Monthly Archives: December 2006

Robinson Warehouse – To the end of the year, but not much more

Posted on December 31, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Today is December 31, and a piece of the Robinson Warehouse is still standing, but the end is clearly in sight. I’ll be surprised if there’s anything but debris to be picked up and carted off in a week’s time. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Robinson Warehouse – To the end of the year, but not much more

The last Speaker’s race story of the year

Posted on December 31, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The latest news in the Speaker’s race is a letter written by most of Tom Craddick’s committee chairs to the House membership asking for their support in giving Craddick a third term. The letter is here (PDF); four chairs – … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 1 Comment

Happy New Year, Utah!

Posted on December 31, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

It’s already 2007 in some parts of Utah. [A]t least two [Utah] cities will eagerly embrace 2007 a full 24 hours before it actually arrives in order to appeal to Mormons. The premature celebration does not reflect a new emphasis … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on Happy New Year, Utah!

The Lubbock State School

Posted on December 31, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a disturbing story from last week that had slipped past me. Shoddy health care, substantial neglect and harmful treatment techniques have jeopardized the lives of Lubbock State School residents, federal investigators said in a report that criticized nearly every … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Tell us who you are, dammit!

Posted on December 30, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

So House Speaker wannabe Brian McCall says he has enough pledges to beat Tom Craddick next week. Which is great, even if by now most legislators have committed themselves multiple times. What really fascinated me in this article was the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 4 Comments

Why Craddick’s speakership is in trouble

Posted on December 30, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I really don’t think I can sum up why Tom Craddick’s hold on the Speakership is in trouble better than this article has done. Lawmakers backing House Speaker Tom Craddick plan a strategy meeting here today to map “a new … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 1 Comment

Get well soon, Bobby Murcer

Posted on December 30, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Former Yankee center fielder Bobby Murcer is in Houston this weekend, but not for a good reason. Yankee legend Bobby Murcer is scheduled to undergo surgery [Thursday] in Houston for the removal of a brain tumor. Murcer, 60, a Yankee … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 23 Comments

It’s not a tradition till you’ve done it twice

Posted on December 30, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I knew I had officially entered Old Fogeyhood a couple of years ago when I realized I didn’t really care if I stayed up to usher in the New Year. As such, I was completely unaware of last year’s new … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 1 Comment

Bye-bye, Jordy

Posted on December 29, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Jordy Tollett era is coming to an end. Gerard J. “Jordy” Tollett announced today that he is leaving his post as president and CEO of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau. He said he has decided to pursue … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Comments Off on Bye-bye, Jordy

Still time to vote for Stephanie

Posted on December 29, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

If you’d like to affect an election that’s maybe not as important as the House Speaker’s race but is by far more fun, you have until tomorrow night to vote for Stephanie Stradley as the Ultimate Texans Fan. Here she … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Today’s Speaker Race update

Posted on December 29, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

It’s really hard to keep up on all the developments in the Speaker’s race. Let’s see what I can do to bring you up to speed. Here’s the Chron story on the latest entrant into the fray, Waxahachie Republican Jim … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 5 Comments

Houston’s bowl game, version whatever

Posted on December 29, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Anybody watch the Texas Bowl? I’ll say this, having attended my first-ever bowl game last week: There is something cool, something special about bowl games. Just being in another town with your fellow fans, wearing your school’s colors, hopefully in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 5 Comments

What’s in a name, part deux

Posted on December 29, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Shortly after Olivia was born, I wrote about how we picked her name in part on the belief that it wasn’t a trendy choice. That belief turned out to be false, but looking back, I don’t think we care any … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | 3 Comments

Red light cameras and traffic safety

Posted on December 29, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Earlier this week, I received a comment on this post about red light cameras from a fellow named Reed Berry, who said he’d had a radio debate with local camera opponent Michael Kubosh. I’ve had a pleasant exchange of emails … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 2 Comments

Farmers Branch will vote on immigration law

Posted on December 29, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Previously I noted that there was a petition drive in Farmers Branch to force a repeal of the anti-immigrant law that was passed by its City Council in November. It appears that drive was successful. Opponents of a city ordinance … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2007 | 1 Comment

Speaker’s race: Two out, one in

Posted on December 28, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Things continue to heat up in the Speaker’s race. First, according to the Quorum Report, onetime Speaker candidate Robert Talton has thrown his support to Brian McCall, thus making him the first Republican to officially break with Tom Craddick. BOR … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 8 Comments

Caption time

Posted on December 28, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not usually one for caption contests, but with a picture like this, I can’t resist: I’ll open the bidding with “The Bad, The Worse, and The Ugly”, but surely you can do better than that. Have at it in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | 10 Comments

Corpus Christi WiFi update

Posted on December 28, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Dwight brings an update on Corpus Christi’s WiFi rollout, which he says still has a few bugs in the system. It’s still under construction, so the final chapter has not been written yet. As Earthlink is their vendor and one … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Comments Off on Corpus Christi WiFi update

Throwing good money after bad

Posted on December 28, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Scott picks up on this Chron editorial endorsing the recent proposal to spend $267 million to build more jails in Harris County, and points out all of the bothersome details that they failed to address. I’m not going to re-plow … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Comments Off on Throwing good money after bad

Everybody into the Speaker’s race!

