Monthly Archives: July 2010

TFN poll on public school curriculum

Posted on July 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This is generally good news. Eight of 10 Texans want high schools to teach contraception, including the use of condoms and abstinence, according to a statewide opinion poll that also shows high support for letting teachers and scholars write public … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

RIP, Bob Sheppard

Posted on July 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Preceding George Steinbrenner in death was the legendary PA announcer Bob Sheppard, known as both the voice of Yankee Stadium and the Voice of God. If you watched the All Star Game on Tuesday night, you got to hear a … Continue reading →

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Keller gets “public warning” from the State Commission on Judicial Conduct

Posted on July 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

No, I don’t know what a “public warning” is, either. It’s the first time I’ve heard that phrase. But it’s what the Trib says Sharon Keller got as her “punishment” from the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. What it sounds … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Friday random ten: Songs for Olivia

Posted on July 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

My traveling companion for the trip to New York was my six-year-old daughter Olivia. We bring the iPod Touch along on plane trips because she and Audrey can watch videos on them. (Phineas and Ferb episodes are the hot property … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Term limits commission makes its recommendation

Posted on July 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Term Limits Commission finished its work on Monday and voted on a proposal that will be considered by Council. Houston’s Term Limits Review Commission voted Monday night to recommend changing the existing limits from three 2-year terms to two … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

HISD Trustee Diana Davila resigns

Posted on July 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This was unexpected. HISD trustee Diana Dávila said Wednesday she will resign from the school board Thursday, more than a year before her term ends. Dávila, who was first elected to the school board in 2003, said she is stepping … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

RIP, George Steinbrenner

Posted on July 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

It was kind of a rough week for the New York Yankees, as they lost two of their icons while I was on vacation. I’ll have something to say about Bob Sheppard, their legendary and longtime public address announcer, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Texas blog roundup for the week of July 12

Posted on July 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance doesn’t need to go to South Beach to form a dream team. We’ve had one all along, and here are the highlights.

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White reports $9 million on hand

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Not too shabby. Democrat Bill White hit the mid-year mark with more than $9 million in the bank for his November challenge to Gov. Rick Perry. White raised $7.4 million since his last report, in February, bringing to $16.4 million … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Back in the saddle

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’m back from my secure undisclosed location (the Hudson River Valley in Dutchess County, New York – it was gorgeous, and I’ll have more to say about it shortly) and as I work my way through a zillion unread items … Continue reading →

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A view of the “Heights” Wal-Mart site

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I was thinking last week that I didn’t have a good feel for the geography of the site for the proposed “Heights” Wal-Mart. So I figured the thing to do was to drive over there and take a few pictures. … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

So you say you’re concerned about the effect of undocumented immigration on employment

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your chance to do something about it. There are two issues facing our nation–high unemployment and undocumented people in the workforce–that many Americans believe are related. Missing from the debate on both issues is an honest recognition that the … Continue reading →

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Radack’s Hill update

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Watchdog has an interesting story on Radack’s Hill, also known as the Hockley Soap Box Derby track. I note that Commissioner Radack is still hard at work pumping up the economic prospects of his pet project. According to Radack … Continue reading →

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“HEB with a Montrose feel”

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The West U Examiner gives us an update on the plans for an HEB where the Wilshire Village Apartments used to be. Having recently closed its land deal for the property at Dunlavy and Alabama streets, H-E-B will be putting … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Start stocking up on those forever stamps

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

They’re about to be a bargain. Fighting to survive a deepening financial crisis, the Postal Service said Tuesday it wants to increase the price of first-class stamps by 2 cents — to 46 cents — starting in January. Other postage … Continue reading →

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Nightly News Update: One Last Time

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Greg Wythe

Kuff will be return soon enough after camping out with Sasquatch, Jason Voorhees, and the wild Basselope of Bloom County. If he were here, these might be things he’d be tempted to remark on. Since he’s not, here’s me running … Continue reading →

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“Sprayed Away”

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

A couple of months ago, I blogged about a report on water conservation from the National Wildlife Federation and the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club. Last week, they came out with a new report, on outdoor water usage … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Fort Worth gets streetcar funds

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them, though they’re not quite ready to jump on it yet. A downtown streetcar loop could be in Fort Worth’s near future, but the City Council has some serious issues to consider first. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Cap and trade would cut the federal deficit

