Monthly Archives: June 2008

(Community Matters) for insurance companies and the people who design their customer complaints and appeals process. here

(Community Matters) I believe the most watched uTube of all time

(Community Matters) Michael & I toured the two finalist theatres for the winter’s production of Highway Home – actually, the evening will probably be called Two Fountains featuring two Michael Mitchell plays, Highway Home and Them. Imagine we’ll arrive at a decision on which theatre this weekend. Without even launching our fundraising, we’ve raised $14k of the $25k.

Can’t wait to get started with Michael Mitchell (writer) and Katie Pearl (director) – moi producing. Definitely have our eyes on our favorite production/technical manager – Natalie, are you available?!?

Michael’s been writing about this – and obviously much more – on our blog, SquirrelsInTheAttic.info

(Community Matters) by the way, it sucks. Let’s hope we can count on the Senate (not holding my breath) to stand up to the telecom lobbyists. Why has the D party completely caved?

Glenn Greenwald:

This scandal began by revelations that the President broke the law — committed felonies — when spying on our calls and emails without warrants, because he believes he has the power to break the law. The scandal all but concluded yesterday, with the Democratic Congress (a) protecting the President, (b) permanently blocking the lawsuits which would have revealed what he did and would have ruled that he broke the law, and (c) legalizing the very illegal spying regime that he secretly ordered in 2001. Only in the twisted world of Washington can that be described as a “compromise.”

(Community Matters) This is a helpful one here

(Community Matters) A Tech Crunch posting – interesting in its context, albeit widely dissed in comments, especially Citi analyst’s recommendations:

A decade ago, the leading Internet companies were AOL, Amazon, eBay, and Yahoo. With the exception of Amazon, which is experiencing a renewal as it embraces digital distribution and cloud computing, they all fell by the wayside because they failed to adapt to a major market transition. For AOL, it was the transition to broadband. For eBay, it was the rise of search as the primary way to find goods to buy online. And even Amazon had its dark days.

The question for Google, the current Internet market leader, is whether it too will miss the next major market/platform shift. Or will it somehow be able to get ahead of it and maintain its leadership position (and stock market premium). Some long term platform shifts that are just now beginning include the rise of the mobile Web and the shift to cloud computing—both areas where Google is putting a lot of resources.

here

(Community Matters) Chris Earthman (Aragona Foundation), Ken Gladish (Austin Community Foundation) and I wrapped up the week over drinks at Headliners discussing opportunities to incubate earned income opportunities at Austin nonprofits. Greenlight’s Matt Kouri would have been part of this conversation but on a drive out of town. Amanda Chiampi and Marion Cimbala have been majorly involved in the ongoing conversation with me & Chris. Social venture capital funds, incubation funds, curriculum, mentoring, consultants . . . all part of the conversation. Good stuff

(Community Matters) I bet lots of others have already seen this. I hadn’t.

(Community Matters) Reading the blogosphere, pit in my stomach. My enthusiasm for the ticket plunges at the prospect of Sam Nunn as a running mate. Doesn’t appear any more likely now than months ago when first floated, just that the reality of a pick is more certain and the possibility remains.

My Jewish friends should imagine an anti-Semitic joining the ticket to understand my feelings. My other female friends should imagine Clayton Williams.

Shortly after 1992, I came to the realization that my baseline was a candidate who wouldn’t threaten my civil liberties – the right to pursue employment, housing, medical services, equal protections under the law – even before I could embrace their support for health care, a sound economy, national security, education and so forth.

(Community Matters) from Kirk Watson’s weekly message:

It’s extraordinary, and aggravating, that these life-saving institutions [MD Anderson and UTMB] are trying to get just to where they were a few years back. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only area in which Texas’ legislative leadership has fallen behind.

The leadership has starved education funding and forced school district after school district to raise property taxes to make up for it.

It’s refused to fund universities, but chastised those who raise tuition so the quality of education doesn’t suffer.

It’s allowed roads to deteriorate and traffic to increase, diverting money from transportation and trumpeting privatization.

And it’s turned its back on nearly a billion dollars in federal funding for children’s health insurance, leaving Texas with the terrible standing as the state with the most uninsured kids.

It’s incomprehensible to me that our generation – which has prospered so much from the investments of our parents and grandparents – has so stubbornly refused to take steps that would ensure opportunity for our children and grandchildren.

(Community Matters) The Marfa production of Wallace Shawn’s play, Our Late Night has been rescheduled. It was to premiere at the Goode-Crowley Theatre over the July 4th weekend. Tim Crowley – who was performing – is on crutches after a horse riding accident. Chinati Foundation’s associate director, Rob Weiner is directing. Steven and I still headed to Marfa, just now have an open Friday night.