07.31.08
Posted in News at 11:02 pm by Paloma Cruz
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Watch the trailer
of the much-anticipated sixth movie. In this one, a prominent character dies. It’s the darkest of all the books, and the only one my niece didn’t finish. “It was boring,” she explains. I didn’t think so, but I’m no a pre-teen.
No Tax Weekend
ABC13 reports “The 10th annual Texas sales tax holiday will be Aug. 15-17 as families prepare to send children back to school.” Check out their story for more info on the types of products exempt from taxes.
Texas leads the nation in teen pregnancies
KHOU reports that Texas has more teen pregnancies than any other state. To top it off, teen pregnancies are on the rise for the first time in 15 years. Experts are baffled by the reason why the increase is happening.
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Posted in News at 10:58 pm by Paloma Cruz
HISD to unveil new charter school
– KHOU CBS Channel 111
Early next month a simple complex on the La Porte Freeway will host HISD’s newest charter school.
It will be called the Houston Advantage East End High School. The facility will be publically funded, privately run and will serve up to 450 students who struggle in traditional school settings.
[snip]
Footnotes
1 = may require free registration.
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07.30.08
Posted in News at 12:56 am by Paloma Cruz
Did you think that Houston had a great cost of living too? It’s not so cheap, says Forbes. The magazine listed Houston as the 8th-most-expensive city in the US. Why? Commuting costs.
Houston not a bargain on this list
Forbes says commuting makes it the 8th-costliest U.S. city
– Houston Chronicle2
[snip]
Saying that “the city lacks a useful, extensive or reliable mass-transit system,” the magazine also concluded that, on average, 20.9 percent of Houstonians’ expenses go toward transportation.
[snip]
Footnotes
2 = article may expire in a few weeks.
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Posted in News at 12:17 am by Paloma Cruz
In view of economic slowdown, I find it interesting that Houston executive pay packages swell by over 30% (reported by the Houston Chronicle)1. “The soaring energy industry took top executives along for the ride last year, lifting pay an average 31 percent for leaders of publicly traded companies in town even as the national economy soured, according to the Chronicle’s annual survey.”
Footnotes:
1 = Story found on the Houston Chronicle. Article may expire in a few weeks.
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07.21.08
Posted in News at 12:11 am by Paloma Cruz
Tropical Storm Dolly could become a hurricane
– KHOU CBS Channel 111
Tropical Storm Dolly has formed in the western Caribbean, but 11 News meteorologist Mario Gomez says even if Dolly becomes a hurricane quickly, it’s still unclear if it will strike anywhere in Texas.
[snip]
The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning Sunday for the Yucatan Peninsula from the Border of Campeche, Mexico. The storm is currently moving toward the northwest at 17 mph.
Dolly is the fourth tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30.
Footnotes
1 = may require free registration.
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07.12.08
Posted in General at 6:44 am by Paloma Cruz
TodayShow.com has a great reason to keep eating blueberries (my new favorite fruit): they are a memory-boosting food. “Berries have some of the highest antioxidant concentrations among fruit, and ALL berries are rich in healthy compounds called anthocyanins and flavanols… which may help protect against the breakdown of brain cells.” Good to know.
In case you need some help finding great local blueberries, the Houstonist blog just posted a very complete listing of all the farmers markets in Houston. I’ve been to a few, but this gives me many more options. Since I started eating better, I’m always looking for good sources of fresh fruits and vegetables.
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Posted in News at 6:44 am by Paloma Cruz
Did you know that Houston has the cheapest gas in the state? That’s according to the Houston Chronicle2. They report that, statewide, gas is averaging for $3.94 (a figure they got from AAA). That’s good news… sort of.
The Houston Business Journal reports that CNBC ranked Texas #1 for business. “To create the list, CNBC scored all 50 states in an number of categories, from education to economy and transportation to cost of living. The financial and business news channel says Texas’ booming energy industry in these times of record oil prices is the main reason the state rose to the top this year.” Want to see where everyone ranked? www.cnbc.com/id/25447829
HBJ also reported that the population growth in Houston topped the nation. “More people moved to Houston than to any other large city in the United States in the 12 months up to July last year, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau.” According to this, we have nearly 40,000 more Houstonians this year than last year. I think they’re all on my morning commute with me.
Footnotes
2 = article may expire in a few weeks.
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07.11.08
Posted in News at 11:04 pm by Paloma Cruz
Need to figure out how much money you need to retire? Wikihow has step-by-step instructions on how to accomplish this. Putting it on my to do list. (Found via Lifehacker.)
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Posted in News at 11:03 pm by Paloma Cruz
I don’t approve, don’t agree, do not like the idea of the Houston Chronicle making a database (searchable database) that gives you the names and salary of every public servant in Houston/Harris County. Is it legal? Probably. But it’s not right. How is it news what every individual, every nondescript loyal hardworking person makes… attached to a name?
This is just a ploy to get people to visit, to read, and to increase their advertising revenues. And more than 80,000 have been used to make it happen. Sad.
And, yes, I know that I’ve just included a link to it, thereby increasing their traffic. I debated that and decided that I can’t really just ell you that I don’t like it. I’ve gotta show it.
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07.06.08
Posted in News at 3:26 pm by Paloma Cruz
It seems that times are so bad that even teenagers are having to tighten their belts. Best known for their overabundance of time and disposable income, teens are being hit by a combination of lack of jobs and increased prices. Bad news for retailers who depend on their purchases.
Teens forced to bite the bullet on spending, too
They’re among the last group of consumers cutting back
– Houston Chronicle2
The financial pressures of adults are finally catching up with American teenagers. Since summer jobs dried up, gasoline prices topped $4 a gallon and parents ran out of spare cash, teens have had to cool it on spending for clothes.
[snip]
Retailers dependent on that group are feeling the pinch. First-quarter net income at American Eagle plunged 44 percent because of discounting, and the retailer may post its first annual profit drop in five years. Same-store sales have fallen for the past two quarters. At Gap’s Old Navy chain, sales in May were off 25 percent from a year earlier. Abercrombie’s same-store sales dropped in five of the past six quarters.
[snip]
Footnotes
2 = article may expire in a few weeks.
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