A very, VERY low bar for offensive...

Too low if you ask me...

[Nicki Britton, BabySteps, Chron.com blogs]

It's not that I don't love stuff. I love stuff. A lot. Our house is filled with stuff. But 1. I just prefer stuff that is original. Stuff with a little patina of age. Stuff that someone else may have overlooked, or thrown out, or snubbed. I love stuff but not stuff for stuff's sake. 2. We've (knock wood) been blessed to have been mostly unburdened by the recent downturn in fortunes that have caused national anxiety. Pop and I are both still gainfully employed. It turns out we never cared much for "new stuff," but is this really the time to profess a blatant love for new stuff? Between daycare and diapers (which are still a daily reality), there's little need for stuff for stuff's sake.

(snip)

So I refuse to feed it. Especially now, when she's two. She has her teen years to demand stuff and her out-of-the-house years to make personal decisions about stuff. Damned if I'll start now by getting her hooked on the Disney princess line.

And I hate — HATE — this t-shirt.

This is the T-shirt in question btw:



Really? You find THAT offensive?

I find the "Slavery Gets Shit Done" T-shirts offensive. (A t-shirt that I saw someone wearing at the Texas Renaissance Festival BTW.) Maybe we're running on some new-age, alternate definition of "offensive" to which I'm presently unaware? Or maybe, just maybe, you don't like the T-shirt but don't have the emotional self-awareness to be able to discern between "dislike" (a totally acceptable response to this t-shirt) and "offended" (a totally inappropriate response)?


Yeah, its probably the second one.

Sheesh.

All Hallow's Eve (Tomorrow!)

Something from the days of my generation's misspent youth:




Also, my birthday. I will be out playing golf and enjoying oat sodas. Therefore blogging is canceled in light of other, more interesting, pursuits.


Everyone be safe, give out good candy, and enjoy your weekend.

Things that would really help the little guy.

1. Toughen usury laws and regulations on credit card companies. - Too often we hear about some poor person being issued a credit card at an APR of 30%, going bankrupt, and the card-issuing company just throws up their hands and cries ignorance. Except that, by charging such a high rate for credit, they probably already knew there was a huge risk of repayment. Under a balanced credit system, tightly regulated, these kinds of things wouldn't happen. Caps on credit card rates should be mandatory, and they should be relatively low. If a person doesn't qualify for a card under the new rates, then they shouldn't have a card.

2. Restrictions on credit card mailers. - High school kids with no job history are routinely getting credit card applications via the mail. Credit card companies are tying themselves to College ID cards, and family pets have been known, from time to time, to get applications in the mail. All of this needs to stop.

3. Disclosure reform and regulation of "emergency" pay day loans - They have a huge lobby, but "emergency lending" institutions such providing check-cashing services and pay day loans are probably doing more harm than good. Not only are they a financial conduit for illegal immigrants, but they also prey on the poor with interest rates that would be usury in a sane system, and an obscure disclosure system that masks the fact APR's are actual close to 300% in some cases.

4. Eliminate the tax on early withdrawals on 401K. Let people use their equity in their 401K to pay down debt if need be. If, that is, they have a decent cash position to do so. You won't see a rash of rich folks running out to do this, but it might be the key to saving the home of someone who purchased more home than they can afford, and they could do it with very little cost to taxpayers who WERE financially responsible. Yes, those people might have to work longer before they retire, such is the price of making bad financial decisions.

5. Regulate and control bank fee structures. - "Late" fees, "over the limit" fees and other fees are way out of kilter. Plus, it's difficult to dispute them due to the bank's having no desire to forgive them. What was once $5, has now risen to $50.00 in some case. Often the trigger for a late fee can be due to pennies, not hundreds of dollars, and imposing continual late fees (on each late transaction for example) puts the account holder in a position from which they have trouble rebounding. Banks that took the Federal bailout money need to make concessions and accept limits on their fee structures. Such is the price of accepting the largesse of the taxpayer. Besides, these fees hit the poor hardest, because they are the ones that live "paycheck to paycheck" more so than anyone else.


I'm typically not one to say the Government should reach in and control our lives. However, the fact is that the business decisions of banks and financial institutions have made a royal mess of the current economy and they need to be nudged to change. Ignorance of usury laws and allowing businesses to issue predatory loans with onorous conditions are only making the issue worse than it has to be. There was a time when a bank would be ran out of business for charging a 15% interest rate in America, now we consider that low.

What happened?


Instead of "raising taxes" on the rich and "redistributing wealth", lets first try to remove some of the barriers that financial institutions are placing on the poor to get out of trouble, reduce credit availability and learn to live within our means, and stop letting people do things that we know to be wrong.

Houston Asides (10/30/08)

The "wife's birthday" edition....

Poll: Harris County residents express confidence in economy. [Purva Patel, Chron.com] - An economy not feeling the full brunt of the recession due to the energy industry. The same industry certain politicians and their supporters want to decimate.

Early Harris County voting rises to over half-million. [Chron.com] - Fun stat: 1/2 of all voters only voted once and the other 1/2 had their votes "switched" by the e-slate machines.

Poll finds 23% of Texans think Obama is a Muslim. [Richard Dunham, Chron.com] - The other 77% think he's either the Messiah or the Anti-Christ. No big deal.

TSU Professor accused of plagiarizing grant application. [Jeannie Kever, Chron.com] - The Chron screaming about plagiarism is akin to Tom Delay screaming about ethics.

Battling Coordinated Republican Voter Suppression. [Gimme Some Truth, Chron.commons] - Step one: Make up a bunch of false justifications for your side. Step Two: Offer up lawsuits (which are an integral part of the electoral process) as "proof of case" that the other side is mass suppressing your side's vote. Step Three: Run YouTube video as "proof" voting machines can be hacked. Step four: Call other Party names like "un-American" and accuse them of "attacking the Constitution, you know, the same things you berate them for when they do it to you. Nice job.

State Aircraft fleet runs in the red. [Peggy Fikac, Chron.com] - Yup, the answer to all our problems are MORE of the Government programs we like to criticize. Except when OUR chosen party is milking off the teat that is.

Surgery on leg goes well for UH reciever Edwards [Michael Murphy, Chron.com] - No word on whether the band equipment manager has had their full fronal labotomy as of yet.

Texans, Schaub hope to find success on road [Megan Manfull, Chron.com] - Tough, hard-hitting sports journalism....oh wait, I'm sorry. Fluff and dreck. My bad.


Happy Birthday Linda!

The Crow Household, 7:32 PM. 10/29/08

Phone Rings

Me: Hello?

Cursed Robo-caller: Hello Linda, this is Sandy Cornyn.

Me: I'm not Linda

Cursed Robo-caller: John and I would like to thank you for voting for John Cornyn during the Republican Primary.

Me: I'm not Linda you stupid computer, and we didn't vote for Cornyn in the Primary.

Cursed Robo-caller: We look forward to your continued support during the general election.

Me: We're not supporting Cornyn.

Cursed Robo caller: It's not too late to donate....

*Click*


7:34 PM

Phone Rings

Me: Hello?

Cursed Robo Caller: Hello Friends this is Dan Patrick...


*Click*



I hate robo-calls.

All Hallow's Eve (1 day out)

Not including today and the day...




The "ending" of Halloween III, possibly the most hated REALLY good sequel ever. Would've been horror classic had they just titled it "Season of the Witch".

Rapid Eye Movement

Obama Infomercial: Smart or Overrill? [Jeanne Cummings, Politico via Yahoo!] - More importantly, if you watch a 30 minute infomercial for a Presidential candidate then you have some serious personality issues you need to examine. It's hard to believe that our future President could be taking sales lessons from Billy Mays.

Fed cuts key interest rate 1/2 point. [Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics writer via Yahoo! News] - Pretty soon they'll be giving money away, like the rest of the Government oddly enough.

College Tuition and Fees rise 6.4% [WSJ] - It's good to see the institutions that employ the economists encouraging us to "tighten our belts" are practicing what they preach is it not?

Congress 13% Richer [Rob Hotakainan, McClatchy.com] - It's good to see the politicians encouraging us to "tighten our belts" are practicing what they preach is it not?

Voter's new choice: Dueling tax breaks. [Tom Herman, WSJ] - Cutting the capital gains tax could actually stimulate investment and the economy, which is why it will never get done.

New Voters back Obama, turnout unsure. [Sara Murray, WSJ] - According to early voting numbers, they're showing up in droves. Gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing that the future of our Nation is, on the whole, decided by people who can't balance a checkbook and, before this election, thought straight-ticket meant you were voting for the anti-gay guys doesn't it?

Most Presidents ignore the Constitution. [Andrew Napolitano, WSJ] - If Thomas Jefferson were here today he'd puke on Bush, Pelosi & Co. before running them up a pole.

The Age of Obama. [Holman W. Jenkins Jr., WSJ] - "the Financing Challenge of the American Welfare State" should be most concerning to that shrinking number who still net PAY taxes.

Pharma sells the rope. [WSJ] - After "big oil", "big pharm" is the next industry that Democrats are going to go take apart and possibly Nationalize.

Biden's tax truth. [WSJ] - The "rich" just ain't what they used to be (say, one week ago).

The Markets are weak because the candidates are lousy. [George Newman, WSJ]

Obama's New Deal no better than the old one/ [Michael Barone, RCP] - Those who do not learn from history etc. etc.

He's not Robin Hood. [Emily Bazelon, Slate.com] - Using Barack's campaign officials to dispute the factuality of McCain campaign charges? Brilliant!

Slate Votes. [Slate.com] - At least they admit their bias, unlike some other media establishments we know.

Undecides should break for McCain. [Dick Morris, RCP] - Why?

2008 will go down as one of the Great Campaigns. [Sandy Grady, USA Today] - If by great you mean "Americans got to choose whether they were kicked in the head or socked in the groin" then I agree with you, outside of that?

Fair Warning [New York Post] - Rich is as Funding needs for entitlements say it is.

Houston Asides (10/29/2008)

Baylor Med School, Rice University discuss merger. [Todd Ackerman, Chron.com] - Odd to think that "Baylor" College of Medicine is stand-alone isn't it? Sometimes I forget that.

Fed's subpoena Harris County records on land developers. [Mary Flood, Chron.com] - More fun from the Lee P. Brown administration! Who says Republicans have all the scandal fun eh?

Critics dislike E-slate machines, officials praise it. [Alan Bernstein, Chron.com] - "Officials" have large contributions from donor who manufacture the machines at stake, "critics" would criticize a paper ballot election.

What is a real American. [Something Different, Chron.commons]

The real voter fraud problem. [Gimme Some Truth, Chron.commons]

The Chron's "reader" political pundits chime in. (the comments are good for a few laughs)

A record 443,267 have voted early in Harris County. [Chron.com] - Amazingly, some of them actually only plan to vote once and will have no issues figuring out the ballot.

Early Votes: Double Shot of Scotch? [Rick Casey, Chron.com] - Harris County Democratic Party Campaign Strategy: "Ride Obama's Coattails." Harris County Republican Party Campaign Strategy: "Hey! All they're doing is riding Obama's coattails!" In related news air in Houston is polluted.

A Strong Caution against Straight-Party voting. [The Artist Formerly Known as Mrs. White, Chron.com] - For once I'm in complete agreement with the Chron Ed. Board. Of course, this caution would carry more weight if they'd disclose the partisan campaign donation habits of one of their own.

Houston Priorities: Metro over Flooding. [Anne Linehan, BlogHouston] - Houston is rapidly turning into a mess of a place because local Government overlooks basic infrastructure needs in lieu of shiny, new trinkets that cater to the "world class" set. What people fail to realize is that there's nothing world class about having a third world water and sewer system, no matter how shiny the trams are.

No first bag fee for Continental credit card customers. [Houston Business Journal] - First bag fees need to go away. On another note: I'm weary of the media and businesses calling credit card customers "cardmembers". You're not a member of an exclusive club if you have a Continental credit card, you're just a customer paying them a fee for cash you don't have.


Pre-election confessions of a political hack (part III) [David Benzion, Lone Star Times] - The next in a very readable series on elections, and what Republicans need to do to win back moderates and expand the base. (Correction from yesterday: Mr. Benzion isn't the one who called me an idiot, he just thinks I'm wrong all the time. Sorry David.)

All Hallow's Eve (2 days out)

Not counting today and the day....



The Danse Macabre by Saint-Saenz. The Devil playing violin at midnight on Halloween.

Environmentalism as racial equality tool?

You knew it was coming...

[Matthew Tresaugue, Chron.com]

The growing movement to fight global warming includes entertainers and evangelical ministers, scientists and suburban moms. Even both presidential candidates have called for fewer emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gasses that contribute to climate change.

What it doesn't have a lot of is African-Americans. So environmental activists and like-minded politicians are intensifying outreach to blacks by framing their cause as a new frontier in civil rights.

"We need to be involved because African-Americans are disproportionately impacted," said state Sen. Rodney Ellis, a Houston Democrat who is co-chairman of the newly formed national Commission to Engage African Americans on Climate Change.

The effort comes on the heels of reports that minority and low-income communities are significantly more vulnerable than others to the effects of climate change. For example, they are more likely to live in large cities, such as Houston, where all the asphalt and concrete causes already-high temperatures to rise — the so-called heat island effect. And they are more likely to be "fuel poor" — unable to afford air conditioning during heat waves or gasoline to evacuate before a hurricane.

(snip)

"The issue hasn't been framed in a way to attract the attention of African-Americans," said Van Jones, president of Green for All, a national group with the goal of promoting renewable energy and lifting workers out of poverty, and author of The Green Collar Economy. "It's seen as something for other people."

Jones said that pleas to save polar bears don't resonate in places with few jobs and high crime. A more compelling case, he said, can be made for the potential of a greener America to create cleaner, healthier neighborhoods and more employment for those who can weatherize buildings and install solar panels, work that can't go overseas.

"You shouldn't have any throwaway species or habitats, and you shouldn't have any throwaway children or neighborhoods," said Jones.

I'm reminded of the theory that a person's practicality is in inverse relation to their income. The more wealthy you are, the less practical you become. What I believe the "environmentalist" movement is missing is the practical aspect of going green.

In short, it costs...a lot.

Until now "going green" has primarily been the provence of upper-middle and upper-class, predominently caucasian, liberals. When you're making upwards of $250K per year its relatively painless to "go green". You have the money (or credit) to invest in things that are likely to pay off in lower energy bills in the future, something a poor family making $25K per year cannot do. It's fun to head out to a farmer's market and pay $5.00/lb for an organic carrot that was grown in mud seasoned with organic rosemary grown on virgin soil harvested from the Rocky Mountains for dinner on Sunday. It's also very costly. The wealthy can afford to purchas a Prius and will be able to finance $40-50K for the upcoming Volt. They can afford to purchase a Vespa and work 4 day work weeks as a partner in their law firm. Flex schedules are easy for executives and office workers.

They're not so easy for the mother of 4 working 2 fast food jobs who needs to ride on the bus to get to work, and then has to readjust her schedule because Metro recently cut her bus route to pour funds into a light rail system that doesn't come anywhere near her house. Buying a $4 light-bulb to "save the planet" would be the equivilent of 3 meals. Take away the family car from someone poor to save the planet and you risk their job, not just their ability to drive out to a farm for a $200/plate open air dinner.

Environmentalism is trendy, conservation and pollution control are lasting.

And then there's this:

Environmentalists are seeking to enlist religious leaders in their campaign. Black churches are known as more than sanctuaries of worship, offering area residents adult literacy, sports programs, computer training, family counseling and other services.

"Engaging the community will require the churches," Cartwright said. "A lot of what happens in the African-American community starts in our churches."

Scores of conservative evangelical leaders have become convinced that protecting the environment is a religious and moral issue, widely referred to as "creation care." But Cartwright said she expects black churches to frame the issue in terms of environmental justice: the poor and minorities are disproportionately affected by climate change.

If its not right for Evangelical Churches to engage the community on conservative issues (such as abortion) then its not right for Churches to engage the community on liberal issues either. Churches have a role to play in society and cleaning up neighborhoods, but framing environmentalism as "social justice" is rediculous, false and dangerous. Were I a member of an inner-City Church I'd be up in arms if my Leaders took their spriritual direction from a politician. Just sayin'. (Part of the reason I quit my last Church had a lot to do with the fact that the spiritual direction was partisan, for the Republicans.)

Had America anything resembling coherent, intelligent environmental policy poor, inner-city neighborhoods would be motivated to clean themselves up, beautify and be clean. There would be a strong focus on reducing pollutants that come from industrial sources, and maintaining wetlands, prairie lands etc. Not in the form of "smart-growth" legislation, but in the form of real, environmental impact studies that take into consideration strom run-off etc.

The problem is, America doesn't have a coherent, intelligent environmental policy. The Republicans missed a great opportunity to work with oil and gas refiners to make this a non-issue by implementing pollution reduction measures during times of high profits. Instead of following the lead of Teddy Roosevelt and strengthening the National Parks system, Republicans have ignored it. Outdoors advocacy groups such as the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and the National Rifle Organization (NRA) have been willing to work with Republican leadership to ensure wetland protection, preserve our natural resource and fisheries, and beautify the coastline and Country. By prostrating themselves to the fishing and construction industry Republicans have allowed environmentalism to move strongly to the left.

The leftist shift in environmental policies have removed the populist, outdoor enjoyment aspects from the agenda and replaced them with a government controlled platform that seeks to limit industry and remove humans from nature. Instead of worrying primarily about lead-reduction in houses, the groups in this article are sowing the seeds of racial discontent in an effort to gain more control over larger sections of the economy. They are using false logic to build tensions to unsustainable levels in the hope that the resulting racial anger provides them an opportunity to remake society in their mode, minus the benefit of the people they are currently trying to recruit.

Yes, the current environmental movement feels they are "trying to save the planet", but at the expense of what? What good is a pristine environment if you're too poor to enjoy it, and can't tavel to see it even if you have the money?

Houston Asides (10/28/08)

It's culture, not an effort to convert. [Lisa Falkenberg, Chron.com] - If there's no media opposition to a Muslim stuides class then there should be no media opposition to a Biblical studies class in schools right? Oh, nevermind.

District 22 race turns ugly with double voting claim. [Alan Bernstein, Chron.com] - The first sign of the desperation of Nick Lampson.

Safety is key in railroad panel bid. [Lisa Sandberg, Chron.com] - Michael Williams is the clear choice in this race, the Democrat on the ballot is woefully unqualified.

