stories from a Houston life

newest stories

2007-09-06T00:51:00.001-07:00

newest stories

2007-05-22T22:57:00.000-07:00

Cross-posting, by Paloma Cruz

2005-07-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

Shameless promotion of headlines in my other blogs:

Bilingual Life

undocumented immigrants being charged with criminal trespassing
16 years of Café Tacuba/ "La Vibra, the Houston Chronicle’s Spanish weekly entertainment supplement, has Café Tacuba as their cover story last week. The story is, of course, in Spanish, but it covers their career and talks about their next concert (last Saturday in Houston)."
a brief history of anti-immigration. "Metroblogging’s Paul Chavez walks us through the history of anti-immigration sentiments in this country in a post about the Minutemen coming to Houston."

Houston Life

City events

Library Life

A Texas Digital Library. "Four Texas university systems and Rice University will collaborate on a digital repository whose goal is to offer online resources, such as teaching aids, dissertations, and practical information, although not books."
Sunday hours added to Houston Libraries
returning library books on time. "LifeHacker recently published a post entitled How to finish library books on time which has a link to a tabbed system to… well, finish library books on time and (here’s the important part) return them on time as well."

Ordinary Life

I’m in a mood - welcome to retail therapy. "These posts will be things I want to buy, but can’t. It’ll be a virtual shopping bag, just shy of actually taking things to the checkout counter to pay for them."

Pasadena Life

watching Emily. "In case you haven’t been paying attention, Hurricane Emily is headed to Texas."
senior health workshop. "If you’d like help in understanding the new Medicare Prescription Drug Program taking effect in 2006, the Madison Jobe Senior Center is teaming up with the Pasadena District Social Security Office to host a free workshop, Tuesday, July 19th, 2 - 3 p.m., to explain the details to you."
great Pasadena photo. "Houston Photobloggers has a fabulous photo of Capitan Theatre, in Pasadena. As far as I can tell, it’s the only photo of Pasadena in their collection, but certainly worth a look."
the city of Pasadena has a budget… sort of. "At first glance, Pasadena’s 2006-10 budget forecast may look bleak. However, the document is intended to give the city a starting off point to plan for the future."

Public Relations life

work for Gizmodo. "Gawker Media is expanding its technology coverage, and is seeking to fill the following positions. All these roles are full-time, and paid accordingly, though we take a relaxed attitude towards external freelance."
do I own this brand? "The redesign of the Diva Marketing Blog has prompted a discussion centered on the question who owns a brand?"
are bloggers journalists? "This is a question that comes up frequently in my life, from both ends of the issue. If I’m covering a topic in one of my blogs and request information from a company or organization, should they treat me the same as they would a Houston Chronicle reporter? At the same time, if a photoblogger calls my office wanting to set up a shoot of one of my clients’ buildings, would I give him or her the same consideration as… say, a photographer from 002+ Magazine?"
the wonderful world of media relations. "John Wagner’s comments in Now It’s The Corporate PR Folks’ Turn To Be Slammed about his experience with the media has had me thinking about the adversarial quality of my daily dealings with the members of the press. And I’ve been thinking about the many things I do, every day, to make those dealings better."
PR blogging isn’t ego polishing…"…or so says John Wagner in his post PR Bloggers Not All In It For Self-Promotion. In it he responds to some recent criticism and attacks that public relations professionals have received, in particular PR bloggers."

teaching life

Operation Backpack. "It’s the city’s largest ever school supply drive."
more seniors are raising their grandchildren. "I come from a family of teachers, so I’ve pretty much heard every teaching story you can think of. I know, my sisters know, and all teachers know that more children are being raised by their grandparents these days than ever before."
back to school at Pasadena ISD. "The Pasadena ISD Web site has a Back to School Guide up to help parents get ready for the August return date. Here you will find everything from enrollment processes to meal prices and school holidays. Worth a visit."
a blog to save Fort Bend ISD. "A good example of how a community blog can generate conversation and interest in a grassroots initiative."

