Monthly Archives: January 2004

DA clears TTM

Posted on January 31, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Nearly three months after the election, Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal has finally issued a report which clears Texans for True Mobility of lawbreaking during the runup to the rail referendum. Texans for True Mobility violated no state campaign … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2003 | 2 Comments

I want my MTV

Posted on January 31, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Ah, show business. So glamorous. Here’s what my MTV Rock and Jock Super Bowl experience was like. The MOB arrived at the site at 9 AM. The flag football field, which was 50 yards in length though it was striped … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | 7 Comments

It was just a matter of time

Posted on January 31, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

You have to hand it to the Chron, they take their job as Houston boosters seriously. What else can you think about their overview of Houston strip clubs for visitors, complete with capsulized reviews of seven specific clubs? I suppose … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 2 Comments

Two down, 47 to go

Posted on January 30, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Last year, it was Texas v. New Mexico in a border dispute smackdown. Now it’s a trademark tussle with Wyoming. The silhouette of a bucking horse with lowered head, kicking rear legs and a hat-waving cowboy aboard is everywhere in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Comments Off on Two down, 47 to go

Secret assignment

Posted on January 30, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

I’m about to take off to perform with the Rice MOB in some kind of Super Bowl-related thing that involves MTV and a rapper named “Chingy”. No, I have no idea who that is – I mean, c’mon, I’m a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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

The suburbs have no charms to soothe the restless dreams of youth

Posted on January 30, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Another one for the I-never-would-have-guessed files: Kids in the suburbs drink and screw as much as kids in the evil cities. Two-thirds of suburban and urban 12th-graders have had sex; 43 percent of suburban 12th-graders and 39 percent of urban … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 3 Comments

Wayne Graham

Posted on January 30, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Very nice article on Wayne Graham, coach of your 2003 National Champion Rice Owls baseball team. The season kicks off on February 10, and it’s going to be different this year as The Defending Champions instead of some Cinderella story. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 5 Comments

Half a trillion

Posted on January 30, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, guess what? That godawful Medicare bill is gonna cost more than the President promised it would, and in doing so will push the deficit to over half a trillion dollars. The White House will estimate the cost of creating … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

Kinky Friedman still talking about running for Governor

Posted on January 29, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

When I first read that Kinky Friedman was thinking about running for Governor as an independent in 2006, I thought he was kidding, even though he insisted otherwise. Well, he’s still talking about it, and I have to say, he … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 3 Comments

SD1 update

Posted on January 29, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

The special runoff election for the two vacant State Senate seats has been set for February 17. Republican candidate Kevin Eltife, who trailed Democrat Paul Sadler by about three percentage points in the open election to replace the retiring Bill … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | Comments Off on SD1 update

Self service lottery machines

Posted on January 29, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Lottery Commission is planning to roll out self service lottery machines. Let me say that again, because I’m still not quite sure I believe what I’ve just written. The Texas Lottery Commission is planning to roll out SELF … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Jackpot! | 6 Comments

Name that telemarketer

Posted on January 29, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Good news – telemarketers can no longer obscure their identities via blocking Caller ID. Telemarketing firms must begin complying with new federal rules that require them to display their name and a phone number where they can be reached. The … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

For my next trick

Posted on January 28, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Pete suggests a few targets for the Bush Administration whose eradication would make us all better off. I for one can’t find anything to argue with. Check it out. Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | Comments Off on For my next trick

Nice work if you can get it

Posted on January 28, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

You can add this to the total cost of reredistricting in 2003: Lawyer Andy Taylor will bill the state for over $700,000 of legal work. Andy Taylor, a Houston-based attorney, has charged $400 per hour of his time, $200 per … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 14 Comments

Rudy T update

Posted on January 28, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Nice to see that former Rockets head coach Rudy Tomjanovich is doing well after retiring from coaching due to health problems. Among other things, he’s attending basketball games as a fan and a scout. “Everybody likes to have some kind … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 5 Comments

Kerry On

Posted on January 28, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

The Mandatory Punditry Act of 2003 states that I must offer my opinion on the New Hampshire Primary within 48 hours of its conclusion, so I may as well get it over with. First, congratulation to John Kerry for another … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | 9 Comments

Meet the hosts

Posted on January 28, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

I can’t help myself. I’m caught up in Local Family Hosts Jimmy Kimmel Mania! The satellite feed was fuzzy in Los Angeles when Jimmy Kimmel announced the Houston-area family he would be staying with during Super Bowl week, so the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Meet the hosts

