Community Matters

(Community Matters) The Texas Tribune’s Elise Hu interviews Gov Perry’s and Senator Hutchinson’s spokespersons

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(Community Matters) Today was full circle.  Haven’t really thought about how many days are.  Breakfast with one of my oldest, dearest friends, Kent Mayes who’s recently remarried and who was too sweet to tell me I was looking fat but who did convince me to come work out again.  Finally, back in the office with Amanda, Shobie, Peter & our Thinkwell neighbors, all who I didn’t realize I’d missed but I had.  Hours at the Four Seasons, meetings with light design people, video people, the chef, a DJ, flower deisgners, production consultants.  Back to the office and over $100k in contributions received in the mail – wow, a very nice day (I hadn’t opened mail since leaving just before Xmas); we’ll deploy these monies generating even more financial and intellectual capital for other nonprofits.  A meeting with Margo Weisz, Barbra Boeta, Chris and a few PeopleFund board members, discussing loan production and how ensure we maximize job creation, wealth creation and growing our loan fund to support our other work.  And, back to a table for another meal with Steven and our very dear friends, Lynn & Tommie Meredith.  I’m liking the circle.  Life is good and productive.  I’ve been up since 4:30; Steven’s already asleep, that’s where I should be too.

(Community Matters) Increasingly a ritual is Sunday dinner @ our place with one or more of our godchildren

Steven, Chris, Michael, Zac, Cameron & Luke

Chris Coley an old friend of Cameron’s who we haven’t seen in a couple of years and who’s now in a graduate philosophy program at Colorado State.  Zac Gambill is Steven’s cousin who’s been staying with us a few days and has now decided to move to Austin from Oklahoma City.  Think we’ll have a roommate for a few weeks.

(Community Matters) Love this quote from Harrison Ford:

I am secure in what I do.  I am very interested in having the respect of the people I work with, but I am not generally out looking to be admired.  I want to be good at what I do, and I want to learn from other people how to get good, be good, stay good.

(Community Matters) The Beast on racial profiling

The biggest terrorist attack in U.S. history prior to 9/11—the 1996 Oklahoma City bombing—was carried out by a white ex-Marine with a crew cut. The only major WMD attack of the “war on terror” era—the 2001 anthrax mailings—was apparently the handiwork of a white, Christian microbiologist angry that prominent Catholic politicians were pro-choice. And who stormed the Holocaust Museum last year, killing a security guard? Ayman-al Zawahiri? No, neo-Nazi octogenarian nutcase James Wenneker von Brunn.

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(Community Matters) This New York Times article about falsified reporting by US Immigration officials and about deaths, negligence and mistreatment of detainees in government hands is abysmal, possibly criminal.  I’m sure the Justice Department is already looking into this matter.

Also hoping the administration will respond quickly to charges against Nina Dozoretz since she’s recently been rehired.

. . . . It is now clear, the deaths had already generated thousands of pages of government documents, including scathing investigative reports that were kept under wraps, and a trail of confidential memos and BlackBerry messages that show officials working to stymie outside inquiry.

(Community Matters) Fantastic evening in Dallas to see Charles Santos & Rick Bond and the Bill T. Jones Dance company performance at the new AT&T Performing Arts Center

talk back with Charles, Jenn, the dancers and composers

Last night’s piece – Serenade the Proposition – was Bill’s first of a three piece series in honor of Abraham Lincoln – quite representational of war, especially the gore and trauma of civil war.

back stage at the Winspear Opera House before the performance

The AT&T Performing Arts Center – it’s quite extraordinary, reminds me of the Royal National Theatre complex, Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center.  check it out here

backstage with Bill T’s Associate Artist Director, Janet Wong

Unfortunately, Bill wasn’t in Dallas; he was receiving an APAP award in NYC.  Charles on his way to APAP tomorrow.  Hate that I’m not joining him there this year; we had so much fun last year.

Charles and a few of the dancers after the performance

Garfield Lemonius giving us a tour of the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts

DISD’s high school for the performing & visual arts is adjacent to the complex – an extraordinary benefit for their students in itself.  In addition, their school complex is phenomenal.  Charles serves on its advisory board.  His and Rick’s very close friend Garfield is a dance instructor at the school.

checking out the Booker T stage

(Community Matters) In Dallas with Tana & Joe Christie (w/ Charles Santos & Rick Bond) for Bill T. Jones Dance Company performance of Serenade the Proposition, part of his Abraham Lincoln series

(Community Matters) New pic from Margaret

New Years Day at the Hill Top Hotties’ luncheon

Can you tell how much I love this man?

(Community Matters) I love it

Hat Tip: Towleroad

(Community Matters) Even if just the appearance of conflicts of interest, too much at this level – Gheitner and transparency of reimbursing Goldman Sachs

(Community Matters) Obviously Anwar al-Awlaki is a bad guy; didn’t realize he was US born.   Feel certain we’d prioritize taking him out if irrefutable evidence he’s really behind the Fort Hood shootings and Christmas Day attempted bombing & his martyrdom wouldn’t further radicalize others (today’s NYT article).