Updates for Week of 01/25-01/31

Happenings in the Texas Triangle, the megapolitan region consisting of Houston, DFW, Austin and San Antonio.

1. IndustryClusters> Non-obvious connections among auto industry players create unforeseen consequences <http://tinyurl.com/texastriangle0915>
2. TexPatriates> Don't hate the player, hate the game... The Bush-bashing phenomenon <http://tinyurl.com/texastriangle0914>
3. NonSequitur> Mathematician deconstructs The Beatles <http://tinyurl.com/texastriangle0913>
4. Fishwrap> How does Dell do it? WSJ runs a story nearly daily... Today, Dell's new smart phone! <http://tinyurl.com/texastriangle0912>
5. Rankings> What the...? Austin barely squeaks into Forbes' Top 30 Most-Wired Cities <http://tinyurl.com/txtriangle0911>
6. Clusters> Austin-based New Media Consortium releases 2009 Horizon Report <http://tinyurl.com/c77zyb>
7. Energy> NOCs dominate IOCs in total share of oil reserves (88% v. 12%) and production (52% v. 48%) <http://tinyurl.com/txtriangle0910>
8. BigPicture> The Texas Triangle is 1 of 11 U.S. megapolitan regions <http://tinyurl.com/txtriangle0909>
9. Honchos> Robert B. Rowling, TRT Holdings [Irving], puts "Don't Mess with Texas" into practice <http://tinyurl.com/txtriangle0907>
10. Crusade> Texas needs In-N-Out burgers... now <http://tinyurl.com/txtriangle0906>
11. Horse's Mouth> WSJ reports on tough times for Texas family [DFW] <http://tinyurl.com/txtriangle5>
12. Linchpins> Dell [Austin] will record record 1-time expenses of $280M <http://tinyurl.com/txtriangle4>
13. Epic> No cheap date, bidding starts at $100k to dine with T. Boone Pickins [Dallas] <http://tinyurl.com/txtriangle0903>
14. Empty Boots>Trailblazing former-UT prez Lorene Rogers (Dallas) passes away at 94 <http://tinyurl.com/txtriangle0902>
15. Energy> On CO2 legislation, battle between reds and blues giving way to browns vs. greens <http://tinyurl.com/txtriangle>
16. Kudos> Lone Star's 24 best hospitals <http://preview.tinyurl.com/b8ea94>
17. CreativeClass> Gene Rodenberry (<http://www.famoustexans.com/roddenberry.htm>) to be "buried" in space with wife <http://preview.tinyurl.com/d24ade>
18. Trends> Gov. Perry not giving up on private toll roads, Obama's plans could help <http://preview.tinyurl.com/cx7bfb>
19. Energy> Important to Houston, oil-rich Norway pursues economic stimulus <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123298341926915687.html>
20. UsVsThem> Nationally, DFW home prices holding strong, Houston metro too shows relative strength <http://preview.tinyurl.com/a9trhs>
21. Texaphile> "Texans are keepers of the republic flame..." <http://preview.tinyurl.com/ahg2xb>
22. Nanocosm> Sweating the small stuff pays for Houston unis Rice, UT-Houston, and Baylor <http://preview.tinyurl.com/bqujp9>
23. Big Tex> Vinson & Elkins Ron Kirk (Dallas) joins as Federal Trade Rep <http://preview.tinyurl.com/bzrlet>
24. Big Tex> Kevin O'Connor, #3 at DOJ, joins Bracewell & Giuliani in Hartford <http://preview.tinyurl.com/bwygfd>
25. Trends> Trans Texas Corridor died Jan. 4, but Fed stimulus could pump up infrastructure spending <http://preview.tinyurl.com/dxy8mc>
26. Energy> To proceed, on-hold IPOs need crude at $55 - alt energy prefers $80- nat gas wants stable $6 <http://preview.tinyurl.com/c9vthm>
27. Money Trail> Texas nets $1.28B on 146 VC deals in 2008 (downloadable regional spreadsheets @ PEHub.com) <http://preview.tinyurl.com/ahze7m>.:.

Updates for Week of 01/18-01/24

Happenings in the Texas Triangle, the megapolitan region consisting of Houston, DFW, Austin and San Antonio.

1. Epic> Rise and fall of Texas' oil titans (Cullen, Richardson, Hunt & Murchison) in NYTimes Book Review <http://preview.tinyurl.com/bcctae>
2. Dealipedia> Omniflight Helicopters (Addison) sells ATL operations to Air Methods (CO) <http://preview.tinyurl.com/bpq4e8>
3. Brightside> Austin not losing tech co. HQ, it's gaining a CEO <http://preview.tinyurl.com/a9qc3s>
4. Energy> What scarce oil storage in Cushing, OK, means for crude prices <http://preview.tinyurl.com/7q6zvx>
5. CreativeClass> Pastor T.D. Jakes [Dallas] New Movie (www.imdb.com/title/tt0795438) Breaks New Ground <http://preview.tinyurl.com/8g2pw5>
6. Trends> 2009 Bodes Well for Texas Airlines American, Continental & Southwest <http://preview.tinyurl.com/7v7ao9>
7. MoneyTrail> PEHub.com says ex-Aldus Equity xecs forming LEA Advisors [Dallas] <http://preview.tinyurl.com/7cxpln>
8. Dealipedia> Extreme Homemakeover Builder Wall Homes [Arlington] Files Chap. 11 <http://tinyurl.com/9hnv62>
9. Dealipedia> Stallion [Houston] Reconsiders IPO <http://tinyurl.com/9rbacj>
10. Texaphiles> Bush returns to state he loves <http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090121/D95R6HTO0.html>.:.

Presidential Legacies

"W" library will add to region's knowledge base

Texas will soon be the only state in the Union to have 3 presidential libraries. The clustering of three presidential libraries, all within the Texas Triangle, provides derivative benefits to the regions' economy.

The Houston Chronicle reports that George W. Bush's library is planned to be built on the campus of Southern Methodist University in DFW, joining LBJ's library in Austin and George Senior's library on the campus of Texas A&M.

The article written by Jeannie Kever, correctly, answers the obvious question early in the story:

Big deal, you say?
It is, according to Bruce Buchanan, an expert on presidential politics at the University of Texas, who describes the institutions as far more than a parting gift to a former president.
The libraries — actually combination archives and museums, often with an academic arm — provide historians with the tools to interpret history, Buchanan said, and they promote civic engagement through the speakers and community programs they offer.
They are even tourist attractions, drawing history buffs, and their money, to cities
they might not otherwise visit." .:.

Texaspora [0.1]

How Texans rule the world

Born in Dallas more than 40 years ago, Melinda French had no idea that her simple love of computers would lead to a strange twist of fate that now makes her one of the world's most powerful women, controlling nearly $100 billion in investing capital. Now for the first time, Melinda Gates nee French, steps out into the spotlight for Fortune magazine. .:.