Monthly Archives: February 2005

Sam Johnson is stark raving nuts

Posted on February 28, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Apparently, the gentleman from the third Congressional District thinks we should nuke Syria, and that he himself is the man for the job. Now we know where Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas) thinks the weapons of mass destruction are buried: in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq attack | 14 Comments

TAB trial gets underway

Posted on February 28, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll undoubtedly have more on this tomorrow, but for now here’s the opening story from the AP wire about the lawsuit against Bill Ceverha of the Texas Association of Business. Clean Up Texas Politics has a bunch of links from … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on TAB trial gets underway

Congrats to Michael Harris

Posted on February 28, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I’d like to take a moment to congratulate Rice forward Michael Harris, whose 30 points and 24 rebounds against Hawaii yesterday made him the all time career leader for the Owls in each category, surpassing Brent Scott on both counts. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 1 Comment

More backlash against USA Next

Posted on February 28, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Fantastic. Richard M. Raymen and Steven P. Hansen, the couple shown in the hateful anti-AARP ad run by USA Next has sent USA Next a cease and desist letter (PDF) regarding use of their images. Details here: “In 2004, our … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on More backlash against USA Next

SAElections.com

Posted on February 28, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The next election of any major consequence in Texas will be May 7 in San Antonio, where they’ll be voting for a new Mayor and all members of the City Council. Those of you who live in the Alamo City … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2005 | 2 Comments

Rumble in Dallas, rumblings in Bexar

Posted on February 28, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Tonight’s the night that Democrats in Dallas have it out with DCDP Chair Susan Hays over a list of grievances with her. Read all about it at BOR, StoutDem, 100 Monkeys Typing, and (for a different perspective) Pink Dome. I’m … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Comments Off on Rumble in Dallas, rumblings in Bexar

Buffalo Nickel, won’t you come out tonight?

Posted on February 28, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

In the Everything Old Is New Again Department, we have the return of the buffalo nickel. Sixty-seven years after the government minted its last buffalo nickel, the symbol of the American West is returning to the 5-cent piece. The United … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 2 Comments

Van Os announces for Attorney General

Posted on February 28, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

David Van Os has thrown his hat into the ring for Attorney General in 2006. Vince says that the announcement was not unexpected, and he includes some other tidbits about who may or may not be running for what. The … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Van Os announces for Attorney General

On we go with Abramoff

Posted on February 28, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The more digging is done into the life and times of Jack Abramoff, the more malfeasance is discovered. Tracking what happened to $175,000 contributed by two Indian tribes to a political group called CREA leads from a disgraced lobbyist to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 1 Comment

The Armadillo Palace

Posted on February 28, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a new member of the Goode Company family in town, a beer-and-chili place called the Armadillo Palace, located where the now-defunct Barbecue Hall of Flame was. Restaurateur [Jim] Goode has mostly had the golden touch since opening his first … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | 4 Comments

That’s good barbecue

Posted on February 27, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Do you have what it takes to be a barbecue contest judge? Read this and find out. Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Comments Off on That’s good barbecue

And the new Texas blogs keep coming

Posted on February 27, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Two more Texas blogs for your perusal: Secure the Blessing, written by a husband-and-wife pair of expats now in Washington, DC, which promises a “Progressive Christian perspective on current events”; and the interestingly named Canal Water Review, who has a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 1 Comment

Dems to put forth their version of HB2

Posted on February 27, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Inside the Texas Capitol brings us this interesting tidbit: The word on the street is that the Republicans’ committee substitute for HB 2 will come out Monday night. The Democrats will wait 24 hours “to let the media digest it” … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

An evening with Barbara Radnofsky

Posted on February 27, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Greg gets a chance to talk to Barbara Radnofsky and comes away suitably impressed. Among other observations, I think he’s spot-on here: Campaigns revolve around candidates and not being a candidate right now does nothing to move your party forward. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 4 Comments

TAB lawsuit begins tomorrow

Posted on February 27, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron gives an overview of the lawsuit against the Texas Association of Business and its treasurer Bill Ceverha by five defeated Democratic candidates for state legislature which begins tomorrow. Most of this is review material, but I do want … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 2 Comments

Caffeinated soap

Posted on February 26, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

First there was caffeinated beer. Now there’s caffeinated soap. Shower Shock (aka “The Original Caffeinated Soap”) is the hygiene equivalent of Jolt (aka “The World’s Most Powerful Cola”). At 200 milligrams of caffeine per wash, consider Shower Shock your own … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 6 Comments

Craddick makes a deal to avoid testifying

Posted on February 26, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick has struck a deal not to appear in Monday’s corporate electioneering trial, saying he might have shredded any communications he had with Texans for a Republican Majority two years ago. Five Democratic state … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on Craddick makes a deal to avoid testifying

