04 December 2006
HPD to begin PIT maneuver training?
KRIV-26's Isiah Carey reports from unnamed sources that HPD is planning to train some officers on the PIT maneuver, a method of terminating chases by which the pursuing vehicle positions itself to force the fleeing vehicle to turn and lose control (and stop).
Here's hoping this bit of news means that Chief Hurtt's ill-conceived plans to implement a no-chase policy have been put on hold permanently.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 12/04/06 09:10 AM |
Matt Stiles introduces the city to the wonders of technology
The Chron's Matt Stiles is singlehandedly determined to bring the City of Houston into the 21st century, and in the process, increase the city's transparency. You may recall back in October, through Stiles' efforts, the city began considering a plan to require all city candidates to put their campaign contributions in an internet accessible database.
Now Stiles has helped nudge the city a bit further:
Elected city officials accepted dozens of campaign contributions that may be illegal under a law prohibiting donations from contractors with business before the City Council, a Houston Chronicle study shows.
Most say they didn't know about potential problems with the donations, in part because legal ambiguities and antiquated record-keeping make it difficult to identify prohibited donors.
[snip]
Officials said the city's arcane record-keeping system makes policing the ordinance difficult.
Many campaigns keep donation records in databases that can be sorted and queried quickly. That is not possible, however, with the blackout lists — the read-only files on the city secretary's Web site.
Campaigns can only identify prohibited contributors by manually searching the lists.
[snip]
Several elected officials said the best way to ensure compliance would be to post the list of prohibited contractors in a more accessible format.
White's aides said they would make the lists available in spreadsheets that can be linked to donations more easily.
You go, Matt! What can he make the city do next?
(While we are on the topic of technology, I'm going to gripe about the Chron's archives, which I find endlessly frustrating. I can't link to Stiles' October Chron story about the city's campaign finance reporting methods, since the original link is now dead. This is always the case with Chron stories. After spending some time in the Chron's archives Advanced Search section, I still couldn't pull it up. Kevin can usually find a way to dig up old stories, but for some reason I don't have that luck, and I don't understand why Chron.com operates this way. The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and the Houston Press don't let their story links go dead like the Chron does, so it is possible to have a more news-reader-friendly system.)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/04/06 09:01 AM |
The little cat nobody wanted brought joy to so many
The Simon family has suffered another loss: Laurence's beloved little Piper died suddenly early this morning.
She was a hoot of a kitty, chasing her tail, making funny faces, gnawing on her blankie, endlessly grooming herself (man, that cat was CLEAN!), and those of us who watched Laurence's catcams enjoyed it all:
It was only yesterday she was climbing up my pants leg, up my shirt, sitting on my shoulder, and shrieking for more from the bottle.
Ten years later, my little kittybaby is gone.
When I had finally gotten a new job, I wanted to keep tabs on the cats, so I went a little overboard with catcams. One here... one there... a "skycam" for watching Piper as she slept.
Many other people started watching her.
For such a little cat that nobody had wanted, she brought joy to many.
Yes, she did. Farewell little Piper, and peace be with Laurence and Gina.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/04/06 08:28 AM |
03 December 2006
While they're at it...
Chronicle reader representative James Campbell comments today on Chron editors who apparently decided to play marketers with the newspaper's front page:
The photo of model Alexandra Kelly that nearly covered Page One of last Sunday's early edition Chronicle was strikingly elegant and aptly symbolic of the story it announced about defying age.
The problem was, Kelly was nude, her privates covered only by the positioning of her arms and legs and an artistic back shadow. The stylishly tasteful photo was more befitting the cover of an upscale women's magazine than Page One of the Chronicle, some readers protested.
Eh, we think it's brilliant marketing actually.
When your content is of questionable value, go for more graphics!
In fact, we'd suggest replacing at least half of the content on the editorial page with "stylishly tasteful" skin shots. That should attract some readers. And it would be at least as interesting as James Howard Gibbons' personal diaries or Andrea Georgsson's leftover adventures!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 12/03/06 09:52 PM |
Culberson not backing off Richmond rail opposition
In a story that speculates on the impact of the rail issue on the Martha Wong/Ellen Cohen race in November, Rad Sallee also treats the issue of Richmond rail more generally, and the position of Rep. John Culberson, who will become a minority member of the House Appropriations Committee next year:
Culberson is a rail skeptic. Except for his stand against Metro studying rail on Richmond, he has been generally supportive of Metro's rail plans since voters approved a Metro-backed referendum in 2003
As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, his support has been crucial in Metro's effort to obtain federal rail funding. Metro officials say it is too early to tell whether his influence will wane when Democrats gain control of Congress in January, possibly with newly elected Democrat Nick Lampson of Stafford on the Appropriations Committee.
