Monthly Archives: December 2013

(Community Matters) I couldn’t be more pleased that two dear friends, Jack McDonald & Gene Austin have agreed to chair the 2014 & 2015 Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce boards of directors. I’m honored to serve as one of their vice chairs (state & federal relations). Not only are these guys friends, they’re important mentors and colleagues. Jack’s committed to expanding conversations in our community as the Chamber makes important decisions and plans for the Austin’s economic future, recognizing Austin’s cultural and environmental uniqueness is a competitive advantage in economic development.

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(Community Matters) I’m pleased to see an honest, impartial evaluation of the Superintendent. I’m her fan and have been – and, of course, she can improve some relationships in the community and with staff – can’t we all.

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(Community Matters) $17mm in grants from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Wallace Foundation and the Ford Foundation to expand coverage in education and global health and to expand the sources of distribution, aka access.

This is why Steven and I prioritize NPR, KUT & MPR in our philanthropy and volunteerism. They represent a highly-reliable, fact-based source of important news. I’m thrilled such important foundations have so publicly recognized this about the mother ship and will bring even more resources to our slice of the world, especially in Central & Far West Texas.  

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Most men measure success as their achievement; facing death recalibrated mine to the success of others.

The kings of Versailles realized the responsibilites of their power & the promotion thereof required various levels of intimate access for their nobels. Perhaps an American president’s relish for privacy (even if for family time) comes at the expense of his or her service to their people.

(Community Matters) Joined Charles Santos in Paris for a few days – he’s here primarily for today’s performance and dinner at Versailles, and we’ve been seeing lots of dance since I arrived Friday; he arrived Thursday.

A bit of craziness getting here – from Newark, while I was on the telephone catching up with one of my dearest friends in the world (Sonya Cohen Cramer who is recovering on schedule from her operation and has started a final four rounds of chemo), my Paris bound plane loaded and departed while I was on the telephone. When I walked up to the podium and asked what happened to the plane (the sign had changed to Oslo), the attendants were incredulous, saying they’d been paging me. They were sweet nonetheless and immediately booked me a good seat on the next flight – just two hours later.

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(Community Matters) The center isn’t between no taxes for the rich and 32% taxes. It’s somewhere between 32% and 37%.  It isn’t between no food stamps for the poor and today’s level of food stamps, nor between zero regulation of green house gases and today’s green house gas regulations.

(Community Matters) Kerry Tate posted this link – 11 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started My Business

(Community Matters) pic from  MPR & Tom Michael.

(Community Matters)  TIME 30 People Under 30 Changing the World – Nate Weiner, Kevin Systrom, Matt Mullenweg, Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy, James Beshara and Khaled Hussein, Parker Liautaud, Ronda Rousey, Taylor Wilson, Brittany Wenger, Jack Andraka, Ludwick Marishane, Arthur Zang, Kristen Soltis Anderson, Teddy Goff, Vivian Graubard, Laurenellen McCann, Ezra Klein, Alexander McLean, Withelma “T” Ortiz Walker Pettigrew, Fred Ehrsam, William Kamkwamba, Danielle Fong, Ann Makosinski, Leslie Dewan, Kristen Titus, Tammy Tibbetts, Shiza Shahid, Eleanor Catton, Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler, Brandon Stanton

(Community Matters) engaged in several conversations lately about the Israel – Jordan version of a solution, of the two states. Increasingly the congruity of Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah ascending to the throne as the first Palestinian king in the middle east influences my optimism.

(Community Matters) 

Mr. Mandela described his personal evolution from the temptations of black nationalism to the politics of multiracialism. “I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to see realized. But my lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”  – Nelson Mandela at trial in 1964

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