Monthly Archives: September 2009

(Community Matters) . . . .offering bowling, dance, a bar, restaurant and karaoke. You gotta love Tim & Karrie League who also brought the world Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas

(Community Matters) ok, I’m about to go into a home stretch on fundraising for several initiatives, start my French lessons next week, have a huge EF fundraiser in early Nov, am writing a novel during the month of November (I need to quit forgetting this one), hosting my parents’ 50th in Austin in early Dec, have agreed to join a regional think tank this quarter, have planned a wee bit of fun & political travel including 3 weeks & our annual new years bash in Marfa, am chairing a gala we hope will raise $400k+ in Jan, and helping Steven & Ron with FuseBox Festival fundraising. I gotta remind friends & colleagues, all plans subject to postponement if a friend needs help during his cancer treatment.

Launching new fundraising calls for two events and one political race from the road and the beach later this week (thank gosh I’d blocked out Friday & Sat for a potential conference & Sat nite for something else that ain’t happening). In advance, apologies to many colleagues and friends for postponing my participation in all additional initiatives until after Jan. And, I might even beg for addt’l time off after.

(Community Matters) Tim Krieder for the New York Times

The Referendum is a phenomenon typical of (but not limited to) midlife, whereby people, increasingly aware of the finiteness of their time in the world, the limitations placed on them by their choices so far, and the narrowing options remaining to them, start judging their peers’ differing choices with reactions ranging from envy to contempt. . . .

I have never even idly thought for a single passing second that it might make my life nicer to have a small, rude, incontinent person follow me around screaming and making me buy them stuff for the rest of my life. [Note to friends with children: I am referring to other people’s children, not to yours.]

cont’d

(Community Matters) sorry, but any story that cites support from lobbyists and industry raises the hair on the back of my neck.

(Community Matters) ughhh, how the hell do you read today’s life style section holding on to half a back page?

(Community Matters) three meetings today at Galaxy Cafe – breakfast with Mark Williams, 2nd breakfast with SoberHood ED Jason Howell and lunch with Alex Winkelman, Shelley Zausmer & Amy Rudy (ADL planning). Afternoon coffee at Clemantine’s with KIPP founder Jill Kolasinski & development director Megan Uebelacker. Drinks at Four Seasons with Heart House founder Anna Land, board chair Mike Sutter and supporters: Gregg Burt, Dennis Cavner & Janet Harman. Dinner @ our place with Mark Salmanson.

(Community Matters) I’m not so sure the heartless redirection of Katrina aid cited in Mississippi (home repair dollars away from low & moderate income communities to business-focused economic development interests) hasn’t happened just as often under D administrations as under Rs. Regardless, it’s wrong and we shouldn’t tolerate it.

I’ve been thinking about Frank Rich’s column yesterday and the rise of the Glenn Beck party. Combined with the Mississippi editorial and this morning’s Paul Krugman’s column, add up to a growing number of people really pissed off & formerly from both sides of the aisle.

(Community Matters) The next generation of online education could be great for students—and catastrophic for universities. Washington Monthly

(Community Matters) I love the new Target commercials coining the term frugalistas.

(Community Matters) The next person to invite me to a meal must understand, you’ll have to pick me up, wheel barrel me over and tuck me back into bed. These last two weeks have been restaurant heaven, today’s brunch at Lamberts fits right in.

Rachel & Michael Feferman and Everett McKinley

Rachel & Michael Feferman, very dear friends and former MBA students. Everett McKinley a friend from St. James. Turns out Everett has known Rachel forever. Anyhow, the former two joined us three at St. James for a visit, then Sunday brunch at Lamberts. Their brunch menu here. I have to recommend the smoked brisket hash and the coriander and maple crusted Berkshire pork ribs, plus everything else. And, I think I might have tried it all.

(Community Matters) Jeffrey mentioned these in his sermon this morning. I found refreshing to be reminded.

1) Politics without Principle

2) Wealth without Work

3) Commerce without Morality

4) Pleasure without Conscience

5) Education without Character

6) Science without Humanity

7) Worship without Sacrifice

(Community Matters) Article in AAS this am.

Bullshit re: adjusting the rankings for poverty. We DO NOT need poor kids ranked only against poor kids. They’ll be competing against all kids. A lower ranking might be explained by a lower income community*, but we need to see performance relative to the rest of our future labor force.

* this might be a fair, generalized indicator of parental involvement and early childhood development which I’ve come to believe are probably two of the three most important determinants of educational success