Monthly Archives: May 2008

Macias gives it up

Posted on May 18, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

The day before his scheduled court date, now-former State Rep. Nathan Macias has dropped his lawsuit to overturn the result of the GOP primary in HD73. Macias had sought to overturn his 17-vote defeat to [Edwards Aquifer Authority Chairman Doug] … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | Comments Off on Macias gives it up

Burnam to Craddick: What about Keel?

Posted on May 18, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Lon Burnam wrote a letter (PDF) to House Investigations Chair Larry Phillips in the matter of the so-called “ghost workers” and asked a question: What about Terry Keel? As you know, the House Parliamentarian, Terry Keel, is a “permanent … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Comments Off on Burnam to Craddick: What about Keel?

Update on the new Whole Foods

Posted on May 18, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Swamplot notes an earlier version of the Chron story about the new Whole Foods coming to West Dallas and Waugh, which says that the accompanying residential high rise will be at West Dallas and Montrose. See this photo, which Swamplot … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 1 Comment

“The Electric Company” to ride again

Posted on May 18, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I grew up with The Electric Company – it was one of my favorite shows as a kid. I’ve got the “Best Of” DVD, which I can’t wait to start watching with Olivia and Audrey. So I’m pretty excited to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | 1 Comment

“When Obama Wins”

Posted on May 18, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

When Obama Wins fortune cookies really win end with “in bed”. Among other things. Remember that post on single-serving sites? When Obama Wins is your new bicycle. That is all. Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Comments Off on “When Obama Wins”

The cost of the FLDS case

Posted on May 17, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

It’s always funny how there’s never any money in the budget for some things, while for others the sky is the limit. For example, the polygamist sect raid, for which the costs are mounting every day. Last month’s raid of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 5 Comments

The pill for pigs

Posted on May 17, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Your moment of Science! for the weekend. [T]he population of Texas wild pigs — now topping 2 million — is exploding thanks to high reproductive rates and few natural predators. The Texas AgriLife Extension Service estimates the hogs cause $50 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Border coalition sues Homeland Security over the fence

Posted on May 17, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

The fight over the border fence moves to a new front. Texas mayors and business leaders filed a class-action lawsuit Friday alleging Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff hoodwinked landowners into waiving their property rights for construction of a fence along … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on Border coalition sues Homeland Security over the fence

Bringing the city to the suburbs

Posted on May 17, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Stories like this really amuse me. It’s hard to imagine The Woodlands Waterway as a drainage ditch, but that’s exactly what it was more than 30 years ago. Today, the 1.25-mile linear park and pedestrian/transit corridor is the heart of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 2 Comments

Diet Coke and Mentos: The sequel

Posted on May 17, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

The Domino Effect. Totally awesome. The Academy Awards needs to have a category for this sort of thing. Thanks to Mike McGuff for the link. Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Comments Off on Diet Coke and Mentos: The sequel

Way to be on top of it, Ed

Posted on May 16, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

KTRK’s Ted Oberg advances the ball on the Big Sheriff Is Watching You story. It’s no surprise that when Sheriff Thomas was sued, the county’s lawyers wanted to know who was suing. That’s pretty standard in any lawsuit. To do … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 5 Comments

Business tax turmoil

Posted on May 16, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Not too surprisingly, small businesses are complaining about the new margins tax even though it still hasn’t been officially collected yet. Small businesses launched a fresh push to change the revamped franchise tax Thursday, saying they’re facing huge increases that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Business tax turmoil

Astrodome lease in the works

Posted on May 16, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

We may finally have an agreement for what to do with the Astrodome. Entrepreneurs seeking to reinvent the Astrodome as an upscale convention hotel have reached a proposed lease agreement with the Harris County Sports and Convention Corp., county officials … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 2 Comments

Name one, John!

Posted on May 16, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Seems to me if you’re going to go on the record to condemn a bill for containing pork-barrel provisions, you ought to be able to name at least one such provision in said bill if asked to do so. You … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on Name one, John!

Lose that highway

Posted on May 16, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Imagine if instead of building more highways we got rid of some of them, or at least relocated them. Oklahoma has a radical solution for repairing the state’s busiest highway. Tear it down. Build a park. The aging Crosstown Expressway … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 1 Comment

The Rosenthal investigation

Posted on May 16, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

After being rebuffed by interim DA Ken Magidson on the existence and/or status of an investigation into Chuck Rosenthal’s email activities while he was in office, Rick Casey turns to the feds Attorney General’s office and finds them much more … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 3 Comments

The top ten science hoaxes

Posted on May 16, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Another top ten list, though I don’t feel as strongly about this one’s contents. It feels a bit too oriented towards modern phenomena, as such lists often are, but I’d have to do a little research before I could do … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Comments Off on The top ten science hoaxes

