Monthly Archives: September 2009

(Community Matters) Last night launched Jack McDonald’s official fundraisers @ the cool, Westlake abode of John Hogg & David Garza.

Jack McDonald & John Hogg

I’ve heard and read about John & David’s house – the descriptions haven’t done it justice – simply stunning. One of the best views in the city

Charles Duggan, Kirk Rudy, Phil Spertus & Rick Fromberg (Jack’s campaign manager)

Rick’s a veteran of several tight-district races – experienced and battle tested beyond his years. I’ve enjoyed getting to know him.

Rep. Elliot Naishtat, Lulu Flores, Alexa Wesner

Lindsay & Kevin Burns

Nancy Scanlan & Jodie Scheske

Have enjoyed seeing Nancy a couple of times during the last week. She’s away so often it’s a treat she’s been in Austin this last month. Jodie just back from his annual jaunt to Cape Cod. For three years we’ve been promising each other to book a quiet dinner – shame on us for not. Jodie’s an early and important Jack supporter.

I obviously got so caught up chatting about Jack, I failed to take enough pictures. Tons of other friends in attendance including of course, Carla McDonald and Diane Land & Steve Adler, Alisha Welden, Blaine Wesner, Andy Brown, Linda Ball & Forrest Preece, Frank & Margaret Krasovec, Tim McCabe, Robbie & Tom Ausley, Erin & Jon Driscoll, Rep. Mark Strama, Rep. Donna Howard, Nona Niland & David Braun, Amy Rudy and lots other. A very successful event on all fronts.

(Community Matters) I’m sure not unlike in most families, there’s diversity of political opinion and philosophy in mine. This morning, I sent the below email to a group of relatives sharing and forwarding opinion pieces from far right bloggers.

I recommend we all read Leonard Pitts’ editorial. The most important point being the real threat of physical danger if we keep fanning the flames of anger on the right.

To those of us who think we support Rush Limbaugh, did we hear Rush correctly yesterday? Does he really think we should segregate busing for black and white kids. Do we not imagine the next step is segregating brown kids, mixed race kids, “real Christians” from papists and jews & muslims . . . .

Limbaugh’s cited event: If you watched the video of the fight on the bus, it’s not at all obvious that the fight was about race. The police reviewed the situation & the video and they determined it was not. Not that it even matters – white kids, black kids, brown kids . . . all kids . . . have been fighting for ages. They’ll continue to do so, even more so with the today’s role models.

Most of you know, I am involved with the administration. Last week, I sat through hours of briefings from senior White House and DNC staff. I’ve met and spoken directly with the president and the first lady, and I’ve sat in meetings and conference calls with them several times. I promise you, they aren’t socialists, they aren’t even raging liberals.

The president is by far a pragmatist who wants to further the safety net of healthcare, improve our system of education and correct the unfairness of regulations and tax structures which were especially thrown out of balance during the last eight years. Frankly, the policies will cost me and Steven more than help us. That’s okay. It’s in our long term economic & societal interests that we refocus resources on strengthening the middle class and expanding opportunities for others to join the middle class – not to mention that these goals simply reflect our moral interests and we’d support them regardless of self interests.

I’m increasingly fearful that our lack of civility is going to get people killed. By all means, let’s continue to express our opinions, debate the merits of proposed legislation and protest when we must. BUT, let’s call down the pundits and leaders – whether from the right or left – who incite violence, call for segregation or otherwise model behavior we were taught long time ago wasn’t right.

Please never doubt, I love all my family – immediate, extended and adopted.

Much love,

Eugene

Leonard Pitts: The Culture War is Real & Scary

(Community Matters) I don’t remember who with, but just this week I was having a conversation about his commitment to changing how Washington works. Unlike 43’s which evidently was simply a line in a speech, I believe our president not only means it, one of his success metrics no doubt measures this.

While I don’t have access to the dashboard the president uses to monitor daily progress, I have been in many rooms with his top advisors and every single one of them have stressed the importance of changing how business is done in Washington. I also liked hearing President Obama in his speech last week clarify how he’s not going to be distracted by those simply intent on derailing or stalling legislation.

(Community Matters) I read this in the AAS but can’t find a link there – nevertheless, here the Miami Herald.

People who want this country to remain a white-dominated country have lost. They have completely and utterly lost the battle, and they can never win it. If they were to seal the borders tomorrow, whites would still lose their majority in a matter of years, simply as a result of the difference in fertility rate.

“Terror From The Right” is a listing of bombers, killers, would-be assassins and insurrectionists motivated by anger over abortion, gays, taxes, blacks, Muslims and illegal immigrants.

