Oh Happy Days

My wife Dorit thought of this juxtaposition on Inauguration Day earlier this week.

First, a picture of Ruby Bridges, the first African-American child to attend an all-white school in the South, being escorted to school that first day in 1960.



Now look at another young girl, just a couple of days ago.



Oh Happy Days!

How many VCs does it take to change a light bulb

Feeling punchy in the middle of a long week, and taking a break to change a couple of light bulbs in my home office, I was wondering how many VCs it takes to change a light bulb.

Answers:
  1. VCs don't change light bulbs ... they invest in technology that makes bulbs obsolete.
  2. That's what management is for.
  3. That's what associates are for.
  4. Light bulbs? Let me tell you about my latest solar LED renewable blah blah deal.
Now, to make this a VC:VC post, how many philanthropists does it take to change a light bulb?
  1. Philanthropists don't change light bulbs ... they donate money so others can change light bulbs.
  2. That's what management is for.
  3. That's what interns are for.
  4. Light bulbs? Let me tell you about my latest solar LED renewable blah blah deal. [I guess that philanthropist earns his living as a VC]

You see - venture capitalists and venture cyclists are not that different!

Use the comments to suggest other answers.

Three courses for three causes

Our dear friend, Nigel Savage, founder and Executive Director of Hazon, will be one of the special guests at the JCDS, Boston's Jewish Community Day School, signature fundraising event, Matters of Taste - on Sunday evening March 29.

The invitation from last year (held in the Fall of 2007) shows you the format if you are not familiar with the event, which is nationally recognised and always sold out. Nigel will be speaking in our home about the new Jewish food movement, and you have the opportunity to for priority seating with an advanced sponsorship gift to JCDS. The event raises money towards the JCDS Financial Aid program which this year allocated over $800,000 to over 50% of our students.

There is a week left if you would like to be listed as a sponsor in one of the following categories in our Matters of Taste invitation. If you are interested in being listed by category, please contact Royster Hedgepeth at RoysterH@jcdsboston.org, or Brian Fox at BrianF@jcdsboston.org, or call the Office of Institutional Advancement at 617-972-1733 x213. Sponsors who make commitments after January 16 will be included in the Matters of Taste program and recognized in all subsequent literature.
$54,000 – Principal Sponsor (incl 12 tix & priority seating)
$36,000 – Sustaining Sponsor (incl 10 tix & priority seating)
$18,000 – Restaurateur (incl 8 tix & priority seating)
$10,000 – Executive Chef (incl 6 tix & priority seating)
$5,400 – Sommelier (incl 4 tix & priority seating)

Tickets at a more down-to-earth price will be available in a few weeks.

So now you know about the three courses (a great vegetarian three-course meal), and two of the causes are also obvious (JCDS and Hazon).

The third cause, not to be featured that night, but worth your attention today, is a reprint from a MassBike action alert today aimed at my local readers:

CALL TODAY TO SUPPORT THE BICYCLIST SAFETY BILL!
This important bill will improve the safety of bicyclists throughout the Commonwealth [of Massachusetts], but we need your help right now, today. The bill (S. 2573) has been passed by both houses of the Legislature, and is now waiting for Governor Patrick's signature. While we hope the Governor will sign the bill, he could veto it or simply take no action and it will die. So we are taking action to encourage him to sign it!
Rep. Kay Khan is circulating a letter this morning to the entire Legislature, asking every senator and representative to sign the letter urging the Governor to sign the bill. Rep. Khan will deliver this letter to the Governor later today. We need you to call your senator and representative right now and ask them to sign onto the letter.
The key provisions of the bill are: police training on bicycle law; clarification of how to safely pass a bicycle; clarification of how to safely make turns in front of bicycles; “dooring” subject to ticket and fine; riding two abreast permitted when it does not impede cars from passing; improved enforcement of bicycle law for both motorists and bicyclists; and additional legal protections for bicyclists who choose to ride to the right of other traffic. The full text of the bill can be found
here. For more details about the bill, including links to the affected statutes, see our previous Action Alert.
Here is what you should do:
1. Call your State Senator and ask him or her to sign onto Rep. Khan's letter urging the Governor to sign S. 2573, the Bicyclist Safety Bill. You should say that the bill will help get more people bicycling, which will protect the environment, make us healthier, promote more affordable transportation options, and improve our quality of life.
2. Call your State Representative and ask him or her to sign onto Rep. Khan's letter urging the Governor to sign S. 2573, the Bicyclist Safety Bill. You should say that the bill will help get more people bicycling, which will protect the environment, make us healthier, promote more affordable transportation options, and improve our quality of life.
We need as many legislators as possible to sign onto this letter, and it must happen in the next few hours, so please make your calls right now!

Click here to find your State Representative (called “Rep in General Court”) and your State Senator (called "Senate in General Court"), then click on their names to get phone numbers.

A Profusion of (Jewish) Greenery

JTA has just announced its first annual Green Beanie competition competition
to find the most innovative or impactful green initiatives at Jewish organizations and synagogues around the globe. Submissions can be made online until Friday, January 23rd. All you need to provide is a few paragraphs on your initiative, and you can also inlcude links to photos or video.
Entries will be evaluated by Nigel Savage and Barbara Lerman-Golomb from Hazon, Nina Beth Cardin from the Coaltion for the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL), and Adam Berman from the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center.
Go on ... enter your local synagogue bike rack, CFL bulb program, or the like!

Registration for the Hazon Heschel hike closes soon.
  • Enjoy a 4-day walk through along the Shvil Yisrael (Israel's national hiking trail)
  • Visit Mount Tabor, Nazareth, Atlit, and end at the Mediterranean Sea
  • En-route education about Israel's history, geography, and environment
  • Read a report on the Hike from 2008 Hiker Mirele Goldsmith

Registration Closes January 15. Flights to Israel are now under $900. Check out the new fee structure here. Interested in coming on the Hike? Talk to Hike Chair Mirele Goldsmith - Join us for a conference call on January 12th or 14th at 8 pm (EST) Dial 1-517-417-5000 and use the Access Code 716549

The Jew & The Carrot: Hazon's Blog on Food, Jews & Contemporary Life is moving to an all-volunteer model. If you are interested in being an editor or writer, then please volunteer for JCarrot - deadline extended to Jan 16.

Prices rise on January 16th... Register Today for this year's New York Jewish Environmental Bike Ride, Labor Day Weekend, September 4-7, 2009. Watch the 3-minute highlight video from 2008 NY Ride (and watch out for me, riding my recumbent, in a couple of the shots).

Earn college credits studying the environment in Israel this summer. The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies is offering a four credit, interdisciplinary summer course entitled Israel and the Environment: Development Challenges in a Desert Environment. The Summer Course 2009 will be held from June 28 to July 24, 2009 at the Arava Institute, which is located on Kibbutz Ketura in the quiet Arava Valley of Israel. More details here.