Blog
Origin Stories of Austin
The history of my hometown of Austin, Texas has always fascinated me. This month I share a review of two of my favorite books on Austin's "origin story".
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A Tree Grows in Austin
Years ago, while driving through the Hill Country with a friend who was visiting Texas for the first time, I asked what surprised him most about the scenery. “There are a lot of trees”, he said. Yes, we do have a lot of...
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The Lost Picture Show
As the summer doldrums in Austin wear on, I am grateful my hometown has so many fun ways to cool off. Jumping into the refreshing waters of Lake Austin or the neighborhood pool in Reed Park were easy retreats from the heat as a kid...
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Highs and Lows on Mt. Bonnell
We Austinites call it “Mount Bonnell” like it was a mountain. People from West Texas (and the part of West Texas that includes Colorado), would probably call it a bump. It’s not that high. Hell, it’s not even as...
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The Toils of a Tarrytown Teenager
I suppose I should be grateful to have grown up in Tarrytown in the 60’s and 70’s. The life of a kid was pretty simple back then: get up, go to school, ride the bus or walk home, play in the street until dark, do a little...
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Making Waves in West Austin
Growing up on the banks of Lake Austin made for a charmed childhood and truly tremendous teenage years. Whether in my family’s green Glastron ski boat, or joining friends in theirs, I could spend many days through high school and...
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The Feature from the Blue Lagoon
Downriver from Mt. Bonnell, the waters of Lake Austin form a peaceful lagoon tucked away from the main channel which continues its course toward the Tom Miller Dam. The lagoon, never given any other proper name, is the site of The...
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An Elementary Education
In the fall of 1969, I received a new credit card. It was a pale, yellow piece of stiff paper printed with my name, address, and a calendar-like grid of dates. Each day at lunch as a first grader at Casis Elementary School, I’d...
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Mopac Memories
If you peer into the far upper-left corner of Augustus Koch’s famous 1887 illustrated map, “Bird’s Eye View of Austin”, you can just see it. Far in the distance of this detailed map, beyond the city’s...
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Bricks and Mortar
When my parents settled in Tarrytown in the early 1950’s, very few homes or other structures existed west of Pecos Street. My mom recalls that Bridle Path just west of Pecos, where she and dad bought a home, was still a dirt road...
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A Hacker's Reflections on Golf and Lions Municipal Golf Course
Some of my first memories of the game of golf were formed at Lions Municipal Golf Course in my childhood neighborhood of Tarrytown. To this day when I drive past its modest entrance along Enfield Road, the winding drive that vanishes...
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Why October is the Best Month of the Year for Austin
I was born in Austin and grew up in Tarrytown, attending Casis Elementary, O. Henry Jr. High, and Austin High School. After earning a bachelor’s from U.T. I left to pursue a graduate degree at a school on the East Coast. Other...
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Investing is a Journey of Discovery
Investing, like life, is a journey. With both it is better to start early and upstream. For the flow of events often carries us along in the direction we hope to go, and it is always wise to use that current when it is with you and be...
Read MoreHere's my take on Brexit.
Despite a busy day at my office responding to the reaction in the markets, I kept NPR on and paid attention. Someone on NPR reporting from Brussels on the reaction of the hard-working bureaucrats of the EU, said many were "in shock" at...
Read MorePresidential Elections and Investing – Steady as She Goes
Every four years we Americans buy a ticket to the theater of a presidential election. And every four years, investors wonder how the political pageant will affect their portfolios. While ideological passions may surge and the pervasive...
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