Monthly Archives: April 2002

Everybody loves lawyers who sue spammers

Posted on April 11, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The San Francisco law firm of Morrison and Foerster, known as MoFo, is suing a spamhaus for violations of California’s antispam laws. In its fight, MoFo is suing a Silicon Valley e-mail marketing firm called Etracks. Mr Jacobs says while … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 2 Comments

A pessimistic view

Posted on April 10, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Jonathan Gewirtz posts a note from a friend of his who has a decidedly pessimistic view of how things have gone so far in Afghanistan. I don’t know if he’s right or wrong – let me rephrase that, I sure … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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A twisted mind is a terrible thing to waste

Posted on April 10, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

If you were disgusted by the sicko anti-Semitic cartoons in the Arab News that Little Green Footballs linked to recently but didn’t know how to respond, take a peek at File13 and see how a pro handles it. Really, you … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Comments Off on A twisted mind is a terrible thing to waste

A real high school civics lesson

Posted on April 10, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The ongoing saga of who really won the Texas Academic Decathlon ended yesterday when the state Supreme Court told the lower courts to butt out, thus denying Pasadena Dobie a chance to challenge victorious Lubbock. Apparently, at the state match … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Comments Off on A real high school civics lesson

Survey says

Posted on April 10, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Last night I had the rather amusing experience of being called by a pollster. The young woman on the other end of the phone said she was calling on behalf of “Luntz Research”. “Frank Luntz?” I said. “The Republican pollster?” … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on Survey says

Everybody loves the French

Posted on April 10, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

This morning a coworker told me a story from his visit to one of our Dutch offices last week. The hotel he was at had a little nine-hole par-three golf course on it, with a bar next to it. He … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | Comments Off on Everybody loves the French

Why we blog

Posted on April 10, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Forget all that navel-gazing crap. The real reason we blog is for the sheer thrill of discovering that you are the #2 result on Google for Green karaoke singing aliens. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Why we blog

Kirk wins runoff

Posted on April 9, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

It’s official, Ron Kirk has defeated Victor Morales for the Senate nomination. It will be interesting to see how he does against John Cornyn this November. Are you paying attention, Jason Zengerle? Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2002 | Comments Off on Kirk wins runoff

Speaking too soon about speaking too soon

Posted on April 9, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The still permalinkless Mickey Kaus takes a poke at Rick Berke for this article in which Berke says that Enron will be a big political issue for the Democrats. Snarks Kaus: Does anyone, from the distant historical vantage point of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | Comments Off on Speaking too soon about speaking too soon

Land use restrictions and cheap housing

Posted on April 9, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Virginia Postrel has a recent column in the NYT about how a lack of land use restrictions leads to cheaper housing. I live in the capital of cheap and easy land, so I won’t dispute the notion that making it … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 2 Comments

Civic whining

Posted on April 9, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Via Kyle Still comes this request by Scott Rubush for tips on how to get out of jury duty. I have to say, I have no patience for this kind of whining. Whatever complaints one may have about our justice … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 4 Comments

Voting today

Posted on April 9, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Today’s runoff day, when we finally see who gets the Democratic nomination to oppose John Cornyn for the Senate seat that Phil Gramm is vacating. Once again there are some problems with missing officials at polling places around Houston, on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2002 | Comments Off on Voting today

Sympathy for the devil

Posted on April 8, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

So former Enron executives are getting sued left and right by defrauded stockholders. They’re likely going to lose many of these lawsuits. Do you feel a bit sorry for them because they could lose their homes and fortunes? Please. This … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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No mystery to me

Posted on April 8, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The editorial writers at the Chron can’t seem to understand why the Sacagawea dollar coin has been a flop, much like the Susan B. Anthony coin was years ago. It’s no mystery to me, y’all. Why carry heavy coins in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on No mystery to me

Dark skies at night

Posted on April 8, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Guess I’m blogrolling this morning…From War Liberal comes this story about a group of scientists in Arizona who are campaigning for laws to help keep the skies dark at night. Excess light from the city of Tucson is playing havoc … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Comments Off on Dark skies at night

How an engineer photographs America

Posted on April 8, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Via Mark Evanier comes this excellent link about Matt Frondorf, an engineer who drove from New York City to San Francisco with a camera facing out the passenger-side window. He connected the odometer to the shutter release so that the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Comments Off on How an engineer photographs America

More Norah-bashing

Posted on April 8, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

To further demonstrate that Norah Vincent had no idea what she was talking about when she claimed that “nearly every big-city newspaper in the country” serves up a “bowdlerized opus of [left-wing] ideals” on a daily basis, we have this … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Comments Off on More Norah-bashing

