Monthly Archives: September 2003

The price of progress

Posted on September 16, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Sure sucks to be a resident of Spring Valley, where the I-10 expansion will destroy its tax base in addition to uprooting a bunch of homes. Land is finally being cleared for the long-awaited freeway-widening project, and a chunk of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 4 Comments

Back to business

Posted on September 16, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Both chambers of the Texas Lege were back in business (however briefly) yesterday, though on the Senate side it was strictly show business. I’m not going to spend too much time on that aspect of it in this report, but … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 4 Comments

The Krugman Interview

Posted on September 16, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

If you haven’t read Kevin Drum’s interview with Paul Krugman, run, don’t walk, over there now. Top-notch stuff. I’m thinking it’s time to start hectoring CNN and MSNBC to give Kevin his own talk show. Who’s with me? Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Comments Off on The Krugman Interview

Insult to injury

Posted on September 16, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

It’s bad enough to read that the women’s professional soccer league WUSA is folding as a result of cash shortages, but this just rubs salt into it: “This is a sad day for women’s soccer and women’s sports,” U.S. international … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 3 Comments

Senate meets and adjourns

Posted on September 15, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Byron has most of the coverage worth reading. Basically, the Senate convened, a quorum was announced, and a motion to adjourn was recognized and approved, all before the Texas Ten entered. The gallery, which was packed with Texas Ten supporters, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | Comments Off on Senate meets and adjourns

Roy Moore in Houston

Posted on September 15, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, whose efforts to install a monument to the Ten Commandments in the rotunda of his state’s Judicial Building were thwarted by federal courts, spent a busy Sunday in Houston promoting his cause. The same … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 4 Comments

A curious underestimation

Posted on September 15, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Several people have noted this Salon interview with Tucker Carlson, mostly for his unflattering words about Karen Hughes. Reading through the interview for myself this morning, I was struck by a comment that I haven’t seen anyone else mention so … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 2 Comments

Peter Ueberroth

Posted on September 15, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

It’s just as well for Kevin that Peter Ueberroth has dropped out of the California recall election. Gary Huckabay at the Baseball Prospectus wrote on Friday in a behind-the-paid-firewall article that Ueberroth gets an awful lot of credit for doing … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 6 Comments

Perry’s Mulligan

Posted on September 15, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Although I expect Texans will be disappointed with the inability to accomplish this task, I believe Texans would be even more disappointed if we expend considerable sums of taxpayer money to call a special session that has no promise of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 3 Comments

Blog policies

Posted on September 14, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

The following is an enumeration of the philosophy and policies of this weblog. A link to it will be placed on the sidebar for easy reference in the future. I’ve avoided having one of these for a long time, but … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Administrivia | 6 Comments

Election returns

Posted on September 14, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Our overburdened state constitution is now 22 amendments longer, which sadly means that the evil Prop 12 also passed, though by a narrower margin and in heavier voting than what was originally expected. I look forward to better access to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 6 Comments

Ruling roundup

Posted on September 13, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Feeling a bit lazy on this beautiful Saturday, so I’ll point to the news coverage and leave the rest to you. Key points: Dems will probably appeal, no word on whether the GOP will try to enforce sanctions, and of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | Comments Off on Ruling roundup

Vote!

Posted on September 13, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

If you don’t know about today’s Special Because We Make It Special Election, it’s not my fault. Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM, and the evil tort reform amendment Prop 12 is the big issue. You know … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 3 Comments

Grand jury examining Yates trial testimony

Posted on September 12, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

A Houston grand jury is looking into some erroneous statements made by Dr. Park Dietz, an expert witness for the prosecution during his testimony in the trial of Andrea Yates. Nationally renowned for his work on cases such as those … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 3 Comments

Federal panel rejects Dem lawsuit

Posted on September 12, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

No surprise, really. A three-judge federal panel in West Texas today dismissed a lawsuit filed by senate Democrats hoping to derail a new round of redistricting in Texas. The Democrats argued that Senate rule changes by Republicans to further the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 2 Comments

Turnout may not suck for Saturday

Posted on September 12, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Early voting for the Special Double-Secret Amendment-Only Election tomorrow was higher than for the boring old regular election of 2001, leading Secretary of State Geoffrey Connor to predict turnout of about nine percent. Voter turnout in the past six constitutional … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 1 Comment

Weird Al on NPR

Posted on September 12, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

This happened a few weeks ago, but I’m just now getting around to finding the URL and listening for myself – Weird Al Yankovic was on Morning Edition for a nice long interview. Check it out here. Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 1 Comment

