April 2006 Archives
30 April 2006
Clay Robison Lets The Secret Out
The Chronicle's Austin bureau chief during the week and Sunday partisan editorialist let the secret out in today's column on the Perry/Sharp tax plan:
Coming soon to a bank account near and dear to you! Extra money!
Well, let us not get as carried away as our Republican leaders in Austin, but with a little luck the special legislative session now under way may actually reduce your school property taxes.
Don't plan to buy that extra car just yet, though, and if you are a smoker, you are probably going to be much farther behind than you are now, thanks to the extra $1 per pack that lawmakers are slapping on the cigarette tax to help pay for the tradeoff.
Homeowners will save money, at least initially, if the Legislature cuts school operating taxes by the one-third that Gov. Rick Perry is seeking. But the bottom-line savings for most taxpayers — particularly people in the middle- and lower-income brackets — will be significantly eroded as the swap for higher state taxes is completed and property values continue their inevitable climb.
The dirty little secret is out, if even Clay Robison is admitting that the Perry/Sharp property tax reduction is ephemeral!
It is ephemeral, of course, because of appraisal creep. Today's proposed tax savings will be wiped out in a few years by appraisal creep.
Unfortunately, the new tax on business is not ephemeral.
You can't blame John Sharp, really. Somehow, that guy managed to lose his election (along with other Dems running for statewide office) and STILL got himself in a position to create a new revenue stream in the conservative state of Texas.
But you can blame Rick Perry, at least if you're conservative.
This is the guy who held the line on taxes in 2003, when every editorial board in the state would have praised him if he had suddenly acted like a Democrat and raised taxes because of the budget crisis. This is the guy who's been in line with a majority of Texans on social issues. And this is a guy who otherwise, frankly, has been pretty uninspiring. Still, those two factors were enough.
Were.
Perry must be worried about his favorable/unfavorable numbers if he's this desperate to pass a property tax cut (any cut) -- and yes, I realize the courts "made" him, although that problem could have been fixed with the surplus, so I'm not really buying that excuse. And he must think conservatives are stupid if he honestly believes that the bribe of a temporary/ephemeral property tax cut is going to keep them from noticing a non-temporary/permanent new tax on businesses that is likely to have a disproportionate impact on small businesses that don't own property.
Rick Perry is simply on the wrong side of this issue, as far as conservatives are concerned.
So what's his response?
Personal attacks on Dan Patrick, Norman Adams, and Steve Hotze, whom Perry apparently feels are the source of all conservative resentment at the new tax that he and new buddy John Sharp are proposing.
That's right -- he's attacking the conservative who blew away better financed primary candidates in a Republican district and embracing the tax plan of a Dem who lost his last election.
Stunning.
I'm with Rob Booth on this one. If someone other than that supporter of the twice-convicted triple murderer gets to the right of Perry on fiscal issues (which shouldn't be hard now), that person has my support. Otherwise, I'll be sitting this one out.
UPDATE (05-01-2006): Hotze, Adams, et al. have been circulating a pdf of the potential Schedule B: Reformed Franchise Tax Collection form. That form should really speak to conservatives for itself, and much more effectively than all of the Perry/Sharp namecalling.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/30/06 23:09 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (1)
Generally, 75% Get What They Want
Guest-Worker Proposal Has Wide Support (Mark Z. Barabak, LA Times)
Californians generally favor a carrot-and-stick approach to illegal immigration, mixing tougher border enforcement with a guest-worker program and a pathway to citizenship for those already in the United States, according to a new Los Angeles Times poll.
By a ratio of more than 3 to 1, those surveyed said they preferred a comprehensive approach to the immigration issue, which President Bush and a bipartisan group of U.S. senators advocate, rather than the more punitive legislation passed by the House of Representatives. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have spent months trying to reconcile those conflicting proposals.
Support for a broader approach to illegal immigration was shared by Californians of all political persuasions and throughout the state, regardless of where they lived.
How rare is it for 75% of voters to support any policy, let alone one that is allegedly as intractable as immigration reform?
Of course, Willmoore Kendall's old intensity problem comes into play, as that 25% feels VERY strongly about the "more punitive" approach.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/30/06 21:22 | American Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
Hines Must Fry A Lot Of Keyboards With His Spittle
When guys on Capitol Hill look like Beavis, Butthead (Cragg Hines, Houston Chronicle)
The ludicrous scene was live coverage of the U.S. House on C-SPAN. And it was not for the faint of heart. I certainly hope no impressionable children were watching.
The House Republicans' designated point man on lobbying "reform," Rep. David Dreier of California, was wending his way mendaciously through an opening statement.
Dreier said the bill he was trying to cudgel into consideration by the full House was "bipartisan." It is not.
He said it was "thorough." That's a joke.
He said it was "bold, responsible, common-sense reform." Wrong on all counts.
The House-managed cameras kept such a tight focus on Dreier that I couldn't see if members of either party were falling off their leather-covered seats in late-morning laughter.
Dreier, halest of fellows, talked a great game — with a straight face even — but for a single problem: He was lying. Baldly and badly.
It's really stunning that the Houston Chronicle continues to pay Hines what must be an exorbitant salary to rage at Republican politicians he watches on C-SPAN (let that sink in) a few times per week.
No Outcry About Lobby Scandal, Lawmakers Say: Republicans See Little Risk In Pushing Modest Ethics Bill (Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and Thomas B. Edsall, Washington Post)
The scandal surrounding disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff has been a Washington obsession for months, but Republican lawmakers who returned from a two-week recess this week said they felt free to pass a relatively tepid ethics bill because their constituents rarely mention the issue.
The House is scheduled to vote today on ethics legislation to increase lobbyists' disclosures and require lawmakers to own up to the earmarks, or narrow projects, that they insert into appropriations bills. But the measure would not restrict the gifts or meals provided by lobbyists as House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) had proposed in January, nor would it expand the number of enforcers of lobbying rules and laws.
