Monthly Archives: January 2007

How can we miss you if you won’t go away?

Posted on January 19, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a good laugh for you: Kinky Friedman says he might run for Senate in 2008, as either a Republican or a Democrat, he’s not sure yet. There’s a fresh round of rumors today that Kinky Friedman may be mulling … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 5 Comments

Rice finds a new coach

Posted on January 19, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Good-bye, Todd Graham; hello, David Bailiff. Texas State coach David Bailiff will be introduced as the Owls’ 18th football coach at 11 a.m. today. Bailiff, 48, compiled a 21-15 record over three seasons (2004-06) at his alma mater, and he … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 1 Comment

Council filings: Morales is in

Posted on January 19, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Via email from Burt Levine: I went by the City Secretary’s office at the close of business Thursday and found out that retired US Air Force Col. Roy Morales was the last to file Thursday. Morales, a seventh generation Houstonian, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2007 | Comments Off on Council filings: Morales is in

Media fight!

Posted on January 19, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

It’s ABC13’s Miya Shay versus KTRH talker Chris Baker in a storm coverage smackdown! Place your bets, place your bets… Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | 1 Comment

Roll ’em if you got ’em

Posted on January 19, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Bummed out about that new cigarette tax that’s burning a hole in your pockets, smokers? If you want to save a few bucks, why not try rolling your own? Two weeks into the new tax, retailers have made a curious … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Roll ’em if you got ’em

Border mayors say “NO!” to the fence

Posted on January 19, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Not just no, but “Hell, no!” Texas border mayors carried a clear message Wednesday to federal policymakers: Walling off the United States from Mexico is a costly, foolish idea that will harm commerce, travel and foreign relations. The seven mayors, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

Revisiting the end of “Lost”

Posted on January 19, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Am I the only person who’s relieved to hear that the creators of Lost have an exit plan? Producers of ABC’s hugely successful sci-fi thriller serial announced Sunday that they had begun talks with the network on how much longer … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | 2 Comments

The Guv and The Nuge

Posted on January 18, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I just have two questions regarding this story: 1. Weren’t there any less controversial washed up headbangers to perform at the inaugural? I mean, c’mon, how busy to you think Don Dokken and Greg Giuffria are these days? 2. Did … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 2 Comments

Special election called for May 12

Posted on January 18, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not on the Chronicle’s website yet (I daresay the weather news might have overshadowed it), but I am told that the May 12 special election to replace Shelley Sekula Gibbs on City Council has been officially declared by Council. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2007 | 1 Comment

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Posted on January 18, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

No, not here. In Portland, where this was the view outside my parents’ condo Tuesday morning: If we hadn’t had a plane to catch that morning, I might have enjoyed it a bit more. Between snow in Portland and threats … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | 1 Comment

Sklar on Paul’s presidential run

Posted on January 18, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I received the following statement from Shane Sklar on the recent news that Ron Paul is exploring a run for the Presidency: “Since Rep. Paul announced his plans to run for president last week, I have received numerous calls from … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 1 Comment

Get yer committee assignments here

Posted on January 18, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Catching up a bit from my trip: Republican blog Wilco Wise prints a list of House committee chairs that it says it got from a tipster. Maybe it’s accurate, maybe it’s not – Vince is skeptical – but it’s some … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 1 Comment

On red lights and yellow lights

Posted on January 18, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I received the following email from Helwig Van Der Grinten, who left a comment on this post. I thought it was worth sharing and commenting on. In the discussions about red light cameras I’ve read in your blog and elsewhere, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 30 Comments

You can still smoke ’em in Bellaire

Posted on January 18, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Bellaire has decided to not follow Houston’s lead in expanding its no-smoking ordinance for restaurants. Mayor Cindy Siegel, who voted in favor of the ordinance along with council member Pat McLaughlan, read several statistics about the harmful … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Comments Off on You can still smoke ’em in Bellaire

O’Day wins HD29 runoff

Posted on January 17, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

And the 2006 election season finally comes to a close. Pearland Republican Mike O’Day won a runoff election Tuesday to replace deceased state Rep. Glenda Dawson. In complete but unofficial returns, O’Day had 3,555 votes to beat another Pearland Republican, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2007 | Comments Off on O’Day wins HD29 runoff

Perry’s bipartisanship, take two

Posted on January 17, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

The softer side of Rick Perry made another appearance at his inauguration. “Texas is better off when Republicans and Democrats work together,” the Republican governor told several hundred legislators, guests and spectators in the House chamber, where the inaugural ceremony, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 1 Comment

