.:.TexasTriangle.Biz

Football, College Towns, Affordable Homes... Oh, My!

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:27:00 +0000

Texas Triangle top-ranked in college football and affordable homes

Real estate agency Coldwell Banker has cleverly ranked college towns based not only on average home price for a 2,200 square foot home but also in terms of BCS standings. Texas performs well along both axes.

Fort Worth and Houston are highlighted as having football-teams-to-watch this year, currently ranked in the BCS top 25 standings, and also being front-runners for home buyers:

Fort Worth, Texas (Texas Christian University), $153,450
Houston, Texas (University of Houston), $159,847
Cincinnati, Ohio (University of Cincinnati), $189,750
Boise, Idaho (Boise State University), $215,432
Iowa City, Iowa (University of Iowa), $217,500

The following Texas Triangle towns are ranked as being in the top 10 most affordable college markets:

-5th Fort Worth....Texas Christian University....$153,450
-7th Denton..........University of North Texas....$154,900
-8th Houson..........Rice & Univ. of Houston.....$159,847

A further 110 more college towns are ranked by Coldwell. Below are the other Lonestar college towns on the list. (Aggies will note they edged out UT by a mere $142):

-17th Lubbock.........Texas Tech University...$175,225
-38th Waco.............Baylor University.............$201,000
-52nd El Paso..........UT - El Paso.....................$218,000
-58th Coll. Station...Texas A&M.....................$226,500
-59th Austin...........UT - Austin.......................$226,642
-101st Dallas...........Southern Methodist..........$332,375

You can find the complete list here. .:.

Largest Private Companies

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:39:00 +0000

Magazine debuts latest list of big non-publics

Raising the floor to $2 billion in sales to make the list, a number of Texas companies were cut from Forbes' list in 2009.

Austin Industries
Brookshire Brothers
CompuCom Systems
David Weekley Homes
Freeman
Goodman Manufacturing
GSC Enterprises
HealthMarkets
Interstate Battery System International
Safety-Kleen Systems
The Brock Group
Truman Arnold Cos
Vought Aircraft Industries
Warren Equipment
Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing

Nevertheless, 23 Lonestar firms made it onto the list of the 250 largest companies in the U.S. .:.

Texas Rank.....Overall Rank.....Company
1.....19.....HE Butt Grocery
2.....26.....Energy Future Holdings
3.....67.....Freescale Semiconductor
4.....68.....Gulf States Toyota
5.....85.....Republic National Distributing Company
6.....103.....Michaels Stores
7.....109.....Neiman Marcus Group
8.....128.....US Oncology
9.....145.....Glazer's Wholesale Drug
10.....147.....Sabre Holdings
11.....149.....Grocers Supply
12.....156.....Hunt Consolidated/Hunt Oil
13.....162.....Sammons Enterprises
14.....163.....Zachry Construction
15.....166.....Interstate Bakeries
16.....169.....Ben E Keith
17.....175.....Mary Kay
18.....193.....Camac International
19.....206.....Brookshire Grocery
20.....210.....Academy Sports & Outdoors
21.....214.....Dresser
22.....223.....Merit Energy
23.....227.....Metals USA

Texas Billionaires

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:23:00 +0000

This year's Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans is replete with Texans, 42 to be exact. Their average is is 65 and a half and their average net worth is $2.9 billion. Just 42.8 percent of these billionaire Texans got their money from energy or energy related endeavors.

Below is the list of Texas, with hyperlinks to their individual profiles on Forbes.com. .:.

Texas Rank.....Overall Ranking.....Source of Wealth.....URL

1.....6.....Retail.....Alice Walton
2.....13.....Tech/Telecom.....Michael Dell
3.....30.....Energy.....Dan Duncan
4.....52.....Finance.....Andrew Beal
5.....64.....Energy.....Robert Rowling
6.....65.....Retail.....John Paul DeJoria
7.....65.....Energy.....Robert M. Bass
8.....65.....Retail.....Charles Butt
9.....80.....Finance.....Harold Simmons
10.....85.....Tech/Telecom.....Henry Ross Perot
11.....91.....Finance.....John Arnold
12.....94.....Energy.....Richard Kinder
13.....97.....Energy.....Ray Lee Hunt
14.....123.....Real Estate.....Richard Rainwater
15.....139.....Media/Entertainment.....Mark Cuban
16.....158.....Energy.....George Phydias Mitchell
17.....158.....Energy.....Timothy Headington
18.....158.....Energy.....Lee Bass
19.....158.....Energy.....Sid Bass
20.....196.....Media/Entertainment.....Jerral Jones
22.....204.....Finance.....David Bonderman
23.....220.....Retail.....Thomas Friedkin
24.....236.....Legal.....Joseph Jamail
25.....236.....Energy.....Jeffrey Hildebrand
26.....236.....Energy.....Trevor Rees-Jones
27.....236.....Energy.....Edward Bass
28.....272.....Retail.....Drayton McLane Jr.
29.....289.....Finance.....Gerald J. Ford
30.....289.....Energy.....Kelcy Warren
31.....296.....Media/Entertainment.....B.J. (Red) McCombs
32.....317.....Tech/Telecom.....Henry Ross Perot Jr.
33.....326.....Media/Entertainment.....Todd Wagner
34.....326.....Energy.....Robert McNair
35.....341.....Energy.....Kenneth Adams Jr.
36.....341.....Energy.....T. Boone Pickens
37.....347.....Food.....Christopher (Kit) Goldsbury
38.....366.....Energy.....William (Tex) Moncrief Jr.
39.....371.....Tech/Telecom.....Kenny Troutt
40.....371.....Finance.....Thomas Hicks
41.....371.....Energy.....Ray C. Davis
42.....399.....Finance.....Sam Wyly

