Monthly Archives: June 2008

(Community Matters) Hate that I had to miss today’s Obama fundraiser in Austin & thrilled to report we raised over $90k (had a $50k goal). Spoke with Kirk Rudy (he and Amy hosted) while they were having dinner with David at Jeffrey’s – over 250 attended. Margaret Keys wrote that it was a terrific event, noting that Eden Box attended (Kirk’s & Amy’s is Hal’s & Eden’s old home).

Many thanks to those members of the Austin Obama Leadership Committee who helped us raise so much money including: Ian Davis & Amy Everhart, Michael Feferman & Rachel Hull, Dan Grant, Jason Heffron, David Kobierowski, Linda & Glen Neland, Beverly Reeves, Justin Smith, Jan Soifer, Ian Stonington, Catherine Tabor & Tom Terkel.

(Community Matters)

(Community Matters) Lest anyone worry about my absence from the office or attention to community obligations, while traveling and certainly while at MD Anderson, I’m ridiculously well connected. Yesterday, answered 83 of 300+ emails, raised $22,500 for EF community involvement initiatives, launched asks for $20k more, reviewed invite drafts, launched equity asks, raised $3.5k more for tonight’s Obama fundraiser, recruited two new Hispanic Outreach Council members to Obama ’08 and engaged in Komen conversations. Hey, a mobile word.

(Community Matters) Cecile Richards on the presidential campaign:

Mom would have said that women voting for John McCain would be like chickens choosing to vote for the Colonel.

(Community Matters) Just received an email from former Senator Gonzalo Barrientos notifying Hispanic delegates to last week’s convention that he’ll be the Hispanic Caucus chair and that we’re meeting Friday June 6 from 12 to 2.

(Community Matters) Q2 (that would be Quality Quinn) informed me yesterday that Marfa heavy, Tim Crowley, had a horse riding accident this weekend and is pretty beat up. Received a note from him that he is beat, though no other specifics. Yet, he was responding graciously to notes from Michael Barnes and me to please welcome Robert Faires and Barbara Chisholm during there first Marfa visit.

(Community Matters) We’re back in Houston. Michael is starting his first round of chemo this week. Today they’ll insert the arm catheter and we’ll sit through various training and instruction sessions. Start the actual chemo tomorrow and have to stay in Houston for the first 48-hour slow infusion of Doxorubicin hydrochloride (the H in R-CHOP), so expect to be on the road back to Austin Friday afternoon.

We have no idea what M’s in for – in terms of nausea & immune system reaction. Optimistic that the antiemetics (drugs to prevent nausea) will be successful, though evidently R-CHOP a more aggressive regimen than most. He’s got six months of this, though we’re moving the treatments to Dr. Fain in Austin after launching this week in Houston. M’s strong, optimistic and committed. We’ll beat this bastard to the ground. Dr. McLaughlin believes virtually certain they’ll achieve remission and quite likely permanent remission.

Drive up and last night mostly focused on logistics of producing M’s play, Highway Home. We have theaters’ calendars and have to pick dates. Katie Pearl has agreed to direct and the actors who performed in the UT workshop would like to participate. Hard to know how Michael will be feeling in Oct, Nov or Dec. All the literature says the latter treatments become more difficult on the patient. M threatens to attend the opening wearing just a turban and his slow infusion fannie pack.

(Community Matters) What is it with this year’s Austin City Council elections? And, has Cid Galindo hired Jennifer’s campaign consultants or something? Give me a break, the lying & mudslinging approach to Austin City politics was disproven 65% plus by Randi Shade’s win. Cid’s turned out to be a disappointment and major embarrassment. Laura Morrison has fought to defend herself and maintained the dignity voters are demanding of elected officials in this post-Bush era.

(Community Matters) I’m embarrassingly far from a tree hugger, yet I’m blown away by all the unnecessary packing and wrapping. Just back from picking up a script from CVS, so we have pills in a bottle, a custom label, a stapled bag, with a really long printed receipt and they tried to throw it in a plastic bag too. I took the old pill bottle thinking they might be able to recycle it, but they don’t. I wonder if I don’t call in a refill, if they’d refill the old bottle to avoid using another – of course then I’d have to sit and wait 10 to 20 mins, so doubtful I’d often have time to do that.

(Community Matters) I’m not going to quote in honor of the Senator Obama’s intent to run a campaign about hope and opportunity. And, there’s a Daily Mail story about Senator McCain that reinforces my beef with his hero and hollier-than-though image. After all, this is the man who reportedly called his current wife the C word in public (fyi, it is so widely remembered by several journalists that I considered it confirmed).

(Community Matters) Submerge egos, focus on bringing gifts, passions, energies and vision to a common task and great things can be accomplished.

Now everyone is counting on you, not just me.

(Community Matters) Just finished Tim Blake Nelson’s controversial, contemporary movie of Othello. If faulted, perhaps too literal, nevertheless, an outstanding movie provoking thought during our political season.