Today's Census Bureau data shows the latest population estimates for counties as of July, 1, 2006...
The minority population in [Harris] county is 2.5 million as of July 2006, or 63 percent of the total 3.9 million residents. In 2005, the county's population was 3.7 million.
There were an estimated 1.48 million Hispanics in Harris County in July 2006, or 38.2 percent of the county's total. That exceeded, for the first time, the county's estimated 1.44 million Anglo residents, who make up 36.9 percent of the population.
That marks a significant reversal since 2000, when the Hispanic percentage in Harris was 33; for Anglos it was 42.
The county's Hispanic population now ranks second in the country, tied with Miami-Dade, and behind Los Angeles.
Sunday's Chronicle had an interesting little feature about which presidential hopefuls are receiving cash from the Houston area, and how much they are getting. The article notes that residents of River Oaks, the "wealthiest neighborhood in Texas," have so far made a half million dollars worth of political contributions. The two biggest recipients have been Giuliani and Romney, who have each received ~$160-170 thousand. (In Texas, only Highland Park has given more presidential cash.)
Both of those candidates actually received more from Memorial area residents (nearly $335 thousand between the two of them), though that area's overal contributions were just shy of River Oaks'. Montrose - probably Houston's most demographically diverse district (and gay epicenter) - is leading the city in contributions to Dems, with Barack taking the biggest prize there.
I went to opensecrets.com to find out how Friendswood has donated so far. Bewilderingly, Democratic candidates have taken the lion's share of residents' cash here, with Hilary raking in a cool eleven grand, almost 40% of all donations. Then again, one family alone (Buzbee) gave her $9,200 (as well as $4,600 to Edwards). Then again... again, only 18 families have even made contributions, so this sample size sucks ass.
Let's try the old school, the 3-2-5, zip code 76903. That's right, I'm talking about the east side of the SJT.
This is more like it; we've got good ol' Mr. Mertz - cattleman, CPA, board member of just about everything, and stalwart parishioner of Sacred Heart Cathedral - leading the way with $2,300 to McCain. Big bucks get thrown around in San Angelo.
Seriously. Every morning while I'm driving and I hear the traffic report, that's pretty much exactly what I say. Same thing for the afternoon drive home.
This week, Forbes named the Katy Freeway/West Loop interchange as the second worst traffic spots in the nation (...and this picture was taken when Mrs. Reagan was first lady of the NATION; not of California...). The mag cites the spot as being responsible for 25+ million hours of delay each year. I'm really not surprised; the entire freeway is always a damn clusterfuck. With multiple pending lane and ramp closures due to construction, it's only going to get worse before it gets better.
Let's go to the map.
Nine times out of ten, if I'm on the Katy Freeway (I-10 west out of downtown), I'm on my way to Austin. Four out of those ten, I have Elliot with me. The good thing about small children and babies is that they count as people, meaning that his being in the car entitles me to hop on and ride in the HOV lane. Money, baby. I love zooming past those suckers crawling at 1.5 mph in 103 degree heat on a Friday afternoon. Fuck you, clowns!
I still don't understand why more people, especially those in the suburbs, don't utilize mass transit, or at least carpooling. Just thinking about how much gas money I would burn through in a month if I drove all the way downtown every day makes me want to puke. Hell, you can get a (literally) free ride every day if you just go wait at any Park and Ride long enough. People who are running late for work or who just want to avoid traffic are always looking for sluggers so that they themselves can ride in the HOV lane. Slugging is fucking AWESOME.
Pete Stacker is a voiceover god. You know him from everywhere. The guy with all the soul and the killer earring is Bickler. Look unfamiliar? Maybe you'll recognize him here...
We got to boo Bonds at the 'stros game last night. Roy O was brilliant, as usual, striking out 6 or 7 in seven innings, but he was long gone when the game was decided in extra innings. A couple funky, freak hits by the Giants gave them the 2-1 victory in the 12th. Tough way to lose a ball game, for sure, but Minute Maid's always a helluva place to watch one - especially on a night like last night, when the weather was absolutely gorgeous.
Two movies that I really want to see that probably couldn't be any more different.
The first, and most obvious, is 300.
The other, perhaps not as well know, is Into Great Silence.
One is ephemeral eye candy, the other is a glimpse into the eternal; my dualistic tendencies persist.
Into Great Silence has a very limited release schedule. It's been screening in New York for a couple weeks now, but it's not coming to the Angelika in Houston until May. Austin and Dallas will have screenings, as well. (See here.) It looks like it would be worthwhile to see on the big screen.
Read more on the film and the Carthusian Order in the "About the film" section of the official site.
Next week my is going to be nice and slow at work, so I'll try to come up with something worth your while in between movie time.
To go along with its "23" ad campaign, Dr. Pepper hid 23 coins in 23 cities throughout the US and Canada. Finding one entitled you to a prize of anywhere from $10,000 - $1 million. The million dollar coin was found last week - in Houston! By a UT grad!