California Supreme Court rules in favor of gay marriage

Posted on May 15, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. The California Supreme Court decided today that same-sex couples should be permitted to wed, ruling that gay unions must be given the “respect and dignity” of marriage. In a 4-3 vote, the court became the first in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

“Crazy ants”

Posted on May 15, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Um, ew? In what sounds like a really low-budget horror film, voracious swarming ants that apparently arrived in Texas aboard a cargo ship are invading homes and yards across the Houston area, shorting out electrical boxes and messing up computers. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 2 Comments

Mincberg calls out Emmett’s ethics task force

Posted on May 15, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Remember this? Amid his election campaign and a wave of ethics controversies in county government, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett christened an ethics task force Wednesday with the aim of placing new restrictions on officials’ on-the-job behavior and relationships with … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 2 Comments

New Whole Foods coming

Posted on May 15, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

It’s to be built near where I used to live, on the last open plot of land in what’s now a pretty dense corridor. Whole Foods Market plans to build a store between downtown and River Oaks as part of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 1 Comment

Robinson versus Peveto, the continuing story

Posted on May 15, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Back in 2006, I blogged about a battle between Pam Robinson, the owner of Walter’s on Washington, and some neighbors – the Pevetos – who apparently don’t like the noise. (She’s had this problem before at a previous location on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Comments Off on Robinson versus Peveto, the continuing story

A brief history of the Pig Stand

Posted on May 15, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

The Observer has a nice story on the history of the Pig Stands, which sadly went into bankruptcy in 2006, thus causing the Houston location on Washington to close. The year was 1921, and America was crazy for bathtub gin, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | 1 Comment

Big Sheriff is watching you

Posted on May 14, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Unbelievable. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged Tuesday that deputies were assigned to watch two brothers who filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the department over their arrest during a 2002 drug raid. Sheriff’s Capt. John Martin said one … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 2 Comments

The city budget for 2009

Posted on May 14, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

The Mayor’s proposed budget for 2009 has something for everyone, which no doubt also means something for everyone to complain about. Mayor Bill White unveiled a record $4 billion budget proposal Tuesday, calling for a sharp increase in spending on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 1 Comment

Plug pulled on Philly wi-fi

Posted on May 14, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Alas. Question: What ever happened to municipal Wi-Fi? Answer: Not much. Unless you want to count Earthlink’s announcement today that it will discontinue its municipal wireless network in Philadelphia, an experiment once touted as a new model of low-cost, public … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Comments Off on Plug pulled on Philly wi-fi

Slow down, you move too fast

Posted on May 14, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I know this will be a shock to everyone who drives in Houston, but so far the high price of gasoline does not appear to be having any effect on how fast people drive. If drivers are slowing down to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 2 Comments

Perry says again that he’s running again

Posted on May 14, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

From last week: For those who didn’t hear — or believe — him the first time, Gov. Perry said again today that he is running for reelection in 2010. He told reporters at a public event in Fredericksburg that he … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Mount Rush Hour revisited

Posted on May 14, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

When I snapped a picture of David Adickes’ latest installation, on I-10 just north of downtown, I assumed (Adickes being a Presidential-sculpture guy and all) that all four of the giant heads on display belonged to US Presidents. I see … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 2 Comments

Times are tough if you work for tips

Posted on May 13, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Yet another story in the Chron about the effect of the bad economy and higher prices on ordinary Americans. Amid a tottering economy, rising inflation, increasing unemployment and a housing market meltdown, waiters, beauticians and pet groomers report that customers … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Comments Off on Times are tough if you work for tips

Obama’s voter registration drive in Texas

Posted on May 13, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

This is encouraging news. In a sign that Democratic frontrunner Barack Obama is not prepared to concede Texas to the Republicans in the fall, his campaign announced an intensive voter registration effort beginning [Saturday] in the state’s four largest media … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 2 Comments

What’s the matter with Dallas suburbs?

Posted on May 13, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Farmers Branch. Irving. Now Carrolton. A newly elected mayor near Dallas says his top priority will be ridding his suburb of illegal immigrants, the same focus that has drawn national attention in a neighboring city. But Ron Branson said Carrollton … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 5 Comments

Twitter

Posted on May 13, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve gone and drunk the Twitter Kool-Aid, so those of you who can’t get enough of me and want to know what sort of thing I consider too trivial to blog about, there you have it. It’s oddly addictive, and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Administrivia | Comments Off on Twitter

Texas blog roundup for the week of May 12

Posted on May 13, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

From the home office in Orlando, Florida, home of the 2008 BlackBerry Wireless Enterprise Symposium, I bring you the best of the Texas Progressive Alliance for the past week. Click on for the goodies. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Texas blog roundup for the week of May 12