Monthly Archives: March 2008

Ashby developers to move forward as originally planned

Posted on March 18, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever the next step in the Ashby highrise fight is going to be, get ready for it. The developers of the controversial Ashby high-rise said Monday they are moving forward with their long-delayed permit applications because city officials haven’t responded … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 1 Comment

Endorsement watch: Reed backs Montford

Posted on March 18, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Elise Hu had it first, and Postcards has the details about Rick Reed endorsing Mindy Montford in the runoff for Travis County DA. In a not-so-surprising move, former Travis County district attorney candidate Rick Reed, who finished fourth in the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 1 Comment

Meet Michael Skelly tonight

Posted on March 18, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Short notice, but if you haven’t had a chance to meet Michael Skelly, the man who’s giving local Republicans a case of the blues, there’s an event for him tonight at 3rd Bar @ Reef, 2600 Travis in Midtown – … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | Comments Off on Meet Michael Skelly tonight

More on the West U cellphone ban proposal

Posted on March 18, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

The proposed ban by the city of West University Place on cellphone use in school zones that we heard about last week gets some more coverage in the Chron. Houston-area officials are watching West University Place as elected officials there … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 1 Comment

Hey, didn’t you used to be Tom DeLay?

Posted on March 18, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I think the fact that this story about where Tom DeLay is now is front-page material is proof that we’re in a slow news cycle. I mean, it’s always nice to be re-acquainted with old friends and all, but there … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on Hey, didn’t you used to be Tom DeLay?

Texas blog roundup for the week of March 17

Posted on March 18, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Suffering from a touch of the Irish flu? Well, here’s a little hair of the blog for you, in the form of the Texas Progressive Alliance roundup for the week. Click on (quietly) and enjoy. Continue reading →

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Houston, the next great world city

Posted on March 17, 2008 by Tiffany Tyler

If you believe Joel Kotkin. He makes a pretty convincing argument in his recent article in The American. He gives the jobs and diversity one-two punch (must have been listening to some of Mayor White’s speeches), and thumbs his nose … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Houston, the next great world city

Help the Progressive Patriots PAC spend its money wisely

Posted on March 17, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an easy opportunity to help Rick Noriega earn a little money. Sen. Russ Feingold’s Progressive Patriots PAC has five grand burning a hole in its pocket, and he’s looking for a Senate candidate to give it to. Need I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | Comments Off on Help the Progressive Patriots PAC spend its money wisely

The Bible class conundrum

Posted on March 17, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

This story is a good illustration of why bills like HB1287 should be left to languish in committee rather than get brought to the floor for passage. Fiercely debated legislation last year to put a Bible course in public schools … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 4 Comments

Canvass report: Results by State Rep district

Posted on March 17, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

The next thing I did with the canvass data was to sort it all by State Rep district and sum up how the statewide and countywide campaigns did in each of them. Note that there were Democratic State Rep candidates … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | Comments Off on Canvass report: Results by State Rep district

Endorsement watch: Tejano Dems and the HGLBT Caucus for the runoffs

Posted on March 17, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

However much value there was for endorsements in the March 4 primary – and in this year’s environment, the answer is clearly “not much” – they will be a lot more valuable in the sure-to-be-tiny-turnout runoff. I’m guessing there will … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | Comments Off on Endorsement watch: Tejano Dems and the HGLBT Caucus for the runoffs

Goin’ to California

Posted on March 17, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I note this news item about John McCain with some interest. Arizona Sen. John McCain, who has promised a serious bid to win California in the fall presidential election, bulked up his dream team of Silicon Valley managers and advisers … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | Comments Off on Goin’ to California

An Abramoff update

Posted on March 17, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I know, Abramoff/DeLay news seems so 2006, but still, I wanted to note this. Greenberg Traurig is in hot water in the tropical U.S. territory of Guam. The ginormous firm – 1,750 lawyers and counting — was indicted Tuesday in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on An Abramoff update

Sen. Ellis calls for a public defender’s office

Posted on March 16, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

State Sen. Rodney Ellis makes the case for creating a public defender’s office in Harris County. In Harper Lee’s classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the protagonist Atticus Finch embodies what we hope attorneys, our gatekeepers to justice, to be … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Comments Off on Sen. Ellis calls for a public defender’s office

Death of the Internet predicted: Film at 11

Posted on March 16, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

It’s been too long since I’ve seen one of these stories. It kind of takes me back. For months there has been a rising chorus of alarm about the surging growth in the amount of data flying across the Internet. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Comments Off on Death of the Internet predicted: Film at 11

The new fiver

Posted on March 16, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Do you like the color purple? If you do, you’ll probably like the new $5 bill. Abraham Lincoln is getting a little color in his cheeks. New $5 bills bearing the gaunt visage of the nation’s 16th president – but … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on The new fiver