In 1570, at the behest of the Council of Trent, Pope St. Pius V revised and promulgated the Roman Missal, typifying it and making its use obligatory for most in the Western, Latin Church. The Missal is the book which contains prayers said (as well as all else that is read or sung) in connection with the offering of the holy Sacrifice of the Mass. From 1570-1970, the Tridentine Mass (Latin Tridentum = Trent) was almost universally celebrated in the West.
As of 1970, however, the same may be said of the universality of the Mass of Paul VI. Called Novus Ordo by traditionalists, it developed, among other reasons, out of a concern for the laity's ability to understand and thus more actively participate in the sacred liturgy. After all, other than a few lines in Greek and Hebrew, the Tridentine Mass is celebrated completely in Latin, and it has no licit vernacular translations. And so it was that after 400 years, at the urging of another Church Council (Vatican II), the liturgy was once again revised, codified, and made compelling.
As a child of the V-II era of the Church, the only liturgy I have ever known is the Mass of Paul VI. Celebrated rightly, it is as sublime an experience as is possible on earth; indeed, celebrated rightly, it is perfection on earth. However, a number of unfortunate circunstances have led to widespread watering down and general abuse of the liturgy. In America in particular, enter any Catholic church on a Sunday morning, and the chances are more likely than not that you will witness at least a couple illicit practices: banal (even off the cuff) translations of the Latin, bizarre liturgical "innovations," etc. Thankfully, B16 has mentioned a few times that reform is in order, so maybe sooner rather than later that mess will be attended to.
Now, back to the Tridentine. Currently, in order to celebrate Mass under the Tridentine form, priests and/or laypeople must request an indult from the local bishop. Obviously, this requirement limits its practicability. In fact, in all of Houston there is only one church that I know of that has such an indult: Annunciation. I went there yesterday, and for the first time in 24 years attended a Tridentine Mass.
One thing that the Novus Ordo Missae is big on is audible response, and audibility in general; the priest offers very few prayers up in silence. The exact opposite is true for the Tridentine. There, very seldom is the congregation prescribed to respond, and the overwhelming majority of the prayers are offered by the priest, alone and in silence, at the altar. Another big difference is the music. Many, if not all, of the Mass parts are sung in Gregorian Chant in the Tridentine liturgy. Not so, in most Catholic churches these days. There the best you will get as far as music is concerned are abysmally vapid "hymns" about "we are church" or some other such non-worship-related theme.
The most important difference, however, was the palpability of the level of reverence. So often, I find myself sitting through a Mass wondering why the people there even bother showing up. They're in jeans, they're yappin' away, their cell phones are going off, they leave immediately following Communion, on and on. Mass under the Tridentine form was such that reverence and awe and complete submission were natural reactions.
Now, I'm not going to stop attending the parish that I normally do. Sure, it's got its flaws, but they all do. Besides, it's still the same holy Sacrifice being offered up in propitiation as it's always been. Also, even though I know most of the Mass parts in Latin, it's easier for me to concentrate on what I'm saying when I am able to recite them and follow along in English. I do think that I will start making monthy or maybe bi-monthly Sunday morning trips to Annunciation, however; the Latin Tradition runs too deeply in my blood and is far too compelling to avoid.
Here's an excellent video of a Tridentine Solemn High Mass, narrated in detail by [then] Mgr. Fulton J. Sheen(!).
Prudence is a cardinal virtue; the Chronicle never got the memo
What the hell was the Chronicle THINKING when it published the names of all HISD teachers who received a bonus this year, as well as the amount each person received?!?
Among teachers there is obvious dissatisfaction with the performance measures (read: TAKS-related metrics) used to distribute the monies, and the newspaper had to be aware that it would incite resentment at minimum and riot at worst by making public the names of those who worked hard enough(!) to meet the school disctrict's "standards."
A cynical man would suspect that there is much more to this disclosure of information than a simple exercise in the Freedom of Information Act.
BUT, all that said, this talk of a teacher walkout next week makes me want to kill myself. People are awesome.
Read a lot more here and here, and see the list here.
My alarm clock is set to < unnecessarily overdramatic radio voice > Houston's only Classic Rock station, 93.7 The Arrow < /unnecessarily overdramatic radio voice >. Dean and Rog do the morning show. They are sponsored by a certain product from which we can all benefit.
Yesterday, the Houston City Council voted 13-2 to extend its indoor smoking ban to virtually all bars.
Fuck that shit.
Fuuuuuuuuuuck thaaaaaaaaaaat shiiiiiiit.
You don't want to smell like an ashtray when you get home at 2:30 in the damn morning? Grow a pair, you fucking pussy. Unless you're sleeping in your fucking clothes, what the fuck does it matter? Besides, that girl you wanna take home and fuck is drunk enough that she doesn't give a rat's fucking ass what the shit you smell like. Fuckface.
Oh, what's that? You're tired of breathing in the toxic fumes of my secondhand smoke? Newsflash, asshole: you live in fucking Houston. Toxic fumes are a part of your existence. Unless you are NOT breathing between the hours of 3 and 7 every evening, I can pretty much guarantee that your pansy ass little lungs are taking way more of a beating from car exhaust and refinery emmissions than from my fucking 15 cigarettes I smoke around you once a week. Shitscum.
