Monthly Archives: August 2007

JK Rowling’s new gig

Posted on August 20, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Say what you will about JK Rowling, she hasn’t been sitting on her laurels since she finished the last Harry Potter book. J.K. Rowling has been spotted at cafes in Scotland working on a detective novel, a British newspaper reported … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Books | Comments Off on JK Rowling’s new gig

“The distinguished gentleman”

Posted on August 20, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Patrick Leahy: Senator by day, scourge of the underworld by night. Holy Beltway, Batman! Sen. Patrick Leahy has a part in the next Batman movie. “I don’t wear tights,” the Vermont Democrat said. Leahy’s scene was filmed this summer for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | 2 Comments

A chip off the old block

Posted on August 20, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

People sometimes ask me who Olivia takes after more, me or Tiffany. The truth is that in most ways she’s very much her own person, but every now and then, you see an indelible glimpse of one of us on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | Comments Off on A chip off the old block

Dean headed for Mexico

Posted on August 19, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Once again, good news from my perspective, horrible news from many other people’s. Here’s the late night update from SciGuy: Today the models have fallen in line with a final landfall for Dean in Mexico. The official forecast has caught … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Comments Off on Dean headed for Mexico

Still more new frontiers in caffeination

Posted on August 19, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Well, you’ve got your caffeinated donuts and your caffeinated beer, but you’re not sure those are two great tastes that taste great together. So, as an alternate accompaniment to your hi-test brewskie, how about some caffeinated potato chips? Birmingham-based Golden … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Comments Off on Still more new frontiers in caffeination

“It’s got raisins in it. You like raisins.”

Posted on August 19, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I can’t believe I’ve come across an entire thread on favorite movie lines, and nobody has yet quoted from Better Off Dead. That’s just wrong. Lane Myer: Two brothers… One speaks no English, the other learned English from watching “The … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | 3 Comments

You can’t sue me! I’m suing you!

Posted on August 19, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Miya has the latest update in the Roy Morales Lawsuit Follies, which at this point is threatening to become a regular feature of every municipal election. I’m thinking the next logical step would be to turn it into a musical, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2007 | Comments Off on You can’t sue me! I’m suing you!

Does EarthLink want out?

Posted on August 18, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like EarthLink might be getting some cold feet over the WiFi deal they’ve inked with the City of Houston. Months after the City Council approved a contract to allow EarthLink Inc. to blanket Houston with a wireless network, the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 1 Comment

Dean strengthens, moves south

Posted on August 18, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

The bad news is that Hurricane Dean is on its way to becoming a Category Five storm. The good news, from my perspective, is that the models have nudged enough south, and are now clustered enough together, that Houston is … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Comments Off on Dean strengthens, moves south

Another special election?

Posted on August 18, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

We are already slated to have one special election to fill a state legislative seat. Now Chris Elam is reporting that we may have another. Word out of Austin is that Pearland State Representative Mike O’Day will be resigning his … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2007 | 2 Comments

Oyster-related crime is on the rise in Texas

Posted on August 18, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Grits for Breakfast has a question I don’t hear every day: Texas’ overcriminalization trivializes ‘real’ crimes, writes Marc Levin of the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation in the Houston Chronicle. I laughed out loud when he announced that eleven of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 1 Comment

Waiting for Kay Bailey

Posted on August 17, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I think Perry and Greg have already commented on most of the main points regarding this fluffy story about the life and times of our senior Senator. But there is one thing that I need to say: “Before I retire, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 6 Comments

Starting to worry about Dean

Posted on August 17, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

SciGuy gives me some morning agida: The overnight models have become more tightly clustered, and the news is not favorable for Texas, which now appears the target if Dean makes a U.S. landfall. Dean may yet not make landfall in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | 1 Comment

Is Rube Goldberg in the house?

Posted on August 17, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

At a public hearing on Tuesday, aides to Governor Perry proposed various crazy schemes to restore the $154 million of community college funding that Perry vetoed in June, for which he’s been regularly pilloried ever since. Although lawmakers left unspent … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Is Rube Goldberg in the house?

The shopping center still stands for now

Posted on August 17, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know if Weingarten ever got their sewer disconnect permit business straightened out, but as of yesterday afternoon at least, the River Oaks Shopping Center was the same as it was earlier this week. Basically, there’s some heavy equipment … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 2 Comments

Where will the stations be?

