newest stories

newest stories

Cross-posting, by Paloma Cruz

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

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

• M.D. Anderson Cancer Center ranks number 2
• a little nudity
• Houston is growing, news says
• immigration takes front stage in Houston
• doing good things, as reported by the news
• more news items on the City’s censorship issue
• effects of London attacks in the Houston area
• weather, water and the continuing rise of gas prices

moving to Word Press

(...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

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

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

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

(...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

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.

City Business

• From the Houston Chronicle, Brown aide cites insider patronage in bribery trial.
• From KHOU, Mayor maps out 5-year plan for city's infrastructure.
• From KTRK Channel 13, Houston city council signs off on budget for next 12 months.
• From the Houston Chronicle, Mayor White's spending plan wins approval.
• From the Houston Chronicle, Plan will increase funds for fixing drainage problems.

Lottery

• From the Houston Chronicle, Lottery officials admit to inflating jackpots.

Gas prices & Oil

• From the Houston Chronicle, Texas gasoline prices surge along with crude.
• From the Houston Chronicle, Pump prices expected to climb through summer.
• From Click2Houston.com, Oil Prices Hit $60 A Barrel Mark.
• From Click2Houston.com, As Gas Prices Jump, More People Pump And Run.

to do: 2005 Pride Festival

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.