Coté

(Cross posted from my work blog.) It's panel promotion time for SXSW 2010. This year, I'm going for a panel on selling to the enterprise, targeted at the SXSW crowd, of course. I thought this would be a fun contrast to the consumer-heavy, "free" stuff that the SXSW sessions and panels are usually full of. The best way to "monetize" is to get paid for what you do and sell, to put it one way.

Striving to protect that charm, town officials crafted an ordinance that bans "formula restaurants" from opening within the city limits. A group of eight investors challenged that ordinance, suing Springdale, 16 town officials and the town's attorneys for what the plaintiffs say is their constitutional right to open a Subway restaurant franchise. --"Towns block chain restaurants to save charm" While Colleyville, Texas isn't exactly "charming" like a city right outside of a national park, it's been interesting to watch this kind of issue play out here.

This past weekend, we all went out to California for our friends Mason and Melissa's wedding. It was in a fantastic resort-y place just south of Yosemite. Also, it was Cormac's first flight! Here are some photos: With the groom before the wedding. Next to a redwood in Yosemite. The wedding. Oath by mustache. First time at In-n-Out! You can see more in my photo set and Kim's photo set.

Nite Beach, originally uploaded by cote. It's been family vacation time at the beach. Galveston to be exact. While people have been freaking out about the BP spill, it's still nice. In theory, it won't be soon. My childhood memories are of the beach being hot, sandy, and dirty. Back in the 80s, it seemed like there was an oil spill each year. This year, I enjoyed breezy weather, and when it rained it was particularly nice with the overcast pre-rain and then the rain.

Last year I finally qualified for American Airlines top frequent flyer status, Executive Platinum. It was really a "hack" due to special programs AA had out. Over the summer and fall, there were several ways to double up on qualifying points. If it weren't for those programs, I wouldn't have made it. Having been at Gold and the Platinum for several years, I'd enjoyed many of the benefits, primarily:

My wife, Kim, and I have been in the adoption process for a long, long time, and we just finalized the last major part this afternoon. We can finally announce our new son, Cormac Murphy Coté-Skotak. For those I've told who've kept the "embargo," thanks so much! And for the rest of you, check out that handsome kid of ours! ;> (And, you know, of course he has a Twitter account: @CormacCS.