GOP incumbent Radack seems secure in his spot. [Liz Austin Peterson, Chron.com] - Dexter Handy is the one Democratic candidate vying to represent me from which I've seen nothing. No campaign literature, no knock on the door.....

Fuller disclosure on the attacks on Bell. [Alan Bernstein, Chron.com] - Bernstein's "journalism thing" is to reveal the source of funding, in the process he ignores whether or not the charges are true or no. (not just in this race, but in almost every race.) We already know that the funding sources for attack mailers are partisan. The question should be whether the charges are true, truthy, or false.

10 Things to Know about polls. [Richard Dunham, Chron.com]

Harris County Jailers can access huge immigration database. [Susan Carroll, Chron.com] - It makes sense to check the background and immigration status of everyone processed for committing a crime. The sad thing is: Even this common sense piece of legislation will be opposed by the do nothing crowd.

Pre-Election Confessions of a Political Hack (Part 1) and (Part II) [David Benzion, Lone Star Times] - Most of my interaction with Benzion has been him coming over here and calling me an idiot, but he's got some points in these two posts that Republicans might want to think about.

Chron Circulation Plummets; Sweeney spins himself silly [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston.com] - 11.7%??? I don't care who you are that's huge. I might have more thoughts on this after the election, but for now I just offer my sympathies to the good people that work there and who are trying to make the Chron a better news gathering organization.

Houston axing an ignored law. [Carolyn Feibel, Chron.com] - I wonder how many of our current attempts at governing through inane ordinances are going to meet the same fate 40 years from now. Will they think any better of us then?

All Hallow's Eve (3 days out)

Not counting today and the day....



Boris Karloff, the Mummy (1932). Imhotep's backstory.



Don't make 'em like this any more.

Rapid Eye Movement (10/27/08)

The Age of Prosperity is Over [Arthur B. Laffer, WSJ] - A take on the economy from the sage of "supply side" economics.

Vote for the Party, Not the Person. [Paul Rubin, WSJ] - A good read, that I disagree with...Not only do I object to the implication that people who don't vote along party lines vote only for superficial reasons, but I also don't believe either party is on the side of good.

The Europeanization of America. [Pete Du Pont, WSJ] - A good read with which I agree. Of course, if you're a Democratic supporter what Du Pont is outlying sounds like good medicine for our Country.

A week away from change in America.(Transcript of Canton Ohio speech) [Barack Obama, RCP] - Probably so.

Redistributing Wealth vs. Creating Wealth. (Transcript of Dayton Ohio speech) [John McCain, RCP] - Too little too late.

Rethinking political dominance. [John Harwood, NYT] - Puncturing the myth of the "permanent majority".

Obama's no Robin Hood [Father Jonathan Morris, FoxNews]

The issue is not vote fraud, but vote suppression [Donna Brazile, CNN] - Actually, its both. Each party chooses to only recognize one side of the coin. Ms. Brazile, being a Democrat, has chosen to look out of her left eye only.

Is this the best we can do? [Glenn Reynolds, Forbes.com] - Sadly, yes.

The World that Awaits. [Richard Haass, NewsWeek]

Of Filibuster-proof majorities.

Not just a pipe-dream any more...

[Richard Dunham, Chron.com]

How hostile is the political environment for Senate Republicans this year?

In Oregon, embattled GOP incumbent Sen. Gordon Smith has aired commercials praising Barack Obama, John Kerry and Ted Kennedy — everybody, it seems, but Republican standard-bearer John McCain.

In Minnesota, endangered Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, who once described President Bush as the answer to his prayers, is now mimicking Obama instead with a "Hope Express" bus tour.

Even deep in the heart of Dixie, appointed Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker crows on his campaign home page about leading the opposition to Bush Medicare policies.

"I don't think that anybody realized it was going to be this tough of a cycle," said Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev. "We're dealing with an unpopular president. We have a financial crisis. Republicans get a lot more of the blame than Democrats do."

Ensign should know. He's the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm of the Senate GOP.

Two years ago, when he inherited the job, Republicans held 49 of the 100 Senate spots and were thinking they needed to win just one Democratic seat — Louisiana, maybe — to regain control.

But now, pundits and political pros are instead talking of a Republican meltdown that, in one scenario, could give the Democrats a filibuster-proof majority of 60.

With a week to go before Election Day, the math looks good for the Democrats.

A supermajority in the Senate equates to one-party rule in America. In a Democratic system that's rarely a good thing. It's also not how our Government was designed to function. Single-party rule often equates to totalitarianism, the passage of poorly reviewed, ill-conceived laws rushed through the system minus the purification of debate and compromise. Even at their most powerful, the Republicans were never able to overcome the minority filibuster obstacle in the Senate.

The downside to the compromises made during the era of Republican rule is that Democrats were happy to let a bad bill pass, provided an interest group received a sweetener in the process. The FISA bill is an example of this, where 4 Democratic Congressmen from New York flipped to favor the bill after being courted by the Telecom giants, also noted is the 2002 "Farm" Bill called "the most pork laden bill ever", a title it held until the Democratic-controlled Congress passed the 2008 "Farm Bill" which was even more pork-laden. What this indicates is that the Republicans are likely to be even less of a "principled minority" than were the Democrats. This poses a problem.

Since the inception of this blog I've written under two general assumptions:

1. American Government is broken.
2. The people that are asking us to let them "fix" it are incapable of doing so.

Putting the Democrats, who have until now ran under a platform of "fiscal conservatism" and "PAYGO" to balance the budget, in charge during a financial crisis with no checks or balances is akin to giving the fox the keys to the hen-house and trusting him to behave. Even IF the fox has good intentions the temptation to raid the house is just too strong. Already, Democratic activists are indicating that ideas like "PAYGO" and "balanced budgets" are impractical during times of economic duress. That's a bad precedent for anyone who looks at the growing National Debt with dread.

What I'm not suggesting here is that the Republicans are likely to be any better stewards of the economy. Lest we forget that the Bush administration was responsible for huge increases in the National Debt, the costly Iraq war, and was the originator and architect of the $700 Billion bailout plan. Nope, looking to the Party of supply side economics and Regan era deficeit spending to provide some fiscal sanity is akin to consulting Hannibal Lechter for tonight's dinner menu.


What a minority with a filibuster CAN provide is a small amount of gridlock. We don't really know how much we owe Tom Daschle and Co. for all of the Republican bills that they blocked via filibuster. While the refusal to nominate judges got most of the press, it could have been that some of the more Corporatist Republican bills were the trade-off. We might find out how one-sided and vindictive our Government can be without the counterweight of the opposition soon enough. Combine overly progressive, punitive taxation with moves to suppress free political speech, control and regulate organized religion, and remove minority thought from the political process and you have a good idea of the threat one-party Government entails.


ANY one party in power. Think about that.

The lessons that we learn could be painful.

Houston Asides (10/27/08)

The "I spent the weekend outdoors" catch-up edition...


Poll: Republicans leading in Harris County contest Congressional Races [Alan Bernstein, Chron.com]

Poll: Obama leads McCain in Harris County. [Alan Bernstein, Chron.com]

Poll: Democrats should do well in County Elections [Alan Bernstein, Chron.com]

The Chron issues an 11th hour Harris County poll, which provides mixed-messages for both parties.

Taxes, Budget critical issues in SD17 special election. [Carolyn Feibel, Chron.com] - A good primer on an election featuring a perennial candidate, an unknown, and the Republican 4 who can't shoot straight.

Poll: White would have hometown edge in Governor's race. [R.G. Ratcliffe, Chron.com] - Whua?

Will racial attitudes affect Texas down-ballot races? [Peggy Fikac and R.G. Ratcliffe, Chron.com] - Does a bear crap in the woods?

Chron Endorses Trautman [The Artist Formerly Known as Mrs. White, Chron.com] - Quite possibly the worst logic and weakest argument ever used in an endorsement. Apparently, Bettencourt's worst fault is that he's....Republican?

Chronically Shameless [Matt Bramanti & David Benzion, Lone Star Times] - The Bloggers O' the Right are, predictably, outraged.

Endorsement Watch: The line in the sand. [Charles Kuffner, Off The Kuff] - Of course, the InterLeft thinks its the best endorsement in the history of endorsements.

Obama: Right Man, Right Message, Right time. [Desparado, Something Different, Chron.commons] - The "Obama as America's Saviour" thing sounds odd coming from people who vehemently villified anyone who poked fun at others with "the Messiah" comments does it not? To think that an Obama Presidency, backed with large Democratic Majorities in both houses of Congress, will somehow be less partisan than what we have now is (at best) politically naive or (at worst) politically dishonest.

Partisanship is partisanship regardless of which party is in power. Diane Trautman will be just as partisan as Bettencourt, except she'll do so for the Democrats. That's politics folks.

College Football Pick 'em (Week 9)

Anyone notice I went 10-1 last week?

Of local interest:

Rice vs. Tulane
My Pick: Rice 45 Tulane 10 - Tulane is terrible, Rice is pretty good. After this the Owls will be one win away from bowl eligibility.

Texas Tech(8) vs. Kansas(23)
My Pick: KU 27 TT 24 - The first real test for Tech reveals them to not be as fearsome as some thought. The eighth best team in the land shouldn't have to pull a kicker off the street.

Baylor @ Nebraska
My Pick: NU 27 Baylor 23 - Can Briles get his SECOND Big XII win against the Huskers? Do Baptists dance?

Texas A&M @ Iowa St
My Pick: ISU 35 aTm 17 - The Ags mistake the new I-state uni's for USC....Or, this years Ags are so bad they make a bad ISU team resemble USC...I'm not sure which.

Oklahoma State(6) @ Texas(1)
My Pick: UT 42 OSU 35 - My maternal Grandfather got his undergraduates degree from OSU. I want to pick OSU, but I can't. Texas is too good this year, and they're at home.

Houston @ Marshall (Tues)
My Pick: UH 42 Marshall 27 - Halftime score is 21-3 Marshall if recent history is any indicator. Houston gets a starring role in "Interactive Tuesday" the surprisingly good ESPN Tuesday night College Football broadcast.

National Games of the Week

Penn St(3) @ Ohio St(9)
My Pick: OSU 20 PSU 17 - If Penn St wins then they probably are the sacrificial lambs to either Texas or the SEC Champion in the B(C)S championship game. God I hope Ohio State wins....

Georgia(7) @ LSU(13)
My Pick: LSU 24 UGA 22 - Ah a night game in the Bayou, where LSU plays like the Fighting Tigers and less like her Ella Sue persona on the road. UGA has too many injuries. SEC football at its finest however.

South Florida(16) @ Louisville
My Pick: USF 35 Loserville 17 - Sorry, 5-2 is hollow for a Cardinal team with no defense, a below-average offense and a coaching staff that's on the ropes. USF has too much.

Virginia @ Georgia Tech(18)
My Pick: GTECH 27 UVA 24 - A resurgent Virginia team comes up JUST short in a game that could go a long way to determining the championship in a pathetic ACC conference.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute @ Florida State(25)
My Pick: Va Tech 28 FSU 21 - Beamer ball busts Bobby Bowden. The 'noles are overrated. Heck, all of the ACC is overrated. Another pathetic ACC game that could determine who playes in the ACC Championship. Either of these teams would be in the bottom half of the Big XII or SEC, and they'd probably be no better than 4th in the Moutain West.


Conference Rankings:

1. SEC
2. Big XII
3. Mountain West
4. Pac 10
5. WAC
6. Big Tenelven
7. ACC
8. C-USA
9. Big East
10. MAC
11. Sunbelt

My Top 12

1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma
4. USC
5. Florida
6. Penn St.
7. Utah
8. Oklahoma State
9. LSU
10. Boise State
11. Georgia
12. TCU


Last Week: 10-1

Overall: 52-16.

All Hallow's Eve (6 days out)

Not counting today and the day itself....

Some classic Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing....1958's "The Horror of Dracula"



Vampire lore has always been some of my favorite legend. Too bad Hollywood gets it so wrong now.

I call shenanigans!

1. Get off my LAWN!!!...[Allan Turner, Chron.com]

Stealing the Obama yard sign was bad enough, but Belinda Holley could deal with it.

Taking two replacements was harder to endure.

What really drove the Sugar Land Democrat over the edge, however, was when the swipe-by-nighter left a McCain placard in its place.

"I called the homeowners association," Holley said. "I called the constable. But what can they do?"

Election season sign theft — call it a sign of the times.

(snip)

Jo Ray complained that thieves last weekend relieved her of two McCain signs when they hit her neighborhood on the northwest side.

"They only took McCain signs," she said. "It's a free speech issue and a property issue."

Ray replaced the missing signs with twice as many.

"It's an in-your-face thing," she said. "This time I'll be watching.

Abe Goren, a Democratic chairman for Precinct 309 in Spring Branch, said sign theft is a weekly occurrence.

"We don't have too many people courageous enough to put up signs," he said, "but we did convince 20 or 30."

Many of those signs vanished.

Courageous enough to put up signs? Oh, come on! Have we really become so milguetoast in America that the height of political courage is to put a sign with an idiots name on it in our yard? Really? Courage?

In the grand political scheme of things this is small potatoes. Democrats love to blame "unscrupulous" Republicans when it happens and Republicans, in turn, blame "cowardly" Democrats. In reality its probably a bunch of bored kids playing pranks and then laughing as a slew of adults act more childish than they.

Courage? Pfft.


2. McCain volunteer from Texas Changes story about attack [AP via the Chron]

Pittsburgh police say a McCain campaign volunteer who said she was held down by a black man who cut the letter "B" in her face has changed her story.

Police spokeswoman Diane Richard says investigators gave the 20-year-old woman a lie-detector test and are "looking at some inconsistencies" in her story.

The student, Ashley Todd, of College Station, Texas, initially said a black man robbed her at knifepoint Wednesday night and then cut her cheek after seeing a McCain sticker on her car.

Police say bank surveillance footage doesn't show her at an ATM where she says she was attacked.

Todd, who is white, now says she was knocked unconscious and doesn't remember being cut. She now says she only discovered the wound later.

No arrests have been made.

Liar, liar pants on fire. I'm not suggesting that something like this "couldn't" happen....as a matter of fact I believe that, eventually, we will get to a place that political disagreement is expressed through force. I just don't think its going to be the thugs that lead us down that path. It will be low-level, unimportant party "activists" who view electoral losses as personal slams.

It's important to note that you can't pin this on the McCain campaign. Every campaign has dozens of workers that due stupid things. That's more a reflection on human nature than it is the candidate. Hell, Obama told us its no big deal that a Houston organizer proudly flew a Che flag remember? Some political "activists" are even courageous enough to go out and steal campaign signs. This lady cut herself for the cause.

Courage. *snicker*

Rapid Eye Movement (10/24/08)

Stocks head for sharp decline on recession fears [Stevenson Jacobs, AP via Chron.com] - I peg rock bottom at around 7K for the Dow.

Oil Trades Below $63 despite OPEC cut. [Louise Watt, AP via Chron.com] - In reality there's not much OPEC can do. What you are seeing now are pessimistic demand forcasts.

Hispanics account for more than half of US Population Growth. [James Pinkerton, Chron.com] - Anti-Hispanic hysteria to start in 5...4...3...2...

Chamber of Commerce Irks Democrats with Big Push for GOP [Brody Mullins & Susan Davis, WSJ] - The CoC understands that ANY party obtaining unchecked power in Government is dangerous and opens the road for bad legislation and unchecked abuse.

Another Bubble Bursts [WSJ] - The more the Gov't tries to fix it, the more harm is caused.

How's Obama Going to Raise $4.3 Trillion? [Alan Reynolds, WSJ] - The numbers don't add up, without a large, across-the-board, tax increase that is.

Big Labor Does Gay Marriage. [WSJ] - Another reason why political contributions are worthless. They don't go to the issues you care about. What if the liberal slush fund "teacher's union" had given that money to...say...Teachers?

Obama wants Social Security to be a Welfare plan. [Andrew Biggs, WSJ] - We're surprised by this?

Barack Obama, False Moderate [Rich Lowry, RCP] - I'm still not clear that he's sold himself as moderate at all. He seems to be running (and winning) based on a liberal platform.

The GOP finally implodes. [E.J. Dionne, The New Republic] - Confusing "conservative" with "corporatist" Dionne misses the mark, again. I wouldn't call a down cycle "imploding". They've lost the moderates and may never get them back (and probably don't want them back, but to imply that they "have no answers" for questions is partisan and ridiculous.

The Point of No Return [Peter Robinson, Forbes.com] - Almost touches on the "cult of personality" theme that worries me about Obama, almost.

An avalanche of discontent. [Chuck Raasch, USA Today] - The natives are restless, the people will speak, and then will live with the consequences. Such is life in a representative democracy where even the idiots are allowed to vote.

Unanswered Questions

Media and Politics edition...

Harris County Judge: Ed Emmett [The Artist Formerly Known as Mrs. White, Chron.com] - The correct endorsement, based on qualifications, but no mention of whether or not Andrea Georgsson, she of the dodgy journalism ethics was allowed to participate in the endorsement process.

The reason this is important is that it opens up the endorsement to doubt, and weakens its impact.

Was Emmett endorsed soley to make it appear that the Gerogsson donation did not effect the process?

That's the question Mincberg supporters could be blaring across the media today, should they so choose. If I worked for the Mincberg campaign I'd trumpet the fact that Georgsson DID make a donation, and call into question the entire endorsement process of the Chronicle editorial board.


The Artist Formerly Known as Mrs. White could go a long way to restoring credibility by opening up the interview process. Kevin Whited over at BlogHouston has called for this, and I echo the sentiment. Podcast candidate interviews and all of those "closed door meetings" with local newsmakers. Let the consumer hear the responses in context, minus the filter. It's the least we can expect from an organization that demands to be shielded from prosecution, and who trumpets open government time and time again.

For many people in America the press is their primary window to the Government, especially local Government. If you want to increase the transparency of Government, then start by decreasing the media filters that exist between politicians and the public.

It could be argued that the time of the "unsigned editorial" has passed. Nameless, faceless opinion with no onus for getting it right are out of favor. People want to know the credentials of the individuals providing advice. People have a right to know if the people giving said advice Have a Dog in the hunt. The only way to ensure that is to open up the process and shine a light on the newsgathering process.

Heck, it might even go a long way to polishing the tarnished reputation of the news media.

Bettencourt caught red-handed.

