Monthly Archives: April 2010

(Community Matters) A candidate for office in Philly is refuting rumors that he’s straight, claiming to be bi-sexual.  What was that show . . . . . The Twilight Zone.

sorry, but my gaydar rings just looking at the picture

Hat Tip: Andrew Sullivan

(Community Matters) Senator Schumer has his own perspective on US – Israel relations

(Community Matters) An extraordinary open letter from an important Israeli journalist published in Israel’s most important daily, Haaretz
By Ari Shavit

Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

It isn’t every day a journalist writes an open letter to the prime minister. But today is no ordinary day. Nor is this an ordinary hour. This is the hour when the clock is about to strike midnight. A rare confluence of circumstances has created a situation in which on Israel’s 62nd Independence Day, the state of the Jews is facing a challenge the likes of which it has not known since May 14, 1948. The year between this Independence Day and the next will be a crucial one.

Shortly after you became prime minister, exactly one year ago, I entered your office for a few minutes. Uncharacteristically, you rose to greet me and gave me a hug. Also uncharacteristically, I hugged you back. I told you that as a citizen, a Jew and an Israeli, I wished you success. I told you I thought I knew how heavy the burden laid on your shoulders was. You replied that I don’t know. That even though I think I know, I don’t. That there has never been a time like this one since Israel’s resurrection.

Based on previous conversations, I knew what you were talking about: the nuclear challenge, the missile challenge, the delegitimization challenge. The hair-raising conjunction of an existential threat from the east, a strategic threat from the north and a threat of abandonment from the west. The danger of a war unlike any we have had before. The danger of Israel’s allies not standing at its side as they did in the past. And the sense of isolation. The sense of siege. The sense that once again, we must meet our fate alone. Continue reading →

(Community Matters) There’s sometimes a fine line between leading by polls and being responsive to voters. I am pleased to see Republicans beating a hasty retreat in their opposition to financial regulatory reform in response to voters’ overwhelming disgust with irresponsible and unaccountable practices by money center & investment banks.

In anticipation of the question about HCR and polls, there are times when our leaders must put doing the right thing ahead of popular sentiments. In the 1960’s this was civil rights legislation. Most recently, health care reform. Why? 1) we were headed to a national, financial train wreck if we did not do anything, 2) insurance companies & healthcare concerns spent over a billion dollars misleading the public on the realities of HCR and in their Congressional influence peddling, 3) a society as wealthy as ours owes some basic, sustainable level of healthcare to all its citizens – a chevy or buick level of care, not cadillac.

(Community Matters) Premieres tomorrow.  Third Coast Digest interview here

(Community Matters) FuseBox performances  Steven & I are prioritizing: (in addition to those featured further below): LA Party (this Thur & Fri at AV Stage, Ballet Austin), Big Dance Theater (4/27 – 29 at the Long Center), Paved Paradise Redux (4/30 & 5/1 at Rollins Stage), Gravel Works (4/23 – 24 @ the Off Center), Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry (4/25, the Off Center), Tosca String Quartet (Graham Reynolds 4/26 at Alamo Drafthouse Ritz), Quest for the West (Kirk Lynn & Thomas Graves 4/24 & 4/25 – 5/1), and Late Nights @ US Art Authority (every night 4/22 – 5/2) – plus so many other really great shows.

Outside of our jobs & church, the FuseBox Festival is the community/arts initiative with which Steven and I are most engaged this year – time, talent & treasure.

Yesterday evening, we hosted a reception for FuseBox major donors and VIP pass holders.  Festival founder & artistic director, Ron Berry gave us a preview of the various performances during the next ten days, joining us included: Chris Mattson, Deborah Green, Amy & Kirk Rudy, Laurence Miller, Mark Holzbach & Dana Friis-Hansen, Michael Mitchell, Marcy Hoen & Bijoy Goswami, Phil Soltanoff & David Barlow (LA Party) and other friends.

Festivities start today with the Allison Orr & Graham Reynolds commissioned piece including 200+ two steppers at the State Capitol’s south entrance.  Stubb’s BBQ serving free food from 6 to 6:30, when the performance begins.

Immediately after, Julie Thornton’s TestPerformanceTest is presenting Velvet Suite at the Paramount (free performance) featuring Japanese dancer Kaiji Moriyama.

All followed by an invitation only celebration of the launch (thank you TestPerformanceTest)

Other major FuseBox donors but who weren’t able to join us yesterday: Carla & Jack McDonald, Julie Thornton, John Thornton, Ronald & Genelle Berry, Kent Fuka, Jeanne & Mickey Klein, Suzanne & David Booth, Dan Heath, Drink & Eve McArthur, Lora Reynolds, Amy Bryant, Margaret Keys, Jo Krause, Diane Land & Steve Adler, Tim McCabe, Lauren Siegel, Carl Tyson, Harvey Guion, Jennifer Haley, Tony Martinez & Carli Saenz, Steve Moore, Jason Neulander, Katie Pearl and Shawn Sides.  None of this possible without (first) Ron Berry and the donors and extraordinary – nearly & literally free – staff including: Natalie George, Dani Pruitt, Elle Mahoney, Eliot Haynes, Sam Webber, Shoshona Currier, Bryan Schneider, Shannon Richey, Shobie Partos and many more.

(Community Matters) Possibly my favorite commercial of the decade

sorry I couldn’t get to load.  Video here

review

(Community Matters) Watching Glee this evening, realizing it’s about the life of 25 – 35 year olds superimposed on our memories of high school

Vodpod videos no longer available.

(Community Matters) to the extent yesterday’s gun toting marches are intended to “warn” anyone of some groups’ discontent – are you f#%king kidding me?

Progressives, liberals, most people of color, most of the LGBT community, etc de facto accepted when the S Ct cut short the counting of presidential ballots to decide in favor of GWB. We mostly – agreed, not completely – supported the commander in chief in two failed wars, admittedly not quietly though we didn’t threaten insurrection or violence.  And, when the previous administration spent us from a trillion dollar surplus to an 8 trillion dollar projected deficit, we didn’t rise up in arms.

Today’s threats are intolerable.  Don’t be fooled into thinking misplaced force won’t be met with force.

I’m not talking about those demonstrating for second amendment or other rights.  I’m talking about those threatening violence, militas or any other form of armed resistance

btw, you didn’t get mad . . .

(Community Matters) Not a surprise to anyone – article, Change.org

Blame it on the bank bailout. Blame it on a black president. Blame it on healthcare reform, or the sheer desperation of people who are angling backwards as the country moves forward.

Whatever the cause, the stats are unmistakable. A report released from the Southern Poverty Law Center last month shows hate groups are on the rise.

(Community Matters) Reading Towleroad story about Pres. of Duke College Republicans being forced out after students discover he’s gay – he was impeached last week.

Reminds me of a friend and I helping out college Republicans in the early 90s – we counted something like 16 of 20 state presidents gay, then closeted of course.

(Community Matters) Today’s Headliner’s luncheon featuring Karl Rove as the speaker was a runaway sellout.  No, I didn’t purchase his book, but I did enjoy listening to his comments and thought Evan Smith did a good job serving as the interviewer.  Of course, always a treat to sit with B. Rapoport, Ambassador Lyndon Olson, Tom Ausley, Kirk Rudy, Adam Goldman and Melissa & Frank Jackson.

Karl Rove was engaging, charming & entertaining – even if he confuses fact with fiction.