Monthly Archives: February 2006

Ciro gaining on Cuellar

Posted on February 28, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not published yet, and I don’t have much time to discuss it now, but Andre Pineda forwarded me a recent poll in CD28 that shows Ciro Rodriguez closing the gap on Henry Cuellar from 45-30 in October to 39-34 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

Hubener loses in HD106

Posted on February 28, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t win ’em all. Republican Kirk England of Grand Prairie won a special election Tuesday to replace state Rep. Ray Allen. England received 2,788 votes, or 53 percent, to 2,438, or 46 percent, for Democrat Katy Hubener in final, unofficial … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

“The most meaningless office” in Harris County

Posted on February 28, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Greg calls this story about the GOP primary for Harris County Treasurer “the race for the most meaningless countywide office”. He’s certainly right about that, and I agree that the story does a decent job of conveying how meaningless the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on “The most meaningless office” in Harris County

Oh dear.

Posted on February 28, 2006 by admin

Granted that sensitivity to nuance has not been a hallmark of the Lieberman campaign thus far, someone at his campaign website really should have thought to ask Mr. Amann (the CT House Speaker) for a different quote. Perhaps they were … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 9 Comments

Turnout for Tom

Posted on February 28, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like Tom DeLay is confident of his chances in the CD22 primary. With one week before the Republican primary in the 22nd Congressional District, the four candidates are setting strategies for how to make the most of the home … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 2 Comments

Bye-bye, bonus ball

Posted on February 28, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The much-maligned bonus ball of the Texas Lottery is officially kaput. Starting in late April, players will choose six numbers between 1 and 54 rather than five numbers between 1 and 44 and one bonus ball from 1 to 44. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Jackpot! | 1 Comment

Time to break out the damage control

Posted on February 28, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

You can give it whatever fancy name you want. I know damage control when I see it. An investigation into payroll padding at City Hall intensified Monday, as Mayor Pro Tem Carol Alvarado spoke for two hours with Houston police … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 8 Comments

Statement from Jim Henley

Posted on February 28, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

With the primary election one week from today, I asked both Democratic candidates in CD07 to send me a statement about why you should vote for them. The following is Jim Henley‘s statement. Democrats have a great opportunity this November! … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Statement from Jim Henley

Statement from David Murff

Posted on February 28, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

With the primary election one week from today, I asked both Democratic candidates in CD07 to send me a statement about why you should vote for them. The following is David Murff‘s statement. I am a practicing attorney here in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Statement from David Murff

Go, Katy!

Posted on February 28, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Today is the day of the HD106 special election. Donna Howard‘s victory in the previous special got everyone’s attention. A win today by Katy Hubener would demonstrate that it was no outlier. If you’re in HD106, make sure you vote. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Go, Katy!

Effa Manley first woman elected to the Hall of Fame

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

And speaking of the Hall of Fame… Effa Manley became the first woman elected to the baseball Hall of Fame when the former Newark Eagles executive was among 17 people from the Negro Leagues and pre-Negro Leagues chosen Monday by … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 1 Comment

Biggio’s case for the Hall of Fame

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

This Sunday article on longtime Astro Craig Biggio briefly discusses his likelihood of getting into the Hall of Fame. Biggio someday will hang up his elbow pads and mucky helmet, but don’t rush him. He’s still in great shape, he’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 1 Comment

Retaliation against TPJ

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Just go read this story about how one of Tom DeLay’s friends got Texas Congressman Sam Johnson to instigate a complaint against Texans for Public Justice with the IRS for its role in exposing DeLay’s financial shenanigans. As Josh Marshall … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on Retaliation against TPJ

Yates plea deal rejected

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Harris County DA has offered a plea to Andrea Yates, but the offer was rejected. Prosecutors have offered Andrea Pia Yates a plea agreement in which she would get a 35-year prison sentence if she pleaded guilty to murder … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 6 Comments

At least they’re covering some primaries

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Today’s Chron has a couple of stories on primary elections that (unlike their pathetic effort from last week) are actually worth reading. First is this piece on the Ciro Rodriguez – Henry Cuellar rematch. Most of it is familiar to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on At least they’re covering some primaries

RIP, Don Knotts

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Don Knotts, known for many roles from Barney Fife to Ralph Furley and much more, passed away over the weekend at the age of 81. Knotts first rose to prominence in the late 1950s, joining Louis Nye and other comedy … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Comments Off on RIP, Don Knotts

Let’s extend the Hurtt Prize

Posted on February 27, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

You may recall from our earlier discussions of HPD Chief Harold Hurtt’s proposal to install surveillance cameras as a crimefighting tool that a fellow who takes civil liberties a bit more seriously created the Hurtt Prize, which is intended to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 1 Comment

Not ricin after all?

