Monthly Archives: July 2008

(Community Matters) Obviously, from today’s NYTimes Arts section, Dancing:

(Community Matters) Another outstanding evening with two good friends, Kim Hughes and Jeff Browning, at Austin’s finest restaurant. These two always teach me lots.

(Community Matters) Is it just me or are we entering a Ross Perot-ish reality in this campaign? Retire national debt from war savings by winning the war? Drilling our way out of high fuel costs? Appears we’re in a McCain melt down. Though, admittedly the combination of McCain, RNC & 527 monies is unlike anything this country has ever seen. And, let’s not forget, the status quo means billions & trillions of dollars. Some men stop at nothing to preserve and further accumulate wealth & power.

(Community Matters) Cis Myers is organizer extraordinaire and is leading the fundraising efforts to retire Betty Dunkerley’s campaign debt. Organizing members have agreed to raise $600 each (city campaign rules allow a max of $300 individual contributions). There will be a $50/person event at the Headliners on August 6.

Additional members of the host committee include: Trey Salinas, Tom Terkel, Tim Taylor, Tim Hendricks, Terry Mitchell, Terry Bray, Sue Gravett, Stephen Drenner, Shannon Ratliff, Robert Knight, Rick Bluntzer, Pike Powers, Pete Winstead, Paul Linehan, Paul Bury, Pat Hayes, Nikelle Meade, Michael Whellan, Matt Mathias, Martha Cotera, Marian Dozier, Lowell Lebermann, Libby Sykora, Kirk Watson, Kirk Rudy, Kerry Tate, John Joseph, Joe Long, Jo Anne Christian, Jo Ann Howard, Jay Hailey, George Cofer, AB Porter, Elizabeth Christian, Eddie Safady, Earl Maxwell, David Armbrust, Dallas Kelley, Cloteal Davis Haynes, Cindy Kohler, Charlie Betts, Charles Barnett, Bruce Todd, Brian Cassidy, Bobbie Barker, Betty King, Bettie Naylor, Amy Mok and Rick Coneway.

(Community Matters) Hmm, World Bank says they’ve increased food prices 75%, Bush Administration says only 3%. Who to believe. . .

(Community Matters) Met this afternoon with two aspiring entrepreneurs, John Erik Metcalf & Melissa Sconyers who impressed me with their commitment to innovation and creativity. John Erik explained his interest in creating a Startup District in Austin, a place where young entrepreneurs working on Web 3.0 startups would congregate, connect and discover – Conjectured. Good gosh, I’m just figuring out what qualifies as Web 2.0. Now I’ve got to understand the Semantic Web and other Web 3.0 concepts.

It was refreshing to spend time with John Erik & Melissa. They are recent UT graduates (undergrads) full of dreams, ambition and energy – the kind who get things done, despite the rest of us “knowing” it’ll never happen. Erik and a few friends have already leased a building on East 7th Street where aspiring entrepreneurs (I keep hearing software developers) will share space, ideas and conversation as well as hotel their offices. John Erik is committed to growing the type of subindustry where he wants to work in Austin. Says companies like Moximity are where he’s interested in working; imagine that had something to do with Bryan Jones introducing us 🙂 I also recommended he connect with my new friend Michael Griffin, founder & CEO of search engine optimizer, Adlucent.

(Community Matters) Perfect ending to a lazy Fourth of July weekend. Nico (my 9yo godson) and I joined Lauren (my 10yo goddaughter – the two consider themselves godsiblings) and her daddy, my close friend, Kent Mayes at the KDK Ranch outside Llano. Unfortunately, Janet Harman, Kevin, David and Kelly left earlier for other family obligations, sorry to have missed them.

(Community Matters) Nico and I are visiting my god daughter, Lauren, and her dad, Kent Mayes, near Llano. Great breeze up here.

(Community Matters) It’s Not About the Bike

(Community Matters) Doing a bit more hanging today, headed out now. here

(Community Matters) A lazy July 4th in the pool house

(Community Matters) A lazy July 4th in the pool house