Monthly Archives: December 2010

(Community Matters) Andrew’s opinion on failed negotiations, the implications and potential solutions will definitely offend many.

(Community Matters) Today was another great day at the Entrepreneurs Foundation. Together with Wayport’s former employees we made grants to Blue Santa, Bookspring, the Capital Area Foodbank and Sammy’s House. With Pervasive Software employees we made grants to Any Baby Can, Harvest for Hope & Meal on Wheels and More. With member company Active Power, we expect to announce tomorrow disaster assistance grants for families in Round Rock.

I spoke with my old friend Officer Joe Munoz at Blue Santa. They are way down in financial and article contributions this year – the latter especially among items for tween girls. Steven and I just made a contribution too. To give, click here

And, we notified our HelpHaiti partners that we’ve approved a match grant to help up to 500 families in a targeted relocation camp to achieve economic self sufficiency if they elect into the Concern Worldwide/ Fonkoze program.

I need to confirm my numbers but think EF will be at $2mm+ in grants this year

(Community Matters) David Brook’s column touches on the global perspective of the economic chasm I wrote about a few weeks ago.

Earlier I mentioned that a friend’s response to my observation of a widening economic chasm (difference between rich and others) was to question the entire assumption, noting that there are millions – literally hundreds of millions – more middle class today than 10 or 20 years ago. He didn’t see it as relevant to speak of this only within our borders, noting that the economy and the workforce is inalterably now global.

(Community Matters) Sante Ventures’ Holiday party – they’re a favored firm and their founder Kevin Lalande a dear friend & rock star smart guy. Couldn’t stay long as jet lag pretty severe but much fun visiting and cutting up (as pic will testify).

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Sante is a life sciences venture capital firm that develops important partnerships and offers portfolio companies strong healthcare domain experience

(Community Matters) I’d missed this column by Thomas Friedman about Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. He notes that both have come to take America’s long time support for granted and show no appreciation. Also suggests it’s appropriate for American to walk away from the negotiations at this point – until and unless they come around to appreciating the opportunity.

I’d earlier been thinking about the $3B+ (RIDICULOUS) American offer in exchange for a 90 day settlement moratorium. It may be time for us to save a lot of money by whittling back our financial support to both groups – over $2B per year just to Israel; the numbers to Palestinians harder to confirm. I haven’t thought this through but a recurring thought.

I don’t in any way mean lessening our strategic, military support.

(Community Matters) what can we say . . . . at least we can get around the world and back relatively hassle free

Been in Newark now for nearly 5 hours. Appears our flight to Austin will be delayed 90 mins or so. Oh well . . . .

Eugene Sepulveda

Boehner pouts like Gingrich re: AirForce One seating http://politi.co/eu2UBo #DishIt-Can’tTakeIt

 

4 minutes ago via Twitter · @EugeneAustin on Twitter

Eugene Sepulveda

Me: online saying 8pm. Gate Attendant: yes, depends how quickly disembark & clean. Flight Steward: <whispering to me> hope for 9 o’clock

 

5 minutes ago via Twitter · @EugeneAustin on Twitter

Eugene Sepulveda

Me: we’re lucky to be only 15 mins delayed. Boarding Agent: <laughs> don’t believe that time. They just put anything up there

 

32 minutes ago via Twitter · @EugeneAustin on Twitter

(Community Matters) noticing it is 5:08pm now in Austin. In about 30 hours we’ll be home in our own bed – or Steven will be in bed. I’m likely to be scurrying about, building a fire, watering plants and drinking a glass of wine in my pool house.

(Community Matters) Yesterday morning we caught up with John Erik Metcalf & his roommate/colleague Mathias Holzmann. Bijoy Goswami is also in town visiting his parents and joined us. Of course, we laughed about meeting at the Flying Pan – my & Steven’s favorite Hong Kong breakfast diner & the most Austin place on this side of the world – killer huevos rancheros on a flour tortilla. You can’t imagine how much I’m missing Tex Mex.

and dinner last night – wow. Farm Kitchen Vegi, read about it in Time Out. The food was beyond superb – prix fixe menu but among an endless selection – you just keep ordering and ordering, and then they push you to order more. The crowd was very Japanese; the wait staff beyond precious and solicitous. Not sure the place is on the beaten path for Westerners as we were the only ones in the house. Early in the meal they insisted on relocating us to a terrace table which another guest had canceled.

All seasonal & organic – zesty, stir fried spinach in a hot chili sauce, salmon sushi salad, glazed Japanese pork in a red pepper and a papirika vinegar, garlic frittered egg plant, veggie chips, tuna tartare & avocado shrimp spring rolls, roasted chicken garlic & potatoes, bamboo steamed veggies & chicken, a flourless, walnut chocolate cake and raspberry Tiramisu.  Oh yeah, and Steven drank to excess – two carrot pineapple smoothies.

(Community Matters) Our Christmas presents to each other are indulging on hotels and views during this trip.

Victoria Harbour from our room in Hong Kong

reminds me of how much I loved John Lanchester’s novel, Fragrant Harbour

Tomorrow nearly wraps up travel these last few weeks which have taken us to Berlin, Manheim, London, Shawnee, Kuala Lumpur & Hong Kong. One more short jaunt for STs business (I work remotely while we travel) as well as Sealy around Xmas, then we’ll wind up 2010 and celebrate 2011 in Austin.

(Community Matters) gotta love Andy Tobias. From his blog:

HALF FULL

As frustration over this and the tax compromise mount, an ardent and admirable Democrat on a list-serve I follow wrote: “So far the President has been failing miserably to do the jobs a majority of voters hired him to do.  I want a competent executive who gets things done.”

Continue reading →

(Community Matters) We’re back in Hong Kong for a couple days r&r.  Having breakfast this morning with John Erik Metcalf (who’s been living here for nearly a year) & Bijoy Goswami who’s visiting his parents.

(Community Matters) I’ve come around on the tax compromise for reasons in my earlier postings.

And, I’m getting agitated by increasing arrogance among supposed centrist Democrats arguing liberals are on our last leg, have over reached, are unrealistic, etc. First, who doesn’t over reach?  Second, give everyone a chance to react, breath, better understand and regroup. Third, independent voters are nothing to us without the base – work just as hard to keep the base as we do to attract additional allies.

Politico:

For some Democrats, the histrionics would be funny if they weren’t so potentially devastating politically. While liberal activists, commentators and lawmakers believe they need to take a tougher stand on taxes and other issues, others argue strenuously that it’s independent voters Obama and his party must recapture to win in 2012 and beyond.Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46254.html#ixzz17l92myoO