Jul 23, 2008 | 10:05 PM
Category:
News
THE TRUTH CAN BE REALLY STRANGENo lie! Man confesses to sex assault during test to be trooper
You should always tell the truth.
But a man in Connecticut probably wishes he hadn't been so truthful during a lie detector test required for applicants seeking a job as a state trooper.
Officials say that during the test in March, Jon Van Allen, confessed to fondling a nine-year-old girl twice in 2000 because he "was curious." He was arrested and now has been sentenced to four years in jail.
Allen believed you had to be truthful to get the job, and still thought he'd get the job after confessing to the sexual assault.
I'm glad Allen was honest about his past, but his admission shows his logic is twisted.
Jul 23, 2008 | 9:53 PM
Category:
News
CLOSE MAJOR DOWNTOWN HOUSTON STREET TO TRAFFIC
This is a radical idea, but why not close Main Street in Downtown Houston from the Pierce Elevated all the way north to Congress or Franklin, and restrict the road to Metro's rail, along with pedestrians and cyclists?
Such a change certainly would stir up complaints from some people that it would limit their ability to get around.
Still, creating such a multi-block plaza could be yet another way to encourage new growth downtown.
Traffic that uses Main Street could shift to adjoining streets that run north and south.
Your thoughts?
Jul 23, 2008 | 9:29 PM
Category:
News
ANTI-SMOKING PLAN MAKES NO SENSEI don't get their thinking.
Billionaires Bill Gates and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg say they'll spend $500 million to stop people around the world from smoking.
How much will they spend in the U.S.? Zero, nada!
One in five Americans smoke, or about 60 million people, so why not spend some of the money in the U.S.?
The campaign will concentrate on five countries where most of the
world’s smokers live: China, India, Indonesia, Russia and Bangladesh.
The $500 million campaign will urge governments to sharply raise tobacco taxes,
outlaw smoking in public places, outlaw advertising to children and
free giveaways of cigarettes, start anti-smoking advertising campaigns
and offer their citizens nicotine patches or other help quitting.
Gates and Bloomberg should spend some of the money in the U.S., especially since most of their money came from the U.S.
Your thoughts?
Jul 23, 2008 | 9:21 PM
Category:
News
IS JUSTICE AT THE HOUSTON FEDERAL COURTHOUSE FAIR TO BLACKSJustice at the Houston federal courthouse can sometimes be puzzling.
Take jury selection in this case, for example.
The estate of Jimmie Lee O'Neal,
a black, sued Harris County for O'Neal's death during his 20-day stay in the county lockup.
During jury selection, the county's lawyers struck a black member from the jury panel, because she had only a high school education and was "not paying attention" and was "mumbling to herself." The defense objected, claiming the county bumped her because she was black. She was the only black who could have served on the jury.
Later that day, another jury member who is white fell asleep during the trial.
The judge then discovered that the white jury member had not finished high school. The county's lawyers did not insist that the white juror be removed from the panel, explaining that he had he had worked for the same employer for 30 years and that the "school of hard knocks" counted in his favor.
The jury later found that the county was not responsible for O'Neal's death.
The case is on appeal.
Was racial bias responsibile for the jury' s decision? I don't know.
But from my viewpoint, the jury selection process smelled.
Your thoughts?
Jul 22, 2008 | 10:31 PM
Category:
News
WAL-MART INVADES THE CLASSIFIED AD BUSINESSWal-Mart tries everything it can think of to add to the billions of dollars it rakes in annually.
Now, Wal-Mart has partnered with classified Web site Oodle.com to launch free classified ads on Walmart.com. The service is currently in beta.
Yes, there are a lot of Houston ads, (Click to see some of them)Wal-Mart is the first major retailer in the U.S. to sell products other than its own online and its new classified service has around 30 million items listed. The service is free for both the seller and buyer and is accessible through Walmart.com. Wal-Mart said the online.
