Monthly Archives: May 2002

Family, heritage, and identity

Posted on May 31, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

On May 31, 1966, my grandfather, for whom I am named, died at the age of 55. I was born three months before his death, so while I never got to know him, he at least got to meet me. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | 1 Comment

More on Intelligent Design vs. science

Posted on May 31, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I seem to be referring to Max Power quite a bit recently, but that’s because he’s been doing such a bang-up job of dissecting Prof. Volohk’s defenses of Intelligent Design. I think I can give him an assist with this … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Skepticism | 2 Comments

Shooting fish in an oil barrel

Posted on May 31, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Ken Layne, Max Power, Tim Blair, and VodkaPundit have lined up to praise Mark Steyn for his smackdown on the United Nations Global Environmental Outlook. Steyn turns his usual witty phrase in mocking this latest doomsday report, which like most … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Comments Off on Shooting fish in an oil barrel

Tribute to WTC victims as cleanup comes to an end

Posted on May 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

A somber tribute to our fallen brothers and sisters at Ground Zero, as the cleanup work finishes up. We will never forget. May your families and friends find solace, and may we never have cause for this kind of ceremony … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on Tribute to WTC victims as cleanup comes to an end

I can’t believe these guys get paid to write this crap

Posted on May 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Two incredibly stupid columns by sportswriters about the prospect of a baseball strike. The first, by Kansas City writer Jason Whitlock, is probably better fodder for a hardcore libertarian than a squishy liberal like me, but I think even Ralph … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Comments Off on I can’t believe these guys get paid to write this crap

Strange times

Posted on May 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

You know we’re living in strange times when George Will comes out against arming pilots. Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Comments Off on Strange times

They’re baaaaack

Posted on May 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

So says Charles Dodgson about the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Yahoo! tells us of an “Afghan warlord with links to Iran and Pakistan’s powerful spy agency” who’s calling for (wait for it) a “holy war” against the US. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | Comments Off on They’re baaaaack

Why intelligent design is stupid

Posted on May 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Max Power is full of good stuff today about the intellectual dishonesty and outright ignorance surrounding intelligent design. See here, here, and here for Max’s devastating critiques. It’s important to note, as Max does, that the so-called debate over intelligent … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Skepticism | Comments Off on Why intelligent design is stupid

The style and substance of dog breeding

Posted on May 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

In response to my earnest plea, Greg Hlatky gives an excellent overview of the dispute between rival Jack Russell Terrier orgainizations. Thanks, Greg! Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Comments Off on The style and substance of dog breeding

Foul ball!

Posted on May 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Joe Sheehan writes about the first time he got a foul ball in 26 years of attending professional baseball games. I’ve gotten two, one in 1997 at a minor league game in Bend, Orgeon, and one last year at a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Comments Off on Foul ball!

Father Pat

Posted on May 29, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

My 53-year-old cousin Patrick Kuffner just celebrated his first Mass as a newly-ordained priest. The Staten Island Advance has a short story here about how at the age of 50, after a 20-year career as a teacher and principal, he … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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

Barry v. Babe

Posted on May 29, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Eric Alterman, another Professional Journalist Type with sucky permalinkage, asks the following: Why don’t people like [Barry Bonds]? Is it race? Is it the fault of some liberal media conspiracy I haven’t even heard of? I don’t get it. Bonds … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Comments Off on Barry v. Babe

Staten Island bloggers located

Posted on May 29, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

MEL of Ishbadiddle tells me in the comments to my earlier post that there are now two Staten Island bloggers on the NYC Bloggers map. I’ve also been invited to add myself as an expatriate if I choose, and I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Staten Island bloggers located

Search for the terrorist, and not the weapon

Posted on May 29, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

From Dane Carlson comes this article on Israeli security tactics and methods. The 9/11 attacks have led to closer ties between American and Israeli businesses and law enforcement. Israeli security experts don’t much care for our airport screening system either: … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | Comments Off on Search for the terrorist, and not the weapon

Pervez Musharraf! Pervez Musharraf!

Posted on May 29, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

File13 strikes again, with his Clarence Carter tribute to Pervez Musharraf. Please be sure to finish your beverage before reading. You have been warned. What really makes this funny for me is that I used to know this nerdy little … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | 2 Comments

From the Spam Files

Posted on May 29, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

An advertisement for a “New Cell Phone Stun Gun!” All I can say is if you’re gonna use that thing while driving your SUV, please be sure you don’t press the wrong button. The freeways around here are hazardous enough, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | Comments Off on From the Spam Files

Trend or fluke?

Posted on May 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Business columnist Scott Burns writes that for the first time since 1976, the percentage of working mothers with infant children declined. He gives some interesting data and raises some good questions about effect this may have if it is indeed … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on Trend or fluke?