Texas Economy Round-up

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:34:00 +0000

Texas in the Spotlight> New article in The Economist highlights Texas' super growth .:. http://bit.ly/tWaM9
Black Gold Winners> Texas, along with OK and AK, should rebound first say economists thanks to energy's strength .:. http://bit.ly/YbIsE
More Good News> Brookings Study shows Texas metros are among the 20 strongest economies in nation .:. http://bit.ly/cvkCE
Alamo City Economy> S.A. public companies right the ship .:. http://bit.ly/1M3cfq
Focus for Foreign Investment> #AlamoCity lures investors, like Mexico-friendly culture and stable real estate values.:. http://bit.ly/Lg6ZX
The One that Got Away> #AlamoCity losing AT&T's HQ really a good thing? Could be. .:. http://bit.ly/3lKnMs
Texas T-Bone Rail Link> High-speed rail funding may bypass Texas.:. http://bit.ly/AAVB1
"It doesn't hurt to ask"> Texas asks Federal gov to have common sense regarding high speed rail .:. http://bit.ly/3Qq0Nb
Say What?> Growing cities, shrinking suburbs, not just Texas but nationally .:. http://bit.ly/XobNQ
Census Data> Latest county-based data available .:. http://bit.ly/ZeymG
Keep Austin Loud> ATX's music scene cited in article on downtowns and civic hubs.:. http://bit.ly/szZXH
Derailing Rail Plans> RT @alanhuynh @cleancartalk: High-Speed Trains Cost Too Much To Be Worth Building -- Harvard Prof http://bit.ly/TnpMi
Neck and Neck> Dallas and Houston tie for 9th place on Inc. 500 top metro area list .:. http://bit.ly/S5alb

Texas vs.California Round-up

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:24:00 +0000

Bulls vs. Bears> Is their a rivalry between growing Texas and shrinking California, The Economist thinks so.:. http://bit.ly/kWF5f
In the Black> Texas only big state to have a surplus in 2009, gap in 2010 just 10% of California's.:. http://bit.ly/ESbEr
Texas' Loss, California's Gain> US military strategy shift impacts stationing of Navy vessels.:. http://bit.ly/X5qiD
Las Vegas is to L.A. as New Orleans is to... > Cali's high-speed rail plan offers useful analogy for Texas.:. http://bit.ly/78u1I
State vs. State> Study of California's competitiveness shows Texas' strength .:. http://bit.ly/p8KVy
Apples-to-Apples> Comparison of 37 different taxes on state-by-state basis, how does Texas compare?.:. http://bit.ly/3nxu0O

Innovation Clusters Round-up

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:17:00 +0000

Venture Capital Hubs> Fascinating Harvard paper on VC clusters, DFW ranked 6th, down from 1990 peak, ATX not ranked.:. http://bit.ly/2hG3rz
Top 10 Nano Metros> ATX and Houston rank 9th and 10th among nanotechnology cluster cities .:. http://bit.ly/DUtCC
Small is Big> Texas ranks 4th in nanotech among states, PDF of nanotech resources here.:. http://bit.ly/YLEIz
How much the Apollo Program would cost today .:. http://bit.ly/U0nw9
Tech Empires> Rome wasn't built in a day, neither are technology powerhouses .:. http://bit.ly/3Q1xuK
IPOs in the Lone Star> How Texas stacks up in public offerings over last 10 years .:. http://bit.ly/qMYlb
Arcologies for Innovation> Nations invest big in research & tech parks to attract corporations .:. http://bit.ly/1oTWPu
Creator Class> Film-maker Mike Judge and who Butt-head really was based on .:. http://bit.ly/OCBw0
Aerospace Clusters> #AlamoCity fights for aerospace work, borne of Air Force presence, plenty of competition .:. http://bit.ly/AFDSe
Cluster Power> How a small California #industrycluster gave rise to the Information Age .:. http://bit.ly/D4hyv
Physicians heal themselves > Houston Medical Center giants seek to mend past wounds, bring back breakthroughs.:. http://bit.ly/4ToXI
Think Different> Richard Florida tells Fort Worth to get creative to prosper .:. http://bit.ly/6PYRu

Megapolitan Round-up

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:14:00 +0000

Megapolitan America> Where the next 100 million people will live .:. http://bit.ly/cyn9V
22nd Century America> U.S. home to 600 million by 2109, says Metropolitan Institute; South and West will boom.:. http://bit.ly/FCWM4
Population Boom> U.S. 3rd most populous country; by 2050, 439 million people will live here .:. http://bit.ly/XSpPb
Arcologies for Innovation> Nations invest big in research & tech parks to attract corporations .:. http://bit.ly/1oTWPu
Ur-Mega> Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is a harbinger of things to come; Austin and San Antonio best watch out .:. http://bit.ly/1CQ2OL

Thoughts on the Energy Economy

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:12:00 +0000

There Be Giants> Don Quixote wasn't so crazy afterall .:. http://bit.ly/1az294
Quantum Leaps> Until jet engines, icebergs were a major threat to intercontinental travel, just ask the Titanic .:. http://bit.ly/dqmia
Vinyl records are to coal as CDs are to...> How technology progress could enable energy-source transition .:. http://bit.ly/JwzKQ
Forget petroleum, we're living in the Age of Methane.:. http://bit.ly/16KLVj
Future of Energy> Decarbonization and other megatrends driving energy industry.:. http://bit.ly/4h96tL
The Age of Petroleum, Act 2> Natural gas will be energy's star in the coming decades.:. http://bit.ly/OCBw0
Oil Independence Talk = Demagoguery> Saudi prince writes op-ed in Foreign Policy magazine.:. http://bit.ly/ihEFT