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Surely this means all those “deficit hawks” I keep hearing about will rush to embrace the American Power Act now. Right? The CBO analysis of the American Power Act, championed by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) found … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Nightly News Update: Monday Edition

Posted on July 12, 2010 by Greg Wythe

More up-to-date linkage while Kuff sings Kumbaya in the wood goes on a snipe hunt. » Chron: Kids’ failure is adult’s ‘success’ (Rick Casey) Maybe it’s just me, but the immediacy of this column seems a bit like an afterthought … Continue reading →

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Gambling and the deficit

Posted on July 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve said before that regardless of what you hear from gambling proponents about the potential for expanded gambling to help with the current budget deficit, you should not expect anything this biennium. I’m glad to see that I’m not the … Continue reading →

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Charter schools

Posted on July 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

There’s good and there’s bad, and if we’re smart about it we can maximize the former while minimizing the latter. Fifteen years into the Texas charter school experiment, some charters have brought impressive innovation to public education, saved dropouts and … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Report from the West End Civic Club meeting about the “Heights” Wal-Mart

Posted on July 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

A new blog with the descriptive name They Are Building A Wal-Mart On My Street has a report from a meeting last week of the West End Civic Club about the possible “Heights” Wal-Mart. Representatives from the offices of City … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Weekend link dump for July 11

Posted on July 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Why would you need a USB coffee cup warmer anyway? If the Fail Whale is your inspiration, you’re doing it wrong. You tell ’em, Kal. Um, congratulations, I guess. The Republicans have no ideas. I know, there’s nothing new or … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 1 Comment

Rick and Bill at the Farm Bureau

Posted on July 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The gubernatorial campaign, in a nutshell. Gov. Rick Perry delivered a patriotic speech to the Texas Farm Bureau on Thursday, but gave short shrift to the property rights issue that caused a split between him and one of the state’s … Continue reading →

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The softer side of Sharon Keller

Posted on July 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib lets us know that there’s more to Sharon Keller than willful indifference to death penalty appeals and rigid fealty to the prosecutorial perspective. For nearly as long as she has led the state’s highest criminal court, Keller has … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

San Antonio smoking ban protests

Posted on July 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The proposal to strengthen the smoking ban in San Antonio has drawn protest from a previously silent constituency. LULAC, the San Antonio Mixed Beverage Association, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the San Antonio Restaurant Association … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Join Senator Kirk Watson & Bill White in Online Video Town Hall, Monday July 12

Posted on July 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

State Senator Kirk Watson will host an online video town hall with Bill White on Monday, July 12th at 5:30pm. You can join the conversation yourself, submit questions, and enjoy a high-tech, low-key campaign chat with two of Texas’ most … Continue reading →

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Nightly News Update: This Guest Aggrepost Just In!

Posted on July 10, 2010 by Greg Wythe

While Kuff is getting in touch with Mother Nature, I’ll add an occasional aggregation of other stories that might be somewhere close to the sort of thing Kuff might add to the blog in order to keep things a tad … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Vacation

Posted on July 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This is approximately how I feel about being in nature: But for better or for worse, it’s where I’m gonna be for the next few days. Barring anything unexpected, I will have little to no Internet connectivity during this time. … Continue reading →

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Renew Houston submits petitions

Posted on July 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Renew Houston has submitted signatures to get its drainage improvement proposition on the ballot this November. Renew Houston, a group of influential local engineers, has collected more than 30,000 signatures in a push to seek voter approval for an $8 … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Bad projections

Posted on July 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Just go read this Trib story about how the Texas Education Agency’s Texas Projection Measure, which purports to measure student academic growth as a way to evaluate school districts, is basically a load of hooey. It was the subject of … Continue reading →

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Grits on the CCSI

Posted on July 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Scott Henson got the same information I did about the HPD “Chronic Consumer Stabilization Initiative” pilot program, and as always his take is worth reading. In that post, he pointed to this Malcolm Gladwell article that puts this initiative into … Continue reading →

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Pflugerville solar farm

Posted on July 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This sounds promising. A startup solar energy company with corporate backing from India has won tax breaks from the City of Pflugerville and is near a similar agreement with the Elgin school district to build a 60-megawatt solar plant. The … Continue reading →

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