Posted on August 17, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Everyone knows about the fight over where the Universities line will be. But where the tracks are is only half the battle. Christof shows why station location matters, too. Check it out. Christof is also quoted in this This Week … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 1 Comment

Hands Across El Rio

Posted on August 16, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Firedoglake guest blogger Marisa Trevino brings news of an interesting upcoming event called Hands Across El Rio. Spanning 16 days, 1,250 miles, it’s a protest that involves Americans and Mexicans forming human chains across the international bridges, daily binational press … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

Score one for the hippie bohemian attorneys

Posted on August 16, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Ready or not, here it comes… After much discussion, which mostly consisted of many plaudits to Council Member Anne Clutterbuck for her work during the decisionmaking process, the Hippie Bohemian Attorney project got the green light. City council approved the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 3 Comments

Talton says he’s in for CD22

Posted on August 16, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

The Republicans finally have someone besides Shelley Sekula Gibbs to try to challenge Nick Lampson – State Rep. Robert Talton says he’s in for CD22. State Rep. Robert Talton is giving up his seat to run in the increasingly crowded … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | Comments Off on Talton says he’s in for CD22

Noriega: One month in

Posted on August 16, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

It’s been one month since folks like me who support Rick Noriega for Senate first launched a drive to get 800 donors to Rick’s campaign by the end of the quarter on September 30. As of this one-month anniversary, some … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 3 Comments

Questions for Frank Michel about the Center

Posted on August 16, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

As noted yesterday, I had the chance to ask Frank Michel, the Director of Communications for Mayor White, a few questions about sale of land to the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation. Here are the questions and his responses: … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Questions for Frank Michel about the Center

More on the KPFT shooting

Posted on August 16, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

The folks at KPFT had a press conference yesterday to talk about the shooting that took place there on Monday. A volunteer radio host who was nearly struck by a bullet that crashed through the front window of KPFT’s Montrose … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 3 Comments

From the “Some People Never Learn” Department

Posted on August 16, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like we’ll have Roy Morales to kick around for awhile longer. Two-time City Council candidate Roy Morales is giving it another try. In a news release, the retired Air Force lieutenant colonel announced that he plans to take on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2007 | Comments Off on From the “Some People Never Learn” Department

Erin and Dean

Posted on August 15, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

So much for our quiet hurricane season. Rescue workers were activated in southern Texas today in preparation for heavy rain expected to accompany newly formed Tropical Storm Erin moving through the Gulf of Mexico. At 10:30 a.m. CDT, it had … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Comments Off on Erin and Dean

Council approves sale of land to Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation

Posted on August 15, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Today, City Council unanimously approved the sale of the land on which the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation to the Center, thus completing a deal that was struck in April. As I understand it, there are still a few … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Council approves sale of land to Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation

It’s Hippie Bohemian Attorney Day at City Council

Posted on August 15, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Today’s the day we get to find out if that is going to happen. Houston City Council is set to decide today whether to sell a block of Bolsover in Rice Village to a developer for $1.5 million, after months … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 1 Comment

First, you have to admit that you have a problem

Posted on August 15, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Falkenberg discovers discontent and denial within the GOP. At a Mexican restaurant in the East End, Reggie Gonzales explains all the ways in which the Republican Party irks him these days: the “holier than thou” attitudes of some leaders, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 1 Comment

Two more Vick codefendants to plead out

Posted on August 15, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

This is bad news (or maybe I should say “bad newz”) for Michael Vick. On Monday, the remaining two co-defendants who were indicted with the NFL star in a federal dogfighting conspiracy case set hearings to accept plea deals. The … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Comments Off on Two more Vick codefendants to plead out

Paying for green space

Posted on August 15, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Who has responsibility for ensuring that there’s enough park space for Houston residents? According to City Council, some of that responsibility needs to be on developers. The ordinance, which city officials hope to have in place by Oct. 1, would … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Comments Off on Paying for green space

Everyone wants to welcome Karl Rove back to Texas

Posted on August 14, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like we here in Texas aren’t the only ones who want to give Karl Rove a warm welcome back to Texas. Howie Klein, Firedoglake, and others associated with the Blue America 08 PAC all joined in to give the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | Comments Off on Everyone wants to welcome Karl Rove back to Texas

RIP, Phil Rizzuto

Posted on August 14, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Phil “The Scooter” Rizzuto, legendary Yankee shortstop and broadcaster, has died at the age of 89. In many ways, the Yankees were Rizzuto’s family. Excepting a three-year stretch in the United States Navy (1943-45) during World War II, Rizzuto was … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 1 Comment

You there! Put that cigarette out!

Posted on August 14, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

The next time you peer into a mirror, take a closer look. You’ll be staring at the enforcement mechanism for the city’s new anti-smoking ordinance. When the city of Houston’s smoking ban expands next month to include bars, it largely … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 5 Comments

Cut and plug

Posted on August 14, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Matt Stiles tells us why the River Oaks Shopping Center hasn’t been demolished quite yet. The owner, Weingarten Realty Investors, can’t raze the building at West Gray and Shepherd until its plumber disconnects the waste water sewers at the various … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Cut and plug

Who will run for the CCA?

Posted on August 14, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Grits raises a question he’s asked before, which is “Will we have good candidates to run for the Court of Criminal Appeals”, also known as Texas’ worst court? Somebody with experience or name ID would be good, but in the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 1 Comment