Community Matters

(Community Matters) Who knows what’s up. disturbing reports of her interaction with staff and board. Of course, change is never easy.

(Community Matters) They want to charge me $100 just to diagnose the problem on my most-expensive-in-the-world home refrigerator, then maybe up to $300 to fix it. Digging deeper into possible causes, I’m going to defrost the ice making mechanism with a hair dryer first and possibly save myself $275 ($300 less the cost of a hair dryer). Prepostorous

(Community Matters) Definitely in the category of yikes – a friend forwarded the latest information on newspaper revenues. For the second quarter, decreases of 30% and 16% in print & online revenues. These after declines of 30% and 13% in the previous quarter. Projecting a combined drop of 27% for fy ’09.

(Community Matters) yikes, allegations surfacing on CNN that the rumors of the Lt. Gov being gay are being spread by Gov. Sanford, as a defense to impeachment. What a wicked state.

(Community Matters) We’re excited . . . headed to Marfa manana. I think it’ll be the Rudy’s first time. Well, sorta Marfa. Last minute during Marfa Lights Festival means no room at the inn. All our friends are in town so @ their houses. All hotels and rental houses rented. Lucky to find a house in Ft. Davis. That’ll be fine, just 20 mins out and in a place Steven and I haven’t gotten to know well enough. McDonald Observatory star party reservations. Cochineal reservations. Marfa Studio for the Arts benefit. well make the rest up as we go.

(Community Matters) Michael Mitchell has sounded his opinion of the conservative uproar about the President of the United States of America speaking directly to school children. I have to agree, these people are losing it. He’s the President for god’s sake. He’s talking about persistence in school and excellence.

Don’t know why I let myself do so again, but I’ve been participating in a Facebook posting and comments originated on the topic by a Hyde Park Baptist High School graduate. The comments are not favorable, despite the acknowledgment of the President’s message.

This “FB conversation” originated by the same fellow who several weeks ago posted that he thinks we need to bring back school prayer. I asked to whom would we pray, and his response was “this country was built on a foundation ‘One nation under God’ . . . . if you try to please everyone, you end up with nothing.” [I did mention that the quoted phrase was added to the pledge mid century]

Most of his friends who post are also Hyde Park Baptist High School grads, adamantly against Obama and health care reform. They ridicule multiculturalism and come very close to white/Christian superiority comments.

These guys call themselves libertarians. One especially enlightening comment, “if you think that government is anything more than a sanctioned corrupt political gang then you might actually be mildly retarded or simply naive.” I’m wondering if it’s the ’87 HPB class, just these guys/group of friends or a more common thread among graduates of this high school.

The FB friend – a business colleague who I think struggles with the realization that a single culture will not dominate as we transition into a multicultural state. I like him in business and appreciate that he engages in the conversation even if we don’t come together in our views. We do agree common values and principles have a place in schools.

(Community Matters) Andre Bauer, the next governor of South Carolina

He has loudly opposed Homosexual Marriage, Homosexual Sodomy and Homosexual Adoption. He has profoundly defined marriage as between straights only. Not only that, but he has pushed for the words, “I BELIEVE” and the Christian Cross on South Carolina license plates, fought tax hikes and supported free-market capitalism at every turn.

So this all begs the question, does the accusation of one or two wrong-headed and furtive man-on-man encounters actually make you gay? Couldn’t it be a mistake? If you have a great record fighting against the gays, doesn’t it cross out a few moments humping a younger man against the wall of some hotel room? This debate is far from settled, but it is an important one for the conservative party today.

(Community Matters) In case I ever think I’m shedding my nerd credentials . . . I find myself at the Four Seasons this morning at a NACD presentation on Board’s Role in Rick Oversight: What’s the link between corporate strategy & risk? What are the Board’s oversight responsibilities?

I love the simplicity of Priya Cherian Huskins perspective of what risk management means. And, of course, panelist Kevin Lalande with Sante Ventures is one of my favorite VCs.

I’m in good company this morning, including: Home Away’s Lynn Atchison, USI’s Sandra Uselman, Mike Maples, Sr, Rob Repass, Steve Knebel, August Peterson, Jim Clishem, Prof Johnny Butler and lots of others.

(Community Matters) Launched the first full steering committee meeting tonight at Shelley Zausmer’s home. What a terrific year we’ll have. Torch of Liberty Award honorees are Amy & Kirk Rudy. Our humanitarian recipients are James Armstrong & Larry Connelly.

Rock star team on the steering committee: Steve Adler, Judy Berkowitz, Stacey Fields, Diane Land, Audrey & Ray Maislin, Lynn Meredith, Jeff Newberg, Amy & Kirk Rudy, Lily Saad, Mark Salmanson, me (the others really r rock stars), Dave Shaw, Jan Soifer, Julie Thornton, Doug Ulman, Judy Waxman & Shelley Zausmer. We want to raise $400k – launched today with pledges of $86k just from the committee (and several weren’t able to join us today so much more asap).

Equally rock stars on the honorary host committee list.

(Community Matters) After 7:30 pilates with Liz & Amy and 8:30 coffee with Kevin Keim & Ben Slade, I had breakfast with a very cool new friend, Joah Spearman.

Joah introduced to me by LAF’s Doug Ulman and an old TA, Joey Stanfa. Quite a pedigree – a bootstrap kid, UT Communications School, Bush Administration speech writer, Mark McKinnon, Public Strategies and now a social media consultant. Also, cooking up a new interesting venture – Sneak Attack, though I promised not to give away the surprise. Joah’s first book, Real Role Models, being released by UT Press in the Fall – and he’s already launched his second. His blog here.

(Community Matters) I wasn’t familiar with this book but have become since receiving a note this morning about my posting on domestic violence.

The note: Help JS Huntlands raise awarness for Domestic Violence by ordering Nick Twisted Minds on-line or at your local book store

A quiet and studious young lady, ‘Tanya’ causes very little difficulty for her parents. Responsible and well grounded, she maintains modest goals. Possessing a sparse romantic history, she is quite pleased when she meets a man named ‘Nick’ through a mutual friend. Before long the pair begins dating and find each other highly attractive. Believing that her new love embodies many of the traits she so highly values, Tanya agrees to cohabitate with Nick. Unfortunately, she finds herself pregnant and soon discovers that who she thought was the love of her life has been far less than forthright. To her great dismay, this revelation begins a downward spiral from which her very existance is threatened.

(Community Matters) The two freed journalists tell their story in the LA Times