Community Matters

(Community Matters) Watch Austin Kleon’s interpretation of TEDxAustin on sticky notes – brilliant. btw, Austin was one of our favorites at last week’s Pecha Kucha

Vodpod videos no longer available.

(Community Matters) Feels like I’ve gone from being the relatively quiet one in the room or at the table (I know, I know, but it’s all relative and we hang in a pretty outspoken crowd) to consuming too much air time and oxygen.  I was thinking about dinner last night.  We heard from Deborah Hay about her early career as a dancer with Merce Cunningham & John Cage, about the Judson Dance Theater and about her work in Amsterdam and Australia.  From Margaret Keys – in collaboration with Steven and Nancy Graves – working with the New York editor last week on a book which I am especially excited about (not only for the art but you gotta love mailbox money).  Joe Christie, Margaret and I had lots to say and share about TEDxAustin and Petch Kucha.  I admit eating it up and basking in glowing reviews of ADL and my bit to do with TED this weekend, plus I’m nonstop talking about HelpHaiti, yesterday about Reggie’s sermon, lots and lots to say – this feels unlike me.  A better sign of my mental health and well-being when, on average, I’m more of a listener.  We sorta drowned out Tana Christie and Michael Mitchell last night.  If I hadn’t spent personal time with each recently, I wouldn’t know what’s most important in their days/weeks/months.  Isn’t that a sign of being a good listener, a good friend?  – knowing what’s important to your friends today

(Community Matters) This morning at St. James Episcopal, our new rector delivered a controversial sermon – per my interpretation anyhow.

According to Rev Reggie Payne-Wiens, but for some failure to accept Jesus any of us could be Tiger Woods, Amy Bishop or Joseph Stack.  He cited how even Amy Bishop’s and Joseph Stack’s friends didn’t consider them crazy – Tiger being pigeon-holded by the media as arrogant rather than crazy. He noted he’d read Stack’s manifesto – which I read too – and agreed with a lot of it.  Agreed with a lot of it – are you kidding me???

Well, problems with the primary arguments of his sermon: Continue reading →

(Community Matters) What’s TED? TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

What’s TEDx? x = independently organized event. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events.  The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

TEDxAustinTx

So, to understand the quality, care and loving touch of the day, see just how much time and attention spent on a tiny, little detail.

more about “TEDxAustin on Vimeo”, posted with vodpod

Yesterday’s speakers and entertainment included: Rip Esselstyn Firefighter, Author, Nutrition Guru- the hunk, triathelte/fireman taunting us w/ a perfect physique and promises of longevity by living plant strong- the Engine 2 Diet.   Doug Ulman President/CEO the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Founder of the Ulman Foundation for Young Adults  – (what’s with all the hunks at TEDxAustin?) – my good friend who says out loud “cancer sucks,” stands as an example that it attacks athletes as well as writers as well as those living unhealthy life styles, celebrates the life livestrong gives us, notes the irony of how a life-threatening disease can be the best thing that ever happened to someone, and challenges the term “non-profit.” Steven Tomlinson Business educator & coach, theatre artist, co-founder of Acton School of Business – – an enthusiastically received presentation – integrate what you love doing and don’t discard anything. Christopher E. Mueller Ph.D. Scientist, Life Technologies Inc – engaging our imaginations on the practicality of genomic content deciphering.  Chris Shipley Chairman and CEO, Guidewire Group, Inc. – umm, the importance of small business to America’s economy (the only full scale tilt of the day in part b/c we could tell she’s so smart and we wanted real insights).  Suzanne + David Armistead Parents, Artists, Producers; Rev. Janet Maykus Principal/College of Pastoral Leaders – *listen,* and happiness is dependent on friends (so proud.  great presentation. felt like watching my little sister on stage); Dr. William Merrell Professor, Texas A&M Galveston – spoke about the Ike dyke – it would be surprisingly affordable, appears doable and we’ll regret we didn’t – just watch; Mark Rolston, Chief Creative Officer, frog design – like a brilliant surfer dude who rolls his own, lies back and visualizes computers seamlessly integrating into our lives; John Pointer Musician, Actor, Cultural Entrepreneur – awesome; Carrie Conte, Ph.D. Prenatal + Perinatal Psychologist – – little bodies, big persons – babies as fully baked; Turk + Christy Pipkin Founders of The Nobelity Project. Author & Filmmaker. Producer – doing so much more than making movies – saving & making lives ; Robert Hunt– the unsung Wright brother; Richard Garriott Astronaut, Entrepreneur, Space Visionary – the dude doesn’t just make video games, he lives a video game and is making one come to life in outer space; John Phillip Santos Filmmaker, Journalist, Author – an award-winning humanist brings it back to real and the ancestral; Ruby Jane, fiddler, songwriter, and singer; Philip Berber Founder, (with his wife, Donna) The Glimmer of Hope Foundation – isn’t hard to see why he and Donna were named the 6th most impactful philanthropists in the world; Mark McKinnon Vice Chairman, Public Strategies, Inc. – it’s hard to reconcile his credentials with his responsibility for electing GWB, but I love his love for his wife, Ann. their bios here

Continue reading →

(Community Matters) Thought I’d post the latest HelpHaiti email update I just sent to family & friends who have donated and had their contribution matched dollar for dollar.

