Category Archives: Uncategorized

(Community Matters) I thought the graphics in the AAS story had to be miscalibrated when I read the story, so I wrote to AAS and they wrote to their source at Bloomberg. But, they heard back from Bloomberg and confirmed to me the approaching $600 trillion figure is the “total notional amount of all the derivatives markets.” Mind boggling – our government estimates 2006 US GDP at $13 trillion.

(Community Matters)

Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown September 29,
Yom Kippur begins at sundown October 08

The Jewish High Holy Days are observed during the 10 day period between the first day (Rosh Hashanah) and the 10th day (Yom Kippur) of Tishri, the seventh month of the Jewish calendar.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is celebrated the first and second days of Tishri. It is a time of family gatherings, special meals and sweet tasting foods.Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the most solemn day of the Jewish year and is observed on the tenth day of Tishri. It is a day of fasting, reflection and prayers.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the most important of all Jewish Holidays and the only holidays that are purely religious, as they are not related to any historical or natural event.

(Community Matters) We had an interesting morning at St. James Episcopal yesterday. Very dear friends have a very strong and heart-felt perspective on the middle east tensions between Israel and Palestine. They’d invited in a minister living in East Jerusalem to share his story of missionary work among Palestinians during our sermon. And, understandably, his perspective isn’t balanced. Many parishioners felt uncomfortable about the skewed perspective, so we offered a bit of balance during the announcements. Had no idea one of our guests was Jewish. Received an email after services acknowledging the discomfort and expressing appreciation for the supplemental information. I’m so appreciative for the practical perspectives Steven and I gained while traveling Israel last year and from our friends who connect so passionately with each side of this issue.

(Community Matters) Congrats to Bryan, Bill & Chris. Lori’s featuring their startup, Moximity, in today’s AAS.

(Community Matters) The polls keep coming in and they overwhelming report a material lead for Obama/Biden. It’s ours as long as our voters show up at the polls and we fully fund the final 44 days of the campaign!

fivethirtyeight.com

It won’t be stolen because our people have been on the ground in the states and at the court houses since June (vs Oct in the ’04 election). Please, please contribute one more time to help make sure this happens. Contribute here

(Community Matters) Barack on Face the Nation. Good gosh, he’s gotten much better at this- more succinct and focused. He managed to remind Bob Schieffer of McCain’s earlier statements. Nevertheless, what they are both saying today is that this risk is real and the most threatening we’ve seen since the 1930’s great depression.

He’s not crowing but he is reminding us that it’s Bush’s economic philosophy (“voluntary regulation” of investment banks and deregulation) and that McCain has voted with George Bush more than 90% of the time. And, it was Barack calling Paulson and the administration two weeks ago saying that the solution needed to include: 1) oversight, 2) taxpayer protections and equity upside, 3) CEO compensation limits & 4) mortage relief for dupped (not fraudulent) borrowers.

A foreign policy meltdown as well as an economic meltdown. Barack saying what he doesn’t understand is McCain’s continued support for Bush’s policies. He’s become as clear and deliberate on foreign affairs as any longer tenured political leader.

He needs to get more succinct with his answer to spending cuts. Good: scapel, not an ax. Good: some priorities and some cut backs. Closing loop holes part of the solution.

Barack did well.

(Community Matters) I’m watching McCain on This Week with Stephanopoulos. He’s holding his own. Mentioned middle class this time. Though now being pious about reform and ethics (see earlier posting below). Hmm, the Palin Afghanistan/Pakistan border question, sorta a dodge. He’s over the top “so happy” about Palin on the team. McCain’s just lied about Barack and decision to opt out of pubic financing – BO’s campaign attempted to negotiate the inclusion of RNC and DNC within these limits and McCain’s campaign refused.

(Community Matters) John Thornton in Insomniactive called out John Marshall’s piece on Thursday’s White House meeting and why McCain might have still been mad Friday during the debate.

(Community Matters) This may be old news, or even perhaps bad news. I haven’t kept up with Williamson County politics.

An email in my box this morning saying that Williamson County officials are under investigation for accepting contributions/kickbacks and payoffs from road developers. Since this is election season and I don’t know the sender of the email, I’m not naming names or parties. There’s a long history of developer and county official incest in Williamson County, however. Always struck me as curious that the most righteous, hardest-sentencing county in Central Texas had the most trouble with ethics.

(Community Matters) I’m hoping the graphics which accompanied this article in today’s Austin American Statesman is wrong and that it means approaching $60 trillion in derivatives rather than $600 trillion.

(Community Matters) I can only identify two potential game changers for McCain

#1 He replaces Sarah Palin with someone who can carry a critical state – like Colorado or Pennsylvania (New Hampshire, Virginia or Nevada to a lesser priority). Nothing but gut, but I expect Sarah to back out “for family reasons” by this Friday unless the debate is postponed or canceled.

#2 McCain votes no on the financial rescue (knowing that it’ll pass anyhow) and disgruntled Americans fall for his political move.