Every week there are several things that catch my eye as interesting but not with quite enough meat on the bone to warrant a full blog post. As I've done in the past, I'm going to revert to link posting (as every truly awful blog should) and just compile those in a single entry.
Some of these might interest you, some might not, you get what you pay for. (Except in the case of the Houston Chronicle's fire-wall, where you pay for not much of value at all)
The Chron would like you to know that United CEO Oscar Munoz is a really swell guy.
No one does the 'glowing profile' bit quite like the Chronicle. They are the undisputed champions of the genre. Here they turn their focus toward a middling CEO who's greatest accomplishment to date is being able to say "Hey, we don't absolutely suck anymore."
I see the Texas Tribune is still trying to hide their editorializing behind an "analysis" screen.
This lets their top Austin political reporter weigh-in on issues that he otherwise wouldn't be able to opine on in hard news. (theoretically) More and more political "reporting" is really just gussied up opinion writing anyway. So, in the end, it probably doesn't matter much. Neither does the Texas Tribune when it gets down to it.
There is nothing "important" about a restaurant opening.
Can we please stop deifying people who just happen to be pretty good at cooking food for high prices? "Important" openings are homeless shelters, or food kitchens for the poor, or other critical services for communities. Someone offering up the latest fusion goat tacos might be good, but it's hardly important. Let's stop buying in to the self-ego stroking of the FoodBorg in 2019 mmmmKay?
Prop B is placed on hold.
And I have some questions:
1. How in the world does the HPOU have any kind of standing here?
2. So the HPOU is now the political enforcement arm for Mayor Sylvester "Boss" Turner?
Houston is starting to slide into the muck of corruption, payola and the good-ol' boy system. That should worry Houstonians as the current Mayor has dropped all pretenses to the contrary.
For a so-called "moderate" Chron "Conservative" Columnist Erica Greider sure luvs herself some socialists
And their ideas apparently. Belief in the Federal Jobs Guarantee should be an automatic disqualifier as a writer of political opinion. Also, Republicans in Harris County need to stop treating her like she's an ally. Like most of the other Chron political opinion scribes Ms. Greider is a progressive. There's nothing wrong with that, provided you fully identify your leanings which the Chron and Greider do not.
LINKHouston is new! Vibrant! Forwar.....Oh crap they are just more of the same.
In the end all of these transit groups in Houston are about one thing. Diverting more of your money to the failed engine that is MetroHouston. What they really want are pretty things in the never-ending chase of world-classiness. Houston and the region cannot have nice things because of groups like this.
Scandal-dogged wanna-be Democratic candidate tries to settle for being a Democratic policy wonk instead.
"Tax, tax, tax. Tax, tax, tax. Equality somesuch For All, for some, for me, for none, spend, spend, spend "For the Children" transparency, good governance."
Yup, he pretty much hit all the lefty talking points. Well done Junior policy wonk.
Sometimes it feels like these editorials are completed by two different people writing half each.
It's no secret I think the Chron should shutter it's editorial board and redeploy the resources to the newsroom. For one, it would improve their reputation. For two, it would stop them from penning embarrassing editorials that contradict themselves within the text such as this. Auto companies aren't getting rid of cars to go greener, they're doing it to focus more on SUVs. I mean, it says so right in the article.
"Airport Rock" sounds like the worst idea ever.
The classical music trio that plays in the concourse at Hobby is actually pretty good. I can't imagine how pitiful listening to the Cooper Hill band play a cover of Clay Travis would be. On the bright side, this story did give us a quote of someone in the city calling IAH a "dump" so there's that.
There is nothing politically transformative about calling for increased spending of other people's money.
Yes, Ocasio-Cortez is a media darling, but no policy that she's forwarded so far is very well thought or, or especially innovative. The media is so quick to plant rising star labels on photogenic politicians who pull mild upsets that they forget to look under the hood at the actual policy skills. This is why there are thousands of rusted out old husks of political rising stars on the curbs of American history. Ocasio-Cortez is a political Edsel. There's nothing transformative about that.
Turner looks to dip his toes in HISD.
I'm sure there's money to be made in this, for someone, probably someone with ties to Turner who will eventually receive a lucrative contract to actually run the schools. I'm also not clear on how bringing back Stipeche, who was on the board from 2010-2015 and is one of the architects of the districts failure, is going to solve anything.
Sean Dolan REALLY hates Katy ISD
He first spoke out as an anti-bullying advocate but it's starting to look like he just really wants to get even with the man who took his lunch money in Jr. High.
Texas Driver Responsibility Program under (well deserved) fire.
Just a reminder folks: Cash grabs ALWAYS, and without fail, have unintended consequences. Remember this the next time your local electeds come up with programs that include forced takings from the citizenry. Because hurting the poor is a bipartisan goal.
White's on PARADE!!
I always chuckle a bit when the media discovers that there are stupid people out there who are crafting policy for a political party. Yup, there are White Nationalists in the GOP, and Black Panthers and La Raza devotees in the Democratic party to boot. If this is a shock to you, or if you think it newsworthy, you should probably read a little bit more. More worryingly is that crap such as this tends to distract us from societies REAL villains: People who start celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving.
And finally.....two things.
Don't go through life this angry. Get out, go to the beach, visit a museum, don't wake up one morning only to find out you're this poor lady whose sole purpose in life is to diminish people's good feelings toward a dog. Mental health is a real issue in this country right now, get help.
I have found the bottom of the media. You go to J-School, get a 4-year degree (even if it takes six to get it) you get a job at a newspaper, and a by-line. Only to find out that your job will consist entirely of scouring social-media for reactions (or "hilarious memes") to breaking news stories. You now know what it's like to work in the unwashed armpit of the media. I am so, so sorry. Your next Jack and Coke is on me.
Remember: Life is good, it's us who mess it up.
