The Christmas Baby
Yesterday, MAGA Gov. Greg Abbott endorsed MAGA State Rep. Briscoe Cain for the 9th congressional district MAGA primary over Alex Mealer. Mattress Mack supports Mealer. I wonder how Mack feels about the Abbott endorsement.
Along the same lines, MAGA State Senator Mayes Middleton is running for Texas AG. Middleton started running TV ads yesterday and in the ads, he is referred to as MAGA Mayes. Oh, well.
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Here we go again. Commentary is talking about what to do with the Astrodome. See this from Houston Public Media:
Renovating Houston’s historic Astrodome could come at a cost of more than $750 million — far more than the cost to demolish it — according to a recent Harris County architecture analysis.
The cost-intensive projection by Kirksey Architecture presents another hurdle to revitalize the famed structure that’s been vacant for longer than a decade and sits dormant in Houston’s NRG Park. It also shows that renovating the 60-year-old Astrodome would not be financially feasible without significant private investment, Jesse Dickerman, interim county administrator, said in a statement.
Other cost analyses, including one that was unveiled by the Astrodome Conservancy last year, have reached renovation cost estimates of about $1 billion.
The Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation, a governmental nonprofit that manages the Astrodome and surrounding NRG Park on behalf of the county, approved the study with Kirksey Architecture in 2024 to look further into a cost analysis of updating the world’s first domed sports stadium.
In contrast to the conservancy’s redesign plan — which includes raising the floor 30 feet and creating a flexible arena space surrounded by offices, hotel spaces and restaurants — the latest cost projection would only restore the Astrodome to basic operation functionality. Though the analysis addresses necessary HVAC and plumbing issues, it doesn’t include upgrades that would be needed to meet modern venue standards and historic preservation, according to the Harris County Office of County Administration.
The Astrodome is considered a state antiquities landmark and any work to alter the structure would need to be approved by the Texas Historical Commission.
“The Astrodome remains a defining part of Harris County’s history and identity, and these efforts aim to ensure its legacy is considered thoughtfully in shaping the county’s path forward,” the Harris County Office of County Administration said in a news release about the latest cost estimate.
The architecture firm’s analysis and cost estimates were based on the design of the Astrodome’s major renovation in 1989 that replaced the original scoreboard and added 10,000 more seats. It also established a recommended seating capacity of 60,000 to allow for sporting events and potential use by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Another option, to demolish the structure, is estimated to cost about $54 million, according to the analysis.
Such a demolition would happen in three phases — internal demolition of the main structure elements, implosion of the dome roof and the destruction of perimeters and below-grade structures — according to a news release from Kirksey.
The last scheduled event to be held in the Astrodome was in 2002. While the space was used to temporarily house Hurricane Katrina victims in 2005, the building lost its certificate of occupancy in 2009 and has since been used for storage.
Here is the entire read: Renovating Houston’s Astrodome could cost $750 million, analysis finds – Houston Public Media.
We all know that nothing is going to happen. There really is no leadership on this issue. Nobody wants to take the lead and pull the trigger. I am talking about Harris County leaders, the Texans, and the rodeo folks. Not even the blowhard MAGA State Senator Paul Bettencourt who loves to meddle in Harris County government has ventured in with a proposal.
When I went to see the Texans a week and a half ago at NRG, the Astrodome wasn’t even an afterthought. It is sitting there and will stay sitting there for the foreseeable future.
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All the 2025 Hallmark Christmas movie are out and “The Christmas Baby” tops my list. It made its debut a couple of nights ago. It is about a married couple who are confronted with an adoption decision right before Christmas. It deals with emotions, life-changing discussions, and thoughtful decisions that involve an adoption process. I hate to use a cliché, but a heart-warming flick certainly fits the bill. I even teared up toward the end.
Oh, and the couple is a same sex married couple as in the featured photo. But it isn’t about that. It could have been two dudes, or a straight couple, and it would have hit you the same way. Outstanding performances by Ali Liebert and Katherine Barrell who are in the featured photo, and by Barbara Niven, who plays the social worker. Great flick for sure.
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Like they said on “Today” this morning, today is Christmas Eve Eve.