Monthly Archives: March 2010

(Community Matters) NYT – “Haitian Singer and His Guitar Fight Urge to Weep”  article here

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(Community Matters) @Concern’s Ed Kenney (@eokenney) reports this music blasting in the streets of Haiti – “the official recovery anthem”

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(Community Matters) AAS article on Austin gang activity – Progressives and conservatives alike would probably agree combating gang activity is as critical as terrorism. If we are going to push limits of civil liberties fighting terrorism, we ought to be at least as aggressive against gangs. We need to nip their growing Austin presence in the bud, and we need to impress upon our Travis County elected judges that we will not tolerate recidivism among this bunch.

(Community Matters) Arrived yesterday for a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) leadership conference.  Regrettably, missed Thursday’s lobby day.  LGBT donors and leaders from all around the country at last night’s reception.  Of course Kirk Rice taking care of the home team.  I snuck out with the DNC’s LGBT Council executive director, Tom Petrillo, and DNC regional deputy, Guy Selden, for dinner.  We met up with Haylie Rudy & Cory Vargas at Founding Farmers.  Sad to hear Tom is leaving the DNC – terrific new opportunity for him; interesting opportunities in filling his position.

(Community Matters) Every week, Andre writes and performs a song for the top donor to her Hill Country Ride for AIDS fund. She is a hoot

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(Community Matters) My friend, photographer Matt Rainwater (http://www.mattrainwaters.com) has just returned from Haiti.  This one of his pictures

doctors assisting this woman in delivering a dead fetus

(Community Matters) With $100,000 from Livestrong, the Entrepreneurs Foundation/AV fund has now raised $571k against the $600k match for a total of $1,171k. Still matching contributions for Haiti earthquake relief at http://GiveToAustin.org/HelpHaiti

(Community Matters) Gonna be mighty tough.  With 91% reporting, 1.4mm Texans voted in the Republican primary for governor; 643k in the Democratic primary – the difference (752k Texans) is more than all those who voted D for governor.  Steven and I are enthusiastic Bill White supporters.  Subject to a viable road map with milestones for success, I’m gonna jump in.  Any plan has to include turning out D voters – a very strong GOTV efforts in targeted counties – as well as enough money for major media – against Rick Perry and introducing Bill White to the rest of Texas.

(Community Matters) Happy Texas Independence Day.  Entrepreneurs Foundation, friends and supporters celebrating at the Four Seasons Hotel and honoring:  Donna & Philip Berber, Convio, Troux Technologies, Innography & Phurnace Software.

(Community Matters) I’m excited about today’s kickoff of RISE.  I’ll help launch the week at tonight’s celebration, introducing Roy Spence.  Red McCombs tonight’s keynote  http://www.riseaustin.com/about/about

(Community Matters) Attended a reading of Allan Baker’s Midwinter Night’s Conversation last night – very good.  Excited about the April run of his play at the Off Center – more http://abbyproductions.com/.  I’ll post more when not on the run

(Community Matters) Father Reggie Payne-Wiens was installed yesterday as the Rector of St. James Episcopal.  Reggie and I had a super lunch meeting this week where we got to know each other better.  He and Steven already know each other much better since Steven served on the rector search committee.  Reggie’s a super addition to the St. James community – long tradition of inclusive and multi-cultural values.  [don’t be confused by my posting last week about Reggie’s sermon.  If you know me, you should know commentary, even disagreement is not meant personally]

Bishop Andy led the services.  The Very Reverend Robert Wright from Atlanta delivered an outstanding sermon (the title very is used to denote deans).  Among my favorite quotes: “the church exists to teach the world to say wow, not whoa.”

We are thrilled to have Father Reggie, Elena, Maya & Talia with us at St. James.  Yesterday was a good day.