Houblog

Natonal Hurricane Center update here.
Basically, the wind is beginning to pick up, and the course has changed slightly northwards. Pressure has dropped to 999mb and maximum sustained winds are 60mph; the storm is moving at 8mph. The rainfall predictions for Texas have been increased to 4-6 inches with up to 10 inches locally. […]

Just recieved:
To Employees:
The City of Houston has begun preparations for Tropical Storm Edouard, which is expected to arrive along the Texas Coast during the early morning hours of Tuesday August 5th. Due to the expected intensity and nature of the storm, Mayor Bill White has determined that some non-emergency city services will be suspended.
Mayor […]

Well, slightly stronger, but no faster winds. Still, Edouardo is better organized and primed to strengthen overnight. And I still think that folks should stay home if they can, but if you have to go to work, use caution. Remember that gusts which might move your car a few inches will push […]

Well I seem to have gotten involved in a three way discussion with Eric Berger (by proxy) and Brenden Loy over whether it’s a good idea to stay home tomorrow, and whether Mayor White should have already declared that the city will be open. The mayor’s comments that I quoted earlier are from an […]

Well, the National Hurricane Center moved the track back south a bit now, raised the chance of it being a hurricane slightly, and the storm has sped up. Next major update is 10 am CDT.
10 AM Update : It looks very much like the forecast is solidifying around a high-end tropical storm. […]

We’ve got a tropical storm on the way. No reason to get complacent, just because it isn’t a category 5 hurricane. Just thought I’d post this little blast from the past, courtesy of the National Weather Service:
5 and 2 day rainfall totals:
INSIDE HARRIS COUNTY:
GREENS BAYOU AT WEST MT. HOUSTON . . . . […]

Steven den Beste notes:
I started thinking about that when I saw this question someone posted today at ask.metafilter.com:
“As an American, can I hand out flyers detailing the Tiananmen Square Massacre during the Beijing Olympics?”
I’m really glad to see that the many answers were virtually unanimous that this would be an utterly boneheaded […]

The Chron was nice enough to print my name and 2007 earnings on their website. Sorry, I am not a public official, and I don’t think my info should be up there. How would you like it if the IRS posted that information about you? Hey, you pay taxes, right? I’ve got […]

And the breakdown of city infrastructure continues.
Please be advised that two 2-inch water lines at the intersection of Dallas and Bagby downtown were ruptured during the night. This affects the water and chilled water systems for City Hall, City Hall Annex, the Central Library and the Juila Ideson building facilities. Currently, we have […]

There’s been some confusion over a request by Ed Wulfe to swap some land and a public road in the Galleria area for his Boulevard Place project. After looking at the maps and reading the proposed ordinance carefully, I wanted to post to set the record straight. This is not S. Post Oak […]

Spotted in the comments of a discussion of Starbucks (and the politics thereof):
I generally either shut out the “No one I know voted for Nixon” vibe or I eavesdrop and see how many inanities get spouted. I’ll never forget one time, at a Starbucks in Houston, I struck up a conversation with some locals and […]

Crossposted from my comment over at blogHOUSTON:
I’m furious with CBS news again. How this network is still in business after trying to throw a national election is something I can’t explain.
What’s got me glaring at CBS news this time is last week’s coverage of the “5th anniversery” of the Iraq war. […]

Well, they’re at it again, the one department that continues to embarrass the city only somewhat less than the HPD Crime Lab. This time, the Houston Housing Authority is holding hostage all the remaining worldly possessions of several elderly immigrants, for the “best” of reasons, of course.
Back in November, the Bellerieve apartments, had […]

The following e-mail just appeared in my mailbox.
Joint Email to City of Houston Employees
City of Houston and HOPE Reach Tentative Agreement on Contract
We are pleased to announce that the City of Houston and the Houston Organization of Public Employees (HOPE) have reached a tentative agreement in contract negotiations. This agreement reflects our mutual commitment […]

It seems that the city’s annual financial report will be a bit late this year, thanks to SAP. Four months late, to be precise. Emphasis added below.
Departmental delays caused by the city’s unexpectedly difficult transition to a new financial system will postpone the release of this year’s financial report until at least April […]