Monthly Archives: January 2002

Speaking of questionable business plans…

Posted on January 22, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Europe’s first brothel for women has gone bankrupt. Wonder how many of those 17 analysts the WSJ refers to above rated this stock a “buy”? Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Comments Off on Speaking of questionable business plans…

Slowdown in a growth industry, and that’s a good thing

Posted on January 21, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

From today’s Chron, a story about how hard times are forcing states to spend less and even cut back on prison building. All I can say is it’s about time. Building more prisons has got to be the least efficient … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on Slowdown in a growth industry, and that’s a good thing

The Compaq Houston Marathon

Posted on January 20, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Compaq Houston Marathon was this morning. Thanks to the rail construction on Main Street, the race was rerouted to pass within a block of my house. Tiffany and I got up early to join our neighbors and cheer the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on The Compaq Houston Marathon

Smart growth vs. stupid growth

Posted on January 20, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

A lot of libertarian types regularly ridicule efforts by local governments to control or at least manage their rate and means of growth. Virginia Postrel and the Chronicle’s Jim Barlow are among those who’ve made their cases against “smart growth”. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 1 Comment

Let the games begin

Posted on January 20, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Well, we’ve known for awhile now that former Governor Bush would be leaving office just in time to avoid a very messy financial situation here in Texas. Ginger has a nice recap of things as they now stand. Today, the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2002 | Comments Off on Let the games begin

The march of technology

Posted on January 19, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

So the other day my wife is watching Home and Garden Television when all of a sudden I hear her cry out “Come quick! You’ve got to see this!” I ran in to the living room, and there on the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | Comments Off on The march of technology

Enquiring Minds Dept.

Posted on January 19, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

An Australian TV reporter was fired for asking Aussie swimming star Ian Thorpe an “inappropriate” question. Nicki Voss had an interview with The Thorpedo, and noting that he wears a size 17 shoe, she asked “if it was true what … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Comments Off on Enquiring Minds Dept.

So you don’t like it, then?

Posted on January 18, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Guess Tim Cavanaugh doesn’t much care for blogs, or at least for most bloggers. Whatever. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’ll repeat what I said in my first entry: I’m doing this for fun, for the exercise of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on So you don’t like it, then?

Only the little people pay taxes

Posted on January 18, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

So another nugget which was carefully obscured by Enron’s opaque accounting was the fact that the company paid no income tax for four of its last five years. They took advantage of numerous loopholes which allowed them to launder profits … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | Comments Off on Only the little people pay taxes

Turtleneck

Posted on January 17, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Yesterday I wore a turtleneck shirt to work. It was a new shirt my wife had bought for me. I’ve never been a turtleneck kind of guy – I think the last one I had was a sweater when I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | Comments Off on Turtleneck

Did you sleep well last night? No, I made a few mistakes

Posted on January 17, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Students at Princeton have been having trouble staying in their bunk beds recently. I’m not exactly sure how one can “exercise more care while sleeping”, but whatever. I slept on the top bunk my sophomore year, and my roommate and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | Comments Off on Did you sleep well last night? No, I made a few mistakes

Hooray for Houston

Posted on January 16, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I’m the newest member of H-Town Blogs. It’s a little weird to make a local connection through a so-global-it’s-a-cliche medium like the Internet, but I mean that in a good way. Thanks to Elaine, the group’s fearless founder, for finding … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Hooray for Houston

Sauce For The Goose Dept.

Posted on January 16, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Damian Penny talks about why he so dislikes the far left. He’s right, of course, but I hope he recognizes that the same is true of the far right. I always have one of those it’d-be-funny-if-it-weren’t-so-sad moments whenever I hear … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Comments Off on Sauce For The Goose Dept.

Pause for perspective

Posted on January 16, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Will Vehrs cites some sobering comments from Joseph Britt about Enrongate and its magnitude as a news story. I’ve had my fun piling on Enron and will continue to do so, but Britt is dead right – In the end … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | Comments Off on Pause for perspective

First scapegoat sacrificed, more to come

Posted on January 15, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Today Arthur Anderson fired the lead Enron auditor, citing the “massive destruction of documents” as the SEC started investigating Enron. Other accountants on this team were recalled from Houston and/or put on administrative lead. Stay tuned, kids. It’s gonna be … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | Comments Off on First scapegoat sacrificed, more to come

Reality game show death match!

Posted on January 15, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Two new game shows on ABC and Fox battle it out in court over who had the idea first. Apparently, both shows require contestants to answer questions under extreme conditions, like 150 degree heat and high winds. That sort of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Comments Off on Reality game show death match!

Yeah, but does she have TiVo?

Posted on January 15, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The always entertaining Tuesday Morning Quarterback goes off on a tangent about pickup lines, noting that “Hi” and “Would you like another beer” work over 90% of the time on women at the University of Louisiana. He then speculates on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Comments Off on Yeah, but does she have TiVo?

It’s already here!

