Monthly Archives: October 2009

(Community Matters) Texas A&M University Yell Leaders – it’s lightened up a lot since I was there 🙂

Michael Mitchell questioned the authenticity of the video. He’s right. Something not right about this – first hint, the term Yell Boys. It should be Yell Leaders.

OR MAYBE IT IS: I just tried playing the video again and received a message that it is no longer available because of copyright by Casey Shaffer. Google indicates Casey really is a yell leader. hmm, back to . . . well . . . glad to see things have lightened up.

Since the video is no longer available, I’ll describe it: it’s one of the campiest videos I’ve ever seen. My radar went off the charts, especially one of the men in the video would make any lip sync performer proud. Much fun. Good for ’em.

and this pic on-line
I think the star performer is the second from the end

(Community Matters) Today marks the 9-month anniversary of President Obama’s administration.

I was at St. Edward’s University’s Kozmetsky Center of Excellence in Global Finance yesterday for their Update on Obama Administration’s Foreign Policy. Panelists: Theodore Piccone (Sr. Fellow, Brookings Institue), US Ambassador Anthony Quainton (retired), Spanish Ambassador Javier Sandomingo Nunez, Costa Rican Ambassador Elaine White, former Mexican Ambassador Miguel Marin-Bosch and Douglas Nelson (CropLife America). Enlightened group of men and women, and I found (with the exception of Costa Rican ambassador Elaine White), them to be a surprising group of whiners. Each had a particular topic that they were disappointed about our not having made more progress. Ambassador White acknowledged the sea change diplomatically and the importance of Pres. Obama’s outreach to other countries.

I hope, diplomatically & in an affirming way, I reminded the group that we were 1 day away from the 9 month mark and that the President had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for turning around the tone of world diplomacy, was at the table negotiating with countries we’d refused to even acknowledge previously (Iran & N. Korea) and which threatened their regions if not world peace.

I found it appalling that Mexican Ambassador Miguel Marin-Bosch tried to equate Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons with the threat of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, though after my comment he clarified he meant to question why Pres Obama wasn’t calling for nuclear elimination from Israel and all countries. He even cited (with a tone suggesting success) a world-wide biological weapons ban – though, do we believe these aren’t in possession? Further surprised he’d mention Middle East peace without acknowledging the more even-handed efforts at diplomacy.

Brookings Institute‘s Piccone (must have been an off day for him, he was sorta tortured) noted concerns about the economy, regretfully completely out of the context of the threat of another Great Depression just 9 months prior. Totally agree there are very serious threats still ahead.

(Community Matters) This sort of smear is costing us good people.

(Community Matters) hmm, the US Chamber of Commerce opposing healthcare reform? you gotta be kidding me. No wonder Apple, Nike, Target and others expressing concern and/or resigning.

(Community Matters) I’d missed these Advocate profiles of gays and lesbians in high profile positions with the Obama administration.

John Berry
Brian Bond
Michael Camunez
Fred Hochberg
Brad Kiley
Mike Perriello
Nancy Sutley

(Community Matters) First hand account by NYTimes reporter held captive by the Taliban for 7 months, 10 days. Fascinating and a total must read to gain such an inside perspective.

excerpts:

Over those months, I came to a simple realization. After seven years of reporting in the region, I did not fully understand how extreme many of the Taliban had become. Before the kidnapping, I viewed the organization as a form of “Al Qaeda lite,” a religiously motivated movement primarily focused on controlling Afghanistan.

Living side by side with the Haqqanis’ followers, I learned that the goal of the hard-line Taliban was far more ambitious. Contact with foreign militants in the tribal areas appeared to have deeply affected many young Taliban fighters. They wanted to create a fundamentalist Islamic emirate with Al Qaeda that spanned the Muslim world.

The Taliban government that had supposedly been eliminated by the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan was alive and thriving.

And I found the tribal areas — widely perceived as impoverished and isolated — to have superior roads, electricity and infrastructure compared with what exists in much of Afghanistan. (continued here)

(Community Matters) Barack Obama as a writer.

(Community Matters) US Senator David Vitter (R-LA) dodging reporters & refusing to denounce Republican Justice of the Peace, Keith Bardwell, who won’t issue marriage licenses to interracial couples. Republican Governor Bobby Jindal and US Senator Mary Landrieu have denounced Judge Bardwell, but not the Republican US Senator from his state.

(Community Matters)

The massive health care plans being crafted behind closed doors in Washington will ultimately allow the government to decide what doctors we can see, what treatments the government thinks you deserve and what medicines you can receive. – Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas

absolutely false. Yet, does he not realize what he is saying is ABSOLUTELY currently decided by health insurance companies whose only incentive is maximizing their own profits? huffpost

(Community Matters)

(Community Matters) Pres Obama comes out against efforts to overturn gay marriage in Maine and DC. Thank you, Mr. President

(Community Matters) Tonight launched 2010 Fusebox Festival. The Merged event was introductory, super entertainment led by my favorite local composer and musician, Graham Reynolds.

Amy Bryant, Hilary, Steven

Robert Torian, Michael Mitchell & JD Nasaw

Hank Cathey & Fusebox founder & artistic director, Ron Berry

Gina Patterson, Brent Hasty, Eric Midgley & Stephen Mills

Hil