Community Matters

(Community Matters)

ADL DENOUNCES INJECTION OF RELIGION INTO CONTEST FOR TEXAS HOUSE SPEAKER

Austin, TX, November 17, 2010—Saying appeals based on a candidate’s religion are “offensive and inappropriate,” the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today criticized public calls for the next speaker of the Texas House of Representatives to be a Christian.

ADL Austin Community Director Karen Gross issued this statement on behalf of ADL, in conjunction with ADL’s Southwest and North Texas/Oklahoma Regional Office:

“Those engaged in campaigning or advocating for candidates for Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives should refrain from appeals based on religion.  The decision should be based upon a candidate’s qualifications, not his or her religion.

Calls for the next speaker to be a Christian are offensive, inappropriate, and inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition on any religious test for public office.

We urge the Texas Legislature to categorically reject calls for a Christian Texas House Speaker, and to publicly denounce efforts to inject religion into the race.”

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, ADL neither supports nor opposes candidates for political office.

see earlier reports of anti-semitism in race

I wish I could say I find the religion-baiting a surprise but I don’t. I might have a couple of years or so ago but I wasn’t very attuned to anti-semitism.  Since then, I pick up on it much more.  Recently, an entrepreneur expressed how we should bring religion back into the Texas classroom.  When I asked which faith, he answered “Christian of course.” When I asked how our Jewish friends might feel about this, he just shrugged and noted that there had to be sacrifices and we had to go with the majority.  This guy isn’t a bad guy, though he does believe we were founded as a Christian nation. As for following the majority, I’m not sure he’ll still feel that way in 2040. hasta luego

(Community Matters) rt @tlrd Medicare Finalizes Rules Reqrng Equal Visitation Rights 4 All Hospital Patients Including Gay Partners http://bit.ly/9wfERJ

yeah, can you believe it.  We could be denied this until now

(Community Matters) The White House (including Pres Obama) is very actively engaged in lame duck passage of DA/DT – Towleroad

(Community Matters) As I’m compiling our holiday movie watch list

(Community Matters) from Mike Allen:

“HILL & KNOWLTON and PUBLIC STRATEGIES to MERGE: International communications firm Hill & Knowlton and business advisory firm Public Strategies, Inc. will merge January 1, 2011 … Jack Martin, founder and chairman of Public Strategies, will become global executive chairman of H&K; Paul Taaffe will remain global CEO; and Dan Bartlett will expand his role to become President and CEO of H&K USA and Chairman and CEO of Public Strategies. … Combined, the entities will have over 2,300 employees and 83 offices in 44 countries. … Each company will retain its brand for the foreseeable future.” Full release http://politi.co/cf5nvZ

–PSI’s Mark McKinnon e-mails: “my deal is: nobody reports to me. i report to nobody. i run the breckenridge office.”

(Community Matters) a couple of excerpts from this Economist article:

IBM employs more people in India than in the US.

For American workers the most worrying thing about all this is the flight of brain-intensive jobs to India. Americans reconciled themselves to the loss of mfg jobs . . .

Indian cos rising on BCG’s list of innovating companies. Especially appealing, “frugal” or “Gandhian” innovation – reducing the price of a product or service by 80% by removing unnecessary bells & whistles.

Half of Silicpn Valley start-ups were either founded or co-founded by Indians. Posted by Blackberry (tiny little keys, pardon typos)

(Community Matters) DeLong says: “Obama’s Problem Is Not that He ‘Focused Obsessively’ on Policy, It is that He Got the Policy Wrong.”

Hat Tip: Arianna Huffington

(Community Matters) I’ve learned to leave a coin in my pocket when going through German airport security – they are really thorough.  Of course, then there’s concerns from the other side . . .

note the source

I don’t think I’d get by as Scottish

(Community Matters) Tina Fey on Sarah Palin

“And, you know, politics aside, the success of Sarah Palin and women like her is good for all women – except, of course –those who will end up, you know, like, paying for their own rape ‘kit ‘n’ stuff. But for everybody else, it’s a win-win. Unless you’re a gay woman who wants to marry your partner of 20 years – whatever. But for most women, the success of conservative women is good for all of us. Unless you believe in evolution. You know – actually, I take it back. The whole thing’s a disaster.”

(Community Matters) Rangel finally!

(Community Matters) Interestingly enough, our conversation last night touched on the topic of today’s column – especially on Brook’s closing about Germany & starting with the fundamentals.

Continue reading →

(Community Matters) We’ve been staying at the Hotel Schloss Edesheim (a castle in the center of Edesheim) but I’m moving us this morning to the Hotel Deidesheimer Hof.  Both are in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate (aka Rheinland-Pfalz) , the serious wine producing state in Western Germany.

Coincidentally, two of Steven’s friends (Reiner & Heidi Mielecki) made reservations at the Hotel Deidesheimer Hof, not knowing we’d be staying there tonight and tomorrow.  Turns out for the better – the hotel’s gourmet restaurant Schwarzer Hahn (1 Michelin star) is one of their favorites and they wonderfully introduced us to the menu and wine list.

Continue reading →