Monthly Archives: November 2009

Bradley’s penchant for secrecy

Posted on November 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know what John Bradley’s goals are as the Chair of the Texas Forensic Science Commission. But if one of them is to dispel the notion that he’s Rick Perry’s stooge, who was installed for the purpose of covering … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas blog roundup for the week of November 23

Posted on November 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Now please pass the gravy and the remote, and click on for this week’s blog highlights.

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Schieffer drops out, White (may be but probably is) in for Governor

Posted on November 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard the news that Tom Schieffer has dropped out of the Governor’s race, and that Bill White is considering switching over to it. I’ll add in a bunch of links later, but for now let … Continue reading →

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Early voting locations set for runoff

Posted on November 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Via press release from the County Clerk’s office, some dates to mark on the calendar: IMPORTANT DECEMBER 12, 2009 JOINT RUNOFF ELECTION DATES First Day of Early Voting – Monday, November 30, 2009 Last Day to Apply for Ballot by … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Red light camera amnesty

Posted on November 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Got a red light camera ticket that you haven’t paid? Want to get it taken care of but fear there may be consequences for having waited so long? Well, now’s your chance to do it, as HPD has announced a … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Shapiro running for re-election

Posted on November 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

State Sen. Florence Shapiro was the first Republican to declare her intent to run for the was-supposed-to-be-open Senate seat of Kay Bailey Hutchison. She’s now the first Republican to abandon that pursuit. In the latest fallout from U.S. Sen. Kay … Continue reading →

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Metro and the sales tax

Posted on November 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Metro chair David Wolff would like to see the portion of the sales tax revenue that gets diverted from its coffers to Harris County and the smaller cities go back to Metro. Wolff believes METRO can build significantly more if … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Weekend link dump for November 22

Posted on November 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Have you started defrosting your turkey yet? Avoid black luggage. My grandmother used to travel with a piece of puke-green Samsonite that had the letter K (for Kuffner) plastered on it in lime-green masking tape. No one would ever claim … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For Annise

Posted on November 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As noted yesterday, the Chronicle endorsed Annise Parker for Mayor in the runoff election. With city tax revenues eroded by the continuing recession, the next occupant of the office must be a prudent fiscal manager as well as a leader … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sheriff to try again for new jail facility

Posted on November 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Sheriff Adrian Garcia wants to take another crack at building a new jail facility. As was the case in 2007, when a referendum to float bonds for a new jail was voted down, this too would be voted on by … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

2009 Runoff Candidate Meet and Greet

Posted on November 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Want to meet the candidates who are in the December 12 runoff? Here’s your chance: You are invited to attend … 2009 Runoff Candidate Meet and Greet DECEMBER 3, 2009 – 6:30 PM – The Upper Kirby Building (details below) … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Houston Women Fire Fighters Calendar

Posted on November 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Via Mike McGuff, the women of the Houston Fire Department have gotten in on the calendar-for-charity act, something their make colleagues have been doing for awhile. Here’s what it’s all about. Our mission is to represent the diversity, strength, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Saturday video break: But that trick never works!

Posted on November 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Fifty years ago this week, “Rocky and His Friends” debuted on TV. Thanks to the magic of the internets, we can watch that first ever episode You can see a bunch more here at Hulu. For more on Rocky and … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Second time’s the charm

Posted on November 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Among the runoff elections, only one does not include a candidate that was endorsed by the Chron in the first round. That race is City Council At Large #1, and today the Chron made their choice for the runoff by … Continue reading →

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The reason why those “Bill White for Governor” rumors won’t die

Posted on November 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Shorter Burka: “KBH says in her new TV ad that she’s needed in the Senate. So why is she running for Governor?” It’s a good question. And given that no one knows what KBH will do, it’s the reason why … Continue reading →

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Oh, and avoid Blakemore, too

Posted on November 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We already know why you should stay away from Steven Hotze. But Allen Blakemore is the Horace and Jasper to Hotze’s Cruella de Vil, and the same warning applies to him as well. But don’t take my word for it, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

City goes for electric cars

Posted on November 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This is cool. A deal between the city and Reliant has the electric retailer converting 10 of the city’s new Toyota Prius gasoline-electric hybrids into plug-in vehicles with greater fuel efficiency and the ability to recharge through a standard home … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Has the TEC grown some teeth?