And last and least, Staten Island

Posted on May 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Pigs and Fishes points me to the NYC Bloggers site, where they have a cool subway map that shows how many bloggers live in each borough. Naturally, Staten Island, my point of origin, has no bloggers in it. We Staten … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Comments Off on And last and least, Staten Island

A little rabble rousing is good for the soul

Posted on May 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Fat Guy is calling for all civic-minded baseball fans to give Commissioner Beelzebud the cyber-finger by voting Montreal and Minnesota players onto the 2002 All Star Team. I think this is a fine idea, so consider this post to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Comments Off on A little rabble rousing is good for the soul

Today’s weird search referral

Posted on May 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Today’s weird search referral: “Kick his nutbag reduce tears”. I don’t even want to know. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Today’s weird search referral

The 80s really are back

Posted on May 27, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I can’t believe I’m staring at the prospect of Lakers–Celtics in the NBA Finals. David Stern must be getting all verklempt at the thought. All I can say is that even if I have to relive that decade-long nightmare in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Comments Off on The 80s really are back

Blogspot migration update

Posted on May 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Congrats to Ain’t No Bad Dude Brian Linse on his new eponymous domain, which gives me the chance to dust off fifty-cent words like “eponymous”. Update your bookmarks, folks. I’ll be off Blogspot eventually, I promise. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Blogspot migration update

Legendary player, entry level coach

Posted on May 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s alltime leading scorer, is the head coach of the Oklahoma Storm of the US Basketball League. He took that job because no NBA coaching opportunities were available to him, and he wanted to prove his ability. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Comments Off on Legendary player, entry level coach

Victor Morales renounces Democrats

Posted on May 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Victor Morales renounces Democrats, according to this story: Victor Morales, who lost the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, said he will not run for office again as a Democrat. “At this point in time, I am independent,” Morales said, citing … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2002 | 2 Comments

Canine club catfight!

Posted on May 25, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Calling Greg Hlatky – there’s a lawsuit between rival Jack Terrier organizations over who’s the better custodian of the breed. As the owner of a purebred mutt, I have to say I don’t get it. Anyone got some words of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Comments Off on Canine club catfight!

The musical fruit

Posted on May 25, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an article my dad needs to read: A scientist at North Dakota State University is working on ways to reduce bean-induced flatulence. And they say there’s no good news nowadays. Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Comments Off on The musical fruit

Palestinian official speaks in Houston

Posted on May 25, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

From today’s Chron: Dalal Salamah, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, was in Houston on Friday to issue a plea for aid as well as understanding for fellow Palestinians. “There is a need to talk about our situation,” Salamah … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | Comments Off on Palestinian official speaks in Houston

Tapped out

Posted on May 24, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The 116-year-old Pearl Brewery in San Antonio has been closed for a year, and despite its prime location just north of downtown on the San Antonio River, no one has stepped up to buy the property. Trinity University, my alma … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 1 Comment

That’s a lot of contempt

Posted on May 24, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

A Beaumont man has been freed from jail after spending over four years in the clink on a contempt charge. State District Judge Zeke Zbranek had refused to release [Odis] Briggs to visit his ailing wife or attend her funeral … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Comments Off on That’s a lot of contempt

Sauce for the gander

Posted on May 24, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Max Power also points me to Dawn Olsen’s weblog, where she is currently running a poll on “the hottest, sexiest, Male blogger in the blogosphere.” (For some odd reason, I’m not in her list of choices. Must be an oversight.) … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Comments Off on Sauce for the gander

Crisis over!

Posted on May 24, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Crisis over! is the headline of this Slate piece, in which Tim Noah continues his fine dissecting of all the dire-yet-vague terrorism warnings that came out right after the revelations that Team Bush had quite a few facts at its … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on Crisis over!

Told You So Dept.

Posted on May 24, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Little Green Footballs notes that the Saudi PR campaign has been an abject failure. Way back on May 2, I wrote that “this misguided effort on the Saudis’ part would backfire on them”. So every once in awhile I do … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | Comments Off on Told You So Dept.

That makes a scary amount of sense

Posted on May 24, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Steve at Happy Fun Pundit discovers how he got on a Republican fundraising mailing list. It’s pretty funny, so check it out. Via Virginia Postrel. Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Comments Off on That makes a scary amount of sense

Another reason to need time travel

Posted on May 24, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Max Power writes about a case in Australia where a tobacco company was held liable to a plaintiff because “the company had destroyed decades-old documents”. Says Max: Document destruction when there’s an outstanding subpoena calling for the documents is one … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Comments Off on Another reason to need time travel