AUSTIN | Misc. Discussions - No Politics

[Digatisdi]

I think the biggest risk is on a statewide level with regards to the amounts collected taxes on the petrochemical industry. Austin shouldn't feel too much of a crunch except there, and let's face it we don't exactly get the lion's share of state money anyway.

[austlar1]

True, but I wonder about the lending climate for new projects if there is a slump in the Texas economy.

[lzppjb]

This is global politics at its best/worst.

We did something similar to Russia in the 80s to break them. We're now doing it again to Russia and Iran via Saudi Arabia. They are getting pissed...and desperate.

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

This is global politics at its best/worst.

We did something similar to Russia in the 80s to break them. We're now doing it again to Russia and Iran via Saudi Arabia. They are getting pissed...and desperate.

Interesting, but is it in the best interests of the US to destabilize Russia? It does seem kind of strange that the Saudis are so determined to maintain market share even if it means discounting the price by 40 or 50 percent. They were doing very well with the price near $100 a barrel even before they ramped up production a few years back. Russia has the most to lose here, but I am less clear how it impacts Iran. It sure as hell is not going to be good news for Texas or places like North Dakota or Colorado in the short term. On the other hand the US consumer will have more disposable income.

[lzppjb]

That was the idea back then. The U.S., and in this case the Saudis, can withstand this. Russia cannot. Iran relies on oil similar to Russia, but obviously on a smaller scale. And doesn't Iran get support from Russia? Break them and their support means nothing.

I could be wrong. Sometimes the full scope isn't clear until years later.

[lzppjb]

An interesting read about the current oil price war: http://www.vox.com/2014/11/28/7302827/oil-prices-opec

Another article comparing this situation to the 80s re: Russia/USSR: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/c...iet-Union.html

[IluvATX]

$2.00 gas is directly benefitting most everyone right now. If the lenders, oil corporations suffer then who feels it? I think that an extra $1-$2 saved per gallon will benefit the texas economy a lot more than a sulrpus of oil and gas taxes that Austinite's would never see anyways.

[Tech House]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

An interesting read about the current oil price war: http://www.vox.com/2014/11/28/7302827/oil-prices-opec

That was quite an interesting read, and very easy to understand. The complexity is dizzying. There is no economic model that can give a good account of how this works and what is the "correct and rational" strategy for oil producers. I do relish the thought of terrorist financial resources being strained by the price drop.

Originally Posted by austlar1

Interesting, but is it in the best interests of the US to destabilize Russia? It does seem kind of strange that the Saudis are so determined to maintain market share even if it means discounting the price by 40 or 50 percent. They were doing very well with the price near $100 a barrel even before they ramped up production a few years back. Russia has the most to lose here, but I am less clear how it impacts Iran. It sure as hell is not going to be good news for Texas or places like North Dakota or Colorado in the short term. On the other hand the US consumer will have more disposable income.

I share your concern regarding further destabilizing Russia. When the cold war ramped up and the USSR was in a financial vice grip, it was led by the wise and reasonable Gorbachev. Not so today. Putin seems to thrive on annoying the rest of the world while his internal popularity soars. The worse things get, the more he just shifts blame outside and the Russian people eat it up and stand with him. I don't think this is a knock on Russians, but more an indictment of the human mind and our tendency to be for "our team" regardless of any higher-level analysis or objective. This is why I will never participate in the jingoistic ostentatious patriotism that is pushed by the likes of Fox News, always insisting that this is the greatest nation on earth. Without honest self-reflection and humility, we could become the most terrifying and destructive nation on earth. Unfortunately there is no dearth of able and willing competitors for that bottom-dwelling reputation, so we're safe for the foreseeable future.

A very unfortunate aspect of price instability is that it almost always favors big money while squeezing out smaller competitors. Independent oil and gas producers in Texas will be hurting and some will go belly-up, while the fat cats ride it out in comfort with their unprecedented liquidity that they've been accumulating for several years. Temporarily low prices lead to consolidation. Once a wave of consolidation runs its course, it becomes easier to manipulate prices and they'll rise again, assuming that Saudi Arabia satisfies its concerns over market share and gets over the delusion that America is going to quit its march to energy independence.

