Oh, thank goodness, you can now have acquaintances on Orkut. And if you don’t know what that is, or don’t care, fine. Move on along then.
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In Austin, Still Fat, Still Happy
I’ve been in Austin since 11:30 this morning and I’ve already met Michael at the airport, while he was waiting for someone else. That someone else turned out to be James, who is stayingg with his two friends in the same hotel I am. James, his friends Paul, Brent and I ate a late lunch at IronWorks BBQ, and later met Michael, Ari and the boys at Threadgills for dinner (country fried steak… mmmmm-tastic).
This is going to be a good week.
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Austin Bound
I’m off to SXSW Interactive tomorrow. I’m really looking forward to it, even though I’m still jet-lagged from France, not quite done doing laundry, and haven’t even thought about packing yet (and my plane leaves at 8:40am).
I’ll be sure to post pictures, thoughts from panels, etc, during the conference.
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Home At Last
Ahhhhhh, here I am. Home, with my wife, my son, my house, and water from the tap with lots and lots of ice in it (what does Europe have against ice anyway?). I’m a wreck, but I’m home. It feels like 3am, and I’m going to sleep in a couple minutes. And to think, I get back on a plane in about 72 hours for SXSW. Who planned this?
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Where’s Kevin?
Kevin’s not at home, where he belongs. Kevin’s not at work, and he’s not in France where he was this morning. Where’s Kevin? Kevin’s in Frankfurt, Germany!!! Why? Why? Well, because the plane was over an hour late leaving Nice this morning, which means that Kevin missed his plane to Dulles.
Enough with the third person… I’m tired. I’m sore, because I’m an idiot and thought I could run to catch my other plane (little did I know that I had to catch a train, get my passport and bag checked, and run some more – all in 5 minutes). Didn’t happen. Didn’t make the plane. The guy at the gate when I walked up had a very funny look on his face. Ok, I didn’t walk. I kind of stumbled and ambled up.
I’m in a little room, in a gigantic hotel, listening to Late Edition while I use up my one hour of pre-paid it-ner-net. Then, it’s downstairs to dinner – maybe I’ll have something German.
OK, off I go… thanks a ton, Lufthansa.
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I Lied
Ok, I lied. Yesterday, we went to Cannes and wandered around. There are some pictures that are still on my camera that might make it online, but maybe not. Cannes was just a city with lots of shops (expensive, but still shops) to me.
Two and a half hours till I hop in a cab and go to the airport. Four hours until I take off in a plane headed for Frankfurt. Six hours until I take off again in a plane headed for home… and too many hours to count until I’m home with my family.
I can’t wait.
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The Art Foundation
We went to the Texas!
The conference was great. I learned a lot, met a lot of geeks, and finally feel like I’m “getting” it. We’ll see what happens…
UPDATE: I just found that the chateau has a website. Check it out for yourself. It’s a fascinating story that I didn’t do justice to in my crappy pictures.
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See? Gay People Are Real
I’d Leave the Country, but My Wife Won’t Let Me by Laura Conaway
This is one story. There are thousands more. Real people are affected by bigotry. They’re not just numbers, statistics, pictures in a book. They are real. Gay people exist. They love their partners. They want the same rights we, as straight people, have.
Women used to be their husbands’ property. It used to illegal for women to own land in this country. It was illegal for women to vote. It used to be illegal for interracial couples to marry. All of these problems were corrected. Women are no longer property. Women can vote. Heterosexual couples can marry anyone of any race, as long as their of legal age, and consent to the marriage. Why is it so hard to see that homosexual couples, who love each other, who are in committed relationships, should be allowed the same right?
The Constitution was never meant to limit rights. It was meant to guarantee them. It is our duty to “secure the Blessings of Liberty” and not stand in the way of couples who want to further strengthen society by forming the bonds of marriage – marriage as viewed by the State, not by whichever God you worship.
Just because you may think their love in invalid, or that maybe you just want them to go away – they won’t. Homosexuality exists. Homosexuals exist. They are real people, with feelings, families, and lives. All of the feelings they have are a valid as your own. Their desire to marry is as valid as your’s, and we shouldn’t be standing in the way of people willing to enter into a loving, committed relationship.
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Yes, We Have More Pictures
I have more pictures. I really do. I mean it, and I’m not kidding.
I am having a good time… I think I’ve figured out what’s going on to a point that I can start feeling comfortable. I’ve met some really fun people, and we’re having fun. Last night was the big cocktail party, and I spent three hours at a table with six other people laughing our (very sore) butts off. Why sore? The chairs here in the meetings rooms are horrible. My back and hindparts are very sore after sitting on them all day in torture chairs.
OK, off I go… back to meetings.