Texas Triangle Codes & Districts

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:34:00 +0000

Recent Tweets February 2009

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:41:00 +0000

DataWell> Site redesign: Texas Triangle industry clusters, entrepreneurs, megapolitan stats .:. http://tinyurl.com/texastri...11:47 AM Feb 27th from web
*SacredCows> Is Football Good for Texas' Economy? http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...*5:13 PM Feb 24th from TwitterMail
Epic> Bar brawler Richard "Racehorse" Haynes [Houston] http://preview.tinyurl.com/...2:50 PM Feb 24th from TwitterBar
Epic> Willie Nelson's drinking buddy, trial lawyer Joe Jamail [Houston] http://preview.tinyurl.com/...2:49 PM Feb 24th from TwitterBar
FutureTex> Plan for mega-subways for Texas in stimulus package http://tinyurl.com/borpab11:04 PM Feb 19th from TwitterMail
Keep Austin Wired> AustinStartUp.com calls for nominations for Austin Emerging 100 competition http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...7:17 PM Feb 18th from TwitterMail
ForSale> Town of Albert, TX, 13 acres. Just minutes from Fredericksburg in Hill Country! Be you... Read more at http://tinyurl.com/asf6gy1:57 PM Feb 18th from TwitterMail
LoneStar2.0> Statesman.com [Austin] names Texas' top 25 social media entrepreneurs http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...3:33 AM Feb 18th from web
Limelight> Inc. 5000 applications due by March 31 http://www.inc.com/inc5000a...4:43 PM Feb 17th from TwitterMail
GoodInk> McCombs B-School [Austin] featured in BusinessWeek re: MBA job hunting http://preview.tinyurl.com/...4:38 PM Feb 17th from TwitterMail
U of Hardknocks> @door64_Texas reports QikCom [Austin] fails | http://door64.com/node/82864:26 PM Feb 17th from TwitterBar
@DMagazine SciAm Mag says A-Rod's doping explained by game theory... sheds no light on Madonna thing http://preview.tinyurl.com/...4:17 PM Feb 17th from web in reply to DMagazine
RoleReversal> Between 1982-85, Houston lost 82,500 jobs, while Detroit gained 53,000 http://harpers.org/x/1985/1...5:53 PM Feb 16th from TwitterMail
DoingGood> The Amish are Coming! The Amish are Coming! http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...12:14 PM Feb 16th from TwitterMail
DealFlow> TXCO Resources [San Antonio] reviewing strategic allternatives http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...1:52 PM Feb 13th from TwitterMail
Honchos> Billionaire R. Allen Stanford [Houston] possibly under investigation by SEC http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...1:34 PM Feb 13th from TwitterMail
Energy> Feast and famine for ethanol producers http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...1:32 PM Feb 13th from TwitterMail
Boom, Crash, Presto> Creative Class' Richard Florida envisions how crash will reshape U.S. and Texas http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...7:04 AM Feb 12th from web
Who Shot J.R.?> Relive the glory days of the oil boom with a Ewing Oil ball cap http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...6:53 PM Feb 11th from TwitterMail
Energy> North Dakota could become the Texas of the Upper Midwest http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...1:03 PM Feb 11th from TwitterMail
*DealFlow> *MC Companies [AZ] acquires Encore Management [Arlington] * http://tinyurl.com/texasdea...*10:54 AM Feb 11th from TwitterMail
MicroCaseStudy> Clash of the Titans: Visualizing the growth of Wal-Mart vs. Target http://1link.in/texastriang...10:54 AM Feb 11th from TwitterMail
DealFlow> Arlington Neonatal Intensive Care, P.A. [Arlington] is acquired by MEDNAX, Inc. [FL] http://tinyurl.com/texasdea...10:51 AM Feb 11th from TwitterMail
NonSequitur> A-Rod's doping explained by game theory... sheds no light on Madonna thing http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...10:47 AM Feb 11th from TwitterMail
*NewCapital> **Money anyone?** Maverick's owner Mark Cuban [Dallas] makes open call for biz plans http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...*10:34 AM Feb 11th from TwitterMail
DealFlow> ROUND2 Inc. [Austin] acquires PolymerCycle, LLC [Grand Prairie] * http://tinyurl.com/texasdea...*5:38 PM Feb 10th from TwitterMail
DealFlow> Boundless Network [Austin] acquires Corporate Specialities [Dallas] *http://tinyurl.com/texasdea...*5:32 PM Feb 10th from TwitterMail
NewCapital> Austin tech firms OneSpot and 7 Billion People haul in combined $7.2M *http://tinyurl.com/texascap...*12:06 PM Feb 10th from TwitterMail
Energy> Texas companies galore mentioned in The Deal's take on state of the oil & gas and alt energy http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...5:23 PM Feb 6th from TwitterBar
Capital> UTIMCO's fund performance http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...5:51 AM Feb 6th from web
Dude... Chairman of UTIMCO board Robert Rowling resigns during state senate hearing, PEHub has the video http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...5:45 AM Feb 6th from web
Energy> Author Peter Schwartz says cleantech VCs don't GET energy and don't know what they're doing http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...5:38 AM Feb 6th from web
Face2Face> Tech-related Networking Groups [Austin ] http://www.austinstartup.co...12:58 PM Feb 5th from TwitterBar
Dealipedia> Viverae [Dallas] raises $6.5M from Frontier Capital [Charlotte, NC] http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...12:53 PM Feb 5th from TwitterBar
Dealipedia> HomeAway [Austin] buys French Homelidays SAS based http://tinyurl.com/algers12:45 PM Feb 5th from TwitterBar
DealFlow> Texas Pacific Group [Fort Worth] ends 2 yr. talks with sov fund/pension funds to buy stakes http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...8:20 PM Feb 4th from web
Dealipedia> IDC Westinghouse [Fort Worth] acquired by Sorenson Capital http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...1:56 PM Feb 3rd from TwitterBar
Honchos> NY Times catching Dell fever from Wall Street Journal http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...10:46 AM Feb 3rd from TwitterBar
Honchos> Mark Cuban [DFW] pursues offense as his best defense http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...10:38 AM Feb 3rd from TwitterBar
Honchos> The many faces of Michael S. Dell... tech visionary... philanthropist... VEGETABLE CAPITALIST http://1link.in/texastriang...12:06 PM Feb 2nd from TwitterBar

