Monday, December 31, 2007

Harris County DA Refuses To Step Down

The local Republican Party has asked DA Chuck Rosenthal to step down and not seek re-election but he refuses to do so. More of story--here.

Do you think he should abandon his re-election bid?

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Can We Trust The Statistics?

Can we trust any of Houston's crime statistics? After all, it has been reported that the Houston police department were playing with the numbers in order to have us believe that crime was low. According to FBI statistics:

Hate crimes in Texas fell to their lowest level in five years and Houston has the lowest per-capita rate of hate crimes among the nation's 10 largest cities.

There were 7,722 hate crimes motivated by prejudice against race, religion, sexual orientation or a disability in the United States in 2006, according to the FBI. That included 245 in Texas.


Are these figures legit?

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Bank Robberies Increase In Houston

Oh no...not in Houston!!!!

The number of bank robberies in the Houston-area this year has more than doubled.

There were 54 last year and 116 this year.

Investigators said there is no one particular reason for the jump.


I am shocked that no one is trying to blame the increase on Katrina evacuees.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Will We Learn More About The 'Naughty DA'?

It seems that a federal judge has resealed the documents.

“Our contention has always been the public should have access to see what their elected officials are doing on taxpayer time and taxpayer equipment,” plaintiffs’ attorney David Tang said.

We here in Houston do have a right to know about what our naughty prosecutor is up to. The question is will we find out more or will DA Rosenthal's dirty little secrets remain on the down low?

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Can Houston Cure Its Ills?

Houston's illegal immigration problem reminds me of a new form of incurable cancer. You want to rid people of it, but where do you begin?

While statistics show trafficking and smuggling are growing worse in Houston, some immigration groups are not so sure the immigrations officers are ready to handle the onslaught.

“The cases continue to pile on top of them and they get overwhelmed and they fall through the cracks,” said Curtis Collier of the Houston branch of U.S. Border Watch.

Meanwhile, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is getting involved.


Houston need all the help it can get in ridding the city from this type of cancer that has a detrimental impact on the City's economy as well as its citizens safety.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Smugglers Are On The Prowl In Texas Again

Not even do CHRISTMAS DAY keep the smugglers away:

A 14-year-old boy, who’s kidnapping was likely related to an attempt by an illegal immigrant smuggler to get more money, returned home Christmas Day.

Antonio Gonzalez, 14, may have been kidnapped in an attempt by a coyote to get money from his family.

Antonio Gonzalez was with his mother at a Shell gas station near Becker Road and State Highway 290 on Monday when he was taken.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said Gonzalez was kidnapped by Santos Vasquez, of San Marcos. Investigators believe the kidnapping was part of an illegal immigrant smuggling plot.


We have to keep a close eye on our kids because of these pathetic desperados.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Houston officials are at it again

It seems like Houston law enforcement officials always make news and not for the right reason:

A group of Houston police officers has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city and Chief Harold Hurtt, alleging a "longstanding history of policies and conduct that discriminate against Hispanic police officers."

The 23 plaintiffs in the civil complaint say they are underrepresented in management, and that rank-and-file Spanish-speaking officers aren't properly compensated for "additional work" they perform, such as translations.


Let's hope their complaint is fully investigated.

Monday, December 24, 2007

Houston Toddler Won't See 'Dad' This Christmas

One Houston, Texas toddler will not be celebrating Christmas with his dad. His dad, Stan "Pampy" Barre, III is currently serving his sentence for residential burglary in Federal Way, Washington. This is nothing new to the poor little tyke since he hasn't seen his dad since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the gulf coast.

He barely recognized his dad during his brief visit since the unemployed father of three other children never spends any quality time with him.

The poor tyke's grandfather though received good news this week from the federal government. His grandfather, Stan "Pampy" Barre, of New Orleans, is currently awaiting sentencing for looting from a massive energy savings contract that was awarded to the City of New Orleans during the last year of former New Orleans Mayor, Marc Morial's administration.