[KevinFromTexas]

Speaking of Russia, and trying to kick the legs out from under their table, I think it's working.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-1...e-decline.html

[_Matt]

Interesting editorial about downtown Austin living.

Despite annoyances, living downtown has many pluses

I concluded, “despite the year-round drunks, car alarms, lack of decent public transportation, sirens, nightly loud amplified music played without permits and way beyond the legal decibel limits and cut-off times, distracted and aggressive drivers, deafening motorcycles, traffic congestion, construction noise/dust and the occasional machine-gun fire, we do still like living downtown.”

Those are some serious negatives, but the positives listed below have remained static since we moved:

[Tech House]

Why Austin, and Texas, won't be substantially hurt by the enormous drop in energy prices: it's temporary. An interesting analysis in the link below, and in addition to that I've heard analysts predicting that we'll be back to $3/gallon gas sometime in the spring.

http://www.bloomberg.com/video/oil-p...AgEJiPiQw.html

[lzppjb]

Found this. Thought it was interesting. 1900-1901 Austin Directory. These are the Grocers. I found it searching some names from my family history. P. Bosh Galbreath was my great-great-uncle. He was a well-known deputy sheriff, then I guess he got into groceries here in Austin. His business is listed at 811 Red River, which is now the backyard of Stubb's. He's buried in Oakwood Annex along with my great-great-grandpa and their families.

I thought y'all might like to see just how many grocers were in the downtown area back then.

[Tech House]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

Found this. Thought it was interesting. 1900-1901 Austin Directory. These are the Grocers. I found it searching some names from my family history. P. Bosh Galbreath was my great-great-uncle. He was a well-known deputy sheriff, then I guess he got into groceries here in Austin. His business is listed at 811 Red River, which is now the backyard of Stubb's. He's buried in Oakwood Annex along with my great-great-grandpa and their families.

Thank you for uploading that, it's fascinating! I love these glimpses of how life was in the recent past. The 20th century saw such phenomenal changes, it's hard to really grasp the enormity of it.

On a tangential note, the following series of facts, graphics, and charts gave me a lot of positive feeling about the big picture of human evolution:
http://www.vox.com/2014/11/24/7272929/charts-thankful

[lzppjb]

Another relative owned a place called Famous Coffee House at 514 Colorado in 1922.



In 1922, here are some of their home addresses (note: Hoxie P., P. Bosh and R. Frank):



This information came from the Austin Directory of 1922.

[JoninATX]

Ripping off Austin popularity and giving Tex - Mex a bad name. No salt, bland and under cooked? I suggest the owners as well as the employees fly out to Austin to see how real Tex Mex is done if they plan on staying in business.

[SkyPie]

Any Mexican restaurant that says this on their website would be suspect to me: "And, of course, our authentic charbroiled chicken wings."

[KevinFromTexas]

Yeah.

[Goothrey]

Has anybody here watched the Austin episode of the Foo Fighters HBO Sonic Highways show? I did a search and only came up with a post about the cover art.

It's pretty good. Talks a little about Austin's growth toward the end and the concern about it being just another city.

[JoninATX]

I saw the Effiel Tower that used to sit in front of the antique store off Lamar the other day. It was in a back of flatbed trailer separated into 3 sections, and was parked right out front of Hampton Inn off 2nd St. Looks like they refurbished it as well as painted it a darker brown color. But Iwas thrilled to see the tower again.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by JoninATX

I saw the Effiel Tower that used to sit in front of the antique store off Lamar the other day. It was in a back of flatbed trailer separated into 3 sections, and was parked right out front of Hampton Inn off 2nd St. Looks like they refurbished it as well as painted it a darker brown color. But Iwas thrilled to see the tower again.

I have no idea what you are talking about. Got any pictures?