Monthly Archives: March 2005

Pat Metheny on Kenny G

Posted on March 10, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I’m a little surprised to learn that Kenny G did something recently that should have, but apparently hasn’t, attracted enough outrage for someone like me to have noticed it. I can’t do justice to what he did, but I can … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 17 Comments

Free WiFi still endangered

Posted on March 10, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Dwight is keeping up with Save Muni Wireless, which sadly reports that HB789 (PDF) has been changed, but not for the better: One change actually broadens the ban to cover even more services. The original ban primarily protected the large … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Comments Off on Free WiFi still endangered

He’s contagious!

Posted on March 9, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Look out! Tom DeLay’s scandaliciousness is spreading! A group of congressional figures has joined House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) under an ethics cloud stemming from foreign golf junkets arranged by a lobbyist facing influence-peddling investigations. DeLay landed in trouble … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on He’s contagious!

Republican three-card monte

Posted on March 9, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Kimberly posts her Quorum Report article on the furious money shuffling that the House GOP is doing to get enough votes for HB2 to pass (breaking update – according to QR, it passed by a surprisingly close 76-71 vote, with … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 4 Comments

Compromise on smoking ban enacted

Posted on March 9, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor White’s compromise has carried the day in the smoking wars. Houston City Council voted today to ban smoking in restaurant dining areas but not bars, accepting Mayor Bill White’s compromise between anti-smoking forces and economic interests. The Council rejected … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 3 Comments

The LBB analysis hits the news

Posted on March 9, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the headlines for stories about the Legislative Budget Board’s analysis of the awful House Bill 3. Chron: Tax bill called best for richest Express-News: Tax bill has silver lining for richest Statesman: Study finds poor Texans would bear … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 3 Comments

DeLay involvement cited in RoBold emails

Posted on March 9, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The NYT reports that documents submitted as evidence during the TRMPAC lawsuit show a more detailed level of involvement by Tom DeLay. The documents, which were entered into evidence last week in a related civil trial in Austin, the state … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on DeLay involvement cited in RoBold emails

Harry Potter cover art

Posted on March 9, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Mary GrandPre, the artist who has drawn the covers to all the Harry Potter books, including book number six. GrandPre, 51, of Sarasota, Fla., [has] been drawing him for the cover of each blockbuster book, as well as creating … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Books | Comments Off on Harry Potter cover art

The San Antonio Mayor’s race

Posted on March 8, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I mentioned recently that the next election of any major consequence will be the San Antonio city elections, to be held on May 7. Via Dos Centavos, here’s an introduction to the leading contender and probable breakout star of the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2005 | 8 Comments

HB2 will raise your taxes

Posted on March 8, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Remember how I said that “revenue neutral” can still mean winners and losers, and that there could be more losers than winners? Take a look at this document (PDF) from the Legislative Budget Board. Every family taking in less than … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on HB2 will raise your taxes

Where are those critics of which you speak?

Posted on March 8, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

You’d think that a story whose headlines refer to a “bumpy road” and the fact that “its critics” are watching might actually contain a statement or two from those critics, but you’d be wrong. Instead, we get a long piece … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 2 Comments

How did Andy know?

Posted on March 8, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Greg Moses continues his in-depth look at the original documents in the Heflin challenge, and discovers that some of the voters whom Andy Taylor claimed were illegal were not in the official list that Paul Bettencourt compiled, which leads to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | Comments Off on How did Andy know?

Perry versus the blogs…again

Posted on March 8, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Call me crazy, but I have to wonder why one of Rick Perry’s spokespeople is responding to a blog post about some silly award he won. I mean, doesn’t he have other things to worry about, like, you know, school … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 2 Comments

Bloggers urged to chill

Posted on March 8, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Via Dwight Silverman, FEC Commissioner Ellen Weintraub has a message for us. Bloggers of America, chill. Reports of a Federal Election Commission plot to “crack down” on blogging and e-mail are wildly exaggerated. […] I can’t speak for my colleagues, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

Republican plans panned

Posted on March 7, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Lots written about House Bill 2, the Republican school finance bill, and House Bill 3, the tax overhaul bill, and much of it is decidedly negative. The Chron writes about how much more regressive the tax system under HB3 would … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

County proposes relocating annexes farther out

Posted on March 7, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I’m a little suspicious of this. For 25 years, southwest Houston-area residents have gone to Harris County Annex 19 to renew auto registrations, pay taxes and find out how much a speeding ticket was going to cost them. Next year, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on County proposes relocating annexes farther out

McElhiney resigns

Posted on March 7, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Whenever I see search engine referrals for Ashley McElhiney in my logs it can mean only one thing: she’s back in the news. Former Vanderbilt point guard Ashley McElhiney indicated yesterday that if the ABA Nashville Rhythm returns for a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 2 Comments

