Monthly Archives: December 2011

(Community Matters) with condolences to the Mitchell/Minshew family – Betty, Michael, Milinda & Jason

Charles Beach Minshew died on Dec. 2, 2011 in Rockport, Texas. He was born Charles Mac Beach in Tecumseh, Oklahoma on January 7, 1917 to Bessie Davis Beach and James Harmon Beach. Continue reading →

(Community Matters) There are Gremlins in our house; I know this.

in a very short matter of time (all within the last 7 – 10 days):

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(Community Matters) Parody on Perry Ad

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(Community Matters)  last night’s gala celebrating the founding of St James Episcopal 70 years ago to the day. Yes serious appreciation for 70 years + wow, how the heck did everyone but me know the Electric Slide? Celebrating at the Four Seasons last night.

(Community Matters) A Gathering: The Dallas Arts Community Reflects on 30 Years of AIDS – Charles Santos’ 30 year remembrance of AIDS. In Austin, from 1991 to 2000, Charles produced the Austin Festival of Dance which raised over $1 million for AIDS, bringing in dance companies from around the world and engaging a wide range of Austin dance, AIDS and arts benefactors in the mission of remembering and helping those living with HIV & AIDS.

(pic on left is Heather Crosby & Alexander Kotelenets, Tx Ballet Theatre dancing to Vladimir Vavilov’s “Ave Maria”)

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(Community Matters) from Playbook

FIRST LOOK – Third Way report, “Independents Day 2012 “: “We’ve compiled data from Secretaries of State in each of the 8 key swing states with partisan voter registration and found striking new numbers. (These have never been compiled or released): the number of Independents is up 3.4% in those states-while Democrats have dropped 5.4% and Republicans have fallen by 3.1%. That means 254,310 new Independent voters to woo in 2012, and 825,708 fewer Democrats. (Yikes!) We also predict that 2012 will see the highest turnout rate among Independents in 35 years-since Ford v. Carter in 1976. That means if President Obama performs at the levels Democrats did in the 2010 midterms with Independents, it would spell disaster, with 5 key swing states in the loss column and the others substantially tightening, no matter how well Obama does among Democratic voters.”

Not sure I buy this given the Pew research on Independent voters

(Community Matters) LGBT rights explicitly included in our priorities for President Obama’s human rights priorities around the world. This is an outstanding speech by Secretary Clinton on behalf of President Obama.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

(Community Matters) “Roosevelt said then the fight for progress was a conflict ‘between the men who possess more than they have earned and the men who have earned more than they possess.’ ”

Barack Obama Economic Speech: President Declares American Middle Class In Jeopardy, Outlines Populist Economic Vision

None of us do it by ourselves – whether because of the labor force trained at public schools, the technology built on others’ research, or access to markets rich & robust thanks at least in part to government form/support/intervention – and it’s not altruistic to protect and build up the middle class. A strong middle class serves all our interests.

(Community Matters) Doesn’t matter if it’s a company or a politician, competition is a good thing – without it we tend toward complacency and can take stakeholders for granted. Austin American Statesman: Challenge From the Left Exposes Dissatisfaction with Doggett

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(Community Matters) Huge, huge, huge  – Secretary Clinton announced President Obama’s policy that the US will become an active promoter of LGBT rights around the world, including using foreign aid to promote gay rights. NYT story

Transcript of remarks below:

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(Community Matters) The Republican nominee feels like Newt Gingrich. Continue reading →

(Community Matters) It’s a topic I’ve thought a lot about but haven’t discussed or read enough. Perhaps it should be something I drive toward conclusions during the next 6 weeks.

Those meeting us in Marfa: I’d love to discuss