Monthly Archives: March 2009

(Community Matters) Not sure if there is a split from Lee Leffingwell or they’re signaling an ultimatum for his vote on the Wildflower Commons development. While Brewster enjoys strong support from clean energy advocates and mainstream environmentalists, this could represent a seismic shift in support away for Lee from the no-lawsuit-too-expensive-to-fight/taxpayer-fund-even-if-we-lose spectrum of Austin environmentalists, the Robin Rather-Bill Bunch crowd. here

I’m referring to the group who relentlessly (often viciously) advocates Austin City Council taking a position even when our legal counsel and all others advise us we’d be sued and lose Austinites hundreds of thousands of dollars if not millions of taxpayer money.

(Community Matters) Cool, Community Matters in a poll for best Austin blogs.  Vote here 🙂

(Community Matters)  here

(Community Matters) More SXSW pics, all from NYTimes:

Kanye West at Stubb’s

@ Kanye West

Mi Ami at Habana Calle 6 Annex

Mi Ami

PJ Harvey at Stubb’s

Janell Monae at Peckerheads

Cursive

Say Hi at The Parish

6th St. from the Parish, Saturday night

Big Boi from OutKast

(Community Matters)
Aboard CO 33 now. Best theatre of the weekend last night, Burnt by the Sun at the Royal National Theatre. Especially enjoyed meeting Mrs Gillian Taylor in the cafe and sharing a table & meal – more on the extraordinary complex. Also, the exhibit of the Ashington Group: Pitman Painters – fantastic. Will write about the play when arrive. We weren’t taught the gains of the Soviets under Stalin, especially economically during the Great Depression, though they certainly don’t make up for the horrific atrocities.

Frank Rich this morning http://mobile.nytimes.com/article;jsessionid=382D4D41EDCB547BF774EA03C6BB35D9.w5?a=346973&f=28&sub=Columnist. Will Americans really “yawn” at lifting of the gay military ban? Good gosh, most don’t know someone can be fired for being gay and that there is no federal or statewide recourse. A club in Houston just refused entry to gays this weekend. Ooops, door closed. Home sweet home. Can’t wait. ST off to Ireland. Posted by blackberry

(Community Matters) When it’s the president of the Texas Conservative Coalition, a Craddick ally and a hero to the Texas Eagle Forum, one should look further inbetween the lines. In today’s AAS

New twist to abortion debate

Paul Burka, senior executive editor at Texas Monthly, spotted this first and reported it Thursday on his Burkablog: House Bill 3152, by Rep. Wayne Christian, R-Center, would make it a Class A misdemeanor to use drugs or medical instruments commonly used on women to perform abortions if the woman is not pregnant.

Yes, Christian would make it illegal to perform an abortion on a woman who is not pregnant.

What, pray tell, is the need for such legislation, Burka asked?

Some years ago, he was told by Christian’s staff, some abortion providers would take advantage of a woman who thought she might be pregnant but wasn’t. However, she would be told she was pregnant, the provider would pretend to perform an abortion and then charge the government for it.

(Of course, the government hasn’t paid for abortions for years.)

We’re guessing that it would be illegal already (fraud, perhaps?) to deliberately perform an unnecessary operation after lying to the patient about it, but you just never know.

I’d suggest examining the language to make sure Mr. Christian isn’t plotting against RU486 in Texas.

(Community Matters) Last night saw a promenade theatre performance, Stovepipe, a new play by Adam Brace produced by the Bush Theatre Company (no relation!) in partnership with the Royal National Theatre.

Tom Stoppard called it one of the best promenade dramas he’s ever seen, “truly effective and illuminating.” The Daily Telegraph, “the most exciting theatrical thriller in town. A thrilling tour de force and a new cult hit in the making.”

The play is about private security companies taking on protection roles in Iraq (a la Blackwater and Erik Price), a mercenary who goes missing in Aman Jordan, and the bonds between the men who sell their lives for $600 per day and work 24/7.

The audience is ushered between scenes into different sets in the same building. Not quite the tour of 5-star bars, seedy brothels and war-torn desert landscapes promised, but it was engaging, at times riveting and definitely experiential. Steven loved it. I liked it; expected to know the characters more intimately and to be allowed to fill-in some of the story’s narrative. The five actors do a super job playing all the play’s characters. It has become my expectation of promenade performances to participate in the creative process. I’ve been spoiled by Punchdrunk I suppose. Nevertheless, I’d recommend the show, not just sure I’d fly over the Atlantic to see it – as is absolutely true for any Punchdrunk performance.

We have another show tonight, and Steven has another business trip here in May. Marfa’s Tim Crowley & Chinati’s Rob Weiner are opening a Wallace Shawn play here in June, shouldn’t miss that – we’ll have to wait and see.

(Community Matters)

“I’m an old hound dog,” he said. “If I’m barking up a tree, I want to know how many squirrels are up there.”

(Community Matters) Well, suppose no one is immune. Think this week has been national flatter me week.

from two former under grad students:

1) . . . . you put me with people I did not know, and were hard to work with. At the end of the day, it was the best thing in the world for me. You pushed me to do well on the project and that led me to take over the group and push them to do the best they could. That really gave me confidence in my leadership abilities . . . . I just wanted to make sure I let you know that you had a part in inspiring me.

2) I took your Community Development & Social Enterprise class during the Spring 2003. It was the most rewarding class I took at the University

from a current Leadership Austin class member:

We heard a great profile of you yesterday at Leadership Austin as part of the Pipeline Interview presentation.

(Community Matters) Off to tour five-star hotel bars, seedy brothels and war-torn desert landscapes. here

(Community Matters) Felt like I was in heaven – Neal’s Yard Dairy. Some of my favorite cheeses in the world.

Central Market carries a few of their cheeses

(Community Matters) Joe Lieberman is certainly earning his way back into my affections, Tammy Baldwin long a favorite.

Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, and Representative Tammy Baldwin, Democrat of Wisconsin, plan to introduce bills that would provide benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.