Lawmakers acknowledge that the bill is more limited in its scope and impact than the provisions promised by congressional leaders immediately after Abramoff's guilty plea to federal charges of bribery, conspiracy, tax evasion and mail fraud nearly four months ago. But they say they do not feel compelled to push more stringent measures partly because voters do not appear to be demanding them.
Meanwhile, the above story is how grownups report on the ethics package.
Granted, those grownups are reporters and not bigshot opinion columnists, but a more perceptive and subtle columnist than Hines (really, most any columnist) might have come to the conclusion that because most people find politicians in general a rather despicable lot when it comes to finance and influence peddling, there's no great outrage among the electorate over the latest "scandals" nor any great clamoring for another round of inconsequential (in reality) "far-reaching" (as described by the grousing class) ethics/finance/lobbying reform.
Isn't that more of a reason to rage at an indifferent citizenry than at Republicans, if rage one must?
Well, except that raging at Republicans is about all the Chronicle's D.C. columnist knows how to do.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/30/06 11:57 | American Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
Win Back?
Can George Bush win back the press? (Howard Fineman, MSNBC)
For the first time in his political career, George W. Bush finds himself in an uncomfortable position: he has to deal with the press on its terms, not his. For such a proud, controlling –- and, some would say arrogant -– guy, meeting the media at least half way won’t be easy. But he has no choice if he wants the last third of his presidency to amount to much. Bush has the charm to succeed, but the effort may require more candor than he can afford, more humility than he has, and more changes in policy than he will allow.
Press Have Mercy (Matt Murphy, Brothers Judd)
Why exactly is that necessary? If the press simply reports the news and doesn't actually set the terms of the debate, that is at least a questionable proposal. If, on the other hand, journalists are like the rest of the human race and have real problems separating their biases from their work, then this idea may make some sense. For those with eyes to see, Mr. Fineman has just put a torch to the journalist's catechism.
Brother Murphy seems to have hit the nail on the head.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/30/06 11:38 | Media Matters | Technorati | Comments (0)
Meet The Press
There are a bunch of serious, smart people on Meet the Press today (including Daniel Yergin and Jim Cramer), talking about energy prices.
And then there's Sen. Durbin.
The contrast is really pretty stunning.
Cramer had a nice line about ExxonMobil's profits. I'll post it later when a transcript is available.
MR. CRAMER: I, I think if they could drill they would drill. If they could refine more, they would. These are companies that are run for the shareholders, but they’re run to be able to produce as much oil as we can possibly use. They want to do that. Lee Raymond, he, he generated $67 billion in profits for his shareholders. I think that that’s a reasonable return, $144,000 a day. Katie Couric makes $85,000 a day. What value has she created vs. 67 billion by Lee Raymond?
I think a windfall profits tax on media talking head gasbags is a GREAT idea!
Jim Cramer rocks.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/30/06 10:41 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
29 April 2006
Did The Texans Choke?
For months now, there's been something of a consensus that Reggie Bush would be the first pick in the NFL draft, despite the noise from some Vince Young boosters.
In the last week or two, the Texans started carrying on about taking Mario Williams, and those who reported those rumblings almost always reported it in the context of the Texans being concerned about paying Reggie Bush the sort of money that a pick who's #1 on almost every team's draft board was likely to command.
Yesterday, the Texans announced they had inked a deal with Mario Williams, and they drafted him today.
It may well turn out that Williams turns into Ed "Too Tall" Jones or Lee Roy Selmon or Julius Peppers. If so, the pick will look pretty smart.
And it's true that William's combine numbers look really really impressive. For a big man, he can really move, and he can really jump. And that's all well and good, I suppose, if he plans on competing with other NFL defensive ends to take part in a ballet. The Texans expect him to pressure the quarterback, though. And once we get past all those cool combine numbers, there's some doubt whether he's going to do that consistently. He certainly didn't do it consistently at NC State. He had some good games, and he had some games in which he disappeared.
In contrast, Reggie Bush was a threat to score every time he touched the ball.
So how did the Texans decide Williams was their guy?
Money had to play a role. Given the stories that mentioned the Texans' doubts about the Bush negotiations, the Texans' assurances that money was not an issue simply are not believable. Money may not have been the deciding factor, but it was almost certainly a factor.
As for other factors... typically, NFL teams use the draft to: 1) fill specific needs or 2) draft the best player available.
There was consensus (although perhaps not unanimity) among NFL teams that Reggie Bush was the best player available in this draft. And as mentioned above, he was the more consistent college player. Interestingly, Reggie Bush would have also filled a need on the team (a playmaker running back as opposed to the average Domanick Davis, and a running back who could split out and create mismatches in the passing game -- mismatches the Texans have not been able to create).
What need does Mario Williams fill? We hear from proponents of the move that he generically fills the "pass rush" need. But John McClain had this great observation earlier:
Williams' best position is left end, but the Texans gave Baltimore free agent Anthony Weaver a $12.5 million signing bonus to play that position. Williams will play right end, probably forcing Antwan Peek — now their best pass rusher — back to outside linebacker.
So the Texans drafted a guy they're going to have to play out of position because of the left defensive end they signed (for reasonably big bucks) in the offseason?
In other words, the Texans didn't draft to need, AND they didn't draft the best player available.
I would say the Texans choked with their top pick (of course, if Williams turns out to be another Ed Jones or Lee Roy Selmon or Julius Peppers, we can all have a good laugh at how wrong I was), and that they choked in part because Bob McNair got too concerned with money and let two great potential offensive playmakers (Bush and Vince Young) get away to teams of interest locally (Bud Adams' Titans and the New Orleans Saints).
Len Pasquerelli wrote the following yesterday after the Texans announced the signing of Williams:
Bad enough the loyal fans of Houston have had to suffer through the stigma of four straight losing campaigns, an average of just 4½ victories per year and a team that managed just half as many wins in its fourth season as it did in its expansion year of 2002. Now the fans are saddled with a team suffering from astigmatism.
There's a reason that only one expansion team that has entered the league since 1976, the Bucs, won fewer games in its first four seasons than the Texans have earned, and we saw why on Friday night when Houston bypassed tailback Reggie Bush with the top pick in the draft and opted for defensive end Mario Williams instead.
