Monthly Archives: January 2002

Don’t throw me in the briar patch!

Posted on January 31, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Glenn Reynolds says: 15 KIDS AND ADULTS WERE INJURED, SOME CRITICALLY, AT A SCHOOL in Los Angeles, as a car veered into a crowd. It was a Mercedes. Will we hear calls for “car control,” and explanations that “no one … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Comments Off on Don’t throw me in the briar patch!

Bike lane battle

Posted on January 31, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

One of the things Houston has been doing in an effort to comply with the Federal Clean Air Act has been to install bike lanes on various city streets. This has had the unfortunate effect of increasing traffic congestion on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on Bike lane battle

Another local connection

Posted on January 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Got a note from another local blogger today. Take a moment and check out The People’s Republic of Seabrook. Thanks to him, I found this amusing piece about the Mormon Church’s attempts to upgrade its image as the world comes … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Comments Off on Another local connection

Linda Lay followup

Posted on January 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know what Linda Lay hoped to accomplish with her bid for sympathy on the Today Show recently, but judging by these letters to the editor, she failed pretty miserably. Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | 1 Comment

Big time for a small school

Posted on January 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Nice article today in USA Today about the men’s basketball program at Gonzaga. As a Rice fan, I have a lot of respect for the success that they’ve acheived. It’s also good to know that they haven’t lost sight of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Crime and punishment

Posted on January 29, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Oliver Willis has his say about what jail should be about. In a word, says Willis, it’s about punishment. I think this position, while emotionally satisfying, is wrong on several levels. First, I’ll stipulate that certain crimes and certain criminals … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 1 Comment

Left Turn

Posted on January 29, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

According to this annual survey, incoming college freshmen are more liberal than any time since 1975. As a college student from the Reagan years, in which the joke on campus was that our boomer-era profs were more liberal than the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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If I could read your mind…

Posted on January 29, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a woman right here in the Houston area who claims to be a “pet psychic”. You can see her do her thing tonight on Animal Planet. Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t need to pay some … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Comments Off on If I could read your mind…

Who not to read

Posted on January 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Duncan Fitzgerald confesses that he doesn’t read Tom Clancy any more. Says he I got about 2/3 of the way through The Sum of All Fears. It was at that point I realized Clancy was just another poser in the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Books | Comments Off on Who not to read

Big Ol’ Can Of Worms Dept.

Posted on January 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

A New Jersey man is charged as an accomplice in a DUI fatality even though he wasn’t in the car. Kenneth Powell was called to pick up his friend Michael Prangle, who’d been busted after blowing a 0.21 on the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Comments Off on Big Ol’ Can Of Worms Dept.

Are you sick of the whole Enron thing yet?

Posted on January 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Vice President Dick Cheney is refusing to turn over documents connected to President Bush’s energy plan. The GAO may file a lawsuit against the White House to force them to give it up. I don’t know what Cheney is hiding, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | Comments Off on Are you sick of the whole Enron thing yet?

What he said

Posted on January 27, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

This op-ed piece by Bart Busker in today’s Chron says exactly what I think about the Katy Freeway expansion. Busker highlights an issue that I didn’t, which is that the I-10 expansion is several times as expensive as the current … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 1 Comment

A place for my stuff

Posted on January 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

So Tiffany and I have started to look for a new house. There’s nothing wrong with our current house, but if we ever want to have kids, we’re gonna need more room. Plus, we’ve done all the renovating and remodeling … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | Comments Off on A place for my stuff

Adventures in Capitalism, part 2

Posted on January 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Houston City Council recently announced that it was considering selling naming rights to city buildings as a source of revenue. This has drawn predictable derision, but this article in the Chron explores the ways that other cities, notably San … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Comments Off on Adventures in Capitalism, part 2

Adventures in Capitalism, part 1

Posted on January 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

A former Enron employee is making money by selling T-shirts which bear anti-Enron slogans. Head over to his site if you’d like to buy a shirt that says “My boss got a retention bonus, all I got was this T-shirt.” Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | Comments Off on Adventures in Capitalism, part 1

What kind of scandal is this supposed to be again?

