Monthly Archives: December 2008

Enlightenment

(Community Matters) Rev Richard Cizik sounds like an enlightened faith leader.


I think this strikes two cords with me. The first is obvious. The second, I’ve been thinking about on this trip.

I just rotated off a nonprofit board after two terms and term limits. It’s never easy to be on a board, nor is it always easy to be staff or my colleague on a board.

And, I think every organization I’ve ever served, has been better off than before I arrived. Absolutely not solely – or even mostly – because of me. But, the difficult issues have been dealt with and there are never unspoken elephants in the room.

Poor Steven has endured whatever grief I’ve felt, since it’s not without personal angst, insecurity and second guessing.

I’ve served on nearly 80 nonprofit boards during the last 25 years. I would say this situation has been true – in a substantial sense – in only a dozen or so. Though, they have been among the 25 largest.


State of Our Region

(Community Matters) from Brian Kelsey, Capital Area Council of Governments

The Capital Area grew from approximately 1.3 million to 1.7 million residents between 2000 and 2008, an increase of 26 percent.

For every 100 residents added to the region between 2000 and 2008, 22 were in Austin and 11 were in Round Rock. On average, 17 out of every 100 new residents were in unincorporated areas of the counties.

One out of five Capital Area residents lives in a rural area. CAPCOG’s rural population grew by an estimated 56,190 people between 2000 and 2008.

On average, 57% of new residents in Travis County and 65% of new residents in Williamson County come from other places in Texas. California makes up only a small percentage of the total number of people moving to the region each year.

Unemployment rates in the Capital Area are for the most part below both the state and the national averages. However, the number of unemployed people in the region increased 40% between October 2007 and October 2008, and is at its highest point since 2003.

Austin-Round Rock is one of the strongest performing housing markets in the U.S. right now, in terms of price stability. The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight ranked Austin-Round Rock #1 in 2008Q3, among the nearly 300 metro areas the agency tracks.

Boots

(Community Matters)
I’m probably the last to notice. Calf hugging, high heeled womens boots are back.I bet Amy Rudy & Melissa Henderson already wearing and I just haven’t noticed. Posted from my blackberry.

Eiffel Tower

(Community Matters) what the heck. It’s a beautiful and clear day and I’ve never been in the Tower. In line listening to Kashmir by London Philharmonic. Posted from my blackberry

London?

(Community Matters) hmm, Punchdrunk staging a short 10-minute production in a secret location in the West End. Just talked with Colin, their producer. He didn’t let us know because didn’t want us to travel for a short teaser. Didn’t realize we’d be in Paris. Probably doesn’t make sense to pop over for such a teeny show.

Too cold & dark

(Community Matters)
Perhaps too ambitous, or simply too early. Think I’ll chill and read for a while, then set out. Posted from my blackberry

Uppity Queers

(Community Matters) I don’t always agree with John Aravosis but consider this an insightful posting – especially after several well-meaning straight friends have questioned my anger at the Mormon and Catholic churches for leading the Prop 8 campaign.


The LA Times laments those uppity gays

makeprofilelink(“John Aravosis (DC)”); John Aravosis (DC) · 12/10/2008

The LA Times has an “editorial” on their Web site lamenting the fact that some anti-gay bigots felt they had to leave their jobs in gay-oriented businesses after it was discovered that the bigots had donated to Proposition 8. The LAT thinks that goes too far.

Let’s get something straight here, as it were. The LA Times finds it queer that someone working in a pretty much gay owned and operated business like theater in California is now facing scorn from their gay coworkers and gay audience members after embracing anti-gay hate.

Anyone else scratching their heads?

Here’s what the Times wrote about gays:

As much as we abhorred Proposition 8, there’s nothing to cheer about when private individuals are afraid to donate to the political campaigns of their choice because it may cost them their livelihood. In the case of Scott Eckern, who resigned from the California Musical Theatre in Sacramento, the future of the nonprofit company was at stake after some artists refused to work with him. But what if that situation were reversed and Eckern were targeted because he opposed Proposition 8? Or because he was gay? Professionals have to look past their personal and political differences or everyone with an opinion will be on an official list of undesirables.

