Monthly Archives: March 2009

(Community Matters) . . . . wakes here

(Community Matters) Height of hypocrisy that some of those who wear their Christian religion on their sleeves could argue against providing additional (or any) assistance to those most in need today. If they’re believers, I guess they’ve reconciled themselves with going to hell.

(Community Matters) Greed, old age, insincere flattery to those in power, powerful mens’ susceptibility to flattery, deception, murder, morality, deceit, remorse.

Pete Postlethwaite as King Lear

Steven and I are staying in an old favorite (Fielding House) in Covent Garden. Vibe of the West End all around us and easy to walk the few blocks to the River Thames and across the Waterloo Bridge to the South Bank. I’d never been to the Young Vic – a terrific theatre complex with ample bar, restaurant and warehouse-fashion theatre which probably seats 600. Not sure whether good karma or luck of the draw, but when we called earlier in the day, there were two seats to last night’s performance of King Lear, despite that the run has been sold out.

The production is led by London’s hottest young director, Rupert Goold who’s just been named associate director for the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Goold weaved in time in the form of characters and references from our contemporary world. Not sure if he intended to shake thought from the 17th century but that’s exactly the effect when modern commandos and Zapatista-style warriors enter the stage on behalf of the King of France and Cordelia, respectively.

Couldn’t help thinking – what’s the lesson about the transfer of power between generations? the lesson to be remembered about the resistance to transfers of power? which is Rush Limbaugh, Mitch McConnell, John Boehner? Is there a lesson here for BHO and his supporters?

Postlethwaite and Tobias Menzies (as Edgar) give truly outstanding performances, as did John Shrapnel as the Duke of Gloucester. The entire company, performance, set design and lighting quite brilliant.

(Community Matters) “We shape a better world.” What an extraordinary mantra for a design firm, one of the largest in the world. This from the Arup Group, who Business Week cites as the world’s 17th largest design firm with “work everywhere” including structural design for the Beijing Olympics stadium and the Sydney Opera House.

Our new friend, Taylor Keep, is in London completing one of their “Foresight & Innovation” projects – research on food, sustainability of the food supply and provocative thoughts launching important questions about food – especially, in Taylor’s mind, the intersection of food and energy policy.

Other foresight & innovation projects Arup has dedicated staff to, researched and published include urbanisation, demographics, water, climate change, waste and energy. It’s extraordinary that an engineering design firm has so long been so corporate social responsibility-minded. Taylor told us how these thought leadership pieces being created on critical global issues are used by staff and further engage clients.

After lunch, we followed Taylor to his offices to meet his boss, Chris Luebkeman. Chris is a scholar who taught engineering to architects at the preeminent schools, including MIT and moved to Arup to lead its research group. Not too many years after arriving, he launched its foresight and innovation group. Much more about all this, especially engaging to me as I’m writing an article about the CSR conference we held in Austin just two weeks ago. Alas, gotta get going. More perhaps later.

(Community Matters) Thanks, Cameron for connecting us to Taylor & Catherine Keep. Wow, what an outstanding young couple. They are living in London temporarily while Taylor completes a project for the Arup Group.

Catherine & Taylor Keep & ST at Amoul

I’ll get to Taylor’s very cool project at his very cool company. But, I have to talk about Amouls – wow. Founded six years ago by a longtime Londoner born in Lebanon, Amoul’s is about the homecooking Amal (Amoul) Oakes was not able to find in London. I met her briefly and spent a bit of time speaking with her daughter, Zeina. They are certainly proponents of the slow food movement and believe in only using fresh ingredients. Luckily, at the end of 2008, Amoul published a cookbook of her favorite receipes. An exquisitely published book with a fine burlap cover, I couldn’t resist and I can’t wait to experiment – especially the chicken livers in pomegranate molasses and savoury lamb pies.

Amoul’s

(Community Matters) I sure hope I rescheduled the dinner party at a friends I just noticed on last night’s schedule. Good gosh, would that be a total wreck or what? Waiting to hear. No email from them, so assuming I did. Just can’t vividly recall.

(Community Matters)
Couldn’t resist – Stovepipe in London and $370 roundtrip tickets on Continental.

Thank you Jeffrey for taking care of my gay koi. No (big) parties! 🙂

Posted from my blackberry.

(Community Matters)
From Dr. Forgoine:

I am very proud to advise the district and the Austin community that
beginning July 1, 2009, I will assume the appointment as Distinguished
Presidential Scholar and Executive Director of the New Center on K-12
Assessment and Performance Management at the Education Testing Service
(ETS) of Princeton, New Jersey (see attached ETS announcement). This will
allow my wife, Kaye, and me to remain in Austin, and I will be focusing my
professional energy and passion on a critical component of education reform
and accountability, namely: student testing and data management.

Posted from my blackberry

(Community Matters) Why can’t Congress pass special legislation exempting auto warranties from any GM bankruptcy?

(Community Matters) Met this morning with Karen Langley & Aldo Walker from Family Eldercare. Such an outstanding organization.

They provide in-home & respite care, bill payer services, senior housing, Elder shelter, guardianship and resource consultation services for Central Texas elderly, adults with disabilities and those who care for them.

Very close to having raised the full $7mm to fund the construction of a new client services facility near Robert Mueller development as well as to increase training and outreach efforts, expand staff and launch an endowment.

Dick & Sara Rathgeber led with contribution of land. Other major donors to date include Mitte Foundation, Meadows Foundation, City of Austin, Travis County, The Anderson Charitable Foundation, St. David’s Community Health Foundation, The Connor Foundation, Tocker Foundation, Oneok Foundation, Lola Wright Foundation, MFI Foundation, Turner Friendship Trust & Kennedy Foundation. Board members and other individual donors have contributed another $340k-ish. Only $500k remaining to be raised.

According to Karen & Aldo, demographic projections suggest the population being served will increase by 50% in the next 5 to 10 years.

(Community Matters) I’m reading this morning that ALGPC issued a dual endorsement of Brewster McCracken and Lee last night.

Brewster McCracken is the total rock star in our community. Brewster’s championed LGBT equality since before his first race for city council. He sponsored and organized repeal of the charter’s ban on domestic partner benefits.

Lee Leffingwell also certainly deserves support from our community.

Less than 25 voting members were at last night’s meeting. Regret that I had a conflict. We had 100+ at Brewster’s LGBT fundraiser last week – with many others contributing online even though they couldn’t attend. Lee’s hired good field organizers who know how to turn out volunteers and paid staff. Brewster’s staff fell behind on this one.

Brewster is well known, respected and enthusiastically supported by Austin’s LGBT community. My appreciation to all those who did attend the endorsement meetings last night. I’m confident Brewster is the overwhelming favorite among Austin’s LGBT community in the race for mayor.

(Community Matters) You gotta be kidding me. I have no idea how long we’ve been paying $1.90 per shirt & $5.60 per pant for laundry around the corner at Four Sons on Guadalupe & 31st. Shirts even more when dry cleaned. Tuesdays specials for shirts; Thursdays for pants. And, I’ve just found coupons on their website. Still . . . .

This sounds ridiculous. Does it really cost this much everywhere?????