One of the problems that exist when you attempt to create an issue is having to 'splain away inconsistencies" when the issue isn't there...

[Mark Greenblatt, KHOU.com]

Voting for who will lead us is the most fundamental of American rights.

It’s guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution.

So why are some Harris County voters and qualified Americans getting blocked from casting their ballots?

(snip)

So what's going on?

Democrats allege that Republicans want to block new registrations because studies show new voters are more likely to vote for Democrats in the current election.

Republicans across the nation disagree and say they are just trying to protect the public from voter fraud by being meticulous.

Paul Bettencourt is the elected, Republican tax collector and registrar in Harris County.

“I'm not gonna disagree with the fact we had more than 300 ironclad examples of voter fraud,” he said.

Bettencourt’s statement to the 11 News Defenders was similar to one he made nearly a year ago. It was all a part of his testimony before the House Elections Committee in January of 2008.

“We have had a history of illegal voting as well as documented fraud cases in Harris County,” he said then. “What I'm providing to you are 381 absolutely verified and documented cases.”

(snip)

But not everyone agrees.

“I would not have gone ahead and said ‘I have ironclad cases…,’” said Representative Rafael Anchia. “…when through very little additional investigations I would have the information I was providing was not 100 percent accurate.”

He’s a Democrat who chaired the hearing in the House Elections subcommittee. It was held to look into the extent of voter fraud in Texas.

Anchia points to Bettencourt's own exhibit for that hearing as evidence of what made him concerned.

He said that out of Bettencourt’s 381 ironclad cases of voter fraud, at least 121 of them are still under investigation.

On top of it, Anchia said, only one voter fraud case has ever been prosecuted in Harris County in the past eight years.

Recently we asked Bettencourt—

Greenblatt: “Don't you think it's a bit alarmist to call these cases fraud, when you only know one case actually…?

Bettencourt: “No, it's not one case, it is one person.”

Bettencourt went on to say the one person who was prosecuted, registered 61 cards.

Greenblatt: “You said they were ironclad examples of voter fraud, sir.”

Bettencourt: (pause) “Mark, your point please?”

Greenblatt: “Before you use that word before the state house, do you think you should be as careful as you could be?”

Bettencourt: “Mark, we are as careful as we could.”

The text doesn't do Betterncourt justice here. He was in full infuriated mode, obviously trapped in a corner and looking for a way out. At one point he even resorts to hollaring. That's right, red-faced hollaring. (clever use of the extreme close-up by the producer in the video btw)

If you think you've seen this tack toward Greenblatt before, you're right. Houston Police Chief responded in almost the same manner as did Bettencourt to Greenblatt's questions. Who says bipartisanship isn't alive and well?

Here's the catch, Greenblatt won a Lone Star Emmy for his Hurtt report (his accusations turned out to be true). The fact is Mark has a reputation as a fair reporter, not a hit man who's sole goal is self-promotion through showboating. A cursory review of the documents and the facts surrounding the case reveals his assertions to be true...

- Bettencourt is clearly heard stating that he had "381 ironclad cases" of voter fraud.
- Only one of those ironclad cases were prosecuted.
- There are still 121 of those "ironclad" cases under investigation.

In other words, they weren't so "ironclad" after all. Bettencourt needs to provide an honest explenation of why he said what he said and why he's still standing by those statements when evidence shows they were not true. This is especially important when you consider that Bettencourt is the associate pastor in the Church of Dan, his word on voter fraud almost considered Gospel truth. When you consider one of the key, public, platform planks of His High Holiness Dan Patrick is to root out innacuracies and moral turptitude in Democrats AND Republicans (so he says) then you have a situation where one of the leaders of the (now greatly diminished) Houston Area "conservative" Republican flock needs to come clean.

He jumped the gun. That's not to say that there is no voter fraud in Harris County (I believe that there is) but that Bettencourt went after it with too much zeal. Because of this he made some errors, errors that he should learn from, and make sure not to repeat in the future.

Voter access is going to be a huge issue in the future, as Democrats try to expand the voter rolls (some times unethically) and Republicans try to retract the same rolls (again, sometimes unethically). Every hit that our voting system takes to its credibility moves us one step closer to a "temporary suspension" of the electoral process so that "discrepencies" can be "worked out". "For the good of the Country" of course. What's sad is, from what I've observed this election cycle, depending on the Party that does the suspending, we're likely to see it met with resounding applause and frothing loyalty by the masses.

The goal should ALWAYS be to get the most Americans to cast their votes in the most informed manner possible. With Republicans jumping the gun on voter fraud and Democrats attempting to explain away ACORN's fraud we're really getting just the opposite of that.


Just give us an explenation Mr. Bettencourt. Those who support you will accept it, those that oppose you have already made up their mind anyway. Of course, they'll still claim to be willing to listen to you. That pretty much goes without saying.

All Hallow's Eve (7 days out)

Not counting today and "the" day....


Not exactly Halloween related, but it involves a mask and was a damn fine opening monologue. Appropos in this time of increased Government intervention into our daily lives to boot....



Remember, Remember the 5th of November.

Defying gravity

If you're an "average" homeowner (read: you don't have a house valued over $500,000) get ready, Your property tax bill will be going up.

[Bradley Olson & Liz Austin Peterson, Chron.com]

The city and Harris County approved new property tax rates this week that effectively will raise the amount paid by the average Houston homeowner by $88 a year.

Although the city cut its property tax rate for the fourth year in a row, and the county kept its rate the same, tax bills in most cases will go up because of the steady upward creep of property appraisals.

The City Council voted Wednesday to set the property tax rate at 63.875 cents per $100 of assessed value, a half cent lower than last year. The owner of a home valued at $145,000, with a standard 20 percent homeowner's exemption, would pay about $741. Accounting for an average increase of 5.9 percent in appraisal value in the city, that would amount to about $38 more than last year.

Preliminary projections show the city collecting $888 million in property taxes in fiscal 2009, about $54 million more than last year, city officials said.

Mayor Bill White said much of that increase will come from new construction and commercial real estate.

Because the city has increased the homestead exemption for seniors and the disabled, many in that population have seen their tax bills go down in the past four years, he said.

Those exemptions benefit approximately 100,000 households in Houston, city officials said.

Mayor White has a good theory, except that new construction is slowing to a crawl and commercial real estate is notoriously undervalued. So, who's making up the 'revenue slack'?

That's right, the average working family. You know them, the ones that politicians pay Millions of dollars to advertising firms to cater to? Convince the poor and middle class that you're "looking out for them" or "thinking about them every day your in office" (my favorite, because it doesn't specify how the candidate will be thinking of them) get elected, and then sock it to 'em.

Now, I know what you're thinking: "But, we've been told that property tax cuts are "free candy". The "progressives" have assured us that everything will moderate over time."

Uh-huh. So, in a time of sagging home sales and a median home-price decrease (seen in the last month) it would make sense that appraisal values go down right? I mean, that's "fair". It's not "free candy" to expect your appraisal to lower along with comperables in the real estate market....

Except they're not. All evidence points to the reality that appraisals will continue to rise at an average of 8% despite the fact that real value doesn't reflect that trend. Further shifting the tax burden to the middle-class homeowner, away from the very poor and very wealthy, the latter of which have enough acrege to get various exemptions, lowering their appraisals or they live in underappraised homes. Receiving appraisal gifts that the "average homeowner" doesn't have access to due to their inability to write large campaign checks to politicians needing more money to pay to more advertising firms to run more ads.

So the "average homeowner" continues to bend over and happily take their gorging. All in the name of "revenue assurance" mind you, doublespeak for "making sure we get every drop of income we can from the homeowner".

"Free Candy" to those who pay lip service to helping the "average, working-class, Texan" while sitting by and doing nothing to stop the Government from becoming more and more bold in their locust-like decimation of the middle-class.

Houston Asides (10/23/08)

"Back in the saddle" edition...

Some voters cut long ballot by voting straight ticket. [Alan Bernstein, Chron.com] - Doesn't matter that the candidate slate your party has put up this time is rife with incompetence and/or ethical shortcomings, just pull the lever you sock puppet.

Lampson claims center, Olsen sticks with Right [Alan Bernstein, Chron.com] - This campaign will be a good indicator of just how "purple" that district has become.

Internal Report raises Questions about ACORN [Gimme some Truth, Chron.commons] - I was wondering when the ACORN problems would get bad enough that Dems would have to do something....I guess this is the beginning? (A majority, I'm guessing, will continue to ignore the issue)

Texas No. 4 in the world for wind power [Tom Fowler, Newswatch.energy.chron] - 6000 MW of total capacity. Relate that to a typical daily demand of around 50,000 megawatts and you see that wind alone isn't going to be able to get the job done. It needs to play a role however.

Sen. Cornyn says NO to new benefit package. [BigJolly, LoneStarTimes.com] - New definition of "conservative"....voting yes on a corporate bailout but "no" on a public bailout. This election is a third party vote for me.

Janek Swallows [IJ Reilly, Bayou City Madman] - The Republicans have no one besides themselves to blame in this mess.

All Hallow's Eve (8 days out)

Not counting today and the day that is....

A little classic Goth Metal from one of my favorite bands during my College days...

Late link-post (10/22/08)

The "damn sinuses" edition...


Dems accuse Repubs of racism [R.G. Ratcliffe, Chron.com] - Remember all of the talk about how Obama's nomination marking the begin of "post-racism"? Yeah, not so much. If anything our National race meter is too sensitive right now.

Meeting to spotlight Houston bonus plan. [Ericka Mellon & Jennifer Radcliffe, Chron.com] - Funny, most in Houston don't like it and it could be the National model. Gayle Fallon is probably sticking long pins in her Abe voodoo doll tonight thinking about this.

Wheah all de white women at? [IJ Reiley, County Seat]

Lazy, dishonest Chron editors strike again [Matt Bramanti, LoneStarTimes.com*] - The artist formerly known as Mrs. White is hardly worth mentioning, except that she continues to weigh in on matters important to local and State politics that is. The Chron should consider shuttering the editorial board and spending more on local and State Reporting.

Stossel's politically incorrect guide to politics [Tom Kirkendall, Houston's Clear Thinkers] - If you have some time, click over and watch all six.

Commercial Landmarks of Houston [Slampo, Slampo's Place]

Back to semi-full blogging tomorrow I hope.


Oh, and go vote, everyone else is....


*As Matt reminded me via e-mail, he's notin charge of the Chron. (Yet)...

Rapid Eye Movement (10/21/08)

Poll Findings could be trouble for McCain [Alexander Mooney, CNN.com]

John McCain and Barack Obama make final pleas to undecided voters. [Kenneth T. Walsh, US News & World Report] - Given the stark differences between the two candidates, how in the world could one be undecided unless they weren't paying attention? (Or are lying to garner attention)

Iraqi Cabinet says U.S. Pact needs changes. [Robert H. Reid & Quassim Abdul-Zahra] - More trouble for one of the most inept police actions in recorded history.

OECD Report: Gap Growing between Rich and Poor [Euronews]

Argentina Considers Nationalization of Pension Fund [Matt Moffett, WSJ] - And you thought America was doing things wrong....

New Jet Blue Terminal Sneak Peek [Matt Phillips, WSJ]

Bernanke endorses Obama [WSJ] - And officially submits his application to keep his job at the same time. Remember when the Fed was (at least acting) non-political?

Obama talks nonsense on Tax Cuts [William McGurn, WSJ] - The money has to come from somewhere after all.

The Dangers of a Diminished America. [Aaron Friedberg and Gabriel Schoenfeld, WSJ] - Pure and utter hogwash. Fascism and totalinarianism flourished with a strong America as well. America as world nanny is an idea that needs to be put out of its misery.

L'affaire IMF [WSJ] - The Wolfowitz double standard laid bare.

Metrics are adding up for Obama [Charlie Cook, NationalJournal.com] - Yup.

The Mean, Retrograde, Republican Party [Richard Cohen, RCP] - Some of us left this party long ago.

Get Ready for the "new" New Deal [Paul Rubin, WSJ] - After 9/11 Americans happily traded freedom for a false sense of "security" afforded by the Patriot Act. I wonder what economic liberties we'll be willing to forfeit in the search for security?

All Hallow's Eve Countdown....9 days

(Not counting today and the actual day)

A little Disney classic...


Enjoy.

Houston Asides (10/21/08)

Ike Tab: $8.5 Billion to homes [Mike Snyder, Chron.com]

GOP's Olson blasts Lampson at only debate [Alan Bernstein, Chron.com] - Lampson called for "bipartisianship". I'm betting those calls come to a screeching halt from Democrats after this election. Any takers?

Start of Early voting twice as busy as in '04[Alan Bernstein, Dane Schiller and Allan Turner, Chron.com] - An historic election decided by those who rarely voted in the past. Think about that for a second.

Uphill fight didn't keep Noriega from Quest. [R.G. Ratcliffe, Chron.com] - If he had the political sense to listen to his wife he might be higher up that hill right now.

Uneasiness keeps race in play [R.G. Ratcliffe, Chron.com] - Barely in play.

Conservation Group works to restore Neches River wetlands. [Matthew Tresaugue, Chron.com] - Yet another example of how conservation (as opposed to rabid environmentalism) will be the key to saving the environment.

The Chronicle has a New Reader Representative. [Jim Newkirk, About:Chron] - Welcome to the position as whipping post for us media observer types. The honeymoon ended oh...five minutes ago.

Endorsement Watch: Ummm..Nobody? [Charles Kuffner, OffTheKuff.com] - I'm expecting a bunch of multiple endorsement editorials for the smaller races.

Theresa's Taxes [Charles Kuffner, OfftheKuff.com] - Unintentional humor moment of the day:

Maybe there's a simple explanation for this, I don't know. The linked document is pretty clear, so if there is an explanation, I'd like to hear it.

Why? Even if Chang had the best explenation in the world Kuff still wouldn't vote for a Republican. That being said, I'd like to hear the explanation because I'm undecided in this race. (The tax accusation doesn't look good however)

Local Reporters win Lone Star Emmys [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston] - Congrats all around to all of the winners.

Magidson on the state of the Harris Co. DA's office [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston] - Echoing the sentiment that it WOULD be nice to have a qualified candidata on the ballot, as opposed to what we have to choose from currently.

The (New) Houston Political Dictionary (Revised) - Q

Quail - Worth destroying the economy to save, unless served up with a bernaise sauce to the elite.

Quannell X - The triumph of bluster over substance.

Quaint - Ideal for Houston's neighborhoods. (The one the reformers don't live in)
There's long been a movement in Houston to make it more "quaint". In other words, more closely resembling the idyllic settings typified in Norman Rockwell paintings. Some groups in Houston feel that, by turning back the clock to a more quaint time, they can undo all of the financial "do" in Houston that has led to sprawl and other calamaties falsely blamed for the destruction of Western society. The people who want to affect this change conveninently ignore the fact that their social class was non-existent during the time they wish to emulate.

Quart - Unit of measure now only used in political speak. (i.e. "A quart of common sense)

Quarter - Quaint, monetary item with no real value in today's market.

Queer - (formerly) Somthing odd or out of place. (PC) - Unusable term accepted, and then rejected by the GLBT community.

There was a time that "gay" and "queer" held benign meanings far different than they do today. Such is the danger of applying questionable terms to social minorities, the loss of legitimate language and less descriptive prose.

Quilt - The harmony in whole of disharmonious parts.

Quilt, Crazy - The City of Houston's governing philosophy that attempts to handle systemic, large issues with small, severely limited ordinances.

It could be due to a sagging quality of leadership, an unwillingness of the electorate to get involved, or a deficiency in the City charter, but Houston has a long history of failing to address large issues with large, well thought out policies. What results is a series of "quick fix" items that fail to address the root cause of the issue and which leave gaping loopholes through which the politically well connected drive large trucks of money.

Quilt Festival, International - The reality of Houston's convention scene often ignored by City "leaders".

Year after year one of the largest "conventions" in Houston is the International Quilt Festival. The City would do well to promote it, to feature its happeneing on websites and in advertisements, and to build economic policy around attracting more of the same. Year after year the City of Houston seems bent on doing just the opposite. Where Quilt Festival attendees are in search of modestly priced hotel rooms, the City pushes developers to construct more high-end downtown "boutique hotels". Where cheap variety and quick eats are demanded, the City is intent on overstuffing the downtown district with high-end bistros and fine dining. Were this restricted to the "museum and theatre districts" one could understand, but the trend toward all things trendy isn't content to stop near the boundries of the toney portions of downtown, they are also intent on spreading it to other, more utilitarian parts of town.

Quip - The sad act of someone trying to convince themselves they're wittier than they actually are. Used often in journalism and politics.

Quirk - The explaining away of signs of insanity in the famous and rich.

Only the rich have "quirks". The poor and middle-class have "mental illnesses" that require treatment by over-paid teaching assistants and powerful mental suppresents.

Quirky - Desired status of all Houston neighborhoods.

There's long been a movment in Houston to make things "quirky". Proponents of this movement ignore the simple fact that, if everything is quirky, then everything is also normal. It's the presence of chain restaurants and hotels and cookie-cutter houses that make the one's that aren't "quirky". In an attempt to rid the world of everything "not quirky" activists are moving us closer to a world where nothing is.

Quixote, Don - Spiritual fore-runner of the American politician.

Quiz - The "pop" form of which is underutilized in modern education.

Quote, block - Literary form perfected by bloggers, and then beaten into the ground by the same. Often used to elaborate on an issue in which one is woefully ignorant.

It's not that blockquoting is "bad", only that it has its place and should be used to illustrate a point upon which one is expecting to expand, or refute. Using a blockquote to 'make one's point' and then referring to said point as your own in a later post is akin to intellectual plagiarism and should be roundly criticized. Blogging being what it is, such signs of intellectual aridness are frequently rewarded and celebrated as "smart".

Personal Computers: Now a Zero-Sum Game?

From time to time I find things online that provoke laughter, while at the same time causing at least a few tears to be shed for the future of society. comments to Dwight's "Mac Ad" post provoked that reaction. Specifically the one from the obvious Mensa member "efredl"....

It's not necessary to point out the blatantly obvious. The educated catch on immediately and the obverse will eventually but you'll need to time them using a calendar. The illustration of spending 300 mill on "image" is brilliant.

I'm not sure if we should be mortified or simply amused that, at least some, in the technological cognesceti consider ownership of an Apple product (including a willingness to pay extreme mark-ups to maintain the "cool factor") a pre-requisite for membership in that rarest of all clube: "the educated".