Some teams try to exercise foresight with such threshold football decisions. Houston, on the other hand, apparently makes them blindfolded.
By the way, the Bucs, despite winning only 17 games from 1976-79, advanced to the NFC Championship Game in their fourth season. The Texans, with a lot more advantages than those woebegone Bucs ever had in terms of additional draft choices and deals cut with cap-heavy franchises eager to dump veterans with bloated contracts, won two games in their fourth year.
Yeah, but they're going into this season with two killer left defensive ends!
Oh well. Go Cowboys!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/29/06 22:21 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (4)
28 April 2006
Gov. Perry: We Is Doing Real Good With School Finance
From the desk of one Gov. Rick Perry today:
Today the Senate took decisive action and passed school finance reform and taxpayer protection legislation. This legislation, almost identical to the bills earlier passed by the House of Representatives, are part of a plan that will provide historic property tax relief to homeowners and businesses and long-term protections to taxpayers.
From the comments I've left at a few blogs, folks can probably guess I'm not thrilled with the governor's recent leadership on this issue. That's another post that I'm not quite ready to write just yet. In the meantime, I'll simply make fun of the grammar of our (allegedly conservative) tax-raisin' education-reformin' governor.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/28/06 20:17 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (1)
HostMatters Blues
Host Matters (where blogHOUSTON is hosted) got hit with a massive DOS attack earlier today.
Now, apparently Round Two is underway, according to HM support.
If I weren't constrained by the fun of a 24k dialup connection today (fun!), I would have grabbed the mySQL databases from HM when they got the DOS under control earlier today and flipped the DNS to blogHOUSTON over to my backup host (where this blog is hosted).
Alas, that just wasn't happening at 24k. Maybe tomorrow, if this continues.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/28/06 19:56 | Web Stuff | Technorati | Comments (0)
26 April 2006
Oh Those Peakists
Steady as she goes: Why the world is not about to run out of oil (Economist)
[I]n the words of Exxon Mobil, the oil production peak is unlikely “for decades to come”. Governments may decide to shift away from petroleum because of its nasty geopolitics or its contribution to global warming. But it is wrong to imagine the world's addiction to oil will end soon, as a result of genuine scarcity. As Western oil companies seek to cope with being locked out of the Middle East, the new era of manufactured fuel will further delay the onset of peak production. The irony would be if manufactured fuel also did something far more dramatic—if it served as a bridge to whatever comes beyond the nexus of petrol and the internal combustion engine that for a century has held the world in its grip.
I've just reproduced part of the conclusion, because this debunking of the Hubbert Peakists is worth reading in its entirety.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/26/06 23:00 | Other | Technorati | Comments (5)
What Debate?
The great debate (Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle)
"Every time I see Vince or hear him speak, I say to myself, 'Damn, that's a cool dude.' I like what he says and how humbly he carries himself."
A recurring theme of our sports podcasts has been the contrast between Reggie Bush, who handles himself very well with the media and almost certainly has received some good media coaching, and Vince Young, whose performance (right down to wearing his pajamas or whatever the hell he had on at the White House) with the media is not so hot in comparison.
It doesn't say anything about how either one plays on the field, of course.
As far as the headline goes -- it doesn't seem to be much of a debate among football people, despite the best efforts of local fans and journalists.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/26/06 22:49 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (2)
25 April 2006
Straight Talk On Immigration And Attitudes
Reformers must heat up border talk (David Hill, The Hill)
If only a few more Americans were as honest about their immigration opinions as the principled online columnist Rich Galen (www.mullings.com), we’d probably have avoided the Senate’s recent awkward fumble of immigration reform. If key Senators had understood that Galen is “Everyman” on this issue, they might have taken their eyes off of the polls and led us to a solution.
Galen had the guts to confess: “Here’s what I think about the immigration issue: I don’t know what I think. I agree with the last person I hear speaking about it.”
Like most of us, Galen struggles to reconcile competing beliefs about matters like the rule of law, secure borders, economic opportunity and compassion for one’s neighbor. His ambiguity reflects how most Americans really feel, but a plethora of polls have left the impression with too many lawmakers that voters possess a knowledgeable and logical set of firm beliefs about immigration. Nothing could be more incorrect.
[snip]
Someone who favors a guest-worker program today is evidently likely to want to build a 2,000-mile wall tomorrow. Then the next day they tell a pollster to forget both options and instead bring the Army home from Iraq to patrol the border. Then a few minutes later they add, “Nah, just station a couple thousand fat vigilantes along the border.”
The paucity of informed and stable opinions about this issue has played into the hands of rabble-rousers who oppose meaningful solutions. Whenever voters don’t really grasp the factual underpinnings of an issue, they respond mostly to the rhetoric and symbols of the debate.
Opponents of comprehensive reform brandish the most powerful symbols. They can talk angrily of those who “break our laws,” “reduce our wages” and “burden our taxpayers.” Meanwhile, more thoughtful reformers are speaking about less emotive and more cerebral concepts like circular migration, paths to citizenship and “coming in from the shadows.”
I've excerpted too much of Dr. Hill's article already. Please go give it a read.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/25/06 22:38 | American Politics | Technorati | Comments (1)
Where's The Special Prosecutor?
Joseph Wilson's Revenge: Why no special prosecutor for the latest CIA leak case? (Christopher Hitchens, Slate)
Mary McCarthy has been given the sack. And the New York Times rushes to her aid, with a three-hankie story on April 23, moistly titled "Colleagues Say Fired CIA Analyst Played by the Rules." This is only strictly true if she confined her disagreement to official channels, as she did when she wrote to Clinton in 1998. Sadly enough, the same article concedes that McCarthy may have lied and then eventually told the truth about having unauthorized contact with members of the press.
