Category Archives: Society and cultcha

Green weddings

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Sure, why not? Enter Brandi Dunagan, the owner of Country Sugar Events in San Antonio, a certified green wedding planner with a list of vendors who can line up local produce for the reception, find locally grown flowers, design invitations … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: It’s OK to be Takei

Posted on June 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Ladies and gentlemen, George Takei: I suppose now is as good a time as any to show you this: That was taken at the Houston premier of a slightly bizarre, very cheesy, and mostly fun sci-fi western called Oblivion, at … Continue reading →

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Do people really still not understand the concept of “work” email?

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I marveled at this story from last week, which could easily have been from a 1996 archive. An administrator at St. Philip’s College resigned after an internal investigation found she violated the school’s email policy by sending hundreds of nonwork-related … Continue reading →

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“Don’t call me, I won’t call you”

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Does anybody use the phone any more? In the last five years, full-fledged adults have seemingly given up the telephone — land line, mobile, voice mail and all. According to Nielsen Media, even on cellphones, voice spending has been trending … Continue reading →

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It’s going to be a misogynistic year

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It already has been, unfortunately. Here’s Gail Collins on the recent efforts by some right wing activists who are targeting Planned Parenthood: The people trying to put Planned Parenthood out of business do not seem concerned about what would happen … Continue reading →

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RIP, RSVP?

Posted on December 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’m always amused by stories like this. From casual get-togethers to catered affairs, the once-common act of replying to invitations has become an often lost and much lamented cause. Parenting and bridal blogs seethe with tales of tracking down invitees … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: We Three Kings are totally on Twitter

Posted on December 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

If the Christmas story were happening today, this is how it might go down: Thanks to Harold for finding this.

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No more White Pages

Posted on November 20, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This is long overdue. You won’t be getting the residential White Pages in February, and if recent evidence is any guide, you won’t miss the annual thud on the doorstep. AT&T, the nation’s largest distributor of the telephone directories, has … Continue reading →

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When do you get a cell phone for your kid?

Posted on September 6, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From the Department Of Things We’ll Be Dealing With Sooner Than We Think, Whether We’re Ready For Them Or Not, the “when should we get our kids a cellphone?” question. S. Craig Watkins, author of The Young and the Digital … Continue reading →

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Nightly News Update: One Last Time

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Greg Wythe

Kuff will be return soon enough after camping out with Sasquatch, Jason Voorhees, and the wild Basselope of Bloom County. If he were here, these might be things he’d be tempted to remark on. Since he’s not, here’s me running … Continue reading →

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Nightly News Update: Monday Edition

Posted on July 12, 2010 by Greg Wythe

More up-to-date linkage while Kuff sings Kumbaya in the wood goes on a snipe hunt. » Chron: Kids’ failure is adult’s ‘success’ (Rick Casey) Maybe it’s just me, but the immediacy of this column seems a bit like an afterthought … Continue reading →

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How about a plastic bag tax?

Posted on April 4, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

A number of cities have adopted or considered adding a small tax to plastic bags as a means to raise a little money and cut down on landfill waste. Kevin Drum notes the experience of the Washington, DC nickel-per-bag tax, … Continue reading →

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The Wizard of Pawz

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From the Inbox: Wizard of Pawz Houston Humane Society’s 29th Annual K-9 Fun Run & Walk HOUSTON, TX (March 10, 2010) – The 29th Annual Houston Humane Society K-9 Fun Run & Walk will take place Sunday, March 28 at Sam Houston Park, 100 … Continue reading →

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Abbott sues to protect the sanctity of divorce

Posted on February 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Now hear this: All you people out there who got yourselves gay married, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott wants to make sure you stay gay married. Attorney General Greg Abbott is trying to halt the divorce of two women in … Continue reading →

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A tip of the hat

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’m much more connected to the political world in this town than I am to the arts, though I do try to keep up with what’s going on. I was therefore delighted to pick up this week’s Houston Press and … Continue reading →

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Let’s not talk about sex

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Sometimes all you can do is marvel. A Hitchcock school board member’s discussion about sex with a class of middle-school girls led the district to issue an apology and on Monday to offer counseling for girls in the class, a … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Happy Halloween!

Posted on October 31, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I have two words for you: Pumpkin cannon. Some people look at something like that and wonder why anyone would want to do such a thing. Others wonder why anyone wouldn’t want to. I’m just wondering if they really know … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Happy Diwali!