What this does is place computer purchases up on that highest shelf of self-worth measurment previously only occupied with one's political affiliation and who one chooses to root for from a sporting perspective. Since the author of this blog is decidedly centrist, is a supporter of the San Francisco 49ers, the Universtiy of Michigan AND owns a Dell, then one can assume that my mental acuity is being put to the question by many members of the political blogosphere (on both sides of the aisle) Texans, Cowboys, Cougar and Longhorn fans as well as people willing to wait in line for days to buy a cell phone.

In keeping with the "zero-sum" propensity of those who fashion themselves to be "educated" Lose an Eye offers up the following list of "musts" to possess in order to be considered a member of the "educated elite" in Houston.


Liberal Progressive.
VY fan Longhorn.
tool Apple Corp. acolyte.


If you fall short on any one of these three standards then you are, by definition, less "educted" than those who attain all three.


Loser.

Rapid Eye Movement (10/20/08)

Obama has advantage of Big Bucks and a Big Name: Colin Powell. [Mark Z. Baraback and Richard B. Schmidtt, LA Times] - If only the election were this Tuesday instead of two weeks from now we could get back to what really matters....football.

Taliban said they killed woman for spreading Christianity. [Inernational Herald-Tribune] - I'm sure if we just sit down across the table and discuss this with the Taliban....

Republican voter-registration chief arrested for Fraud in California. [FoxNews] - Look for Democrats to use this in an attempt to 'splain away the ACORN mess. In a perfect world BOTH parties would be concerned about voter fraud, instead of being concerned just about the OTHER parties' voter fraud.

What Independant voters want. [John P. Avlon, WSJ] - The first thing we want is for pundits to quit trying to tell us what we want.

Obama's Carbon Ultimatum [WSJ] - Serves two goals: stops the American economy, shifts massive amounts of wealth to Gore & Co.

Nafta Plus [WSJ] - Canada and Mexico will look to Europe, and the USA will become less and less relevent on the International stage.

Dem's play the guilt-card again [Ruth Ann-Daily, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] - Opposition = Racism = "hate speech" = crime. The easiest way to silence your critics is to make criticism a felony.

Dems get set to Muzzle the Right. [New York Post] - Typical sensationalist headline notwithstanding, the fairness doctrine is an affront to free political speech in America.

The GOP's machinery of Hate [Richard Kim, The Nation] - Opposition = Racism = "hate speech" = crime pt. 2.

Top Senate Races Break to Dems. [Reid Wilson, RCP] - Tracking the only question still pending in this election: Will the Dems get 60 Senators or no?

How to Read the Constitution. [Justice Clarence Thomas, WSJ]

Houston Asides (10/20/08)

Utility concerns come to light [Tom Fowler, Chron.com] - Remember all of the hullabaloo regarding burying the power lines? You know what they say about plans made in haste right?

Harris GOP fears losing all-Republican courts [Mary Flood, Chron.com] - that's not all they should fear losing.

Powell endorsement unleashes Republican Racism [Something Different, Chron.commons] - charges of racism, comparisons to Hitler, yup....

UH first institution to offer degree in GLBT studies. [Jeannie Kever, Chron.com] - Good for them. As with most liberal arts degrees however, I wonder what (if anything) productive one could do with said degree?

Officials brace for record early voting in Texas. [Jay Root, AP via Chron.com] - Heck, the Dallas Cowboys ALONE are going to vote seven times.

Visitors spend $26.8 Million at State Fair [AP via the Chron] - $25 Million of that was on fried food.

Wandering Donors come home to Bell [Clay Robison, Chron.com] - Chris Bell has finally found a slate of Republican opponants that draw under the "corpse" threshold it seems. Semi-related campaign donation note: Liberal Special Interest Groups (typically funded by Law firms): Progressive reformers...Republican Special Interest Groups (typically funded by other businesses): Corporate mouth-pieces - The only difference is the legislation funnels money to a different group of wealthy people.

Truth-testing a Culberson TV Ad, More Truth-testing, Olsen's political handout, The partial-truths in ad Blasting Republicans, Truth-testing the "truth center" [Alan Bernstein, Local Politics Blog, Chron.com] - "Truth squads" in journalism should go away.

Lykos for DA [The editorialsist formerly known as Mrs. White, Chron.com] - Bradford's so bad even the Chron couldn't endorse him.

College Football Pick 'em Week 8

Last Week: 8-3

Overall: 42-15

guess which three I missed :)


By week 8 things are beginning to shake out a little bit and the B(C)S championship picture is still as clear as mud. Nothing left to do now but root for the scenario that most muddles the mythical national championship picture and creates the most hard feelings.

Of Local Interest:

Southern Miss @ Rice
My Pick: Rice 42 So Miss 21 - Winning this game shows Rice is for real. Offensively, at least, I think Rice is for real.

Houston @ Southern Methodist University
My Pick: Houston 56 SMU 42 - The UH spread vs. the SMU Run n' Shoot. The Ponies aren't very good (yet) but they will score against UH's improving defense.

Texas Tech(7) @ Texas A&M
My Pick: TTU 63 aTm 7 - I still think Tech is overrated, and will continue to believe so until they beat OU or Texas. How bad have things gotten for aTm? Rumor has it the Chron pulled their beat writer from the program. I'm not sure if that reflects more poorly on aTm or the Chron.

Kansas(16) @ Oklahoma(4)
My Pick: OU 42 KU 17 - I wouldn't want to be Kansas this week. OU is smarting and angry.

Baylor @ Oklahoma St.(8)
My Pick: OSU 56 Baylor 24 - After getting a pass at (terrible) Iowa State Art Briles gets reimmersed into real Big XII football against a team that's riding high on a wave of confidence right now. OSU will come out flat, but will dominate in the second half.

Missouri(11) @ Texas(1)
My Pick: Texas 35 Mizzou 14 - Maybe a startlingly easy win for the Longhorns, at home, against a Mizzou team that was exposed against OSU.

National Games:

Brigham Young(9) @ Texas Christian University
My Pick: TCU 27 BYU 24 - Game of the Year in the Mountain West. TCU gets the nod because they are playing at home. Will be rooting for BYU to continue their role as a B(C)S spoiler.

Vanderbilt(22) @ Georgia(10)
My Pick: UGA 28 Vandy 3 - Thus endeth the fairy tale run of the Commodores. It was fun while it lasted. Imagine how good Georgia would have been without all those injuries.

Ohio State(12) @ Michigan St(20)
My Pick: Mich St. 17 OSU 14 - the OSU just hasn't been right all year. Ringer will run rings around them and the Spartan defense will stop OSU cold.

Louisiana State University(13) @ South Carolina
My Pick: LSU 27 SC 10 - That Tiger defense and the coaching of "the Hat" will be too much for SC's young QB tandem to handle. Speed, speed, speed for the Tigers (except when trying to outrun Gators)

Virginia Tech(17) @ Boston College
My Pick: Va Tech 21 BC 17 - Va Tech is better on defense and special teams than is BC. That makes up for BC's offensive advantages, even on the road. On another note: the Big East is terrible this year, ditto for the ACC.

Rapid Eye Movement (10/16/08)

The "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills" edition....


Will Executive Pay limits change anything? [Loren Steffy, Chron.com] - No. Next question.

Crude keeps falling, hits 14 month low. [AP via Chron.com].

Continental Airlines reports $236 Million Quarterly Loss....And...Southwest blames accounting charge for rare loss [BOTH: AP via Chron.com] - Coming soon to a Congress near you, airlines with hats in hand seeking ANOTHER bailout.

CitiGroup loses $2.8 Billion, cuts another 11,000 jobs. [AP via Chron.com] - Because the bank bailout has worked so well....

Everybody Else Did It [WSJ] - I'll say it again: That Christopher Freaking Dodd is involved in trying to legislate us out of this mess illustrates clearly how much trouble the economy is in. Up is now down.

Ayers is no "education reformer". [Sol Stern, WSJ] - No, he's an unrepentant former terrorist and co-founder of the Weather Underground. His ideas should be ran through that filter first.

Joe the Plumber is the real hero of the debate. [Anne Barrowclough, London Times] - Obama's answer to Joe was terrible, but not enough to overturn an election based (almost entirely) on a cult of personality.

Joe the Plumber's story could change the Race. [Janet Daley, UK Telegraph] - It's sad that the British press has done a better job campaigning against Obama than has McCain.

The Freedome of historical debate is being chipped away by the memory police. [Timothy Garton Ash, UK Guardian] - The British are on a roll today. This is the danger of PC history run amok.

Employee Free Choice Act is anything But. [USA Today Editorial Blog] - "Card check" unionization, with the Unions beholden to one party, is a terrible, scary idea.

Secret Service looking into Obama threat at Palin Rally. [Eileen Sullivan, AP via Yahoo!] - Ah the dangers of setting up ones political opponent as the Anti-Christ. Let's hope (and pray) that nothing like this happens other than words.

Houston Asides (10/16/08)

Voter Fraud not Rampant at ACORN [Lisa Falkenberg, Chron.com] - To resolve a MULTI-STATE scandal the Chron's Jr. columnist makes a call to the Harris County voter registrar (A REPUBLICAN!!! oh the balance) and determines that, since ALL of these things haven't happened in Harris County, ALL of the allegations are false and driven by partisanship. One would assume she's excluding her (partisan) column from the "driven by partisanship" files.

Mayor Withdraws bid to register roofers. [Bradley Olson, Chron.com] - For once City Council stands up to bad legislation proposed by Mayor White.

County Attorney's relationship with worker under question. [Brian Rogers, Chron.com] - Obama's associations? Petty distractions. Republican associations? The most critical campaign question in the WORLD. Funny how that works.

Finances shift in local House races. [Alan Bernstein, Chron.com] - With the, now common, practice of "self-financed" campaigns its hard to use "cash on hand" as an accurate measure of support. Telling fact: Skelly has raised more than Culberson, and the GOP is pulling back from the Olson campaign. Everything else is just numbers.

Metro Chiefs defend fare increases [Rosanna Ruiz, Chron.com] - Pure comdey line of the day: "Metro leaders defended the fare increases proposed for the next three years, saying that the agency must operate as an efficient business." Apparently fares mistakenly remained "flat" since 1994. Worst. Transit. Agency. Ever. Great for developers however.

Chron Editors Voted 100% Democrat in 2008. [Matt Bramanti, Lone Star Times] - One of them even donated to Democratic candidates. The ethics charges are piling up against the Chron Ed board faster than a Republican Senator in the Capitol wash-room. As it is the "neither right nor left" myth can safely be put to bed.

Good Times with Lee P. Brown. [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston] - That Lee P. is allowed to editorialize without being pelted by tomatoes says something about Houston, I'm just not sure what as of yet.

Playing the Jimmy Carter Card. [Tom Kirkendall, Houston's Clear Thinkers] - The proverbial rotund soprano is gargling with lemon water at least. (It's over)

Dr. Elyse to Hank Paulson...[Slampo, Slampo's Place] - Houston's best blogger lays bare the rediculous nature of the Chron's society column.

Obama dominating among early voters in five swing States. [J.P. Faletta, PoliSci@UST] - See above re: Rotund Soprano.

Linens N' Things to Liquidate. [Houston Business Journal] - Sympathy to the folks who are going to lose their jobs. 11 stores in Houston, that's probably around 300-400 employees (not including support staff).

To lure more quality downtown hotels, Houston sweetens pot. [Lee McGuire, KHOU.com] - For once I'd like to see a story on this done with REAL numbers, from a company that doesn't consistently overstate projected occupancy rates, and minus the editorialzing. Anyone?

In the sandbox.

This is funny.

There's a corporatist/theist "conservative" Republican blogger on the Chron.commons reader-generated-blog-type section of Chron.com who goes by the handle Texas Sparkle. There's a liberal/socialist "progressive" Democratic commentary blog at the same site named The Blue Team. At the beginning of this election mess The Blue Team spent most of its time mocking McCain and then McCain/Palin, times they were a hoppin'.

Then they got bored. Then Penny Hornsby got miffed at Kathleen McKinley and now all heck is breaking loose.

RWS:
A very close look at ACORN
Christopher Buckley and the Sad Goodbye
The First Thing Obama will do if he is Elected
Free Speech and Intimidation.
The Tar and Feathering of Sarah Palin

TBT:
A Very Close Look at ACORN
Christopher Buckley and the Sad Goodbye
What will be the First thing Obama will do if he's elected?
Free Speech and Intimidation.
The Tar and Feathering of Sarah Palin.



Great stuff. My political party could beat up your political party, and the partisan websites from which I get my facts are more truthy than the partisan website where you get your facts.

Ladies please. Keep your splashing at the shallow end of the pool.


This is what passes for learned political discourse on the Internet Address of the Newspaper of Record in the 4th largest City in America.

Truly Whirled Class.

Houston Asides (10/15/08)

Texas Dems: Time is Right for a Stunning Comeback [Gary Scharrar, Chron.com] - If not now, when? Texas Republicans have nothing to bank on other than the hope that the Texas Democratic Party reverts to form and snatches defeat from the jaws of victory.

HISD, North Forest ISD cited for "No Child Left Behind" Failures. [Ericka Mellon & Jennifer Radcliffe, Chron.com] - The answer, of course, is to roll out the-artist-formerly-known-as-Mrs. White's catapult and throw more money at the problem.

Tech No. 1? [Jerome Solomon, Chron.com] - Can we let them play someone first? Before we anoint them as "the best in all the land".

Is Transformation Ahead for Texans? [John McClain, Chron.com] - One win and they're being compared to the World Championship Tampa Bay teams. Imagine if they win THREE in a row against the drecks of the league? (short answer, no...its not)

Finally: Houston to upgrade its emergency radio system. [Anne Linehan, BlogHouston] - Because downtown parks, hotels and municipal wi-fi are MUCH more important than providing dependable communications for first responders.

Refracting Enron Myopia [Tom Kirkendall, Houston's Clear Thinkers] - There's business columns written by journalists, and then there's insightful business analysis. Kirkendall's blog is the place in Houston for the latter.

Metro considers rate hikes.

Mo' Money takes the place of "more riders" in the wacky public transit World of Metro....

[Rosanna Ruiz, Chron.com]

Bus and rail passengers would pay 25 cents to $1 more to ride under a budget proposal being considered by the Metropolitan Transit Authority's board of directors this week.

The board is scheduled to vote on the increases and a proposed $330 million budget Thursday.

Metro officials said today that base fares have remained the same for the past 14 years, but rising diesel fuel and other costs are to blame for the proposed hike.

The proposed fare schedule includes a sliding scale for Park and Ride users, who would pay 50 cents to $1 more, depending on how far they travel. Local bus and rail fares would go to $1.25 from the current $1.

If approved, the new fares will take effect Nov. 2.

Fares make up 21 percent of Metro's proposed $330 million budget. The price increase is expected to produce an additional $14 million in revenue in fiscal 2009.

So the "largest" fare increases are reserved for the Transit Agencies number one riders: Park n' Riders. Plus, if you look at the numbers, $14 Million is less than 5% of the overall budget of $330 Million dollars. I'm willing to bet that the loss of ridership will almost offset any potential revenue gains. Why?

The proposed fare schedule includes a sliding scale for Park and Ride users, who would pay 50 cents to $1 more

That means that some Park and Ride Users could potentially be spending $4 or more per round trip. With gas dropping into the $2-3 range, and using a 30 MPG car as a basis, the cost savings for Metro gets pretty thin, especially when you take into account the freedom that driving a car affords a person.

If you needed any further evidence that Metro's main goal was not transportation, as opposed to fostering Inner Loop development, then there's probably not much else that can be done to prove to you that Houston (the 4th largest City in the World) is absent a professional public transportation agency.

Getting people to change their commuting habits is hard. It's made harder by a nonsense bus map and rates designed to be punitive toward the largest rider demographic.


That doesn't even address this issue:

Metro held two public hearings Sept. 16, just days after Hurricane Ike struck the region. Those hearings drew no attendees.

Metro: Transparency in ACTION!(Provided you define "transparent" as something that you really can't see through, unless you squint really hard and are willing to be spoon-fed information without question...yeah..that)

We were wrong then...

OK, 1970's global cooling consensus, not so much....

[Barry Lefer, Chron.atmo.sphere]

Two scientists and a journalist report in the September 2008 issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS), a review of the climate change scientific literature of the mid-1960s through 1979 that even during a period of global cooling the majority of peer-review scientific articles were discussing the potential for global warming

(snip)

Yes globally averaged temperatures were declining but a more detailed analysis revealed that only northern hemisphere temperatures were cooling and the southern hemisphere was actually warming. One explanation for the northern hemisphere cooling involves the emission of SO2 from coal combustion that results in sulfuric acid aerosols that reflect sunlight back into space, cooling much of the northern hemisphere.

But don't take that to mean we're admitting we could be wrong now.....

Fortunately problems of this type rarely happen today.

[Eric Berger, from the comments]

Although this doesn't have any direct bearing on the accuracy of the modern global warming hypothesis, I do find it a pretty compelling refutation of the notion that there was a "scientific consensus" surrounding global cooling.

Got that?

Scientists supposedly agreed, then they didn't agree, then they said only HALF of the world was cooling and the other half was WARMING. Ignore that the AVERAGE global temperature was COOLING. (Which is what AGW theorists are claiming now)

Got that?


I love science, hard science, the soft sciences of theory, guesswork and educated guesses are giving it a bad name. "Science" journalists aren't helping either through their close-mindedness, something TRUE science doesn't foster.

I believe the data that says the world is getting marginally warmer over time, what I don't believe are the politically charged "truths" by partisan scientists (on both sides) claiming they know the answer.

Fact is we don't know. Which in that case means that we should hedge our bets and conserve as much as possible. Instead of destroying the basis or our economy to "solve" a "might be" scenario that's unproven.

Rapid Eye Movement (10/14/08)

Obama: Allegations of Voter Fraud a "distraction".[Ann Sanner, AP] - Funny, for 8 years now Democrats have been telling us that lack of voting integrity (through Republican manipulation of voting machines) is the first sign of the death knell of our democracy. Now that the shoe is on the other foot...it's nothing more than a "distraction". The good news is that if the Republicans rig the voting machines, and the typical Democratic voter fraud occurs....they'll cancel each other out.

Wall Street Turns South [Steve Schaefer, Forbes.com] - Ah profit taking.

