Monthly Archives: September 2002

Isidore hits Yucatan

Posted on September 22, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Hurricane Isidore, a Category 3 storm, is about to hit the Yucatan peninsula, which is being evacuated as a precaution. No one knows for sure which way this storm will go next, but it could come knocking on our door … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | Comments Off on Isidore hits Yucatan

The curriculum game

Posted on September 22, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

A UT law professor named Brian Leitner has a piece today about how religious conservatives are working to control information in school textbooks. It’s a useful article, though really, anyone who’s lived in Texas for a few years that hasn’t … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 4 Comments

Against the Katy Freeway expansion

Posted on September 22, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Polly Ledvina of the Katy Corridor Coalition gets top billing in the Sunday op-ed section with this piece that argues against the current plan to widen I-10. Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on Against the Katy Freeway expansion

I can dream, can’t I?

Posted on September 22, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron has endorsed Tim Riley, Tom DeLay’s opponent for Congress in the 22nd Congressional District. The Chron, which has generally endorsed DeLay in years past, has finally had enough: […] DeLay has given voters of both parties abundant reasons … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2002 | 1 Comment

Review: The Asylum Street Spankers

Posted on September 21, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I saw the Asylum Street Spankers last night at the Mucky Duck with Steve Patlan and Michael Croft. The show was a release party for their new CD, My Favorite Record, and as an extra added bonus the lineup featured … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 1 Comment

Baseball happenings

Posted on September 20, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Talk Left points to this story which alleges that as many as seven Mets players have used pot regularly during the season. Though Mets management denies that the problem is that widespread, three players have admitted that the story is … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Comments Off on Baseball happenings

The gleam of truth

Posted on September 20, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

If you haven’t already, take a moment to read this Andrew Northrup post on the nature of news reporting and objective truth. It’s well worth your time. Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Comments Off on The gleam of truth

Will they use Robert’s Rules of Order?

Posted on September 20, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Kyle Still and the Angry Clam point me to the case of Katie Sierra and her fight to establish an anarchists’ club at her high school. Reading the Court TV coverage, there’s some interesting questions about free speech and the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | 2 Comments

Judicial confirmation hearings: The saga continues

Posted on September 20, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Some good stuff out there regarding the nomination of Michael McConnell to the Tenth Circuit bench by Matthew Yglesias, Sam Heldman, Jeff Cooper (here and here), and Nathan Newman. It is funny, in a pathetic sort of way, given what … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 2 Comments

Chron bashing goes national

Posted on September 19, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Once again, other writers follow where Off the Kuff leads. Not only does Richard Connelly of the Houston Press take his shot at poor defenseless Fran Blinebury, he even quotes LA Times writer TJ Simers doing the same: After the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | 1 Comment

Cool school

Posted on September 19, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

I’m just going to give in to the fact that I’m in a whimsical mood today and keep posting silly stuff… The noted academic journal Seventeen magazine recently released its list of the Top 100 Coolest Colleges, “where girls can … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 2 Comments

“Survivor: Gilligan’s Island”

Posted on September 19, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

From today’s Chron: If the TV show Survivor has conveyed one clear message to viewers, it’s that people are dispensable. When someone gets on your nerves, simply vote him off “the island.” If only the original stranded castaways had such … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | 1 Comment

National Talk Like A Pirate Day

Posted on September 19, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Today is National Talk Like A Pirate Day. Too bad we don’t have a staff meeting, this could have come in handy. You can also find out your Pirate Name. Here’s mine: Captain James Rackham Even though there’s no legal … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | 7 Comments

WarLiberal milestone

Posted on September 19, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Congrats to Mac Thomason for his 50,000th visitor. He’s earned every one of them. Here’s to your next 50,000, Mac. As for me, between the old Blogspot site and this one, I’ve passed 25,000 and am on my way to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on WarLiberal milestone

Chron poll shows Perry ahead

Posted on September 19, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The top headline in today’s Chron is for this story, which shows Governor Goodhair holding a nine-point lead in the polls over Tony Sanchez. The other statewide races are all seen as closer. Before I go into the details, let … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2002 | 2 Comments

Um, try the neighbors…

Posted on September 19, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Today’s weird Google search: “naked women in alamaba”. Hey, Mac, can you help this guy? Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | 1 Comment

The wild card

Posted on September 18, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

King Kaufman makes the standard complaint about how the wild card in baseball has ruined what would have been a great pennant race between the A’s and Angels. The wild card strikes again. In the wild-card era, which began in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 5 Comments

Kirk backs down

Posted on September 18, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Democratic Senate candidate Ron Kirk has backed away from his prior statement that GOP candidate John Cornyn wouldn’t be so gung-ho for war in Iraq if the soldiers involved were children of privilege. In a written statement, Kirk sought to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2002 | Comments Off on Kirk backs down