The new DA speaks

Posted on March 15, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Meet the new temporary District Attorney, Kenneth Magidson. “My main purpose in being here today is to address the people of Harris County and tell them that I expect, and this office expects us to uphold their trust and faith … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Comments Off on The new DA speaks

Lykos v. Siegler

Posted on March 15, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not terribly interested in the various charges that Pat Lykos and Kelly Siegler are lobbing at each other, though I do have to tip my hat to whoever’s doing Lykos’ oppo research. They’ve dug up some pretty interesting things, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | Comments Off on Lykos v. Siegler

Rice fires Willis Wilson

Posted on March 15, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I admit this is a surprise. Like many people, I assumed Coach Wilson would get at least one season in the new arena. But that was not to be. MK Bower rips the Owls for the move, and I certainly … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 4 Comments

Phone hate

Posted on March 15, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I confess, I had no idea so many people hated talking on the phone like this. It’s a little weird for me, because much of my professional career has involved phone work – tech support for a software company, followed … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on Phone hate

Friday random ten: Pearland attacks

Posted on March 14, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

No cutesy intro this week. Just the music: 1. Fly Robin Fly – Silver Convention. Amazing how much song you can wring out of the lyrics “Fly, robin, fly, high up to the sky”. 2. Sneaking Sally Through the Alley … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 2 Comments

Canvass report – Voting downballot

Posted on March 14, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I’m taking a look through the precinct-by-precinct canvass data for the Democratic primary in Harris County to see what I can learn. The first thing I wanted to look at was voting in the downballot elections. Did the supporters of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 1 Comment

New penny coming?

Posted on March 14, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Not that it was ever really worth much, but the penny is worth less than it used to be, at least compared to the cost of minting it. The nickel, too. These days, your thoughts are worth 1.7 cents. That’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 3 Comments

Why you shouldn’t spank your kids

Posted on March 14, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Yeesh. Researchers have uncovered another damaging consequence of spanking: risky sexual behaviors, or even sexual deviancy, when the child grows up. “This adds one more harmful side effect to spanking,” said Murray Straus, a spanking expert who was expected to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 4 Comments

Endorsement watch: Cobb goes with Lehmberg

Posted on March 13, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

We have our first endorsement for the Travis County DA runoff: Gary Cobb, the third-place finisher in last week’s Democratic primary for Travis County district attorney, will announce his support of candidate Rosemary Lehmberg today in the April runoff election, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Time to start reviewing the canvass data

Posted on March 13, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

What’s the point of having data if you don’t analyze it? While presidential hopeful Barack Obama handily won last week’s Democratic primary over Hillary Rodham Clinton in Harris County, a review of key precincts exposes a highly polarized electorate in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | Comments Off on Time to start reviewing the canvass data

More on the new interim DA

Posted on March 13, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s today’s version of the story from last night that named assistant U.S. attorney in Houston Kenneth Magidson as the acting DA till a replacement is elected. I’m mostly interested in people’s reactions to him: Bert Graham, who has helmed … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Comments Off on More on the new interim DA

Craddick’s fishing trip

Posted on March 13, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Okay, Postcards and Trail Blazers are blogging about a story that slipped past my attention last year but is back in the news now and which involves Speaker Craddick. Let’s go to Postcards for an initial description: A lawsuit over … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 1 Comment

Abbott-instigated voter fraud cases dismissed

Posted on March 13, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, Attorney General Greg Abbott has spent a lot of time and energy pursuing voter fraud cases, which as part of the push for voter ID legislation he claims are rampant around the state. Unfortunately for Abbott, while … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 1 Comment

Another look at the new Costco

Posted on March 13, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Swamplot has an updated look at the Costco that’s coming to the west end of Greenway Plaza, at Weslayan and Richmond. From the description of the parking lot, I’d say it puts to rest any possible notion that it might … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 6 Comments

Rosenthal’s replacement coming

Posted on March 12, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like we may finally get a replacement DA soon. Gov. Rick Perry hopes to name an interim Harris County district attorney as early as this week, his office confirmed Tuesday, and the man now running the office says he’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Comments Off on Rosenthal’s replacement coming

A look at the Democratic runoffs

Posted on March 12, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Not a whole lot of runoff action this year. There just weren’t that many more-than-two-candidate primaries – having no Democratic-held open-seat State House races was a factor there – and of course the big field Senate race everyone was watching … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | Comments Off on A look at the Democratic runoffs

Will West U follow Highland Park?

Posted on March 12, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Last year the Dallas-area city of Highland Park banned the use of handheld cellphones while driving through school zones. Now the city of West University Place is considering the same thing. Council will consider a draft ordinance at its next … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 3 Comments

Border wall lawsuit ruling

Posted on March 12, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Missed this from last week. After a one-month deliberation, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has issued the most significant decision in the border fence’s short judicial history. In a case against Eloisa Tamez, who owns property along the barrier’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on Border wall lawsuit ruling