Posted on October 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We’re going to a Diwali celebration this evening. What is Diwali? you ask. Well, you can read the Wikipedia entry, or you can watch this short animated origin story: Happy Diwali, y’all.

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You kids today, you don’t know what it was like

Posted on August 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

And that’s a pretty good thing, as evidenced by GeekDad’s list of 100 things your kids may never know about – things like typewriters, relying on the evening news for all your sports highlights (am I the only one who … Continue reading →

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Use your cell phone, pay a fine

Posted on July 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Attention, school kids: Using your cellphone during school hours can cost you. Cell phones are generating some serious cash for Texas school districts. It’s all because of students being fined for texting or chatting in the classroom. The Texas education … Continue reading →

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Pride

Posted on June 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

So yesterday was the annual Pride parade in Houston. It was greeted by this sweet article in the lifestyle section. Today’s Pride Festival will celebrate the diversity of the Houston area’s thriving gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. That diversity … Continue reading →

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Comics criticism

Posted on May 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting article about the interplay between comic strip writers and the online community that blogs about/obsesses over/critiques them. One interesting bit: “People tend to react more to complain than to compliment,” agreed Francesco Marciuliano, the writer for Sally Forth. Marciuliano … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 2 Comments

Comics criticism

Posted on May 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting article about the interplay between comic strip writers and the online community that blogs about/obsesses over/critiques them. One interesting bit: “People tend to react more to complain than to compliment,” agreed Francesco Marciuliano, the writer for Sally Forth. Marciuliano … Continue reading →

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Gay rights support in Houston

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. [A]ccording to the latest Houston Area Survey, fewer than half of Harris County residents believe homosexuality is morally wrong, 61 percent believe it’s an innate characteristic rather than a lifestyle choice, and 43 percent believe gay marriages should … Continue reading →

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Gay rights support in Houston

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. [A]ccording to the latest Houston Area Survey, fewer than half of Harris County residents believe homosexuality is morally wrong, 61 percent believe it’s an innate characteristic rather than a lifestyle choice, and 43 percent believe gay marriages should … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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I’m gonna save me some daylight

Posted on March 8, 2009 by Greg Wythe

I just want to say that I love daylight saving time. I love having more sunlight hours after work, when we can all use them. Double daylight saving time might be a bit much for me, but if we kept … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 5 Comments

I’m gonna save me some daylight

Posted on March 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I just want to say that I love daylight saving time. I love having more sunlight hours after work, when we can all use them. Double daylight saving time might be a bit much for me, but if we kept … Continue reading →

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From the “As if you didn’t have enough things to worry about” department

Posted on March 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Your house may have once been a meth lab. Experts say meth contamination of apartments, hotel rooms, houses, storage sheds and even cars is more common than people may imagine. Meth-making or heavy use can leave chemicals in carpets, air … Continue reading →

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From the “As if you didn’t have enough things to worry about” department

Posted on March 1, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Your house may have once been a meth lab. Experts say meth contamination of apartments, hotel rooms, houses, storage sheds and even cars is more common than people may imagine. Meth-making or heavy use can leave chemicals in carpets, air … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The sad state of sex education in Texas

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We do a really lousy job of it. In sex education classes, 94 percent of Texas school districts teach that abstaining from sex is the only healthy option for unmarried couples, and, in many cases, students are given misleading and … Continue reading →

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The sad state of sex education in Texas

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Greg Wythe

We do a really lousy job of it. In sex education classes, 94 percent of Texas school districts teach that abstaining from sex is the only healthy option for unmarried couples, and, in many cases, students are given misleading and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha, That's our Lege | 3 Comments

On rudeness

Posted on February 13, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

John has a thoughtful post on the nature of rudeness and how he’s recently learned to deal with it. It’s good stuff, especially the bit on driving behavior. Check it out.

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On rudeness

Posted on February 13, 2009 by Greg Wythe

John has a thoughtful post on the nature of rudeness and how he’s recently learned to deal with it. It’s good stuff, especially the bit on driving behavior. Check it out. Continue reading →

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More on lowering the drinking age

Posted on February 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve blogged before about the Amethyst Initiative, and the arguments for and against their efforts to lower the minimum legal drinking age from 21 to 18 to combat what they call “a culture of dangerous binge drinking” on college campuses. … Continue reading →

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