Well! In that case the remedy is clear. A special counsel must be appointed forthwith, to discover whether the CIA has been manipulating the media. All civil servants and all reporters with knowledge must be urged to comply, and to produce their notes or see the inside of a jail. No effort must be spared to discover the leaker. This is, after all, the line sternly proposed by the New York Times and many other media outlets in the matter of the blessed Joseph Wilson and his martyred CIA spouse, Valerie Plame.
I have a sense that this is not the media line that will be taken in the case of McCarthy, any more than it was the line taken when James Risen and others disclosed the domestic wiretapping being conducted by the NSA. Risen's story is also the object of an investigation into unlawful disclosure. One can argue that national security is damaged by unauthorized leaks, or one can argue that democracy is enhanced by them. But one cannot argue, in the case of a man who says that his CIA wife did not send him to Niger, that the proof that his wife did send him to Niger must remain a state secret. If one concerned official can brief the press off the record, then so can another.
Hitchens must infuriate his former allies on the Left.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/25/06 22:32 | American Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
Useful Context On Rumsfeld
New Plans Foresee Fighting Terrorism Beyond War Zones (Ann Scott Tyson, Washington Post)
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has approved the military's most ambitious plan yet to fight terrorism around the world and retaliate more rapidly and decisively in the case of another major terrorist attack on the United States, according to defense officials.
The long-awaited campaign plan for the global war on terrorism, as well as two subordinate plans also approved within the past month by Rumsfeld, are considered the Pentagon's highest priority, according to officials familiar with the three documents who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about them publicly.
Details of the plans are secret, but in general they envision a significantly expanded role for the military -- and, in particular, a growing force of elite Special Operations troops -- in continuous operations to combat terrorism outside of war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Developed over about three years by the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in Tampa, the plans reflect a beefing up of the Pentagon's involvement in domains traditionally handled by the Central Intelligence Agency and the State Department.
[snip]
Overall, the plans underscore Rumsfeld's conviction since the September 2001 terrorist attacks that the U.S. military must expand its mission beyond 20th-century conventional warfare by infantry, tanks, ships and fighter jets to fighting non-state groups that are, above all, difficult to find.
Keep the Big Dog running (Jed Babbin, Examiner.com)
Months before Sept. 11, as Rumsfeld began the transformation of the Pentagon, he ran into contumacious obstructionism from the army and its then-Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki. Shinseki dug his heels in and refused to change much of anything about the Army. Shinseki went as far as to go behind Rumsfeld’s back to the Senate where his political mentor (and long-time family friend, Sen. Dan Inouye of Hawaii) and others backed his play.
But for the political cover Sen. Inouye gave Shinseki, he might have been fired then and there. Civilian control of the military means people such as Shinseki cannot be allowed to play the back-channel political games he played again and again. Shinseki stayed, and the Army went on to spend billions on the Stryker armored vehicle, a Cold War style peacekeeping vehicle that is too big and too heavy to be moved by a C-130 tactical airlifter without being partially disassembled.
And then came Sept. 11. The Secretary of Defense became the secretary of war and the transformation he had brought to the Pentagon had to be continued under fire. Still, the Army resisted.
Shinseki balked at striking at the Taliban. For the record, our forces slashed into the Taliban around Oct. 5, 2001, less than a month after Sept 11. But — aside from Rangers and Army Special Forces — the Army stayed home. Shinseki wanted at least six months to assemble and move an enormous Soviet-like force into Afghanistan and the president wasn’t having any of it. This is why Shinseki retired in 2003 with a festering grudge against Rumsfeld.
And then Rumsfeld did the unthinkable. Instead of replacing Shinseki with one of his like-minded underlings, Rumsfeld looked for someone who would fight. Gen. Peter Schoomaker, a Special Forces vet, was brought out of retirement to transform the Army in the middle of a war. And he did it. But in the process Rumsfeld, Schoomaker and his team shook up a lot of people.
Rage at Don (Brendan Miniter, OpinionJournal)
In the opening pages of their new book about the Iraq war, "Cobra II," Michael R. Gordon and Gen. Bernard E. Trainor quote the Sept. 10 speech to frame the battle that has raged inside the Pentagon for five years. As the nation has weathered the most deadly terrorist attack on its soil in history, fought a global war on terror and liberated two countries, there has been a battle inside the Pentagon over the size, organization and weaponry of the U.S. military. And that battle has only intensified as the bureaucracy that Mr. Rumsfeld chastised for being stuck in a Cold War mindset has picked up allies in Congress, the military and in some quarters of the administration. It is this coalition that is now pushing for Mr. Rumsfeld to be fired.
But it's not just the defense secretary's head the former generals, anonymous leakers and senators are after. This is a classic Washington turf and policy war. In the balance is the nation's ability to fight the war on terror and confront other threats around the globe.
All three articles provide useful insight and background on the transformation that Secretary Rumsfeld has been charged with. They are especially helpful as an antidote to editorialists who don't know much about foreign or military affairs but nonetheless feel compelled to grind their ideological axes.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/25/06 22:20 | American Politics | Technorati | Comments (3)
23 April 2006
I Baked After 13 Innings
Baseball Outlasts Memphis in 16 Innings for Series Sweep: Cougars Win for the 16th Time in Last 20 Games (UHCougars.com)
University of Houston senior outfielder Matt Weston's groundout in the bottom of the 16th inning allowed Travis Cougot to score from third base and handed the Cougars an 8-7 win over Memphis on Sunday in the finale of a Conference USA series at Cougar Field.
I baked in direct sunlight for 13 innings of this one before calling it a day.
It's good that the Cougars got the win (without my help! ha) and the sweep of the series. It's too bad, however, that the bullpen couldn't secure the win for Luis Flores, who pitched well enough to win. The team also failed to do some little things that could have ended this one earlier. I bet Coach Noble will remind the guys of every single one.
Little things aside, this team has become a lot of fun to watch. I think their inconsistent bullpen will probably keep them from Omaha, but a lot of teams have inconsistent bullpens, so you never know -- especially since most teams don't have UH's starting pitching or hitting.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/23/06 23:13 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (2)
22 April 2006
A New Texans Meme
Bush, Texans try to hash out a deal: Team negotiator, USC star's agent exchange ideas (John McClain, Houston Chronicle, 04/22/06)
One week before the NFL draft, the Texans intensified negotiations with running back Reggie Bush in an attempt to get the Heisman Trophy winner from Southern California signed in time to make him the first overall pick.