Of course, Wal-Mart is not providing the free classified ads without a motive. The company hopes you stop in at the Web site and buy one its products, or maybe you'll get the itch to rush to WalMart in person.
Jul 22, 2008 | 10:08 PM
Category:
News
IS HE FIT TO REMAIN AS BATMAN?I went to see the new Batman flick, "the Dark Knight," over the weekend. It was the best Batman movie thus far.
Don't know whether you've seen the movie, but you probably have heard that batman star
Christian Bale has been arrested by police in London who are investigating claims he assaulted his sister and mother.
Bale allegedly lashed out at this sister and mother in his hotel suite at Park Lane’s Dorchester Hotel on Sunday.
Does Bales' arrest make a difference in whether you'll see the movie or in whether you'll take your kids to see the film. And if he did what he's accused of, should he reprise the role again?
Jul 22, 2008 | 9:52 PM
Category:
News
GUESS WHO'S DRIVING BIG RIGS ON HOUSTON FREEWAYSGetting behind the wheel of a big commercial truck is a huge responsibility for a driver. In the wrong hands, a rig can carve a path of deadly destruction on any highway in Houston.
Despite all the responsibility that goes with driving a rig, did you know that 22,600 commercial truck drivers in Texas are receiving f
ull federal disability payments. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for ensuring that commercial drivers are medically fit to operate a rig. DOT cleared the 22,600 to drive commercial trucks, and in fact, 16,100 received clearance from the agency after receiving full federal disability status.
Is it a bad idea to let people on federal disability to drive a commercial truck? The National Transportation Safety Board said DOT's medical certification process for commercial drivers has "serious flaws." NTSB says, "These flaws can lead to increased highway fatalities and injuries for commercial vehicle drivers, their passengers, and the motoring public."
The Transportation Safety Board said DOT should ensure that its staff members performing medical examinations for drivers are qualified to do so and are educated about occupational issues for drivers.
What's DOT's response?
It's done nothing to improve the medical certification process for commercial drivers.
The message: the Department of Transportation isn't as concerned about our safety on the road, as it in ensuring that truckers get to keep working, even if on full disability.
Your thoughts?
Jul 22, 2008 | 9:45 PM
Category:
News
WE DO HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW ABOUT UNSAFE VEHICLE TIRESAutomobile and tire manufacturers submit to the federal government information about fatal traffif accidents and crashes resulting in injury and property damage that can be blamed on defective tires.
But the Rubber Manufacturers Association said that information is exempt from public disclosure under the Federal Freedom of Information Act. The association went so far as to wage a court battle to keep you from having the information.
But there's good news!
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled today (Tuesday) that the information is public, that you and I have a right to that information.
See court's decision here
Thank, God, this court had some common sense.
Thoughts?
Jul 22, 2008 | 9:32 PM
Category:
News
YOU PAY THE BILL, WHAT'S DONE WITH THE MONEY If you received a bill for
$263,974.75 for the services listed below, what kind of business would you be in? Stock Broker? Corporate CEO? A wealthy power broker and investor? A rich movie star? A rich network news anchor?
New York Stock Exchange, $4,692.50
NYSE Market Inc., $469.25
American Stock Exchange, $1,970.83
Bloomberg Finance LP $139,308.20
Bloomberg LP 47,525.63
Dow Jones Company Inc. $6,300
Dow Jones Company Inc. $18,125
Moody's Investors Service $45,583.34
The answer would be none of the possibilities I listed at the top.
Actually, the answer in this case is the taxpayer-financed Texas Education Agency (TEA), which paid the more than $263,000 bill this year for the assorted financial services listed above.
Hmm, why does the TEA need to spend all that taxpayer money on those financial services?
Okay, let me be fair. TEA spent the money to guide its efforts in managing the $25.3 billion Texas Permanent School Fund, which helps provide money for school districts.
The Texas Education Agency, in contrast, reports that it spent $5,520 on marker pens and pencils this year.
