January 2007 Archives
31 January 2007
A truly bizarre contest
I don't even know how to set this up.
I'll just toss out Roto Rooter, Pimped Out John, and Bathroom Oasis, and let you go see for yourself.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/31/07 22:30 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
30 January 2007
Dash streams The Ticket just fine
I'm a fan of The Hardline show on Dallas sports talk station KTCK - The Ticket.
I just discovered that T-Mobile's EDGE network is fast enough to stream the station.
That means instead of listening to local talk while working out, I'll have the option of listening to The Hardline on the little Dash.
This is a very cool development. Never again will I need to switch over to Rich Lord if Palillo is out or Baker's on a fluff topic.
UPDATE: I just got back from my workout, and streaming The Hardline with the Dash made for quite an improvement. They take far fewer callers and far fewer commercial breaks than anything local, which is much better for working out. It doesn't hurt that those guys are pretty funny, and there's Cowboys talk right now.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/30/07 13:45 | Tech | Technorati | Comments (0)
28 January 2007
Danger Train collision
Driver hurt in Metro Rail crash (KHOU-11 news)
A car crashed into a Metro Rail train Friday afternoon at Main and Pierce in downtown Houston.
Two women, one pushing the other in a wheelchair, nearly became victims too.
"We were right here, right here. I looked over and just saw his truck flying in the middle of the street," said Heather MacQueen.
"Then that hit and stuff was flying everywhere," said Debra Johnson, who was pushing MacQueen's wheelchair. "If that pole hadn't been there he would have hit us."
The women were hit by debris, but not seriously hurt.
The local media have grown bored with covering Danger Train collisions, so we do not often get to post these sorts of updates any more. Thankfully, the Danger Train did not take out another wheelchair, as it has done in the past.
This is what can happen when your transit authority builds rail lines at grade down busy roads as if they are trolleys, instead of segregrating them from motor traffic like "world-class" cities do.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/28/07 21:55 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
27 January 2007
I'll second that
The Cowboys Blog at the Dallas Morning News is okay with Wade Phillips being hired as the coach of the Cowboys with one condition:
I'm OK with Wade Phillips getting the gig as long as he agrees to wear a 10-gallon cowboy hat on the sideline, like his daddy did.This isn't about paying tribute to Bum or the great state of Texas. It's about the key to coaching success for the Cowboys.This franchise's great football coaches had unmistakable headwear. Landry had his fedora. Jimmy had his hairspray helmet. Wade Phillips can follow in their footsteps with a Stetson.Oh Hell YEAH!Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/27/07 21:19 | Dallas Cowboys | Technorati | Comments (0)
Houston Departures
I commented on this site at blogHOUSTON, but I thought I'd add a link here.
If you like to travel and live in the Houston area, then Houston Departures is a site you need to bookmark and/or add to your RSS feed reader.
I scour the travel sites pretty carefully for deals, but I have a feeling that guy is going to cause me to spend/save even more money on travel.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/27/07 20:22 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
25 January 2007
Moving On
So, Jason Garrett is back in the Cowboys family now.
He'll at least be the offensive coordinator, with a possibility he'll be named head coach.
I don't think he'll be named head coach. I think Wade Phillips may be that guy.
Anyway, Garrett's a good young football mind, and the Cowboys need more of those (and fewer people who are on the staff because the Jersey Con Man liked them or whatever). The Hardline guys give Garrett a thumbs up also.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/25/07 16:17 | Dallas Cowboys | Technorati | Comments (2)
22 January 2007
Drama Queen era ends
The four year Bill Drama Queen Parcells era is over in Dallas.
He delivered the franchise no playoff victories.
Really, he didn't deliver much in terms of expectations of the coach, aside from that first season, when somehow a team of scrubs led by Quincy Carter made the playoffs (and lost).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/22/07 12:15 | Dallas Cowboys | Technorati | Comments (5)
20 January 2007
Hell
'Scrubs' -- Best musical episode in TV history (Jeff Commings, Remote Controlled)
Did you do what I told you to do last night? Did you record Liev Schreiber’s debut on “CSI” and watch the “Scrubs” musical? (This song might be NSFW)
What fun to hear the actors sing beautifully (though I suspect Neil Flynn, the janitor, had his voiced dubbed a la Natalie Wood in “West Side Story”).
