Monthly Archives: January 2004

A tale of two Charlies

Posted on January 26, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

If you’re wondering what kind of message some of the redistricted Democratic Congressional incumbents might try on their new, more Republican constituents, Charlie Stenholm provides a glimpse. I have always attempted to do what I believed was right for the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | 2 Comments

Meet Rick Causey

Posted on January 25, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

With the Fastows headed to the pokey and Skilling and Lay not yet in the crosshairs, the biggest Enron target right now is Rick Causey, about whom I know little. Here’s a story that gives some background on the former … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | 1 Comment

Reversal of fortune

Posted on January 25, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Lottery winner killed by truck ELWOOD, Ind. — A man who won $57,000 in an Indiana lottery game taped for television died hours later when he was hit by a pickup truck. The Hoosier Millionaire featuring Carl D. Atwood, 73, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

Yates followup

Posted on January 25, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

I always find it difficult to read articles about Andrea and Rusty Yates and their children. This is no exception. It’s been almost three years since [Andrea] drowned the boys and 6-month-old Mary in the bathtub in their home. Interviews … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 9 Comments

Koufax Awards final voting

Posted on January 25, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

The nominees for all of the Koufax Awards have been narrowed down, and final voting is going on at Wampum. I’m surprised and quite pleased to announce that I’m a finalist in the Best Series category. Honesty compells me to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Koufax Awards final voting

Dog’s day

Posted on January 24, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

A little good news for the weekend. The timid German shepherd with warm brown eyes and a floppy ear was a familiar sight to commuters at the Metro Park & Ride on Interstate 10 and Texas 6. People worried about … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Dog’s day

Judy Dean

Posted on January 24, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

I’m kinda sorry I missed Judith Steinberg Dean’s coming out party with Diane Sawyer on Thursday night. She sounds like my kind of woman. Whether she’s helped rehab Howard Dean’s campaign or not, I can say that I personally am … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | 5 Comments

Nixon and Gramm

Posted on January 24, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

You can’t win them all: The Travis County DA has cleared State Rep. Joe Nixon of wrongdoing in his mold claim. Prosecutors have concluded no laws were violated when Farmers Insurance Group paid more than $300,000 to an influential Houston … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 2 Comments

RIP, Captain Kangaroo

Posted on January 23, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Bob Keeshan, aka Captain Kangaroo, has passed away at the age of 76. Keeshan, who lived in Hartford, Vt., died of a long illness, his family said in a statement. Keeshan’s “Captain Kangaroo” premiered on CBS in 1955 and ran … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 2 Comments

TCU to MWC

Posted on January 23, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

The worst-kept secret in college sports is apparently about to become official, as TCU is set to accept an invitation to the Mountain West Conference. After months of deliberating and number-crunching, Texas Christian University will accept an invitation next week … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 4 Comments

Everyone’s Art Car Parade

Posted on January 23, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the best Houston news you’ll read today: Houston’s wacky Art Car Parade moved into the fast lane Thursday when Everyones Internet, a Houston-based Internet service provider, agreed to sign on as the May event’s lead sponsor, a parade official … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 2 Comments

Welcome back the GOP Congress

Posted on January 23, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

A little amusing Flash animation that pokes fun at everyone’s favorite exterminator, Tom DeLay. Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 1 Comment

No Justice memos

Posted on January 22, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Back when the Justice Department precleared the new Congressional map, the plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit challenging that map claimed that political appointees at Justice had overruled the career lawyers, and they pressed to get Justice to release internal memos … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 10 Comments

From The Roots

Posted on January 22, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Now this is a great idea: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has a fabulous-looking blog called From The Roots, which will apparently include posts from various Senators themselves as well as Kos-like diaries, for which anyone can create an … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 2 Comments

Next!