He was originally due to be sentenced next month, however, his sentencing has been postponed until April.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Houston Becomes Safe Haven For Illegal Immigrants

It appears that Houston's mayor, Bill White, is in a teezy over Bill O'Reilly's latest Comment.

"These two illegal aliens are dead because of Houston's sanctuary city policies," O'Reilly said during an interview segment on his cable TV show. "That's why they're dead."

I remember being in a Wal-mart, in Houston, Texas, where I tried to ask an employee for assistance. Her response was...me speak no engles..

Apparently Bill O'Reilly has a point.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Staged Fight At Stafford High School


Should it make a difference whether the teacher was a substitute or not? Someone could have been seriously hurt.

The superintended was surprised, but confirmed the fist fights, slam dunks and pillow fights did in fact occur in one of his classrooms – under the supervision of a substitute teacher.

Wake up and smell the coffee.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Filling Priscilla Slade's Shoes

Why is it taking so long to find a replacement for disgraced ousted president, Priscilla Slade? Is is worth risking accreditation?

The board is under pressure to move quickly to the fill the position, which has been vacant since the firing of Slade in June 2006 amid a spending scandal. A hung jury recently spared Slade of a criminal conviction on charges related to her use of school money for personal expenses, but her former chief financial officer, Quintin Wiggins, received a 10-year jail sentence for his role in the scandal.

TSU is at risk of losing accreditation if campus leaders do not rectify a series of financial and management issues within a year. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools placed the state's largest historically black university on probation last week because of the school's poor financial picture.

"I would hope that a decision be made and a new president on campus by the beginning of next semester," said state Rep. Garnet Coleman, a Houston Democrat whose district includes the 9,500-student campus. "If not, it's a big problem."

The university needs a good leader in order to rectify its' problems. One would think the 'politicking' would stop in order to get down to business.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Houston plugs movie

Typical of Houston, Texas grandiose style, any mention of someone remotely connected to the city will enjoy days of fanfare. Remember this: Houston's own Anna Nicole Smith...Houston's own Beyonce Knowles...Houston does a lot of claiming...Now we have the LEGEND...Charlie Wilson's War

“When I was growing up in Texas, I never imagined I would end up in Afghanistan,” said Houston socialite Joanne Herring.

On the silver screen, Herring is portrayed by Oscar winner Julia Roberts while Charlie Wilson is played by Tom Hanks.

The movie studio describes it as a film about a Texas congressman who loved a good time, a Houston socialite who loved a good cause and how they conspired with the CIA to bring about the largest covert operation in U.S. history.


Toot..toot for Houston, Texas

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

The Great Debate

From the Houston Chronicle:

Science teachers are not allowed to teach creationism alongside evolution in Texas public schools, the courts have ruled. But that's exactly what the Dallas-based Institute for Creation Research wants them to do.

The institute is seeking state approval to grant an online master's degree in science education to prepare teachers to "understand the universe within the integrating framework of Biblical creationism," according to the school's mission statement.

Last week, an advisory council made up of university educators voted to recommend the program for approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, sparking an outcry among science advocates who have fended off attempts by religious groups to insert creationism into Texas classrooms.

Joe Horn Ordinance Passes

When Joe Horn acts, everyone listens.

The City of Pasadena passed an ordinance restricting demonstrations in front of people's homes. The new ordinance came about because of protests in front of the home of a Pasadena homeowner who shot and killed a pair of burglars after they broke into a neighbor's house.

The new law all but bans picketing in front of privately owned homes. In a 6-0 vote, the Pasadena City Council banned picketing on front of a residential dwelling.

Wow, that was fast work. Showing your true colors, uh?

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Judge's Daughter to begin serving Lenient Sentence

The judge's daughter, who was convicted of manslaughter, will begin serving her very lenient sentence.

Elizabeth Shelton, convicted in a crash that killed her boyfriend, will start serving her 120-day jail sentence Thursday.

