Monthly Archives: August 2002

Back to business as usual

Posted on August 31, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Now that a strike has been averted, Drayton McLane can go back to moaning about how much money he loses. We’ve been down this road before (here and here). As before, the Chron is as critical of McLane’s claims as … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Comments Off on Back to business as usual

VCR alert

Posted on August 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Did you miss a few early episodes of 24, the best show on TV last year? Well, now’s your chance to correct your mistake. FX is running a 24 hour marathon of 24, starting at 11 PM on Sunday. This … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Comments Off on VCR alert

Pop quiz, hotshot

Posted on August 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Did you know that Miss American contestants have to compete in a pop quiz as part of their quest for the crown? I didn’t, but that’s because I think the Miss America pageant is not quite as exciting as a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | 2 Comments

WNBA ref out of hospital

Posted on August 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

WNBA referee Bill Stokes has been discharged from the hospital ten days after suffering a heart attack during the Comets-Starzz playoff game. “I feel absolutely wonderful,” Stokes, 56, said in the lobby of Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, where he underwent … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Comments Off on WNBA ref out of hospital

No strike!

Posted on August 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

A deal has been reached between the MLBPA and the owners, at the last minute as so many predicted, thus averting a strike. Woo hoo! I am a bit concerned that the players have agreed not to challenge “any contraction … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 7 Comments

Kyoto vs. RIAA

Posted on August 29, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Chad Orzel makes a great point about the debate over the Kyoto Protocol: [S]ome of the same people who vociferously oppose Kyoto on economic grounds are just as quick to argue that the entertainment industry is a lumbering dinosaur reflexively … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Comments Off on Kyoto vs. RIAA

They get paid for this: Part II

Posted on August 29, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Ain’t Life A Bitch award for daily jounalism goes to the Chron‘s Andrew Guy for drawing the lousy and thankless task of doing a puff piece on the Houston Texans cheerleaders. Alas, the online version of this story omits … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 2 Comments

They get paid for this: Part I

Posted on August 29, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

In today’s College Football Preview section, Chron sportswriter Fran Blinebury picks BYU to win the Western Athletic Conference title. That will be quite a feat, considering that BYU hasn’t been in the WAC since 1999, when they and seven other … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 2 Comments

K-Mart Kiddie Roundup: Chief Bradford speaks

Posted on August 29, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Well, Chief Bradford has testified before the City Council, and he appears to be wimping out. Houston Police Chief C.O. Bradford told City Council on Wednesday that he was embarrassed by the mass arrests of 273 people on trespassing charges … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Ann Coulter is the Opie and Anthony of punditry

Posted on August 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I was reading this article in the Chron about shock jocks and crossing the line when it struck me: Ann Coulter is to punditry what Opie and Anthony are to deejays. Opie and Anthony’s sex-in-church stunt has earned them a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | 4 Comments

Baylor suspends frat for Playboy appearance

Posted on August 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

From today’s Chron: WACO – A fraternity has been suspended from Baylor University for a year after a picture of some members, fully clothed, appeared in Playboy magazine. About 50 men and four women, all students at the time, posed … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Comments Off on Baylor suspends frat for Playboy appearance

Kaldi feedback

Posted on August 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Awhile back I wrote about how the Kaldi Cafe was encountering resistance from a nearby church in its efforts to get a private members-only liquor license. Today I discovered that Stephanie, the manager of the Kaldi, had left a comment … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | 1 Comment

Once again: Why Iraq?

Posted on August 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

From MSNBC, Iran harboring al Qaeda deputies: Two figures who have assumed critical roles in the al Qaeda hierarchy in recent months, including one reported dead by the Pentagon, are being sheltered in Iran along with dozens of other al … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | 9 Comments

No Olympics for Houston

Posted on August 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Unlike Ginger, I’m sorry to see that Houston has been dropped from consideration by the US Olympic Committee as a potential host city for the 2012 Olympics. I didn’t see Houston’s bid as a “wallflower girl throwing herself at the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 10 Comments

Party down Saudi style

Posted on August 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

From today’s Chron: MARBELLA, Spain — It’s the hottest hour of the day at the Puente Romano beach club when a girl of 13 dashes out of the hotel gardens, throwing a black cloak over her flowing hair, T-shirt and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | Comments Off on Party down Saudi style

Buffy Blog Burst

Posted on August 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Meryl is organizing a Buffy Blog Burst for September 24, the date of the Season 7 premier. All Buffy fans (and I’m looking at you and you) should check it out and let Meryl know if you want in. Less … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | 3 Comments

Welcome, Dr. Elmo

Posted on August 27, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Ginger gives me the good news that our mutual friend Greg “Dr. Elmo” Morrow has started his own blog. He lives outside Loop 610 and thus is ineligible for the Houston Heights Area Axis of Liberal Bloggers, but he and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Comments Off on Welcome, Dr. Elmo

GWB for HOF?