[snip]
The primary issue will be guaranteed money. Quarterback Alex Smith, taken first by San Francisco last year, received $24 million in guaranteed money. Segal is expected to argue that Bush deserves more because players almost always get an increase from the previous year.
How much more could be a sticking point. The Texans, known for overpaying players, will argue that Bush is a running back and doesn't deserve a huge increase over what a quarterback was paid the previous year.
Free-agent acquisitions give Texans lots of options once top pick is made (John McClain, Houston Chronicle, 04/15/2006)
Because the Texans have a reputation for overpaying players, Bush is expected to be the first pick.
There have been and will be many more stupid things written about the draft, but I don't know if any single sentence will top that last gem by McClain.
How about I rephrase that: Because the Texans desperately need an offensive playmaker who can run and catch the ball and make plays in space, Reggie Bush is expected to be the first pick.
Yes, that's much better.
As far as the "Texans overpay players" meme -- where did THAT come from all of a sudden (hmm, maybe Dan Reeves)? I'm not arguing it's not true, but for four years, our local media just worshipped how Charley Casserly and Dom Capers were "building a team for the long haul." THAT was the dominant meme. There was hardly ever any critical analysis of their tactics (i.e. salaries), let alone the overall strategy. Our local sports journalists can be really accommodating that way.
Now McClain just tosses out that the Texans overpay players, as if the local media have been writing about it for years. Whatever. It would be nice if he provided some substantiation for his new meme, instead of just tossing it out that way.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/22/06 12:38 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (2)
Well ,That's Inconvenient
Senior Democrat Exits House Ethics Panel (Larry Margasak, AP)
The top Democrat on the House ethics committee, Alan Mollohan, will leave the panel _ at least temporarily _ while he defends his own financial conduct, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Friday.
Mollohan's decision comes in an election year when his party is accusing majority Republicans of allowing a "culture of corruption" in Congress.
Whoops!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/22/06 12:11 | American Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
Happy Earth Day!
Here's some fun Earth Day reading for ya'll:
Index of Environmental Indicators 2006 (Steven F. Hayward)
On Earth Day, hope for the environment (Brad Knickerbocker, Christian Science Monitor)
As the US celebrates Earth Day this Saturday, there is good news to report on the environment for a change.
• Air pollution has decreased 50 percent overall, with sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides dropping steadily.
• Lakes in the Northeast are recovering from their earlier dousing with acid rain.• Endangered species, including bald eagles, wolves, and grizzly bears, have rebounded.
• Cars no longer burn leaded gasoline.
• Ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have been generally phased out.
It's in sharp contrast to the first Earth Day in 1970 when there were signs of serious trouble.
Scientists cool outlook on global warming (Jennifer Harper, Washington Times)
Global warming may not be as dramatic as some scientists have predicted.
Using temperature readings from the past 100 years, 1,000 computer simulations and the evidence left in ancient tree rings, Duke University scientists announced yesterday that "the magnitude of future global warming will likely fall well short of current highest predictions."
Supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, the Duke researchers noted that some observational studies predicted that the Earth's temperature could rise as much as 16 degrees in this century because of an increase in carbon dioxide or other so-called greenhouse gases.
The Duke estimates show the chances that the planet's temperature will rise even by 11 degrees is only 5 percent, which falls in line with previous, less-alarming predictions that meteorologists made almost three decades ago.
Climate of Uncertainty: Why global warming is back in the headlines (Steven F. Hayward, Weekly Standard)
If there is any subject more certain than the federal budget process to bring on eye-glaze, it is global warming and the drearily repetitive argument about the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The issue combines the worst of wonky numerology (parts per million of various gases, complex computer models, opaque cost-benefit analyses), an alphabet soup of unctuous international bureaucracies (IPCC, UNFCCC, SRES, TAR, USGCRP, etc., etc.), and the incessant braying of interest groups. No wonder Al Gore loves it so much. Yet the issue, seemingly stuck in a rut for almost two decades, is starting to shake loose and head in new directions.
How do you go about sorting out sense from nonsense? Very few people who follow closely the subject of climate change argue that there's nothing to it. There is unanimity that the planet has warmed by about 1 degree over the last century. Just about everyone agrees that the growth of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels cannot continue forever. That's where the agreement ends. The range of possible temperature increase over the next century is fairly wide in the official forecasts, from 1.4 degrees Celsius on the low side, which might not be difficult to cope with, to 5.8 degrees Celsius on the high side, which would mean major environmental problems for the planet. How probable is any point along the distribution? For reasons having to do with the cascading statistical uncertainties of the thousands of variables in computer climate models, we can't assign a probability to any narrower range of temperature forecasts, though very clever people are trying.
So for most of the last decade we have been playing a back and forth game with signs and wonders that are offered as confirmation that catastrophic global warming is well under way. But these tend to be as controversial as the computer climate models. As good as our measurement techniques are, there is still large disagreement about basic facts. Are the polar ice caps melting or growing thicker? Both, depending on what data set you consult. Is the last decade the hottest in 2,000 years? You need a flak jacket to survive the crossfire on this one. Can variance in solar radiation account for some or most of the warming we've experienced to date? Better put on a second flak jacket. Do clouds warm or cool the planet? Both, and understanding the balance between their conflicting effects remains a huge problem for climate models. Are ocean temperatures rising and Gulf Stream currents changing? Probably, but we need better data to be sure. Will hurricanes get worse? Get a helmet to go with your flak jacket, and put FEMA on speed-dial. Aren't scientists overwhelmingly in agreement that the science is "settled"? Well, yes, except for the hundreds of scientists who've signed various statements and resolutions saying we lack adequate mastery of the subject.
