Power Flower (Not)
Here’s my new shrub / garden monument. It doesn’t flower and while it looks like it could be a homely bench, it’s not. Its roots are visible and pretty ugly too. The people who are specialists in planting these (you can’t just buy one and plant it yourself) are uniquely insensitive to its appearance and […]
Prepare to Obey
The cruelty isn’t the point. Terror is the point. So you learn to bow down. So you shut off your brain, stop trying to process the shouts and threats and just capitulate. So you prepare yourself in advance to obey unquestioningly any shouted order. No matter how confusing. You must fall to your knees in […]
Beginnings and Endings
Today I will begin a new chapter – and I’m looking forward to it. It has been rewarding to serve as the City of Houston’s Chief Recovery and Resilience Officer. And to work on important projects aimed at making Houston safer for everyone. The task of enhancing the resilience of this region is not […]
Season of Storms
What’s on my mind: The number of social enterprises (nonprofits) in some sort of financial crisis due to massive funding shifts. And the extent to which we rely upon them in this region without reassessing their capacity. The mental health of their leaders as they try to manage unreasonable expectations… The season of storm threats […]
Disaster Belonging
Perhaps what drives me the most crazy in the current culture is the erosion of any overarching alignment, any sense of common good. We need more call to shared purpose. The absence of a sense of purpose leads to paying a kind of exquisite attention to one’s own SELF. Fostering the ludicrous notion that one’s […]
Sacred Ground
Before you speak, ask yourself – will this in any way ease pain or lighten the load carried by those closest to this tragedy. We all have the obligation to treat heartbroken people and their excruciating losses and grief as sacred ground. Do not set a single critical, judgmental, opportunistic foot upon it. Note that […]
Houston launches new initiative to equip city facilities with generators
Mayor John Whitmire on Tuesday officially rolled out Houston’s plan to install generators at critical city facilities before the end of his first term as the city braces itself for another above-normal hurricane season. Whitmire delivered the news alongside U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner at Houston’s West Gray Multi-Service Center. The plan, called the Power […]
With New Microgrid Funding, Texas Seeks to Avoid the Devastation of Storms Like Winter Storm Uri
With $1.8 billion in new state funding, Texas has opened up opportunities for microgrid providers that can serve small critical facilities. In Early 2021, Winter Storm Uri knocked out power to two out of three Texans and shut off water to nearly half. The Texas Department of Public Health linked 210 deaths to the deep freeze. Now […]
Houston Be Someone
(Not clear who) Whenever I see the now Houston iconic “BE SOMEONE” graph I think how perfect it is for Houston. Kind of vaguely encouraging, calling forth ambition. And I’m also reminded of the brilliant and funny Lily Tomlin (stand up, Broadway Lily, not the series LT) whose commentary never ages. Lily said : “All […]
Handle Your Elephants
This past month I’ve been working like mad to pull together reports and proposals for clients. I have a small team and we’re all buzzing. There’s building a business and then there’s doing the business. I love all of it. especially my purpose now – to support leaders in the arena – People hire me […]