Monthly Archives: December 2003

A couple of redistricting links

Posted on December 31, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Rob Booth has pointers to two stories that I’ve overlooked which are worth reading. Here he found this story in which US Rep. Max Sandlin (D, Marshall) predicts that the courts will overturn the new Congressional map, and here he … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 1 Comment

Two down, ? to go

Posted on December 31, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Today marks the end of my second full year of blogging. It’s been a fun ride, and I expect it to continue to be for the foreseeable future. Thanks to everyone for riding along with me. I don’t do a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Two down, ? to go

Can we get a candidate over here, please?

Posted on December 31, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

As of today, there are no Democratic candidates on the ballot for any statewide office in 2004. Well, there’s one, anyway. AUSTIN — No Democratic candidate has yet filed to run for statewide office in Texas in 2004, but party … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | 6 Comments

The cows are coming home

Posted on December 31, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like the Chick-Fil-A cows will be hibernating for awhile. Chick-fil-A is postponing its latest advertising featuring those iconic bovines to avoid appearing insensitive to concerns about the first U.S. case of mad cow disease. The Atlanta-based restaurant chain had … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Comments Off on The cows are coming home

The shrinking axis

Posted on December 31, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

It is with no small amount of sadness that I note the news that Michael Croft and Ginger Stampley will be leaving Houston in the very near future for the metro New York area. Their departure means that the Greater … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | 5 Comments

Bringing you the tech flops of the future today

Posted on December 30, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Larry points to this article in which Jim Louderback predicts the Tech Flops of the Future. I’ve got a simple rule I apply to suss out success for a new product (modestly, I call it Louderback’s Rule). It states that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 4 Comments

Driving the Districts

Posted on December 30, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman has a pretty interesting series going about its proposed new Congressional districts, which tie Austin and the nearby Hill Country to Houston, South Texas, and Midland. Here are their reports on District 11, also known as the Craddick … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | Comments Off on Driving the Districts

The terror threat at home

Posted on December 30, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Bill emailed me to ask if I’d seen this story about William Krar, the man from Noonday, Texas, who recently pled guilty to various charges stemming from a few items he had in his house: Inside the home and storage … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

You Can’t Go Home Again Dept.

Posted on December 30, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Normally, I wouldn’t take too much notice of a movie theater that’s about to be closed and torn down, even one that’s profitable and getting shafted by its landlord. In this case, however, I must give a salute to the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 5 Comments

The local impact of Mad Cow

Posted on December 30, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

This article from yesterday’s Chron about the impact of the Mad Cow discovery on ranchers in Gonzales was presumably written to help us empathize with them and to reassure us that it Can’t Happen Here. I’m fine with the empathy, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 2 Comments

Chuck’s yer uncle

Posted on December 29, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations to my sister Eileen and her husband Jason for the birth of their first child, Declan Charles, over the weekend. Mother and baby are doing fine, though since the little guy wasn’t due until February 5, he’s going to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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

Life in the new CD 10

Posted on December 29, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

This Statesman article gives an overview of the proposed new CD 10, one of the three districts that would carve up Austin under the Republican map. This is the one that stretches from Austin to west Houston, from suburb to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 1 Comment

Analysis of the Mayoral race

Posted on December 29, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Via Yellow Dog comes this analysis of the 2003 Houston Mayoral race. I kind of wish now that I’d looked for this earlier, because the cited paper by Richard Murray no longer appears to be posted at the stated URL. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2003 | 2 Comments

Targeting Ardmoreites

Posted on December 29, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

As expected, the GOP will be putting up some challengers to Democrats who participated in the legislative boycotts during the last session. Here’s the scoop from San Antonio. A group of GOP newcomers has targeted incumbent Democratic state legislators, thinking … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | 2 Comments

And the spam keeps coming

Posted on December 29, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like there’s been an uptick in comment spams lately. I’ve had new comments to delete and new URLs to add to my spam blacklist most days over the last two weeks. I even had my first trackback spam in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Administrivia | 2 Comments

Best for you maybe

Posted on December 28, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

I agree with Big Media Matt – the criteria used in this Best Places to Live guide sounds exactly like a formula to determine the richest exurban areas and not much else. The $50,000 median income cutoff is a guarantee … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 5 Comments

Yeah, but who’ll play Snookums and Snowflake?

Posted on December 28, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Every once in awhile, you can actually learn something from those end of the year Weird Stories wrapups. Tom Hanks was signed to play flamboyant congressman Charlie Wilson of Lufkin, who helped Afghani mujahedeen oust the Soviets, in a movie … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Comments Off on Yeah, but who’ll play Snookums and Snowflake?