Culberson has often said the views of those who live and work on Richmond itself carry more weight with him than those elsewhere.
He said last week that nothing in the Nov. 7 result gave reason to soften his opposition to the Richmond rail.
"Every election is about personalities and party affiliation and issues. It's about who the district wants to represent them," he said.
Culberson said the only referendum that counts was the 2003 transit referendum that approved the rail plan, and whose ballot said "Westpark."
November postings from a pro-Richmond rail blog that sometimes acts as the adjunct public relations arm for METRO on the topic of Richmond rail suggest that METRO is planning to move ahead on Richmond rail despite Rep. Culberson's opposition and the referendum language. The wild card was whether the election would soften Rep. Culberson's position. The answer would seem to be a resounding No.
UPDATE: I should note that Democratic political scientists Richard Murray and Bicyclist Bob Stein both made an appearance in Sallee's story. It's probably also worth noting that Zogby, rather than Murray/Stein, handled the Chronicle's polling for the last election. Perhaps the Chronicle decided it didn't want another methodological fiasco like the Murray/Stein DeLay polling from earlier this year.
BLOGVERSATION: Perry vs. World, Off the Kuff.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 12/03/06 09:38 PM |
Calling Houston dog lovers: Check out the MFAH's dog exhibition
Before we begin, let me just say I'm a mega dog lover. I watch the Dog Whisperer, sit with the "boys" and critique Eukanuba Best in Shows, sign up to work with dogs at the HSPCA, and enjoy reading books about dogs like Jon Katz's latest A Good Dog: The Story of Orson, Who Changed My Life
Long before William Wegman's photography proclaimed the beauty of Fay Ray, dogs had not only been hailed as man's best friend but also bore on their furrowed, furry brow the crown of the artist's best friend. Now Houston celebrates the dog with MFAH's Best in Show: The Dog in Art from the Renaissance to Today. The exhibit, which began in October, runs through January 1, 2007. If you're a dog lover, an artist, or simply someone in need of something to do, add this to your list.
The idea of dogs being such wonderful subjects for artists somehow escaped me. Until, that is, the mid-'90s when I attended the first Private Eye Writers of America conference and joined a group of writers who trekked over to the AKC Museum of the Dog. (An entire museum devoted to dogs? Who knew?) At the time there was talk about a short story anthology with each writer choosing a specific work of art and creating a story. We roamed the halls, chatted about canine personalities, and shared our murderous thoughts spawned by the artfully rendered dogs.
While the halls of the Houston exhibition may not reverberate with ominous barking, canine visions will definitely compete with the annual sugar plums for your attention. Pugs, Spaniels, Greyhounds, Dalmatians...Name your dog. The pampered, the working, the playing, the sleeping, all aspects of dog life are depicted. Yale University Press has issued Best-Show-Dog-Renaissance-Today
The paintings are sure to suggest snippets of stories. I'm looking forward to viewing Valyer-Coster's The Favorites, Marie Antoinette's pampered trio, and Reinagle's funny Portrait of an Extraordinary Musical Dog. Then there is Calderon's A Lady of Quality described so eloquently by Scott Rose in the Pampered Puppy:
Brit painter William Frank Calderon came from a Spanish lineage with roots in Villafranca de los Cabelleros, Toledo. His A Lady of Quality is the pièce de resistance of this exhibit. The lady in question is a Russian wolfhound, a borzoi, shown in dreamy repose atop a plush white fur throw decking a tapestry divan with gilded, polished wooden legs and arms. Queen Alexandra had received Russian wolfhounds as gifts from Czar Alexander III; the lady in this painting appears to be serenely aware of her breed's elevated status. Golden highlights in her coat harmonize with her amber eyes, from which comes a look of fashionable ennui, that is, boredom. She extends one forepaw along the divan as though preparing for a plié, which she nonetheless is too enervated to execute. The sumptuousness of her surroundings, so warmly rendered, provide a fitting frame for the depiction of her profoundly pampered soul.