Making restitution is for the little people

Posted on March 7, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Yet another example of why the rich are just different. A Government Accountability Office study released last week is the latest to point to problems with the Justice Department’s attempts to ensure criminals pay their penalties. The latest investigation looked … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 2 Comments

The bankruptcy blog

Posted on March 7, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Bankruptcy expert Professor Elizabeth Warren and three of her students are running a blog on the state of the awful MBNA-favored bankruptcy bill as an adjuct to Josh Marshall‘s site. Pretty cool. Check it out. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 4 Comments

Still on the TiVo

Posted on March 7, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

We were out at dinner with some out-of-town friends last night, so the “60 Minutes” piece on Tom DeLay is still sitting on my TiVo waiting for me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t check out the transcript (via The … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 1 Comment

Outbound stats

Posted on March 6, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I saw a blurb about a new service called MyBlogLog on the SixApart blog, and it looked interesting enough to give it a try. This is a service that will capture stats on outbound clicks from your blog – in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Administrivia | Comments Off on Outbound stats

February traffic report

Posted on March 6, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Had about 47,000 hits in February. The unfortunate trend of spam referrals continues. Hard to say how much effect that has on my traffic numbers – I’m not even sure I want to know. Whatever effect it does have, I’m … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Traffic Reports | Comments Off on February traffic report

Bedford rollback passes

Posted on March 6, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

By ten votes. In a record 33 percent turnout, residents voted 4,929 to 4,919 for the measure, according to unofficial results. “I feel it’s a big win when you consider the odds that were against us,” rollback supporter Bob Stewart … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2005 | 3 Comments

“60 Minutes” to look at DeLay

Posted on March 6, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve got my TiVo set to record 60 Minutes tonight, as they do a story on the various investigations into Tom DeLay. How about you? Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on “60 Minutes” to look at DeLay

Saint Arnold needs your help

Posted on March 5, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

This is from the newsletter of the Saint Arnold brewery in Houston, which was sent out yesterday: WE ARE SEEKING ANYBODY WITH ANY STATE POLITICAL CONNECTIONS The Texas Legislature is in their biannual session right now which means if we … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 2 Comments

It’s a wrap in TRMPAC lawsuit

Posted on March 5, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The TRMPAC lawsuit wrapped up yesterday as both sides made their closing arguments. It’s in the hands of the judge now, and apparently he’ll take two to six weeks to hand down his decision. Some brief recaps: The Chron notes … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 1 Comment

Why I personally dislike Perry Homes

Posted on March 5, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve had this Press story on Perry Homes that impressed Kevin so little on my to-blog list for over a week now. Better late than never, so here we go. I lived in Montrose for eight years before moving to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 6 Comments

Battling in Bedford

Posted on March 5, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Bedford, Texas, which is a suburb of Fort Worth, has an election today over the property tax rate. In one of the most contentious city elections since the community incorporated on a 55-20 vote in 1953, voters … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2005 | 3 Comments

“There is No FEC Threat to the Internet”

Posted on March 5, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

MyDD prints a press release by Mark Glaze of Democracy 21, that emphatically states that FEC Commissioner Brad Smith’s claims about McCain/Feingold and blogs are incorrect. US Rep. John Conyers is circulating a letter to the FEC for signatures that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

Is there an actual story in here?

Posted on March 4, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

OK, I’ve read this article twice now, and I still can’t understnd why it’s at all newsworthy. I mean, look at the subhead, for crying out loud: “Cash earmarked for purchase of headquarters instead is spent on campaigns, other expenses”. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 2 Comments

Johnson: Just joking (kind of)

Posted on March 4, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Sam “Nuke Syria!” Johnson says it was all kind of a joke. U.S.-Syrian relations are often tense. U.S. officials are demanding that Syria withdraw its troops from Lebanon, and suspicion lingers that Damascus helped Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein hide … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq attack | 2 Comments

And here’s that promised Democratic HB2 alternative

Posted on March 4, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. House Democrats countered Thursday with a school finance plan that they said would do more for homeowners and schools than a Republican-backed plan, but they did not detail how it would be funded. Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 3 Comments

TMPAC trial should be close to finished

Posted on March 4, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The plaintiffs have rested and the defense has been putting on its case in the TRMPAC lawsuit. Feels to me like closing arguments will be either today or Monday – since this is before a judge and not a jury, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on TMPAC trial should be close to finished

More free media for Andy Taylor

Posted on March 4, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I learned one thing from this puffy piece on Andy Taylor. I already knew he was a blowhard who’s made quite a good living lately off of Republican mischiefmaking. I knew he has at best a distant relationship with the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 6 Comments