Community Matters

(Community Matters) Unbelievable devastation in Moore, OK, from the 2-mile wide tornado. Spoke with Carol Tomlinson yesterday and they were safe in Shawnee, where two people died in tornado damage on Sunday. Lots of family all around the state but luckily they are all safe. Not so, unfortunately, for the 50 residents of Moore, OK who were killed and hundreds of others injured.

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(Community Matters) Wow, very interesting lunch. First, I’d been mentally preparing on how best to constructively engage a young man from a visible Republican family – and I wanted to learn where he stood on important social issues. I arrived at lunch early, and wouldn’t you just know it, there sat Karl Rove and about 12 highly-engaged Texas Republicans at the next table. When the young man arrived, I was feeling a little behind enemy lines. I’d already been struggling not to be rude & eavesdrop.

Turns out the young man (& his family) are very, socially progressive. And, the young man and I probably have a lot more in common than what might separate us. So glad I pushed this envelope. I probably need to do this more often – even if it isn’t always comfortable. And, yes it does go better with thoughtful preparation. Imagining you’re likely to agree on many values & principles and framing the conversation from there is usually a good start.

(Community Matters) Celebrated Dad’s 78th birthday at Hudson’s on the Bend Restaurant with Mom, Steven & Michael Mitchell.

Corrected. 78 years old. I’d written 88

(Community Matters) It was St James Day. Steven’s been a member 24 years, me 14. We’re a multicultural, inclusive community.

(Community Matters) Friday night at Olive & June, beautiful star-lit celebration for the incomparable Suzanne Winkelman. There’s an aura around this beautiful woman who makes everyone smile.

(Community Matters) Interesting to read about Gallup’s review, learning how they got the presidential race so wrong. They’re publicly releasing their report next month but some of the preview includes:

• how they ask about race makes a difference – appears yes or no doesn’t work as well as allowing respondents to choose more than one answer (& since they extrapolate and model sample results in part based on race, this can significantly impact modeled results)
• In the future traditional polling could be supplemented by non-probability data, administrative data, social media data.

Huff Post

(Community Matters) A little college graduation party at the house last night for our godson Austin Knaplund. His mamma, our adopted sister, Janet Maykus handled all the heavy lifting. Austin’s girlfriend, Caitlin Mickey, in from Vanderbilt, where she’s pursuing a PhD in audiology. Funny how there’s always that one lifelong friend who feels like a godkid as well – in Austin’s case it’s Isaac Winburne. He’s hitting the road for a couple of months with Mother Falcon. We’re gonna connect in the city; I promised the buy the band a good dinner.

Lots of their great friends here kinda late, and we had fun. Austin’s hoping for an international medical aid internship before medical school next year

(Community Matters) Our gardener recommends this

http://www.ted.com/talks/ron_finley_a_guerilla_gardener_in_south_central_la.html

(Community Matters) I am alive just trying to catch up. Quick trip to San Francisco for the National Venture Capital Conference where I participated in sessions on social entrepreneurship. Saw friends while there including dinner with Dipti Pratt at Commonwealth (good, not great) and another dinner with Will Roman, Cesar Torres and James Reggio. We had reservations for Foreign Cinema but Will’s hurt his back so we treked to his very cool abode in North Beach – a new favorite part of town btw.

Back in time to celebrate Lynne Skinner’s & Jeff Browning’s leadership of the annual Austin Cup which has raised $790k for the Center for Child Protection – plus Penny Wilson and Kim & Kyle Hughes. And, today to catch some of the RISE Conference in Austin as well as prepare for tomorrow’s EF Spring Service Day – 23 companies and 565 team members expected at Linder & Brooke Elementary schools. Leigh Christie is an amazing super woman – she keeps the trains running, on time and in the right directions.

Steven’s on his way from Traverse City, Michigan to Manhattan tonight. I take it his TEDxTraverseCity talk was a success. We have such fantastic friends in that wonderful city.

(Community Matters) I regrettably rescinded the acceptance of a Facebook friend request because as soon as I accepted I scrolled his FB postings and realized he was quite angry and spoke out in a way that came across to me, very disrespectfully of President Obama and other leaders. Rescinding really gave me pause. This is a friend from early in childhood, the son of one of my father’s best friends. I sent him this note:

xxxx, thanks for the friend request. I initially accepted then realized we’d both drive each other crazy. I’d love to reconnect with you sometime and we can just not discuss politics. I like President Obama, and I’m a liberal. I wouldn’t want to upset you with my posts, and I would get upset by some of yours. So, probably better not to share FB space. Hope to see you sometime and wishing you the best.

In fact, I don’t think I post in a way that comes across as disrespectful to others – or well, I try not to and think I succeed more than fail.

(Community Matters) What a great day. Waking up in San Antonio, breakfast with good friends, back to Austin and a super visit with a long lost (moved to Indianapolis) godson, Ben Knaplund, and his lifelong best friend, Avery Martin, of whom I’m also especially fond.

Then to see The Great Gatsby with another godson (actually godson-in-law but couldn’t love him any more too), Trey Alford.

Steven arrived in Traverse City today to snow. I was telling him this evening I hope I wasn’t too didactic with the guys. Then, perfect, what a sweet text from Ben, including: “You are a pleasurable mixture of father and best friend.”

So, my day is complete, and I’m really happy.

celebrated mom yesterday with a too quick stop by the ranch. They’re coming next weekend so we’ll celebrate more plus Dad’s birthday.

(Community Matters) I don’t like profiling in law enforcement, national security, nor review of taxpayer applications for tax exempt, non profit status. I’m assuming those whose hair is on fire are also consistent in their opposition to profiling. And, it’s important to note that not only was then IRS Commission Douglas Shulman appointed by President George W Bush in 2008, the Director of IRS Exempt Organizations Division Lois G. Lerner was appointed to this position in 2005, ie., also under the Bush administration. I don’t point this out to assess blame but to suggest liberals or an Obama administration wouldn’t recruit Bush conservatives & an appointee if conspiring against conservatives.