What triggered my canine fascination? My mom says it's Asta's fault. Apparently my first best friend was a dog. Asta, a trained German Shepherd police dog who later accompanied my dad to Korea, took it upon herself to become my canine nanny. When my mom put me outside in the playpen on the front lawn, Asta stationed herself right alongside the pen and dared anyone to approach. None did. (Of course, that didn't seem to stop her from slowly easing a paw forward to snag one of my toys and slowly drag it through the rails toward her...)
I haven't seen the exhibition yet but plan to use the trip to spend time with family. My granddaughter is insistent that she become a vet. Both she and her older brother love animals and delight in drawing. A trip to the museum should make for a fun outing. Who are "the boys?" Well, they're Beau (my big, bold, beautiful ball-obsessed dark gold 115-lb Labrador retriever), Riley (my rock-loving, hole-digging, fluff-bucket of a 24-lb cocker spaniel), Teddy (aka Little Theodore Roosevelt, the feisty 12-lb black and white Shi Tzu with a lion heart), and Freddie (aka Frederick, the white, dancing-on-hind-legs, bear like 6-lb white Maltese).
What about cats? Yes, yes, I love cats, too. Had quite a few in my day but today my hours are taken up with my canine friends. Will there be a cat exhibition? I don't know. You'll have to take that up with the museum. No, the short story dog anthology never came to fruition but it was fun speculating. For now, I'm wondering if the museum will let me bring the boys...
Now, dog lovers--here's your chance. Sing the praise of the dog. And while you're at it, chime in with news of other Houston dog-friendly spots.
Posted by Vikk Simmons @ 12/03/06 08:50 PM |
KHOU: Graffiti still a problem in Houston
After Thanksgiving, KHOU-11 ran another of their stories on Houston's ongoing graffiti problem.
The local media -- especially the TV stations -- regularly run these stories, after which some mayoral promise to "get tough" on graffiti usually emerges (usually without any followup action).
This story had a useful reminder:
Grafitti is not a new problem in Houston, but some see it as a growing problem lately.
In the past, the city’s grafitti abatement division took on the task of eradicating graffiti, but that division no longer exists.
Houston requires home and business owners to clean up graffiti on private property.
The Mayor's big initiative to deal with the problem by forcing cleanup onto the victims seems not to have solved the problem. Who could have guessed?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 12/03/06 03:13 PM |
02 December 2006
Adventures in Chron editing
From today's Chronicle:
Disappeared votes? Ack! And it's in the dead tree paper as well.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/02/06 01:19 PM |
01 December 2006
The Mayor's "Holiday" Celebration
It's that time of year: the city's gearing up for its annual "Holiday Celebration," including the traditional lighting of the "holiday" tree:
Mayor Bill White and KHOU Channel 11 invite all Houstonians to the annual Mayor's Holiday Celebration hosted by Deborah Duncan and Ron Treviño, featuring live music, fireworks sponsored by Cricket Communications, Inc., and the lighting of the City's official holiday tree sponsored by Reliant Energy. This year's holiday celebration will take place on Hermann Square next to City Hall, 901 Bagby, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8, 2006.
“This is a great chance for Houstonians of all backgrounds and faiths to come together as a community and celebrate the spirit behind the season and have some family fun,” said Mayor White.
It's unclear what holiday or season the city might be celebrating. Could be Independence Day, Cinco de Mayo, or St. Patrick's Day. Maybe Houston is celebrating the spirit behind baseball season.
Hard to say.
Also unclear is what happened to 2004's Pancho Claus and 2005's Christmas Tree.
What's really grating about the mayor's comment is that the true "spirit behind the season" is Christmas, and there's nothing wrong with saying "Christmas tree" or "Christmas season." It is not exclusive to do so.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/01/06 04:40 PM |
Infamous Fourth Ward resident attends townhall meeting (updated)
Last night at a townhall meeting, Fourth Ward residents blasted city officials for the city's continued inattention to their community's problems (via KTRK-13's Miya Shay):
Houston's mayor found himself face to face with a tough crowd Thursday night. Dozens of residents gathered, wanting to know why city promises to improve their neighborhood have gone unfulfilled. We're talking about the Fourth Ward, which recently has seen its share of crime, including a massive suspicious church fire.