Dallas' Adam "PacMan" Jones suspended again. [Yahoo! Sports] - Romo - out, Felix Jones out, Sam Hurd - out, PacMan - out....oh, and they lost their punter for the season as well. Tough week for the Cowboys eh?

Obama and ACORN [WSJ] - As we start to get an idea who an Obama Presidency will cater to.

U.S. announces plans to buy stakes in largest banks [WSJ] - The begninning of end of the beginning of the "grand experiment"? Some are saying that. Of course, there are some self-proclaimed "financial experts" proclaiming that the Government should just seize ownership, a la Hugo Chavez. What you can infer from this is that the so-called "financial experts" aren't very good, else they'd have something the Government would want to take. Funny how that works.

A thumbs up from the Ivory Tower [Real Time Economics, WSJ] - Or...people making $50,000/year trying to tell you how to save Trillions.

McCain has some fast explaining to do [Steve Huntly, Chicago Sun-Times] - Considering he hasn't made his case coherently to this point I see no reason for this to change. If Republicans were smart they'd focus all of their resources towards the Senate, where they are clinging to the hope of playing the "principled opposition" role.

Reminder: Dan Patrick Town Hall Meeting tonight [Matt Bramanti, Lone Star Times] - Patrick is determined to try again to repeal the blocker bill in the Senate, look above for why that's a bad idea. Super-majorities craft better legislation.

Democrats Economic Plan: New Deal 2.0? [Martin Kady II, Politico] - Imagine Government controls over your ability to get a raise, start a new business, move up the socio-economic ladder. Get a job. All of this will be regulated in the near future. Whether or not you consider this to be good or bad depends on your political point of view. See: Most of the European Union For more.

What's "in" is now "out" [Mark Penn, Politico] - This is why Democrats should be HAPPY. They're openly writing about their goals for America, the destruction of her businesses, and the rebuilding of the same through Government investment, ownership and control.....and no one is throwing rocks at them.

The GOP is a mess and a fraud.[Eugene Robinson, RCP] - THIS is why Republicans should be angry. Their Party (led by George W. Bush) oversaw the crippling of the Free Market System and did very little in the final years about it. (And NO, I'm not saying the Republicans are soley to blame. I AM suggesting that they played an equal part however.)

Beware a Liberal D.C. [Fred Barnes, Weekly Standard] - Hits on two areas where I vehemently disagree with the Democrats. The "Fairness Doctrine" and "Card-check Unionization". One is a suppression of free speech and the second is a suppression of an economic right to choose.

Warning: Big Government Ahead [David Brooks, NY Times] - Left unsaid is that the Democrats are just going to shift the excessive spending to different areas than where Bush was spending the money. See New Deal 2.0 for more. (and most of the European Union)

Night of the Living Constitution [Terry Eastland, Weekly Standard] - I'm not as concerned as most about "court stacking" by Obama. The two justices most likely to retire are Ginsburg and Stevens. Basically Obama replaces the two most liberal Justices in the court with two justices who are likely to be....the two most liberal Justices in the court.

Our "image" problem.

Picture courtesy of Allure Magazine and OMG! by Yahoo!...

If THIS is what fashionistas* consider fat, then I want ALL women to be "fat".


Just sayin'









*the word "fashionista" in and of itself is a misnomer. Have you ever seen a fashion writer? Probably the most unfashionable people in the world.

Houston Asides (10/14/08)

HPD Officers punished for performing other work while on the clock. [Mike Glenn, Chron.com] - For a time after being hired (although he swears no longer) HPD Chief Harold Hurtt would commute back to Phoenix on weekends, presumeably running City affairs from afar. Where's the outrage?

Is Death Penalty Too Common? DA Candidates Split [Alan Bernstein, Chron.com] - Yes. But that doesn't mean that a vote for Bradford is warrented. If voters weren't such sock-puppets for the major parties they'd skip this race and demand REAL candidates be placed on the ballot.

Is Halloween Harmless? [Believe Out Loud, HoustonBelief] - What's more harmful? Kids dressing up in costumes getting candy, or people on the Religious Right wanting to get rid of everything with which they disagree? (Disclaimer: I was born on Halloween, it's my favorite Holiday. I grew up having well-meaning {but idiotic} Sunday School Teacher's tell me I was born on the "Devil's Day".)

Race debate shifts toward Black Voters. [Lisa Falkenberg, Chron.com] - White "racism" - One couple, concept proven. Black "racism" - Several voters, explained away as "a celebration of my people". Can we PLEASE stop having the Youth columnist comment on weighty matters going on in the adult section of the pool? (FWIW- Yes Lisa, racism will play a part in the voting decisions of a certain percentage of voters, whether they be white, black, brown, purple or whatever. I know that's hard for you to grasp, but that's the way the world works.) Stunningly bad set of columns from the newspaper of record in the 4th largest City in America.

County Judge Debate Begins on a Sour Note. [Liz Austin Peterson, Chron.com] - Mincberg's getting nasty (and desperate) as Emmett's stock continues to rise.

Texas GOP throws its weight to the bottom of the ballot. [R.G. Ratcliffe, Chron.com] - Texas GOP = Keystone Cops of the political world.

Armstrong casts more doubt on Entering Tour [AP, Chron.com] - Apparently the French are scared he'll win. (again)

We Must Protect the....Revenue Stream?

Houston Plan: No Red Light Auto-Payments, no vehicle registration. [Carolyn Feibel, Chron.com] -


I'm waiting for the same outrage from the people who opposed the proof of citizenship for driver's licences rule to come out in opposition of this one. After all:

Illegal Entry into the United States: Civil Misdemeanor
Ticketed for running a red-light by camera: Civil Misdemeanor.

One of the main arguments of the "anti-identity verification" groups were that the driver's license rules would bolster the illegal document trade. I'm not seeing why this, offered up by some of the same politicians supported by those who oppose the driver's license rules, would do any different.

Must be a difference that I'm missing, you know, one that any idiot could see? I'm sure that'll be explained away (in a thoroughly non-partisan manner mind you) in the future.

A second question I have is this: The Texas Dept. of Transportation sets the rules, can the City (even working with the DoT) amend those rules without legislative action?

Oh, and then there's this:

The city must make sure its violations data is accurate and updated, and matches information kept by TxDOT, he said.

"Otherwise you send thousands of people on merry-go-round trips," he said.

Bettencourt referred to the problems the municipal courts have had in recent years with an inadequate computer system.

"It's still something I want to see they have fixed," he said. "If I don't think the data's correct, I won't do it. I'll tell TxDOT not to do it."

The failures of the, then Mayor Brown pet-project, Municipal Court Computer System have been well documented. In short: It's broken.

In Summary: The City is proposing to rely on a broken computer system to enact a plan that will (in all likelihood) bolster the illegal counterfeit document industry in an effort to ensure payment on a red-light camera policy that was flawed from the start.

All in the name of "safety" of course. Safety of "what" I leave up to you.

OTHER EYES:

BlogHouston

Rapid Eye Movement (10/13/08)

"Hey...the world's not coming to an end!" version...

Crisis Has Nothing to Do with Re-investment Act. [Shannon Buggs, Chron.com] - Uh yeah, it really does have a LOT to do with it. Not all, this thing is way to big to only have one cause, but quite a bit. Those who are trying to wash away incriminating evidence on this case in a partisan manner are reaching. There's plenty of blame to go around. In other words: This was a National (not a partisan) crock-up of the economy.

Dow's 936 point surge ends losing streak. [Peter A. McKay, WSJ] - Hope you bought low.

More Americans valut overseas for Jobs [Dana Mattoli, WSJ] - Maybe in a few years. But, from what I'm hearing, Europe is going to get hit BAD with the global downturn and given their protectionist employment policies it will be the Americans that are let go first. I'll wait until this is over before making my move.

Obama's 95% illusion [WSJ] - A good primer on the Obama plan. Yet another reason why McCain is losing, he couldn't articulate this point either.

A Capitalist Manifesto. [Julie Shelton, WSJ] - Unfortunately our Politicians gave up on the quaint idea of free markets almost 20 years ago. (Yes Republicans, I'm pointing at you as well)

Bush's North Korea Surrender will have lasting consequences. [John R. Bolton, WSJ] - Just how low can a Presidential Approval Rating go?

The politics of smear won't work this year. [Gary Younge, UK Guardian] - Nope, the sad thing is McCain/Palin didn't have to smear Obama/Biden.

Unfreindly Rhetoric [Mark Levin, National Review] - Most were hoping for a "post-racist" Presidency, Obama seems keen on keeping race (and class) wars an issue. So much for "hope".

Race and the Race. [Gary Bauer, Politico] - Ditto.

Houston Asides (10/13/08)

Republicans Sink to New Low - For Now [Something Different, Chron.commons] - Not really, they're just being more blunt about it. Nothing that has been said about Obama is worse than what the Democrats have said about Palin. It'd be nice if it all stopped, but that's not going to happen as long as partisans continue to ignore the transgressions of their preferred parenthesized letter.

As Roosevelt Acted, so Must Government act Now to Help Americans [Texas Liberal, Chron.commons] - No, its a combination of poor Government intervention and greed that got us into this mess, it's a combination of market retraction and frugality that could get us out. What the Gov't needs to do is quit spending like someone on a bender who was told they have six weeks to live.

Almost a month after Ike. [Tom Kirkandall, Chron.com] - A much better picture of the recovery than we've seen in local media.

Economist Dr. Laffer: TX beats CA [Tory Gattis, Houston Strategies] - Californians are already attacking Texas in the comments. Don't mess with the (now broke) Socialist State of California.

Texas State Board of Education District 7: Laura Ewing [The Artist Formerly Known as Mrs. White, Chron.com - So...to fix a broken education system the Chron endorses a veteran educator? Education "reformists" have grown more concerned with keeping Creationism out of schools than educating children. That's sad.

Lawmakers do deserve a little credit. [Clay Robison, Chron.com] - File this under, even a blind squirrel finds a nut.

Metro PD: We can't police bus stops, but we've got sharpshooters, and a Bomb Robot! [Anne Linehan, BlogHouston] - What part of basic police work don't you understand?

New CD 07 Poll [Charles Kuffner, Off the Kuff] - Culberson 48%, Skelly 40%. Warning! This is a poll done for DailyKos. I'm leaning Skelly but I'm not convinced its this close. Skelly has been out blockwalking, but just this weekend the Harris County Republican Party sent out mailers attacking Skelly's political affiliations.

Another thing that sounds more interesting than bad football [Kevin Whited, PubliusTX.com] - But. but. but....The Texans WON...They're still alive for the PLAYOFFS! *snicker*

Maybe not the Best Example

OK, the assignment is to write a story that highlights a staffind and funding policy for a State Program that has struggled to get off the ground. It's clear, by the people chosen to interview, that this is to be a "pro-program" story so you should pick a recipient that could pull at the heart-stings of would-be social workers in order to boost the ranks. You could pick a young, working family with a history of abuse, a family whose prize bread-winner just got laid off, you could choose any number of beneficiaries from the program that would be better than this...

[Janet Elliot, Chron.com]

A Houston-area 35-year-old single mother of nine was able to leave roach-infested furniture behind when she moved into a bigger apartment. The family, whose monthly income including food stamps and child support is just over $2,500, also got a washer and dryer.

Yeesh....

As far as entitlements go, I'm more OK with a one-time payment than I am with continuing assistance that just requires the recipient stay below certain income levels in order to continue receiving assistance. To my way of thinking, those programs are counter-productive. A far better program would be to set educational and career growth milestones that MUST be met lest assistance be cut-off permanently.

The Corporatist Republican mantra is that the Government shouldn't do anything, that any and all entitlements are evil. This is in opposition to the Socialist Democratic model which believes that all entitlements should be increased, in order to balance out the wealth disparities between the rich and the poor.

To my way of thinking the solution lies somewhere in the middle. Help those who want to help themselves, force them to improve, and let charity handle the rest. At some point we have to take a hard, cold, look in the mirror and come to grips with the fact that some people don't want to better themselves, that they've long-ago decided that living at a subsistance wage while soaking up funds from productive society is a perfect life for them. As their numbers grow larger and larger, the ability of the Nation to remain viable grows smaller and smaller.

The goal of ANY assistance plan should be to get people off said assistance in the shortest amount of time possible. And by "off assistance" I mean forever. That means teaching them a trade so they can earn a living wage, not pushing them into silly GED programs and then sending them to a Community College despite obvious signs that they are not good candidates for a College Education.


Then we can give them a job building infrastructure.

More Buc-Ees!!

If you're a fan of Bucees Travel Centers, with their sparkling clean restrooms and large processed game counter (in Luling that is) then the news they are expanding in Houston will be welcome....

[David Kaplan, Chron.com]

Perhaps more than any other Texas store, Buc-ee's implores people to use its bathrooms.

Near the Louisiana border, a billboard says: "Only 262 Miles to Buc-ee's. You can Hold It."

Another one reads: "Restrooms So Clean We Leave Mints In the Urinals."

The idea behind the billboards: When motorists pull in to use the restroom, they are likely to buy.

And at Buc-ee's, they can buy things they won't find at most other gas station-convenience stores.

Of the 25 Buc-ee's — pronounced "Bucky's" — the biggest and most famous is the flagship in Luling where, along with gas, beer and soda, they sell peppered elk jerky, 18 kinds of homemade fudge, private-label peach salsa, hunting supplies, smoke pits and souvenir T-shirts and bumper stickers for their almost cult-like fans.

It's a roadside tourist attraction that will soon have a greater presence among Texas motorists.

Early next year, the company will open two more flagship stores similar to the Luling operation: one connecting Houston and Dallas on Interstate 45 in Madisonville and the other between Houston and Victoria on U.S. 59 in Wharton — which means more irreverent Buc-ee's billboards on Texas highways.

The Madisonville store will be almost twice as big as the one in Luling.

I'm sure that the anti-industry group Scenic Houston will be none to pleased about this, neither will local PeTA activists and other spoil sports who feels its their mission in life to tell others how to run their business, and what they should eat but, for the 80% of us who just want to live and let live while enjoying a clean bathroom on our way to Dallas....more Buc-Ees with their sparkling restrooms is an attractive idea.

Besides, kids love the Buc-ees Beaver.

Election 2008: Prepping for the lawsuits.

Both Democrats and Republicans are working overtime in an effort to undermine the results of the next election should they lose....


Republicans [Received via Gmail]

ALG Urges Attorney General to Investigate ACORN Election Fraud

October 9th, 2008, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today called upon the U.S. Attorney General to immediately open an investigation of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), alleging a nationwide effort to steal the 2008 election.

“The voter registration fraud is so rampant and so widespread now that steps have to be taken to ensure that a legitimate, verifiable election occurs this year,” said Wilson in a statement.

ACORN is already under investigation for voter fraud in closely contested states, including Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Missouri, and has a long history of such fraud in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, Michigan, Wisconsin, and New Mexico. Americans for Limited government has released the following executive summary of its activities.

“This appears to be a concerted, coordinated effort to elect Senator Barack Obama to be president by whatever means necessary,” said Wilson. “If law enforcement officials do not act quickly, the entire legitimacy of the 2008 election will be undermined.”

“Paul Ogden recently tabulated that over 30,000 more people than were eligible to register in Marion County/Indianapolis were somehow registered to vote. This is just a single example, but there’s something very fishy going on, and it’s got ACORN written all over it.”

“It is up to the Justice Department to ensure the inviolability of our democracy. If an election is stolen, then the most basic democratic right—the right to vote—is violated,” said Wilson.

Wilson has previously called for ACORN to be defunded by Congress for its role in lobbying for loose credit standards that have contributed to the current financial crisis. Today he renewed that call, “There is just no way that this organization has any business receiving tax money. First, they help destroy the economy, and now they’re trying to steal the election.”

ACORN is currently eligible for over $500 million of an “affordable housing fund” created under the $300 billion Foreclosure Prevention Act passed this past summer, and according to the Consumer Rights League receives some 40 percent of its funding from taxpayers annually.

“How many other organizations does Congress fund that are actively engaged in partisan politics?” he asked. ACORN has endorsed Barack Obama for president this year.

Wilson also encouraged Americans nationwide to visit StopACORN.org to sign a petition calling for ACORN to be investigated for election fraud.

Wilson warned law enforcement officials to move as quickly as possible to make sure November’s vote is clean. “There needs to be a sense of urgency to defend the legitimacy of this election. They won’t just be preserving the legality of the vote, but they will be preserving our democracy.”

Democrats
[Ian Urbina, New York Times]

Tens of thousands of eligible voters in at least six swing states have been removed from the rolls or have been blocked from registering in ways that appear to violate federal law, according to a review of state records and Social Security data by The New York Times.*

Ah the joy of election season....Lawsuits, protests, idiots running around clamoring about how the other party "stole our democracy". (while ignoring their own parties attempts to do so.)

Anyone remember these questions from your SAT's?

Election Day is to Lawyers as.....

A. Signing Day is to Coach Sumlin
B. Christmas Day is to shoppers
C. Black Friday is to Retailers
D. Tax Day is to Accountants.


The answer of course is "C". Both signal the start of busy season.





*Due to the draconian copyright protection policy espoused by the New York Times, I dare not quote that article in full. I suggest you go to their site so they are happy.

Is the Chronicle Editorial Board Acting Unethically?

At this point I think the title of this post is a valid question.

It all started with a nice catch by Kevin Whited at BlogHouston while looking over some campaign finance disclosures. The local blogosphere piled on.

Interestingly, Uncle Darrell pointed out that most credible news sources forbid political contributions by their reporters and editorial writers. Apparently the Chronicle has no such qualms. (Or doesn't feel that contributions are unethical from editorialists)

Now, a commenter at BlogHouston points out this little tidbit:

[Orlando Cepeda {A pseudonym we're sure}, BlogHouston Forums]

Now HERE is an interesting development. This editorial, written by Ms. Georgsson, is prominently displayed on Mincberg's Web site. Coincidentally (or more likely, NOT), it was written one week to the day after Ms. Georgsson forked over her cash to Mr. Mincberg at his fundraiser party.
So not only does she donate $250 in cold hard cash, but she follows it up a week later with a nice little anti-GOP, anti-Emmett editorial for Mincberg to display prominently on his Web site.
That's cozy. And I guess it's the kind of fine journalism we can expect come endrosement time too, I suspect.