House update

Posted on April 7, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

We’re eight days away from closing. We expect to take possession two days early, on Saturday the 13th, so we can move in. Our buyer is selling his house to someone who’s selling theirs, so there’s a four-link daisy chain … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | Comments Off on House update

Why your vote counts, part 691

Posted on April 7, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Two articles in today’s Chron which serve to remind us why we bother to vote. The first is about the runoff in the Democratic primary for Senate between Ron Kirk and Victor Morales. Both candidates are out trying to get … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2002 | Comments Off on Why your vote counts, part 691

Preserving sprituals

Posted on April 6, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

An interesting article about a professor at Texas Southern University and his quest to transcribe and preserve sprituals. I had no idea that Antonin Dvorak played a role in the history of this music. Check it out. Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on Preserving sprituals

Give blood

Posted on April 6, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Blood banks are going to have a tougher time getting donors as new rules prohibit donations from people who have spent enough time in Europe and particularly the UK and thus are at risk of Creutzfeld-Jakob disease. In Houston, where … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on Give blood

No comment

Posted on April 6, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Well, I dithered too long. YACCS is no longer taking new signups, so I can’t use them to implement comments. Rats! Once the move is over, I’m going to take a long, hard look at Movable Type, which has a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on No comment

Senate skirmish

Posted on April 5, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Ron Kirk and Victor Morales traded barbs in a debate yesterday as early voting in the runoff ends today. Here’s one opinion that Morales is in for a tougher time than 1996. I sure wish I knew what the score … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2002 | Comments Off on Senate skirmish

Another datum in the immigration debate

Posted on April 5, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

A large number of the construction workers rebuilding the Pentagon are Hispanic immigrants. Just something to bear in mind when the subject comes up. Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on Another datum in the immigration debate

Austin Bay

Posted on April 5, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Austin Bay has an interesting thought in an op-ed piece in today’s Chron. He notes the payouts to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers as well as the counterfeiting equipment that the IDF found, and asks the obvious question: Of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | Comments Off on Austin Bay

Link love

Posted on April 5, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I just noticed that I’ve been added to Jay Zilber‘s Legion of Essential Pets. Thanks, Jay! As long as I’m not Scrappy Doo, I’ll take this as an honor. Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Comments Off on Link love

Bush’s split personality

Posted on April 5, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Lawrence Kaplan in The New Republic writes about the limits of America to influence events in the Mideast. One of the reasons for this is the fact that our current policy is contradictory. But the principal reason the Bush administration … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Comments Off on Bush’s split personality

That Norah Vincent column

Posted on April 5, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Kathy Kinsley and InstaPundit praise Norah Vincent and her column about blogging for “getting it right”. Maybe Vincent has actually read a few blogs, but I have to ask: What universe does she live in where the Left’s “bowdlerized opus … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Comments Off on That Norah Vincent column

American idealism vs American exceptionalism

Posted on April 5, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

An interesting essay by Owen Harries, an Australian scholar who seems to have a pretty good grasp of what America is and what it’s about. His conclusion is a bit sobering: Let me be clear: After the outrage of September … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The Speedy Gonzales flap

Posted on April 5, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Mark Evanier weighs in with his opinion on the Speedy Gonzales/Cartoon Network brouhaha. (Scroll down, he only has one permalink per day it seems.) There’s a bit more here than just a squeamish network caving in to Political Correctness, so … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Kissin’ Cousins

Posted on April 5, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Chron headline: Study OKs Cousins Having Kids. Sometimes, it’s just too easy, y’know? I’m pretty sure I heard the writers at The Tonight Show cheer this morning. Let’s move on. No, wait. As is so often the case, Gary Farber … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on Kissin’ Cousins

Statewide property tax proposed

Posted on April 5, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Lt. Governor Bill Ratliff has proposed a statewide property tax of $1.40 per $100 of a property’s assessed value, which would then be distributed to districts on a per-pupil basis. The idea is to try to do something about the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The life of Reilly

Posted on April 5, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly makes his case that the NBA and the NCAA would both be better off if more star basketball players would stick around through their senior seasons. He makes a good point, but goes more than … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Comments Off on The life of Reilly

Dissing Kirk

Posted on April 5, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The New Republic has an article about how blacks have had a hard time getting elected to high offices as Democrats lately. It focuses mostly on North Carolina state legislator Dan Blue, who is running an unfunded, unloved underdog campaign … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2002 | Comments Off on Dissing Kirk