And here is what the Times would never dare write:

As much as we abhorred slavery, there’s nothing to cheer about when private individuals are afraid to donate to racist political campaigns of their choice because it may cost them their livelihood. In the case of Sam Eaton, who resigned from the California Black Musical Theatre in Sacramento, the future of the nonprofit company was at stake after some black artists refused to work with him. But what if that situation were reversed and Eaton were targeted because he opposed slavery? Or because he was black? Professionals have to look past their personal and political differences over slavery or everyone with an opinion will be on an official list of undesirables.

Gosh, I never thought of it that way. If blacks hate Klansmen, then Klansmen will hate blacks, and then where will we all be? Can’t we all just get along with people who are beating the crap out of us?

Now for some real world examples.

What do you think would happen to a production assistant at Black Entertainment Television if someone found a white hood and a 7 foot burning cross in his office? Oh, I’m sorry, that’s too mean of an example. Forget the Klansman. The production assistant is simply found to have donated money to an effort to overturn Loving v. Virginia and make it illegal for black men to marry our white womenfolk. I’m sure the racist’s black coworkers and black audiences would embrace him in the morning for his principled stand against miscegenation. I mean, it’s just his opinion.

Or how about an employee of the local Jewish Community Center. I mean, he wasn’t an actual Nazi, he just thinks that Jews are money-grubbing long-nosed thieves and therefore donates his money and time to David Duke’s “European American” “civil rights” group. I’m sure the anti-Semite’s Jewish coworkers and Jewish community members would embrace him for his principled chutzpah.

It’s time for the Los Angeles Times to own up to its own homophobia. They wouldn’t dare tell blacks and Jews to stop being so mean to the bigot in their midst. But when it comes to gays and lesbians, somehow the crime is never as great, and the punishment never as deserved. spans = document.getElementsByTagName(‘span’); number = 0; for(i=0; i [continue reading…]
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(Community Matters) Yesterday walked from our hotel on Champs Elyees through Jardine de Tulleries, past the Louvre to Le Marais. Just a stroll, peeping in here and there, especially E. Dehillerin (cookware Mecca).

Today, plan a left bank tour with lunch in Saint Germain and afternoon coffee (or wine) in the Latin Quarter.

IL Gov

(Community Matters) Definitely should resign and definitely should go to jail.

Before Texans get too righteous, I wonder if we’ve looked in our own backyard. Two lobbyists nearly control our capital (and capitol) because of their relationships with the Governor and House Speaker – Mike Toomey and Bill Messer. We’re just lucky (or maybe not) our guys haven’t been under federal wiretaps. I don’t imagine you’d have to dig too far to find enriching relationships between them and their sponsors.

Our Supreme Court justices can’t keep their noses clean. State reps under indictment.

Calling in Gay

(Community Matters)
Steven and I both calling in gay today. Posted from my blackberry

Landed

(Community Matters)
There is snow here in Paris, Tx

Flew over with a Houston oil & gas guy who doesn’t believe we should be educating children beyond the ambitions of their own parents and who thinks Bush did nothing wrong – the problems preceeded him and he may be judged a good president. Seems to find affirmation in his opposition to Barack in news of IL governor’s indictment, somehow imagining Obama will be implicated despite the governor’s wiretapped quotes that BO’s administration only willing to offer him appreciation. Posted via blackberry

iPod

(Community Matters)
A few months ago after a meeting, my friend Diana Holford sent me an iPod. She couldn’t believe I didn’t have one. I’d bought Steven one for a birthday but wouldn’t really use one myself.

Well, this morning in preparation for my trip to Paris, Texas, Steven loaded up my iPod from the iTunes on my computer – who knew I had 400+ songs? plus a few pod casts he thought I’d enjoy. Already I’m loving it. Kept telling myself not to sing outloud or start dancing, especially since I’m horrible at both. Posted from my blackberry (IAH)