At this point even most people with a scientific background throw up their hands and say, "Call me back in 50 years if I need to turn up my air conditioning." It does no good, as global warming skeptics and many official climate science reports often do, to call for reducing "uncertainty" in climate science. The uncertainties of climate change have less to do with the enormous complexity of the linkages of the various earth sciences comprising the issue, and more to do with the stakes involved. With near-term global greenhouse gas suppression costs called for at Kyoto calculated in the multiple trillions of dollars ($37 trillion according to one widely accepted estimate), political considerations magnify the importance of nailing down uncertainties beyond the ability of science to do so. In fact, with a subject as sprawling as climate change, the disciplinary diversity of science is going to magnify rather than narrow uncertainties.
Progressive Forum hosts Al Gore Weds., June 7 (Perry Dorrell, HoustonDemocrats.com)
Al Gore, the 45th Vice President of the United States, will present a visually stunning multimedia presentation called “An Inconvenient Truth”, which focuses on the urgent need to solve global warming. His presentation is a personal distillation of his 30 years of involvement with the issue, an inspiring bipartisan message which confronts the impact of warming on our global civilization and offers solutions that strengthen our economy. Mr. Gore’s address in Houston, the world’s energy center, coincides with the launch of his new book, also called An Inconvenient Truth, which will be on sale at the event and which Mr. Gore will sign after his speech.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/22/06 12:05 | Outdoors | Technorati | Comments (1)
EPpy Congrats To Texas Gigs
I don't normally get too excited about awards from outfits like Editor and Publisher, but this year's EPpy nominations are an exception for one reason: I see that TexasGigs is one of three finalist for an Interactive Media EPpy, in the category Best Internet Entertainment Service under 1 million unique monthly visitors.
My buddy Cindy Chaffin started TexasGigs as a music blog about the Dallas/Texas live music years ago, and more recently Mike Orren and the Pegasus crew joined forces with her to turn the thing into this huge, interactive, local music web destination. Congrats to them for the recognition!
Elsewhere, I see that the Austin American Statesman was nominated in the category Best Overall Design of an Internet Service under 1 million unique monthly visitors. They launched a very smart redesign of their site at the end of 2005 that was quite an improvement.
In contrast, Chron.com did not make the finalists in the Best Overall Design of an Internet Service over 1 million unique monthly visitors. Unfortunately, their 2005 redesign suffered flaws from the start -- flaws that resulted in less functionality (and flaws like limited RSS feeds that still haven't been addressed). But, they can serve ads more efficently than before, so that's exciting.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/22/06 11:39 | Media Matters | Technorati | Comments (0)
21 April 2006
Funny
Alex Whitlock cranks out some good poliblog stuff here.
I don't know whether to call it poliblog criticism or humor or both. It's fun though!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/21/06 08:29 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
20 April 2006
Kelvin Sampson Contracts Bad Case Of The Whines
Hoffman's status with NCAA in limbo (George Schroeder, Daily Oklahoman)
Bob Hoffman's status at Oklahoma remains in limbo. More importantly, so does his reputation.
Hoffman, an OU assistant basketball coach, doesn't know whether new coach Jeff Capel will retain him. But according to those who know Hoffman, that's a secondary issue at the moment.
On Friday in Park City, Utah, Hoffman will face the NCAA infractions committee. He faces the prospect of being listed in the NCAA's "pink files" -- the records of coaches who have committed major rules violations.
Hoffman is one of four OU coaches who combined to make more than 550 impermissible phone calls to 17 recruits from 2000-04. But in documents submitted to the infractions committee and obtained by The Oklahoman under terms of the state's open records act, OU and Hoffman contend he should not be listed.
Hoffman declined comment this week. But Toby Baldwin, Hoffman's attorney, said he believes Hoffman could be cleared of wrongdoing at the hearing.
"We're very hopeful because of the mitigating circumstances and the limited number of calls," Baldwin said.
Sampson: OSU turned us in (George Schroeder and Mike Baldwin, Daily Oklahoman)
Bedlam extended into the NCAA’s investigation of the Oklahoma basketball program.
Former Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson told NCAA investigators that Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton once called out Sampson for the actions of an assistant coach. And Sampson said he first had an inkling his program was under NCAA investigation when recruits said OSU coaches had told them that.
“Every kid that we were recruiting... Oklahoma State told them that we were going to be banned from this or put on probation for that if we were getting investigated,” Sampson told NCAA investigators during the second of four interviews. “Every kid that we recruited, they had told them that.”
Sampson said he heard similar stories from recruits over the course of several years. The NCAA investigation began in 2001; OU did not receive the official notice of inquiry until May 2004.
Sampson, who took the Indiana job last month, is scheduled along with OU officials to meet with the NCAA committee on infractions committee on Friday in Park City, Utah. There, they will be questioned about allegations of more than 550 impermissible telephone calls to 17 recruits from 2000-04. According to transcripts of interviews obtained under terms of the state’s open records law, Sampson said Sutton approached him in an airport and informed him that then-assistant Ray Lopes had made an improper phone call to speak to juniors in a hotel room during a summer tournament.
Sampson also said then-SMU coach Mike Dement had informed him of a rules violation involving then-OU assistant Jim Shaw.
Eddie Sutton, who has taken a leave of absence while facing DUI charges related to a car accident, was not available for comment. But his son, OSU interim coach Sean Sutton, acknowledged his father’s conversation with Sampson.
“We had some concerns what was going on with some phone calls that had been going on during the summer,” Sean Sutton said Wednesday. “I know my dad had a conversation with Kelvin to address those concerns. We were told Kelvin was not aware of those things taking place, that he would address it and it would not be an issue in the future.”
Although Sampson said Eddie Sutton approached him only once, he said “Oklahoma State turned us in on a bunch of stuff, I know that.’ And he said OSU coaches routinely engaged in “negative recruiting” against OU, saying among other things, they told recruits OU was a football school and OSU was a basketball school.
Sean Sutton declined comment when asked if OSU turned OU in to the NCAA. He denied OSU coaches told recruits OU was going on probation - “We never said that,” he said - and said the OSU staff had not engaged in negative recruiting.