Shelton, whose father is Judge Pat Shelton, previously had asked to serve time on the weekends and holidays to avoid problems with her school schedule.

We must not interfere with her education. Boo, hoo, hoo

Pervert Admits to Sexual Contact With Student

According to court records, Carlos Hector Valencia admitted to engaging in sexual contact with one of his students.

He said it happened twice in the barn located on the campus of Westfield High School, where Valencia, 42, taught Spanish.

Get this idiot some help. He really needs it.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Teacher Accused of Improper Conduct

Improper conduct seems to be the norm here in Texas. A substitute teacher has been accused of fondling a student. According to a released report:

“The Westfield High School administration was notified anonymously by a student on Nov. 26 of an improper student/teacher relationship. The notification was made through AnComm, an anonymous communication system, which the school encourages students to use when they have concerns.

Sam's sells fake Prada bags

Court documents indicate that a couple in Kentucky purchased a Prada bag at a Sam’s and mailed it to a family member in Italy. That family member took the bag into a Prada store for a repair and was told it was a fake.

The couple filed a lawsuit against Sam’s. As part of the settlement, customers can expect a full refund if they return the suspect handbags.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Other Rappers expected to attend Rapper's funeral

Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z are among the entertainers expected to attend fellow rapper Pimp C's funeral today in Port Arthur. As a result, security will be tight.

On Wednesday, crews put up portable barricades at the Bob Bowers Civic Center in Port Arthur.

Pimp C, whose real name is Chad Butler, grew up in Port Arthur. He was half of the Grammy nominated duo UGK.

Butler, 33, died last week in Los Angeles.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Sex Trade In H-Town

Prostitution must be popping in H-Town.

HPD officers have been working undercover to make arrests at some of Houston's 'spas.' They say, rather than massages, the women at these businesses are serving up sex for cash.

Police say many of the spas are operating illegally and involve Asian women who were brought to the States for the sole purpose of participating in the sex trade.

Meanwhile, the missing minister has his own woes:

The wife of a local minister who police say was brutally stabbed and robbed while meeting a woman at a hotel says there is no way her husband would visit a prostitute. Police have charged two suspects in the attack.

Miles is not denying he was at the motel, but in a note to his wife from his hospital bed he said he was not there to meet a prostitute.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Billboards to be Removed

Clear Channel Outdoor Inc., one of the largest outdoor advertising companies in Houston soon will begin removing more than 800 of its small and mid-size billboards across the city, officials said Monday.

The agreement to remove about two-thirds of Clear Channel's 1,347 small and medium-sized billboards from private property is expected to end two decades of litigation with the city and speed the elimination of signs that were slated to come down in 2013 anyway, company and city officials said.

City officials estimate there are about 4,000 billboards in Houston and just outside its boundaries. Removing them has been a hotly contested battled since the city adopted an ordinance to regulate them in 1980. |Read on|

Monday, December 10, 2007

Scamming Homeowners

A Houston-based company is being investigated by the attorney general for scamming homeowners across the country. Those homeowners were in the most desperate of circumstances – they were about to lose their homes. The name of the company is Southern Residential Capital, also known as House911.com.

A restraining order has also been filed to stop the company from practicing, and their assets have been frozen.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

NASA aims for Sunday shuttle launch

With erratic fuel gauges still a possible threat, NASA aimed for a Sunday launch of space shuttle Atlantis after senior managers signed off on a plan to tighten flight rules and shoot for a slim one-minute window.

Managers believe the extra precautions will keep Atlantis and its seven-man crew as safe as possible if, indeed, the shuttle lifts off with a European lab intended for the international space station.

On Saturday, two engineering departments at NASA recommended delaying the launch and doing additional testing to figure out why so many fuel gauges acted up during Thursday’s launch attempt. But in the end, they did not oppose trying for a liftoff, said LeRoy Cain, chairman of the mission management team.

