August. Ugh.
I hate August.
During August, the oppressive Houston summer is at its worst. The heat and humidity combine to create a climate that is truly unbearable. August is also when hurricane activity begins to pick up; in fact, some of the nation's most devastating hurricanes appear in August, including Andrew in 1992 and Katrina last year. There's something brewing out in the Atlantic right now, as a matter of fact.
August is also boring. There are no major holidays during this month; no events that make the month otherwise special or noteworthy. Just about every other month has a holiday or other event associated with it: February has Valentine's Day, July has Independence Day, October has Halloween. April is associated with the beginning of spring; September is associated with the beginning of fall. August is associated with, well, nothing. To me, the only thing noteworthy about August is my son's birthday. Kirby will be two years old on the 21st. Otherwise, the month of August represents little more to me than thirty-one days of hot, boring, droning summer.
And of course, the wait for my favorite sport, college football, is especially agonizing during August, precisely because it's so close to the start of the season. Although I'm trying not to get too excited about the upcoming Cougar football campaign, I'm nevertheless ready for it to start simply because it's just four weeks away.
Yep. I hate August.
I've hated August ever since I was a kid, because its arrival meant that summer vacation was quickly coming to an end. Of course, when I was a kid we didn't have to go back to school until the last week of August. These days, kids have to head back to class in mid-August. So kids today might hate August even more than I do.
Which would say something, considering how much I hate August. Ugh.
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