Category Archives: Uncategorized

(Community Matters) Met this morning with Karen Langley & Aldo Walker from Family Eldercare. Such an outstanding organization.

They provide in-home & respite care, bill payer services, senior housing, Elder shelter, guardianship and resource consultation services for Central Texas elderly, adults with disabilities and those who care for them.

Very close to having raised the full $7mm to fund the construction of a new client services facility near Robert Mueller development as well as to increase training and outreach efforts, expand staff and launch an endowment.

Dick & Sara Rathgeber led with contribution of land. Other major donors to date include Mitte Foundation, Meadows Foundation, City of Austin, Travis County, The Anderson Charitable Foundation, St. David’s Community Health Foundation, The Connor Foundation, Tocker Foundation, Oneok Foundation, Lola Wright Foundation, MFI Foundation, Turner Friendship Trust & Kennedy Foundation. Board members and other individual donors have contributed another $340k-ish. Only $500k remaining to be raised.

According to Karen & Aldo, demographic projections suggest the population being served will increase by 50% in the next 5 to 10 years.

(Community Matters) I’m reading this morning that ALGPC issued a dual endorsement of Brewster McCracken and Lee last night.

Brewster McCracken is the total rock star in our community. Brewster’s championed LGBT equality since before his first race for city council. He sponsored and organized repeal of the charter’s ban on domestic partner benefits.

Lee Leffingwell also certainly deserves support from our community.

Less than 25 voting members were at last night’s meeting. Regret that I had a conflict. We had 100+ at Brewster’s LGBT fundraiser last week – with many others contributing online even though they couldn’t attend. Lee’s hired good field organizers who know how to turn out volunteers and paid staff. Brewster’s staff fell behind on this one.

Brewster is well known, respected and enthusiastically supported by Austin’s LGBT community. My appreciation to all those who did attend the endorsement meetings last night. I’m confident Brewster is the overwhelming favorite among Austin’s LGBT community in the race for mayor.

(Community Matters) You gotta be kidding me. I have no idea how long we’ve been paying $1.90 per shirt & $5.60 per pant for laundry around the corner at Four Sons on Guadalupe & 31st. Shirts even more when dry cleaned. Tuesdays specials for shirts; Thursdays for pants. And, I’ve just found coupons on their website. Still . . . .

This sounds ridiculous. Does it really cost this much everywhere?????

(Community Matters) Buffett on the economy

“Everything will be all right. We do have the greatest economic machine that’s ever been created.”

“The people that behaved well are no doubt going to find themselves taking care of the people who didn’t behave well”

(Community Matters) One of the Entrepreneur Foundation’s new member companies in the news today. It’s CEO an old hand in Austin technology circles, another from the sphere of Convex. here

(Community Matters) well, guess I don’t live there so don’t have to weigh in here

(Community Matters) Some favored pics from this weekend

Savannah Gonzales, the 5 month old daughter of my “baby cousin”.
Savannah was baptized in Houston this weekend

Eli, Paulina & Shane

not easy to get Paulina into a dress, though she wears them well.
The scary part, Paulina and my mother look identical in pics of same age

hmm, not sure this is legal . . .

Paulina showing Steven the coop

my first car, 1969 Camaro

(Community Matters) So thinking about this in two ways.

(Community Matters) When Everyone’s a Friend, Is Anything Private?   here

(Community Matters) My very dear friend Kip ultimately suggests forgiving while not forgetting:

Eugene,  Contrary to your artist friend, I would urge you to hold on to your anger and outrage.  

Too many great things have been accomplished by those who had a rational sense that conditions at the time were terribly wrong: the American Revolution, the civil rights movement, gay liberation, etc. Kip continued here

(Community Matters) I’m certainly not doing well walking the talk – admit I haven’t forgotten or forgiven. But, everyday I promise I’ll try again.

A women whose art is reflection comments regularly, reminding me GWB & GOP aren’t to blame for all sins and ills, nor are Democrats blameless. Grrr, it’s so much easier to just demonize the other side, and damnit, they haven’t apologized yet! hmm, a few times rational thought seeps in, and I wonder if there are any ills they’ve been waiting on apologies for – quick, extinguish that thought and remember how deep a hole we’re in today, now that’s the only perspective to sustain my righteousness!

Road trips always help. Enjoying a pulled pork sandwich at RJ’s among working class laborers, a kolache in LaGrange among farmers, ranchers & other travelers, a glass of champagne at my new cousin’s christening among a Republican family & Houston police officer friends, and even waking to breakfast at the farm, among my brother, sister-in-law, nephew & niece. I see we want many of the same things.

We want to be safe, to prosper, opportunities for our children and fairness. Yeah, there are plenty of areas where we difer, where what we want is in conflict. I want equality, others don’t want their faith threatened by my sexual orientation. The latter two might appear immediately irreconcilable; however, we periodically need to take a breath and agree on safety, prosperity & opportunity.

I realize my best moments of magnanimousness are easier because Steven and I are safe – economically, physically and spiritually. Perhaps if our focus can help others achieve this sense of security, they’ll be more open as well.

Nevertheless, I don’t always wake up generous, forgiving and accepting responsibility. Hope my friends and colleagues will remind me to do so. Hope they’ll join me.

(Community Matters)
George Kaufman’s play at Houston’s Alley Theatre included the largest cast we remember during our 8 years as season subscribers. The multiple Tony nominee, Josie de Guzman, stands out in her role as Maggie Carter – as does company member John Tyson in his role as Banjo. All the actors were terrific. Hard not to love this 1939 work, which for the life of me I can’t place where I first saw. Posted from my blackberry.