Category Archives: Uncategorized

(Community Matter) Popped up to Dallas for an engagement party and to see Charles & Rickie. After the lovely event at a show stopper home, Charles, Ken Lambrecht and I to a blow-me-away event, the Aurora Festival at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.

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(Community Matters) While you are judging him, you gotta take perspective of his base supporters to understand his fuel. 

(read the message in the fence)

(Community Matters) Playbook: Obama, weak politically, “gets up every day and reads the newspaper and thanks God that Ted Cruz is in the United States Senate,’ a Republican senator pointedly told Cruz at a closed-door meeting. …”

TICK-TOCK — “Anatomy of a shutdown,” by John Bresnahan, Manu Raju, Jake Sherman and Carrie Budoff Brown: “Speaker John Boehner just wanted to sneak out of the White House for a smoke. But President Obama pulled him aside for a grilling. Obama wanted to know why they were in the second day of a government shutdown that the speaker had repeatedly and publicly pledged to avoid. ‘John, what happened?’ Obama asked … ‘I got overrun, that’s what happened,’ Boehner said. It may be the most concise explanation of a chaotic, 16-day standoff that prompted the first government shutdown in nearly two decades … The House Republican conference ran roughshod over Boehner … He was overtaken by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who swept in near the end to forge a bipartisan agreement, part of an attempt to shield Republicans from further damage and salvage his party’s chances of winning back the Senate … Republicans never believed Obama would hold firm on his refusal to negotiate and Democrats would maintain an unusual level of cohesion – united by a visceral desire to put the tea party in its place and an almost mama grizzly instinct to protect Obamacare. ‘It was not a smart play,’ McConnell said Thursday of the GOP’s Obamacare strategy. ‘It had no chance of success.’

“Obama and Reid stuck together, emerging as the political victors .

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(Community Matters) WSJ, Daniel Henninger on how the GOP missing the messaging train. 

(Community Matters) Much of the day with Arianna, some time at the office, a great pilates work out with Ann, then the Andy Roddick Foundation, Chandler joined me and we had a blast watching/listening to Sir Elton John. Super table as guests of Jeff Lau and Richard Tagle and with Michael Barnes. A special treat seeing Lisa Harris and lots of SiLab friends including Bill & Cindi, Tyson, Isabel & Dave, Nav & Whitney, Jon – Amy & Josh Baer too.

(Community Matters) a must read for travelers to China & Hong Kong – Frank Bruni China restaurant reviews (only 2010+ restaurants). My notes: Shanghai : 1) Xi Na, for the spicy cooking of the Hunan region, 2) Yong Yi Ting in Mandarin Oriental hotel in Pudong, Shanghainese cooking., 3) Lost Heaven (see Beijing), 4) Ultraviolet is luxury lunacy, costing about $400 a person, including all beverage pairings and tip. It books up many, many months in advance. But the pinch and the headache are redeemed by its singularity,

Beijing: 1) Lost Heaven, is more than great eating: it’s a learning experience. A teachable meal. It specializes in the Yunnan region’s cuisine, 2) Jing Yaa Tang, which fired up its specially made wood-burning oven and began serving a rendition of Peking Duck as superb as any I’ve tasted.

HongKong: 1) Yardbird, 2)  Ronin, (a yardbird sequel), 3)  RyuGin, a relatively new, astronomically expensive place that takes its name and cues from its sire in Tokyo, is on the 101st floor of a skyscraper, off to itself.  4) Brickhouse, a popular new Mexican cantina, 5) Duddell’s, is an epic and faithful tour of Cantonese cooking

Ultraviolet sounds even silly – and I’m gonna try it! 🙂

(Community Matters) New poll  –  13 things that define the new American Center.