[snip]
That's why Williams and hundreds of neighbors with similar concerns brought their opinions to a fiery meeting between residents and city leaders, including Mayor Bill White
"For too long, we haven't had the capital improvements and the public safety protection that we deserve in this neighborhood," said Mayor White.
An alarming footnote to the story mentions that confessed killer and Fourth Ward resident Robert Durst attended the meeting:
Among the crowd Thursday night at that meeting on crime was admitted killer Robert Durst. He's the millionaire who just ended his parole this week after cutting up a neighbor's body and dumping it in Galveston Bay. Durst lives in the Fourth Ward, but most of his neighbors didn't recognize him. However, his appearance was certainly a talking point among the politicians, police and reporters who saw him.
Oh dear. Fourth Ward residents concerned about crime would be well-advised to memorize his face and curb their neighborliness.
UPDATE: Shame on me for not thinking of visiting Miya Shay's Political Blog. She has more on Durst, including a picture of him at the meeting.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/01/06 12:30 PM |
Roaming up and down the bookstacks of Houston
Houston is a city that still confounds many people. Maybe it's due to the poor but constant media portrayal of Houston as a rough and ready, cowboy and gun-toting town. My experience differs. Over the years I've found Houston to be rich. Rich in money, sure. Rich in oil, oh yeah. But also rich in culture and the arts. Years ago you could count the number of Houston area theaters on two hands. Today, well, the last count I saw toppled the hundred mark.
Houstonians also love books. Like most cities, the landscape is dotted with the chain storefronts of Barnes and Noble and, of course, Borders. Yet independents thrive. I'm not going to name all the bookstores in town but if you feel the need to decompress from all the holiday stress, here are a few of my favorite haunts:
Murder by the Book - For more than three decades, this strong independent bookstore has been the leading local source for mystery book lovers. Today a quick review of upcoming events highlights the attention the publishing world pays to this Houston literary gem. Edgar nominees, New York Times bestselling crime novelists, and debut authors fill the calendar. This Saturday, December 2nd at 4:30 pm meet three authors whose novels use a Houston setting: Houstonians Colleen Thompson and Becky Cochran and Dallas's own L.A. Starks. MBTB is on Bissonnet in between Kirby and Greenbriar.
Brazos Bookstore - For years, Brazos Bookstore has been Houston's home for all things literary. Customers run their fingertips up and down the spines of a wide variety of books lining the shelves and let their imaginations roam. But art and architecture lovers beware. You are guaranteed to fall deeply in love with this store. You'll find wine, cheese, cookies, coffee, and great conversation at their Open House Wednesday and Thursday, December 6th and 7th from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Brazos is near Rice University, also on Bissonnet.
Blue Willow Bookshop - While Blue Willow carries all manner of books, those who buy books for children have a particular fondness for this well-run bookstore. If you have a young tot who simply has to write the guy in the red suit, stop by Blue Willow and pick up a letter for Santa. When the letter is finished make sure you return to the store and use their direct-to-the North Pole mailbox. It won't be long before a return letter arrives straight from from Santa's elves. You'll find Blue Willow in a shopping center on Memorial at Dairy Ashford.
Book Browser - Once known as Crandall's Corner, the Book Browser is the ultimate used bookstore. Paperbacks, hardbacks, rare books and collectibles are stacked and shelved in what is now known as "the largest independently owned used book store in Texas." Bless them, everything is alphabetized; this is huge. If you haven't been able to find a particular book, these are the folks to call. They keep a well-maintained database and will, trust me, call you when the book you are seeking is found. They once called me a year after I had put a request in for a rare copy of Dean Koontz's first book on writing. Russell Law and his staff are well-versed in the value of books. Located in the northwest on Pinemont near Antoine, they're worth a visit and well-worth a call.
What about the chains? Well, there can be only one. You'll find me working among the bookstacks at the Borders store in Stafford at The Fountains off HWY 59.
With all the Houston chains and independents, there are plenty of bookstores to go round. Why not tell us about your favorite?
...okay, first post is over. I can breathe. Thanks for the warm welcome, Kevin. I can't believe I'm finally part of the blogHouston team...uh, but that part about making you smarter and more cultured? I've been looking in my closet all morning, and I can't seem to find my super-duper, handy-dandy Houston arts and culture cape, so I'm not promising anything. But don't worry. I won't let that stop me from posting.
