Monthly Archives: April 2012

People Fund Merges w/ PLAN Fund Dallas

(Community Matters) super news. haven’t seen the deal but I’m sure plenty of economies of scale and I know in the strategic direction of PeopleFund expanding statewide

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Texts from Hillary

(Community Matters) there’s been updates

more here

UT Panel on Business Practices

(Community Matters) AAS reporting on Pres Power’s Committee on Business Productivity. Stephen Rohleder (Accenture) noted as chairman. Other committee members are:  Jason Downie (HM Capital Partners, Dallas),  Stephen A. James (Accenture, Spicewood), Paul Kinscherff (The Boeing Company, Chicago), Gary Kusin (TPG Capital, Dallas), David Moross (Falconhead Capital, New York), Ben Rodriguez (Management and Business Advisors, San Antonio), Hector Ruiz (Bull Ventures, San Francisco and Austin),  Sam Susser (Susser Holdings Corp., Corpus Christi), Charles Tate (Capital Royalty, Houston), Larry Tu (Dell Inc., Round Rock), Lynn Utter (Knoll Inc., East Greenville, Pa), Marcie Zlotnick (StarTex Power, Houston)

China’s Leadership Politics

(Community Matters) Potential, future supreme leader (Bo Xilai) ousted, wife (Gu Kailai) being investigated for  murder of a British businessman (Neil Heywood) – vice mayor (Wang Liju) flees to a U.S. consulate.

Chinese communists prepare to name their next leadership team, as their President (Hu Jintao) retires and the current Vice President (Xi Jinping) is expected to succeed him. Reformist Premier (Wen Jiabao) is said to be battling hard line conservatives.

Bo re: truth? Who knows. Some speculation consequences of his fight against organized crime in the province (mega-city, Chongqing) he governed.

University Medical Center at Brackenridge

(Community Matters) Yesterday was Brackenridge’s luncheon honoring Clarke Heidrick, a friend and force for good in Austin. Clarke is the founder of the hospital district, as well as current Chamber Chair, long time chair of the Shivers Cancer Foundation and has headed many other civic institutions.

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Teen Birth Rates

(Community Matters) the good news, the teen birth rate declined nationally. “the lowest reported since record-keeping began in the 1940s. . . rates also fell across all teenage ethnic groups the report says.” Less good news, Texas is no. 4, though I believe I’m reading that all states but Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia.

1. Mississippi 55
2. New Mexico 52.9
3. Arkansas 52.5
4. Texas 52.2

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Water for Austin’s Future

(Community Matters) Don’t think I’ve considered water capturing technology as part of the answer to meeting Austin’s future water needs. Reading the Culture Map article on Imagine Austin, I noticed my friend Robin Rather’s comment

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Bill Sheldon 1954 – 2012

(Community Matters) Bill Sheldon was an AIDS activist, volunteer & supporter as well as a classic car enthusiast. He died on March 24.

There are rumors that Bill died violently in a downtown parking garage – only rumors, I can’t find any information on the circumstances of his death. I’m sure there’s nothing to the rumors but since gay bashing hasn’t always been publicized, I’d like to track this down. If anyone knows anything, I’d love to be filled in.

Explore Austin

(Community Matters) our friend Todd Hanna runs this awesome group, Explore Austin. Leadership, Mentoring, Adventure – the cadillac of life mentoring programs for at risk kids. Ha!, come to think about it, I’m not sure it isn’t a program for privileged and blessed men & women and happens to benefit at risk kids. We should all be so lucky to learn from these young people

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Explore Austin, posted with vodpod

Texts from Hillary

(Community Matters) way fun

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Hat Tip: Kip Keller

Problem of Riches

(Community Matters) We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto. . . . As Austin continues to grow and thrive, as programming at Auditorium Shores, the Long Center, the Palmer Center, downtown and elsewhere becomes even more dense – traffic and parking will become more challenging. Saturday’s complaints are understandable, and perhaps there can be more thought to optimizing scheduling but mass transit, carpooling and walking across the bridge are the best, most likely solutions. It’s gonna take some getting used to and the inconvenience is understandably frustrating . . . and, it’s a problem of riches

Understanding the Supreme Court

(Community Matters) An insightful, plausible and speculative perspective on current Supreme Court decision making

like others, I’m floored by the strip search decision