Jul 21, 2008 | 9:34 PM
Category:
News
DRINK BEER AND HELP EDUCATE TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTSWhat do these two companies have in common with Texas public school kids? Ashai Breweries, the second largest beer brewery in Japan; and Anheuser-Busch Companies, the largest brewing company in the United States.
The $25.3 billion Texas Permanent School Fund, which provides money for the state's public schools, owns over $29 million in stock and securities in the two beer giants.
So the more beer Americans and Japanese drink the more money the Permanent Trust Fund will make for the state's public school districts.
And booze is not the only money maker for the state.
The Fund also has nearly $7.4 million in stocks in Japan Tobacco, which controls more than 70% of the cigarette market in Japan. Japan Tobacco is the world's number three tobacco firm, selling Camel, Salem, and Winston brands outside the U.S.
What do yout think? Should the Texas School Permanent Fund be making money off beer and cigarettes to fund public schools?
Jul 21, 2008 | 9:30 PM
Category:
News
THE HOUSTON READ COMMISSION NEEDS TO DO SOME READINGA nonprofit Houston organization that provides free literacy and adult education programs and services is being criticized by the Better Business Bureau for ignoring BBB requests for information about what it's doing with its money.
Appointed by City Council and the mayor, the Houston Read Commission spent over $2 million, according to its latest publicly filed federal tax return, with over $1 million left in the bank.
The Better Business Bureau says, "Despite written BBB requests in the past year, this organization (Read Commission) either has not responded to BBB requests for information or has declined to be evaluated in relation to the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. While participation in the Alliance charity review efforts is voluntary, the BBB believes that failure to participate may demonstrate a lack of commitment to transparency."
The BBB says, "Without the requested information, the BBB cannot determine if this charity adheres to the Standards for Charity Accountability."
Maybe someone at the Read Commission could read the BBB's request for information and supply it with the requested financial information.
Fox 26 news anchor Jose Grinan is a member of the Read Commission
Jul 21, 2008 | 9:07 PM
Category:
News
DOES IT CURE CANCER OR NOT?Houston-based Ageless Cures sells Curcumin, a product that the company's Web site claims kills cancer. More specifically, the Web site states, "Curcumin also causes cancer cell apoptosis (programmed cell death)."
The Federal Drug Administration sent the company a May 20th letter, stating that "Your products are not generally recognized as safe and effective...," including the claim that Curcumin kills cancer cells.
FDA letter Even though the company's Web site claims Curcumin can kill cancer cells, the company also says,"Statements made, or Curcumin sold through this web site, have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.
What? The Houston company says Curcumin kills cancer cells, but then says the product is not intended to treat a disease. I don't get it. Do you?
Jul 21, 2008 | 9:01 PM
Category:
News
WHO DO YOU THINK MAKES THE BEST BBQ IN THE HOUSTON AREA With more than 10,000 eating establishments in Houston, that's a wide variety of food to satisfy your taste.
With that said, who do you think makes the best barbeque in the Houston area?
I like to chow down on some BBQ and all the fixings at one of the picnic tables at Goode Company Barbeque on Kirby.
What's your favorite place?
Jul 20, 2008 | 9:11 PM
Category:
News
ARE YOU READY IF EVACUATION BECOMES NECESSARYTropical Storm Dolly was roaring toward the Gulf of Mexico Sunday night.
If the storm gains hurricane status and turns toward Southeast Texas, are you to get out if necessary?
Jul 20, 2008 | 9:02 PM
Category:
News
SHOULD INSURANCE COMPANIES PAY Many insurance companies pay for the erectile dysfunction drug Viaga for men but not for birth control pills for women.
27 states require insurance companies to cover FDA-approved birth control, but Congress so far has refused to pass a bill requiring insurance companies to cover the pills in all states.
The insurance industry says forcing employers and insurers to cover birth control will only exacerbate high health insurance costs.
But I believe the industry’s claim ignores all the health insurance costs that will be incurred for the child that is born to a woman who couldn’t afford birth control pills.
Congress should make the insurance companies cover birth control bills.
What do you think?