Posted by Vikk Simmons @ 12/01/06 10:45 AM |
Because a little culture is a good thing...
We'd like to introduce a new blogger here at the little hyperlocal Houston blog: Vikk Simmons.
Vikk is a local writer/reader/blogger/reviewer/photographer I've been reading for a long time through her blog Down the Writer's Path.
I've long pestered her to help us out with some posts on the local literary/arts scene -- book signings, talks, and other events to help make us smarter and more cultured. We'll, she's finally given in to my pestering! So look for her posts in the near future.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 12/01/06 08:24 AM |
30 November 2006
The Insite: Mayor wants to change law regarding special election
Isiah Carey posts an interesting bit of news tonight: Mayor White plans to ask the state legislature for a change to the law that requires a special election to fill the Council seat formerly held by Doctor-Congresswoman Shelley Sekula Gibbs. The Mayor would like to let the seat remain vacant until the regular election in November.
Carey further notes that Councilmember Anne Clutterbuck thinks Mayor White should appoint someone to fill the seat until an election can be held.
UPDATE: Here's a link to the report Carey did for KRIV-26.
UPDATE (12-01-2006): Kristen Mack comments in her Chronicle column.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/30/06 10:46 PM |
KTRK Political Blog: City tows legally parked vehicles
KTRK-13's Miya Shay reports that under Houston's parking laws, metered parking spots may actually be "rented" by citizens for the price of $11.50 per day. Interestingly, if a car is parked legally in a "rented" parking spot when the rental time begins, the meter is bagged and the car may be towed.
This isn't just a hypothetical. It happened downtown Tuesday, and Shay has posted photos of cars being towed on her blog.
That's ridiculous.
Here's hoping that Parking Management Busybody Liliana Rambo reads Shay's blog, and is already working to resolve what must be an infuriating situation for the poor people whose legally parked cars were towed.
BLOGVERSATION: Lose an Eye, It's a Sport.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/30/06 11:05 AM |
Bundle up and protect your pipes!
It's that time of year: Local media gone wild because a cold front is blowing through today with the promise of freezing temps tonight. We find local news highly entertaining when this happens (like the KHOU-11 reporter standing somewhere on SH-249 this morning, waiting for the wind to change), and it's especially amusing to hear endless warnings to protect your pipes.
Here's the Chronicle:
And with temperatures today and this weekend expected to dip into near freezing numbers, talk turns to protecting the plants, pipes and, of course, people.
Plants, pipes and people? What about our little four-legged friends? Pets begins with a "p"!
Here's KPRC-2:
Tips To Prevent Frozen Pipes
Frozen pipes can be a household nightmare. A few inexpensive items and a few preventive steps can help you avoid the problem.
Follow the link for instructions on how to waste spend an afternoon. And here's KHOU-11's cold weather page with a link to pipe preps.
Anyway, hang in there folks. Temperatures are supposed to be more pipe-friendly next week.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 11/30/06 08:29 AM |
29 November 2006
Checking in with TSU
Former President Priscilla Slade's grand jury testimony won't be unsealed so Slade's former assistant can review it for inconsistencies, although the testimony will be available for a grand jury review.
TSU has a new interim president -- retired Air Force Brigadier General James T. Boddie Jr. The Chronicle's Matthew Tresaugue has more:
James Timothy Boddie Jr., who once led NASA's Aircraft Management Office, will assume the top job at the nation's second-largest historically black university upon finalizing an employment contract, officials said.
The regents turned to Boddie, 75, after firing Priscilla Slade in June on the grounds that she misspent $286,000 of the school's money to furnish and landscape her house. Slade and three former aides now face criminal charges.
"Right now TSU needs someone who is rigid, and he fit the bill," board Chairman J. Paul Johnson said.
And then there's the matter of TSU's head tennis coach, who is accused of stealing scholarship money and more (via KHOU-11):
“The only thing I know is that I’m here without money and with an apartment to pay and he won’t care,” said Roxana Martinez a TSU tennis player.
He is Alberto Rojo Jimenez, head tennis coach at TSU.
He also teaches classes at a private club.