Web Junkie life

the value of a wiki. "The Chronicle: Wired Campus Blog has this wonderful post describing the true value of a wiki, Disaster Response, via Wikis."
how to be a more productive blogger
the 50 Coolest Websites of 2005
productivity tip: stop checking your email
now I’ve heard everything… Wayback Machine is being sued

news posts, on the new site - 7/11

2005-07-10T22:37:00.000-07:00

Here are the wonderful posts you've missed so far at the new home of stories from a Houston life:

moving to Word Press

2005-07-01T23:44:00.000-07:00

(...reprint from Paloma Cruz...)

After testing Word Press for several weeks, and comparing it to Blogger, I've decided to move my blog projects to the palomacruz.com domain and update using WP. What that means is that I'm going to begin reposting everything from the blogspot.com sites to palomacruz.com. It also means that all new posts are going on the new locations.

Reasons why I'm making the change

More control over posts. The ability to track statistics. Trackbacks. More control over commenting. Hundreds of themes.

I like it better.

I'm thinking about moving this update log from MovableType to WP as well.

I'm still thinking about it.

***

The new address for stories from a Houston life is: houston.palomacruz.com.

to do: the Aurora Picture Show

2005-07-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

Have you visited the Aurora Picture Show yet? If not, this weekend is a great opportunity for a first visit. From the Fresh Arts Web site:

Indirect Record
Jul. 9 - 10, 2005
This two-part program collects a body of work addressing topics of war, violence, and tragedy through non-traditional means. Using historical research, personal experience, creative aesthetic and formal structures, these film and video makers construct challenging analyses and narratives, largely eschewing desires to represent the "real."

Program 1 (Saturday, July 9, 8pm)
National Archives Vol. 1 by Travis Wilkerson
Ssitkim: Talking to the
Dead by Soon Mi-Yoo
A Depression in the Bay of Bengal by Mark LaPore
Face A/Face B by Rabih Mroué

Program 2 (Sunday, July 10, 3pm)
Dos Hermanos by Juan Manuel Echavarría
The Dead Weight of a Quarrel
Hangs by Walid Ra´ad/The Atlas Group
Now Promise Now Threat by Paul Chan
Wait, It´s The Soldiers, I´ll Hang Up Now by Avi Mograbi

Pablo de Ocampo is a visual artist and curator for Cinema Project, a non-profit film collective in Portland, Oregon.

Showtimes:
Jul. 9, 2005 8:00 PM
Jul. 10, 2005 3:00 PM

to do: Maestro

2005-07-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend enjoy the film Maestro, at the Orange Show. From the Fresh Arts Web site:

Houston Premiere of Maestro, a feature film documentary, explores the roots of the underground dance music culture from the late 60s to the early 80s, providing an extensive, unique and compelling glimpse into a musical and cultural phenomena that set the groundwork for the global Club and DJ Culture. Co-hosted by RENT and Tasty Lick, with DJs Vic Vegas and Champa Moore.

The film will show Jul. 23, 2005 8:00 PM.

The Orange show is located at 2402 Munger StreetHouston, Texas 77023. For more info, call 713-926-6368.

new Houston Chronicle blog

2005-06-28T22:14:00.000-07:00

The Houston Chronicle's James Campbell, the reader's representative, is one of the newest crop of blogs available at the newspaper's Web site. Entitled About:Chron, the blog has been running for just under a week.

Today's post covers the question: Why can't I find an op-ed article that appeared in yesterday's paper?

The answer?

This is because of the Tasini vs. The New York Times decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which found that The New York Times and other publishers had committed copyright infringement when they resold freelance newspaper and magazine articles, via electronic databases such as LexisNexis, without asking permission or making additional payments to the original authors.

One more information source to enjoy.

Good news for Houston libraries

2005-06-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

(...reprint from stories from a Library life...)

The recent approval of the city of Houston budget brought some good news for Houston libraries, and not a moment too soon.

KHOU recently reported: "Over the past five years, budgets cuts have not been kind to Houston's public libraries. Since 2000, 30 percent of library material funds have been slashed. That has forced some communities to raise funds of their own in support of their local branch."