Slippery when icy

Posted on January 17, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I admit I stayed off the highways as I drove to work this morning, but I didn’t find the roads to be particularly icy; if anything, they were just wet. Not everyone has the option of avoiding the freeways, of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 1 Comment

Thomas Grasso

Posted on January 17, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll be getting back into my usual swing of things later today, but until then here’s a story from my hometown paper that caught my interest. I’ll highlight the relevant bits: The convicted murderer, a Staten Islander, was eager to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 2 Comments

Summer Williams

Posted on January 17, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Summer Williams: Aerospace engineer by day, Houston Texans cheerleader by weekend. Williams is a 25-year old aerospace engineer for the Jacobs Engineering Group, which is NASA’s main scientific support contractor. Williams, a small-town Kansan, is an assistant project manager … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Comments Off on Summer Williams

The road home (I hope)

Posted on January 16, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

The good news is that Houston is dry, so the airports ought to be open today. The bad news is that snow is falling in Portland as I type this. The good news is that area schools are open, and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | Comments Off on The road home (I hope)

Cellphone surcharges

Posted on January 16, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

You know you’re paying more for your cellphone service than you need to, right? Cellular subscribers are paying hundreds of millions of dollars each year to subsidize landline telephone service, enriching big telecommunications companies while providing little or no benefit … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 1 Comment

Craddick’s leadership shuffle

Posted on January 16, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Two points of interest in this Clay Robison column on the impending committee chair shakeup in the Lege: Rep. Robert Talton, R-Pasadena, who openly campaigned for Pitts in the speaker’s race, likely will be replaced as chairman of the Urban … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 1 Comment

Red light cameras come to Bexar County

Posted on January 16, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Balcones Heights, which is a small incorporated city within San Antonio, is the latest place to install red light cameras. Engineers started installing camera-ready traffic signals in Balcones Heights on Thursday. The devices include a camera designed to capture the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 3 Comments

Round and round we go

Posted on January 15, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Here we are in Portland having fun. Olivia wanted to ride on the carousel (in particular, the ponies on the carousel) at the Jantzen Beach Mall as soon as she laid eyes on it. She was wearing one of the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | 1 Comment

Tag!

Posted on January 15, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

This story about the use of “tags” by City Council members, which is a one-week delay on any Council agenda item, is interesting if not really revealing. I mean, raise your hand if you’re surprised that Addie Wiseman leads the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Comments Off on Tag!

Little Hip’s

Posted on January 15, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Nope, that’s not a misprint, but an inspired-by-the-original diner not too far from my neighborhood. Based on the Chron review, it sounds like someplace worth checking out. At the prices listed, it’d be hard to go too far wrong. Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Comments Off on Little Hip’s

Welcome to Beertown

Posted on January 14, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Olivia and I are in Portland for a couple of days to help my dad celebrate his 70th birthday. One of the things I learned upon our arrival yesterday (from my Aunt Kathy) is that Portland now also known as … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | 2 Comments

Perry defends HB1403

Posted on January 14, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

First he channels Chris Bell on the subject of the border fence, then he stands by the law that allows the children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at public universities. Rick Perry 2007 sure is different from Rick … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Comments Off on Perry defends HB1403

Hoffman: Objectively pro-gambling

Posted on January 13, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t normally expect to see anything remotely political in Ken Hoffman‘s column, but this time is an exception. There’s a proposal floating around Austin that would expand legalized gambling in Texas. […] Now I say to the Legislature the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

Score one for Juan Garcia – almost

Posted on January 13, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Juan Garcia moves to deliver on a promise. Corpus Christi first-term Rep. Juan Garcia scored a coup this afternoon as colleagues agreed to his proposal that the House hold record votes on all legislation and that member-by-member results … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 1 Comment

“Pancake Mountain”

Posted on January 12, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

After I did my post on kids’ music, I got an email from Mark Yzaguirre, who is the President of the Board of the Aurora Picture Show, which is based here in the Heights. They’ve got a production this weekend … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Comments Off on “Pancake Mountain”

Bloggers in the House

Posted on January 12, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Today is the day that the House sets its rules for the session. One rule being proposed by State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez would allow for bloggers to get press credentials in the Capitol. From the press release: “With the rise … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 1 Comment

Gallegos needs liver transplant

Posted on January 12, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

State Sen. Mario Gallegos has revealed that he needs a liver transplant. “I haven’t been given a green light for anything,” the Houston Democrat said this week. “Whatever I do will be between my family, my doctor and me.” Gallegos, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 2 Comments

That pesky spending cap

Posted on January 12, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Well, the Legislative Budget Board has done its thing, and the spending cap is set at a little more than $7 billion above was was allocated in the last biennium. As that’s barely half of what’s needed to pay for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 2 Comments