Quick thoughts:
When did Kelvin Sampson turn into such a whiner? And why is Sampson so concerned about OSU's Drunk. (Yeah, I know, these are just documents from the investigation, and presumably Sampson must tell investigators all that he knows, but still).
The Drunk's son is absolutely not believable when he says that OSU coaches don't engage in negative recruiting. Come on now. Everyone does.
That said, Oklahoma is a football school, and the women's basketball program outdrew the men at points last season at OU. That's not negative recruiting. That's just reality.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/20/06 08:39 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
Have A Happy Period?
Okay, I'm sure this has been blogged to death a long time ago... but I just saw the commercial this week.
I don't remember what channel it was on, but there was a sanitary napkin that was supposed to look like a pinball machine. It even had a little pinball bouncing around in it.
And the commercial concluded with something like, "Have a happy period."
That is just bizarre. Truly bizarre.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/20/06 07:47 | Other | Technorati | Comments (3)
19 April 2006
When Did "Objective" Displace "Fair" In Journalism?
Moving to the Right: Brit Hume's Path Took Him From Liberal Outsider to The Low-Key Voice of Conservatism on Fox News (Howard Kurtz, Washington Post, via Brothers Judd)
Hume is no partisan brawler in the mold of some of Fox's high-decibel hosts. By virtue of his investigative background, his understated style and his management role, he represents a hybrid strain: conservatives who believe in news, not bloviation, but news that passes through a different lens, filtered through a different set of assumptions.
On April 6, when every network newscast led with the revelation that President Bush had authorized former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby to leak classified information about Iraq, Hume began his program with an apology by Democratic Rep. Cynthia McKinney for a physical altercation with a Capitol police officer a week earlier. Bush and the CIA leak was Hume's third story.
"Sure, I'm a conservative, no doubt about it," Hume says. "But I would ask people to look at the work." He does not accuse his fellow journalists of pursuing a partisan agenda, saying their bias is "unconscious."
The discussion of issues among the panelists on Hume's Special Report is some of the best on television.
Orrin Judd had a great observation about this story:
[T]here's something deeply odd about the host of a program on a rival liberal cable network writing about the potential conservative bent of Mr. Hume, no?
Yes.
Alex Whitlock has a post up about a recent New York Times story. The point he makes is related to Hume's "unconscious" point:
If it is so natural to scoff when things are tilted one way or another for some reason or another (financial incentive, relationships, etc), why do liberals look at us so funny when we say that a newsroom that 85% Democrat liberal is almost unavoidably going to be biased? Perhaps it's partly because some conservatives paint it up as a conspiracy -- I mostly chalk it up to being human. The solution, the author says, is to avoid whatever incentives make us biased. But how does a newsroom move towards ideological diversity when there aren't as many conservatives interested in being journalists?
Of course, the journalists in those newsrooms that may tilt 85-90% Democrat still insist that they are "objective" -- and that's part of the problem. Not only does a certain amount of groupthink prevail in those newsrooms, but the journalists actually think they're objective on top of it! As a case in point, the Chronicle's self-appointed online editorial page linker recently noted that he likes a certain far-left blogger because the blogger is not a "raver" -- this despite that blogger's regular references to President Bush's "lies" and the need to impeach him! That's not raving, one supposes, when one's own view is decidedly left of center. But is it really objective? No, it's not. That doesn't make the self-appointed editorial page linker part of any conspiracy. It just reflects the lack of self-awareness and self-criticism (myopia?) that prevails in the profession.
My friend Ethan has long criticized that notion of "objectivity" as the mantra of professional journalists, and I'm more inclined to his view these days. Yes, if professional journalists continue to insist that's their standard, then it's really easy to demonstrate that they consistently fail to live up to that standard. But that gets boring after a while (too easy!). Still, news organizations are left with the problem of how to boost ideological diversity in the newsroom while still clinging to the notion that their newsrooms are "objective." That one's not so easy.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/19/06 20:35 | Media Matters | Technorati | Comments (4)
18 April 2006
A Perfect Device For The Float Trip
Callie just emailed that the above device (available from JC Penney) confused her.
I'm not confused at all. At $26.99, I think it's a PERFECT device for the annual Float Trip (which is quickly approaching).
Whaddya think, Float Trip Peeps?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/18/06 08:46 | Other | Technorati | Comments (9)
15 April 2006
It's More Good Taste Than A Snub
America's south snubs country music (Phyllis Stark, Reuters, via The Fat Guy)
The Southeast, which includes such country-friendly states as Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and the Carolinas, has become a difficult region for new music, according to label executives. And radio promoters say the Southwest -- Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas -- is the last place they're likely to break a new act or get airplay on a new single.
"The Southwest, if you're not George Strait, is absolutely the hardest place to start any record, whether it's an established act or a new artist," says Gator Michaels, senior VP of promotion at Warner Bros. Nashville, home of Faith Hill.
Maybe it's not so much that the Southwest is "snubbing" commercial "country" music, as it is that large parts of the region simply have turned to the sort of country music that is not so likely to get airplay on Clear Channel (the Americana/Red Dirt/Texas/Alt Country of which some of us are so fond).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/15/06 17:40 | Music | Technorati | Comments (2)
Rage Is Just A Matter Of Perspective
The Left, Online and Outraged: Liberal Blogger Finds an Outlet and a Community (David Finkel, WaPo, via BrothersJudd)
In the angry life of Maryscott O'Connor, the rage begins as soon as she opens her eyes and realizes that her president is still George W. Bush. The sun has yet to rise and her family is asleep, but no matter; as soon as the realization kicks in, O'Connor, 37, is out of bed and heading toward her computer.
Out there, awaiting her building fury: the Angry Left, where O'Connor's reputation is as one of the angriest of all. "One long, sustained scream" is how she describes the writing she does for various Web logs, as she wonders what she should scream about this day.
