Monthly Archives: May 2002

Phillie Phutility

Posted on May 6, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

This column by Rob Neyer explores the long and mostly sorry history of the Philadelphia Phillies. If you think incompetent ownership is a recent phenomenon, you won’t after you’ve read Neyer’s overview. Continue reading →

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Hot-button topics

Posted on May 5, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

And as long as we’re on hot-button topics, let me get this longstanding gripe off my chest. Every now and then, I see a woman make the claim that “if men could get pregnant then abortion would be a sacrament”. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on Hot-button topics

Why diversity is important

Posted on May 5, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been following the dustup about anti-gay remarks at the recent NRA convention with some interest. Ted Barlow has been on InstaPunditWatch throughout (see here, here, and here for full coverage) and documents how Reynolds eventually said the right things … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The downside

Posted on May 5, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The downside of living in the same town as other good bloggers is getting beaten to the punch. Ginger mostly sums up my feelings about the editorials today by George Will and Clay Robison. It’s fair game for John Cornyn … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2002 | Comments Off on The downside

Get well soon, Lady Bird

Posted on May 4, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Lady Bird Johnson is resting comortably after suffering a stroke on Friday. We’re all rooting for your recovery. Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Comments Off on Get well soon, Lady Bird

I fought the law and the law lost

Posted on May 4, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Houston District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal has sent a letter to Harris County Attorney Michael Fleming saying “it will be difficult to prosecute” people who are ticketed for speeding if they demand a jury trial. Under Texas law, motorists who exceed … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Comments Off on I fought the law and the law lost

Inappropriate rebirth

Posted on May 3, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, Moira Breen is back! She’s got a new URL (so update those links) and she’s gone Moveable Typing. And she’s got lil ol’ me as her Blog of the Day, as if you needed extra incentive to pay her … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Inappropriate rebirth

COLIs revisted

Posted on May 3, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Fritz Schranck writes about taxation terminology, and points to this article at More Than Zero about “dead peasant” insurance, also known as Corporate Owned Life Insurance, or COLIs. He talks about their tax benefits for corporations, then tackles the “insurable … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Comments Off on COLIs revisted

Hulk add links!

Posted on May 2, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve added Meryl Yourish and TAPped from The American Prospect to the blog links. Don’t know how I hadn’t discovered Yourish before, but after reading her Stan Lee problem solver, I’m glad I did. I may have to apply that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Speaking of Matt Welch…

Posted on May 2, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, Welch. May 1 has come and gone. When are you gonna put a new banner on your main page? Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Comments Off on Speaking of Matt Welch…

There oughta be a word

Posted on May 2, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

There oughta be a word Jim Treacher’s Bloglossary defines “Instalanche” as “a sudden influx of thousands of hits that threatens to crush your server, brought on by a link from Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit.com”. Well, what about second hand traffic … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Rats!

Posted on May 2, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I’m posting this CNN story because I want to see how many Google hits I can get for saying “remote controlled rats”. Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Comments Off on Rats!

Quality is Job 1, Aussie style

Posted on May 2, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I mean that as a compliment. From a news item forwarded to my inbox: Perth prostitutes were reeling from exhaustion following an influx of United States sailors stressed from a stint in a war zone, a well-known madam said today. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | Comments Off on Quality is Job 1, Aussie style

That Saudi ad campaign

Posted on May 2, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Virginia Postrel, who has a snappy new self portrait up (note to Max Power: Your demand has been met), points to this Happy Fun Pundit post which lauds the cable networks for turning down the Saudi advertising money. While I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | Comments Off on That Saudi ad campaign

Picky, picky

Posted on May 2, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Picky, picky Gary Farber is amused by a Concerned Citizen who writes to tell him that Whitehouse.org isn’t the real Whitehouse. Gary, perhaps you should have gently replied to this reader that of course you know that Whitehouse.com is the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | Comments Off on Picky, picky

It’s a hoax!

Posted on May 2, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Matthew Yglesias points to the scoop on the Alex Michel email. The New York Post’s Page six got a confession from Jonathan Locker, one of the two conspirators: When we reached Locker yesterday, he confessed to making up the exchange. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Skepticism | Comments Off on It’s a hoax!

Um, I think you’re missing the point here…

Posted on May 2, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Today’s Wacky Google Search From The Referral Log: “Debbie Does Dallas Real Audio”. I think we may have found an untapped market. Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | Comments Off on Um, I think you’re missing the point here…

The Bachelor Strikes Back

Posted on May 1, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Alex Rubalcava responds to my objections regarding the provocative email purportedly from Alex Michel of the ABC reality show The Bachelor. He also forwarded me the email he himself had received. I still can’t say for sure that the mail … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Scandal or hoax?

Posted on May 1, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Matthew Yglesias and Glenn Kinen both point to this report by Alex Rubalcava about Alex Michel, the focal point of ABC’s reality show The Bachelor. Rubalcava prints a series of “unconfirmed emails” in which Michel claims that he was pressured … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Skepticism | Comments Off on Scandal or hoax?

We attack, you decide

Posted on May 1, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Rob at Get Donkey! points me to this article by Kristin Tillotson, who had the unfortunate experience of appearing on The O’Reilly Factor as the designated punching bag. Tillotson wrote a column defending the controversial book Harmful to Minors by … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Comments Off on We attack, you decide

Speaking of negative publicity

Posted on May 1, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Chronicle readers give a thumbs-down to Linda Lay’s upscale resale shop idea. Two of them also criticize Houston’s Leading Information Source for giving Linda Lay free publicity on Page 1. It’s gonna be a fun summer, I can just tell. Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | Comments Off on Speaking of negative publicity

Thus endeth the boycott

Posted on May 1, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

You may have heard of Texas Automotive Export, an auto parts shop in Dripping Springs that sent a fax to an Israeli customer saying they will not do business with Israeli citizens and suggesting that they “restrain their military” and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Comments Off on Thus endeth the boycott