[snip]
For those who hate musicals but love the show and decided to stay away, I feel for you. For those who love musicals but hate the show, I feel even worse. The episode mocked all musical theater conventions, from the ensemble opening number to the riff on “Les Miserables” and “Grease,” this show did everything right. Maybe they’ll show it in reruns this summer. You can only hope.
I fall into the first camp.
Unfortunately, I didn't fully escape, as Callie is watching the DVRed version as I type this. Thankfully, I have a pretty good ability to tune out obnoxious noise -- and if that fails, well, I can always break out the Beyerdynamics.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/20/07 19:20 | Other | Technorati | Comments (4)
18 January 2007
Sand + 70 = Trouble!
Driver plunges off ramp, blaming sand (KTRK-13 News)
A driver claims excess sand on a north Houston ramp made him flip his pickup truck overnight.
The truck almost landed in the bayou after it went over the wall on the ramp between 45 southbound and the North Loop westbound.
It was surely the sand, and not the fact that he was driving too fast for the weather conditions.
Because fine Houston drivers could never make that mistake.
In other local traffic news, a dump truck ran a red light and took out a METRO bus.
The driver did not blame sand.
BLOGVERSATION: Metro Is Full Of Crap.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/18/07 23:29 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
16 January 2007
Red wine stocks: High; Credibility of Houston weathermen: Low
Most Houstonians know that our local weather forecasters overhype everything, and that the actual threat of icy weather (or a hurricane) when they start carrying on about it is nil.
Still, my stock of red wine this morning was way too low to take any chances. One of the few good things about living in this part of Midtown is that Spec's is nearby. I just finished a quick run, and the red wine stocks are now sufficient for the predicted overnight weather apocalypse.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/16/07 16:55 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (4)
An O$teen survey
HouStoned notes that Houston's Joel Osteen will give the invocation to swear in Governor Rick Perry today.
That makes this as good a time as any for our Joel O$teen survey. Please let us know what you think!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/16/07 12:30 | Other | Technorati | Comments (1)
14 January 2007
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Callie, who finished her first marathon today.
Woo!
UPDATE: Here's her post about it. The comments are pretty interesting also.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/14/07 21:22 | Other | Technorati | Comments (3)
13 January 2007
Second chances
Gallegos tells Senate he needs new liver (Kristen Mack, Houston Chronicle)
State Sen. Mario Gallegos, who basked in praise from his colleagues this week as the Senate was called to order for the 2007 session, may respond to another call before the session ends.
He's waiting for a liver transplant.
While I certainly sympathize with the plight of Gallegos, I'll ask the same question I did when Pat Summerall got a liver transplant after years of alcholism blew up his liver:
Should the transplant system somehow take into account the extent to which personal behavior has contributed to one's illness?
It's all well and good that folks like Summerall and Gallegos claim they wait(ed) in line like anyone else who qualifies for a transplant, but I guess I wonder why it's fair for people like them ever to be ahead of folks who have wound up needing a new liver through no fault of their own.
Please discuss. I'm interested in hearing different perspectives (and what the state of thought is in the medical ethics community, if TP cares to chime in).
UPDATE: Laurence Simon has the same question.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/13/07 12:59 | Other | Technorati | Comments (5)
12 January 2007
It won't be Coker at Tulsa after all
Graham accepts Tulsa coaching job (John Helsley and George Schroeder, Daily Oklahoman)
Tulsa’s coaching search has come to an end — right where it started.
Rice coach Todd Graham accepted the job Thursday evening, according to two sources close to the search.
[snip]
Before taking the Rice job, Graham, 42, spent three years as Tulsa’s defensive coordinator. He played and coached at East Central University and has also been a high school coach in Oklahoma.
One season with Owls produces historic bowl bid (Moisekapenda Bower, Houston Chronicle)
Twelve months ago, Todd Graham stood before a roomful of players, administrators and supporters, and spoke of initiating a Rice renaissance. He presented a plan to revitalize the football program and then steadfastly set out to put that plan in motion.