The ChoicePoint chronicles

Posted on February 26, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Have you been following the ChoicePoint story at all? ChoicePoint is a big credit-reporting firm, and they recently admitted that they sold some 150,000 credit reports to a gang of crooks that had posed as legitimate businessmen. At first they … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | 2 Comments

Searches at traffic stops

Posted on February 26, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

According to the ACLU, in 2003 blacks and Latinos were more likely to be searched by law enforcement officers at traffic stops than white drivers were. Blacks were 3.2 times more likely than Anglos to be searched by the Houston … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | 1 Comment

TIERS of frustration

Posted on February 26, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Father John points to a story about major problems with a new computer system used by Colorado to handle its food stamps, Medicaid, and other relief services: [T]he explosion in hunger across the state is the direct result of problems … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 7 Comments

Abramoff and DeLay’s Foreign Adventures

Posted on February 26, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The Stakeholder excerpts from a National Journal article detailing the long history between Tom DeLay and the disgraced casino lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The Raw Story has more. Check it out. Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on Abramoff and DeLay’s Foreign Adventures

Moochie!

Posted on February 25, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I just want to say that any day which includes the Rockets re-acquiring Moochie Norris is a good day. Hair stylists all over Houston will be celebrating tonight. Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 1 Comment

Update on the municipal wireless ban

Posted on February 25, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Save Muni Wireless reports from the public hearings over HB 789, which would prohibit municipalities from offering network services, with news of the testimony favoring and opposing the proposed ban. He also notes that bill sponsor Rep. Phil King (R, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 1 Comment

Another way to combat blog spam

Posted on February 25, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Netaloid has been studying the recent uptick in comment, trackback, and referral log spamming, and has come to some interesting conclusions as well as a suggested course of action. Read the whole saga here, here, and here. Meanwhile, via rc3, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 1 Comment

Yet another toll road through a residential area proposed

Posted on February 25, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, that Houston-Galveston Area Council 2025 Regional Transportation Plan sure is a gift that keeps on giving, isn’t it? I’ve got a note from Andrea Warren, the Public Relations Committee Chair for the Oak Forest Homeowner’s Association, informing me that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on Yet another toll road through a residential area proposed

Again with the casinos

Posted on February 25, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

There’s another move afoot to install casinos in Texas, but this time it’s a little different than before. Downtown Houston and Galveston Island could become casino destinations to compete with anything Las Vegas has to offer, a Houston senator said … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Comments Off on Again with the casinos

Woodfill gets whacked

Posted on February 25, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County GOP Chair Jared Woodfill’s petulant whine about insufficient partisanship on City Council gets roundly panned today in this Chron editorial and in the letters to the editor. blogHOUSTON is also critical, though more of Woodfill’s Jared-come-lately tactic. I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 1 Comment

Hensarling and Brady get flack on Social Security privatization

Posted on February 25, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Kevin Brady of The Woodlands and Rep. Jeb Hensarling of North Texas are finding out that selling Social Security privatization is harder than they thought. Check it out. Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on Hensarling and Brady get flack on Social Security privatization

Raymond, Cuellar, and Rodriguez

Posted on February 25, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Want more evidence that State Rep. Richard Raymond is a candidate for Congress in 2006? You got it. A statehouse resolution opposing President Bush’s plans to privatize a portion of Social Security could be a harbinger to a Democratic primary … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 2 Comments

Barnes and Hutchison deny rumors

Posted on February 24, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Via PerryVsWorld, the subscription-only Texas Weekly reports that both Ben Barnes and Kay Bailey Hutchison have denied the rumors that he’s preparing to support her in a race for Governor. PerryVsWorld had previously quoted from an email denying this report … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Barnes and Hutchison deny rumors

No early sping for Lea Fastow

Posted on February 24, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Lea. No early release for you. U.S. District Judge David Hittner said he could find no legal grounds in her lawyer’s motion to have her one-year sentence vacated and replaced with the seven months she’s served for not reporting … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | Comments Off on No early sping for Lea Fastow

Woodfill’s whining

Posted on February 24, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I keep trying to blog about this story, in which Harris County GOP Chair Jared Woodfill cries about Republicans on City Council voting on issues like SafeClear as they see fit rather than by party fiat, but I keep laughing … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 3 Comments

Nixon files bill to weaken ethics rules

Posted on February 24, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Joe Nixon wants to be the champion of compulsory charity. The House Elections Committee on Wednesday heard a bill by Rep. Joe Nixon, R-Houston, that is meant to overturn Texas Ethics Commission opinions that Rep. David Swinford, R-Dumas, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on Nixon files bill to weaken ethics rules

Craddick subpoenaed

Posted on February 24, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Tom Craddick has been called to testify in the civil suit against TRMPAC Treasurer Bill Ceverha. In addition to Craddick, a subpoena also has been issued to Texas Association of Business President Bill Hammond. He once bragged that TAB had … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 2 Comments