Posted on January 14, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Tom Tomorrow takes us back to “those fabulous days of yesteryear, The Eighties!” I can’t speak for the bad hairdos and shoulder pads, but the music is already here and has been for awhile. I know I’m not the only … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on It’s already here!

How are they gonna fit those egos into the stadium?

Posted on January 14, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Redskins owner Dan Snyder has fired coach Marty Schottenheimer one year into his 4-year $10M contract. Looks like Steve Spurrier will step in, for five years an $25M. Considering that Snyder and Spurrier are two of the most egotistical jerks … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Comments Off on How are they gonna fit those egos into the stadium?

While you’re at it, could you digitize in some better hair for me, too?

Posted on January 14, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

So apparently Steven Speilberg is going to digitally remove guns from the FBI agents’ hands in the upcoming re-release of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Seems Drew Barrymore, who’s Spielberg’s godchild, asked him to do this because she’s “fanatically opposed to weapons … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Comments Off on While you’re at it, could you digitize in some better hair for me, too?

Recycling in action

Posted on January 13, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Read all about the Houston Beer Can House and the efforts of the Orange Show to restore it. Houston is not known for its public art, so it’s always encouraging to see this sort of thing. And if you ever … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Recycling in action

You keep using that word…

Posted on January 13, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Damian Penny gives a spanking to The Globe and Mail’s Heather Mallick for getting into a snit over Dubya’s use of the term “Pakis”. I’ve read enough British books to know that “Paki” is frequently used derisively over there, but … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | Comments Off on You keep using that word…

New Economy Recovery Update

Posted on January 12, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Formerly bankrupt dot-com Internet Advisory Corp is in talks to buy notorious New York nudie bar Scores and take it public. “We are charting a new course for the company,” Internet Advisory’s Chairman and Chief Executive Richard Goldring said. ”We … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Comments Off on New Economy Recovery Update

Bad news for my wife

Posted on January 12, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

My wife likes to sleep in the car. If she’s a passenger and she’s not engaged in conversation, off to dreamland she goes. Doesn’t matter how short the trip is – she can zonk out returning from the grocery store. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | Comments Off on Bad news for my wife

Why we live in Texas

Posted on January 12, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Today is one of those days – warm, sunny, bright blue sky – that my friend Matt calls a “convertible revocation day”. Matt, who has an old Cabriolet convertible, says that if you’re not driving with the top down on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Comments Off on Why we live in Texas

Ginger v. Bellaire

Posted on January 12, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Ginger Stampley takes on the city of Bellaire for whining about some new construction to link the service roads on the West Loop. I have a little more sympathy for the Bellaire folks than she does because my neighborhood recently … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on Ginger v. Bellaire

More Enron fun

Posted on January 11, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, the hits just keep on coming for Enron, don’t they? Let’s see, we have Ken Lay calling Paul O’Neill and Don Evans to warn them about the impending implosion (bet some Enron employees would have liked the heads-up, too), … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | Comments Off on More Enron fun

Fringe Benefits Dept.

Posted on January 10, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not sure what to make of this article in InfoBeat in which Mira Sorvino claims that actors and actresses have really done the nasty while filming movie love scenes. She is in a position to hear this sort of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Comments Off on Fringe Benefits Dept.

In whose best interest?

Posted on January 10, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Well, well. Seems Bud Selig may have violated baseball’s rules by accepting a loan from Minnesota Twins owner/tightwad Carl Pohlad. The fact that Pohlad stands to make $250 million from the proposed contraction of a team that is both profitable … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Comments Off on In whose best interest?

RPI, schmarpi

Posted on January 10, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Dan Wetzel give the Ratings Power Index (RPI) the dissecting it deserves. Remember, kids, it’s all about the big boys hogging the money. This brings up Off the Kuff’s Immutable Law of NCAA Tournament Pools: Some team you’ve never heard … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Comments Off on RPI, schmarpi

They’ve obviously never watched NYC pedestrians

Posted on January 9, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Jonathan Chait tackles the conventional wisdom in college football that players from Southern schools are faster than players from Northern schools. Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Comments Off on They’ve obviously never watched NYC pedestrians

Resolutions redux

Posted on January 9, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Now that I’ve started on my pledge to write more, I suppose I can’t ignore my other annual New Year’s resolution, which is to lose weight by eating better and exercising more. I could bore you by talking about how … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | Comments Off on Resolutions redux

Yes, but does he have hairy feet?

Posted on January 9, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Andrew Sullivan recently wrote a piece that compares President Bush to Frodo from Lord of the Rings. This prompted a reader to write in and claim that Bush is really Sam Gamgee: Bush is most clearly NOT Frodo…Frodo has the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Comments Off on Yes, but does he have hairy feet?

All events happen in real time

Posted on January 8, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Man, if you’re not watching 24, you’re missing some excellent TV. After watching tonight’s episode, all I can say is wow. Find a friend with the tapes and dig in. Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Comments Off on All events happen in real time