Panel hears arguments, may rule today

Posted on September 12, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

The three-judge panel heard arguments from both sides yesterday in the Democrats’ federal lawsuit which alleges that scrapping the traditional two-thirds rule in the redistricting battle harms minority representation. Judges Patrick Higginbotham of Dallas, Lee Rosenthal of Houston and George … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 2 Comments

RIP, Johnny Cash

Posted on September 12, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

The great Johnny Cash died early this morning at the age of 71. Music in general, and country music in particular, is the lesser for it. In March 1998, Cash made headlines when his California-based record company, American Recordings, took … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 4 Comments

More Prop 12 stuff

Posted on September 11, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

The debate over the evil tort reform measure Proposition 12 is still heating up, as seen in this article which covers a debate between State Rep. Joe Nixon, the sponsor of the bill that led to Prop 12, and former … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Comments Off on More Prop 12 stuff

Libertarians for Dean

Posted on September 11, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Previously, I mentioned that while there is a Libertarians for Dean Yahoo! group, there was not a webpage for them, an omission that I found rather curious. Last night Logan Ferree left a comment saying that there is in fact … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | Comments Off on Libertarians for Dean

The Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003

Posted on September 11, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Morat and Different Strings are trying to drum up support for Rep. Rush Holt’s HR 2239, known as the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003, which would: require all voting systems to produce a voter-verified paper record for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 2 Comments

On comments and banning

Posted on September 11, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve gone over a year and a half on this blog without any kind of policy statements, but after the recent dustup I suppose I can’t avoid it any longer. I’m checking out other blog policy pages for inspiration, starting … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Administrivia | 13 Comments

Texas Ten return

Posted on September 11, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

I’m a little pressed for time this morning, so I’ll pass you on to Byron for the news accounts of the Demoratic Senators’ return. Instead, I’ll discuss a couple of other points, as sort of a preview for next week. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 4 Comments

9/11

Posted on September 11, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

I second Patrick‘s recommendation of this Jim Henley piece. Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

Hatch wavering on copyright crusade?

Posted on September 10, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Seems that Sen. Orrin “I’ll kill you and burn your computer, vile filesharer!” Hatch is getting a little worried about the RIAA’s subpoena fetish. Hatch says he agrees with many of the concerns raised in a Tuesday committee hearing by … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 1 Comment

A new twist in forwarded scare stories

Posted on September 10, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

So my mother forwarded me an email yesterday that contained a warning from the Petroleum Equipment Institute about using cellphones while gassing up one’s vehicle. According to the email, some form of electrical charge from cellphones had ignited fumes at … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 4 Comments

Glisan pleads guilty

Posted on September 10, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Former Enron treasurer Ben Glisan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and security fraud, earning him five years in Club Fed plus some post-prison supervision time. All other charges against him, which were part of a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | 2 Comments

Going back to Dallas, Texas…the hard way

Posted on September 10, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Okay, I can understand the whole wanting-to-get-back-to-Texas thing, though I think being shipped in a box to get here is a tad, um, extreme. But Dallas? That’s just weird. Anyway. I believe I speak for all right-thinking Americans when I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 6 Comments

Governor calls third session

Posted on September 9, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

It’s official: the third special session in our neverending legislative season will begin Monday at noon. The Democratic holdouts will be there. Full coverage, though there’s not much different from what was in this morning’s papers is in the Chron, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 7 Comments

Choose Lawsuits

Posted on September 9, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Hope gives a rundown of the various states whose legislatures have authorized license plates with the slogan “Choose Life”, the fees for which go in part to antiabortion groups of some kind. (Her permalinks are screwy; scroll past the birthday … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on Choose Lawsuits

The face of those who really do hate America

Posted on September 9, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

The top picture here is what Americans who hate America really look like. Via Angry Bear. Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 23 Comments

White plan for Houston homeland security

Posted on September 9, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Mayoral candidate Bill White has unveiled a plan for homeland security in Houston. A new city program called HoustonCARES — Community Awareness & Response for Emergency Situation — that would coordinate neighborhood efforts to plan for disasters. · A permanent … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2003 | 1 Comment

Opus to return

Posted on September 9, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Hot dog! Berke Breathed will bring Opus back to life in a new Sunday comic starting November 23. The Washington Post Writers Group, which will syndicate the strip, is expected to officially announce Breathed’s return this Sunday. The reclusive Breathed, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 2 Comments