Monthly Archives: June 2008

(Community Matters) On Feb 23 I sold my General Motors stock at $24/share citing Vice Chairman Bob Lutz’s comment that global warming is “a total crock of shit” as a sign that the company was managed by idiots. Today GM closed at $13/share. It’s dropped nearly 50% ytd. So glad he’s a vocal idiot.

(Community Matters) Yesterday evening, I joined Amanda Chiampi, Michael Kellerman, Craig Davis, Patricia Buchholtz and other residents of Chestnut Commons for a residents block party/dinner celebrating the opening of the third and final phase. These single family units built condo style on the former Featherlite tract have attracted a very cool, crowd of overwhelmingly 20- & 30-something nonprofit professionals, state workers, marketers, UT staff members and other young professionals. And, it is creating a fund of over $1mm for affordable housing projects in Central East Austin. (hmm, I had a picture of the 50+ folks under the tent having dinner. I shouldn’t delete after emailing to myself.)

(Community Matters) Kudos to George Brant who won the Keene Award and $50,000 for his play, Elephant’s Graveyard, which I reviewed here. George had previously won the Austin Theatre’s Critics Award for this play.

(Community Matters) Robert Torian in NYC visiting Paul Daigle, and of course, no coincidence he was there for this year’s Broadway Bares.

This was Broadway Bares’ 18th year and they raised over $800k to help fund services for those with AIDS. It’s an annual benefit of the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS group. Charles Santos ran their Dancers Responding to AIDS program.

(Community Matters) Today would have been Tom Henderson’s 59th birthday. Thinking of you today especially, Tom.

(Community Matters) Not sure if this is the race responsible for all the fun, laughing riders cruising through the hood, but does sound like fun.

(Community Matters) I don’t have a position on this since I haven’t read enough. I do wonder, however, if we ought not “save our oil” for the days it’s even more scarce and expensive. Given that we (as a nation) have borrowed so much against the younger generations’ futures, shouldn’t we at least leave them this asset, undepleted? Seems the technology will be better for extracting it environmentally safely if that’s an issue as well.

(Community Matters) I missed the VF issue on the Ecuadoran lawsuit against Chevron. As we went around the table, I asked Hailey Rudy to tell us about her new job in Ecuador. She’s working for the team of plantiffs’ attorneys in Quito and this week met Pablo Fajardo. Pablo and the lawsuit are an extraordinary story. If you don’t know, you’d like to.

Snow’s BBQ, Kreuz’s sides (plus their ribs – still the best) and a salad from Bastrop’s Farmer’s Market. Michael earlier mentioned that reading about yesterday’s food trip reminded him of me on Salt Spring Island – so true. I would spend half the day driving between farms, purchasing whatever was ready to pick or recently caught or slaughtered, then the rest of the day cooking. I’ll admit, it’s easier without the cooking part and naps are always a good thing 🙂

Dinner guests included Kristi & Scott Eckert, Carla & Jack McDonald, Hailey (kirk’s oldest daughter) & Kirk Rudy, Crystal & Mark Strama and Jodi & Fred Zipp. We promised each other last night was off-the-record, so I won’t recant the other conversations. It was midnight before anyone stirred from the table, so a good night in our book.

(Community Matters) Nice to see: guy in a light truck sporting a NRA sticker, swerving to avoid hitting a squirrel.

(Community Matters) Evidently buzzing the blogosphere: Austin-based Jeffrey Brewster’s photos of local soccer player and student Alexander.

I even cropped this one a bit for PG audiences.

Hat Tip: Man of Austin

(Community Matters) Good guy/Rude Mechs’ Kirk Lynn is putting together a Charades benefit (but this one a “celebrity” benefit) including local actors to raise $1,400 for hearing aids for a cleaning guy he met who hasn’t been able to hear but who would with this assistance. So, a fun, charity event on July 6 from 3pm until (who knows) at Bossa Nova Coffeehouse at 2121 E. 6th Street. What a good cause. Won’t be deductible since it’s for a specific person, but so what. Great way to share. If you’re interested in donating, contact me directly for Kirk’s email and address. $25, $50 or $100 perfect for this great cause.

(Community Matters) Steven & I were off early this morning to pick up the best Texas BBQ for a dinner party tonight – best per Texas Monthly as well as what Michael Barnes and I could smell last week – only smell since they ran out of everything by 9:30 last Saturday while while we were in line.

I’d placed my order early in the week. It was easy to just show up, pick up and pay. Kerry is cooking 1,100 lbs of meat today. Before the Tx Monthly article, he was cooking 300 lbs each Saturday.

checking out with daughter, Lorissa, and owner/dad, Kerry

What the heck, had to try some of it all – brisket, pork roast, pork ribs, chicken & sausage plus their potato salad & cole slaw.

packing 15#s brisket & Snow’s bbq sauce for San Francisco

While in line last week, I met 3 entrepreneurs who’d flown in from San Francisco specifically to try Snow’s brisket. They were out of luck too. Steven and I already drop shipped their order for overnight FedEx delivery.

Bastrop farmer’s market

On our way from Lexington to Lockhart, we picked up salad fixins at Bastrop’s Farmer’s Market.

Ordering at Kreuz’s

Of course the best BBQ requires the best potato salad, beans and sour kraut, and these are definitely at Kreuz’s. While I was there, occurred to me that it’s unlikely for anyone’s pork ribs to beat Kreuz’s so some of these too.