Monthly Archives: April 2004

The truth about the Easter bunny

Posted on April 10, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

By now, you’ve probably heard about this church play, since it’s been linked all over the liberal blogworld. A church trying to teach about the crucifixion of Jesus performed an Easter show with actors whipping the Easter bunny and breaking … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | 1 Comment

Take me out to the Presidential fundraiser

Posted on April 10, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Ever wonder if the owners of your favorite baseball team has given money to a Presidential candidate? This guy did, and he’s got the results for you. I’m strangely gratified by the fact that the Mets’ ownership gave four grand … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | 4 Comments

Aaron’s Anniversary

Posted on April 10, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

I missed mentioning on Thursday that it was the 30th anniversary of Hank Aaron’s 715th home run. David Pinto brings it up in linking to this Tim Kurkjian column in which Kurkjian expresses some sadness at the thought that Aaron’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 7 Comments

Skilling did what?

Posted on April 10, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

This is just weird. If Jeff Skilling’s lawyers are right — that he and his wife were taken to the hospital after being attacked by two men on New York City’s Upper East Side on Friday morning — the case … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | 2 Comments

Clear Channel lawsuit proceeds

Posted on April 10, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

A federal lawsuit in which Clear Channel has been accused of keeping artists of their radio stations unless they promote their tours through them can proceed. On April 2, the judge tossed out part of [Denver concert promoter Nobody in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Comments Off on Clear Channel lawsuit proceeds

Chocolate is good for you

Posted on April 9, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

If you’re a pregnant woman, anyway. LONDON (Reuters) – Pregnant women rejoice. Eating chocolate is good for the baby, say Finnish researchers. Scientists at the University of Helsinki, who asked 300 pregnant women to record their chocolate consumption and stress … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | 1 Comment

Saint-Exupery’s plane found

Posted on April 9, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Pieces of an airplane that were found recently have been definiteively identified as being from the plane Antoine Saint-Exupery was flying when he was last seen. The mystery of the death of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who celebrated the mysteries of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | 2 Comments

Kournikova a no-go

Posted on April 9, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

What were the odds of this? With the Astros and Giants doing battle down at Minute Maid Park the previous three nights, media coverage of the River Oaks International had been bare bones at best. But the TV tower and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 2 Comments

Smokey Joe refuted

Posted on April 9, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Guess what? All that pollution from the cement plants in nearby Ellis County really does make a difference to Dallas and Fort Worth, despite what Smokey Joe Barton says. Environ International, in a study to be released today, reports that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 1 Comment

The taxes of sin

Posted on April 9, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Governor Perry finally laid out his school finance reform plan yesterday, and I will give him credit for one thing: he’s finally recognized that some new money needs to be injected into the system. Reaction to his announcement was better … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 4 Comments

The Great Divide

Posted on April 9, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

If you haven’t read the Statesman’s two-parter on the decline of mixed-politics communities (Part One, Part Two), I recommend checking them out. A couple of my own thoughts: As author Bill Bishop noted in Lasso, the numbers he plays around … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on The Great Divide

An email from Iraq

Posted on April 8, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Kerry points to this email from a contractor in Iraq, who has a few thoughts about the recent killings in Fallujah and the big picture overall. Well worth the read, so go check it out. Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq attack | 2 Comments

Factchecking Condi

Posted on April 8, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a handy guide to Condoleeza Rice’s opening statement and the ensuing Q & A from her testimony today, courtesy of the Center for American Progress. If you’re still hungry for more, they have that, too. Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq attack | Comments Off on Factchecking Condi

Perry to unveil his proposal today

Posted on April 8, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready, because Governor Perry will finally unveil his school finance reform proposals today in San Antonio. Richard Olivarez, superintendent of the San Antonio School District, said he would welcome Perry to Fox Tech High School on Thursday, but hopes … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Perry to unveil his proposal today

The J.R. Richard Story

Posted on April 8, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

A biopic of former Astros pitcher J.R. Richard is in the works. Resurrection: The J.R. Richard Story will begin with Richard being rushed from the ballpark in an ambulance after collapsing from a stroke in 1980. The movie starts shooting … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 7 Comments

DeLay, TRM/TAB, etc

Posted on April 8, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

A few updates on the various DeLay-related scandals, brouhahas, and lawsuits: The original lawsuit filed by four losing Democratic candidates after the 2002 election in which they charged that ads run against them by the Texas for a Republican Majority … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 1 Comment

He’s on the job

Posted on April 7, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

How has President Bush responded to the recent awful news coming out of Iraq? At his ranch near Crawford, Texas, President Bush held a 20-minute telephone conference call to discuss the fast-breaking events in Iraq with top Cabinet officials including … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq attack | 10 Comments

