Category Archives: Uncategorized

(Community Matters) He’s off to Wall Street for a gig. Still twittering questions that come to mind. http://twitter.com/speelunk

(Community Matters) Dr. James Means is 98yo today.

Dr. & Mrs. Means 12/07

Dr. Means moved to Austin to teach at one of the two schools now known as Huston Tillotson University. According to his wonderful wife, Dr. Bertha Means, he was the first African American precinct chair in Travis County during the 1950s. He’s the elder member of the St. James Episcopal congregation. We’re quite proud to claim him. Happy Birthday, Dr. Means.

(Community Matters) He too boosts of being a C student

(Community Matters) $488 million is a lot of money. And, given the recent Supreme Court ordered $2 billion cut in punitive damages, I wonder if Exxon isn’t just being PR silly and publicly greedy – unless it has a Grishamesq appeal up it’s sleeves. story here

(Community Matters) Seriously, just now another email from Gonzalo Barrientos announcing that he’s been appointed the Hispanic Caucus Chair for the Texas State Democratic Convention.

(Community Matters) Good gosh, Steven has started twittering here

He’s logging in questions that come to mind during his day.

(Community Matters) John Thornton’s smart blog.

(Community Matters) I’d overlooked bail out terms being proposed by Paulson for Freddie and Fannie. Completely agree government must intervene, if not to maintain market for home financing, to avoid further catastrophic collapse of markets. Nevertheless, hadn’t read that proposed bailout terms include buying stock. Most unpleasant to imagine existing shareholders will reap benefits of government intervention. Though, suppose they’d see the ship sink before agreeing to a complete wipe out, and we can’t afford that. Nevertheless, shouldn’t terms of bailout provide for near wipe out dilution?

(Community Matters) Neither of the three:

“Pedernales Electric Cooperative directors Monday elected a member of the co-op’s old regime as board president.”

Phelps at end of board meeting, “I don’t do interviews.”

(Community Matters) Willing to bet 43’s administration is cooking the books and that we’re in a genuine recession (last quarter’s numbers, sic). Failed investment banks, global credit market crisis, panicking customers in line at a southern Californian bank, likely runs on other banks, a plunging dollar, schizophrenic commodity prices, gas approaching $5/gal . . . .

(Community Matters) I shouldn’t complain, I know others are scheduled in 5 and 10 minute slots but a day of back to back meetings, often every 30 minutes, is just grueling. Yet, they are often the most rewarding. Launched the day with oncology surgeon Dr. Declan Fleming. Marion Cimbala and I asked Declan to breakfast for feedback on our understanding of Austin medical infrastructure for breast cancer as well as his feedback on BCS vision and strategy. Of course, Declan gave us even more. Didn’t realize he was on TCMS executive board. Great stuff.

Texans for Obama. Second breakfast with Texans for Obama founders and their closest vote getting friends: Ian Davis, David Kobierowski, J.D. Gins, Ken Flippin, Mario Champion, Crystal Viagran and Dan Grant plus Chicago insiders: Juan Sepulveda and Teresa Nino. Houston is like another state itself. More Hispanics in Houston than in the Valley. More unregistered voters in Harris County than the rest of the state combined. Approx 1.5mm unregistered African Americans & Hispanics in Texas – 450kish African Americans. Turning Texas Blue a great deal about Harris County.

Auditor meetings, staff meetings, brainstorming about Corporate Social Responsibility Opportunity: Amanda Chiampi, Chelsea McCullough, Ken Gladish, Matt Kourie, Ann Stafford and Marion. Is the Valley (the other one) ahead of Austin or better at marketing its programs? Which CEO leads the pack? Which Austin companies? Cutting edge work?

Thank gosh he went easy on me today – a workout with my compadre, Kent Mayes.

Two Fountains and ST new play meetings with Natalie George who’s going to help us produce both – how do I convey relief? MM re: Two Fountains.

A way overpriced dinner at Triangle’s The Flying Saucer, though loved sitting outside with ST and . . . what a scene.

(Community Matters) Check out this London Times article here on an insider Bush/Cheney lobbyist literally selling access to top administration officials in very explicit exchange for contributions to the presidential library. This isn’t innuendo, this was an undercover investigative piece by the Times where on video they negotiated access to top administration officials on behalf of the exiled Asian leader, the former president of Kyrgyzstan. Stephen Payne of Worldwide Strategic Partners (WSP), was the deputy director to GWB’s inaugural committee, is an appointee to a Homeland Security advisory committee, has traveled with President Bush to Jordan and with VP Cheney to various international capitals in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Video here