This was in response to the community around the Houston Public Library Johnson Branch coming together to raise funds to buy more books and computers for that branch.

Of course, anyone paying attention knows that library budgets are being slashed across the country. Many communities are losing libraries, as cities are being forced to close branches to respond to budget challenges.

Not so in the city of Houston. Though hours have been reduced, the reduction has been minimal.

Sunday hours back at some libraries, reported the Houston Chronicle earlier this week. "Approval this week of the city's $1.69 billion budget for fiscal 2006 brought good news to the Houston Public Library, which next month will restore Sunday hours to four regional branch locations... In addition, two branch libraries, which never provided Sunday service, will be open Sunday afternoons."

In addition, "The library system was allocated almost $30 million in the budget approved Wednesday, a sum that included a 15 percent increase for materials acquisitions."

Good news all around.

news topics of particular interest

2005-06-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

Reminders:

Houston Chronicle links expire after a couple of days. Articles are archived after a few days. If you want to access these articles after that, you either have to be a subscriber or go to the Houston Public Library and access the database using your Library Power Card.
CBS KHOU Channel 11 requires a registration.

METRO plans for additional rail lines

METRO unveils proposed new rail routes under expansion plan, from ABC CHANNEL 13. "It's a $2 billion proposal that could disrupt dozens of neighborhoods, but eventually give commuters a way around the traffic jams."

Big brother is watching

Red-light cameras not far up road - City planning to have system at some intersections by end of the year, from the Houston Chronicle. "The city is moving ahead with plans to install cameras to photograph motorists who don't stop at traffic lights, now that the idea has survived a move to block it in Austin."

Parking & Traffic

From KHOU, Up Close: Parking crunch creating shortage of spaces.
From KHOU, Downtown mobility crackdown nets 335 violators.

Water & Heat

From KHOU, Mandatory water rationing in effect for Dickinson. "It's hot, it's dry and now it's happened -- mandatory water rationing. It is now in effect for the City of Dickinson. But there could be more of this in other communities if rain doesn't come very soon."
From the Houston Chronicle, Dickinson begins 30-day water-rationing schedule.

to do: 2005 Pride Festival

2005-06-25T07:31:00.000-07:00

Found on Handstamp, one of the Houston Chronicle blogs. "Your entry to the local music scene with Sara Cress and Joey Guerra," which, in this case, was posted by Joey.

Out, proud and local.
For the first time in several years, Houston has a Pride Festival to call its own. National acts Sophie B. Hawkins and Pansy Division headline the daylong event, but there are also quite a few local acts scheduled for the Community Showcase Stage:
2:15 p.m. -- Houston Pride Band
2:45 p.m. -- Christian Andreason
3:25 p.m. -- skyblue72
4:25 p.m. -- Rich Latimer Band
5:15 p.m. -- Liviya Compean
***
Details: 2 p.m. until the 8:45 p.m. start of the GLBT Pride Parade. $10. Westheimer and Yoakum. 713-529-6979.

You can visit the Pride Festival Web site for more information on this and other events held today.

to do: Houston fireworks

2005-06-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

Need info on Chevy's Freedom Over Texas with Fireworks Presented by Southwest Airlines, Houston's Official July 4th Celebration? (And wasn't that a mouthful?)

The celebration will be held on Monday, July 4, 2005 at Eleanor Tinsley Park @ Buffalo Bayou from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

From the city of Houston's Web site:

