Monthly Archives: March 2005

Federal judge upholds the law

Posted on March 22, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

You’d think a headline like the one just above would be pretty banal, but when dealing with the Terri Schiavo case, nothing has been normal. I’m sure Judge Whittemore’s ruling won’t be the end of it, just as I’m sure … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 9 Comments

Muni WiFi ban to be heard on Wednesday

Posted on March 22, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

When last we checked in, the ban on free municipal wireless networking had been dropped from HB789, but as the bill was still in committee and as the ban is favored by Regulated Industries Committee Chair Phil King, it ain’t … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 1 Comment

Brooks bashes Abramoff and Reed

Posted on March 22, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. A genius like Abramoff doesn’t spring fully formed on his own. Just as Michelangelo emerged in the ferment of Renaissance Italy, so did Abramoff emerge from his own circle of creativity and encouragement. Back in 1995, when Republicans took … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 1 Comment

That does not make sense

Posted on March 21, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a little science for your Monday: thirteen things which do not make sense. Feel free to add your own items in the comments. Via Milk River. Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 5 Comments

Senate will spend more

Posted on March 21, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The first cut of a Senate budget is out. Senate budget writers today approved a $139 billion two-year budget that restores some cuts made to health and human services programs two years ago, increases salaries for state workers and state … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

Bell campaign posts on Kos

Posted on March 21, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing my weekend catchup, we have the first of what will likely be several diary entries on Daily Kos by Chris Bell‘s Operations Manager Tim McCann. I believe we’re going to see more of this kind of direct interaction between … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Bell campaign posts on Kos

Chron on Castro

Posted on March 21, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I took a bit of a breather this weekend – the days were too nice, the baby was too active, and the NCAA opening round games were too interesting to spend too much time on the computer. So please indulge … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2005 | 1 Comment

RIP, John DeLorean

Posted on March 21, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

John DeLorean dies at age 80. John Z. DeLorean, an automotive innovator who left General Motors Corp. to develop a radically futuristic sports car only to see that venture crash spectacularly as he fought federal drug charges, has died of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 6 Comments

Toll roads and taxing for roads

Posted on March 20, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County Judge Robert Eckels editorializes in favor of indexing the state’s gasoline tax to inflation. Highway safety and the delays caused by urban roadway congestion have reached crisis proportions in Texas, largely because of a lack of funding available … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 4 Comments

Some Sunday DeLay stories

Posted on March 20, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Just a few links for a lazy Sunday… Is Tom DeLay approaching a tipping point? More trouble for DeLay’s buddy Jack Abramoff. The Senate Finance Committee is investigating the activities of a tax-exempt foundation controlled by Jack Abramoff, a powerful … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on Some Sunday DeLay stories

Tax that tummy tuck

Posted on March 19, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The AP takes note of the proposed 7.5% plastic surgery tax that came along with HB3. “This may bring in more money than oil,” joked Wick Allison, publisher and editor of D Magazine, which covers the Dallas fashion and party … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

IBM sues over Accenture contract

Posted on March 19, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to filing a complaint over the way that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission awarded its call center contract to Accenture, IBM has now filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas, claiming that there was a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 6 Comments

Bucknell!

Posted on March 18, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t care what it does to my bracket, I’m always pleased to see a Big XII team make an ignominious early exit from the NCAAs. This one is sweeter than Nevada over Texas, and that was a game I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 7 Comments

Beer Can House revival

Posted on March 18, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Via Lasso and blogHOUSTON, the famous Beer Can House is about to get a facelift. Efforts to restore Milkovisch’s Beer Can House, which has suffered years of gradual decline, have moved into high gear with a $125,000 Houston Endowment grant … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 3 Comments

2-4-6-8, who do we appreciate?

Posted on March 18, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The debate continues to roil regarding Rep. Al Edwards’ vote on HB3. See the comments on Houston Democrats, these two updates by Greg, this one from Byron, and for a little variety, Save Texas Reps on Edwards’ partner in controversy, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 1 Comment

Mary Denny strikes again

Posted on March 18, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Having already filed “one of the worst pieces of legislation in recent memory”, State Rep. Mary Denny (R, Flower Mound) is at it again, filing one of three new atrocious anti-democratic (small d) bills designed to make it harder to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 12 Comments

Yates divorce finalized

Posted on March 18, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Rusty and Andrea Yates are officially no longer married. Ginger noted this yesterday, and I think her cynical guess as to Rusty’s motivation are spot on. If so, I’m sure we’ll know soon enough. Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Comments Off on Yates divorce finalized

Eye on Williamson County

Posted on March 17, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t know who’s behind this new blog from Williamson County, but I’m glad to see one from there. Williamson, like Fort Bend, voted for Bush in lesser numbers in 2004 than it did in 2000, and I think it stands … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 1 Comment

Did Accenture get a helping hand?