Laughter, bribery, and mangled aphorisms

Posted on January 28, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, if this is any indication, the special session on Robin Hood reform that Governor Perry has promised to call is going to be a big frigging catastrophe. There’s almost too much here to chew on. Gov. Rick Perry on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Laughter, bribery, and mangled aphorisms

Come join my committee

Posted on January 28, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Got the following in an email tip. Looks to me like his Democratic colleagues in Washington are doing what they can to help out Rep. Chris Bell in the primary: Texas redistricting has proven a major distraction for most incumbent … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | Comments Off on Come join my committee

Some actually interesting Super Bowl stories

Posted on January 27, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

This story about women in executive positions with NFL teams is quite interesting. I knew about the Raiders’ Amy Trask – there was a Sports Illustrated profile of her awhile back in which she was described as “Al Davis in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 2 Comments

Let’s do lunch

Posted on January 27, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

I know this is really short notice, but Aziz and I are going to get together for lunch tomorrow at the Chipotle’s on Dryden and Fannin (conveniently located at a light rail stop) in celebration of my impending fatherhood. Houston-area … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 3 Comments

TAB loses again

Posted on January 27, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

From the Quorum Report: APPEALS COURT REJECTS TAB PETITON WITHOUT OPINION On to the Texas Supreme Court The 3rd Court of Appeals has just rejected an effort by the Texas Association of Business to avoid turning over documents in their … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on TAB loses again

Building a better web page

Posted on January 27, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

With the installation of a fulltime blogger on the Yellow Dog Blog, the Texas Democratic Party is now focusing on its main web page. They’re going to do a site redesign and are asking for contributions to help get there. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Comments Off on Building a better web page

I came by my dirty mind honestly

Posted on January 27, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

The headline in the print edition of the Chron for this story is “Golden Globes glow”. Directly underneath it is this picture: So you tell me: What am I supposed to think? Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | 10 Comments

Ted Poe

Posted on January 27, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

I think the race in CD 02 will be the hottest one locally, at least after the primaries. Rep. Nick Lampson surely won’t go quietly, and he did represent a fair amount of the newly-drawn district. If former judge/huckster Ted … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | 2 Comments

Kimmel to broadcast from Missouri City

Posted on January 27, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Jimmy Kimmel has made his choice, and he’ll be broadcasting from the ‘burbs. A Missouri City family has been chosen to house television talk show host Jimmy Kimmel when he comes to Houston for a live broadcast Friday night. Johnnie … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 3 Comments

Blog and Tackle

Posted on January 26, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, good lord. The Chronicle has started a Super Bowl blog, just exactly the thing I was looking for to combat my ennui about the whole thing. As with their previous foray into blogging, they still haven’t quite grokked the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 1 Comment

Both sides

Posted on January 26, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Having listened to Atrios and Andrew Sullivan on the Blogging of the President radio show (you can hear it here), I agree with Atrios about Sully’s “challenge” to him. Kudos to Atrios for keeping his cool on the air – … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Comments Off on Both sides

Take your baby to work

Posted on January 26, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

I swear, this isn’t going to turn into a DaddyBlog, but given that I announced my impending fatherhood today, I figured I could note this story. Mark Tatara is his company’s “First Dad,” a title he earned in October when … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | 3 Comments

Real Men of Genius

Posted on January 26, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

OK, I admit it: I have a soft spot for those Budweiser “Real Men of Genius” ads which have migrated recently from radio to TV. Apparently, there were a lot more of these spots on the radio than I knew … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | 44 Comments

A new day at YDB

Posted on January 26, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

The Yellow Dog Blog, one of only two official state party blogs in the US, now has a fulltime blogger. Congrats to Burnt Orange member and brand-new Assistant Communications Director of the Texas Democratic Party Andrew Dobbs, for whom part … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 1 Comment

What we’ve got here is failure to communicate

Posted on January 26, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

From the Left Hand Does Not Know What The Right Hand Is Doing Dept.: When the Downtown Entertainment District Alliance invited Jeff Towns and other art car owners to park their art on wheels on Main Street Friday, no one … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on What we’ve got here is failure to communicate

Is it over yet?

Posted on January 26, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Write down the date and time: I’m officially tired of Super Bowl XVIII and all the hype surrounding it. If I never read one more story about fabulous celebrities and exclusive parties it’ll be too soon. And the next visiting … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 3 Comments

Important personal announcement

Posted on January 26, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

It’s somewhat past time for me to make an important personal announcement. I’m not sure what is the proper way to do it in a forum such as this (Miss Manners would probably frown on it, but I’ll take my … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | 29 Comments