CHEVY'S FREEDOM OVER TEXAS WITH FIREWORKS PRESENTED BY SOUTHWEST AIRLINES, Houston's Official July 4th Celebration, will celebrate America's Birthday with a live concert featuring Clint Black and LeAnn Rimes, and one of the largest fireworks displays, presented by Southwest Airlines, in the state of Texas! This is a one-of-kind family event that will have the eyes of Texas upon Houston for the 4th of July!
The festivities include four stages of music that will keep toes tapping with the diverse musical sounds of today's America; including Latin, Country, Classic Rock, Adult Contemporary and Pop.
A reminder of the patriotic roots of July 4th, CHEVY LIBERTY PARK, Symbols of Freedom, will offer the unique opportunity to experience displays of military artifacts and vehicles including tanks and huey helicopters, voting booth demonstrations, the Printing Museum of History and much more.
In addition, a CHEVY RIDE AND DRIVE area will allow you to test drive various Chevy vehicles on an obstacle course.
Children will stay entertained with inflatables, rides and games in the FIESTA'S ALL AMERICAN KID'S ZONE, while adults enjoy browsing the FREEDOM MARKET and the BUD ZONE, where a variety of great food and beverage will complete the day of celebration.

helpful info & things I found interesting

2005-06-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

(...reprint from stories from a Web Junkie life...)

From Bob Parsons, Your credit card info and identity will probably be stolen -- unless you understand a few simple rules. How to avoid the hassle of your life! "If you don’t know how to detect Phishing, your personal info will be stolen. You need to be aware of what Phishing is, and how to detect and protect yourself from it. It’s important that you read and make it a point to understand the rest of this article. If you don’t, you can be very sure that your credit card information (and quite possibly your identity) will be stolen."

According to Pew Internet, "Some 55% of adult internet users have looked for "how-to," "do-it-yourself" or repair information online and roughly 1 in 20 internet users – about 7 million people -- search for help on a typical day. The prevalence of this activity is yet another example of the many ways online Americans use the internet to gather practical information for their everyday lives." The report is available via PDF online.

Even the Army knows blogging is here to stay. Evidence? They now have policies on blogging, as shown in Arianna Huffington's recent post: Army's Rules for Blogging from the Battlezone.

Business Week reports that on June 27th bloggers might benefit from a Supreme Court ruling for journalists. "That's because Floyd Abrams, a lawyer for the reporters, has said in court and publicly that this reporter-source privilege should apply to bloggers as well."

Found via LifeHacker, a link to 50 smart money moves. "CNN’s Money magazine lists 50 personal finance tips ranging from real estate to retirement to career networking to home gadgets that save you cash."

Found via Blogger Buzz, Fifty (50!) Tools which can help you in Writing. "Roy Peter Clark from Poynter Institute has posted up 50 tools that can help you when you do any kinds of writing. This is a extensive list of writing tools, but by no mean you need to apply all of them when you do any writing."

to do: Talento Bilingüe

2005-06-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

Talento Bilingüe de Houston
First Film Friday Summer Film Series
THE BRONZE SCREEN 100 Years of the Latino Image in Hollywood
Jul. 1, 2005 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM

From the Fresh Arts Web site:

THE BRONZE SCREEN 100 Years of the Latino Image in Hollywood is the second film in the Talento Bilingüe de Houston First Film Friday Summer Film Series. The film will be shown on Friday, July 1st, 2005 at 7:30 PM. It is produced and directed by Susan Racho, Nancy De Los Santos and Alberto Dominguez USA, 2002. Admission is $5.00 and tickets are available online at http://secure.tbhcenter.org/tickets.php or at the Box Office one hour before show times.
The film is produced by Bronze Screen Productions in cooperation with the Latino Entertainment Media Institute. Originally shown on Cinemax, this feature-length documentary recalls the history of Latinos in the American film industry. Everything from negative stereotypes to influential contributions during the last century of cinema is explored through archive footage, film clips, and interviews. Among those interviewed are such leading Latino actors as Jimmy Smits, Raquel Welch, Ruben Blades, Edward James Olmos, Ricardo Montalban, Rita Moreno, Cesar Romero and John Leguizamo; along with, Lalo Schifrin, the Argentinean film score composer best known for "Mission: Impossible," and Nestor Almendros, the Cuban-born cinematographer who won an Oscar for the 1978 film "Days of Heaven."
Talento Bilingüe de Houston is located at 333 S. Jensen Dr., Houston, TX 77003, adjacent to Guadalupe Plaza Park and Buffalo Bayou. A map is available on line at www.tbhcenter.org, for additional information, please call 713-222-1213.

the Handstamp Blog

2005-06-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

One of the new Houston Chronicle blogs has made my list of favorite RSS feeds: Handstamp.