“He said I was going to be living in apartments that I shouldn’t be worried about anything he was going to give me clothes, and shoes and rackets and everything,” said Martinez.
Everything a student could ask for except that never happened.
The players who were recruited from countries like Poland, Mexico and Egypt, accuse Rojo Jimenez of taking part of their scholarship money.
“I was evicted because he owes rent for a whole month,” said Christopher Gloc.
Gloc came all the way from Venezuela.
He said his coach not only took his scholarship check but asked him for more money so he reluctantly gave him a credit card. “There was 2000 dollars paid towards the university.”
Yet there’s no record the university ever received that money.
There’s another $500 to an auto repair shop but Gloc doesn’t even own a car.
TSU tells KHOU it's investigating the situation. A retired brigadier general could be just what TSU needs!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 11/29/06 02:16 PM |
Where is the Insite?!
Anne Linehan and I have been wondering what happened to Isiah Carey's Insite. And so has Mike McGuff.
Instead of serving up Isiah's blog, the web address has been serving up ads/gibberish for the past couple of days.
We finally broke down and used an old-fashioned telephone (okay, a text message) to try to figure out what's up.
It turns out the site has apparently been hijacked AND poor Isiah's battling the flu right now. He's trying to get well and get the domain name back, but in the meantime, he's moved everything here:
Get well soon, Isiah!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/29/06 08:52 AM |
28 November 2006
Feds bust two Taliban sympathizers in Houston
The Chronicle's Cindy George reports that two men living in Houston have been accused of helping funnel money to the Taliban:
One of two Houston men accused of training to fight with the Taliban pleaded guilty this afternoon in federal court.
Kobie Diallo Williams, 33, a U.S. citizen who was a student at the University of Houston Downtown, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assist a terrorist group. His help included withdrawing cash from an ATM to send to the Middle East.
Another man, Adnan Babar Mirza, 29, a Pakistani national who was in the country on an expired student visa, faces similar conspiracy charges as well as three federal weapons violations. Mirza appeared today before a U.S. magistrate judge.
Mirza became illegal when his visa expired. Someone holding a student visa or in the country illegally is not allowed to have firearms.
They sound like two absolutely charming young men.
BLOGVERSATION: Lone Star Times, TBIFOC.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/28/06 11:38 PM |
HISD responds to Westbury shooting via automated phone system
Following the fatal drive-by shooting at Westbury High School earlier today, HISD deployed its automated phone system to contact over 1,000 parents almost instantaneously, according to HISD spokeman Terry Abbott.
Here's the message that went out:
This is Westbury High School Principal Eric Coleman calling with a very important message.
We had a tragedy outside of Westbury High School, not on the campus, Tuesday morning. A ninth grade student was in a street off campus after school started when he was shot.
The Houston Police Department is investigating this off-campus incident, and our HISD Police Department is assisting. I wanted to call you right away and give you this information because it is important that parents be kept informed.
We kept all the students inside the school and safe during the school day. I’m very proud of how well our students behaved in class while the investigation was going on. We’ve had extra counselors at the school to assist any student who needs it, and HISD Police have increased police patrols around the school before and after school.
Westbury is a safe school. We take pride in giving our students a safe learning environment every day inside the school. And we will do everything we can to work with the community to keep the neighborhoods outside the school safe every day.
Again, this is Eric Coleman, the principal of Westbury High School.
The Houston Press blog HouStoned was quick to praise HISD for their smart use of technology. Chron.com's education blog called attention to the call's emphasis on the location of the shooting (off campus).
Both the message and the rapid response via the automated phone system seem appropriate to us. The overnight note from the principal (or the overnight printed newspaper!) just seem like relics in comparison.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/28/06 11:08 PM |
Best to stick with the leftovers
The Chronicle Editorial LiveJournalists tossed a little chemistry at readers today:
There is no evidence that Putin or anyone in the Kremlin had Litvinenko killed. The radioactive material, polonium-120, must be produced by a nuclear reactor or research lab, but could have come from anywhere and been acquired on the black market.
Actually, as Matt Bramanti suggested in an email earlier, Polonium 120 might well have been created by those mad-scientist Editorial LiveJournalists/Leftover Physicists down at 801 Texas Avenue, but it was the radioactive Polonium-210 isotope that killed former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/28/06 10:34 PM |
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