Monthly Archives: July 2011

It’s “The Longhorn Network” for a reason

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Branding, y’all. It’s called branding. And I don’t mean what they do to cattle. Though I suppose that is sort of what’s happening here, now that I think about it. Opponents’ views of Texas’ new cable network venture with ESPN … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rethinking school discipline

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. Nearly 60 percent of junior high school and high school students get suspended or expelled, according to a report that tracked about 1 million Texas children over a six-year period. About 15 percent of the Texas seventh- through 12th-grade … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

We’re running out of helium

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Am I the only one that finds this a little disturbing? Deep beneath the dry, dusty ground outside this Panhandle city lies something lighter than air: helium. But the supply of the gas that inflates balloons, cools MRI machines and … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Saturday video break: Seven in seven

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Seven “Harry Potter” movies, summarized in seven minutes: I haven’t seen a Potter movie since the third one – we saw it two days before Olivia was born, if that helps you understand why I’m behind in my movie-watching – … Continue reading →

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Red light camera tickets begin again tomorrow

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Drive appropriately. You have been warned. Houston police will begin issuing red-light camera citations Sunday at 50 intersections around the city, the latest maneuver in a protracted court battle over the controversial but lucrative traffic surveillance system. Police Chief Charles … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Poor Jerry

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I feel so, so sorry for him. Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole has racked up $1.1 million in legal bills fighting a federal corruption probe in the past two years, nearly exhausting his campaign funds months before his case is … Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

In which I try to find common ground with Sen. Patrick

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From a news item about President Obama’s nomination to helm the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Congress created the bureau a year ago this week with the enactment of the Dodd-Frank law, which overhauled financial regulations after the credit crisis. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We’re #9!

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The ninth greenest metro area, at least in terms of “green” jobs, according to a Brookings study. Houston’s “clean” or “green” economy is ranked 9th among the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas, according to a new report from the Brookings … Continue reading →

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SBOE manages to not screw up science supplements

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Baby steps. The quietude of yesterday’s State Board of Education meeting came to a screeching halt during today’s final vote over supplemental science materials. After a unanimous preliminary vote on Thursday, the board appeared split over alleged errors in how … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Songs of the Century, part 8

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

At long last, we return to the Songs of the Century as compiled by the Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. 1. Bye Bye Blackbird – Mel Torme (#189, Gene Austin) 2. Tom Dooley – … Continue reading →

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The other races

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to the city of Houston races, I am trying to follow the HISD and HCC Trustee elections as well. I say “trying” because there’s just no information out there that I can find. For one thing, though there … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Oh yeah, someone is running in CD23

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Scott Stroud reminds me that the Democrats do have a candidate for that other Congressional race in Bexar County. Although Democrats are already buzzing about the looming Interstate 35 tussle between Congressman Lloyd Doggett and state Rep. Joaquín Castro for … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Texas seeks preclearance from the courts

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This was expected. Texas bypassed the Obama administration’s Department of Justice on Tuesday, opting to ask a panel of federal judges in Washington, D.C., to review the state’s new maps for congressional, legislative and State Board of Education districts. Attorney … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Patterson to run for Lite Guv

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

With Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst running for the Senate, everyone else in state government that’s been waiting for a chance to move up is undoubtedly making plans to do so. At the front of the line is Lanc Commissioner Jerry … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Day One at the SBOE

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your TFN Insider coverage of today’s SBOE science hearings. In Part I of the hearings, we find that the SBOE may not be such a major factor in school curriculum any more: 10:20  – Board members are quizzing the … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Melissa Noriega

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Council Member Melissa Noriega was elected to finish the unexpired At Large #3 term of Shelley Sekula Gibbs in June of 2007, and has been re-elected for full terms twice since. She’s the chair of the Public Safety and Homeland … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Open The Taps