Their welcome note:

Editor's note: Welcome to HandStamp, a new blog dedicated to Houston's local music scene. Writers Sara Cress and Joey Guerra, whose bylines you'll recognize from our local bands page, will use this space to report on the local music scene. Enjoy, and be sure to use the comments area to agree, disagree or just offer random thoughts. They like those.

The latest Joey's weekend picks covers the upcoming performance by La Mafia, Los Palominos and others to benefit the Houston area Red Cross. This is La Mafia's first big performance in a while, so it's kind of a big deal.

The bloggers cover the local music scene, the nightclubs and the out-of-the-way spots you wouldn't think to check. It's worth adding to your list of feeds.

News Clippings & Other Things

2005-06-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

Headlines and excerpts from news stories and other things...

From the Houston Chronicle, H-Town's booming sound - A new generation of innovators has put the city's hip-hop scene back on the national map — and is keeping it there.

Now a new generation of rappers is making the biggest push to date — fusing fine-tuned skills with a respect for the local history. Houston rapper Mike Jones' major label debut Who is Mike Jones? has shipped more than 1 million copies, according to Billboard. His album topped the national rap chart and hit the No. 3 spot on Billboard's top 200.

From KHOU CBS Channel 11, Budget cuts cause bare shelves at city libraries:

Over the past five years, budgets cuts have not been kind to Houston's public libraries. Since 2000, 30 percent of library material funds have been slashed. That has forced some communities to raise funds of their own in support of their local ranch.
***
After five years of budget cuts, there is a proposal in the city council's budget to increase library materials by 15 percent. It is a proposal that, if passed, would affect every branch across the city.

From the Houston Chronicle, Houstonian confirmed as ambassador to Spain, Andorra:

A Houston native was confirmed Thursday by the U.S. Senate as ambassador to Spain and Andorra.
Eduardo Aguirre Jr., who has been director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for the Homeland Security Department, succeeds Ambassador George L. Argyros.

From KTRK ABC CHANNEL 13, HISD offers incentives to teachers with students who excel:

Superintendent Abe Saavedra is proposing a three percent pay raise for all teachers. Additionally, the district is considering an incentive pay program for teachers whose students excel academically.
***
The proposed pay increases would bring the salary for a new teacher with a BA degree to just over $36,000 a year. The budget could be approved in two weeks.

From NBC Click2Houston.com, House Panel Cuts Education, Public Broadcasting:

Almost 50 federally funded programs would be eliminated and many others would be slashed, including No Child Left Behind. The cuts total $2.3 billion.
National Public Radio and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are also on the hit list. The House Appropriations committee would cut federal funding for public broadcasting by 25 percent.

From the Houston Chronicle, Growing Goya Foods has gigantic plans - New Houston plant will be twice size of current one:

The Goya Foods plant in Houston packages 1.5 billion beans a day.
Beginning in March of next year, that number will double. In a few more years, Goya expects to be packaging about 7 billion beans here daily.
Goya will be able to handle the extra load, because on June 21, it will break ground on a new packaging and distribution center in west Houston.
At 138,000 square feet, it will be twice as big as the current facility.

From the Houston Chronicle, Local young adults pay more for health insurance - Houston ranks among most costly cities in survey:

Young Houstonians pay some of the highest premiums nationwide for individual health insurance, according to a study released Thursday.
A 30-year-old nonsmoker here pays a monthly average of $146.28 for a standard health insurance plan, according to eHealthInsurance Services, an Internet-based policy broker based in Mountain View, Calif.

From the Houston Chronicle, Jurors will get a pay raise after 50 years:

Senate Bill 1704 by Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, raises juror pay from $6 to $40 a day and is expected to result in juries that better reflect the ethnic and economic diversity of communities.

From the Houston Chronicle, Signs indicate teens playing it safer these days - Both local, national statistics show rates of pregnancy, crime and mortality are way down since the 1990s.