Under a cloud
Sept. 5, 2008, 8:37PM
The series of ethics questions bedeviling Harris County elected officials, which began with the forced resignation of District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal, shows no signs of letting up as a pivotal election approaches.

Sheriff Tommy Thomas has been the target of reports concerning questionable e-mail deletion policies by his staff and work by county contractors on his private property. Now County Commissioner Jerry Eversole, who has been embroiled in periodic controversies over his campaign fund spending habits since he was elected 17 years ago, tells the Chronicle’s Liz Austin Peterson that he is the focus of an FBI corruption probe and expects to be forced from office.

While proclaiming his innocence, Eversole acknowledged that FBI agents had interviewed his friends and the government could “make a case on me. That’s why I say my days are numbered. There’s no doubt about it.”

Several months ago, the commissioner stormed out of a court session after an in-house report suggested he and other officials had approved lease-purchase contracts with two now-indicted developers, contracts that might have cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

Eversole was also angered by a KTRK-TV report that focused on his use of campaign funds to buy firearms and pay for a Florida vacation for himself, spouse and friends. The Harris County district attorney’s office continues to probe those expenditures.

At this point Commissioner Eversole enjoys the presumption of innocence. But given his chronic blindness to the ethical requirements of his office, Eversole’s departure would be appropriate.

County Judge Ed Emmett was appointed by Commissioner’s Court to fill out the term of Robert Eckels, who quit to go into private law practice. Emmett, a Republican, appointed a citizen task force that has come up with recommendations to enhance public scrutiny of county officials. His Democratic opponent, David Mincberg, has made an issue of the large contributions that flow to county officials from interests that do business with the county. Mincberg pointed out more than $150,000 in donations that Emmett’s campaign has received from county contractors this year.

The latest developments all but guarantee that good government issues will dominate hard-fought contests for county judge, county attorney, district attorney and sheriff to be decided in November.

It would be refreshing if rather than just talking ethics at election time, the winners would back meaningful reforms once they take office.

The article on the Mincberg site can be found here dated Sept 5, 2008. The article @ Chron.com (now archived) can be found here.

Ms. Georgsson's contribution can be found on pg 18 here dated 08/29/2008.

It should be noted that, due to the Chronicle's policy of publishing editorials unsigned, there is no way to conclusively identify Ms. Georgsson as the sole author of that editorial. However, her position on the Chronicle Editorial Board certainly raises sufficient doubt as to whether or not she had input into the content and process. Since we are nearing a major election, its also fair to question the impartiality and judgement of the entirety of the Editorial Board based on this information, especially in matter of County politics.

At a minimum, based on the reading of journalism ethics provided by Unca Darrell, there's conduct that violates established codes that's going unaddressed down at 801 Texas Ave. The worst case scenario is that the Chronicle editorial board is violating the trust placed in it by its subscriber base by failing to publically recuse Ms. Georgsson from the endorsement and editorial process until after the election.


Where this falls on the spectrum I'll leave for you to decide.

Lisa Falkenber* (Name changed to protect the innocent)

I'm sorry WHAT???

[Lisa Falkenberg, Chron.com]

It was the hustle of many folks — namely a judge, a congressman, a newspaper reporter, some government employees and the fine folks at Rice University — that got Ash Metry his right to vote on the momentous Election Day coming up.

It was government bureaucracy that cost Syed Zubair the same right.

The men, both software engineers, the first originally from Egypt, the second from India, were among 1,241 Houston-area citizenship applicants who saw their naturalization ceremony canceled last month because of Hurricane Ike. Officials with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services initially rescheduled the ceremony for Oct. 29, well after the Oct. 6 voter registration deadline.

When the Houston Chronicle's Susan Carroll reported on the problem last week, the federal agency's first response was to throw up its hands and plead helpless. Damage to the USCIS building had made it impossible to access paperwork needed to move up the ceremony, officials said.

Spokeswoman Maria Elena Garcia-Upson put the onus on Mother Nature's wrath and maintained that "these are circumstances totally out of our control."

Everybody agrees that Ike, and not the federal government, caused the mess, but luckily, some people in high places didn't share the agency's can't-do attitude that there was no way to fix it.

U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes, the administrative judge for the Houston federal courts, and U.S. Rep. Gene Green, got on the phone with agency officials and urged them to get off their duffs. Hughes volunteered to perform an emergency ceremony and had the court's clerk on standby if USCIS would just get the paperwork together.

Magically, by the next day, USCIS found a way to hold the emergency ceremony. Apparently, all it took was for somebody to get the green light from the General Services Administration to go into the water-damaged USCIS building and pull the files.

Meanwhile, the judge and Green called around to find a venue for the ceremony and Rice quickly obliged, offering up Rice Stadium and assembling police and sound people within hours of the request for a meeting.

To their credit, USCIS staffers logged overtime hours working the phones from afternoon until late at night, trying to reach all the immigrants to notify them of the details of the Saturday ceremony.

Metry, 29, got the call at 10:30 p.m. and became an American citizen the next morning, along with 882 others who took the oath. He also registered to vote.

But Syed Zubair and his wife didn't get the call. They were among 250 applicants who didn't show for the ceremony.

"The shame of the whole thing, after all the efforts that went into making that ceremony happen, they missed a few," said Zubair, who asked that I not use his last name because he felt uncomfortable with it being published. "It's a huge disappointment for our family."

Ummm...what am I missing here?

Either there was something lost in translation or the Chronicle and Falkenberg have REALLY screwed the pooch on this one.


NOTE: After re-reading the article I've come to the conclusion that the gentlemen's name has to be Syed Zubair *insert last name*. Either that or something has REALLY gone wrong. Either way, the story is the victim of poor writing, poor editing, or both.

Houston Asides (10/09/08)

DPS blocks illegal immigrants. [Clay Robison, Chron.com] - People aren't going to like it, but driving is a privilage not a right. The responsibility of legal entry doesn't seem like too high a bar to traverse to attain that privilage to me. (Although, ANY bar height is too high for those who don't recognize the border sovereignty of the US.)

City Council Opposes White's Proposed Roofer Regulations. [Chron.com] - Council objects, White bristles at not being Rubber Stamped. Clutterbuck is correct however, White's rule is poorly crafted and will only serve to punish those who are willing to do things right. Oh, and the licensing fees will provide White with a new revenue stream, let's not forget that.

Ike puts Sam Houston Race Park's Season in Limbo [Martha Claussen, Chron.com] - That sucks.

Ignorant and Uninformed? You Betcha. [Something Different, Chron.commons] - So, if I were to link to an uninformed Obama supporter would that be proof of case that ALL Obama supporters are ignorant? According to this chron.commons deep thinker the answer is "yes".

Economists Overwhelmingly Support Obama's Economic Plans [Gimme Some Truth, Chron.commons] - Uh-huh, this is the group that still hasn't forcasted a recession. Yeah, I trust their judgement. (I'd trust them more if they answered "neither candidate" when asked who could better hanlde the economy by the way)

Billboards today, AGDS tomorrow [Charles Kuffner, Off-the-Kuff] - He's neither for (Nor against) regulation. My question is: How far do we go? Does the City attempt to regulate font style and size on business size next? Sign color? (I'm guessing RED would be the first color outlawed right?)

More on Old-School Journalistic Ethics. [Unca Darrell] - Ol' Unc takes a look at campaign contribution rules by some of the larger (and relatively well respected) news-gathering organizations and finds the actions by Andrea Georgsson to be ethically lacking. Whether they're ethically unacceptable to the Chron (a much less respected news-gathering organization) is still up in the air.


Say What? [Tom Kirkendall, Houston's Clear Thinkers] - Mr. Kirkendall continues exposing the lack of leadership on display in D.C. during the financial crisis.

Rapid Eye Movement (10/09/08)

"Corruption" edition....

ACORN voter fraud in Ohio [Plain-Dealer]

ACORN voter fraud in Nevada [Texas Insider]

AIG leader's "retreat" after bailout angers lawmakers. [Andrew Taylor, AP] - Hey, its HARD WORK bilking the American Taxpayer out of Billions of dollars.

White House Considers Ownerships in Certain Banks. [Martin Crutsinger, AP via Yahoo! News] - Not to be an I told you so....(REM 10/08/08)

California's new budget already $1 Billion in the Red. [Mike Zapler, MercuryNews] - Most liberal progressive programs trace their ideological roots to California. Just sayin'

Voters haven't decided yet. [Karl Rove, WSJ] - Sure looks as if they've decided to me. Not sure which fantasy land Rove is waking up in each morning.

News Flash: The Media Back Obama. [Dorothy Rabinowitz, WSJ] - After all of this is over, there's sure to be a ton of spleen venting about how the media failed in this election, by BOTH sides.

The Next $300 Billion. [WSJ] - McCain's Mortgage plan won't work. The sad thing is Obama favors something similar.

Dem Strategists see landslide in the making. [David Paul Kuhn, Politico] - Someone should tell Karl Rove that.

A Realigning Election? [Steven Stark, RCP] - Probably, but mostly due to the Repbulicans being terrible, and not due to some Democratic well-spring of greatness.

Running From Reality. [David Broder, RCP] - Broder nails something important: We STILL don't know how either of these two candidates will govern during the economic crisis, and no one seems to be pressing the question.

College Football Pick 'em. Week 7

Last week: 9-2

Overall: 34-12

Of local interest:

UAB @ Houston
My Pick: UH 63 UAB 3 - The Dragons are terrible, and UH is just now hitting its strde.

Kansas State @ Texas A&M
My Pick: K-State 42 aTm 14 - Don't see aTm winning a game for the rest of the year.

Nebraska @ Texas Tech(7)
My Pick: Tech 52 Neb 10 - I still think Tech is overrated, but they haven't played anyone yet to prove that.

National Games - Plus the BIG local interest game.

Colorado @ Kansas(16)
My Pick: Jayhawk 35 Buffs 14 - Colorado needs a defense.

Oklahoma State @ Missouri
My pick: Mizzou 56 OSU 38 - Both teams will score, Mizzou will score more.

Clemson @ Wake Forest(21)
My Pick: Wake 28 Clemson 14 - Tommy Bowden is coaching Clemson. That's really all you need to say.

LSU(4) @ Florida(11)
My Pick: LSU 24 Florida 17 - Tough road win for LSU beating an overrated Florida team.

Notre Dame @ North Carolina(22)
My Pick: UNC 38 ND 3 - Puts to bed the myth that Notre Dame is any good this year.

Michigan State(23) @ Northwestern
My Pick: MSU 24 NW 7 - Puts to bed the myth that Northwestern is any good this year.

Tennessee @ Georgia(10)
My Pick: UGA 35 UT 10 - Phillip Fulmer's coaching tenure officially goes on life support.

Penn State(6) @ Wisconsin
My Pick: PSU 27 Wisky 10 - Penn State stakes their claim as the top team in the Big Tenelven. Ohio State yawns.

Oklahoma(1) @ Texas(5)
My Pick: OU 24 Texas 10 - OU puts to bed the myth that Texas has some new found "toughness" that Mack Brown teams have been lacking in the past. OU is bigger, stronger and faster than the Horns, who have no running game, and a QB in Colt McCoy who's been beaten more than a 10 year old rug after a dust storm. Sam Bradford cements his status as a leading Heisman Trophy Award candidate, now handed out annually to the best player on the best regular season team in the land.

Oh....and all the fried food you can imagine at the State Fair.

Rapid Eye Movement (10/08/08)

The "end of the World as we know it" edition...

Fed, other World Banks, order emergency rate cut. [AP, Chron.com]

British Government will partially Nationalize Banks [AP, Chron.com] - The next step for the US by the way.

World stock markets crashing. [AP, Chron.com]

Credit crisis pushing Iceland into Bankruptcy [Jane Wardell, AP via Chron.com] - Modernization isn't all its cracked up to be.

Debate Focuses on the economy. [Laura Meckler, Christopher Cooper WSJ] - A $300 Billion dollar plan by the Republican in the race....proof that these are strange times.

The Next Bailout: Your adult children. [Sue Schellenberger, WSJ] - I've got more to say about the US over-reliance on credit, especially with younger citizens. This is a good start however.

Barack and Health-Care equity [WSJ] - An Obama health plan that gives tax subsidies to the Rich? Well, yeah.

Good policies can save the economy. [Lee Ohanian, WSJ] - Of course, Congress is contemplating the opposite of these items. Go figure.

Dallas Cowboys Starting Roster Found on Nevada Voting Roles. [Oskar Garcia, AP via Chron.com] - What's that ACORN involved in a voter registration scandal? Naaahhh....*snicker* Anyone wanna lay a Diet Coke toward who the Cowboys would have been voting for?

Obama GOTV and Voter Fraud. [Brian Faughnan, Weekly Standard Blog] - Another ACORN voter fraud article. Moneyshot quote of the story: "Kris Harsh, ACORN's head Cleveland organizer, blamed the elections board for not scrutinizing ACORN's suspicious cards. He said the group can't be expected to catch everything."....don't you have to be trying to stop voter fraud before you can catch it? Obviously ACORN isn't even putting forth an effort.

Houston Asides (10/08/08)

Chron editorialsits gets early start on endorsements [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston] - Not that the Chron endorsements were worth anything before, but now that we know they are partisan?

City Still Looking at Convention Center Options. [Charles Kuffner, Off-the-Kuff] - Kuffner brings to attention a story I've been following on this blog for a while now. (good, his readership is larger than mine) =)

Neighbors complain about odors from Waste facility [Peggy O'Hare, Chron.com] - Maybe the problem is that you moved next door to a WASTE FACILITY?

Chief Justice [Mrs. White, Chron.com] - With just over 10 days to go until the start of early voting, the Chron dips its toes into the recommendation pool. Howls from the InterLeft that the underqualified Democratic challenger wasn't endorsed in 5...4....3...2....

National Night Out [Kevin Whited, PubliusTx] - How soon we all forget the fun we had hanging out with our neighbors. My block was a ghost town as well. (no one wanted to share my hotdogs, which, of course, meant more for me.)

Astros' 2008 Season Review[Tom Kirkendall, Houston's Clear Thinkers] - Skim the Chron's dreck and then read this for a comprehensive review that didn't come from Drayton's PR department.

Help get Houston Playgrounds fixed after Ike. [Tory Gattis, Houston Strategies]

Ah the hazards of blogging....

Blog readers do the strangest things....

For example: here.

There are about three instances where this reader has copied n' pasted large amounts of my text into Google and then ran a search on it. Either I've picked up some spiders, or I've got someone trying to catch me in the act of plagiarism.

As to the former, there's not much I care to do. As for the latter, good luck with that, all of my work here is my own. If its not, its credited as per the terms of fair use. Maybe you should be looking in the direction of other Houston writers for evidences of "borrowed" writing.

Houston Asides (10/07/08)

Galveston PD launches internal probe of Backe arrest [Harvey Rice, Chron.com] - Bad year for Backe.

A Million New Trees will thicken Houston canopy [Allan Turner, Chron.com] - Then, in 25 years, we'll tear them all down again. (or another Hurricane will blow through and they'll all fall on our multi-family houses.)

Houston Traffic Signals back on, but syncing may be off [Carolyn Feibel, Chron.com] - That should read that sequencing may be off, but oh well.

Homeowners chafe at wait for blue roof tarps [Mike Snyder, Chron.com] - At some point, maybe when the rain fell, I'd just tarp it up myself. Imagine the fun when these folks take over our health care system.

Council eyes measures against shady roofers. [Bradley Olson, Chron.com] - Yup, ordinances always do a lot to stop the dishonest contractors, without placing additional burdens on honest businesses. (/sarcasm)

This campaign is a fine time to check prejudices [Lisa Falkenberg, Chron.com] - Because, as we all know, EVERYONE who's opposed to Obama is so because of his skin color.

Noriega blasts Cornyn over Immigration [R.G. Ratcliffe, Chron.com] - In related news, the sky is blue and water is wet.

It's still too early to give up on Texans [Jerome Soloman, Chron.com] - Ummm...they're 0-4 (0-3) in the division. No, its not too early. It is, however, way too late for local reporters to stop cheerleading for this sorry excuse for a team and start providing honest commentary.

Is the bailout a success or failure. [Loren Steffy, Chron.com] - How can we even KNOW this yet?

CD7: The Calling game

Received a phone call last night from a pollster calling from "The Chronicle Polling Services" and then was guided through one odd political poll....

Unfortunately, I had just arrived home from work and didn't have time to set up the recorder, but I did jot down some notes which I'll relate here....

1st Set of Questions: Standard fare...

"If the election were held today how likely are you to vote."
"Who would you vote for in the Presidential race if the ballot contained: McCain (R), Obama (D), Nadar (I), Barr (L)."
"Who would you vote for in CD7 Congressional race if the ballot contained: Culberson (R), Skelley (D), Drew Parks (L)."

The "Presidential Candidate" question was odd, because (to my knowledge as related here) Ralph Nadar is not going to appear on the Texas ballot.

2nd Set of Questions: Favorability ratings.

A. Rank the following persons based on how you perceive their job performance on a scale from 1 to 100 (1 being the lowest, 100 being the highest)

1. Henry Paulson
2. President Bush
3. John Culberson
4. Republicans in Congress

B. Which of the following items do you think is the most important issue facing the Government today:

1. Health care
2. The economy and financial markets
3. Illegal immigration
4. Terrorism and National Defense
(there were two others that I didn't write down)

C. How favorable do you rate the following items (Very Favorable, Somewhat Favorable, Somewhat Unfavorable, Very Unfavorable)

1. The recent $700 Billion dollar bailout
2. The War in Iraq
(and a few more...by this time I was scribbling furiously to keep up)

Nothing groundbreaking in this section, but the question asking how I viewed Republicans in Congress, the fact that Paulson was first, AND the omission of how I viewed Democrats in Congress got my radar up.

Then the questions just got odd....

Section 3: CD7 Specific races

If the election were held today, would you vote for John Culberson (R) or Micheal Skelley (D)? Ummm...didn't you already ask me that?

How much do you know about Michael Skelley?

"I'm now going to read to you a list of things Culberson supporters have been saying about Micheal Skelley, Please state whether or not you are "very concerned", "Somewhat concerned" or "not at all concerned" about these allegations. - What??? You have GOT to be kidding me?

1. Micheal Skelley's business had contracts with Sandanista Rebels.
2. Micheal Skelley will be a "rubber stamp" for Obama, Pelosi and the Democratic leadership in Congress.
3. Micheal Skelley is a big spending liberal who will raise taxes.
4. Micheal Skelley is supported by Mayor White.