Hey, you, slutbag waitress. Yeah, you. Listen to me. You work in a fucking bar. You were well aware of what that would entail when you signed on for the job. Stop pretending that the whole world revolves around your pathetic fucking miserable life and trying to mold it that way. Bar culture is well established and proud, and was getting along just fine until you decided that your fucking health concerns were relevant. Guess what? They're not. Workers' rights my fucking ass. If you don't like secondhand smoke and still wanna work at night, I think Taco C is hiring. Whore.
Fucking dammit cockshit motherassfucker.
Alright, I'm over it.
The other thing is this. Last Friday, Two Gallants played at Walter's on Washington. The place is in a residential area, and there was a noise complaint, so a beat cop showed up to get them to turn down. The details are still in dispute, depending on whose story you hear (obviously), but I think its probably a fair bet that the officer didn't exactly handle the situation diplomatically. A melee ensued, which included multiple taser discharges, and four arrests. Full story.
NOW, all that said, let's review Chris Rock's "How Not to Get Your Ass Kicked by the Police":
Step 1: Obey The Law Step 2: Use Common Sense Step 3: Stop Immediately Step 4: Turn That Shit Off Step 5: Be Polite Step 6: Shut The Fuck Up
So simple, yet so effective.
Roll tape.
Hmmm, seems like there was a massive failure to follow ANY of the steps here.
Listen, kids. When dealing with an officer of the law, you are wrong. Period. C'est la Vie. Don't try to argue with him, and for God's sake don't get in his fucking grill. Just say "yes sir" and "no sir" until he leaves you alone, or realizes that you are lying and arrests you. The sooner you internalize this, the happier and less-angst ridden you will be.
Don't be fooled by the pseudo-intellectuals who think that...
As long as anyone is placed in a position of power over others, abuses like this will continue to be the norm. The problem isn't "one bad cop," or even the police system in general - this is a result of hierarchy itself. Such violence is inherent to any hierarchical system, whether it's the police, racism, government, an abusive husband, or the bosses at our workplaces. As long as such positions of authority continue to exist, they will continue to be exploited, and real democracy and equality will remain no more than a mythology that these authorities assure us is true.
Yes, unfortunately, there really are assclowns who still believe this dribble. And yes, this person was actually willing to put his intellectual retardation on public display by posting it to a Chron.com blog. Other than pubescent sentiment, I've never been able to pinpoint what exactly causes this sort of irrational phobia of authority, but you would think that people would have to outgrow it at some point if they want to function in civil society.
Newsflash to people like this: your revolution is over; the bums will always lose.
Step 1: Obey The Law Step 2: Use Common Sense Step 3: Stop Immediately Step 4: Turn That Shit Off Step 5: Be Polite Step 6: Shut The Fuck Up
I don't know which one I'm enjoying more: watching Garner play about 17 position players and 10 pitchers each night en route to amazing Astros' victories, or seeing the Cards COMPLETELY shit the bed.
It's like watching a car crash while getting a blow job.
C-Bass is interviewed on BON, a blog that is infinitely cooler and infinitely more read than ours!@#
My life somehow feels completely validated.
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Phil's going to give the Rocket one more short-rest start this Sunday, in what will likely be his last game at Minute Maid. His (bad-fucking-ass) start Wednesday was widely speculated to be his grand finale, but apparently he tugged hard enough on Uncle Drayton's heartstrings and talked him into letting him have one more. I hope the hitting pulls through for him and gets him that last W...
I know I'm full of hyperbole, but I don't think it's any exaggeration to say that Clemens is one of the top 10 - shit, arguably top 5 or top 3 - pitchers of all time. Needless to say, his contribution to the Astros and their fans has been tremendous, even in only a few short years. It's unfortunate that the Astros don't have the payroll capability to keep him on just oooooone more season and beef up the bats at the same time, but alack.
I'm looking into tickets for the game, I'll leep you posted. I got tickets. It's going to be electric.
P.S. I'm not going to make it in town for the Iowa State game tomorrow, so if anyone wants the (student) ticket, you'll need to call me before about 11 so I can have my liaison contact you before she skips Austin. Sorry for the short notice.
...but I think the Astros may be poised to pull off the improbable.
They just achieved their first 5 game win streak of the season. Yes, their first.
This weekend's series against the Mets could really make or break them. I'm hoping for the former, because I'm going to the game on Saturday night, and nobody likes to see the home team lose.
We went to Xtreme Super Bowling on Saturday night, where they turn out all the lights and let you bowl unlimited for like 15 bucks. The music pretty much sucked dick, but they had a real live bar. Score one for us.
Many a White Russian was consumed.
I guess the lunge position that your body naturally ends up in after you roll the ball eventually took its toll on my poor, un-exercised body. Even today my entire left leg from ass cheek to ankle feels tight and sore as hell.
Some of the things that are difficult to do in my current state of semi-immobilization:
Stand Walk Wipe my ass Kneel (at church, not in the truck stop bathroom) Pick up chicks