Posted on March 17, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I noted before that Accenture won the bidding to provide call center services to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Today in the Statesman, two State Reps are alleging that they had inside help. On Wednesday, Albert Hawkins, executive … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Did Accenture get a helping hand?

Progress on Muni Wireless ban?

Posted on March 17, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The latest word from SaveMuniWireless is that the ban on city-supported network services has been stripped out. That’s great news, but as they note, there’s still the amendment process, and as this earlier entry showed, that means various bad things … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 2 Comments

The Senate is not the House

Posted on March 17, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Remember the special session on school finance reform last year, when the House passed a shell bill to the Senate? It’s beginning to look to me like they did the same thing this year, based on comments like these. Senate … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on The Senate is not the House

Lamar!

Posted on March 17, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The Tom DeLay Scandal Spillover Vortex has claimed another casualty. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, was listed as a special guest and speaker in 2002 for Texans for a Republican Majority. While investigating DeLay’s conduct last year, the House committee deferred … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 2 Comments

Tuition relief

Posted on March 17, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news for college students may be on the way, according to Inside the Texas Capitol, which rounds up several tuition-relief bills in the House and Senate and assesses their odds of passage. Those of you with a current … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Comments Off on Tuition relief

Learning binary the Socratic way

Posted on March 17, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Via Greg, a fascinating lesson on learning binary numbers using the Socratic method. Given the results achieved, if everyone had learned the new math that way, we might have a much lower rate of innumeracy in the world. Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 2 Comments

Little paisley pill

Posted on March 16, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I should have linked to Prescription for Change and the awesome animation/Lounge Lizards song when Scott first announced it, but as is sometimes the case, it got lost in my to-be-blogged pile. I’m glad to see that it’s been getting … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

Single fatherhood II: The baby strikes back

Posted on March 16, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Tiffany took Business Trip #2 yesterday – she just called from IAH and should be home soon – so I got to spend some more time as Single Dad. As with the first time, I got a lot of help … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | 6 Comments

Checking in on HoustonDemocrats.com

Posted on March 16, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I have to say, I was excited at the prospect of a Harris County Democratic Party blog from the time I first heard about it, and since its launch late last week, it’s been exceeding my expectations. You don’t have … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 2 Comments

A little transportation action

Posted on March 16, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

There’s more anti-Trans Texas Corridor activity in the House, and it’s coming from both sides of the aisle. State Rep. Garnet Coleman has filed a bill seeking to bar the state from spending money on the Trans-Texas Corridor until 2007 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on A little transportation action

What will the Astrodome be today?

Posted on March 16, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Haven’t we heard this story before? Astrodome Redevelopment Co. is continuing to look at whether it makes good business sense to spend hundreds of millions to turn the building into a mammoth, luxury convention hotel. The company, selected by the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 10 Comments

Bernie and Kenny Boy

Posted on March 16, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Well, now that the vaunted honest idiot defense has failed and Bernie Ebbers faces a stretch in the Big House, the question becomes How will this affect Kenny Boy? “The Ebbers trial is a bellwether for Lay,” said David Berg, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | 2 Comments

Now it’s ARMPAC’s turn

Posted on March 16, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

He can deny it all he likes, but the documentation of Tom DeLay’s wrongdoing keeps piling up. U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s federal leadership political fund apparently coordinated with a Texas committee to deliver $23,000 in contributions to Texas … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 3 Comments

The most important right

Posted on March 16, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Greg Moses is still wading through documents from the Heflin Challenge, and he keeps putting out useful and interesting articles on what he’s found. Stay on top of it all here, here, here, and here. One of the better questions … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | 1 Comment

Poor, poor Autry Court

Posted on March 15, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I thought we could make it through the end of this basketball season without another bashing of the Rice Owls’ home for hoops, but apparently not. That Willis Wilson and Cristy McKinney have their basketball teams in the postseason for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 4 Comments

Bringing ethics back to the House

Posted on March 15, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Do you live in a Republican-held Congressional district? The DCCC has a little project for you regarding the current status of the House Ethics Committee. It’s based on this observation by Kagro X, and expanded on here, here, and here … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on Bringing ethics back to the House