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Better late than never. “The fourth tier wants to speak up,” said Ted Duchesne, a Clear Lake-area beer blogger and president of a nascent nonprofit organization that pledges to work on behalf of consumers to increase the availability of craft … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Amazon to push for ballot initiative in California

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I believe we are entering “last refuge of the scoundrel” territory here. Amazon said [last] Monday that it would back a California ballot initiative that would roll back a new state law that forces more online retailers to collect sales … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of July 18

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance congratulates Japan for its well-deserved victory in the Women’s World Cup as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Time to get it on again with the SBOE

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From an email from the National Center for Science Education: The Texas Board of Education is at it again, this time aiming to insert creationism into high school biology classes via textbook “supplements” (such as those from International Databases, LLC). … Continue reading →

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The Dew gets set to do it

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

To officially join the Senate race, as everyone has been expecting him to do. Ending perhaps the worst-kept secret in Texas politics, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst will make his official announcement by “midweek” that he will seek the Republican nomination … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

County’s voting machines get new home

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s hope for no more fires. Harris County is buying a building to house voting machines and other equipment that will replace a warehouse destroyed by fire last August. The $4.35 million purchase of a facility on Todd Road near … Continue reading →

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David Rosen for HCDE Trustee

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Via Facebook, we have our first announcement of a countywide candidacy for 2012, as David Rosen declares his candidacy for the Harris County Department of Education Board of Trustees. Here’s a video of the announcement that was posted: Rosen will … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

UTA and UTSA

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

UT Arlington is moving up in the collegiate athletic world. The University of Texas System Board of Regents [Thursday] approved UTA joining the Western Athletic Conference beginning July 1, 2012. UTA has been a charter member of the Southland Conference … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Tuesday late filers report

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This is a semi-regular tracker of late campaign finance report filings for City of Houston elections. I’ll keep this up until either everyone has filed, or we all get sick of it and I move onto other trivial obsessions. With … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Time to vote for the new corpse flower name

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

You may recall that the Houston Museum of Natural Science has a new corpse flower to go with its star attraction Lois, and they have a contest going on to name the newbie. They’ve narrowed things down to five finalists, … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

That next school finance lawsuit is coming

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Look for it when school starts this fall. Texas lawmakers who left town recently after cutting public education and doing little to fix school funding disparities have guaranteed another school finance lawsuit, according to educators and lawyers involved in the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A closer look at the proposed County Commissioner precincts

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Rick Casey does some analysis of the proposed Harris County redistricting map and notes some concerns about the way Precinct 2 was drawn. The total population of the proposed new precinct is 57 percent Hispanic and 31 percent Anglo. But … Continue reading →

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More on directing density

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We know that the city’s Planning Department is prepping a draft ordinance that would add some restrictions to highrise construction in parts of the city outside designated areas. Here’s the Chron story about it. The proposed ordinance was written in … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas accepts grant for high speed rail study

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Awesome. Texas accepted a $15 million grant from the Federal High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program to fund the preliminary engineering and NEPA studies for the Dallas to Houston corridor. This money was made available by Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida’s … Continue reading →

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DA gets Jones case

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

What sound does a hot potato make when it gets passed to someone else? The Harris County District Attorney has been asked to review for possible criminal prosecution allegations that Councilwoman Jolanda Jones used city resources to support her private … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Interview with CM Stephen Costello

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We begin the 2011 election interview season with first term Council Member Stephen Costello, elected in 2009 in At Large #1. He had a mission in mind when he ran for office, and that was a plan to fund street … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Does Perry get any credit?

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

What credit, if any, should Rick Perry get for Texas’ relatively good economic condition? This Statesman story aims to find out. As Gov. Rick Perry’s flirtation with running for president puts the Texas economy under a microscope, there’s no question … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Veasey joins in redistricting litigation

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Add another redistricting lawsuit to the pile. Brought by state Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, the lawsuit is another attempt to get a three-judge panel hearing redistricting cases to reconsider the entire state map by focusing on how the districts … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments