Monthly Archives: November 2006

HD radio

Posted on November 6, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not sure what I think about HD Radio yet. Tiffany has expressed interest in it for the ability to get regular NPR programming all the time on one of the KUHF channels. I’m moderately more interested in it than … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Comments Off on HD radio

KNCT reverses course, agrees to show NOW on Monday

Posted on November 5, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Great news from Mary Beth Harrell: Central Texas College Chancellor Dr. Jim Anderson called Congressional Democratic Nominee Mary Beth Harrell today, to inform her that local PBS affiliated KNCT – TV will air the National News Program, NOW “Sway the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

A data point in the “Run Everywhere” files

Posted on November 5, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

From the National Conference of State Legislatures blog, some data about who’s running for state legislatures and who’s not. There are at least 6,129 legislative seats up for election this year. There are 10,728 candidates running for those seats under … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on A data point in the “Run Everywhere” files

36% turnout predicted

Posted on November 5, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Feels a lot like 2002 out there, at least in terms of total turnout. [Texas Secretary of State Roger] Williams predicted 36 percent of the registered voters will cast ballots. That’s the same percentage as in the 2002 gubernatorial election, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

Injunction against Abbott overturned

Posted on November 4, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The injunction that prevented Attorney General Greg Abbott from pursuing enforcement of a new provision that criminalized possessing the absentee ballot of a non-relative has been overturned by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. A three-member panel unanimously struck down … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Comments Off on Injunction against Abbott overturned

More misplaced endorsements

Posted on November 4, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like Don Willet, the Perry crony appointed to the State Supreme Court last year, had taken a page out of Martha Wong’s playbook by listing endorsements he didn’t have among his supporters on his campaign page. The campaign Internet … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

KNCT refuses to run PBS NOW on CD31 race

Posted on November 4, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

This is crazy. Last night, PBS NOW aired a show about the Iraq War and how people in CD31, where Fort Hood is, are affected by it. The show was largely about the starkly different positions on the war held … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 2 Comments

Lowry spreads a rumor

Posted on November 4, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Via Greg in TX22, I see that NRO’s Rich Lowry is reporting a rumor from CD22. TX- 22: Shelley Sekula-Gibbs v. Nick Lampson: Republicans still haven’t totally given up on this one. The internal polls have her within the margin … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 5 Comments

We’re winning! No, we’re winning!

Posted on November 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Who’s ahead in the early vote tallies? Depends who you ask. In the race to replace U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay in the 22nd Congressional District, for example, Democrat Nick Lampson’s campaign manager says the early voting trend shows his get-out-the-vote … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 6 Comments

“Getting Schooled”

Posted on November 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Press has a great cover story on Jim Henley and his campaign for Congress. If only the Chronicle expended this kind of energy covering non-top tier local races! There’s a lot of good stuff about Henley’s teaching career and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 4 Comments

Grease is the word, is the word that I heard

Posted on November 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

When Fish Frys Go Bad: Read all about it at Muse (and again here). You just can’t make this stuff up. Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Grease is the word, is the word that I heard

Andy Meyers is an idiot

Posted on November 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I didn’t get to this story about Fort Bend County Commissioner Andy Meyers’ financing of some charming campaign signs yesterday, but it’s been in the news for a couple of days now, and a bunch of my colleagues have been … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

The punitive damages tax

Posted on November 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an idea: Why not tax those huge punitive damage awards that juries hand out like candy to greedy trial lawyers? Doesn’t that sound like a great way to add to the state’s coffers without really adding to anyone’s overall … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | 1 Comment

The dinosaurs of Montgomery County

Posted on November 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Now this sounds cool. A dinosaur mega-attraction – Animal Kingdom meets science museum – will open its doors in the summer of 2008 in Montgomery County, north of Houston, officials announced today. Creator “Dino” Don Lessem, author of 47 books, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on The dinosaurs of Montgomery County

