Bag Lady

Well, we (Texas Tech) can't beat them in basketball or football, but we can make them whine like little babies at the World Congress of Information Technology, hosted in Austin this first week of May. About 2,100 business, government and academic leaders from 80 countries were given tote bags distributed by the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance with the message "Lubbock Economic Development Alliance - Home of Texas Tech University" on a red and black canvass bag. The LEDA ponied up $15,000 for the sponsorship and the bags were rapidly snapped up. Time for Austin City Manager Toby Futrell to spring into action. Noting that Austin does not have a "strategic reserve" of tote bags, she quickly called in a counter-strike rush order of 2,000 "Austin: Live Music Capital of the World" bags. After all,

"It would be a travesty for people to leave Austin without Austin tote bags," Futrell said. "This silly little thing is one of the most representative pieces people carry back with them, and they are going to carry memories of our city
and a Lubbock tote bag? Nah."

While Futrell distracted conference-goers with Mr. Thunder, she whipped out his buddy, Mr. Lightning - a bold plan to have participants surrender the Lubbock tote bags for the Austin ones - that is, until her Crystal of Tranquility turned black and started sucking life from Chakras 4 through 6, and rescinded the order. With power yet to be fully restored to Chakras 4 (compassion), 5 (language) and 6 (seeing the big picture) she said whoever thought it a good idea to let Lubbock hand out tote bags at a conference in Austin "should have to go spend a week in Lubbock." Crystal-less Gary Lawrence, CEO of the LEDA responded by saying that he will take an Austin tote back home to Lubbock. Participants will now be able to take home an Austin tote, but not from this event. The bags will arrive at noon on Friday - just as it closes down.