Posted on November 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Well, no. But they do seem to be levying bigger fines, so maybe their gums are a little harder. By every measure, the agency is issuing more — and larger — fines, the records show. “There’s been a shift to … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

He coulda been a contender

Posted on November 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Poor Roy. “I thought we were bullied, personally,” Roy Morales told me this morning. The conservative mayoral candidate was describing a lunch-time meeting he attended Wednesday with Gene Locke’s campaign manager, Christian Archer, at the offices of political consultant Allen … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Friday random ten: To the moon!

Posted on November 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

So, I didn’t get around to the news about NASA finding water on the moon until after I’d published my Friday Random Ten for last week. But the great thing about Fridays is that there’s always another one coming. So … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

More on that KHOU/KUHF poll

Posted on November 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the full polling data for that KHOU/KUHF poll. Of greatest interest to me is the bit where they note that they asked people whether they’d voted in the November election; about 75% of them said Yes. Given that turnout … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Third poll shows Parker leading

Posted on November 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

And we have our first poll from a source other than one of the campaigns, but like those two before it, this one shows Annise Parker in the lead. The poll consisted of 500 telephone interviews with registered Houston voters … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

State sales tax revenues way down

Posted on November 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The 2011 legislative session is going to be so much fun. Sales tax revenues have taken double-digit dives for five months running; in each of those months, the state’s income from those taxes has been more than 10 percent lower … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

You sure you’re married?

Posted on November 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe you are, and maybe you’re not. Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Houston lawyer and Democratic candidate for attorney general, says that a 22-word clause in a 2005 constitutional amendment designed to ban gay marriages erroneously endangers the legal status of … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Who’s your referee?

Posted on November 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t follow high school sports at all, but this Chron story about a battle between the University Interscholastic League (UIL) and the Texas Association of Sports Officials (TASO), about who has control over the officials at high school athletic … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Stay away from Hotze

Posted on November 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The following is a message from HCDP Chair Gerry Birnberg: CANDIDATES – ALL CANDIDATES – STAY CLEAR OF HOTZE Steven Hotze is a hatemonger. For nearly twenty five years he has stoked the flames of bigotry in this community like no other … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Courting the conservative voters

Posted on November 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Conservative voters remain up for grabs in the Mayoral runoff, so both Annise Parker and Gene Locke were out at the Pachyderm Club on Tuesday looking to grab a few of them. I found this bit to be revealing: Parker … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Texas to get Powerball

Posted on November 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Lottery Commission is fixing to bring Powerball to Texas. The commission unanimously voted to publish rules for the game for public comment. If the panel gives final approval to the rules early next year, the first Powerball ticket … Continue reading →

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KBH invokes the power of the Dark Lord

Posted on November 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I just have one thing to say about this: Firing another shot in an endorsement war that is pitting prominent national and state Republicans against each other, gubernatorial candidate Kay Bailey Hutchison landed her most prominent backer to date Tuesday … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Solar power for Houston hits a snag

Posted on November 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Back in September, I noted a deal that the City of Houston was working on with a firm called NRG to build a solar plant that would supply some of the city’s power needs. This deal has apparently hit a … Continue reading →

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Turning Texas blue the hard way

Posted on November 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Obama campaign guru David Plouffe comes for a visit and gives his hope-y vision for Texas as a swing state. [Plouffe] says Texas could soon become a swing state and drastically alter the landscape of state and national politics. To … Continue reading →

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And another hatemonger is heard from

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

It’s almost too depressing to read through this KHOU story about local bigot Dave Wilson and his pathetic attempt to affect the outcome of the Mayor’s race, but it needs to be done. Here’s what I have to say about … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Happy Riemann Hypothesis Day!

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

What did you do to celebrate? Nov. 18, 2009, has been officially declared Riemann Hypothesis Day to celebrate the 150th anniversary of one of the key unsolved problems in pure mathematics. Mathematical events are scheduled across the globe to celebrate … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Shami and Shapleigh

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Farouk Shami will make his entry into the Democratic primary for Governor official tomorrow afternoon at his business’ headquarters in Houston; details are on his website. The Trib gives us a peek behind the curtain. Shami, running as a Democrat, … Continue reading →

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