1. FILLED WITH PEOPLE WHO DO NOT CONSIDER THEMSELVES THE CENTER
2. IS PRETTY WHITE. NOT AS WHITE AS THE FOLKS ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT, BUT STILL: PRETTY WHITE. AND THEY DON’T WANT TO HEAR ANY TALK OF “DIVERSITY.”
3. DOESN’T MUCH LIKE HOW THINGS ARE GOING.
4. TRUSTS DEMOCRATS (AND OPRAH) MORE THAN REPUBLICANS
5. PLEASE DON’T TALK TO THE CENTER ABOUT GOD AND GUNS.
6. BELIEVES THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD HELP ONLY THOSE WHO REALLY NEED HELP.
7. PREFERS THAT THE GOVERNMENT LEAVE THE REST OF US ALONE.
8. HAS HAD IT WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD.
9. WANTS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO SPEND LESS, GO EASY ON REGULATION
10. IS PRETTY OKAY WITH RAISING TAXES ON THE RICH AND ON POLLUTERS.
11. DRILL, KILL, AND STOP COMPLAINING: THE CENTER IS NOT SOFT.
12. NEEDS A DRINK—PROBABLY A BEER. AND THEY RECYCLE!
13. THE CENTER IS UP FOR GRABS. 

Esquire – The Benenson Strategy Group and Public Opinion Strategies conducted a nationwide survey from August 5 through 11, 2013, with 2,410 registered voters.  

Guess if you want something outside the lines of this, you gotta change the electoral map. About 71% of Americans are registered to vote. About 64% voted in 2012.  Only thing in this information that disturbs me is reaction against diversity. Too much work needs to be done to fix things still for us not to work on this.

(Community Matters) Wow, I haven’t intended to ignore this blog. I’ve just been blowing and going the last few weeks. Good things going on in Austin and in our world. Not so good things in Washington DC. And, I’ve tried to ignore the noise.

Loved having Shaun Holifield (our nephew) here for the two weekends of ACL. Steven’s been to West Coast (last week) and East Coast (this week). Epic Office hours at Capital Factory on Wednesday during which I met with 7 different companies; I think adding value with 3, 3 were good to meet and for 1 I, regrettably, just wan’t very helpful. Suzanne Deal Booth treated friends to a private showing of the new James Turrell Skyspace at UT. I hosted dinner after for 14 friends. Friday to Houston w/ mom & dad. Doctors are very optimistic, citing mom’s very good progress rolling back effects of Parkisons given life changing medications. Back in enough time to host dinner for 4 dear friends, Aimee Boone & Ed Cunningham and Amy & Kirk Rudy, with Steven.

Lots, lots, lots going on with EF, Marfa Public Radio and otherwise in Marfa. Life is good. Steven and I are due alone time soon.

(Community Matters) It’s hell getting older – not really, it’s quite fun. But, it does take some work. Started pilates with Ann Arnoult yesterday – loved it. It’s been over a year since Liz Watson moved and I haven’t done pilates since. Plus, figuring out I should be exercising my brain as much as my core. I’ve been taking the Lumosity tests and playing their games the last week – four days participation so far. The tests are interesting, umm, better said humbling. My husband would say they reinforce his observations on the decline of my attention span, memory and flexibility. Come to think of it, don’t think Steven’s the only one who’d say this. I hear a chorus of amens. I’ve upgraded to the family plan and invited my husband, mom, niece and nephew to play too. Talk Less, Listen More, Others Opinions are Their Own – still reflecting on this as it pops up on my calendar every morning. Can’t say I’m doing well but most days it impacts my interactions at least a little bit. Language – I’m behind on restarting Rosetta Stone lessons. Wrestling with whether I’ll restart French or brush up on my Spanish. Steven’s addicted to his Spanish lessons. I last overheard him,  “Ella esta enojada porque el perro le está comiendo el zapato.”

(Community Matters) Looking forward to participating for my first time as a mentor in Capital Factory’s Epic Office Hours – when entrepreneurs get 20 minutes to pitch their startup & hear feedback. 

(Community Matters) Once again Charles Santos produced a spectacular evening of dance & song and remembrance of the fight against HIV/AIDS and as a wake up call that it’s not over. Over 250 performers, 12 collaborating organizations and 5 dance companies collaborated on last night’s event  – about 1k guests in the house. This year’s was different from the 10 years performances in Austin (Austin Festival of Dance which raised $1mm for local organizations) , his Dancers Responding to AIDS events in NY and the 2011 Gathering – more a story book with lots of woven in narrative reminding those in the audience about the war in the 80s and 90s. Last night’s beneficiaries included AIDS Interfaith Nework, AIDS Arms, AIDS Services of Dallas, Resource Center of Dallas.

(Community Matters) sure I’m late to the parade but I find Shoutr’s ability to share files between devices without wifi, cellular or bluetooth fascinating – and absolutely a crisis management tool.