Posted on January 22, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Another day, another former Enron executive arrested. Rick Causey, Enron’s former chief accounting officer, surrendered to the FBI in Houston this morning and was led in handcuffs to the federal courthouse. Charged with six counts of conspiracy and securities fraud, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | 2 Comments

D Magazine blog

Posted on January 22, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Via Burnt Orange, I see that Dallas’ D Magazine has a Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on D Magazine blog

The best PR of all

Posted on January 21, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

If the weather around Super Bowl weekend is anything like it is now – mostly sunny, blue skies, in the low 60s – we won’t need any fancy schmancy PR campaign to make the frozen-tundra-area newsies like us. Hell, we … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 1 Comment

Technorati Beta

Posted on January 21, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

The beta version of Technorati looks really good. It’s faster, it’s got direct links to posts that cite whatever URL you’re looking for, and it will index a lot faster. Read about it here. Via Sisyphus. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 3 Comments

Feel the hate

Posted on January 21, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t quite get this technology you hate but can’t live without thing. An annual Massachusetts Institute of Technology survey, known as the Lemelson-MIT Invention Index, found that among adults asked what invention they hate most but can’t live without, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 4 Comments

It’s like an analogy

Posted on January 21, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Norbizness has the best response to the “weapons of mass destruction-related program activities” threat that you’ll see today. UPDATE: Slacktivist has an appropriately cheesy take on this. Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | Comments Off on It’s like an analogy

You’re not fully dressed without a smile

Posted on January 21, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

If we can just make it through the friendliness blitz over the next two weeks without grinding our teeth into dust, we’ll be OK. Drag a comb through your hair, shake out the rugs and, for goodness’ sake, tell the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 12 Comments

Special election runoffs

Posted on January 21, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

There were two special elections in Texas yesterday, both to fill State Senate seats, and both of them will require runoffs to pick winners. In the SD 1 race to replace the retiring Bill Ratliff, Democrat Paul Sadler held a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | Comments Off on Special election runoffs

Look for the union label

Posted on January 20, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Another new and interesting entrant into the blog world: the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) now has a blog. I hope they use it to give us a good look at how an organization like that works and what kind … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 1 Comment

Early tests for White

Posted on January 20, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

New Mayor Bill White will get to make a very high-profile appointment shortly when he names a new police chief. “I want a police chief who understands our diverse community,” White said Monday, “and can communicate to the police force … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Comments Off on Early tests for White

Train ride

Posted on January 20, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

So I got on board at the Smithlands station at Greenbriar and Old Spanish Trail, just a block from my office, at about 10:10 to head towards downtown. I have no idea what Smithlands refers to – I’d have called … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on Train ride

Maiden voyage

Posted on January 20, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

I’m about to take my first trip on Houston’s light rail line. I’ll post a report, plus the reason for that trip, later today. I should note that I wouldn’t have gotten to see the fountain even if it were … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 4 Comments

Another milestone in the decline of Western civilization

Posted on January 20, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Man, I nearly choked on my Cheerios this morning when I came across the Chron’s very own State of the Union drinking game. This would never have happened if Ann Hodges (who is no doubt lying down with a cold … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | 4 Comments

Iowhat?

Posted on January 20, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Not what we all expected in Iowa, was it? My favorable impression of Howard Dean has come as much from his vaunted organization as from his passion, but if this is the best they can do, then he’s gonna be … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | 2 Comments

Comment spam update

Posted on January 19, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a new version of Movable Type, version 2.66, which is apparently a stopgap to help deal with comment spam until Version 3.0 is released. It will allow you to require that a certain amount of time pass between the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Administrivia | 1 Comment

That’s not what I asked

Posted on January 19, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Great article in the Columbia Journalism Review on the fine art of avoiding the question. It sheds quite a bit of light on why we so seldom get any useful information from those who talk to the press on a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | 1 Comment

Comics (yawn) controversy

Posted on January 19, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

This Chron article is reasonably well done, even if I’ve read way too many “Are the comics getting too serious?” stories. There are a couple of points to discuss: [S]ome newspaper editors — including here at the Chronicle — viewed … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 7 Comments

How blogging got started

Posted on January 19, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

This PreTeena comic pretty much sums it up. Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | Comments Off on How blogging got started

Will Bush regret his immigration reform proposal?

Posted on January 19, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been wondering lately if immigration issues will cause a rift in the Republican Party during this election season. There’s already some conservative rumbling over government spending, though I agree with Nick Confessore that it’s a bit early to make … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

McGovern endorses Clark

Posted on January 19, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

So does this mean that we can officially call a halt to any future Dean-is-like-McGovern articles? Wesley Clark, seeking to make inroads among supporters of Howard Dean, was endorsed Sunday by George McGovern, whose opposition to the Vietnam War propelled … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | 1 Comment