If you've given up on today's youth, consider this: Far fewer teens in Harris County and the state are committing violent crimes, dying violent deaths and getting pregnant than a decade ago.

no title posted

2005-06-17T20:49:00.000-07:00

Because, every once in a while, even I show some taste, I refrained from posting any one of the countless less-than-attractive titles that came to mind for this little bit... not pun intended.

Texas sues 'Smiling Bob' over male enhancement drug, reported by the Houston Chronicle.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott joined five other states in a series of lawsuits Wednesday against an Ohio businessman known for his "Smiling Bob" television advertisements that tout supplements for "natural male enhancement."
The Texas suit, filed in Dallas County district court, accuses Cincinnati based businessman Steve Warshak of deceiving consumers with supplements including Enzyte and Suvaril that haven't been tested or approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Things that come to mind: aren't there more important things to do? don't they have real criminals to go after? isn't this a case of you get what you paid for, or rather what you deserve?

I know that false advertising is a crime. I know that selling medicine that hasn't gone through FDA approval is dangerous. However, there's something about this that seems so frivolous to me.

There's the PR professional in me that sees the lawsuit as a really good ploy to get some names in the paper. This was a guaranteed news article. I wonder, how much did the fact that it would generate press influence the decision to go forward with a lawsuit?

Texas drawing bigger share of illegal immigrants

2005-06-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

According to a recent Houston Chronicle article, Texas drawing bigger share of illegal immigrants.

Texas, which ranks second in illegal immigrants behind California, is the only traditional destination state to increase its proportion of illegal immigrants since 1990, according to a new study.
The proportion of illegal immigrants in Texas — which has 1.4 million immigrants — increased from 11 percent in 1990 to 14 percent in 2002-2004, according to a study released Tuesday by the Pew Hispanic Center.
The other traditional destination states — California, New York, Florida, Illinois and New Jersey — saw a decline in percentage or held steady.
The center estimates that 11 million illegal immigrants live in the U.S. and almost two-thirds of them have come in the past 10 years. Most are young families from Mexico.

No comments offered, though many many are going through my brain...

a mental health crisis

2005-06-17T20:16:00.000-07:00

In a recent Houston Chronicle article, it was announced that an "Urban League leader concerned about issues faced by black residents."

Mental health crisis called 'acute'
The mental health care crisis faced by black Houston-area residents "seems to be even more acute" than in four other large cities, a leader of the National Urban League said Tuesday.
***
Citing the 2004 report published by the Mental Health Needs Council Inc. of Harris County, Moore said about 507,000 adults in the county have mental health problems, including 135,000 who have "severe" mental illness. Among children and adolescents in the County, about 186,000 have mental health problems, including 108,000 with a "serious" emotional disturbance.
"One of every 32 uninsured Americans lives in Harris County," Moore said, and she added that 26 percent of Harris County residents have no health insurance. Moore also said Texas ranks 49th among the 50 states in state funding for health care programs.

26 percent of Harris County residents have no health insurance. That's more than 1 in every four people in the county. Look around... one, two, three, four (uninsured)... one, two, three, four (uninsured)... kind of a depressing thought.

posted by Paloma Cruz

2005-06-16T20:43:00.000-07:00

OK, a mix of posts and crossposts for your entertainment tonight:

Fourth of July

2005-06-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

It's not too early to start planning your Fourth of July celebration! Barbecues, picnics, parties, sun and fun... it's all a go to celebrate our nation's independence.

To find fun activities, or just to plan your day, visit AOL's Digital City guide to Independence Day in the Bayou City.

Latino HIV Task Force to offer free HIV tests

2005-06-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

From the City of Houston Health Department Web site:

Latino HIV Task Force to offer free HIV tests

The Latino HIV Task Force, a group of health agencies and community organizations, will offer free HIV testing June 27 as part of National HIV Testing Day.