Which raises an obvious fair and balanced question: What about terror from the left? The SPLC’s Mark Potok says left-wing terror essentially means eco-terrorists, e.g., animal rights extremists. The death toll from their work, he says, is zero.

By contrast, Timothy McVeigh killed 168 people because he was angry at the government, brothers Matthew and Tyler Williams shot two men to death for being gay, James Kopp killed Dr. Barnett Slepian for being an abortion provider, and dozens of other men have been indicted for dozens of other plots to kill thousands of other people with whom they had political disagreements.

That’s not dissent. It is the howl of the unhinged and the entitled. The same folks who were complacent as President Bush spent surplus into deficit, wasted $600 billion and 4,000 American lives on the wrong war and watched a major American city drown are morally outraged because the new guy wants to reform healthcare.

(Community Matters) A friend’s organization is looking for a development associate. They don’t want a slew of unqualified resumes, but if you might be qualified and are interested, let me know.

their criteria:

• 5-10 years of direct sales or business development experience in a service industry or with a non- profit; emphasis on corporate sponsorships or corporate sales is a plus
• Proven track record of achieving revenue targets and/or a quota of over $1M annually
• Proven management and leadership capabilities
• Experience working with Senior Level executives in a corporate environment (C-level/VP)
• High energy, positive, “can-do” attitude, flexibility, teamwork, and attention to detail; high degree of initiative
• Strong verbal communications skills and demonstrated ability to write clearly and persuasively
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and thorough understanding of strategic development
• Demonstrated ability to prospect, cultivate, and manage new relationships
• Strong partnership-building and event planning skills
• Thorough understanding of all components of a diversified funding base
• Self-motivated, work well under pressure and be able to handle several projects at one time
• Good computer skills and knowledge of data base programs

(Community Matters) My best friend Michael Mitchell (and you too Charlie!) comparing the existing healthcare system to slavery.

Michael is a 48yo playwright living with lymphoma and quite possibly needing a stem cell transplant which would only partially be covered by his $500+/month private health insurance (which he’s thrilled to have since no one would underwrite him but the state’s fund of last resort). He writes about a single dad with health insurance who still can’t afford his 9yo daughter’s recommended operation & the extraordinary penalty to all his fellow employees because his little girl’s medical condition drives up insurance costs for everyone.

Obviously, the comparison is metaphorical, not intended to dilute the reality of our countries’ worst stain. Anyhow, think about it – people who can’t leave their jobs, who have to rid themselves of all assets, who divorce, marry or otherwise reconfigure their lives simply to access needed medical services.

(Community Matters) The Planck Observatory is a European telescope launched to study the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) in our universe, remnants of the Big Bang (est 14 billion years ago). The image below is one of the first received since its launch in May.

Of course, I don’t get all this but the CMB is detected by looking for variations in temperature “a million times smaller than one degree – this is comparable to measuring from Earth the body heat of a rabbit sitting on the Moon.”

The image above represents the Planck’s first light survey, conducted over a 2-week period (the Planck continuously surveying the sky).

The image on the right (the Planck) was taken from the Herschel, another telescope launched simultaneously & on the same rocket. I haven’t yet seen images from Herschel, but it, like Planck, observes outside the visible part of the spectrum – gathering information on how stars and galaxies evolve.

(Community Matters) I just had to poach this from Joe.My.God

Twink 1: What should I go as for Halloween?
Twink 2: A top?
Twink 1: Funny. And you can go as “sobriety.”

(Community Matters)

(Community Matters) just as trees budding signify the coming of spring, honey from Lani & Manny Azenberg a sure sign of Rosh Hashanah

(Community Matters) Census Bureau reporting poverty rose to 13.2% from 2007 to 2008, 40 million people living below the poverty line (ie., below $22k annual income for a family of four). Middle class didn’t fare well either – median income dropped 4% the same year. Of course, the tail of the GOP’s Great Recession will yield even harsher statistics during 2009.

(Community Matters) Joe Wilson’s son says his daddy isn’t racist & I believe him. And, if you’ve ever heard from city council members or editors at AAS, you know racism is alive & well, even in Central Tx. People leave messages and send letters that would make sailors blush. I have no doubt this plays a large role for some of our first Black president’s opponents.

Those attending protests have a responsibility to either 1) convince someone to stand down a racist sign or 2) move away from those promoting such ideas. There’s a responsibility to disassociate oneself from that trash. You can’t support protesters carrying racists signs and be shocked over the confusion