Harrell on PBS tonight

Posted on November 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

TiVo alert, courtesy of the Mary Beth Harrell campaign: Democratic Congressional Nominee Mary Beth Harrell will be featured on the national PBS program NOW with Maria Hinojosa, hosted by David Brancaccio on Friday, November 3rd at 7:30 p.m. CST. The … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Bell: Still on TV

Posted on November 2, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Well, this question got answered tonight as I watched a bit of “Ugly Betty” – Chris Bell had an ad on, in which he criticized Rick Perry’s environmental record. It was this ad, actually. So much for what the Perry … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 2 Comments

Stuyvesant in Wikipedia

Posted on November 2, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

As I’ve received several emails about my high school being the featured article in Wikipedia today, I figure I better post something about it. Reading the full entry was a nice trip down memory lane. Among other things, I realized … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Comments Off on Stuyvesant in Wikipedia

Frank J. McLaren

Posted on November 2, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I got an email yesterday from a professor at my alma mater who told me that Dia de los Muertos is today, not yesterday. November 1 is All Saints Day, November 2 is All Souls Day. This is true, and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | Comments Off on Frank J. McLaren

Can you compare Zogby polls?

Posted on November 2, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

RG Ratcliffe gets an answer to the question I raised here, namely “How can two polls by the same pollster – John Zogby – give such wildly different results?” “It’s two different methodologies, and it is comparing apples and oranges,” … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 2 Comments

Astros and Bagwell part ways

Posted on November 2, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

So the Astros have said goodbye to Jeff Bagwell as a player by not picking up his 2007 option. No surprise, and though Bags says he’s not necessarily finished as a player, I think we’ve seen him take the field … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 2 Comments

Mayor pitches WiFi to businesses

Posted on November 2, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor White spoke to some business leaders regarding the citywide WiFi effort, telling them of the need to roof access for transmitters. That was all interesting, but this is what I noticed: Some business leaders who heard White speak at … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Comments Off on Mayor pitches WiFi to businesses

Our shrinking clout again

Posted on November 2, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

From yesterday’s Chron we have a third entry in the continuing series “Where, Oh Where, Has Our Congressional Clout Gone?” Texas, a powerhouse on Capitol Hill because it has had the largest Republican delegation to the House, will lose influence … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 2 Comments

The scene at Halloween

Posted on November 2, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I mentioned before how busy our house gets on Halloween. Here’s a picture to show you what it’s like: That was at about 7:30. We had over 500 sets of Mardi Gras beads to give away, and we were wiped … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | 6 Comments

RIP, Si Simmons

Posted on November 1, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Silas Simmons, the oldest living baseball player, has passed away at the age of one hundred and eleven. He died Sunday in a retirement nursing home, Zion Hill Mortuary said Wednesday. Simmons, a left-hander, played for several teams from 1912-29, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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To those who have gone before us

Posted on November 1, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Today is Dia de los Muertos. As I have done in the past, I’m going to spend a few minutes remembering some of the people from my life who are no longer with us. Please bear with me during this … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | 4 Comments

Abbott halted by federal court

Posted on November 1, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve blogged before about Attorney General Greg Abbott’s partisan-driven “crackdown” on vote fraud, which mainly consists of arresting people for possessing someone else’s mail-in ballot, a crime that was created by recent legislation. A federal lawsuit was filed a few … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 3 Comments

Endorsement watch: Heresies

Posted on November 1, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Lone Star Times goes off the reservation not once but twice in its endorsements. First, they give thumbs up to Richard Garcia for County Treasurer. Well, it may be more accurate to say they gave a big thumbs down … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 4 Comments

“Parent PAC Strikes Back”

Posted on November 1, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I mentioned this in the previous post, but do take a moment to read this John Young column about the Texas Parent PAC and Diane Trautman. A little taste: Diane Trautman is running for the statehouse. By appearances, Joe Crabb … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Missing in action

Posted on November 1, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman covers the races in CD31 with Mary Beth Harrell and Ted Ankrum. The Star Telegram picks up an AP story on the CD14 race between Shane Sklar and Ron Paul. Waco Tribune columnist John Young writes about the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 2 Comments