David's blog

So I went to the new Northcross Walmart the other day. But thanks to the grassroots political action of Responsible Growth for Northcross (RG4N), this Walmart is not nearly the monstrosity that it was meant to be. Instead of being the biggest Walmart in the USA, it is merely half the size as originally planned. There's some decent landscaping around the parking lot, and the architecture is not hideous.

I enjoyed listening last night to KMFA's broadcast of the Austin Symphony's performance of some seldom-heard music by Mexican composers, in celebration of the bicentennial of Mexico's independence and the centennial of its Revolution. Maestro Peter Bay deserves a lot of credit for putting together an unorthodox program, and paying tribute to our neighbors south of the border — a very positive statement these days.

OFFICIAL ANSWERS FOR THE DISPOSABLE PRODUCT QUIZ

The other day, a guy walked into the office with a thermos of coffee and some paper cups strapped to his belt. He introduced himself as Robby Jones of Pilot House Coffee Roasters, located here in Hyde Park. Robby personally delivers his coffee-by-the-pound on scooter to customers all over Central Austin.

Sustainable home developer SOL AUSTIN recently announced its new 2-story house plans, adding to this already-impressive community on Austin's increasingly-trendy East side. If you're interested in living responsibly and affordably in Austin, start your search HERE.

The word "guerrilla" originally meant "little war," but now it is commonly used to mean anything done cheaply or covertly. Ever heard of "guerrilla gardening"? It doesn't have anything to do with war. It just means planting a garden on another person's land without permission. The land is always unbeautiful and publicly visible, so the "guerrilla" gardeners try to rectify the eyesore by planting visually-appealing stuff there. Well, if you drive on or walk along Red River Street in Central Austin, be on the lookout for a colorful guerrilla garden at 40th Street.

In a recent article about the BP oil spill, Middle East expert Juan Cole begins with the observation that anti-pollution campaigns ("Pitch In"; "Give a hoot, don't pollute") began as corporate propaganda:

For about a month, there has been a big broken limb hanging from a big tree in my front yard, too high for me to reach with a saw. It's a menace because it hangs over the curb where I usually park my car, so I haven't been able to park there, fearing that the big limb will eventually fall and crush my car. Well, after arriving home a few days ago, I noticed that the limb had been cut down and sawed into manageable pieces. I assume the free tree-trimming was compliments of a company called Austin Tree Service, because I also noticed that their hangtag was on my front door.

NOTE: All of the following is quoted directly from the AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL website.

 

Minerals found in our cell phones and other electronics are fueling a vicious cycle of rape, war and other human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Congress is moving forward on an important piece of legislation, the Conflict Minerals Trade Act (H.R. 4128), which would improve transparency and reduce the trade in conflict minerals coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo, thereby reducing human rights abuses and supporting peace and security in the DRC.

"The Lennon Educational Tour Bus provides students with access to the latest music, audio, video, and broadcast technologies. The program works with local partners to schedule free events for middle, high-school, and college-age students to tour the bus, and experience the fascinating worlds of music production, and video and digital photography. The program is sponsored by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) as part of a project to expose students to the latest music, audio, video, and broadcast technologies." (Source: U.S. Department of Education)