Monthly Archives: March 2011

(Community Matters) Yesterday went to a chiropractor for the first time – at the recommendation of my new personal fitness trainer. I’m unfamiliar with chiropractics so I had way many questions. Hope I didn’t come across as too skeptical. I actually liked the doctor.

Xrays revealed my spine is bent a bit to the left, which reconciles with my muscle spasms. When they occur my right leg becomes about 1 – 2 inches shorter. I asked if chicken or egg – whether spine driven or muscle driven, the doctor thinks spine driven and correctable. Best guess is 6 to 9 treatments including pressure point massage. So, I’m going down this path. New for me. Science or art?

hmm, reviewing my bill: $425 for a one-hour appt: $125 new patient exam, $65 adjustment, $55 manual therapy, $50 extra spinal adjustment, $135 xrays. Still mulling over how I think about these expenses. Some seem redundant

(Community Matters) Encouraged by the customers’ reactions.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

(Community Matters) so sad to hear of Jan Hughes passing of an aggressive cancer called multiple myeloma.  Over the years, Jan, David and her entire family became friends. She could brightened people’s lives just by showing up; she embodied the spirit of generosity.

Her service will be at St. David’s Episcopal Church at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 10.

(Community Matters) thanks to our friend Kerry Tate for reminding us today is International Women’s Day , which celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.

In honor of IWD, Steven and I are making another contribution to Fonkoze, which is economically empowering over 234,000 Haitian women.

(Community Matters) Quite proud of our staff at the KDK-Harman Foundation which led organizing the recent Texas foundation’s education lobby day and which is a founding sponsor of Save Texas Schools, the rally occurring this Saturday, March 12.

Texas was already at risk of losing its economic competitiveness because of declining education achievement. Our projected growth demographics and the education attainment challenges we know we’re facing can’t withstand ideologically driven, foolhardy slashing of school budgets.  Yes there are systems consolidations and other productivity & efficacy enhancements we should influence as part of the solution. And, as a member of several foundations during the last ten years, I’ve witnessed meaningful progress in regional public elementary and high schools – much more during the last three years than ever before.

Save Texas Schools is a nonpartisan statewide volunteer coalition of parents, students, educators, business leaders, concerned citizens, community groups and faith organizations. Our goal is to educate our state’s elected officials about the importance of maintaining funding for Texas public education – from pre-K through college – to the maximum degree possible, within the context of the current state budget crisis and beyond.

The legislature’s willingness to now include tapping the rainy day fund as part of the solution to our funding crisis indicates substantial progress – two other components of the solution should be closing certain tax loop holes and limited strategic funding cuts

(Community Matters) “Michael Baker, the director of an HIV organization in Atlanta, has written about a harrowing attack he and his boyfriend Nick Smith suffered while on vacation in Saint Lucia”

Todd suggested that Nick and I shower off while he checked email and then we would make dinner. Nick and I went into the bathroom, started the shower, chatting about how incredible the day had been. I stepped under the water with Nick as he started to lather his hair.

Then I heard a scream I’ll never forget. “Oh my god, oh my god, no, no no!!! Stay in the bathroom!! OH MY GOD!”
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(Community Matters) email blast from Franklin:

Hey!
Just wanted to send out a note to let you know this Saturday, March 12th, will be our first day at our new location.

900 E. 11th Street. Our phone number will stay the same. 512-653-1187
We will be open 7 days a week, and for now we will just be open for lunch.
We will have Texas beers on draft, and you can even take growlers of beer to-go.
We will have outdoor picnic tables, indoor seating and plenty of parking.

If you have us on your blog or website, please update our address and information.
Thanks,
Stacy and Aaron Franklin

(Community Matters) on former Utah Gov Jon Huntsman (R) who resigned from his second term as Governor to serve as President Obama’s ambassador to China and who recently resigned as ambassador to explore a run for the Republican nomination for president

In today’s Mike Allen Playbook:  John Weaver, planning a presidential campaign-in-waiting for Ambassador Jon Huntsman, e-mails (“speaking only for myself”) after watching White House chief of staff Bill Daley discuss Huntsman on “Meet the Press”: “I’ve observed and read about the Daleys for decades and I never equated political fear with that name. Until today.”

In yesterday’s Playbook: BREAKING — BILL DALEY, the first White House chief of staff to appear on “Meet the Press”On Ambassador Huntsman: ‘His support of the Obama administration, his support of the president, the things he did on behalf of this administration, and THE CLOSENESS IN WHICH HE WORKED WITH THE PRESIDENT is much appreciated. AND I’M SURE WE’LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE PRIMARIES.’

(Community Matters) I’ve avoided posting & blogging on the issue of the Wisconsin Governor’s (and evidently Koch brothers’) war on public employees, b/c it is so complicated. Of course public employees must come to the table in helping find solutions to our fiscal emergency – as must our willingness to tap rainy day funds & very selectively increase some taxes. Entrenched, underachieving teachers is another issue (there might be fewer than you think) – but Grover Norquist ideological agendas intent on shrinking and drowning government are at least as threatening to the American way of life.

Gov Walker’s overreach of aiming to bust the unions and rejecting their willingness to negotiate have mobilized their members, supporters & friends all around the country like no campaign could have done. This is huge in Wisconsin and even more so in Ohio.

Forbes saying Gov Walker has lost the war, even if he wins this battle

I didn’t read but am told Chris Hayes posted a provocative question: if we’re willing to impose renegotiation of contracts with retired state employees, why would we be unwilling to renegotiate terms with state bond holders?

Harvard Professor Richard B Freeman on Labor Unions

(Community Matters) Quick notes – I hope to get around to better explaining

9mm LGBT adults (4%); 500k Trangender Americans (0.25%); 2mm children being raised by LGBT families; 3% of population self-identify as LGBT, 4% have had same-sex relations in last year, 7% – 9% over life time

even among Rs, support for no recognition of LGBT relationships has dropped from 53% to 37% from 2004 to 2010

Since 2008, Gallup reports the majority of Americans find same sex relationships morally acceptable

550 largest LGBT NPOs have combined budgets of $547mm in 2009; the top 10 opposition NPOs have budgets 2x our top 550

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(Community Matters) It’s time to start talking about the freedom to marry as all about Love, Commitment and Family

Vodpod videos no longer available.

(Community Matters) at the current TED Conference, Bill Gates presented on the sad and misleading practices states use to hide their true financial positions – especially related to health and pension costs of retired state employees.

Completely different topics: transparency/accountability in financial reporting/mgmt and whether or not gov’t is a business & should be run like one. The latter is near ridiculous in my book – one reason because this is where we pay for the externalized costs we allow from business (as well as broader society)