Under the new rules, NASA will proceed with the countdown only if all four of the gauges in Atlantis’ big hydrogen tank are working properly. Two of them failed when the shuttle’s tank was filled for liftoff on Thursday and a third one subsequently acted up.

NASA passed up launch tries on Friday and Saturday because of the perplexing problem, which has plagued the shuttle program off and on for more than two years. After meeting again Saturday, shuttle managers decided to press ahead with a Sunday afternoon liftoff, but only if all the fuel gauges behave.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Now What?

An autopsy report of the burglars shot by a Pasadena homeowner shows that one of the men was shot in the back sources tell 11 News.

A Pasadena law enforcement official told 11 News that late yesterday; detectives finally got their hands on the preliminary autopsy results. Pasadena police sources also confirmed that a plainclothes officer arrived on the scene just seconds before Joe Horn opened fire, killing the two burglars. |Read more|

Friday, December 7, 2007

Economic Fair In Houston

Houston hosted the National Urban Leagues' economic fair yesterday at Minute Maid Park. Its' purported purpose was to "arm blacks with the financial tools needed to secure a prosperous future".

The tour titled, "You, Your Money, Your Future, chose Houston as its fourth stop on its year long tour.

According to Marc Morial, Houston was chosen as a stop on the economic empowerment tour because of its booming economy fueled by the energy industry, but blacks and Latinos are not reaping the benefits of the boon.

Um..the word "energy" is coming up a lot in the New Orleans area.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Inmates Sue Private Firm

Seven inmates who were held at the Coke County Juvenile Justice Center have sued the private firm that operated the lockup, claiming they were abused by a guard who was a registered sex offender.

The inmates allege they were mentally, physically and sexually abused in 2006 and early 2007 by David Andrew Lewis, 24, who worked the night shift until he was fired in March.

The federal civil rights lawsuit, which was filed Friday in San Antonio, names the GEO Group Inc. The Florida-based company ran the facility in Bronte, 30 miles northeast of San Angelo, until the state removed all inmates and canceled GEO's contract in October citing unsanitary and unsafe conditions.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Continental Airlines Makes Boarding Easier

Flying Continental is the best way to go if you reside in Houston. It seems that the airline has come up with a unique approach. Passengers will be able to board flights using just a cellphone or personal-digital assistant instead of a regular boarding pass in a three-month test program launched Tuesday at Bush Intercontinental Airport. The program could expand to airlines and airports nationwide.

Instead of a paper pass, Continental Airlines (CAL) and the Transportation Security Administration will let passengers show a code the airline has sent to their cellphone or PDA.

The two-dimensional bar code, a jumble of squares and rectangles, stores the passenger's name and flight information. A TSA screener will confirm the bar code's authenticity with a handheld scanner. Passengers still need to show photo identification. The electronic boarding pass also works at airport gates.

Flying Continental is the best way to go during this busy holiday season.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Martial Arts Fighter Dies

This weekend was very sad for fans of Sam Vasquez of Houston, who died in a hospice about six weeks after he was injured in a sanctioned bout, a rare fatality for a combat sport that is growing in popularity.

Sam Vasquez, 35, was injured at the Toyota Center on Oct. 20 and died Friday. The Harris County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Vasquez's death, but spokeswoman Stacey Mitchell said it could be several days before the official cause is determined.

Mixed martial-arts fighting, a free-for-all combination of judo, boxing, karate, Muay Thai, kickboxing, tae kwon do, jiujitsu and wrestling, has grown in popularity and attracted large pay-per-view television audiences.

To broaden its fan base, the sport has limited the violence, attracting new fans without alienating its original hard-core base.

Vasquez was hospitalized after he was knocked out by Vince Libardi of San Antonio in the third round of a fight at the Renegades Extreme Fighting show. He lost consciousness and suffered a seizure.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which sanctioned the fight, said it investigated the incident immediately after the fight. The agency examined the pre-fight requirements, the activity during the bout and the way emergency medical workers responded to Vasquez's injury.

