Monthly Archives: June 2012

(Community Matters) online fundraising platform – lots of buzz. Mike Maples Jr and list of star investors.

Of course I’m partial to Convio, now Blackbaud who’s developed the standard of excellence. And, Rally is more grassroots – sorta between Kickstart and a professional site like Convio.

I see Zilker Summer Musical is using Rally

Hat Tip: Playbook

(Community Matters) Interesting tidbit from Playbook

“Orbitz found Mac users on average spend $20 to $30 more a night on hotels than their PC counterparts, a significant margin given the site’s average nightly hotel booking is around $100, chief scientist Wai Gen Yee said. Mac users are 40% more likely to book a four- or five-star hotel than PC users, Mr. Yee said, and when Mac and PC users book the same hotel, Mac users tend to stay in more expensive rooms.”

Ha, and Steven always claims it’s me booking the ritzier places!

(Community Matters) UT #3 behind Harvard & Yale – richest public university. Study from the National Association of College and University Business Owners

(Community Matters) I didn’t know about the firebombing of this New Orleans gay bar that killed 32 in 1973.

(Community Matters) The 19-yo was killed, the 18-yo is in serious but stable condition. No word yet if shooting was motivated by their sexual orientation.

(Community Matters) A long dinner out with Jill McRae & Stephen Yelenosky – two of our favorite traveling companions and best friends – spectacular evening.

Chez Nous remains one of the best dining experiences in Austin. The four of us have shared many meals in Paris and were transported back last evening

(Community Matters) Couldn’t believe how big and gorgeous Audrey has gotten. Ran into Jonathan, Audrey & Roni at Bouldin Street Cafe yesterday morning – just after their trip to Israel with Lily.

pardon my poaching Roni’s photo from FB. You gotta admit it’s priceless of both of ’em (Audrey & Jonathan)

(Community Matters) I haven’t thought like this but it’s a provocative piece

(Community Matters) Celebrated Gary Cooper’s & Richard Hartgrove’s wedding this evening and our dear friend Pat Braithwaite’s retirement from Pfluggerville ISD.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

our friend Jim who took my picture w/ Pat probably thought the blur was only the rum punch 🙂

(Community Matters) We celebrated the launch of KXWT in Midland/Odessa this week. Lorraine & Ray Perryman were our gracious hosts (along with Becky & Doug Ferguson) – for me & Steven and Anne Wynne overnight too, way fun

(Community Matters) Even before reading The Righteous Mind, Steven and I have been discussing the changes I’m undergoing as a result of reaching out and collaborating with another tribe (ie, increasingly spending time in Midland/Odessa among many conservative Republicans) – listening better, focusing on what unites us rather than what separates us, promoting facts and civil discourse rather than defensiveness, aggressiveness and spin. I should have done an MRI pre and post engagement. I’d swear my wiring is rerouting or repairing. I’m thinking differently.

One of my observations as I’m communicating more and more outside my own tribe (ie, a liberal among conservatives) is that we (liberals) might confuse conservatives’ head nods & confirmations of understanding with agreement or misinterpret as a yes.  I suspect liberals are less inclined to nod and acknowledge agreement with what a conservative is saying or means, thus the potential for misunderstanding

Dr. Heidt and his colleagues from YourMorals.org are conducting another study – this one on sanctity – here

(Community Matters) The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Ideas, aka The Moral Mind.

[the author:] I chose the title The Righteous Mind to convey the sense that human nature is not just intrinsically moral, it’s also intrinsically moralistic, critical, and judgmental.

Intuitions come first, strategic reasoning second.  The second principle of moral psychology, which is that there’s more to morality than harm and fairness.  Morality binds and blinds – we are indeed selfish hypocrites so skilled at putting on a show of virtue that we fool even ourselves.

I’ve been keenly observing some of the premises of this book as I’m toggling between the red sea of Midland-Odessa and blue waters of Austin. Six moral taste buds: harm & suffering, fairness & injustice, liberty, loyalty, authority, and sanctity. And, I mean this graciously. Engagement of the full spectrum is obvious among many of my new, conservative Permian Basin friends – as is my own, sometimes limited engagement

the author explains much better in The Guardian

subsequent