Posted on August 27, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Via the Daily Kos comes this report from ESPN’s Jim Caple that George W. Bush is among 60 non-players being considered by a screening committee for inclusion on the Hall of Fame veterans’ ballot. Caple gives this notion the dismissal … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 1 Comment

There are no homosexuals in Montgomery County

Posted on August 27, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Some small-town yahoos have their panties in a bunch because they discovered a book in the libraries called It’s Perfectly Normal that doesn’t condemn homosexuality as a crime against nature. They’re trying to get the book removed from the shelves … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 1 Comment

K-Mart Kiddie Roundup: 12 more suspended

Posted on August 27, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Twelve more police supervisors have joined Captain Aguirre on the sidelines as HPD scrambles to get its story straight. Aguirre’s lawyer says that he doesn’t think there were “innocent people” arrested at the Kiddie Roundup. A $100 million lawsuit has … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in K-Mart Kiddie Roundup | 3 Comments

Perkins error corrected

Posted on August 27, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Blah3 reports that the San Diego Union-Tribune has posted a correction (scroll down) to syndicated columnist Joseph Perkins’ claim about DNC attack ads. Perkins had come across one of the “Money” ads on the Blah3 page and had written a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Comments Off on Perkins error corrected

Strange search requests du jour

Posted on August 27, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I am the sole Google search result for Ogallala Aquifer capacity nude. I don’t even know how to make a joke about that. Another person found me by searching for a picture of flouridated water. Be careful – you may … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Strange search requests du jour

Archives

Posted on August 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Slowly but surely I’ve started to import my Blogspot archives. July is now fully in place. I’ll be doing this one month at a time. Since I want to add categories to everything, and in some cases need to update … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Administrivia | Comments Off on Archives

All aboard!

Posted on August 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

A new passenger train between League City and Galveston is set to open next weekend, and if it’s a success the scope may be extended to Houston and more trains. Financed mostly by a $750,000 federal grant, the alternative transportation … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on All aboard!

Haircut

Posted on August 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

So I got a haircut over the weekend. You’d think this would be a pretty unremarkable event. I would too, except for the fact that just about all of my coworkers have in fact remarked on it, some of them … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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

Calling Oliver Willis!

Posted on August 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I have just come across Britney’s Guide to Semiconductor Physics. I may never be the same again. Be sure to visit the wallpaper page so you can make this your new desktop. Via the MOBSHOWS mailing list. Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | 1 Comment

Jim Hightower, Kickass Populist

Posted on August 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Sunday Texas Magazine in the Chron has a nice cover story on former Railroad/Ag Commissioner Jim Hightower. Hightower is one of the old guard of Texas liberalism. He’s a founder of Texas Observer, author of several books, columnist for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Comments Off on Jim Hightower, Kickass Populist

Everyone wants in on the act

Posted on August 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Richard Connelly of the Houston Press takes his shots (scroll down) at Rachel Graves’ Crawford Weblog. Took you long enough, Rich. Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | 1 Comment

Let’s take Iraq!

Posted on August 25, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

This Thadeus & Weez comic says it all. Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | Comments Off on Let’s take Iraq!

Hatch Chile Festival

Posted on August 25, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

It was the final weekend of the Hatch Chile Festival at Central Market, which we discovered as we pulled into the parking lot this evening. The place was packed, but it was worth it because they were giving away lots … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | 3 Comments

Letters to the sports editor

Posted on August 25, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Not too surprisingly, Val Ackerman’s decision to keep playing Game 3 of the Comets-Starzz playoff series after the collapse of referee Bill Stokes has drawn a mixed reaction from Comets fans. Like I said, whatever she did someone was going … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 1 Comment

K-Mart Kiddie Roundup: Aguirre Suspended

Posted on August 25, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Well, Captain Mark Aguirre has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation into the K-Mart Kiddie Roundup. As Kevin and Ginger have noted, it looks like Aguirre will ultimately be the fall guy for this debacle, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in K-Mart Kiddie Roundup | 2 Comments

Why first to market is important

Posted on August 25, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Remember that Enron made-for-TV movie I mentioned a few days ago. The Sunday Chron has a review of the book on which it’s based. I wouldn’t prepare an Emmy speech if I were Brian Cruver. Here are a couple of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Comments Off on Why first to market is important

Is there a wall I can beat my head on?

Posted on August 24, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

It’s hard for me to convey the depths of my despair when I read articles like this about baseball’s labor wars, but I’m going to try. There’s just so much distilled ignorance and misinformation, it’s almost awe-inspiring. Let’s start at … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 1 Comment