Monthly Archives: February 2005

Springtime for Lea?

Posted on February 17, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Lea Fastow’s lawyers are asking the judge to cut her sentence short. In a motion made public Wednesday, Mike DeGeurin asked U.S. District Judge David Hittner to vacate her one-year prison term for not reporting personal income from an Enron … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | Comments Off on Springtime for Lea?

SafeClear in the clear

Posted on February 16, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like Senator Whitmire got what he wanted and will drop his push to kill SafeClear. Whitmire said the bill he filed to kill the program still will technically be pending before the Senate, but that he won’t push it … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 3 Comments

Voting rights and wrongs

Posted on February 16, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Greg Moses of the Texas Civil Rights Review has embarked on his study of the original documents in the Heflin electoral challenge. Today he reports on the case of one deposed voter who answered the questions the way they deserved … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | Comments Off on Voting rights and wrongs

The ultimate aphrodisiac

Posted on February 16, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

In the Pink Texas dissects Paul Burka’s list of the “25 Most Powerful Texans” in this month’s Texas Monthly. I think she’s wrong on Ronnie Earle (we’ll see if he gets convictions in the Ellis/Colyandro/RoBold cases; I believe it will … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 1 Comment

These are the suckers that are born every minute

Posted on February 16, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Via Ginger: About four percent of online adults, representing some five million people, have purchased a product or service via spam. I am at a loss for words. Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 5 Comments

Wampum temporarily down

Posted on February 16, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Unfortunately, the fine folks at Wampum were not able to cover the steep bandwidth costs resulting from their annual hosting of the Koufax Awards, and so their site is currently offline. If you want to help them get back up … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Wampum temporarily down

Support for gasoline tax increase

Posted on February 16, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

House Speaker Tom Craddick has thrown his support behind an effort to prevent the state’s gas tax from eroding over time. The tax, last increased in 1991, is a major revenue-raiser for highways and the public schools, but the state … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on Support for gasoline tax increase

Van Os versus Kerry

Posted on February 15, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Via Sam Heldman, I see this assertion from David Van Os: I carried 17 rural counties that Kerry-Edwards lost, and ran ahead of the ticket statewide and in every region. Well, hey, there’s nothing like digging into election return data … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | 3 Comments

No wireless for you!

Posted on February 15, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Adina Levin notes that this omnibus telecom bill authored by Rep. Phil King would, among other things, ban municipalities from providing free wireless Internet service to its residents. (Actually, for all I can tell amidst the strikeouts, underlining, and definition … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 8 Comments

Wanna get involved on toll road issues?

Posted on February 15, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

If you’re concerned about toll road construction and/or speculation about where new toll road construction might someday be and you want to Do Something about it, may I suggest hooking up with the folks of the Citizens Transportation Coalition, whose … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 1 Comment

Museum of Fine Arts hits a gusher

Posted on February 15, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The estate of oil heiress Caroline Wiess Law will be donating upwards of $400 million to Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts. When all of Law’s assets are sold and the legal proceedings conclude, possibly by the end of this year, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 2 Comments

Bankrupt

Posted on February 14, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

All I can say as the odious bankruptcy bill, also known as Everything The Financial Services Industry Ever Wanted In One Convenient Package, wends its way once again towards passage is that I hope no one currently reading this ever … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 6 Comments

Greenberg Traurig settles with Tigua tribe

Posted on February 14, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting development in the Abramoff/Scanlon scandal. A Texas Indian tribe that paid $4.2 million to two Washington consultants for help reopening its casino — while unaware that the same consultants had quietly worked to shut the casino down — has … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 2 Comments

Instant replay in the NCAA

Posted on February 14, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The NCAA has approved a framework for instant replay in football games. College football appears to be embracing instant replay. The NCAA’s Football Rules Committee endorsed expanded use of the concept Wednesday after the Big Ten Conference successfully tested replay … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 3 Comments

We know Houston radio sucks, but how much does it suck?

Posted on February 14, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

My hat is off to John Nova Lomax for spending 24 hours doing nothing but listen to Houston radio in order to try and measure just how much it sucks. The verdict: Other than the pop, country, rock, oldies, 80s, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 16 Comments

January Traffic Report

Posted on February 13, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I bounced back in a big way in January with a smidgeon over 55,000 hits, thanks in large part to a gazillion search engine referrals for Ashley McElhiney. At a guess, I’d say I’d have had a more modest 45,000 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Traffic Reports | 1 Comment

Someone did it to Metro

Posted on February 13, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Turns out that crazy non-standard Metro funding plan could have been accepted by the Federal Transportation Administration if some mysterious someone hadn’t removed a provision in an appropriations bill to make the FTA accept it. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 1 Comment

