Monthly Archives: December 2002

Polls closed

Posted on December 31, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve taken the “Who Is Atrios” poll down. Thanks to everyone who voted. Here are the results. I’ll be sure to drop a line to Kaus and let him know. Name Votes Pct ================================ Mahir! 56 26.8% Sidney Blumenthal 37 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 13 Comments

Cloned baby arrives in US

Posted on December 31, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Yeah, I know, “allegedly cloned”, at least until DNA tests can be performed. In any event, the baby and her mother arrived in Florida yesterday and were transported to a secure undisclosed location. Testing will be done later, at which … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on Cloned baby arrives in US

Some days, everything’s a song cue

Posted on December 31, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

A couple of headlines in the Chron today have me in a musical mood. First, there’s this story, about the 50th anniversary of the death of the great Hank Williams: MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Just before sunrise on New Year’s Day … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 1 Comment

Taxpayers to bear cost: Film at 11

Posted on December 31, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

A two-Claude headline in the Chron today: Taxpayers may feel brunt of Kmart sting. Who’d have ever thought of that? Actually, we’re not even talking about potential lawsuit costs, but the costs of cleaning up all the arrest records: City … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in K-Mart Kiddie Roundup | 1 Comment

Halftime controversy

Posted on December 31, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Continental Tire Bowl, one of those bowl games you’ve never heard of (in this case, because it’s new this year), has produced some controversy. Seems the governor of West Virginia has his panties in a bunch because the UVa … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 4 Comments

Internet privacy

Posted on December 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

From today’s Chron, via the AP wire: In the days after his stepdaughter’s murder, Tim Remsburg funneled his fury into phone calls to anyone he thought might help explain her death. “At two o’clock in the morning, I was trying … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | 1 Comment

What holiday?

Posted on December 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

You know how it’s supposed to be calm and quiet at the office during the holiday weeks? People are on vacation, no one’s really thinking about work, not much gets done, etc etc etc? Well, bugger that. I’m up to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | Comments Off on What holiday?

Where they come from

Posted on December 30, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

In case you’re wondering what Ann Coulter might have been like in college, here’s a taste. Of the many sad things about this person, I think the saddest is that she’s an English major. But hey, she’s kinda cute and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | 4 Comments

Off the Kuff retrospective: Referrers

Posted on December 29, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s how people have found me for the past three months, according to the canned CGI referrer script that my domain host provides. They only keep two months’ worth of data at a time, and I only bothered to think … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Traffic Reports | Comments Off on Off the Kuff retrospective: Referrers

Off the Kuff retrospective: Traffic report

Posted on December 29, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose everyone wonders, when they start a blog, if anyone will actually read it. I told family and friends about it, so I knew I had at least a few readers from the beginning. Some of these friends were … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Traffic Reports | Comments Off on Off the Kuff retrospective: Traffic report

Let the year-end salutes begin

Posted on December 29, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron is doing its end of the year thing today, and I must say that their look at the silly side of 2002 was pretty darned funny. This first item is one I wish I’d known about earlier: AND … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 1 Comment

Seduction of the Innocent

Posted on December 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Since we’re debating comics, I find it timely that Mark Evanier has a bit about Seduction of the Innocent, a 1954 book by Fredric Wertham which was about the allegedly pernicious influence of comic books on children. Wertham’s books led … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 3 Comments

An open letter to Rolling Stone

Posted on December 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

A rock musician named Maya rips Rolling Stone a new one for putting Britney Spears and two other pop queens whom I don’t even recognize on the cover of an issue entitled “Women In Rock”. Jewel and Mandy friggin’ Moore … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 2 Comments

Comics carping

Posted on December 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

On Monday, the Chron added two new comics, La Cucaracha, and The Boondocks. Some people don’t find them funny: As a longtime student of comic strip culture, I am appalled by the two new comics the Chronicle has decided to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 15 Comments

Houston cloning connection

Posted on December 28, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Brigitte Boisselier, the scary-looking woman from the group that claims to have cloned human babies, was a graduate student in chemistry at the University of Houston. Her thesis advisor remembers her as a good student and a non-whacko. Not anymore, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Comments Off on Houston cloning connection

McKellen to play Dumbledore

Posted on December 27, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Sir Ian McKellen is set to take over the role of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies from the late Richard Harris. I’m glad to hear it. The story goes on to note that the producers’ first choice was … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | 3 Comments

Campbell’s upgrades condensed soups

Posted on December 27, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Campbell’s is making changes to its line of condensed soups in an effort to halt a slow decline in sales. The alphabet soup, for example, now has 40 percent more letters, and the vegetable chunks are crisper. Doug Conant, who … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | 6 Comments

Hooters in the sky

Posted on December 27, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The owner of the Hooters restaurant chain has finally succeeded in his quest to buy an airline. In a news release, [Hooters of America Chairman Robert H.] Brooks said he plans to establish a charter air service called Hooters Air … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | 2 Comments

Aliens cloned my baby!

