Category Archives: Uncategorized

(Community Matters) While reading about the cerebellar peduncle (a nerve tract that permits communication between the cerebellum and the other parts of the central nervous system), microvascular changes versus artifacts, cerebral white matter, flow voids and focal hyperintensity . . . I stumbled upon this blog: Braindisease’s Weblog – This blog deals with common neurological diseases.

A particular posting was very helpful in understanding white matter. And, I stumbled upon another posting (really not brain related) about the Poor Me syndrome of social media networking. Fascinating. Steven and I have been talking about the contribution of social media to quarter life crisis.

Lewy Body Dementia – I wasn’t familiar with this until a few months ago.

(Community Matters)  Lots of fun this Christmas

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

(Community Matters) hat tip: Kirk Rudy (a dear friend I’m missing hanging out with)

the unemployment rate is down to 5.8 percent, half the struggling eurozone’s rate; gas is down to $2.38. Crime, abortion, teen pregnancy and oil imports are also way down, while renewable power is way up and the American auto industry is booming again. Declining child poverty and household debt and personal bankruptcies are also worth celebrating. It’s a good thing that U.S. wind power has tripled and solar power has increased tenfold in five years. The meteoric rise of the stock market since 2009 has produced windfalls for Wall Street and 401(k) retirement plans and labor union coffers.

There’s still plenty to worry about (inadequate public schools, crumbling infrastructure, soaring college tuition costs, stark inequality).

But for now be merry! And may the new year be as awesome as this year.

Politico: Everything is Awesome

(Community Matters) a Christmas message for all of us from Pope Francis?

Including himself among the sinners, Pope Francis, reminds us men can suffer a “spiritual Alzheimer’s,” citing lust for power, hypocritical double lives and a lack of spiritual empathy. “Brothers, let’s guard ourselves from the terrorism of gossip.” Francis warned . . . against drifting “downward toward mediocrity.”

the video is worth a watch – http://nyti.ms/1wWRL9s

New York Times: Francis Uses Christmas Speech to Criticize Vatican Bureaucracy

(Community Matters) Should Austin consider also taking the advice of the National Academy of Sciences and establish a forensics departments separate from the police department in order to better protect Austinites?

Austin American Statesman

(Community Matters) Intuitively, I tend to agree with the Texas experts about home prices.

“Texas and the specific markets named, have experienced way above average growth in employment, incomes, and overall prosperity and it’s reflected in home values increasing.” . . . “The flaw in the Fitch report is that it is taking a snapshot of the market and trying to tell the whole story, while not looking at the basics of supply and demand”

Austin American Statesman: Are Texas home prices overvalued, as report claims?

(Community Matters) the two are more congruent than immediately apparent

AAS (Dec 20, 2015) Austin home sales, median price set record for November

ABJ (Dec 19, 2015): Austin home prices most overvalued in the country, key ratings agency says

(Community Matters) This fun. Hat Tip: tweet from cousin Dave Tomlinson, a soon-to-be-published writer.

http://raconteur.net/infographics/the-worlds-greatest-storyteller

(Community Matters)  Pres Obama’s response to Russia in Ukraine is looking pretty deft these days.

We’ve got to inoculate ourselves against the neocon & military industrial complex spin. I’m noticing lots of conservative, especially neocon pundits launching their attacks on the Pres with quick citations of foreign policy failures as a given. Question the assumptions on which they launch their supposed analysis. Look at the slow and steady. In Ukraine, realize we would never have sent in troops. Pres O has rallied Europe (against their own short term interests) and imposed surgical sanctions which have the ruble spinning. In Syria, the red line was a mistake and what a great recovery with chemical weapons disarmament. You had neocons screeching that we should better arm the rebels, literally standing with some who have become ISIS. The President & everyone else remains cautious and mostly distrustful of Iran, yet we are finally in substantive, ever-so-slightly hopeful, negotiations re: nuclear stand down. Cuba: well, finally . . . . after 50+ years we’re gonna try something else – bold, strong & finally leadership.

AP: Putin: West wants to defang, declaw Russian bear

BBC: Manufacturers face ‘bloodbath’ in Russia, says Renault Nissan boss

Matthew Yglesias: Obama’s foreign policy isn’t very exciting, but it is working

(Community Matters) HeForShe: a solidarity movement for gender equality – the movement for gender equality was originally conceived as a struggle led only by women for women. In recent years, men have begun to stand up in addressing the inequality and discrimination faced by women and girls. more here

wow – just stumbled across this spectacular “movement”.

It’s a project of UN Women, the United Nations organization dedicated to gender equality and empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls. UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. I haven’t donated just because I’m not convinced all UN programs are responsibly run; nevertheless, I sure love the ambition and hope to learn more about the program’s efficacy and finances. 

(Community Matters) really proud Austinites  from every precinct, every corner of Austin came together for Steve- laying to rest the campaign rhetoric of East – West divide. And . . . no doubt we have real issues to deal with in this city. One of Steve Adler’s first comments last night: “We’ve shown we can bring lots of high-paying jobs to this city, but are we clever enough and smart enough to bring enough middle-class jobs for the people that live here?”