Monthly Archives: July 2008

Vandalism at All Saints

Posted on July 8, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

This is my neighborhood church, where Olivia and Audrey got baptized. In a shady grotto filled with plants, lilacs and daffodils, parishioners at All Saints Catholic Church would sometimes stop to pray and reflect before an Our Lady of Lourdes … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The Nation on the state of the state

Posted on July 8, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll recommend this Nation article about the resurgence of the Democratic Party in Texas. It’s cool to see people you know get quoted in a story like that, which is a good if somewhat rah-rah overview of the state of … Continue reading →

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A little less blight

Posted on July 8, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Very good news. The development group that bought the shuttered Days Inn hotel on the southern end of downtown said it will spend up to $50 million converting the dilapidated structure into another hotel. New Era Hospitality, a group of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on A little less blight

Leavin’ on a balloon-powered lawn chair

Posted on July 8, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Gotta love people like this. Riding a green lawn chair supported by a rainbow array of more than 150 helium-filled party balloons, Kent Couch succeeded Saturday in his third bid to fly from central Oregon all the way to Idaho. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 2 Comments

Texas blog roundup for the week of July 7

Posted on July 8, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

So did you have a good holiday weekend? Nothing like a day off on Friday to make Saturday feel like Sunday. Here’s the latest roundup from the Texas Progressive Alliance to get you back on track with your calendar. Click … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Getting the new commuter rail lines right

Posted on July 7, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Tory and Christof attended those public meetings on the proposed new commuter rail lines, and have some excellent suggestions for how we can – fairly quickly and at a reasonable price – implement two such lines, both of which would … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Jackson Lee wants hearings on Harris County criminal justice

Posted on July 7, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Well, this ought to be interesting. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee on Sunday called for congressional hearings to investigate what she calls ”the many downfalls” of the Harris County judicial system. Recent incidents, including a grand jury’s decision not to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 1 Comment

Them that has the gold gets the patrols

Posted on July 7, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Nobody is shocked by this, right? For decades, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office has justified its controversial contract deputy program by saying it puts more officers on the streets to keep everyone safer, not just those who can afford to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | 1 Comment

Noriega v Cornyn on veterans’ issues

Posted on July 7, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty good story on the recent campaign clash between Rick Noriega and Sen. John Cornyn over veterans’ issues. The brewing dispute between Cornyn and Noriega over veterans issues escalated amid debate over an expanded GI Bill. Congress passed the measure, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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RIP, Dan Cook

Posted on July 7, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Dan Cook, the longtime San Antonio Express News sportswriter who made the phrase “The opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings” famous, has passed away at the age of 81. The San Antonio Express-News, for whom Cook worked for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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One last step for Ashby Highrise

Posted on July 7, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve long thought that the Ashby highrise would eventually get built, on the grounds that there really isn’t anything the city can do to stop it. Via Swamplot, I see that the developers are now almost through the permitting process. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Pardon our dust

Posted on July 6, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Still doing maintenance. Regular posting will resume later, probably tomorrow. Some old post links may not work during this interval, but all should be well soon. There’s still a new look to come, but as the back-end part of the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Administrivia | 1 Comment

The online life

Posted on July 6, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I just can’t get too worked up about this sort of thing. Most young people know the basics of landing a job: Prepare a résumé, compile references and dress up for the interview. But a handful of 20-somethings got a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on The online life

Maintenance window

Posted on July 5, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I’m having some maintenance done on the site this evening, hopefully including an upgrade to Movable Type 4.12 and a new look with a few new features. As such, you may not be able to see much on this page … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Holiday weekend link dump

Posted on July 5, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Some links to get you through the weekend… A look back at a time when the US knew how to make the US look good. Don’t cut your kid’s hair. Pay for a real haircut, save yourself the angst. Look … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Comments Off on Holiday weekend link dump

Can you drive 55?

Posted on July 5, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not sure if the country is emotionally ready to discuss this in a rational manner, but like it or not, it’s out there. Sen. John Warner, R-Va., asked Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to look into what speed limit would … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 1 Comment

RIP, Jesse Helms

Posted on July 5, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Former Senator Jesse Helms is dead. Former Sen. Jesse Helms, who built a career along the fault lines of racial politics and battled liberals, Communists and the occasional fellow Republican during 30 conservative years in Congress, died on the Fourth … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 2 Comments

Now that’s a prank

Posted on July 5, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I’d never heard of this before, but it’s very cool. t was probably the most ingenious student prank of all time. In June 1958, Cambridge awoke to see a car perched at the apex of an inaccessible rooftop, looking as … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | 1 Comment

Boot this!

