Community Matters

(Community Matters)The Obama’s invited Ireland’s Prime Minister and his wife to the celebration only a couple of weeks into his taking office. Prime Minister Enda Kenny delivered eloquent remarks about the trials endured by the Irish – subjugation, famine, current economics – and the deep roots of Irish leadership in our country. President Obama spoke of the ties between our countries’ people. VP Biden warmed up the stage and delighted everyone.

Sonya Cohen Cramer, Lynn Meredith & I attended the White House St. Patty’s Celebration.

Glen Hansaro warmed up the crowd with a few songs before the world leaders came out. A really good looking guy standing next to me broke out in song, then broke out a triangle (sure, who doesn’t travel without one). Glen gave him a shout out and invited him on stage. The good looking stranger turned out to be Tim Shriver.

Others who played around the White House: Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill, the National Chamber Choir of Ireland and the US Air Force Pipe Band. Brian McBride was the guest chef for the evening – yum. Kudos to Jeremy Bernard on his inaugural White House social event – well done.

After, Lynn, Sonya & I joined Dale & Frank Loy for an intimate and exquisite dinner at their Georgetown abode – adore these two (actually these four)

I definitely have some better pics on my camera but forgot the cable to transfer to computer. I’ll update when back home

(Community Matters) Innovation+, a very cool new initiative to help the most promising nonprofits scale. Kudos to Dennis Cavner, Bill Forsberg & Suzi Sosa for launching

(Community Matters) This doesn’t sound very smart. Would want to know the likely impact on recidivism and rehabilitation. I’m not a bible thumper but don’t nearly all faiths promote a charitable and helpful generosity toward convicts? And, sure sounds like the system should be reorganized, that it’s wasteful as currently staffed and administered.

(Community Matters) check this out. Should be very cool

(Community Matters) Who’s Behind Proposed Reforms to Texas Higher Ed?

(Community Matters)

In 2011, Organizing for America is launching the Summer Organizer Program that allows participants to get full time, hands-on experience and training in all facets of community organizing (including new media tools and strategies, managing data and targeting, running political events, building neighborhood volunteer teams, etc). OFA is in the midst of an ambitious recruitment effort and will be bringing on a large number of participants with an eye towards training a new generation of organizers for the future.  This effort includes an early launch of the program to make it more competitive with other internship programs, a strategically-focused recruitment effort that leverages online and offline resources (emphasizing development of local talent in their own communities), and a fully developed curriculum for the program.

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(Community Matters) Full footage of video shot in the Miyagi prefecture. Earthquake, tsunami and now a likely nuclear meltdown. This is beyond devastating

Vodpod videos no longer available.

(Community Matters) a million thanks to the Anti-Defamation League for calling Bexar County Demo Chair Dan Ramos out for his heinous remarks – referring to gay Democrats as “termites,” and calling the gay-rights movement “a very sinister movement,” saying the Stonewall Democrats were like “Nazis” because “they’re 90 percent white, blue-eyed and Anglo, and I don’t give a (expletive) who knows that. Just like the Blacks.

ADL statement

(Community Matters) Will pass on an announcement very soon about a cool way for Austinites to help victims of the Japanese earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters. Stay tuned

(Community Matters) Had my third visit to the chiropractor’s office yesterday – to the office but didn’t actually see the doctor. I knew the doc would be on spring break. Went for a therapeutic massage appointment as well as acupuncture.

Even before going, my lower back spasms are healing. Still having some trouble getting up and standing in place but much less pain and hardly any spasms. I don’t know how to separate natural healing from chiropractor visits since past instances have usually healed themselves in a few days.

Yesterday’s 45 minute massage session was too light, undirected. The acupuncture, while I felt only a few of the needles (there were 12 in my back, buttock, ankles and hands) I did get a strange sensation that they were following the lines of my pain. Steven’s a huge fan of acupuncture. This was my second experience. Unfortunately, I can’t say I discerned any healing as a result. The massage and acupuncture costs totaled $90 (including a one time discount of $45).

by the way, Chiropractor II visit costs totaled $225, $50 I paid as a deductible (though I think I’ll have to pay all when insurance works out that I’m now on a $2k deductible) – $65 was the massage and $160 in charges for the doctor’s adjustment. Of course, my subsequent realizations about “sadness & the body pain” sorta makes the whole visit priceless

Also, I have learned that the insurance reimbursement rate is extraordinarily less than the billed rate, in the case of the initial xrays, only 23%

(Community Matters) I joined Thom Singer’s SXSW panel, You Can Impact Charity Without Being Rich, along with Estrella Rosenberg Founder Big Love Little Hearts, Beth Krueger, Exec Dir Heart House, and Ray Blue, Sr Dev Dir Dell Children’s Medical Center. Thom launched with a story about the power of telling a story and making an ask. Good stuff. I enjoyed meeting Estrella for the first time and am really keen on Lovedrop.us

Lovedrop.us Every month they come together and help out a family going through a financially hard time. They share their story through videos online, and at the end of the month show up on their doorstep and present everything the Lovedrop community did for them – check it out

(Community Matters) for the second time this month, someone who knows me well introduced me to others as a networker or a connector.

Yikes, this is NOT how I want to be known. And, I have not framed what I do any more competently than to leave this as the only description easily available to close friends.

I’m gonna work on this. It needs to be about helping others accomplish important political and community building objectives, about my past business experience intersecting with social entrepreneurship to help make great things happen.