"I'm now going to read you Micheal Skelley's responses to the Sandanista issue, please tell me if they are "very effective", "Somewhat effective", "not effective at all" in countering the claims....

1. When Skelley's company did business with the Sandanista's they were operating under a free democratically elected government.
2. The contracts that Skelley's company entered into with the Sandanistas are very similar to contracts signed by the Army Corps of Engineers with the Sandanistas during that time.
3. The United States had lifted the economic and travel embargoes at the time Skelley's company signed the contracts with the Sandanistas.

"I'm now going to read to you some things said about John Culberson, please say if you are "very concerned", "somewhat concerned", "not at all concerned" about these allegations.

1. A statement about John Culberson and pork spending. (over a $Billion according to a Gov't watchdog group)
2. A statement about John Culberson and special interest ties.
(a couple of other fiscal responsibility-type statements)
Sorry, by this time I was terribly behind.

Then, the kicker: "Based on the information you have heard in this phone call have you changed your mind regarding who you will vote for in the upcoming eletion?


Then some basic demographic questions....and that was it.
------------------------------------------------------------------

Unfortunately the number was blocked by caller ID so I'm not even able to provide a company name that made the call other than what the caller stated. At first I thought that this was a 'push' poll by Culberson but when they included some statements questioning his fiscal responsibility I changed my mind. Basically this poll drug BOTH candidates through the mud, and then stood them up to see which one was more clean.

I did find it unusual that there was no question rating the Democrats' performance in Congress, and that Skelley was allowed to have his responses to Culberson's charges included in the poll while Culberson's accusers were allowed to go unchallenged. It wasn't an unbiased poll for sure. There were several statements in the poll about how the $700 billion dollar buyout was to "save the economy and ensure financial security" and language that I would not have included had I designed the poll.

Anyone else in CD7 received this call? If so, what were your thoughts?


One thing is for certain in this race: It's a race. I've had Skelley blockwalkers come by my house twice now and I've received in-person phone calls from the Skelley campaign. Whether you like the guy or not, he's REALLY getting the message out on the streets. Unfortunately for Culberson (in my opinion) he's been relying on robo-calls to announce his "town hall" conference calls and not getting out volunteers to "beat the streets". At least, not in my neighborhood. Until now this race has flown a little bit under the radar in deference to some other high profile races in the area. Culberson's seat has LONG been considered "safe" for the Republicans. I'm hoping some new CD7 polling data comes out soon however, I'm very interested to see where things stand.

Obscuring the Issues

The Chronicle has been reducing their 'hard news' of late choosing to focus on user-created content to fill space on their website, and to provide commentary on the issues of the day.

At times, there's good stuff to be found on the user blogs. If you're into gardening, pet care, guns...good stuff.

Politics however, not so much.

Take the McCain/Keating vs. Obama/Rezko/Ayers issue for example.

McCain opens Keating Door - Something Different

Who were the Keating 5? - Gimme Some Truth

McCain is linked to Right Wing Radical - Texas Liberal

Of course, the problem with all of this is that the same posters have stood on their heads previously telling us that Obama/Rezko, Obama/Wright and Obama/Rezko have NOTHING to do with the current Presidential race. All of this despite the fact that the ONLY thing we have assuring us that what Obama says about the relationships is true is.....well....that Obama says what he says about the relationships is true.

Meanwhile on the whole McCain/Keating issue there was at least an investigation held by a bi-partisan committee that absovled McCain of criminal acts, but did say he was guilty of "poor judgement". As an aside, Clinton attorney Robert S. Bennett acted as Special Council for the Senate Ethics Committee investigating the case.

Now, to be fair, Democrats will charge (and are charging) that good ol' fashioned politics played a big role in McCain being only given a slight reprimand (ignoring that the same reprimand was given to then Sen. Glenn) while other Senators received much stronger rebukes, and they could have a point. Especially when you look at the history of the case and see just how close McCain was to Keating during that time.


With all of that being said, if you choose to indict McCain for his associations with Keating, then intellectually you must also take issue with Obama for his relationships with Tony Rezko, Jeremiah Wright and William Ayers. There's no washing it away, Obama was at least as connected with this trio as McCain was with Keating. There's money there, possible sweetheart land deals, influence peddling and the reality that some very shady personalities could have cabinet positions should Obama become President.


To deny half of this story only to accept the other is the mark of those who care more about what parenthetical letter is placed behind a candidates name than they do the good of the Country. Those people, the political sock puppets whose string is there for the Party to pull, have no problem accepting one and rejecting the other.

Don't be that guy.


As for me I'm not that concerned about any of the relationships. If some of the relationships from my youth were examined closely there's no telling what you would find and, in politics, its easier to rub up against sleazy characters than it is to run with the angels. I'd be surprised if ANY of our politicans don't have a friend or an acquaintence without a skeleton or two in their closet.

Besides, with the issues that are in front of us in this election, its too important to have it bogged down over "gotcha" politics played out in the two major parties' zero sum game.

Now, if Obama is elected and names William Ayers as the Secretary of Education, Tony Rezko as the head of Housing and Urban Development and creates a special Commission on Reparations and Forced Relocation of White Landowners with Jeremiah Wright as the chairman? Well, then he was a lying sumbitch and should be voted out at the first opportunity.

The same goes for McCain if he should name a known associate of Keating to the Head of the Federal Reserve....


Or some other nonsense. Now, about that economy.

Rapid Eye Movement (10/06/08)

Pope Criticizes "pursuit of wealth" [BBC News] - I guess his next act will be to empty the Vatican vaults and turn over to the poor all of the Catholic churches land holdings and accumulated wealth? Nah...thought not.

U.K. Treasury Under Pressure to Take Stakes in Banks [Gonzalo Vina, Bloomberg.com]

Fed to boost auctions, pay interest on reserves. [Reuters]

Obama Accuses McCain of "Looking for Distractions". [CNN] - Kettle

Obama Digs up a Past Campaign Scandal [BBC] - Pot

New Electoral Map Puts Obama Above 300 [Chris Cilizza, Washington Post] -Not to say it's over, but it's over.

The Credit-Card Congress [WSJ] - What more perfect govenment for a fiscally irresponsible electorate?

Europe's Panic [WSJ] - Ha. ha...oh wait...

Not Everyone Should Own a Home [Janet Albrechtson, WSJ] - Or a $30,000 car, or a $500 cell-phone or $300 jeans or etc. etc....

America and the New Financial World [Zachary Karabell, WSJ] - Quite possibly not a bad thing.

Democrats Shouldn't Coddle Chavez [Mary Anastasia O'Grady, WSJ] - But they will.

Is Era of Dominance Over for Conservatives? [John Harwood, New York Times] - Are there any conservatives left in politics?

The Choice: Obama for President [The New Yorker] - The only question is: What took them so long to announce their endorsement? (they've been in his corner for a while now)

Obama gets some bling-bling jackboots [The County Seat] - Two fists together, paramilitary garb, willingness to subject self to the State....Scary.

Losing is Contagious.

Maybe we should call it the HOUSTON Lottery?

[Lisa Sandberg, Chron.com]

Texas lottery revenues are slumping, but experts say the sluggish economy isn't to blame.

Gambling tends to be recession-proof, as evidenced by record sales in other states, say experts like University of Illinois professor John Kindt, a gambling critic who examined lottery trends in the recession of the early 1990s.

"Instead of buckling down and facing the economic realities, people take chances," Kindt said.

Rather, Texas officials fear that revenues dropped more than $100 million in the most recent fiscal year — a $49 million blow to public education — because the current crop of games are tired, unappealing and at the end of their life cycle. Sales are down 2.7 percent, including a $73 million decrease in the normally mega-popular scratch-offs.

"People get bored. How many times can you employ the same games?" said Rep. Ismael "Kino" Flores, D-Palmview, chair of the committee that oversees the Texas Lottery Commission.

Flores and officials at the commission complain they can't fix the problem in the state's 16-year-old lottery.

"I can't do anything". That's leadership you can hang your hat on is it not? Ranks right up there with "Ask not what your Country" and "Never, never, never, never...". It sends chills down one's spine to think this is the leadership in the State House that's going to guide us through the coming recession.

The only answer? Why, to elect more people who are supportive of long-odds gambling of course.

Texas law restricts the lottery commission from introducing new forms of gambling, such as keno, video lottery terminals and instant online games. Those games give instant results, which are appealing for players.

"We can't expand, we can't do anything," Flores complained, directing his ire at gambling opponents who he insists have blocked a good number of his gambling initiatives in the Legislature.

Texas lottery officials estimate that video lottery terminals at racetracks could bring in an additional $1.4 billion in state revenue over a five-year period, with keno, a bingolike gambling game, bringing in as much as $173 million in additional revenue over a five-year period.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If you want to solve the gambling revenue problem then the answer is not to expand the availability of "long odds" games, the answer is to allow casinos to come in (highly regulated) and provide entertainment to folks in addition to allowing them to gamble. Yes, the odds always favor the House, but in tabale games at least you have the option of playing correctly and reducing the house advantage. In Texas Hold 'Em you have the ability to out-play your opponents, making money despite the house rake. Legalizing on-line poker in the State and requiring web-sites to track earnings for tax purposes would be a welcome sight, but one that won't happen because "gambling" is a vice. And, according to American Puritan code of ethics, vices are not permissible for the common man.

Now...if you're a politician? Well, that's different. They've been gambling with our State budget for years now.

Creative Losing

"Oh no he did NOT!"*


Yup, he sure did.

[John McClain, Chron.com]

Sunday’s game at Reliant Stadium was a perfect example of why the Indianapolis Colts are perennial winners and the Texans are perennial losers.

The Texans, 0-4 this season and 32-68 overall, became the first team in NFL history to blow a lead of at least 17 points in the last five minutes and lose in regulation.

The Colts escaped with a 31-27 victory after overcoming a 27-10 deficit in the last five minutes. They scored three touchdowns in a span of two minutes, 10 seconds.

This collapse was so profound for Houston fans it was Oileresque.

“I’m in shock,” middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans said. “I still can’t believe what happened. It’s unbelievable.”

Quarterback Sage Rosenfels, pressed into starting duty after Matt Schaub spent Saturday night in a hospital suffering from a viral infection, ruined what had been a terrific performance by losing two fumbles and throwing an interception in the last three minutes and 54 seconds.

That whooshing noise you heard on Sunday afternoon was the last vestiges of credibility the local media had regarding the Houstons rapidly escaping from this deflating balloon of a season.

Houstons in the Playoffs? - Uh...no. Not even close to the playoffs.

A much improved team? - Uh-uh. Sorry again.

The sad fact remains that the 2008 Houstons are exactly what we thought they would be, only more spectacular in their ability to pull defeat from the jaws of victory than even I suspected they might be. And, make no mistake about it, this team is among the worst ever when it comes to losing games. The Houstons seem to be intent on finding new and creative ways to lose every week, and then to run a laundry list of excuses up the flagpole to see if the fans will salute.

"The receiver fell down", "the ref blew the call", "the roof was (closed/open/there) {insert applicable excuse here}" all of those, and more, have been used as excuses for why the Texans are the losingest expansion team of all time, and the local media has sopped them up, blissfully reminding us that we are just "lucky" to have Professional Football in Houston.

My response to all of this is "enough".

I've had enough of the justifications and the whining from the Houstons that the fans aren't "true" fans or that the league is against them (you're on the watch list Astros) or that fan support isn't good enough or that Houston isn't a big enough media market to allow them to pay big name stars or that we are trying to attract a "certain type of player" etc. etc. etc.

The list goes on.

The cold, hard reality is that ownership made a terrible blunder during the David Carr era in turning over the keys to Charlie Casserley and not realizing that the team was blowing it in the draft. They then compounded that error by hiring a rookie head coach, a General Manager with no experience, and then asking them to undertake the arduous task of building a winner from scratch. There's a reason Mike Tomlin of the Steelers has a winner, while Kubiak is 0-4 (0-3 in the division), its because Rookie head coaches need good players on the roster to overcome their game-management mistakes, something that Tomlin has and Kubiak is lacking. On the rare occasions that Kubiak does make the right calls (most of Sunday for example) the Houstons don't have the talent on the field to execute the game plan for 60 minutes.

In some positions they can't execute the game plan at all. The defense is soft, the o-line is a work in progress and, with the exception of the field goal kicker, there's too large a percentage of too many starting units that wouldn't make the roster of other, competent teams, much less start for them or appear on their two-deep rosters.

Defense: Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans, Will Demps, Amobi Okoye, Fred Bennett and (when he gets healthy) Dunta Robinson are the real deal. Everyone else on this defense should be relegated to a back-up role, or cut and replaced in the off-season. What this means is that the Houstons need defensive tackles, a defenive end to complement Williams, two outside linebackers with speed, and a pair of safeties. (assuming Robinson can come all the way back from his injury, if not, then they need another DB as well). They also need quality depth. In short, 7 years of draft picks have only yielded five quality players (Demps was a street-FA).

Offense: The Houstons have a problem. They have two back-up QB's and not a starter to be found on the roster. They have a good running back in Steve Slaton, an outstanding WR in Andre Johnson, a good tight end in Owen Daniels, a make-shift O-line with two players you want to keep (Duane Brown and Eric Winston). The offense needs a starting QB, a quality WR to play opposite Johnson, and 3/5ths of an offensive line.

In all the Houstons need to replace and upgrade around 3/5th's of their starting roster, they need to get more aggressive on defense, a concept which probably means that a new defensive coordinator is needed, as well as a new type of defensive player, and they need to revamp the entire team to be tougher from the opening kick-off to the closing whistle. Yes, this could mean blowing things up and starting over again. The good news is that, with the right people in charge, rebuilding a team can take as little as one to two years in today's NFL. Under the right coach and leadership you should never see three plus years of stagnation as you've seen under the Kubiak regime. That's unacceptable in today's NFL.

Now for the rub...You're not going to read any of this in the MSM. Houston is an easy sports market to lose in. That's sad, but its true. Our sports media are very accomodating of losing teams. "Just give them time" and "I still believe Kubiak is the right guy" are on the words of almost every sports talker, -writer, -caster after every loss because they don't want to lose "access" to the team. When you ask them "why" they think Kubiak is the guy, the most common refrain is that he's "trying hard" or that he's a "good guy". Nothing about football smarts, or schemes or an eye for talent, just that he's a "nice guy". (Which I'm sure he is.)

So we're stuck with Kubiak, probably for another year or two, unless this year goes terribly wrong and the Houstons end up in 2-14 territory. It shouldn't be that way, and people should be calling for accountability in an organization that's received Millions of dollars of public money to build their play-pen and in tax abatements, but I guess we're afraid if we do that the Federal Government will just come along and buy up this odious asset as well....

C'est la vie.





*My actual reaction to Rosenfels 2nd fumble.

Rapid Eye Movement (10/05/08)

Ireland not giving assistance to Depfa Bank [Reuters.com] - Two different financial crisis, two different governmental approaches.

Analysis: Palin's words may backfire on McCain [Douglass K. Daniel, AP] - McCain's terrible campaigning to date hasn't left them any other option but the Hail Mary.

Buffett's Financial Bet [Wall Street Journal]

The Trouble with Harry [Wall Street Journal]

Economic Unrest Shifts Electoral Battlegrounds [Adam Nagourney and Jeff Zeleny, NYT] - The blind devotion of "run everywhere" gets replaced by the more sensible strategy of targeting key areas.

The Fall of America, Inc. [Francis Fukuyama, Newsweek.com] - Maybe there are some things we could learn from the rest of the world as well?

Swedish Spoken Here. [Thomas Friedman, New York Times] - NYT's premier chicken little says...well...the sky is falling.

McCain Fails to Tell his Story in Michigan [Nolan Finley, Detroit News] - He hasn't told his story anywhere else, why should Michigan be any different?

Ignoring the People [David Warren, RCP] - How bad is our Congress? Even the Canadians are disgusted by the level of ineptitude.

Behind the Bluster, Russia is Collapsing. [Murray Feshbach, Washington Post] - Possibly not the big bad blustering bear we've been warned about.

American Airlines unbundling fees.

This is interesting...

[David Koenig, AP via the Chron]

The idea of paying a single, simple fare to fly on an airliner is becoming as quaint as stewardesses in short skirts.

American Airlines is about to accelerate the trend of breaking the cost of a trip into an airfare plus many smaller fees.

Starting next year, American, which led a stampede by U.S. carriers to charge customers for checking even a single suitcase, plans to imitate the a la carte pricing structure pioneered by Air Canada, airline officials say. There are likely to be a few basic fare plans, and travelers can pick additional services — for a fee.

Fans of "unbundling," as it's called, say it gives travelers lower base fares with the option of paying for extras that they really want, from beverages to blankets.

Some travelers are wary, however, and suspect the airlines are just trying to chisel them a few bucks at a time.

Phone and cable companies have been using this pricing approach for years to offer extras like premium channels and pay-per-view events. Now airlines see unbundling as a way to boost revenue and defray sky-high prices for jet fuel. In recent months they have added and enlarged charges for fuel, checked baggage, changing flights, upgrading from coach and other services.

There may be no going back to all-inclusive fares, even with the recent decline in fuel prices.

As a semi-frequent flier I'm in favor of un-bundling fees and offering passengers a greater level of service choice on domestic flights. On many of my weekend excursions I don't check a bag, on domestic flights I rarely eat airline food (although on Intercontinental flights their should ALWAYS be meals) and, if it means paying a little less, I'll forgo the tiny bag of pretzels and soda on shorter flights.

One thing I won't do without however are flier miles and a healthy frequent flier program. If airlines wish to charge for a-la-carte services that's great, but they should return the value for their best customers by re-implementing perks such as platinum bonuses, 500-mile minimums and other perks. I also want the right to pre-select my seat. That's another option that should be available at no-extra charge to frequent fliers at a certain level.

HC County Judge: Emmett v. Mincberg

Liz Austin Peterson provides a decidedly pro-Mincberg overview of the Harris County County Judge race in today's Chronicle...

Earlier this year, Democrat David Mincberg appeared to have lucked into a perfect storm in his bid to unseat County Judge Ed Emmett.

Republican county officials faced scandal after scandal. Barack Obama's historic presidential campaign promised to bring in scores of new straight-ticket Democratic voters hungry for change. And Mincberg had plenty of his own money to air months of television ads to woo the electorate.

