Monthly Archives: October 2011

Inspired By West Texas

(Community Matters) Retooling in anticipation of continued droughts

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Paul Ryan’s Frown Should Make Democrats Smile

(Community Matters) By E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post: October 30

We may be reaching an inflection point, the moment when the terms of the political argument change decisively. Three indicators: an important speech last week by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the increasingly sharp tone of President Obama’s rhetoric and the success of Occupy Wall Street in resisting attempts to marginalize the movement.

The most telling was Ryan’s address at the Heritage Foundation. House Republicans regard Ryan as their prophet, their intellectual and their resident wonk. Usually, he carefully lays out the numbers and issues visionary promises of how cutting government (and taxes on the wealthy) will lead us down a blissful path to prosperity. He’s sunny when everyone else is grumpy. Continue reading

Socorro Sepulveda Palomares 1948 – 2011

(Community Matters) RIP – dad’s baby sister; our aunt Nana

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Occupy Austin

(Community Matters) admittedly, I haven’t done my own, on-the-ground fact finding, but I have spoken with people who’ve spent the night at city hall. Proud of how the protestors and City of Austin leaders have worked together so far.

Lauren Mayes

(Community Matters) Celebrated our god daughter’s birthday last night with family and about 20 of her friends. Her stepsister, Kelly Sooch, and Alexandria Coe (Kevin’s gf), helped her plan and execute the party at the W. Way fun – food by Maudi’s 🙂

Lauren’s working on two film projects at St Stephens, even co-wrote the scripts.

 

Art & Technology

(Community Matters) Business, art, technology & entrepreneurship – the intersection of many conversations and interests today.

He knew the best way to create value in the 21st century was to connect creativity with technology, so he built a company where leaps of the imagination were combined with remarkable feats of engineering.

Same?

Edible Austin Cooks 2011

(Community Matters) Fun issue!

COOKS at home: John Besh, Liz Lambert, Jack and Bryce Gilmore, Shontae Moeller, Mason Arnold, Eliza Gilkyson, Graham Reynolds, Owen Egerton and Will Packwood

Two Democratic Congressional Districts for Travis County?

(Community Matters) I’m hearing it’s possible Joaquin Castro & Lloyd Doggett may not be running against each other after all. Seems to be a lot of betting that CD-25 (Doggett’s existing district) will regain more of Travis County, a strong 54 – 55% Democratic majority – that is, a safe seat that Lloyd could run & win.

This could leave CD 35 with a sliver of East Austin  extending down to Bexar. This would be best of all worlds – Lloyd able to run in his existing district and Joaquin stepping up as an additional Democratic, Hispanic congressional representative, bridging Bexar and Travis counties.

This Is What It’s All About

(Community Matters) “We may be reaching an inflection point, the moment when the terms of the political argument change decisively. . . . [GOP] losing control of the political narrative. . . . efforts to taint Occupy Wall Street as nothing more than a bunch of latter-day hippie radicals haven’t worked. . . . Obama, by sharpening his arguments about what’s fair and what’s unfair, has finally stopped his slide in the polls.”

Continue reading

L Style G Style in Culture Map

(Community Matters) Alisa & Lynn in Culture Map

It is the mission of the L Style G Style staff to create a universally appealing product that will educate the reader about a person’s life without turning all of the attention on the subject’s sexuality. “If you’ve never had an experience with a gay or lesbian person, and then you read one of our stories and think, ‘That person is cool, and I’d like to know them,’ that to me is working to build a bridge and transcend between two groups of people.”

Margin Call

(Community Matters) Loved the movie. It’s pace and tone were more theater-like than cinema – a nice change, though disconcerting. I haven’t read enough to know if it’s Goldman Sachs voyeurism, but from friends, the premise of being first suggests it’s representational.

This isn’t an action movie, not a chaotic, energetic wall street floor scene. It’s nuanced human motivations, trepidation and how we sometimes just take orders to keep a job. If we lobbed a few zeros off the salaries, would we be more sympathetic to the players taking orders? Regardless on which side one lands judging the decisions’ morality, that the first responders move saved the firm must factor into deliberations. I haven’t decided. There’s morality and there’s legal – I fear the gap between the two is wider than our current economic chasm. The film and a defensive essay I read this week from a 21 year old Wall Street analyst have me thinking about this issue as spirited and appetitive souls derailing the rational. Most of these people are young – who else shares responsibility?

I’m an even bigger Zachary Quinto fan today than before, right up there with Jeremy Irons. Paul Bettany is new to me & I like him too.

Dralion by Cirque du Soleil

(Community Matters) The Entrepreneurs Foundation’s auction includes a private suite, catered for 13 to this Cirque du Soleil performance in Houston.

See (&/or bid) our auction herebidding open to all.

Live auction takes place on Nov 3

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