Daily Archives: April 25, 2007

Here comes Mario

Posted on April 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

While I was critical of Clay Robison for his characterization of the then-upcoming voter ID fight, he did identify an important issue: If the Democrats stick together, they will prevent Republicans from mustering the necessary two-thirds vote to advance the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 2 Comments

When good things happen to bad bills

Posted on April 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

As the title on the Observer blog post says, “Oops!” Due to a technical blunder, two anti-abortion bills died despite overwhelming support in the House State Affairs Committee. House Bill 175, a trigger ban on abortion in Texas should Roe … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Targeting 2008: Pete Sessions

Posted on April 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

This is the first in what will surely be an irregular series of analyses of Texas Congressional districts. My main interest will be the seats that I think are at least potentially competitive for 2008, but I’ll likely go beyond … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | Comments Off on Targeting 2008: Pete Sessions

Saints preserve us!

Posted on April 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Or, failing that, HAHC preserve us, with the “us” being the River Oaks Shopping Center, the River Oaks theater and Alabama Theater/Bookstop. Betty Chapman, who chairs the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission, said Tuesday the commission will vote on whether … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 1 Comment

Is that all there is?

Posted on April 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

When you see a headline that says DeLay associate tied to Abramoff probe, you kind of expect the story to be all about an associate of Tom DeLay’s and his alleged ties to Jack Abramoff. That’s not quite what we … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 1 Comment

“Jessica’s Law” passes out of Senate

Posted on April 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

And speaking of “Jessica’s Law”, it’s out of the Senate and into a joint committee. The Texas Senate passed its long-awaited “Jessica’s Law” Tuesday to protect children from sexual predators, but it reserved the death penalty for those twice convicted … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Letter from border police chiefs regarding HB13

Posted on April 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I received the following in email late yesterday: To Whom It May Concern: This is an open letter to the media, our state legislators, and the Texas community as a whole that serves the purpose of voicing our collective concern … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 1 Comment

A slideshow of racist spokescharacters

Posted on April 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Slate magazine has a slideshow of racist spokescharacters for various products. I can’t really do this justice in a capsule description – just click and be appalled. Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on A slideshow of racist spokescharacters

A pocketful of Kryptonite

Posted on April 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Where can I get some? Kryptonite, which robbed Superman of his powers, is no longer the stuff of comic books and films. A mineral found by geologists in Serbia shares virtually the same chemical composition as the fictional kryptonite from … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Comments Off on A pocketful of Kryptonite

TSEU on TIERS and HHSC

Posted on April 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

The following is an email from the Texas State Employees’ Union (TSEU) regarding the Office of the Inspector General’s report on TIERS. It was sent to me by an HHSC worker. It’s long, so I’ve put it beneath the fold. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on TSEU on TIERS and HHSC

Light pollution

Posted on April 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, I grew up in New York City. I experienced a number of culture shocks in coming down to Texas as a college student, but one of the more vivid ones was during my sophomore year, when I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 2 Comments