Month: June 2013

I remember when… #sb5

I was supposed to be working today. I was supposed to be writing blog posts, researching articles, being productive. But I wasn’t.

I spent most of the day glued to my Twitter stream (then Youtube), following the account of how Texas state Senator Wendy Davis was trying to fillibuster a controversial and extremely restricting abortion bill. To do this she was going to stand for 13 hours, without a break (not even for bathroom) or food or drink, without leaning or sitting or pausing really, all the while staying on topic. She was going to try to make the time run out at midnight.

And I saw the crowd literally shout down the process and make the time run out… and the vote, on live streaming, happened past midnight.

There is a lot of confusion right now on whether the vote happened before or after midnight, on whether it was legal or not. And I know that that’s going to go on for a while. There will be legalities. And eventually we will have a judgment of some sort on what happend here tonight.

This is what I know: Wendy Davis stood for 13 hours, defending her position with grace and professionalism. And I will not forget what she did today.

On this day…

According to Biography.com, on this day in 2009 (6/25/09) both Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett died.

Farrah was a sex symbol in the 80s (or maybe the 70s???) and was most noted at the beginning of her career for a risqué poster and being one of the original Charlie’s Angels. Later in her career she made some exceptional movies, then spiraled into drug addiction.

Michael Jackson was a pioneer of the music video, a very talented singer/performer, and a very disturbed person. In many ways he transformed the music industry from audio to video. If you don’t know him, look him up.

Dear Proprietor

The Coffee ShopI had three consecutive meetings set up in a new coffee shop. Two of these were set for me. The third I set up because it made sense to just piggy back it onto my morning schedule. What this meant was that I was going to spend 3-4 hours in this (in your) coffee shop. From experience I know that this is never completely pleasant. I’m just not a “work from the coffee shop” kind of person. I like my little desk with all my tools.

If it’s left up to me I’m not going to choose the cute little coffee place I’ve never been to as the place to hold a meeting, or series of meetings. I would pick a known place where all my wants are met. This was not my choice, but I’d made the decision to give you a chance, because I’m just nice that way. That didn’t go well. Maybe I’m too old for new places?

You only have street parking. In Houston, really?

At 8am the place was already warm. I understand that allure of setting up a coffee shop in an older building in a hip neighborhood, but if you’re going to do that you at least need to make sure that the air conditioner is working. And I mean actually cooling the establishment to a comfortable temperature and not just blowing cool air in one or two spots.

The music was much too loud. If I’d been sitting by myself this wouldn’t have annoyed me as much, I think. But, wow was the music loud.

I had to ask for the Wi-Fi password, and then it kept dropping me.

Your limited food menu has all cutesy names and you mocked when I got mine wrong. Even if I hadn’t already been grumpy from the 8am time and the other stuff, this one would have catapulted me into a bad mood.

And the coffee wasn’t all that.

The name of the establishment has been withheld because, really, this rant is about more than just Saturday’s experience. I acknowledge that the early hour (and the fact that my first meeting stood me up) made me cranky.