Recent Tweets March 2009

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:39:00 +0000

Capital Capital> Austin's newest startup incubator .:. http://bitly.com/2alL5n9:05 PM Mar 31st from web
Honchos> Even for billionaire Mark Cuban $500/word is spendy .:. http://is.gd/pW243:22 PM Mar 31st from web
TexasTriangle.Biz is born. The first dedicated business publication covering the Lone Star's megalopolitan area .:. http://bitly.com/t2biz9:49 AM Mar 31st from web
Texas Triangle News: Updates on economy, industry clusters, C-level changes, deal flow & more .:. http://tinyurl.com/texastri...3:39 PM Mar 30th from web
Border Situation> Thought-provoking debate by national security experts .:. http://preview.tinyurl.com/...5:03 PM Mar 26th from TwitterBar
@texastriangle is ranked 109,913 (with 204 followers) on Twitterholic.com, and 1 in Texas Triangle! http://twitterholic.com/tex...9:42 AM Mar 26th from web
W's X Factor>How Bush's re-lo affects Dallas, and spillover benefits of his popularity in India .:. http://preview.tinyurl.com/...4:47 AM Mar 25th from TwitterBar
The Locus Years>DMagazine's Wick Allison argues Dallas will emerge first from recession .:. http://preview.tinyurl.com/...4:39 AM Mar 25th from TwitterBar
CleanTech Stars> Wind energy clusters growing by leaps and bounds in the Lone Star and North Star states .:. http://tinyurl.com/windergy4:54 PM Mar 24th from web
Bright Lights, Big Cities> Mapping mega cities from space .:. http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...12:09 AM Mar 24th from web
Launching 2nd Blog> The Content Life... Down-in-the-trenches writing + glimpses of the sublime http://thecontentlife.blogs...9:21 AM Mar 23rd from web
By The Numbers>10-k annual reports for all Texas Triangle companies by MSA .:. http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...12:21 AM Mar 23rd from web
CleanTech> Oklahoma pitching windpower, Rodgers & Hammersten wondering what took so long .:. http://preview.tinyurl.com/...2:22 PM Mar 20th from TwitterBar
Just in... Texas Triangle region posts monster gains in population... here's the breakdown of numbers .:.http://preview.tinyurl.com/...12:44 PM Mar 20th from web
Fresh Ink> Austin-based OtherInbox gets nice write-up in VentureBeat http://tinyurl.com/d58wez10:31 PM Mar 19th from TwitterBar
15 Minutes> Statesman's Internet Editor Robert Quigley on social media strategy http://www.mediabistro.com/...5:32 PM Mar 18th from TwitterBar
St. Patty's Architects>Mapping "green" commercial real estate in the Texaplex .:. http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...6:44 PM Mar 17th from web
By the Numbers>Just 23% of the state, Texas Triangle home to 70% of population and housing .:.http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...8:24 PM Mar 16th from web
The Grass Ain't Always Greener> RT @Richard_Florida Charlotte's boom to bust economy http://www.wsoctv.com/news/...11:28 AM Mar 12th from web
Newton's Third Law in Action> Energy companies among firms seeking Swiss tax haven .:. http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...11:21 AM Mar 12th from web
CleanTech> Solar power forecast not so sunny for Texas .:. http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...4:16 PM Mar 11th from TwitterBar
BigPicture> Drug war escalating dangerously, what impact on Texas? http://preview.tinyurl.com/...2:48 PM Mar 6th from TwitterBar
RT @statesman Whole Foods will sell 13 stores in a settlement deal with the FTC over its purchase of Wild Oats. http://budurl.com/2dra1:41 PM Mar 6th from web
RT @TexasMonthlyITP: Edge of Seventeen (billion). Poll shows most Texans are against the bailout. http://tinyurl.com/c4qb941:13 PM Mar 6th from web
Shock and Awe>Houston and Dallas Top 5 for green buildings... yippee ki-yay! .:. http://tinyurl.com/b3kg5b10:40 PM Mar 5th from web
RT @governorperry http://www.texaplex.com/ In honor of Texas Independence Day...1:18 PM Mar 4th from TwitterBar
Texas Guanxi> Mayors Thomas Leppert [Dallas] and Bill White [Houston] also corporate directors http://preview.tinyurl.com/...12:57 PM Mar 4th from TwitterMail
Food4Thought> Everything you wanted to know about innovation clusters, but were afraid to ask .:. http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...11:22 PM Mar 1st from TwitterBar