Posted on July 4, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I like the sound of this. While towing companies are regulated, booting companies are not. They may soon be, as officials craft an ordinance to regulate the practice. “We’ve seen an increase in this kind of complaint since last summer,” … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The Experiment Continues to Illuminate

Posted on July 4, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

(The following is a guest post from Joe Jaworski.) This week, we mark 232 years since our nation declared its independence and launched the greatest experiment in democracy the world has ever known. That experiment continues to illuminate. The Founders … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Comer sues the TEA

Posted on July 4, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Remember Chris Comer, the former director of science curriculum for the Texas Education Agency (TEA) who was forced to resign over a bogus controversy concerning intelligent design? According to the Observer blog, she has now filed a lawsuit against her … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Deputies arrest plaintiff in suit against Sheriff’s office

Posted on July 4, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

In late May, the Ibarra brothers and several other people filed a lawsuit against the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, claiming that its deputies retaliated against people who filed complaints about them. Now one of those plaintiffs has been arrested by … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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RIP, Larry Harmon

Posted on July 3, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Larry Harmon, who played Bozo the Clown for over 50 years, has died at the age of 83. Although not the original Bozo, Harmon portrayed the popular clown in countless appearances and, as an entrepreneur, he licensed the character to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | 2 Comments

Brimer sues to boot Davis off the ballot

Posted on July 3, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I thought we were done with ballot access battles. Looks like I was wrong. State Sen. Kim Brimer, R-Fort Worth, filed a lawsuit today against Tarrant County Democratic Party Chair Steve Maxwell, Texas Democratic Party Chair Boyd Richie and his … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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And now they arrest the bosses

Posted on July 3, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I had wondered why the recent ICE raid at a rag plant didn’t result in any charges being filed against the employers. Now I see that has happened. This morning a U.S. magistrate in Houston is scheduled to preside over … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on And now they arrest the bosses

AMA runs ad criticizing anti-Medicare vote

Posted on July 3, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, the Texas Medical Association recently rescinded its endorsement of Sen. John Cornyn after his vote against a Medicare-funding bill, HR6331. Now the American Medical Association is getting into the act. Reflecting physicians’ frustration with a group of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

“Crazy ant” pesticide now available

Posted on July 3, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Good to know. Help may be on the way for Houston-area residents driven to wits’ end by the relentless attack of crazy Rasberry ants, which have caused damage estimated at $30 million in Harris and six other Southeast Texas counties. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Observer on Yanez

Posted on July 3, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Observer has a nice bio of Supreme Court candidate Linda Yanez, who if elected this November would be the first Latina on the Texas Supreme Court. She’s got an interesting life story that’s worth your time to read, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 1 Comment

A delay for you is an opportunity for someone else

Posted on July 3, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I know that every cloud has a silver lining and all that, but somehow that thought isn’t enough to cheer me up as I read this. As fliers like Perez spend more time waiting in airports — in part because … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 2 Comments

It’s not a dead heat if someone is leading

Posted on July 2, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I know the media loves a horse race and all, but this is pushing it. With the dust having finally settled after the prolonged Democratic presidential primary, a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | 1 Comment

Why not just register as a lobbyist and be done with it?

Posted on July 2, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Governor Perry makes like a vending machine: Money goes in, policy comes out. Gov. Rick Perry’s request for a waiver of federal corn-based ethanol production mandates was prompted by a March meeting he had with East Texas poultry producer Lonnie … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The state of electronic voting in Texas

Posted on July 2, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Dan Wallach, who is an expert on electronic voting machines and their security, sums it up succinctly: Texas’ [direct-recording electronic (DRE) voting machines] are simply vulnerable to and undefended against attacks. That’s the last sentence of a long post about … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The sock puppet in the news

Posted on July 2, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

It’s probably not a good idea to do stuff that makes your boss have to answer questions like these on camera. I agree with Boadicea that Elise Hu asks a good question: Is this kind of masquerade ethical when it … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 5 Comments

Court rules Dingus can be on the ballot

Posted on July 2, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

The last ballot access battle for 2008 that I am aware of has been resolved. Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, will have a Democratic opponent this fall. State District Judge Margaret Cooper ruled [Monday] afternoon that Bill Dingus, a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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