I'm going to mosh a few random unconnected items together into a sheperd's-pie of a post:
-- NBA All-Star-weekend in Houston concludes with the basketball game this evening, and the bacchanalia
got so out of control around the Galleria yesterday that HPD closed several exits on the 610 Loop and likewise blocked cars from entering at-capacity parking garages until the revelers unclotted.
"The revelers" is probably an understatement. This was entourages in fleets of stretch limos gridlocking intersections at every single restaurant, club, luxury high-rise condo and entrance to Neiman Marcus.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, and lasting deep into the evening.
(In the interest of full disclosure, the two
Houston Chronicle reporters on this story -- fresh off the debutante beat -- also implicate marauding President's Day shoppers in the traffic jam.)
-- Mardi Gras is a bit of a letdown this year, both in
N'Awlins and in
Galveston (there because of the Crescent City's downsizing, here because of unusually cold weather for February).
-- Dick Cheney's gunshot victim, upon release from the Corpus Christi hospital where he spent the past week,
apologized for all the trouble he's caused the Vice President. The birdshot pellets lodged in Harry Whittington's heart and liver, each through their representatives, also issued statements of regret for the incident.
In other news, asbestosis victims offered
Halliburton a heartfelt mea culpa for breathing on the job.
-- Early voting in Texas begins tomorrow and continues (almost) all the way to March 7. A spirited Democratic primary up and down ballot features several contested races, the most focus being on the two candidates for Governor,
Chris Bell and
Bob Gammage. Latest
poll numbers here. If there happens to be a runoff -- incumbent Republican Rick MoFo'n Goodhair has a handful of erstwhile challengers, including
this kook from his right (go look; he's got a picture of a bloody baby on the home page) -- then
the Kinkster and
Grandma (pronounced 'Gran-Maw') have to wait another thirty days before collecting signatures.
Regarding the Dems, the
Chronic snorts itself awake for a moment, then rolls over and snores loudly.
-- Cindy Sheehan
will have a tea party for Barbara Bush -- the GranMaw, not the hottie -- here in Houston tomorrow also.
Update (2/21): More on the Galleria shopping orgy
here. Untold by the
Chronic in any report were the rumors of shopping mall security squaring off on limosine drivers refusing to move, steadfastly unwilling to inconvenience their VIPs. Police had to intervene (allegedly). And Lyn
has pictures of Cindty Sheehan in Babs Bush's backyard yesterday.