Lawsuit filed to halt I-10 widening

Posted on September 18, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The Katy Corridor Coalition has filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop the proposed expansion of I-10 on the west side of town. The suit alleges that concerns about pollution, noise, flood abatement, and property losses haven’t been adequately … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 2 Comments

New blogs

Posted on September 18, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Some new blogs added to my blogroll recently: Ungodly Politics Raving Atheist Alas, a blog, who among other things knows his stuff about comic strips. Dawn Olsen William Burton, whose post on atonement I linked to yesterday. TalkLeft Serenity Quest … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on New blogs

Nolan and Sharp Express

Posted on September 17, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

In the comments to my recent entry about the Lite Guv race, Greg points me to the Nolan and Sharp Express, which demonstrates quite clearly that regardless of what may be on the list of those who’ve endorsed John Sharp, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2002 | Comments Off on Nolan and Sharp Express

Are you ready for some Buffy?

Posted on September 17, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

One week till the premier of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the accompanying Buffy Blog Burst. I’m so ready. Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Comments Off on Are you ready for some Buffy?

Army to relocate command center to Texas

Posted on September 17, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

From today’s Chron: SAN ANTONIO – After months of internal debate at the Pentagon and in Congress, the U.S. Army has decided to downsize and relocate its Southern Command from Puerto Rico to Fort Sam Houston here, officials said Monday. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Comments Off on Army to relocate command center to Texas

Top 10 reasons not to “do” Iraq

Posted on September 17, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Those pinko liberals at the Cato Institute give ten reasons why invading Iraq is a bad idea. Does Jim Henley know about this? Via Tim Dunlop, who’s been all over the weapons inspections point/counterpoint. Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | Comments Off on Top 10 reasons not to “do” Iraq

Cornyn continues attack on Kirk

Posted on September 17, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Looking to attack Ron Kirk in his home base of Dallas, the campaign for John Cornyn has started airing attack ads. From the description in this Chron article, it appears it’s the same ad we’ve already seen here in Houston. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2002 | Comments Off on Cornyn continues attack on Kirk

Bigger fish still ahead

Posted on September 17, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The feds’ investigation of Enron Broadband Services is a hint that former CEOs Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling are firmly in their crosshairs: EBS is only one part of the multifaceted investigation, which includes such areas as improper power trades … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | Comments Off on Bigger fish still ahead

Remembrance and atonement

Posted on September 17, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Ted Barlow was the first blogger that I saw who pointed to this page, which is a memorial to Shiri Negari, a young woman killed by a suicide bomber in June. I confess I didn’t click the link at the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | Comments Off on Remembrance and atonement

You English majors might want to skip this entry

Posted on September 17, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The following sentence appears in a technical document I’m reviewing. Those of you with weak constitutions should avert your eyes: “Upon acceptance of the gap analysis, an automated way of updating the information as well as introducing any new required … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | 2 Comments

My name is Well Enough. Please leave me alone.

Posted on September 16, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Yet another story about how yet another alternative to the good ol’ dollar bill – the gold Sacagawea coin – is a big flop. Counting the Susan B. Anthony coin and the two-dollar bill, that’s three failed attempts to convince … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 4 Comments

Lite guv race remains tight

Posted on September 16, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The race for Lieutenant Governor, which is where the real power resides in Texas, remains a tight one. This article is a fairly standard overview of the race, with a bit more emphasis on Democrat John Sharp. What excited me … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2002 | 2 Comments

World reaction to Bush UN speech

Posted on September 16, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

From In the National Interest, some analysis of how Russia, China, and France reacted to President Bush’s recent speech before the UN. Some good quotes: It remains unclear to us, however, whether the Bush Administration will be prepared to accept … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | 5 Comments

News flash: College students use the Internet

Posted on September 16, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

Hot off the presses! Lots of college students use the Internet on a daily basis! They use it for school-related stuff as well as for slacking off! It’s, like, useful in so many ways! Whoo. I’d better sit down. My … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | 3 Comments

Prairie dog update

Posted on September 15, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Lubbock has approved a plan to relocate prairie dogs from a site used to treat wastewater, and if necessary, to kill those they can’t capture. This settles a dispute which I noted in August. Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Comments Off on Prairie dog update

That didn’t take long

Posted on September 15, 2002 by Charles Kuffner

As expected, GOP Senate candidate John Cornyn fired back at Ron Kirk for suggesting that Cornyn would be less gung-ho about invading Iraq if children of privilege were on the front lines. I’m so surprised. Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2002 | 1 Comment