And after spearheading fundraising efforts that produced massive renovations to Rice Stadium and its adjoining facilities, Graham led the Owls on a magic-carpet ride that concluded with them earning a bowl berth for the first time in 45 seasons.
On Thursday, that renaissance came to an abrupt end when Graham decided to return to the University of Tulsa, where he will succeed Steve Kragthorpe, his former boss, as head coach.
I thought Larry Coker was a slam dunk for that job, but I never thought Graham was a real candidate. It's not completely a lateral move, as Tulsa seems more willing to make a financial commitment to its athletic programs and Tulsa commands more attention in its athletic market than Rice does here (given the pro teams in Houston as well as countless other entertainment options). Then again, it may not be the greatest move in terms of career building. If Graham wins at Tulsa, he's building on Kragthorpe's success and may not draw as much attention as he did winning at moribund Rice. If he loses, his career goes into the toilet.
In any case, the Rice folks have to be scrambling about now. I wonder if Oklahoma State's offensive coordinator would be interested in the Rice gig (as he was the Tulsa job)?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/12/07 07:46 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (8)
11 January 2007
MIFOC
METRO Is Full Of Crap is humming right along.
It not only looks better than the official METRO blog, but also delivers much more humor per serving.
The FAQ section is particularly fun.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/11/07 13:53 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (2)
10 January 2007
Has Hoffman been reading Orrin Judd?
It's outside his usual expertise, but on the Michael Berry show today, Chronicle humorist Ken Hoffman offered his prescription for Iraq.
It made a lot of sense. You can listen to it here (it's probably about 10-15 minutes in, I think. Hell, I don't remember exactly where it is).
Hoffman's burger is pretty damn good too. I think I'm about to head to Demeris for one.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/10/07 18:27 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
They should have a playoff to determine #1!
Joel Osteen Tops Most Influential Christians in America (Lillian Kwon, Christian Post)
Barbara Walters' most fascinating pastor, Joel Osteen, now tops the list of the 50 Most Influential Christians in America.
Osteen heads one of the largest megachurches in the nation – Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas – and authors a #1 New York Times bestseller, Your Best Life Now. After Walters recently featured him as one of the 10 most fascinating people of the year, the Church Report announced the megapastor as the most influential Christian in its annual report."Always humble, Pastor Osteen gives credit to his wife, his staff and his church family for his success and the many blessings of Lakewood Church," the Church Report stated. "Pastor Osteen has a gift for reaching unreached people with his message of positive thought and God's plan for our lives."
Hmm, you'd think the country's top Christian might give credit to... GOD.
On the other hand, he doesn't reference God or the Bible all that much in his self-help lectures, and he may have been worried that his wife would throw a temper tantrum if he didn't list her first.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/10/07 17:47 | Other | Technorati | Comments (3)
Coker to Tulsa?
Coker emerges as candidate for Tulsa job (Bob Hersom, Daily Oklahoman)
Larry Coker's college coaching career began in Tulsa, and he may retire there as well.
[snip]
Coker, 58, is one of the candidates to become the next football coach at TU, where his college coaching career began in 1979. He was fired as the Miami coach after the 2006 season, despite having a 60-15 record over six years.
Other Tulsa candidates include current offensive coordinator Charlie Stubbs, Florida co-defensive coordinator Charlie Strong and Illinois State coach Denver Johnson. Of that group, Strong appears to be the top candidate.
Some sources listed Coker as the "overwhelming favorite” to succeed Steve Kragthorpe, 41, who was 29-22 in four years at TU, which had 11 straight losing seasons before he arrived. Kragthorpe became the head coach at Louisville on Tuesday.
Coker is a good Oklahoma guy who just seemed to become overwhelmed heading up a marquee college football program. The fit at Tulsa would seem to be great, though.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/10/07 11:21 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
iPhone? *yawn*
Goodness, there are a lot of people on the innernut wee-weeing all over themselves with regard to the iPhone.
I'm not entirely sure why (although I suspect part of it's good ol' top-notch Apple Marketing, and also well-timed marketing that diverts attention from the unethical/illegal stock option backdating).