Recent Tweets April 2009

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:38:00 +0000

RT @NYTimesDealBook For Chesapeake's Chief, Some Big Money in Maps http://bit.ly/avQDY7:00 PM May 1st from web
Anti-Hype> Some reasons not to worry about #swineflu .:. http://bit.ly/flu-antihype6:46 PM May 1st from bit.ly
RT @Texaplex ...King Ranch in Texas bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island .:.2:15 PM Apr 29th from web
Texas-Sized Puzzle Piece> Federal study shows how Texas Triangle fits into transportation big picture.:. http://bitly.com/t2biz-fhwa...12:05 PM Apr 24th from bit.ly
Good Times> 5 Texas Triangle metros dominate Forbes best cities list http://bitly.com/texas-forb...12:48 PM Apr 21st from bit.ly
RT @austinist: Colbert on Gov. Perry: "Oklahoma better get to work on that border fence” http://tinyurl.com/d4pml812:37 PM Apr 21st from TweetDeck
Talk Ain't Cheap> Texans say "secession" and furor erupts .:. http://bitly.com/texas-sece...11:42 AM Apr 21st from bit.ly
Braggin' Rights> Fortune 1000 rankings reinforce Texas' dominance in business http://bitly.com/texas2009F...9:10 AM Apr 20th from bit.ly
Texas-Big Business> Exxon-Mobile takes coveted #1 spot on *Fortune 500* with $442.85B, 3 more Tex cos. in top 10 http://bitly.com/qhcdh7:59 AM Apr 20th from bit.ly
Growing Consensus> University publishes 150-page report on Texas urban triangle .:. http://bitly.com/t2report-T...8:51 AM Apr 14th from bit.ly
Deal Making> M&A is on the rocks, so joint ventures are order of the day... but beware of antitrust risks http://bitly.com/jointventures9:40 AM Apr 10th from bit.ly
Don't Mess With Texas> 4 dog-killers randomly kill Houston Navy SEAL's lab... and he has them in sights .:. http://bitly.com/wFQa79:35 AM Apr 10th from bit.ly
Silicon Valley VCs learn, to their chagrin, that oil and gas industry is "high tech" too .:. http://bitly.com/boondoggle10:10 PM Apr 7th from web
Is Texas' biggest export firearms? It depends on what your definition of "is" is .:. http://bitly.com/UuD7e10:18 PM Apr 6th from web
Gun sales, border conflicts, war corresondents... Oh my! .:. http://preview.tinyurl.com/...12:07 AM Apr 2nd from TwitterBar
Dear Earth, Your Welcome. Love, Texas .:. http://preview.tinyurl.com/...8:54 PM Apr 1st from TwitterBar

Recent Tweets May 2009

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:36:00 +0000

What a Cluster, Part II> Everything you wanted to know about the Texas film industry, but were afraid to ask .:. http://bit.ly/vfGs51:47 PM May 31st from web
What a Cluster> Film board refuses grant to maker of Waco movie .:. http://bit.ly/W3yuV1:01 PM May 31st from web
RT @NYTimesDealBook OpenTable Prices High, and #SolarWind Rises http://bit.ly/f8J0W7:43 AM May 21st from web
RT @GregMitch NYT's "Idea of the day" is: "the long tail" theory on Web biz is dead and Chris Anderson of Wired is... http://bit.ly/c5VS27:41 AM May 21st from web
RT @NYTimesDealBook I.P.O.'s Offer Encouraging Signs http://bit.ly/l8MwA7:38 AM May 21st from web
So It Begins> RT @NYTimesDealBook Hedge Funds Take in $15.4 Billion in April http://bit.ly/2esyD7:36 AM May 21st from web
Things That Make Y'all Go Hmmm> #Solarwinds (AUSTIN) first VC-backed firm since Rackspace (SAN ANTONIO) to go public.:. http://bit.ly/qenM811:24 PM May 20th from bit.ly
RT @austinventures #solarwinds Q&A with Mike Bennett, CEO of Solarwinds, on their IPO today http://bit.ly/91enX9:36 PM May 20th from web
RT @Texaplex Texas created more new jobs in 2008 than all the other 49 states combined.9:23 PM May 20th from web
Just joined a twibe. Visit http://twibes.com/NEWSPAPERS to join6:06 PM May 19th from web
Inevitable?... RT @agentjason I am now in a Dallas suburb called Oklahoma.6:05 PM May 19th from web
RT @Inthehillsfish Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.6:04 PM May 19th from web
It's All Relative> Treemapping Fortune 1000s in Lone Star State.:. http://bit.ly/kiHMI10:01 AM May 19th from bit.ly
New Report on Entrepreneurship> In tough times, Texans take risks and start businesses .:. http://bit.ly/bR79p11:05 AM May 15th from bit.ly
Mysteries Revealed> Austin's secrets for economic success at NewGeography.com via Forbes.:. http://bit.ly/14tBSX10:01 AM May 12th from bit.ly
Texas Triangle-Specific News> Tailor-made RSS feeds on the economy, industry clusters, firms, honchos & deal flow.:. http://bit.ly/SYHoq5:38 PM May 11th from bit.ly
RT @lsteffy The myth of `green jobs’ ... study by law and economics professors http://tinyurl.com/d9gx638:28 PM May 4th from web
Eye Candy Part Deux> Google News Timeline Viewer, type in "Texas" and see headlines back to 1800s .:. http://bit.ly/Bo0kJ4:00 PM May 4th from bit.ly
By the Numbers> Texas Triangle population auto-charted by county on Google.:. http://bit.ly/t2population3:49 PM May 4th from bit.ly
Eye Candy> Cool Google data tool auto-charts Texas population growth... preparing for wolframalpha.com? .:. http://bit.ly/texpop3:38 PM May 4th from bit.ly
RT @startuplawyer American Chupacabra Deaths = American Swine Flu Deaths = 01:36 PM May 3rd from web
RT @bmccracken "The Austin Model" of economic development http://tinyurl.com/d5sufw - why this election matters.7:36 PM May 2nd from web
RT @footnoted $Nabors Industries "cuts" death benefit for 79 year-old CEO from $264 million to just $100 million: http://bit.ly/171tQw7:22 PM May 1st from web
RT @GovernorPerry just met with "The Economist," writing a large article about why Texas is great place to live7:07 PM May 1st from web
RT @mikemcguff Dr Pepper artifact may reveal soft drink's origin ... http://tinyurl.com/cdl2ad7:06 PM May 1st from web
RT @austinstartup SolarWinds Prices IPO http://tinyurl.com/c95k6j7:02 PM May 1st from web
RT @austinstartup Hall Martin :: Investment in Austin http://tinyurl.com/dyfrkr7:02 PM May 1st from web