Posted on December 27, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

It was a very weird election year in Texas. Why should the Speaker’s race be any different? Tuesday brought yet another twist in the speaker’s race: Rep. Robert Talton, R-Pasadena, another conservative Republican, announced he would decide by Thursday whether … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 3 Comments

RIP, Gerald Ford

Posted on December 27, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Former President Gerald Ford passed away yesterday at the age of 93. Former President Gerald R. Ford, who declared “Our long national nightmare is over” as he replaced Richard Nixon but may have doomed his own chances of election by … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 2 Comments

Robinson Warehouse – No Christmas break

Posted on December 27, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

It was a beautiful day after Christmas yesterday, and as you can see the work on the Robinson Warehouse is continuing. I don’t know how much time they deliberately took off, or how much they might have lost to inclement … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 3 Comments

The merry monster

Posted on December 27, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Tiffany’s family does a gift exchange on Christmas Eve. It used to be ornaments only (I didn’t get the Derek Jeter that way, but have collected some other cool ones from that), but this year was a White Elephant exchange. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | 2 Comments

Farmers Branch lawsuit

Posted on December 27, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

To no one’s surprise, the city of Farmers Branch has been sued for its recent anti-immigrant actions. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund is asking a federal court here to block the suburb … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 3 Comments

Smoke ’em if you can afford ’em

Posted on December 27, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Ready or not, that new cigarette tax is coming soon. Texas smokers will pay significantly more for cigarettes starting Jan. 1 when the excise tax increases by $1 a pack in a move that health experts hope will discourage folks, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

McCall says he can win

Posted on December 26, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

And the race for House Speaker gets more interesting. The lawmaker running against House Speaker Tom Craddick said today he’s confident he’s already secured the votes to be the next speaker, though he wouldn’t say how many pledges he’s gotten … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 3 Comments

State finally cuts bait on Accenture

Posted on December 26, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

One more story from last week to catch me up on current events: The state’s Health and Human Resources Commission has finally realized what everyone else knew to be true months ago and cut bait on Accenture. Texas is drastically … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on State finally cuts bait on Accenture

RIP, James Brown

Posted on December 26, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, has passed away at the age of 73. Brown’s music – funky, cool, soulful, passionate and gritty – had broad appeal. His raspy voice, clipped grunts and immediately recognizable songs made irrelevant distinctions such … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Comments Off on RIP, James Brown

Dan Morales in halfway house

Posted on December 26, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Former Attorney General Dan Morales is out of the pokey and in a halfway house. Morales was transferred last month from a federal prison in Texarkana to a halfway house in San Antonio, according to his brother, Michael Morales. […] … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on Dan Morales in halfway house

Parents sue over Round Rock immigration protest arrests

Posted on December 26, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Eye on Williamson has the latest development in the case of the city of Round Rock versus its high school students. Four parents of Round Rock students charged with misdemeanors during an immigration demonstration last spring sued the City of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

Henley in the Examiner

Posted on December 26, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I received an email last week from Charlotte Aguilar of the Examiner telling me that former CD07 candidate Jim Henley will be filling in as a guest columnist while Molly Ivins takes a sabbatical. His first effort is here, on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | 1 Comment

Have a chocolate Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

It’s gonna be a chocolate Christmas. I’ll have a chocolate Christmas tree. Chocolate reindeer pull a chocolate sleigh full of chocolate toys for me. I’ll bite off chocolate Santa’s head and nibble his chocolate feet, Wash him down with chocolate … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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As always, Merry Christmas, Mel Torme

Posted on December 25, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

As has been a tradition around here, every year at this time I link to my favorite Christmas story, featuring Mel Torme and Mark Evanier. I do it every year because every year it’s worth reading again. Click through and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Comments Off on As always, Merry Christmas, Mel Torme

We’ve got ourselves a speaker’s race

Posted on December 24, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

By now you’ve heard, as Paul Burka first reported, that Republican Rep. Brian McCall has announced his candidacy for Speaker of the Texas House. McCall has a reputation of getting along with different factions. If elected, he is expected to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 2 Comments