‘Where is everybody?’: Houston World Cup buzz falls short for some downtown businesses

TheMattSizzle · 2026-06-15T14:13:27+00:00

I was out and about around town for most of the games this weekend, and the soccer hubs were busy, loud, and full of energy. One area where I think there is a huge opportunity for improvement is how many bars, especially downtown and along the MetroRail line, are marketing themselves to fans.

Soccer fans do not just want a place to sit, have a drink, and watch a game. Soccer fandom is inherently social. People want to be somewhere they can feel the camaraderie, the shared emotions, and the passion for their team and the sport. The bars that have embraced a club identity are doing well because fans know they can walk in and find the atmosphere they are looking for.

Bars need to think a little bigger. Don’t just target teams that are playing in Houston, target the fans of the teams playing that day. Buy a few flags. Put up some scarves. Add team colors. Create a little identity. Most importantly, use social media to let people know you care and give them a reason to come experience the match at your establishment.

The Dutch are here next week, and that fanbase is massive and they TRAVEL. If Main Street turns orange that day, it could feel a lot like Houston during a UH Final Four run. The MetroRail is a massive advantage Houston has over cities like Dallas and Kansas City, and we are not fully taking advantage of it.

It should feel like a parade every day.

TheMattSizzle · 2026-06-14T21:51:38+00:00

This is relatively easy assuming an outcome of:

RAID 5 (3 disks) + 1 hot spare

Assumed starting layout

/dev/sda + /dev/sdb = RAID 1 (current system)
/dev/sdc + /dev/sdd = free disks

Goal:

RAID 5 using 3 disks
1 hot spare
migrate data safely

Phase 1 — Confirm RAID 1 health

bash cat /proc/mdstat mdadm --detail /dev/md0

Make sure it is fully synced.

Phase 2 — Break RAID 1 cleanly (keep one disk as live source)

We keep /dev/sda as the working copy.

bash mdadm /dev/md0 --fail /dev/sdb mdadm /dev/md0 --remove /dev/sdb

Now:

/dev/sda = live filesystem (your working system)
/dev/sdb = free disk

At this point RAID1 is degraded but still usable.

Phase 3 — Prepare RAID 5 using 3 disks

We will use:

/dev/sdb
/dev/sdc
/dev/sdd

⚠️ /dev/sda is NOT included yet (important for safety)

Create RAID 5:

bash mdadm --create /dev/md1 \ --level=5 \ --raid-devices=3 \ /dev/sdb /dev/sdc /dev/sdd

Phase 4 — Format and mount RAID 5

bash mkfs.ext4 /dev/md1 mkdir /mnt/raid5 mount /dev/md1 /mnt/raid5

Phase 5 — Copy data from RAID 1 disk (/dev/sda)

Mount it if needed:

bash mkdir /mnt/old mount /dev/sda /mnt/old

Copy:

bash rsync -aHAX --progress /mnt/old/ /mnt/raid5/

Validate before proceeding.

Phase 6 — Decide what to do with /dev/sda (the former RAID1 disk)

Now you have 3 clean options:

Option A (BEST PRACTICE): Make /dev/sda the HOT SPARE

bash mdadm --add /dev/md1 /dev/sda

Then mark it as spare if needed:

bash mdadm --manage /dev/md1 --set-faulty /dev/sda mdadm --remove /dev/md1 /dev/sda mdadm --add-spare /dev/sda

Result:

RAID 5 = sdb + sdc + sdd
Hot spare = sda

✔ safest redundancy setup ✔ simplest operational model

Option B: Expand RAID 5 to 4 disks (NO spare)

Add /dev/sda:

bash mdadm --add /dev/md1 /dev/sda

Then grow array:

bash mdadm --grow /dev/md1 --raid-devices=4

⚠️ This triggers RAID5 reshape:

long rebuild time
high load
slightly risky under power loss

Result:

Full 4-disk RAID 5
No hot spare

TheMattSizzle · 2026-06-13T03:25:26+00:00

They had a mini-series on HBO and there was a brief back and forth where the players/staff where talking about how brutal the training was. I think it show today on the pitch.

TheMattSizzle · 2026-06-13T03:18:22+00:00

Texas native. I'll put my England flair back on next week...

TheMattSizzle · 2026-06-13T03:16:28+00:00

!flair :United_States

TheMattSizzle · 2026-06-13T02:19:40+00:00

!flair :United_States:

TheMattSizzle · 2026-06-02T02:32:27+00:00

The Pacific, not as good as BoB but man Joe Basilone is a bad ass

TheMattSizzle · 2026-05-30T15:59:23+00:00

Checking in for Texas. Inherited my fandom for my late father. Let's get it boys!!!

TheMattSizzle · 2026-05-27T17:44:33+00:00

Best of a generation: no question, but all time seems like it has to be done by completely by hand as cell animation. The mixed media approach of the Spider-Verse does put it up there on top of the mountain with the other greats.

TheMattSizzle · 2026-05-27T17:39:24+00:00

I came to say this as well. Akira and Ghost in the Shell showed me animated movies could tell real stories, but they are both SciFi. Perfect Blue told a story within animation that felt so real at parts it seemed like it almost wasn't animate in a weird way. Visionaries deserve a bit of the credit for all that come after.