Recent Tweets June 2009

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:33:00 +0000

Power to Peole> RT @mySA New nuclear plants estimated at $13 billion: http://is.gd/1itsA6:57 PM Jun 29th from web
Physicians heal themselves > Houston Medical Center giants seek to mend past wounds, bring back breakthroughs.:. http://bit.ly/4ToXI9:11 AM Jun 29th from bit.ly
Duty Bound> 3,500 Texas National Guard to deploy overseas, nearly all from Texas Triangle.:. http://bit.ly/gDGle9:01 AM Jun 29th from bit.ly
RT @mySA Spurs great David Robinson enters private-equity field: http://is.gd/1hnzR7:26 PM Jun 28th from web
Land of the Large - Part III > Texas used to be 30% bigger, sold land for 19 cents an acre .:. http://bit.ly/BO2qH9:13 AM Jun 15th from bit.ly
Battle Royale> Giant chemical company squares off with global financial giants in small court north of Houston.:. http://bit.ly/mSiBw7:30 AM Jun 15th from bit.ly
Think Different> Richard Florida tells Fort Worth to get creative to prosper .:. http://bit.ly/6PYRu11:57 PM Jun 14th from bit.ly
Duuuude> Engineers propose massive dome to protect downtown Houston .:. http://bit.ly/3v8mh11:54 PM Jun 14th from bit.ly
Black Gold Winners> Texas, along with OK and AK, should rebound first say economists thanks to energy's strength .:. http://bit.ly/YbIsE9:33 PM Jun 14th from bit.ly
USA Today debuts slick new economic forecast engine .:. http://bit.ly/15dApZ9:24 PM Jun 14th from bit.ly
RT @bruces Robots build future cities from trash. http://bit.ly/wxuD21:33 PM Jun 14th from web
Land of the Large-Part II> When it comes to private land ownership, Texas is a titan... Calif no bigger than Nebraska.:. http://bit.ly/rUXoV9:19 AM Jun 12th from bit.ly
Land of the Large - Part I> Texas really is the biggest state in the Union .:. http://bit.ly/LtqWD10:52 AM Jun 11th from TwitterBar
Imperial Texas?> Texas - the country - once asserted claims far beyond its borders .:. http://bit.ly/13FEYp9:44 AM Jun 11th from TwitterBar
RT @TweetGalveston Plan would transform isle into 'Southern belle' of US - Houston Chronicle -10:36 AM Jun 6th from web
RT @PhilipHotchkiss Just saw a Sprint TV ad: tag line: "track inventory, assets and people" a bit creepy10:20 AM Jun 6th from web
Data Visualization> #Treemap of Lone Star state's counties, Texas Triangle v. Non-Texas Triangle.:. http://bit.ly/5Tr1P8:11 AM Jun 5th from web

Recent Tweets 07/01-07/09

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:30:00 +0000

Paring Pickins' Plan> Energy mogul's mega wind power project scaling back.:. http://bit.ly/5W5Vr8:45 AM Jul 9th from bit.ly
Texas' Loss, California's Gain> US military strategy shift impacts stationing of Navy vessels.:. http://bit.ly/X5qiD12:21 PM Jul 7th from bit.ly
Texas T-Bone Rail Link> High-speed rail funding may bypass Texas.:. http://bit.ly/AAVB112:15 PM Jul 6th from web
Urban Metabolism> Understanding cities as systems, fascinating video interviews with leading thinkers from Sputnik.:. http://bit.ly/Rorme8:04 AM Jul 6th from bit.ly
Repost: What if Texas Got Nuked> With correct hyperlink! .:. http://bit.ly/BQaus7:50 AM Jul 6th from bit.ly
Texas Mega Region Conference> Houston Tomorrow and America 2050 host "Mega Regions + Mega Prosperity" on Sept 24-25.:. http://bit.ly/dqXdu7:44 AM Jul 6th from bit.ly
What If Texas Got Nuked?> Ingenius Google map shows direct effects and fallout of nuclear attack.:. http://bit.ly/yqcL38:16 PM Jul 5th from bit.ly
The One that Got Away> #AlamoCity losing AT&T's HQ really a good thing? Could be. .:. http://bit.ly/3lKnMs7:36 AM Jul 4th from web
Focus for Foreign Investment> #AlamoCity lures investors, like Mexico-friendly culture and stable real estate values.:. http://bit.ly/Lg6ZX7:30 AM Jul 4th from web
Aerospace Clusters> #AlamoCity fights for aerospace work, borne of Air Force presence, plenty of competition .:. http://bit.ly/AFDSe7:21 AM Jul 4th from web
Alamo City Economy> S.A. public companies right the ship .:. http://bit.ly/1M3cfq7:17 AM Jul 4th from web
Cluster Power> How a small California #industrycluster gave rise to the Information Age .:. http://bit.ly/D4hyv9:21 AM Jul 2nd from bit.ly
More Good News> Brookings Study shows Texas metros are among the 20 strongest economies in nation .:. http://bit.ly/cvkCE8:25 PM Jul 1st from bit.ly
In the Black> Texas only big state to have a surplus in 2009, gap in 2010 just 10% of California's.:. http://bit.ly/ESbEr8:00 PM Jul 1st from bit.ly

