Daily Archives: 11/16/2008

(Community Matters) The Minds of Boys, by Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens. A recommended read from Jeff Sandefer.

An interesting quote (probably explains a lot and not so news breaking to most women)

The male brain is set to renew, recharge, and reorient itself between tasks by moving to what neurologist Ruben Gut has called a “rest state.” The boy in the back of the classroom whose eyes are drooping, his mind ready to doze off, may have entered a neural rest state. The man zoning out in front of the television after a long day at work is recharging his brain by entering a neural rest state, so too the grandfather sitting in his fishing boat for several hours, content but unstimulated. The rest state, which MRIs have now discovered to be essential to male brain acctivity, can create big problems in a classroom. Boys make up the vast majority of students who drift off without completing assignments, who stop taking notes or fall asleep during a lecture, and even who begin to tap pencils or fidget in order to self-stimulate (and thus keep themselves awake and learning).

With greater blood flow in the brain, girls and women tend to recharge and reorient neural focus without pronounced rest states; thus a girl can be bored with a lesson but nonetheless keep her eyes open and take notes. As Ruben Gur has observed, “In the resting female brain, we find just as much neural activity as in the male brain that is solving problems.” The female brain, in other words, doesn’t really go to a rest state in the way the male does. Female blood flow even during brain rest is very active. Male blood flow during a rest state is not.

(Community Matters)

Hard to believe Michael Mitchell’s plays open two weeks from last night

(Community Matters) KT Musselman writes about big bad grandmama’s 4th place showing (behind Kinky) in Travis County for governor. I’d vote for Mike Levy first – and we know that ain’t gonna happen.

(Community Matters) The Miracle Foundation was founded by Caroline Boudreaux on Mother’s Day 2000 after a trip to India where Caroline was struck by the poverty and plight of orphans in that country. She’s now raised over $6mm and has established 6 orphanages in India. One of her most generous benefactors has been Nav Sooch, who hosted tonight’s party for the organization to introduce more friends to their great work.

Caroline Boudreaux and Steven

Caroline was describing to us her newest project, the Austin Ventures Home which will house 200 orphans. Tonight she is hoping to raise an additional $300k+ to complete the Dick Clark designed compound which will house 10 orphans with a house mother in each cottage. Given the crowd, I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t raise the full amount. Also visited with Austin Ventures partner, Krisha Srinivasan, who’s Miracle’s board chair.

a Miracle supporter and friend, Dr. Nona Niland and David Braun

Guests outside Nav’s home

Nav funded Sooch Village, a Miracle Foundation orphanage housing 200 children in Ranchi, Jharkand. I was blown away to learn from him that there are 25,000,000 orphans in the country.

What a terrific organization and cause. Big surprise, Steven wants to visit the sites and learn more. Guess we’ll be going to India.

update: note from Nav this am. At last count they raised $340k last night.

(Community Matters) Jeff & Laura Sandefer host an afternoon for young, would-be entrepreneurs. Kids experience making and selling items. In it’s second year, there were some real finds.

Though Laura & Jeff are dear friends, I didn’t hear about this from them but from my friend DJ Cimbala. He told me about his chocolate volcano ice cream which he was making and going to sell at the children’s fair. Of course, we had to check it out and support DJ. Enjoyed supporting Sam, Charlie, Tate and all the other kids too.

with DJ Cimbala

each kid or team of kids had their own tent, maybe 20 or a few more

Jeff Sandefer and ST

(Community Matters) It didn’t start until 12:30 so Steven and I did attend. It was uplifting. Gays & straights and their children, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, priests & pets – a glorious day.

Chris Fabre, Todd Cheshire, Marti & friend

Mark Erwin, Steven Rice, ST, Martha Oestrich & Jan Hill

(Community Matters)

One sunny day in 2009 an old man approached the White House from across Pennsylvania Avenue, where he’d been sitting on a park bench. He spoke to the U.S. Marine standing guard and said, “I would like to go in and meet with President Bush. The Marine looked at the man and said, “Sir, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here.” The old man said, “Okay” and walked away.

The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, “I would like to go in and meet with President Bush.” The Marine again told the man, “Sir, as I said yesterday, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here.” The man thanked him and, again, just walked away.

The third day, the same man approached the White House and spoke to the very same U. S. Marine, saying, “I would like to go in and meet with President Bush.” The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said, “Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mr. Bush. I’ve told you already that Mr. Bush is no longer the president and no longer resides here. Don’t you understand?”

The old man looked at the Marine and said, “Oh, I understand. I just love hearing it.”

The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and said, “See you tomorrow.”