Monthly Archives: February 2002

Evil twin located

Posted on February 18, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

This is really scary. A coworker just pointed me to the Houston Curling Club homepage. If you go to their Snapshots page and click on the photo on the top right, the guy crouching on the lower left is a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Do I get Green Stamps with that?

Posted on February 18, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Received an email today with the subject “Save over 300% on Medication”. Nice to know that Andy Fastow has found something to do in his spare time. Continue reading →

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That Takes Guts Dept.

Posted on February 18, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I work for a large multinational corporation, the kind of place that the anti-globo folks hate. It’s actually a rather progressive place to work, and has a fairly strong record of emphasizing diversity. Today we had a diversity activity in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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More on the annoying pop star/bad movie connection

Posted on February 18, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Duncan Fitzgerald adds a nice coda to my post about how Britney’s movie may be a bad career move. The relationship between movies, music, and (of course) marketing is a complex one. I suppose we should just be grateful if … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Gonna be a busy week…

Posted on February 17, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

We have tickets for two shows at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this week. Monday is Lyle Lovett, and Wednesday is Bob Dylan. (What, you thought it’s only country/western music at the HLSR?) Friday I’m meeting some friends at … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Racial tensions at Texas A&M

Posted on February 17, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Sunday Chron has a longish feature about racial tensions at Texas A&M University. A&M is a unique school. Its students and alumni are zealous about its history and traditions. Sometimes, that zeal and those traditions lead to conflicts with … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!

Posted on February 17, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

From BBC Sport’s Funny Old Game: The question of what exactly Scottish men keep under their kilts has long been a source of titillation and mirth for folk south of the border. Now a team of hardened celtic rowers have … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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House update

Posted on February 16, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

We made a contingency offer on the house we’ve been looking at. T and I spent an hour with our real estate agent initialing and signing a boatload of papers pertaining to this. We made the seller a slightly lowball … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Let’s try this again

Posted on February 16, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Megan misses the point when she responds to my question “why is it a problem if Ivy League professors skew left?” She starts by asking how I’d feel if the shoe was on the other foot: The first is to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Canadians win gold, become bigger than Britney

Posted on February 15, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The IOC has awarded a second gold medal to Jaime Sale and David Pelletier, thus ending the biggest scandal of these Olympics. Canada whoops it up, and Russia pitches a fit. Meanwhile, I’ve been getting a ton of Google hits … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Hypocrisy, liberalism, and considering the source

Posted on February 15, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I’d like to do a little followup on my post from yesterday in which I discussed David Horowitz’s survey which claims to prove that Ivy League professors are more liberal than most Americans. I’ll start by explaining why this claim … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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When pop queens attack

Posted on February 15, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

It’s hard to fully appreciate the horror that is Britney Spears’ new movie Crossroads. I have a really hard time wrapping my mind around this professional virgin pop singer who gets to star in her very own Mary Sue. How … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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What to do about liberal professors?

Posted on February 14, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Megan McArdle has an interesting thread going about a survey commissioned by David Horowitz which claims that professors at Ivy League universities are much more liberal than the American population at large. The thread starts here, with followups here, here, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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My favorite Valentine’s Day story

Posted on February 14, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

My alma mater, Trinity University, featured two all-school semi-formal dances per year, with the spring dance being, appropriately enough, a Valentine’s Day dance. In 1987 during my junior year, my roommate Greg and our suitemates made plans to go to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | 1 Comment

An even better Valentine’s Day story

Posted on February 14, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

An even better Valentine’s Day story can be found here, in this tale of a WTC survivor and his wedding ring. Continue reading →

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The readers write back

Posted on February 14, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I got a reply to this post from Joe Morales, brother of Democratic candidate for US Senate Victor Morales. With his permission, I’m reprinting his note to me: It is not unusual that a lot of people don’t know of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Ash Wednesday

Posted on February 13, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Today is Ash Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras and the first day of Lent. Tiffany traditionally gives up chocolate for Lent. I figure that means that I don’t have to give up anything. I’m going to be living with … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Sherron Watkins to testify before Congress