Recent Tweets 07/13-07/16

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:28:00 +0000

Astros more popular than Rangers> 8 years of Harris surveys for all MLB teams, but Rangers more popular this year .:. http://bit.ly/xNCci7:52 AM Jul 16th from bit.ly
Las Vegas is to L.A. as New Orleans is to... > Cali's high-speed rail plan offers useful analogy for Texas.:. http://bit.ly/78u1I6:30 AM Jul 15th from bit.ly
Say What?> Growing cities, shrinking suburbs, not just Texas but nationally .:. http://bit.ly/XobNQ5:43 AM Jul 15th from bit.ly
"It doesn't hurt to ask"> Texas asks Federal gov to have common sense regarding high speed rail .:. http://bit.ly/3Qq0Nb5:32 AM Jul 15th from bit.ly
Bulls vs. Bears> Is their a rivalry between growing Texas and shrinking California, The Economist thinks so.:. http://bit.ly/kWF5f3:29 AM Jul 14th from bit.ly
Texas in the Spotlight> New article in The Economist highlights Texas' super growth .:. http://bit.ly/tWaM92:00 PM Jul 13th from bit.ly

Recent Tweets

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:26:00 +0000

Neck and Neck> Dallas and Houston tie for 9th place on Inc. 500 top metro area list .:. http://bit.ly/S5albabout 3 hours ago from bit.ly
Flashback... April 2009> State of Texas rejects Fed stimulus money, which gets syphoned into Cash for Clunkers program.about 3 hours ago from yoono
Derailing Rail Plans> RT @alanhuynh @cleancartalk: High-Speed Trains Cost Too Much To Be Worth Building -- Harvard Prof http://bit.ly/TnpMiabout 3 hours ago from yoono
Keep Austin Loud> ATX's music scene cited in article on downtowns and civic hubs.:. http://bit.ly/szZXH2:24 PM Aug 11th from bit.ly
Venture Capital Hubs> Fascinating Harvard paper on VC clusters, DFW ranked 6th, down from 1990 peak, ATX not ranked.:. http://bit.ly/2hG3rz2:10 PM Aug 11th from bit.ly
Apples-to-Apples> Comparison of 37 different taxes on state-by-state basis, how does Texas compare?.:. http://bit.ly/3nxu0O9:18 AM Aug 3rd from web

Twitter Archive 02/16-03/04

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 05:55:00 +0000

RT @governorperry http://www.texaplex.com/ In honor of Texas Independence Day...1:18 PM Mar 4th from TwitterBar

Texas Guanxi> Mayors Thomas Leppert [Dallas] and Bill White [Houston] also
corporate directors http://preview.tinyurl.com/...12:57 PM Mar 4th from TwitterMail

Food4Thought> Everything you wanted to know about innovation clusters, but were afraid to ask .:. http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...11:22 PM Mar 1st from TwitterBar

DataWell> Site redesign: Texas Triangle industry clusters, entrepreneurs, megapolitan stats .:. http://tinyurl.com/texastri...11:47 AM Feb 27th from web

*SacredCows> Is Football Good for Texas' Economy?

http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...*5:13 PM Feb 24th from TwitterMail

Epic> Bar brawler Richard "Racehorse" Haynes [Houston] http://preview.tinyurl.com/...2:50 PM Feb 24th from TwitterBar

Epic> Willie Nelson's drinking buddy, trial lawyer Joe Jamail [Houston] http://preview.tinyurl.com/...2:49 PM Feb 24th from TwitterBar

FutureTex> Plan for mega-subways for Texas in stimulus package

http://tinyurl.com/borpab 11:04 PM Feb 19th from TwitterMail

Keep Austin Wired> AustinStartUp.com calls for nominations for Austin
Emerging 100 competition http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...7:17 PM Feb 18th from TwitterMail

ForSale> Town of Albert, TX, 13 acres. Just minutes from Fredericksburg in
Hill Country! Be you... Read more at http://tinyurl.com/asf6gy 1:57 PM Feb 18th from TwitterMail

LoneStar2.0> Statesman.com [Austin] names Texas' top 25 social media entrepreneurs http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...3:33 AM Feb 18th from web

Limelight> Inc. 5000 applications due by March 31

http://www.inc.com/inc5000a...4:43 PM Feb 17th from TwitterMail

GoodInk> McCombs B-School [Austin] featured in BusinessWeek re: MBA job
hunting http://preview.tinyurl.com/...4:38 PM Feb 17th from TwitterMail

U of Hardknocks> @door64_Texas reports QikCom [Austin] fails | http://door64.com/node/8286 4:26 PM Feb 17th from TwitterBar

@DMagazine SciAm Mag says A-Rod's doping explained by game theory... sheds no light on Madonna thing http://preview.tinyurl.com/...4:17 PM Feb 17th from web in reply to DMagazine

RoleReversal> Between 1982-85, Houston lost 82,500 jobs, while Detroit
gained 53,000 http://harpers.org/x/1985/1...5:53 PM Feb 16th from TwitterMail

DoingGood> The Amish are Coming! The Amish are Coming!

http://tinyurl.com/txtriang...12:14 PM Feb 16th from TwitterMail

Fortune 1000 of the Texas Triangle

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:41:00 +0000

Las Vegas is to L.A. as New Orleans is to...

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:21:00 +0000

California's high speed rail line plan offers useful analogy

Sometimes in wrestling with big complex ideas, it is useful to find analogies to cut through the clutter. Analogies can be rife with potential problems, but sometimes, just sometimes, they help make important factors crystal clear.