Randi versus John

Posted on February 13, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Anyone catch “Primetime Live” this past Wednesday, when they did an hourlong story on a so-called “faith healer” in Brazil called “John of God”? You want a non-political example of how our “bad not biased” media (tm, Greg Wythe) fails … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Skepticism | Comments Off on Randi versus John

Ron Mock suspended

Posted on February 12, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Houston’s worst defense attorney, Ron Mock, has been suspended for nearly three years by the State Bar. The 58-year-old former bar owner was placed on probation most recently in February 2004 after state officials found that he had accepted $4,600 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 9 Comments

Taylor still in denial

Posted on February 12, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Let me just say that it’s a good thing I wasn’t eating when I stumbled across Andy Taylor’s op-ed on “voting irregularities” in today’s Chron. It’s as bad, as self-serving, and as disingenuous as you’d expect from Taylor. Greg has … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | 1 Comment

Three! Three years of blogging! Ah ha ha!

Posted on February 12, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Happy three-year blog anniversary to Julia! Here’s to many more. Judging from her updated user icon, I’d say the appropriate way to celebrate would be a nice big plate of cookies. Way to go, Julia! Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Three! Three years of blogging! Ah ha ha!

Open records request filed for Heflin/Vo documents

Posted on February 12, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Civil Rights Review, which contributed several useful articles about the Heflin challenge while it was going on, has filed an Open Records request for the original files of evidence submitted in the case. They’re still interested in pursuing … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | Comments Off on Open records request filed for Heflin/Vo documents

Is this a sign from KBH?

Posted on February 12, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like Senator Hutchison has beefed up her campaign staff. The Republican senator’s spokesman, David Beckwith, would not say what race the new campaign staff is preparing for. “Whatever she runs for in 2006, it’s time to start assembling the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 2 Comments

Interview with Chris Bell

Posted on February 11, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The Daily DeLay has an interview with former Congressman and potential Democratic candidate for Governor Chris Bell. How far will a reform-oriented campaign go in 2006? I don’t know, but I’m sure ready to give it a try. Check it … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Interview with Chris Bell

TiVo alert – “Welcome to North Korea”

Posted on February 11, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Those of you with TiVos and either Cinemax or DirecTV should take a moment to program your system to catch the showing of the documentary Welcome to North Korea, which according to this TiVo Community thread will be Sunday, February … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | 1 Comment

Now that’s what I call filth!

Posted on February 11, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

You know, nothing says “Pop culture is filth” to me quite like John Derbyshire’s face on your breast. What woman could resist that? Thanks (I think) to Jack for the tip. Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | 1 Comment

Koufax Award finalists

Posted on February 11, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

They’ve narrowed things down to eight finalists per category in the Koufax Awards at Wampum, so hustle over and help pick the ultimate winners. If you thought the choices were hard before, they’re even harder now. The good news is, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Koufax Award finalists

Denny backs away

Posted on February 11, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman slams State Rep. Mary Denny (R, Aubrey) for filing “one of the worst pieces of legislation in recent memory in an effort to protect themselves from criminal prosecution for election law violations.” She must have gotten some flack … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 1 Comment

Freight train relocation

Posted on February 11, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been pretty critical of TxDOT lately, so it’s nice to be able to single them out for doing something that makes a lot of sense. Texas transportation officials want $100 million a year to relocate railroad lines that clog … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 2 Comments

Veselka and Taylor

Posted on February 11, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Kristen Mack writes about Larry Veselka and Andy Taylor, the two lawyers involved in the Heflin challenge and notes that for their roles – Taylor for taking up “a cause that made some Republicans uneasy”, and Veselka for winning – … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | Comments Off on Veselka and Taylor

More on Metro’s rejection by the FTA

Posted on February 10, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Yesterday, I suggested that the Federal Transportation Administration’s rejection of Metro’s application for federal matching funds might have had Tom DeLay and John Culberson’s involvement. Today’s story doesn’t exactly disprove that hypothesis. “It really is a shame Metro continues to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 2 Comments

Hot Town, Cool City up and running

Posted on February 10, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I previously mentioned the two-part project Hot Town, Cool City – it’s a documentary film and a website with reader-input information about cool things to see and do in Houston. At the time, the HTCC website was not yet ready, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Hot Town, Cool City up and running

First attempt to neuter Ronnie Earle

Posted on February 10, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

A bill has been filed to give the Texas Ethics Commission power to veto any investigation into electoral code violations by district attorneys. Rep. Mary Denny, R–Aubrey, chairwoman of the House Elections Committee, would create an office under the state … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 4 Comments

TTC rumblings in the Lege?

Posted on February 10, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Hmm. There was some pushback on the Trans Texas Corridor in the Senate yesterday. “There’s a lot of dissatisfaction out there among the troops,” Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, told Texas Transportation Commissioner Robert Nichols. “A lot of people who should … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 6 Comments