I saw this video on YouTube and just wanted to share. The actors in this video were not paid. They are in fact lucky to be alive thanks to the efforts of the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition.

With Houston being the enormous metropolitan that it is, it’s easy to sometimes get “stuck at Starbuck’s” and forget about the nearby resources we have to enjoy nature, the way nature intended ;-). So, here are some locales where you can go that shouldn’t take more than half a day to get there:

1. Memorial Arboretum
2. Armand Bayou
3. Houston Audubon Society – Bird Sanctuaries

Obviously not an exhaustive list so if there is any other place in or around Houston you can think of, please do a favor and leave it in the comments!

West Fest – Houston, Oct. TX 2007
Originally uploaded by Mr. Waldo.

I really love the Waldo wheatpastes all over Houston. It really makes the city more enjoyable.

I know street art tends to divide people. Something like Waldo this is not really destructive and it provides and interesting flair that is quite unique. Is that a crime? Is it tasteful? What do you think of it?

Did anyone catch the full lunar eclipse Monday night? We had a pretty good view here in Houston, despite it being at 4 in the morning.

I saw an interesting post by fellow Metblogger Julian Chadwick of Portland Metblog. In this post he goes into detail about how he has abandoned the idea of having a car (albeit temporarily) and will be documenting this car-less lifestyle. He makes the point that certain cities are more conducive to getting around by bike or mass transit. I tried thinking if I could get away with something like that and it seems difficult to even think about. Houston is just….so….freaking……HUGE!!!

At the same time, however, there are likely people in this wonderful city that simply don’t own automobiles for whatever reason. Are you one of those people? Are you trying to become one? I’m interested in hearing about whether this could be done here in Houston so feel free to leave your opinions in the comment section.

**Photo courtesy of San Diego Backroads Planet

I was allowing my attention drought disorder to run wild the other day and managed to surf 4325 different websites. Website #4324 was a review of a Web 2.0 social networking site (these sites spring up like roaches, although some don’t have as many diseases (-; ). The new site is Yippykya.com and they propose that you can meet friends, make money, or get discovered. I’m choosing to make friends through other outlets and I have no artistic abilities worth bragging about so naturally all I want to do on this site is make money. I was thoroughly frustrated after creating an account, clicking on the option to make money and then being told to create an account. So, I don’t really have a good review about this site but maybe you do. Oh well. They had a launch party on the June 27th (yeah, sorry for the delay, did anyone else even know about the site?). They are developing the Houston community first and will branch out to other enormous cities at some point in the future. You can read another review (maybe a little more favorable) at Profy.com

The 4th Oni-Con is Oct 19-21. Anime, Manga, J-Pop and plenty of Japanese pop culture coolness. Oct is still a bit far away, so to get the vibe building there will be a pre party at the Backroom Friday, August 17 at 10:00 p.m.

Running low on your anime or manga fix? Check out Anime Beach

See Yourself Through Their Eyes
Originally uploaded by jeffbalke.

Houston Metblog Photographer Jeff Balke has been posting some really great stuff lately.

I’m not a huge sports fan, but you can’t deny the visual appeal and personal feel of Jeff’s recent Astros photographs.

“The Metropolitan Transit Authority board approved a $77.3 million agreement Tuesday with an Idaho-based engineering and construction firm to begin work on the city’s next four rapid transit lines.”

Finally! Screw all you Anti-Metro Rail haters! This is exactly what this city needs! Well, we really need an infrastructure that’s more sophisticated but this is a step in that direction! As large as Houston is it’s down right laughable knowing how horrible our mass transit system currently operates. Not only will this be better for people’s commute but it will also be better for our air quality, our wallets and our communities!
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“A decade after Republic of Texas separatist Richard McLaren drew the attention of the nation to a far West Texas mountainside — not to mention about 300 state troopers — the prospect of growing old behind bars hasn’t altered his beliefs in the least.

In fact, the man who calls himself “Hostage No. 802782″ at a Panhandle state prison unit is surer than ever that Texas remains a sovereign nation.

“We didn’t start it,” McLaren said of the weeklong standoff that ended May 3, 1997, and left one of his followers dead. “We’re just the (keepers) of the 1836 constitution.”"

With all this immigration talk going around and La Raza trying to claim Texas as part of Mexico it’s hard to filter everything out and take a step back to study history. I can already predict a lot of people talking sh** about this but just keep in mind that because “the books” these days say otherwise it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the law. Omissions are obviously present and we should all be hearing this guy out. I don’t know how everyone else feels but I would be damn proud to support Texas Sovereignty. This would immediately free us from all the federal government restrictions and controls we currently live under. I’m still undecided and not sure what to believe here but rest assured that I will continue to investigate.

If you are interested, please take the time to read the following article…
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Originally uploaded by andrewlee1967.

Are your lungs burning today? Assuming you’ve quit that college pack-a-day habit, it could be because of our city’s increasingly poor air quality. The American Lung Association gave Houston an ‘F’ in ozone pollution and a ‘C’ in particle pollution.

From a Houston Business Journal article:

“These air quality grades show a particularly troubling trend for the region,” Bernth said. “In the Houston area, we certainly still have a long way to go to have air that is safe for everyone to breathe. Science clearly shows that air pollution is dangerous-even deadly-at levels we once thought were safe.”

Houston was not the only Texas city to receive a failing grade. Dallas and San Antonio also received “F”s for ozone pollution, while Austin received a “D.” Dallas also got a “D” in particle pollution, while Austin and San Antonio were not ranked.