Posted on February 13, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Enron exec (she’s still with the company) and whistleblower has placed no limits on what questions she’ll answer. Keep quiet, Kenny Boy. It ain’t gonna matter. Meanwhile, the oh-so-poor Lays have sold their cottage in Aspen for $10 million, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Also taking the Fifth

Posted on February 13, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Also taking the Fifth this week was Craig Rosebrough, an alleged leader of the radical Earth Liberation Front. I say “alleged” here because he’s never been directly linked to any of their activities, he’s only ever claimed to be a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Not so fast

Posted on February 13, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The new 55 MPH speed limit signs are continuing to go up, despite the request of the Harris County attorney to suspend implementation. Now we’re waiting on a ruling from the state, which seems to be saying “we can go … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Figure skating scandal

Posted on February 13, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Damian Penny points to the unfolding figure skating scandal in which French and Russian judges collaborated to give the gold to Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze. Justin Slotman also has some good stuff. I don’t watch figure skating, so … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Speaking of inscrutable Olympic sports

Posted on February 13, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Fritz Schranck defends curling, quite possibly the only Olympic sport which can be played by people with beer guts, at least until bridge gets certified. I’m glad you like it, Fritz, but curling strikes me as shuffleboard on ice. On … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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How Enron actually works

Posted on February 12, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Andrew Hofer has explained the concept of derivatives to us non-financial whizzes, but though Hofer’s prose is as lucid as one can be for such a topic, I guarantee that you’ll enjoy Joe Bob Briggs’ explanation of Enron’s business more. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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How government actually works

Posted on February 12, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

On a more serious note, Fritz Schranck gives a good explanation of How Things Get Done In Government. It’s well worth reading, and provides (as Schranck himself mentions at the end) another good argument against term limits. Continue reading →

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A short rant about usability

Posted on February 12, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Dane Carlson, whose weblog is more technical than political, points to this interesting article on website usability. I’m definitely a technical user, so none of the concepts described within were new to me, but it reinforces the notion that many … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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I can’t drive 55

Posted on February 12, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Harris County attorney is asking the TNRCC to reconsider implementing the 55 MPH speed limit, saying that a new study claims it will not achieve its touted air quality improvements. While I’m not surprised to see that an array … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Would you like fries with that?

Posted on February 11, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Got this off a mailing list I’m on: Heinz launches chocolate french fries Beginning in May, H.J. Heinz Co. will ship a new line of Ore-Ida frozen potato products called Funky Fries featuring five new shapes, colors and flavors, all … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Getting Googled

Posted on February 11, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Perusing my referral log (have I mentioned how addicting it is to look at one’s referral log?), I see that a few people have found there way here via Google searches. So far, one person found me via a search … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Rany on the Royals

Posted on February 11, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Rany Jazayerli does a reality check on KC sportswriter Joe Posnanski, who is brimming with optimism about the Royals’ chances in the upcoming season. Rany regularly writes about the foibles of his accursed favorite team, which centers around the fact … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Women who kick butt

Posted on February 10, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Karin rants about Britney and the sad lack of powerful women in rock music nowadays. I hear what you’re saying, but fercryingoutloud, how could you overlook The Pretenders? I wouldn’t bet against Chrissie Hynde in any butt-kicking contest, regardless of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Referrals, we get referrals

Posted on February 10, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

If you’ve come here via the link on Matt Welch’s Warblog, please note that his URL contains a typo, which is why you’re here at the top of the page instead of here, which is where he intended to send … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Governor race update

Posted on February 10, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Governor race update Tony Sanchez appears to have a decent lead over Dan Morales according to the latest poll of Democratic primary voters. Sanchez’s advertising, which I’ve mentioned before, is helping him. Over in the Senate primary, Victor Morales has … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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What I’d like to see at the Olympics

Posted on February 10, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

It’s nearly de rigeur to complain about the coverage of the Olympics. From the extreme glut of Oprahesque stories about athletes conquered obstacles on their way to acheiving the Olympic dream, to “plausibly live” coverage, to too much focus on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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House update

Posted on February 10, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

We’re getting close to making an offer on the house we’ve been looking at. We toured three other houses yesterday, and though one of them was very nice we came away more convinced that we’re not going to find anything … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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