Posted on January 25, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Conventional wisdom (scroll to “The Gating Factor”), even in Blogland, appears to be settling on the idea that the Enron mess is a business scandal, not a political scandal. That may be true, but with all of the money that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Maybe there is justice

Posted on January 25, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like perhaps Ken Lay won’t walk away from all this with his spoils intact. Pretty much all of the income he got from Enron is apparently fair game in the multitude of civil lawsuits that have been filed by … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Ballpark at Union Station update

Posted on January 25, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Ballpark at Union Station is shopping for a new name. That’s what Enron Field was called before it hitched up with Enron and changed its name. The Astros are in the market for a new suitor, and there’s no … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Erica on NPR

Posted on January 25, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

If you’re not completely Enroned out by now, listen to this interview from NPR (you need Real Audio) with Erica Bess Duncan. Erica is a friend of mine who is still with Enron. Her unit, Enron Online, has been bought … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Movin’ right along

Posted on January 25, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Two interesting transportation stories in today’s Chron. The Katy Freeway will roughly double in width now that the feds have approved a a $1 billion plan which is slated to begin in May, 2003. Also on the west side but … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on Movin’ right along

Nice Work If You Can Get It Dept.

Posted on January 24, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Record label EMI is buying out Mariah Carey’s $80 million four-album contract for $28 million. Now the two sides are fighting over who dumped whom. Sheesh. Y’know, I remember the old days when people took their millions and shut up … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Comments Off on Nice Work If You Can Get It Dept.

New frontiers in American theater

Posted on January 24, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a sweet story about a young girl who is following her dream. When she finally reaches it, her parents disapprove. So, she had to raise the money for the trip on her own. Her friends, sympathizing with their pal’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Comments Off on New frontiers in American theater

How long until the election?

Posted on January 24, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Thanks in part to an increase in Democratic candidates as well as a general increase in partisan nastiness, there’s been a sharp increase in challenges to ballot applications. This isn’t right. A technicality shouldn’t abrogate the voters’ right to pick … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2002 | Comments Off on How long until the election?

Doesn’t feel that way to me

Posted on January 24, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

This article in Salon claims that the Enron collapse has been a September 11-like shock to Houston. “Whereas Sept. 11 was a shock for the nation and indeed the world, this is a second shock for Houston, certainly not of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | Comments Off on Doesn’t feel that way to me

As goes Texas, so goes the nation

Posted on January 24, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve already mentioned that Texas is looking at a shortfall in its unemployment insurance fund. Well, today we find that as things stand right now, the well runs dry in March. This will force the state to borrow money from … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on As goes Texas, so goes the nation

The company you keep

Posted on January 23, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Brian Linse makes the case that President Bush is tainted by his association with the Enron crowd. Says Brian Regardless of what illegal shenanigans the Enron boys may or may not have gotten up to in the past, Bush will … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Best news I’ve heard this week

Posted on January 23, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Federal Trade Commission is considering a national no-call registry that would appear to put some real restrictions on telemarketers. The Direct Marketing Association hates it, so this must be good. Says their spokesbeing: “The government may be overstepping its … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Comments Off on Best news I’ve heard this week

The things you learn in obituaries

Posted on January 23, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Legendary retailer Stanley Marcus, longtime chairman of Neiman-Marcus, passed away at the age of 96 yesterday. Contained within his obit was the following: Known as “Mr. Dallas” for his devotion to the city where he was born and lived for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Comments Off on The things you learn in obituaries

The Summerall-Madden split

Posted on January 23, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

One guy who won’t be sorry to see the Summerall-Madden team split up is Sports Illustrated’s Dr. Z, who rated that pairing as the worst in football this year. I guess I can see his point, and I should note … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Like son, like father

Posted on January 22, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Like son, like father I’m somewhat amazed to say that I just walked my father through setting up a blog. Mom and Dad have been on email (with just a bit of help from their slightly more technical son) for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Like son, like father

Books v. movies

Posted on January 22, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Got into a bit of a debate with Karin today about the Harry Potter movie. Karin has written that while she liked the movie, she felt it lacked by being a straightforward recapitulation of the book. Why do such an … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Books | 2 Comments

Splistville in the broadcast booth

Posted on January 22, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Larry pointed me to the story of Pat Summerall and John Madden splitting up as broadcast partners after the Super Bowl. I had at first thought it meant Summerall was retiring, but apparently not. So, I’m not sure what to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Not dead yet

Posted on January 22, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Minnesota Court of Appeals has upheld an injunction that requires the Twins to play in the Metrodome this season. Look, anyone not related by blood or money to Bud Selig knew that the whole contraction idea was about as … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Comments Off on Not dead yet

It was just a matter of time

Posted on January 22, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Wall Street Journal blames the fall of Enron on Bill Clinton. Well, more specifically, they attempt to blame Enron’s sharp practices on “the moral climate” of the Clinton years: We’d say it’s also impossible to understand Enron outside of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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