I'll admit, it's a slick looking little device, and there probably is a market for people who want a phone/music player combo that works well.
I have my doubts about how well it will work as a phone, but I also wonder how well it will work as a PDA (it's not being billed as one really, but Apple is touting the screen and email and web capabilities).
I can't really see the thing outperforming my wonderful little HTC/T-Mobile Dash, to be honest. I've had the thing since around Thanksgiving, and it performs flawlessly as a phone/net device. It can connect to wifi networks or use T-Mobile's EDGE network, and it switches between them flawlessly. It mates with Bluetooth devices with no problems. It tethers to PCs with no problems (via USB or bluetooth). And the little keyboard is perfect.
But HTC doesn't have Apple's marketing savvy (and TMobile is more interested in selling services than hardware), so their devices probably will never be as successful as the new Apple device (whatever the technical merits).
I suspect Treo and Blackberry users may well find they're more pleased with their devices as well, depending on how they use 'em.
UPDATE: Here's some fawning coverage of the iPhone, just so people don't think I hate Apple.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/10/07 09:46 | Tech | Technorati | Comments (9)
09 January 2007
Music-related deaths
John Wagner notes that one of the original members of the Flying Burrito Brothers, "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, has died. He played steel guitar for the influential group.
In sorta almost related news, my mom informed me about a week ago that her friend and fellow Pawhuska OK resident Ida Mae Quillin had passed away (at the young age of 95). She was the inspiration for the Bob Wills tune "Ida Red." She was apparently a character.
May the deceased rest in peace.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/09/07 20:11 | Music | Technorati | Comments (0)
08 January 2007
Cafe Express
The place should really be renamed.
Cafe Torturously Slow seems like a better name.
At least for the Upper Kirby location, around 11:30 am.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/08/07 14:37 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (1)
06 January 2007
The con is up
So, four seasons of the Jersey con man and still not a playoff win.
For the franchise, that's a decade now.
TFG and I are still in shock.
So, there's no chance of the con man returning, right?
Who will be the next Cowboys coach?
Time for me to turn to Cougar basketball (down season, unfortunately), Cougar baseball, and backpacking.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/06/07 22:26 | Dallas Cowboys | Technorati | Comments (2)
Breakfast at the 59
We just returned from the usual weekend breakfast at 59 Diner, where we saw Jeff Van Gundy dining.He didn't seem quite as much like an undertaker as he does when coaching, but he also wasn't exactly Mr. Dynamic. Nobody seemed to be paying much attention to him, and he just sort of blended in.
We've previously seen sports personalities Ken Hatfield, Marc Vandermeer, and Jimy Williams having breakfast at the joint.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/06/07 12:41 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (2)
04 January 2007
Experiment gone awry?
Saddam's execution cited in boy's accidental hanging death (Associated Press)
Police and family members said a 10-year-old boy who died by hanging himself from a bunk bed was apparently mimicking the execution of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Sergio Pelico was found dead Sunday in his apartment bedroom in the Houston-area city of Webster, said Webster police Lt. Tom Claunch. Pelico's mother told police he had previously watched a news report on Saddam's death.
"It appears to be accidental," Claunch said. "Our gut reaction is that he was experimenting."
Appears to be accidental? That's an odd way to characterize a self-inflicted hanging after a brief investigation.
Seriously, do you find yourself waking in the middle of the night and exclaiming "Oh crap, I almost hanged myself!" Or hopping out of the shower in the morning and saying, "Dang, glad I got out of there before I accidentally hanged myself!"
Weird. And tragic.
BLOGVERSATION: TBIFOC.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/04/07 22:11 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
03 January 2007
I would have just stuck with Chevron
Troopers say man distracted by sign causes fatal wreck in Conroe (KTRK-13 News)
Troopers say a sign for low gas prices may have resulted in a deadly crash.
State troopers say they have not ticketed the woman's husband who caused the crash.
Troopers say Johnny Hohensee, 75, made a quick left turn in his Ford Escort towards the gas station. Another car heading the opposite direction crashed into the Escort, killing Linda Hohensee, 64.