(snip)

Mincberg, 57, is an apartment complex developer and former local Democratic Party chairman who served as Mayor Bill White's $1-a-year czar to improve public housing programs. His company, Flagship Properties, and its sister businesses employed 750 people involved with about 20,000 housing units in several states at its peak about seven years ago, he said. He since has sold most of his operations.

(snip)

Mincberg, the serious and cerebral son of immigrant parents who met after his mother was enslaved in a Soviet labor camp, said he would try to persuade lawmakers to limit how much individuals and businesses can donate to county officials and when such gifts can be solicited and accepted.

When pressed on how difficult it could be to get a majority of the court to back such a plan, especially since his attacks already have rubbed some commissioners the wrong way, he said he has spent his entire professional life negotiating with strong-willed people.

"The idea that everybody just walks into the room and says 'Oh David, that's great. Thank you so much for showing us the light,' has never sat down with General Electric or Bank of America on the other side of the table," Mincberg said with a hearty laugh.

Those are just a few of the low-lights in this piece, one that almost elevates Mincberg to sainthood.

Missing from the write-up was any details of Emmett's substantial contributions to the County during Hurricane Ike. (For that matter, in their "Houston Heroes" supplement in today's print edition Mayor White is prominently mentioned, but Emmett is suspiciously absent {Emmett was included in the on-line "blog" however}) Also missing are any details regarding Mincberg's failure to complete his duties as one of Mayor White's infamous "$1-per year executives". Something that should be mentioned considering Mincberg is using White's program to bolster his public experience credibility. There's also no mention of Mincberg's attack ad(that some consider odious) on the heels of Hurricane Ike (coverage of which was provided by (and then ignored in this article by) Liz Austin Peterson).

Every accusation made by Emmett is countered in the article with a Mincberg talking point, or an editorial aside by the reporter:

When criticized by Mincberg, Emmett frequently mentions that the Democrat and his businesses have been sued hundreds of times.

Most of the lawsuits appear to be standard fare for the owner of large apartment complexes.

Mincberg shrugs off the lawsuits, many of which were settled or dropped before going to trial, as the product of a litigious society.

I have no problem if the Chron editorial board wants to interject opinion into their endorsements into the race, but a serious overview shouldn't contain editorial snippets and obvious bias.

Ethics: Texas Senate Style.

Good write-up today by the Chron's Matt Stiles regarding The curious payroll practices of your Texas State Senators...

State senators may be violating a Texas Constitution ban on using taxpayer money for bonuses to government workers by approving temporary end-of-year raises to give staffers thousands of dollars in extra pay.

In the last two years, state senators have given senior staffers scores of temporary pay increases, effectively issuing bonuses totaling more than $650,000, according to state payroll data analyzed by the Houston Chronicle.

The records, obtained under the Texas Public Information Act, show a clear pattern in many Senate offices in which salaries are inflated as the end of the state's fiscal year approaches, only to be reduced a month or two later.

Go read the entire article and decide for yourself whether or not these "temporary payroll increases" are bonuses. I say if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck.....

Beyond that, there are two underlying lessons in this story that deserve mentioning...

1. Conservative values only apply when they involve spending taxpayer money on strangers....

Patrick, who paid $5,000 extra to a top aide at the end of the 2007 fiscal year, said he prides himself on keeping his expenditures lower than most.

Of course, this is the same Senator who opposes the CHIP's expansion on the grounds that it rewards lazy behavior. The thought here being that his staffer is more worthy of taxpayer money than is the child of a poor family? I'm sure the Patrick defenders will clear that up for us soon.

2. Democrats are the party of ethics, providing that you let THEM provide a flexible definition of ethics....

Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, whose chief aide received an extra $15,000 as fiscal 2007 ended, prefers the term "supplemental payment."

See? It makes the issue seem so much more clean if you just allow them to define the language.

Overlooked in all of this is whether or not Capitol staffers deserve bonuses (some do) are they underpaid considering the volume of work they do? Some would say "yes". If that's the case then the legislature either needs to increase the annual budgets for each representatives office or approach the taxpayer with the need to change the Constitutional ban on bonuses to allow these folks to get a year end pay bump...legally.

House passes bailout.

Congratulations Americans...

You just became the proud owners of a 1/350,000,000th share in all of the toxic, putrid, fetid assets that private industry won't touch with a ten foot pole. And it only cost you $700 Billion.

The next time you see your Congressional Representatives be sure to thank them for that.


Note: After passing the bill, which basically signals an end to the American free-market financial system, Congress responded with wild applause.

Friday Humor aside

Breaking away from the seriousness for a bit, the best comedy bit ever to brighten your mood.

Rapid Eye Movement (10/03/08)

Call this the "World is ending/Post Debate" edition...

Law for Poor didn't Cause Meltdown [Froma Harrop, Creators.com] - As is her wont, Ms. Harrop chooses to accept those realities with which she agrees, while using opinion to counter those with which she doesn't.

The cost of 12 votes [WSJ] - The problem of standing on principle in a society without.

How Government stoked the mania. [Russell Roberts, OpinionJournal] - "This sucker's gonna crash." nominated for worst leadership statement since Chamberlain.

Why the Bank Bill Should Pass. [Steny Hoyer, WSJ] - Mainly because we want to keep our cushy Congressional jobs. If we can participate in the largest peace-time power grab in American history as a by-product? That's fine with us as well.

Those wacky Senators [James Taranto, WSJ] - Thus proving that irony is, indeed, a bitch.

VP debate Report Card [George Stephanopoulos, ABC]

Palin the Populist [Peggy Noonan, WSJ]

Palin Scored points, but didn't win. [Howard Fineman, NYT]

Sarah Palin changed her image overnight. [Fred Barnes, Weekly Standard]

The Barracuda Bites Back. [J. Peter Freire, The American Standard] - Piling on Katie Couric for having no journalism skills is almost too easy.

This Bailout Bill is Irresponsible [William Isaac, Forbes.com] - Considering the source, did you expect anything different?

Democratic Fingerprints are All Over Crisis [Dominic Lawson, The Independent] - If McCain can't campaign on this issue, he deserves to lose. If voters re-elect Barney Frank and Chris Dodd, they deserve the Government they get as well.

Greater Houston Partnership fighting for the dream...

...of a credit economy.

[Houston Business Journal]

The board of directors of the Greater Houston Partnership on Thursday faxed a letter to every member of Congress urging them to take action to resolve the nation’s economic crisis.

“The Partnership strongly urges both the Senate and the House to take immediate bipartisan legislative action to stabilize the U.S. financial and credit markets,” the letter says.

(snip)

It is important to our economy that businesses have a flow of credit so they can pay their employees and create jobs,” the letter states.

“Further, we need to act so that creditworthy families are able to purchase a home, buy a car or a take out a college loan.”

The letter also urges Congress and the Administration to “communicate both the problem and the solution to the American public in an understandable and non-sensational manner so we may all comprehend and support this most necessary action.”

I would argue to you that it's credit that got America into this mess, and it's going to be a return to sound, pay as you go, principles that will get us out of the mess. Yes, I understand the need for businesses to run on a modest amount of credit, but dodgy credit is often responsible for keeping poorly managed, unprofitable businesses around for much longer than they should be.

A "fix" for the solution would be to tighten up credit standards, get some liquidity in the credit markets, and then let the economy shake out. Is this going to be painful? You bet it is. People are going to lose their jobs, their homes in some cases, businesses are going to go under.....In short, its going to suck.

What will emerge on the other side however would be a leaner, meaner American economy built on sound financial fundamentals. It would certainly be one that consumed less, saved more and didn't rely on credit markets as heavily to finance growth.

Make no mistake about it, the piper is going to be paid in this mess. If the Federal Government throws this pork-laden bailout bill at the problem then it might forestall the financial come-to-Jesus meeting for many businesses and consumers, but its not going to push it away indefinitely. The sooner the American economy faces the reality that an economic house-cleaning is inevitable the sooner we can get started and the shorter and less impactful it will be.

Think about this: The Federal Government is proposing to "buy" soiled assets from lenders, thus freeing up the capital markets.

The natural response to this is for companies to start borrowing again, to the point that they will soon be in the same debt position they found themselves before the bailout. Sure, the "assets" might be marginally better, but you still haven't solved the problem of America's negative savings rate, and the ugly reality that the economy is currently based on the principle of spending more than you earn on goods and services.

Until that fundamental underpinning is shored up, the "fix" won't really fix anything. It will just cost taxpayers $700 Billion dollars, and give the Government unprecedented control over the private business sector.

Houston asides (10/03/08)

Centerpoint: Mission Accomplished. [Lynn Cook, Rosanna Ruiz. Chron.com] - Until you get your bill that is.

Comcast: Mission NOT Accomplished [Brad Hem, Chron.com] - The company known for having the worst customer service ever strikes again. Meanwile my U-verse hasn't missed a beat.

Moody Gardens reopens [Harvey Rice, Chron.com] - A little good news.

1,240 new voters to receive robo-calls after all. [Susan Carroll, Chron.com] - This was a pet project in the InterLeft of late, obviously proof of some "vote kiting" scheme....or not. Welcome to the political process friends, it's broken, but welcome anyway.

Houston with oil at $300 or $70 [Rick Casey, Chron.com] - So you have this interview material with a "peak oil" evangelist, but oil is at $90 and dropping but you REALLY want to get this in because, you know, it's anti-oil. The Chron's Senior Metro Columnist underwhelms again.

Wyatt to halfway house. [David Ivanovich, Chron.com] - Hopefully this means Lynn Wyatt can Winter in the South of France. She's had to sacrifice so you understand.

Airline industry picture brightens. [Bill Hensel Jr., Chron.com] - Not THAT bright mind you. There's still those pesky falling stock prices. Why its so bad they might need to head to D.C. and ask for another bailout....

Harris County Develops Tax Plan for Ike [Houston Business Journal] - Four installment payments with no interest courtesy of Paul Bettancourt.

Bailout Blues

So, we've bailed out NASCAR. (the Senate did anyway) Rose City Archery (a Children's arrow manufacturer) obviously needed bailing out as well. As did Hollywood producers and Virgin Islands Rum manufacturers. Yup, they all were in desperate need of a financial bailout because something....must be done. Meanwhile, Big Oil is decidedly NOT in need of a bailout, and must be punished for not needing Government financial assistance.


Such is the bizarro world of Government policy in which we find ourselves in the wake of the Senate passage of the Federal "Save our jobs" big tax giveaway to anyone foolish enough to invest in dodgy mortgage paper. The old adage "haste makes waste" certainly applies with this stinker piece of legislation, floated from the confines of the chamber that's going to provide us with our next President. If you didn't think the U.S. Government was a broken, dysfunctional shambles before, I'm betting you probably do now. Oh sure, there's still a small glimmer of hope that the House will vote this down, hope that's fading as more and more pork is added to the bill to make it palatable to politicians who are more concerned with having a flag to wave in front of disinterested voters in order to save their Congressional pensions.

Let's get this straight: Our Government is not bailing you out. They're putting your tax dollars on the hook for investments that are so odious the free-market wants nothing to do with them.

All in the name of "the economy" of course.

All I can say is "Harrumpf"

Houston Asides (10/02/08)

Houston not doing its part to stop Latino Gangs [Stewart M. Powell, Carolyn Feibel. Chron.com] - So worried are local pols of angering the Latino vote that they won't even go after violent criminals. Sad.

Smog abatement deadline extended to 2019 [Matthew Tresaugue, Chron.com] - The extension will help, but unless you're willing to decimate the local economy.... (some are BTW)

A tent village awaits Galveston evacuees [Harvey Rice, Chron.com] - Ooooh...the Chron "features" adolescents finally get their third world. Of course, they still live in their houses and flats while the poor folks in Galveston have to live with this...

Woodlands to raise $18 Million to become City [Renee C. Lee, Chron.com] - A true test of how anxious Woodlands residents are to become a City. Good luck to them.

2008 Fast 100 [Houston Business Journal] - Some good news on the local business front, the fastest growing local small businesses.

Refinery carcinogen emissions increase [Monica Perin, Houston Business Journal] - Probably has something to do with increased refining output to meet demand. Some in the oil industry need to take cleaner refining seriously however, before the Government takes it seriously for them.

HCC unloads financial services securities. [Greg Barr, Houston Business Journal] - So HCC Insurance Holdings buys high, and sells low....Yikes.

What do you think about Jerry Jones shot at the Texans? [John McClain, Chron.com] - I think that when you're 0-3 for the year, and have the worst record of any expansion team EVER, you're going to take some shots. Get over it. Besides, Jones just guaranteed a sell out for the Texans/Cowboys pre-season games for years to come.

Week 6 picks: Bottom Heavy

If last week was the so-called "upset Saturday" that happens every year, messing up the Top 10 and making the B(C)S even more of a mess than it already is, then this week is the same thing.....just minus all of the B(C)S bling and media attention.

Three things happen this week:

1. Only one of the top 10 teams in the Country (USC at 9) play a ranked team.

2. Everyone in the top 10 except Oklahoma and Penn St. play teams with winning records however.

3. We get to welcome Texas Tech to Division 1A football. (Hi Raiders!)


Games of local interest:

Rice vs. Tulsa
My Pick: Tulsa 35 Rice 28 - Now that ECU has suffered a monumental two week flamout Tulsa might be the best team in Conference USA. Ugh... Rice's offense is the real deal but its their defense that Todd Graham and the Golden Hurricane are going to test....close to the end however.


Texas (5) @ Colorado
My Pick: Texas 24 Colorado 23 - I want to pick Colorado in this game in an upset, I really do. Losing before the RR shootout and taking the luster off of the "Big Game" is par for the course for Mack's boys. I want to, but I'm not going to do it.


Texas A&M @ Oklahoma St. (21)
My Pick: OK ST 56 aTm 3 - Drink heavy Aggies, this one ain't gonna be pretty.


Texas Tech (7) @ Kansas St.
My Pick: Tech 42 K-State 38 - Again, I want to pull the trigger on an upset, K-State is typically good for one per year, but I just can't do it here. Tech is overrated at #7 however, considering their schedule.


Oklahoma (1) @ Baylor
My Pick: OU 50 Baylor 3 - Welcome to the Big XII Coach Art Briles.


Other games of note:

Oregon State @ Utah (15)
My Pick: Utah 27 O-state 24 - Last week makes this week interesting. Utah won't overlook the Beavers.

Kentucky @ Alabama (2)
My Pick: 'Bama 47 UK 3 - Kenutcky's undefeated record is perhaps the 2nd most hollow in the Nation after Texas Tech. Alabama will expose that.

Missouri(4) @ Nebraska
My Pick: Mizzou 38 Neb 17 - Coach Bo still has a long way to go before the Huskers get back to title contention, Mizzou is a title contender. There's your difference in this game. (Oh, and Jeremy Maclin)

Oregon(23) @ USC(9)
My Pick: USC 27 Ducks 14 - Oregon picked a bad week to play a ticked off USC team.

Auburn(13) @ Vanderbilt(19)
My Pick: Auburn 17 Vandy 3 - Ironic that a school founded by one of the titans of American finance will go tumbling from the polls during the same week the American financial system tanks is it not? If Auburn had a college offense this wouldn't be close.

Ohio State(14) @ Wisconsin(18)
My Pick: OSU 28 Wisky 14 - Terrell Pryor and Beanie Wells healthy and together in the same backfield for the second time this season is a scary thought. Wisky was exposed by Michigan....Michigan. OSU in a game that's not as close as that score might indicate.


Current record: 25-10

Rapid Eye Movement (10/01/08)

Energy tax credits gain momentum in bailout [Ayesha Rascoe, Reuters] - Large tax cuts and huge Government expenditures. Where's that financial discipline the Democrats have been lecturing us about?

How to Start the Healing Now [Brian Wesbury, OpinionJournal]

Bill vs. Barack on Banks[OpinionJournal] - With friends like these...

Mark to Mayhem?[OpinionJournal] - What's this? A sensible plan that might avoid the needless expenditure of $700 Billion dollars? What's that? Yeah, it's accounting...no Senator, you probably can't campaign on it....OK, pay it no mind then.

We Need to Recapitalize the Banks [Edmund Phelps, Opinion Journal]

A Vote Against Rashness [George Will, RCP]

Out of control populism [Marc Campos, Rocky Mountain News] - Yes, we understand Palin is unpalatable to Democrats, but NO ONE has made the case why she should be unpalatable to Republicans yet.

A New Opportunity for McCain [Peter Ferrera, The American Spectator]

The Coming Conservative Crack-up. [Paul Waldman, American Prospect] - Makes some incorrect assumptions (for example: All Republicans are conservative) but a good read on where the Pachyderms could be heading in November none-the-less.

A debate "moderator" in the tank for Obama. [Michelle Malkin, RCP] - This will be spun away by pointing to Malkin's partisan nature. The issue of the potentially biased moderator will never be addressed.

A deepening leadership crisis. [David Gergen, CNN]

Nation Owes the House a Big "Thank You" [Robert Robb, RCP] - Yes they do.

Houston Asides (Rocktober 1 edition)

Scamming from classic rock radio everywhere....

Ike Environmental impact to be felt for years [Matthew Tresaugue, Chron.com] - Who knew Mother Nature could be so environmentally unfriendly?

Group urges: No politics, religion in science cirriculum [Gary Scharrer, Chron.com] - Forgetting the fact that science, by its very nature, is a political and religious animal.

Houston woman first FEMA fraud defendant [Ruth Rendon, Chron.com] - FIRST!!!

Nearly 1 in 3 Texans speak Spanish at home [AP, Chron.com] - So much for "melting" eh? Of course, people are free to speak what language they wish (KSEV radio hosts opinions notwithstanding) but when the International language of business is English, are you doing yourself any favors by not speaking it?

City of Houston feels credit crunch. [Bradley Olson, Chron.com] - Uh-huh, public works suffers sure, but do you REALLY think there will be a problem building the Dynamo stadium if Mayor White gets fully behind it? It could be the same with public works, but his administration seems intent on ignoring petty things like paving roads, maintenance etc.

Saavedra holds on to top spot at HISD [Ericka Mellon, Chron.com] - And another race for race' sake situation is defused. Nothing to see here.

City's sign ordinance upheld [Matt Stiles, Chron.com] - One more strike against (relatively) cheap advertising for small businesses in Houston. The anti-commerce Scenic Houston folks are having a nice month, what with Ike and all.