Category Archives: Uncategorized

(Community Matters) I don’t want to see the demise of locals or nationals either. And, I disagree with Leonard Pitts that Kwame Kilpatrick & Larry Craig wouldn’t be taken down without a local daily. Experiments are underway around the country taking dailies to exclusively online. Sites such as BOR would undoubtedly step up – we just have to figure out an economic model & bring journalistic conflict of interest standards to those sites. Wikipedia lists the Austin American Statesman’s circulation at 174k daily, 216k on Sunday – obviously there’s huge demand that would transfer to a more economic business model (sorry JT) if deployed – and one would deploy, rest assured.

(Community Matters) Three of my favorite people:

Shobie Partos, Amanda Chiampi, Peter Frey

Our EF staff members. Not photographed, Marion Burch Cimbala who is a virtual EFer, running our leadership projects (’07 – ’08 breast cancer service collaboration; this year, CSR Conference and Lemonade Day Project)

(Community Matters) from Saundra Kirk:

at 2:00 PM ET this afternoon, the full Senate confirmed Ronald Kirk as the U.S. Trade Representative on a roll-call vote of 92 aye/5 no. The President will now receive notification of the confirmation.

(Community Matters) US Signing UN Gay Rights Declaration – thank you President Obama! here

(Community Matters) Perhaps the Republicans were right after all. Time to do away with the Senate filibuster? here

(Community Matters) Tonight, we’ll be celebrating everything Austin at my house – Austin, Tx, Austin, MN, Stephen F. Austin, Austin College, Austin Pendelton and especially our favorite 19yo godson, Austin Knaplund.

(Community Matters) Robin Sommers & Mike Martin hosted HRC major donors & major donor prospects last night at their spectacular home on Lake Austin. HRC’s president, Joe Solmonese flew in from Washington, DC for the event which was organized by his senior major gifts officer & one of my oldest dearest friends, Kirk Rice. Good, long talk with Joe and he addressed the 35ish of us after dinner. We’d had lunch in December before Obama took office, so great hearing update of since.

Night & day in DC under the Obama Administration versus any previous administration. Joe’s been included in many White House briefings and functions, including two chances to speak directly with President Obama about our priorities. Predicts we’ll have a LGBT inclusive hate crimes bill by Memorial Day and ENDA by the end of the year. We also discussed LGBT appointments, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, federal domestic partner benefits, DOMA, lifting of the travel ban for PWAs/HIV and several other key issues. Bottom line – we have a true believer as President, someone who doesn’t believe in any discrimination against gays and lesbians. Nevertheless, as important now as ever to fund HRCs work on the Hill and at the White House.

Was a total treat to catch up with Bob Emerson, David Kurio and Roger Joseph. Bob’s taken an apartment outside of Guadalajara for a year – near Stuart Seavers – where he spent most of the last three months. Kurio as fun and gracious as ever. Roger spending more time in Austin, building a new home. Regrettably John Wallace & Joe Cloud didn’t make it in from Fredricksburg but it was super hearing the latest on those two as well.

Others in attendance included Austin HRC governors Joel Baldazo, John Kerrigan & Jill Wilcox and their partners, Christopher Breed, Billy Wilkinson & Karen Langsley, respectively, as well as Richard Hartgrove & Gary Cooper, Lance Armstrong Foundation EVP & Austin newcomer Phil Hills, Jody Scheske, Chris Long, Stan Young, Michael Harper & Jed Duhon, Judd Chism & Eric Cooper, and lots of others (wish I had taken notes).

Missed seeing John Hogg & David Garza who are off somewhere skiing – lucky dogs. Are you guys at Nona’s?

(Community Matters) Social entrepreneur & Girl Start founder, Rachel Muir, will become the executive director of Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin. Lucky MMB. Congrats, Rachel.

(Community Matters) Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Of course, I assume there’ll be cheer at the HRC fundraising dinner where I’m currently headed.

(Community Matters) Teacher being fired for trying to teach tolerance, Minnesota legislators propose amending constitution to deny gays rights, Houston bar refuses entry to gay patrons, attacks in San Francisco, bans on gay adoption and other moves to deny constitutional rights to Americans simply based on their sexual orientation – this sort of intolerance has got to stop.

Seriously, we’re past this. This is the 21st Century. Get over it. We WON’T stand for it any longer.

(Community Matters) Reports that the Treasury might have known about AIG bonuses for months now are quite disappointing.  Cuomo’s information disproving retaining purposes and indicating timing of signed contracts equally appaling, quite possibly criminal.

(Community Matters) An interesting article and not at all surprising – Americans who identify as Christian down 10%; 15% identify no religion, up from 8.2% in 1990.

My former Episcopal priest metaphorically shuddered when I asked if we had to mention Jesus so much during services, and another priest once ignored me when I asked that he give an all-faith inclusive prayer before a birthday dinner. I find guidance and enlightenment while at my church and currently choose to formally worship as an Episcopalian. The Jesus I celebrate didn’t hang with the righteous as much as reach out charitably to nonbelievers.  And, I don’t believe he’d be happy about his name being used other than inclusively.

I’ve celebrated and worshiped considerably with Catholics (the religion into which I was born and of which one of my best friends unconsciously also adds to any list after noting Christians), Mormans and Baptists. I am drawn today to Judaism and recently felt a sense of belonging and inclusion in a synagogue as I have only felt in our multicultural, inclusive congregation known as St. James.