Posted on February 26, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever it was they found in the UT dorm, it apparently was not ricin. A University of Texas at Austin student from Pearland was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital Friday night and “tested negative for any toxin” after she discovered … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 5 Comments

Help out a debutant

Posted on February 26, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I got an email the other day from a former Trinity classmate, Stephanie (Greer) Stradley, whose sister Deb runs a cute blog here in Houston called Debutant. Deb has unfortunately run into some bad times. On October 21, 2005, I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 1 Comment

Still more Koufax 2005 nominations

Posted on February 26, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Koufax nominations for 2005 are still coming in. Most of the categories are up, but there’s still a couple to go, and voting will commence once they’ve all been compiled. Meanwhile, the latest additions are: Best Blog Community Best … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Still more Koufax 2005 nominations

Eckels wants lights synched

Posted on February 26, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

County Judge Robert Eckels wants to see more traffic light synchronization. Signals cannot be synchronized in some areas now because signals installed by the county, Texas Department of Transportation and city are often incompatible, he said. Synchronization generally involves setting … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 3 Comments

Carter and DeLay, BFFs

Posted on February 25, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I thought that the recent lovefest for Tom DeLay would generate some campaign material. Mary Beth Harrell is first out of the box with a critique of Carter’s gushing. Carter took time out of his busy schedule to show up … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Carter and DeLay, BFFs

Ricin found at UT

Posted on February 25, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Holy crap. Ricin, a potentially deadly poison, was found in a University of Texas dormitory Thursday by a student who reported the substance to school police officers. The dorm was sanitized, and the substance was sent to a laboratory for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Comments Off on Ricin found at UT

Yates decision Monday

Posted on February 25, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

State District Judge Belinda Hill will rule on Monday whether or not Andrea Yates should be tried again for murder or if the false testimony presented by prosecution witness Park Dietz creates a double jeopardy situation. Dietz testified Friday he … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 3 Comments

Chevron moves across the street downtown

Posted on February 25, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Chevron will be moving some employees into the office building I once worked in downtown, across the street from the former Enron building they bought in 2004. Almost two years after buying the 40-story downtown tower built for Enron, Chevron … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Chevron moves across the street downtown

No injunction in BlackBerry case…yet

Posted on February 24, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Breathe easier, corporate America, your BlackBerries are still good to go, at least for now. U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer said at hearing today in Richmond, Virginia, that he would rule on a shutdown probably after first assessing how … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Comments Off on No injunction in BlackBerry case…yet

Prosecution claims Yates is faking it

Posted on February 24, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

A fellow inmate of Andrea Yates has told prosecutors that Yates gave her advice on faking mental illness. Andrea Yates advised a fellow inmate how to “beat her case, specifically, to act mentally sick or crazy,” according to court documents … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 1 Comment

That’s a lot of office supplies

Posted on February 24, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Mayor Pro Tem office manager implicated in the unauthorized bonuses business had testified to City Council last year that the requested budget increase was for office supplies. Explaining a proposed budget increase for the Houston office of Mayor Pro … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Comments Off on That’s a lot of office supplies

DeLay’s Texas colleagues have his back

Posted on February 24, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Republican Congressional delegation still hearts Tom DeLay. Ten Republican members of the Texas congressional delegation, including a few who owe their jobs to redistricting engineered by U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, came to Houston on Thursday to endorse the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 3 Comments

Environmental issues forum in San Antonio

Posted on February 24, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

From my former history professor Char Miller comes word of a candidate forum on environmental issues on the Trinity campus this Sunday: What: The Texas Environmental Watch Alliance, along with a host of prominent co-sponsors, will host a no-nonsense forum … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 6 Comments

Oral arguments on redistricting next week

Posted on February 24, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments on the Texas redistricting of 2003 on Wednesday, March 1. The Lone Star Project sent out this letter (PDF) yesterday, with an update on where things stand, a timeline, a brief bio … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 2 Comments

Tastes great! Less salty!

Posted on February 24, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve previously confessed my semi-irrational fondness for Campbell’s tomato soup, so reading this makes me happy. Executives at the Campbell Soup Co. have heard the same thing almost since Andy Warhol was making art out of their cans in the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | 1 Comment

Nine-eighty

Posted on February 24, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I was fascinated by the following in this LM Sixel column about Mayor White encouraging local businesses to offer more flexible work schedules as a way of reducing traffic at peak hours. Direct Energy Texas, for example, had to deal … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | 3 Comments

Watch this

Posted on February 23, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been trying to put my finger on what exactly bothered me about this article on the pervasiveness of surveillance cameras and the reaction to HPD Chief Hurtt’s proposal to install more of them for crimefighting purposes, and I think … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 4 Comments