Good morning ALL,

Just a quick update on the HelpHaiti Fund.  For those of you new to the list, there’s a long email trail below with the periodic updates to family and friends who have donated.

We’ve busted the $200k raised against the $600k match – so apprx $800k raised to date – and hope to announce this week a very sizeable additional gift.  Many thanks to the Four Seasons employees, CharityBash and UT students who each raised substantial funds ($10k, $4.7k & $26k) in grass roots efforts – all now double their original raise! 🙂

As a reminder, we’re committed to the notion that the people of Haiti need us to remember them 6 months after the earthquake as much as immediately thereafter.  When we raised the $500k for Katrina Relief, about half the money was raised in the first 30 days, a quarter the second 30 days and the final quarter in the next 3 months.

We’re in contact with our primary partners in Haiti – Partners in Health (@PiH_org), Concern Worldwide (@Concern) and Catholic Relief Services (@CatholicRelief).  Each of these groups have moved from emergency relief into short & intermediate humanitarian aid, especially setting up temporary housing, distributing food & water and are each trying to establish some “normalcy” to the lives of millions.  The rainy season is starting and the drive to get folks into tents and other temporary housing outside the rains is critical.  People are weak, traumatized and vulnerable.  These partners are also launching cash for work programs to inject money back into the system.  We’ve assessed the cash positions of these partners (each who have been working in Haiti for decades and have outstanding direct help to administrative exp ratios) and are monitoring their progress. Continue reading →

(Community Matters) Tonight’s TEDxAustin dinner for tomorrow’s speakers and sponsors – loved it.  There’s some sort of symmetry with the dinner at Manuel’s downtown.  20 years ago (ish), Manuel’s was where we celebrated most of the Austin Festival of Dance.  Tonight, I had dinner there with John Phillip Santos; 20 years ago often with Charles Santos.  Both occassions when we launched important community initiatives.  Also something about Doug Ulman being there; my crystal ball says we’re gonna be launching new initiatives too.

I’m not allowed to say who is speaking at TEDxAustin tomorrow – it’s a surprise.  You’ll be able to view the live stream at http://www.tedxaustin.com from 10am to 6pm.

John Phillip Santos, Nancy Giordano, Princeton Professor Tom Levin

Amanda Chiampi & Kala Philo

Rip Esselstyn, Richard Garriott & Philip Berber

Christy & Turk Pipkin

Steven Tomlinson, Fran McGee & Rev Janet Maykus

we can acknowledge Steven will be speaking (@ 10:44am, live at http://tedxaustin.com)

sponsors include:

(Community Matters) Steven’s presentation from last night. I video taped with my itty bitty camera so not professional (the video, certainly the presentation is quite so 🙂 )

Vodpod videos no longer available.

(Community Matters) sorry to see his campaign imploding.  Have heard super things about Farouk – an extraordinary business man with a passion for this state, especially its economic development and opportunities available for Texans.  Regrettable that business success doesn’t more easily translate into political or community success.  AAS story

(Community Matters) on Huffington Post

(Community Matters) Leonard Pitts: Do the country a favor

No, you represent the latest iteration of an anti-intellectualism that periodically rises in the American character. There is, historically and persistently, a belief in us that y’all just can’t trust nobody who acts too smart or talks too good — in other words, somebody whose “general persona” indicates they may have once cracked a book or had a thought. Americans tend to believe common sense the exclusive province of humble folks without sheepskins on the wall or big words in their vocabularies.

More to the point, something is wrong when we celebrate mental mediocrity like yours under the misapprehension that competence or, God forbid, “intelligence,” makes a person one of those “elites” — a curse word now — lacking authenticity, compassion and common sense.

(Community Matters) Well, really a reading two days for Tana & me. We drove to Surfside today to join Kip Keller & Michael Barnes and the four friends remaining after a long weekend. There were 20+ friends here this weekend – it could easily be called the food & wine week. Folks team to cook each and every meal – it’s a competitive sport among this crowd – especially former Statesman food critic, Dale Rice, CA tech exec Paul Tally, and UT South American Studies professor, Nick Shumway.

Not a pancake or a kings cake in the house tonight – rats, I forget I intended to make one, modifying the recipe I used for Three Kings Day.

We did enjoy mojitos while playing croquet; wine with Lockhart BBQ for dinner, and Paul’s filet mignon for dessert – actually a chocolate mousse wrapped with a plastic chocolate disguised as bacon. There was even a raspberry mousse in the center to simulate rareness.

Tana & I are on tomorrow, planning a meal including homemade pork & queso tamales, spicy guacamole and fire roasted tomato salsa served with fresh fried corn tortilla chips as an appetizer. The main course: a new, secret mole & pollo, Diana Kennedy’s mexican white rice, slow cooked black beans with ham hock, fresh flour & corn tortillas and a baby greens & herb salad with a avocado cream dressing.

Yeah, and some reading when we’re not too stuffed for anything more than a nap, or a mojito.

(Community Matters) here’s how according to HBR