Testing will be available at Clinica Santa Cruz, 8345 Long Point; Galena Park Community Building, 1302 Keene Street; Greenspoint Mall, 12300 North Freeway and Las Americas Apartments, 5909 Glenmont Drive from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Hispanics in Houston and Harris County represent 19 percent of the 11,311 HIV infections reported to the Houston Department of Health and Human Services since 1999. They also make up 16 percent of the 22,367 local AIDS cases reported to the department since the start of the epidemic in 1981.

The Houston Department of Health and Human Services convened the task force in 2002 to help increase education and awareness of HIV, AIDS and sexually-transmitted diseases among Hispanics.

The task force is comprised of 26 health agencies and community-based organizations that administer HIV and AIDS prevention programs or medical treatment and various community organizations.

For more information, call 713-798-0833.

Why isn't Houston on the list?

2005-06-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

Houston is the fourth largest city in the country. We have one of the most stable municipal economies, the largest city in square footage (I think) and is considered to have two downtowns (counting the Medical Center as the second). With all that, why aren't we on this list?

Austin makes top 10 list of wireless hot spots, reported by the HOUSTON CHRONICLE.
Seattle and San Francisco are the most "unwired cities" in America — top spots for computer junkies who send e-mail and surf the Web at restaurants, libraries or public plazas.
Also in the top 10: Austin; Portland, Ore.; Toledo, Ohio; Atlanta; Denver; the Research Triangle area of North Carolina; Minneapolis; and Orange County, Calif.

Atlanta? We didn't make the list and Atlanta did?

OK, people, what are we doing wrong?

Lotto sales are down

2005-06-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

(...reprint from stories from a Pasadena life...)

The Houston Chronicle reported:

The Texas Lotto jackpot has fallen short of the amount advertised on three occasions since November because of lower-than-anticipated ticket sales...
***
Sales are running almost 26 percent behind last year's pace, said spokesman Bobby Heith, blaming the problem on increased competition for the Texas gambler's money.

They are theorizing that one of the reasons lottery sales are down is because of increased alternative gambling venues and opportunities in nearby states.

The lottery was created by the Legislature and approved by Texas voters in 1991. Total lottery sales, including the Lotto and scratch-off games, reached a peak of $3.7 billion in fiscal 1997. After declining, they climbed back to $3.4 billion in fiscal 2004 after the Legislature approved Texas' participation in the multistate Mega Millions game.

Nearly 30 percent of the proceeds of the lottery go to education funding, which is a lot less than what I thought that would be.

It's interesting to note that what is assumed to be affecting lottery sales isn't the economy, but gambling of another sort. So that means that the state does consider the lottery to be gambling.

Good to know.

HPD begins campaign against domestic abuse

2005-06-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

The Houston Police Department has begun a public service campaign to fight domestic abuse. The bilingual campaign will target men, in an attempt to stop violent behavior.

From the KHOU CBS Channel 11 story:

The campaign is also focusing on young men in high school and college. Book covers are being printed and will be delivered to campuses in Houston.

Billboards have already gone up. I hope that the campaign is going to be more than jut billboard, that it's going to be an honest commitment to take these cases seriously.

I hope.

stories from a Houston life

newest stories

newest stories

Cross-posting, by Paloma Cruz

Bilingual Life

Houston Life

Library Life

Ordinary Life

Pasadena Life

Public Relations life

teaching life

Web Junkie life

news posts, on the new site - 7/11

moving to Word Press

Reasons why I'm making the change

to do: the Aurora Picture Show

to do: Maestro

new Houston Chronicle blog

Good news for Houston libraries

news topics of particular interest

METRO plans for additional rail lines

Big brother is watching

Parking & Traffic

Water & Heat

City Business

Lottery

Gas prices & Oil

to do: 2005 Pride Festival

to do: Houston fireworks

helpful info & things I found interesting

to do: Talento Bilingüe

the Handstamp Blog

News Clippings & Other Things

no title posted

Texas drawing bigger share of illegal immigrants

a mental health crisis

posted by Paloma Cruz

Fourth of July

Latino HIV Task Force to offer free HIV tests

Why isn't Houston on the list?

Lotto sales are down

HPD begins campaign against domestic abuse