Take, for example, California's announcement to add Las Vegas to its planned high-speed rail line. The item that jumped out at me was that Californianos were, wisely, not going to include the rail spur in their initial plan. The Houston Chronicle reported that the Golden State has bigger fish to fry, like connecting up its commercial and economic centers along the coast.

Las Vegas for its all its real estate boomy-ness and over-the-top spectacle is not part and parcel to the everyday life of California. It's an escape from it. Here's where the analogy comes in. I'd argue a similar relationship exists between Houston and New Orleans.

That's why the Federal high speed rail plan makes so little sense. (See "Mind the Gap") It leaves Houston disconnected from its real-and-true business partners along the I-35: San Antonio, Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth. Everyday highly paid professionals commute back and forth between these cities - to work.

Thankfully there are Texans out there pushing for a more reasonable high speed rail solution, in particular, The Texas High Speed Rail and Transportation Corporation. That organization is collaborating with others to pitch the Federal government on the Texas T-Bone plan. If any high speed rail is to be built, let's hope at least the money is spent on something meaningful. .:.

Texas' Loss, San Diego's Gain

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:17:00 +0000

US Navy shift towards Pacific reduces Texas' standing

A recent audio report by NPR details the strategic shift by the US Navy from a 50/50 split between Atlantic and Pacific, to a 40/60 split. Specifically Texas is effected by the transfer of a squadron of mine sweepers to San Diego, where it joins other elements of the US Pacific fleet.

The change in strategy is leading to billions of dollars of infrastructure investment in San Diego and San Diego County. Beyond Navy ship facilities, the Marines at Camp Pendleton are receiving upgrades. That would seem to indicate Southern California will not soon see the closure of that military installation. .:.

Land of the Large - Part III

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:55:00 +0000

Another reason to remember the Alamo

The Lone Star State is unique among the 50 states for its massive amounts of private property. That present-day situation had its origins more than 160 years ago when Texans won their independence from Mexico in 1836.

The newly minted sovereign country, the Texas Republic, was much larger than the current state’s boundaries, including parts of New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas and even Wyoming. When Texas agreed to join the United States it retained its claim to all that land, 352,030 square miles, under the 1845 Joint Resolution for Annexing Texas to the United States.

In 1850, the Lone Star state sold off 104,000 square miles to the federal government in return for about $12 million to pay off Texas’ debt. Under the terms of the deal, part of the Compromise of 1850, Texas retained ownership of all the remaining acreage not part of the transaction. (Interestingly, the state of Texas also kept its right to divide into up to four additional states—of convenient size—that are entitled to admission under the provisions of the Federal Constitution.)

Even with all the ample land available in Texas, an interesting dynamic has emerged during the state’s growth. Nearly all urban and commercial activity has coalesced around five key hubs: Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Woth and Dallas. These five cities and their surrounding areas now contain the vast majority of Texas population and economic productivity. More on that Wednesday. .:.

Land of the Large - Part II

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:55:00 +0000

More than meets the eye

How can Texas be the largest state? That's because what we define as a "state" actually consists of hybrid of private property and government property.

According to various analyses, only 1.7 percent of Texas is federally owned. In square miles, that’s a big number… about 7,000 square miles (18,000 sq. km), but that’s nothing compared to other states. Close to half of California is federal government owned, and nearly 96 percent of giant Alaska is government-owned.

Viewed through this lens, then, California is not much bigger than Nebraska, South Dakota, or Oklahoma, and is smaller than Kansas. That is one reason California sports such concentrated metropolitan areas, where the density of people per square mile reaches into the thousands.

Federal land serves many purposes, of course. It can be leased, and sometimes purchased, for use by businesses, for grazing cattle, logging, searching for natural resources, etc., and national parks are tourism destinations. Nevertheless, government-owned land can severely impact development and growth of urban areas.

In land-challenged Southern California, some of the most expensive and desirable property in the world, about 250,000 acres, is occupied the U.S. Marines at Camp Pendleton. It’s location could scarcely be more desirable.

The installation forms the northern edge of San Diego county, abutting wealthy Orange County to the northwest and southern Riverside County to the northeast. Professor Robert Lang of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech, notes that Camp Pendleton is the main reason those three sprawling Californian counties have not joined together into one contiguous urban area, as has happened to the north in Los Angeles County.

Texans have their state's unique history to thank for their exceptional amounts of private property. More on that next Monday. .:.

Land of the Large - Part I

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:40:00 +0000

Texas really is the biggest state in the Union

Texas is big. It’s not only synonymous with that adjective, the Lone Star state’s name is a form of the superlative… with good reason. From the shores of the Gulf of Mexico to the high plains of the Panhandle and East Texas forests to West Texas deserts, the state encompasses 268,580.82 square miles (695,621.13 square kilometers) of land and water.

That’s one-thousandth the land area of the entire world, oceans included. If it were a country, Texas would rank as the 41st largest nation in the world. According to the CIA World Factbook, 210 other countries would be smaller, including any single country in the European Union including the two largest, France and Spain.

Texas is the second largest of America’s 50 states, equaling 7 percent of its overall land area. "Second place?" some might scoff; second doesn’t count. Ahh, but there’s a lesser-known fact about land ownership in the United States that makes Texas far and away the largest state in the Union by a key measure. More on that tomorrow. .:.

Imperial Texas?

noreply@blogger.com (editor) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:37:00 +0000

Ever wonder what if? Historians call alternative scenarios "counterfactuals." At the StrangeMaps blog, there's a perfect example of a counterfactual for the Lone Star Republic in a map of the Texas Republic and land claims it had made far beyond its borders..:.