Monday, December 3, 2007

End Family Corruption

This is a wonderful sentiment that we all should remember during this holiday season.

Peace Begins In The Family

Achieving peace in our society means underscoring the importance of family, Aha! Ehem! national coordinator Ronnie Amorado said in his message to the Mindanao Week of Peace (MWOP) celebration.

"The source of many corruptions is the family. If there is unpeace inside your family, there is unpeace when you go out", he said in an open forum by Brahma Kumaris Friday.

He said the family is a basic component in achieving peace and a social capital for fighting corruption.

He said that if Mindanao dreams of becoming a peaceful island, the effort to promote peace must begin with each family and that everything else will follow.

"To achieve peace, we must fix our society, but to fix our society, we must first fix our families,” he added.

Amorado said that fighting corruption is full of violence and that it requires one to have peace within so as not to get lost.

"Stability and peace in the family is where I can find peace in this violent work", he said.

But he admitted that it is hard to find peace within most families.

The "family is an emotional institution. Confrontation with them regarding corruption inside the family is a difficult matter,” he explained.

Amorado recounted how he used to believe that peace could be achieved inside the family even in the absence of a father as long as the wife is there to attend to the family's necessities.

"I used to think that my wife can compensate for my being an absentee father. But that caused unpeace inside my family, and this created unpeace also inside me. This did not do any good in my anti-corruption work for it created only turmoil. If fixing our society means fixing our families, fixing our families means fixing ourselves.”

He said he hopes that the MWOP, hand in hand with Brahma Kumaris and other peace organizations, could help families and individuals promote peace within themselves as a first step to a peaceful Mindanao.
Aha! Ehem!, is a joint anti-corruption project of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus and the Office of the Ombudsman.

If you do not want corruption in government, do not have corruption be a part of your family.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

NatWest Bankers Allowed Time To Pay Off Debts

THE three former NatWest bankers who last week struck a plea bargain with American prosecutors over their involvement in the Enron scandal are being given time to repay the $7.3m (£3.5m) they owe to their ex-employer, court papers show.

Known as the NatWest Three, they pleaded guilty in a Houston court to a single charge of wire fraud to avoid the threat of lengthy jail terms. They had faced seven charges.

The Sunday Times disclosed six weeks ago that the trio were negotiating a plea bargain.

Under the deal, prosecutors have agreed that the three � David Bermingham, Gary Mulgrew and Giles Darby � are likely to spend just over three years in jail. They were also ordered to repay to NatWest, now part of Royal Bank of Scot-land (RBS), the $7.3m gained as a result of a fraudulent deal in 2001 involving Andrew Fastow, Enron’s chief financial officer.

But court papers show that they will have to hand over only a small part of the money to RBS initially. Darby and Bermingham each have to pay $500,000 when they go to jail after formal sentencing in February. Mulgrew, who is heavily in debt, will have to pay $250,000.

The three have also promised to consent to a civil judgment in the UK obliging them to pay RBS the outstanding $6.1m that they owe. Once sentenced, they are expected to open negotiations to try to secure a transfer to British prisons to serve at least part of their jail terms.

Bermingham, Mulgrew and Darby have been in the US for 17 months since they lost their high-profile campaign against an order forcing them to leave Britain to face trial in Houston.

They have been told to stay in the Texas city, where Enron was based, until the hearing in February, when a judge will be asked to confirm the plea-bargain deal struck with prosecutors.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Texas Bird Watcher Leaves State

A prominent bird-watcher who was tried for shooting a cat to death said he left the state after someone shot at him. The bird-watcher, James M. Stevenson, founder of the Galveston Ornithological Society, said he had received death threats since his trial on animal cruelty charges.

A judge declared a mistrial last month when the jury failed to reach a verdict. Mr. Stevenson told the police that he was standing on his porch Wednesday when someone shot at him.

In his trial, Mr. Stevenson admitted shooting the cat but defended the action because he believed it was threatening endangered birds.