The madness of King Beef

Posted on December 28, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Julia has a fine collection of news links to get you up to speed on the Mad Cow story. Here’s one link that I’d like to highlight. During a House debate last summer over a possible ban on using sick … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on The madness of King Beef

How self-absorbed can you get?

Posted on December 28, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

I must not be as jaded as I thought I was, because I really can’t believe I just read this headline in today’s Chron: Amid backdrop of war, Houston reborn in 2003. With the chutzpah of a city that put … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 2 Comments

Choose Costco

Posted on December 27, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Ezra Klein and Kevin Thurman both print the following quote, which in my mind is the Best Reason Ever to avoid WalMart and Sam’s Club. Wal-Mart is “the unstoppable, insatiable force” in retailing, “rul[ing] the commercial strip the way Julius … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | 18 Comments

Shrillness alert

Posted on December 27, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

The ever-so-shrill, I-liked-him-so-much-better-when-he-stuck-with-economics Paul Krugman has a few suggestions for the press on how to cover the 2004 elections. • Don’t talk about clothes. • Actually look at the candidates’ policy proposals. • Beware of personal anecdotes. • Look at … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | Comments Off on Shrillness alert

The Tackle

Posted on December 26, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a great article on Dicky Maegle and Tommy Lewis, the two protagonists in the wildest play ever in college football. Lewis’ off-the-bench tackle of Maegle while Maegle was headed for a 95-yard touchdown run during the 1954 Cotton Bowl … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Comments Off on The Tackle

Merry Christmas from Pancho Claus

Posted on December 26, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sorry I missed this. They drove through Houston’s barrios Christmas morning in low-riders that jerked up from the pavement, blaring horns as loud as those on a train and wearing wildly-colored zoot suits that screamed for attention. Children ran. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 8 Comments

You pay how much?

Posted on December 26, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

When I first glanced at the headline of this Chron op-ed piece, which reads “Why should hospital district cover illegals?”, I figured it would be the standard-issue ignorant nativist rant, and I started to prepare some responses as I read … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Skepticism | 3 Comments

UH beats UH

Posted on December 26, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Hawaii defeated Houston 54-48 in triple overtime in the Battle of the UHes yesterday. Congratulations to all of you who were wise enough to bet on the over. Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 1 Comment

Bad Santa!

Posted on December 25, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

From the Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time Dept: UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Bad Santa isn’t just a holiday movie. A seemingly harmless Christmas promotion arranged by the New York Islanders turned ugly, and all because of the team’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 3 Comments

Mele Kalikimaka!

Posted on December 25, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day That’s the island greeting that we send to you From the land where palm trees sway Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright The … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on Mele Kalikimaka!

Going to the Galleria

Posted on December 24, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

I believe it’s been well known for a long time now that a sizeable percentage of shoppers at Houston’s high end mall the Galleria are from Mexico, but I’m still a bit surprised to see it expressed in such stark … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 4 Comments

Calpundit on the neocons

Posted on December 24, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Damn straight. There’s the basic contradiction all at once: Wolfowitz and the neocons seem to truly believe that they’re motivated by an idealistic devotion to democracy, but at the same time they’re willfully blind to the fact that their own … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | 3 Comments

River Oaks and Star Trek

Posted on December 24, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Tom Spencer visited home here in Houston and took a look at compassion and class mixing through a Star Trek prism. Check it out. Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Comments Off on River Oaks and Star Trek

Mall Santas going extinct?

Posted on December 24, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Are shopping mall Santas going extinct? Santa isn’t the big man at Christmas that he used to be, at least not at the mall. While appearances by St. Nick remain a holiday ritual at most of the nation’s 1,130 enclosed … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on Mall Santas going extinct?

Exactly right

Posted on December 24, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

I agree with this post on TAPPED about the latest DLC/Howard Dean dustup so much, I’m going to quote most of it. [T]he DLC really hasn’t been offering a “Bush-lite” agenda for America. On the other hand, “Democratic centrists” really … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 6 Comments

Sadler for Senate

Posted on December 23, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Byron is helping to lead the charge to give support to State Rep. Paul Sadler, who is running in a special election on January 20 to replace the retiring Bill Ratliff. Sadler is the only Democrat on the ballot, and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | 1 Comment

Schlitterbahn Galveston update

Posted on December 23, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Construction of new Schlitterbahn in Galveston is another step closer to reality as the Galveston City Council approved a lease on the property in question. The water park will be between Galveston’s Lone Star Flight Museum and Moody Gardens, two … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 16 Comments