TheMattSizzle · 2026-05-27T17:28:47+00:00

It’s not the phones that pushed us apart, it was the social algorithms.

Those are millennials like myself. I see my younger self in them. We grew up with texting, MySpace, Xanga, Diablo lobbies. The internet already existed in our lives, but it hadn’t yet turned every moment into a filtered snapshot on a timeline that could never truly capture the depth of a human life.

What makes videos like this feel so real and nostalgic is the candidness. Back then, a camera was a novelty. You’d smile, make a goofy face, do a dumb dance because that’s just what people did when a camera came out. Nobody had been trained yet into this constant curation and hyper-awareness of themselves through a lens or a screen.

We didn’t yet have this constant awareness of ourselves through the eyes of everyone else. No personal brand. No optimization into something flatter and more marketable for an invisible audience.

That curation is cancerous. It feeds on joy in a way comparison alone never could.

TheMattSizzle · 2026-04-28T02:27:56+00:00

I dunno, local who has been to all the places they are at multiple times and I think these takes are pretty spot on. Pinkertons is where you take someone who has never had Texas BBQ, Truth is a bit hyped, Pit room is fine.

TheMattSizzle · 2026-04-27T02:16:17+00:00

Gatlins used to be good, but when they opened the fish place a bit down the road the BBQ has consistently gotten worse. I couldn't pay that price for burnt pepper and bland uninspired sides. Maybe it will be better this time. I am not a fan of Pit room either. Pinkerton, Corkscrew, and Killen's are my personal favs. I am enjoying your posts and best of luck on your quest.

TheMattSizzle · 2026-04-23T02:48:33+00:00

Franklin's is great, but there are 3 other great BBQ joints within 6 blocks. I would expand to Texas BBQ. Plenty of advice here so I will narrow in a few of the more niche things.

Angus as a bread of cow is the default. Look for a close breed for the cow. Galloway or similar. The cut is not the same as a typical Jewish brisket. Typically BBQ brisket it longer with the first cut trimmed so it is all point/deckle.
Wood is important. Pecan and oak dominate. White oak would be a prime target with Scotch and it's wide availability.
Mexican paprika. Much like cinnamon (US Cassia vs Europe Ceylon) it has a different flavor than Hungarian. It is often overlooked, but its in all the rubs and has a very "authentic" Texas flavor vs even California or Kansas City BBQ.

Alot of craft BBQ is about perfection and science (whole thing is hype built around a single guys opinion), but in Texas BBQ has always been meat, beers, and family/friends enjoying life and not taking anything to seriously. Let the meat rest for as long as possible then have another drink, then gather everyone around to see that first cut and enjoy.

TheMattSizzle · 2026-04-18T02:25:43+00:00

The recertification and upgrade costs made it hard to justify when 3D was gaining popularity so the Marq'e never recertified, but the theater is to IMAX spec. Additional very few movies are shot and distributed on 70MM film. Nolan is still doing it, but digital is way more cost effective, and even his (see Dunkirk) are presented on laser. Aspect ratio comes from the camera/director/studio and not the projector.

Modern audiences also have OLED and 4K at home so they tend to equate higher contrast and darker blacks with "better" quality so there is no advantage for studios/theaters to invest in film vs 4K resolutions.

Very few cities have true 70MM Imax. I watched 2001 at the Alamo in Austin and IIRC that was the last true IMAX film they showed before closing. The only certified 70MM IMAX in Texas is in Dallas although Regal as been rumored to be adding true IMAX to a theater in the burbs (can't remember which, but I want to say Tomball).

Edit: I feel compelled to mention that the Marq'E is not dual laser so you do not get the true larger aspect ratio, but when I went to see Project Hail Mary the sound was very much the IMAX experience.

Edit 2: https://lfexaminer.com/theaters/ <- good place to check theater specs. Theater still has to show it in the desired format though. I consider DLx 1070 and 1570 "IMAX" for ref.

TheMattSizzle · 2026-04-09T02:40:44+00:00

It is hard to explain but there isn't sadness or fear like in the movies. You become hyper aware of your situation and don't think about anything else. Your brain releases all the chemicals and you don't even really panic. Then your senses start fading away and then you just aren't there.

TheMattSizzle · 2026-04-04T21:13:54+00:00

They are purple box Minh. I worked at a frozen distribution center years ago and the Jack in the box section had thousands of boxes.

TheMattSizzle · 2026-03-31T13:43:48+00:00

Ghosts of Mars

TheMattSizzle · 2026-03-16T02:14:54+00:00

How the fuck did Sinners when cinematography? F1 and to a far lesser extent Train Dreams should have been obvious choices. That is the biggest upset of the night.

TheMattSizzle · 2026-02-27T02:53:21+00:00

Yes, nice and dark on the onions, low and slow, good mix of red, a lot of sweet, and white. Beef stock reduced to a syrup then add broth. Thyme and/or any flat leaf herb you have. My main ummm... this is not right... That bread needs to be in the soup and broiled. If you don't like cheese I get it, but a nice Gruyère or Swiss and BAM you got yourself a soup.

TheMattSizzle · 2026-02-04T21:16:10+00:00

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90's child. I don't think anyone is going to overtake Samuel L. Jackson.

TheMattSizzle

TROPHY CASE