Onward, then

Posted on April 7, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

It appears to be official now that Governor Perry really truly will call a special session on school finance reform later this month even though he still doesn’t have anything resembling the kind of consensus he claimed to want as … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Onward, then

Lea Fastow withdraws plea

Posted on April 7, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Whoa. Things just got exciting again in Enronville. Lea Fastow could be the first former Enron employee to go to trial after all. U.S. District Judge David Hittner announced to a crowded courtroom this morning that he would not follow … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | 2 Comments

Ugliness in CD 32

Posted on April 7, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

If you judge a person by who his or her opponents are, Rep. Martin Frost is looking good right about now: An anti-immigration organization called the Coalition of Future American Workers which has ties to a racist group is running … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | 5 Comments

Rodriguez/Cuellar update

Posted on April 7, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Ciro Rodriguez is still talking about filing a lawsuit to overturn the recounted results in the CD 28 Democratic primary, though he hasn’t actually filed yet. He is lining up support for his effort, though. Tuesday, Rodriguez was joined … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | Comments Off on Rodriguez/Cuellar update

Satire death watch update

Posted on April 7, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

The following is from this WaPo article about the failure of a GOP political action committee that was set up to recruit and help out minority candidates to actually give money to such candidates: Shortly before the 2000 elections, American … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 1 Comment

Better late than never

Posted on April 7, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a movement afoot to get write-in candidates on the ballot for the general election in CD 10. Professor Lorenzo Sadun, who holds a Ph.D. certifying that he can do the math, understands the challenge he would face as a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | 4 Comments

Veteran’s memorial defaced

Posted on April 6, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

This is an outrage. A gasp of disbelief, a sad shake of the head and a feeling of general disgust. That’s how San Marcos residents reacted Saturday morning at the sight of graffiti spray-painted on the still under construction Hays … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 4 Comments

Ode to Strat-O-Matic

Posted on April 6, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

I admit it. I was a total Strat-O-Matic geek as a kid. Had all the games, played in face-to-face and play-by-mail leagues – explaining to Mom why I had to spend an hour on the phone with some guy in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 3 Comments

Rail ridership

Posted on April 6, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Rob and I don’t see eye to eye on the light rail line, but he asks a decent question about its reported ridership numbers: Where is Metro getting its figures from? Naively, I’d assume that they start with the ticket … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 3 Comments

News flash: Perry still indecisive about a special session

Posted on April 6, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

These things really do write themselves sometimes. Gov. Rick Perry would like to call a special session on school finance to begin in the middle of this month, spokeswoman Kathy Walt indicated Monday. But she said that Perry hadn’t yet … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on News flash: Perry still indecisive about a special session

Vote for the Speaker

Posted on April 6, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

A little diversion from the Stakeholder: Roll Call is having a little contest, “Speakerology,” to see who can garner the most votes from citizens for Speaker of the House. The final round is between Republican Roy Blunt and Democrat Jan … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | Comments Off on Vote for the Speaker

Choose the voices in your head wisely

Posted on April 6, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

I’m reading this article about the differences between Andrea Yates and Deanna Laney, and my jaw is still hanging open after finishing this section: Dr. Park Dietz, the nationally noted psychiatrist who testified that Yates knew her actions were wrong … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 11 Comments

Policy update

Posted on April 5, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

It’s probably unnecessary, but after the Kos/Kerry kerfuffle, I’ve decided to update my Blog Policies page to cover the (in my mind unlikely) possibility that someone will attempt to make another party responsible for my words or the words of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Administrivia | 2 Comments

What about the Vietnamese?

Posted on April 5, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting article on how Vietnamese-Americans view the 2004 Presidential election. The older Vietnamese — the ones who fought alongside American troops in South Vietnam and then fled to America after the communists took over — pay close attention to American … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | 2 Comments

Kerry leads Bush among Hispanic voters

Posted on April 5, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a poll that shows John Kerry with a sizeable lead among Hispanic voters in his race against President Bush. The presumptive Democratic nominee held a 58 percent to 33 percent lead over Bush among voters who identify themselves as … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | Comments Off on Kerry leads Bush among Hispanic voters

Deanna Laney acquitted

Posted on April 5, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Deanna Laney, the East Texas woman who stoned two of her sons to death and injured a third, was found not guilty by reason of insanity on Friday, meaning that her jury found her to be not quite the same … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 10 Comments

Earle releases records

Posted on April 5, 2004 by Charles Kuffner

Just a quick update from the weekend on the TAB/TRM investigations: Travis County DA Ronnie Earle has released a ton of documents pursuant to Andy Taylor’s nuisancy Open Records Requests. I’ll say this for Taylor: He sure does put the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on Earle releases records