If O'Connor lived in Houston, she'd no doubt be a featured Chron.com blogger and labeled as a reasoned, non-raving, non-bombastic pundit by techies who don't know much about politics and political philosophy. :D
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/15/06 17:11 | American Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
UH Romps
Baseball Rolls to 24-7 Win at No. 22 Southern Miss in Series Opener (UHCougars.com)
The University of Houston baseball team erupted for seven runs in its first at bat and never looked back in taking a 24-7 win over No. 22 Southern Miss on Friday in the opener of a Conference USA series at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field.7 runs in the first at bat? That would be quite something, for it would mean that the Cougars had invented the seven-run leadoff homer! I think the writer meant that UH scored seven runs before Southern Miss recorded an out in the first inning. It was quite a night for the UH bats, and more than enough production for Brad Lincoln, who had an "off" night for him in giving up two earned runs before getting early rest because of the hugh cushion.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/15/06 08:57 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
13 April 2006
Post-Treatment Denial Is Never A Good Thing
State senator speaks out about his stint in rehab (Ted Oberg, KTRK-13)
We are hearing from state senator Mario Gallegos for the first time since he announced he was an alcoholic and was going into rehab.
State senator Mario Gallegos returned from a Florida rehab center late last week. And after a few days with his family, he is ready to speak about his recovery.
Gallegos - a state senator since 1995 - told us before he made the decision to go into rehab he was drinking eight cocktails every day. He says it never affected his job and he was never drunk while voting.
Eight cocktails a day?
But it never affected his work, and he was never under the influence while voting?
Sorry, but that's just very difficult to believe.
One of the problems with alcholism is that alcholics tend to believe that nobody knows what is going on -- or worse, they convince themselves that nothing IS wrong, that they are "functional" (alcoholics), that they can get their work done, and that (therefore) nothing is wrong.
It's not a good sign that Sen. Gallegos seems truly to believe his work was unaffected by his disease. It was almost certainly affected. That he can't/won't admit as much after rehab isn't a good sign, however commendable it is that he's trying to educate people about alcoholism.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/13/06 22:59 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (1)
Brad Lincoln Is Blowing 'Em Away
Bat-breaking work suits UH's Lincoln (Richard Justice, Houston Chronicle)
Until last summer, Brad Lincoln lacked just one thing: confidence.
"He was like a lot of guys," University of Houston baseball coach Rayner Noble said. "He went to the mound with great stuff but didn't really know if it was good enough."
That was before Lincoln was invited to play in the Cape Cod League, a summer gathering of college baseball's best players.
In facing Long Beach State's Evan Longoria, Florida's Matt LaPorta and other top players, Lincoln discovered two things.
One is that a 97 mph fastball and 84 mph curveball can get even the best of the best out. He also learned that pitching against hitters using wooden bats is more of a rush than he ever imagined.
"I splintered one against the second guy I faced," Lincoln said. "I knew it was going to be a good summer."
He returned to UH last fall as something close to a finished product. Now his starts are events.
Scouts from every major-league team have come to see Lincoln. Paying particular attention are those with the early picks. Baseball America has him projected as the third-best college player.
His goal is to pitch in the big leagues in three seasons. One scout predicted he'd be there sooner if he came up with a consistent changeup.
"I told him about six weeks ago, 'I wish I was in your shoes,' " Noble said. "With each time he goes out there, he feels a little bit better about himself and his stuff."
Lincoln is 7-1 with a 1.68 ERA this season and has allowed just 70 baserunners in 75 innings. His strikeout-to-walk ratio: 92 to 18.
He also leads the Cougars with nine home runs and 32 RBIs. He plays first base or is the DH on days he's not pitching, and if it weren't for his arm, he might be drafted as a hitter.
I've been a Cougar season ticketholder for three years now, and attended many games before that as a grad student. The Cougars have seen some fine pitchers go through the program under Rayner Noble's watch, but right now Brad Lincoln is putting together one of the most dominant seasons I've seen in college baseball. And as Justice notes, when you are throwing with confidence AND can hit 97 mph and 84 mph on your fastball and curve respectively, a guy can put together a pretty dominant season.
I'm always surprised by how few people actually get out and watch college baseball at UH. Although Rayner Noble has not put together College World Series appearances (like Wayne Graham), he's regularly put a winning program on the field (the last two years being a minor step back). The atmosphere is great, Noble's teams hustle, and fans are right on top of the action at Cougar Field. It's a good time.
Kudos to Justice for highlighting the college game, and Brad Lincoln's fine season. We've been mentioning Linc's name a lot on the little podcast, and probably will be mentioning it quite a bit more.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/13/06 18:39 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
11 April 2006
I Suck
I planned to vote after work today.
I read various blogs that mentioned election things this morning.
I obviously know it's election day.
So I get involved in some work this afternoon not at all related to local politics.
I head home.
I go to the gym.
It's 7:35 pm.
I just remembered to vote. 35 minutes late. Which won't do here in Texas (if you're in East St. Louis screeching discrmination, it's probably good enough for some judge in the back pocket of the Dem machine there).
Brilliant.
I hope you people who DID vote enjoyed your disproportionate influence over our little primary runoff election. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/11/06 19:39 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (1)
09 April 2006
The Kournikova Of The NFL?
The Chronicle ran the above photo of Texans quarterback David Carr today.
Isn't it pretty?
For some reason, it made me think of Anna Kournikova, a pretty player who really wasn't a great player.
Carr may get the nickname Kournikova on the ol' podcast from now on.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/09/06 12:09 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (10)
03 April 2006
Back
I'm back from merry London, and jet lagged as hell.
I've hardly followed any US or local news, so maybe I can get caught up tomorrow.
There was a fun moment on a Brit talk show over the weekend. London's Mayor "Red" Ken Livingstone was interviewed on a talk show, and was asked about a delay in the Wembley Stadium construction, and whether that would endanger London's Olympic bid. Livingstone actually argued that he thought London could pull off the stadium projects, and that he had managed to bring in major engineering projects on time by importing American and Australian expertise.
I was amused by that. Call in the Americans and the Aussies when you really need to get something done, damnit!
Heh.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 04/03/06 22:32 | Other | Technorati | Comments (1)
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