"The driver stated that he was distracted with the sign at the gas station on the quick stop," said Trooper Chris Perkins with the Department of Public Safety.
Hmm, it's going to be hard to blame this one on Sudden Acceleration Syndrome.
I wonder why the guy wasn't ticketed?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/03/07 23:13 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (0)
Hard to believe there's still a league
Original WNBA franchise Charlotte Sting folds (Associated Press)
The WNBA's Charlotte Sting folded today, three weeks after the Bobcats gave up control of the team.
The WNBA was unsuccessful in finding a buyer for the Sting, one of the original eight franchises.
"It was driven by economics, certainly not philosophy," said Greg Economou, the Bobcats' chief marketing officer. "We believe in the women's game. If it could work here we'd be all for it. The situation we're in is trying to build the Bobcats' brand. It was difficult to absorb losing as much money as we were on the Sting side to continue."
It's a brutally bad product that just doesn't have broad popular appeal.
Locally, Les Alexander actually managed to find a sucker to take the local franchise off his hands. Lucky Les! KRIV-26's Mark Berman scooped everyone on the story, of course.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/03/07 23:01 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
02 January 2007
Tweaking the Greeks
Dispute over 'Alexander airport' (BBC News)
Greece has reacted angrily to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's decision to rename its main airport after Alexander the Great.
Greece considers the famous warrior-king to be a central part of its own ancient heritage.
Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis protested at Macedonia's decision, saying: "History cannot change, or be falsified, 2,000 years on".
Greece and its neighbour are also in dispute over the name Macedonia.
Macedonia is the name of a region in northern Greece, and Athens has demanded that the country to the north be known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - the name under which it joined the United Nations after the break-up of Yugoslavia.
The short versus long name of the country is one thing. Naming the airport after Alexander can have no other intent but to tweak the Greeks. If they go crazy with the blue paint at the airport, it'll be a sure giveaway!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/02/07 20:11 | International | Technorati | Comments (0)
01 January 2007
A good start to 2007
On the first day of 2007, I have:
* Enjoyed VeryStrongCoffee (not to be confused with DamnFineCoffee)
* Watched bowl games.
* Grilled and consumed some truly excellent cow
* Watched more football, with OU set to cap off the full day of football watching tonight.
Somewhere along the way, I may have to have a really sugary dessert, since I was mostly a good dieter in 2006. Diet and gym can return tomorrow.
This year is off to a damn good start. :D
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/01/07 16:51 | Other | Technorati | Comments (5)
Last days of the Jersey con man?
Cowboys grab wild card spot with loss to Lions (Jaime Aron, AP)
Roy Williams caught a pair of touchdown passes, Mike Furrey and Mike Williams each caught one and Jason Hanson kicked four field goals, helping Detroit (3-13) score its most points of the season and win a game the franchise might've been better off losing. Now Oakland gets the top overall pick and the Lions will go second.
Furrey punctuated his score by firing the football into a plastic Cowboys logo behind the end zone, knocking it off the wall and putting a crack in it.
How symbolic.
Despite owning the top wild card, Dallas (9-7) goes into January having lost consecutive games for the first time all season. The Cowboys also have dropped three of four since owning a two-game division lead in early December.
Following the latest collapse, it doesn't appear that the Cowboys will be securing their first playoff win in ten years this time around.
And that will probably put a wrap on the Bill Parcells era, which was slightly more successful in terms of wins/losses than the Chan Gailey and Dave Campo eras, but came up short of the Barry Switzer era. Not a very pretty way for a Hall of Fame coach to end things, but I'm sure the millions Jerry gave him for zero playoff wins will make him feel a little better.
I wonder who Jerry will turn to. Maybe Jack Del Rio if he gets fired in Jacksonville? Mike Sherman? Cam Cameron? Ron Rivera?
I sure hope it's not Bob Stoops, for his sake and for Oklahoma's. He doesn't need the Jerruh headache. And I sure as hell hope it's not Houston Nutt, but nothing will surprise me given it's Jerruh.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/01/07 11:31 | Dallas Cowboys | Technorati | Comments (3)
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