Posted on December 27, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Or something like that, according to this story: A member of a sect that believes life on Earth was created by extraterrestrials claimed Friday to have produced the world’s first human clone, a baby girl. The 7-pound baby was born … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 2 Comments

RIP, Herb Ritts

Posted on December 27, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Famed photographer Herb Ritts has died of pneumonia at the age of 50. Ritts was one of the best ever at photographing supermodels, but there was a lot more to his work than that. Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on RIP, Herb Ritts

It’s the end of the year as we know it

Posted on December 27, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know about you, but my loins are fully girded for the inevitable onslaught of end of the year awards, retrospectives, Top N lists, and so on. Such awards are already showing up while others promise to soon. I’m … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 4 Comments

Thank you, Midland

Posted on December 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Remember Baby Jessica, the little girl who was rescued from a well in Midland in 1987? She’s sixteen years old now and hopes to live a normal life. “I’ve always wanted to be a normal person,” McClure told Tyler television … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Comments Off on Thank you, Midland

Is fish farming bad?

Posted on December 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Argh. As if I didn’t have enough to worry about, now I have to worry about whether fish farms are a threat to the environment or not. From the Northwest to New England, salmon farming’s critics contend the operations are … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | 14 Comments

The Christmas story

Posted on December 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Teresa posted from Luke 2:1-14 on Christmas Eve. I’ve always thought these were some of the most beautiful passages in the Bible. You’ll recognize the last three paragraphs as the explanation Linus gives for “what Christmas is all about” to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on The Christmas story

Dallas rail quandary: Too many riders

Posted on December 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The light rail system built by Dallas 20 years ago now has more riders than they know what to do with. Areas that were not originally part of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) plan are now asking for access … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 2 Comments

The Tulia drug bust fiasco

Posted on December 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Atrios points to this Bob Herbert column which gives an update on the situation in Tulia, Texas, site of one of the most botched drug-bust cases in recent memory. Atrios has some links to background information on the case, but … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 3 Comments

What’s in your garbage?

Posted on December 26, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Willamette Week, a weekly rag from Portland, OR, recently rifled through the garbage of some high-profile Portlanders and printed the results. They did so after Portland police had found evidence of drug use in the garbage of Portland police … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | 1 Comment

A true gift

Posted on December 25, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a great Christmas story from the news: A New York City police officer got a Christmas gift of $3,000 from homeless people who wanted to thank him for standing up for them. Officer Eduardo Delacruz was suspended for 30 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 4 Comments

For those last minute gifts

Posted on December 24, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

It just isn’t Christmas any more without Dave Barry’s Gift Guide. I told Tiffany I plan on getting her one of the Duct Tape Purses next year (here’s a picture). She was duly impressed. Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on For those last minute gifts

Merry Christmas, Mel Torme

Posted on December 24, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Mark Evanier has one of the best Christmas stories I’ve ever read, about Mel Torme and a group of slightly clueless Christmas carolers. Read it and smile. Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Comments Off on Merry Christmas, Mel Torme

Football Is A Sucker’s Game

Posted on December 24, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Just finished reading this NYT magazine story about the realities of bigtime college football today. It’s pretty gnarly. Read the whole thing, but be prepared to feel the need for a shower afterwards. This bit here is the reason why … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 1 Comment

The USS Meredith Victory

Posted on December 23, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll be scaling back on posting for a day or two (there’s some kind of holiday coming up). In the spirit of that holiday, read about the USS Meredith Victory, which rescued 14,000 Korean War refugees on December 22, 1950. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | 5 Comments

Enron movie update

Posted on December 23, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Enron movie that I mentioned in August is set to air on CBS on January 5. Whether the movies are any good remains to be seen, but the scandal certainly has the stuff of which a great movie can … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | 1 Comment

WTC Stadium

Posted on December 23, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Eric McErlain expands on a suggestion by Instapundit for what to do with the World Trade Center site. Instapundit had jokingly suggested a baseball stadium; McErlain seriously suggests a football stadium. I like this idea. The Jets have never really … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 1 Comment