Some of the things I learned at SXSW:
Cam's laptop, fittingly, has warped from the physical effects of its raw computing power.
Anitra and I have a surprising number of things in common.
Once you break through her shy exterior, Jessa is quite sweet and funny, and she may even stick her tongue out at you.
Aaron is scary smart and his powers should only be used for the good of mankind. Hopefully we won't have to blackmail him to accomplish this.
Everything we love about Halcyon runs in the family - especially through his grandfather Caleb.
I need to seriously fortify my web and email security.
The lawyers who came to actually attend the panels (Ernie and Katie) are far cooler than the average lawyer.
I may take my kickball a little too seriously.
So might Josh.
Anil is a rabble-rouser, and he thinks QuickTopics sucks.
Many Austin natives get their exercise along the riverfront, but if you tell a bar full of your friends that you're going for a jog instead of sharing a Friday afternoon beer with them, you might get some funny looks.
MJ has talent in those hands; her dad loves her even though she hasn't yet borne him any grandchildren.
An hour is just not enough time to discuss "Legal Issues" relating to freelancers. Five days straight might not be.
One word: power strips.
A typical day working in a video store doesn't sound like my cup of tea.
I may never need Joshua Davis's technical tips for using Flash; I need every day his thoughts on creativity and staying true to one's own voice.
Michael's wife is a distant cousin of Ernie's. I went to college with Mike's brother Matt, who now lives in the D.C. area. This somehow makes me related to Ernie.
Don't get Rannie upset or you might get shot.
There are some people who might actually tell Tantek to his face that CSS makes their eyes bleed.
Tantek may not have a perfect memory for names, but he can eerily recall the events of over a year ago, do a Google search for "Tantek SXSW Omni drink," come up with this post, and turn to me and say, "Hi, Mike!"
Some people learn visuallly: Matt, Rannie, Michael Buffington, and Heather, to name a few.
The best way to capture Derek's attention is to tell a good story.
George really doesn't look anything like Keifer Sutherland. I was just kidding, dude.
James owns an indestructible camera.
For the first time in my life, I'm not waiting for anything - I'm running headlong at it. Whether this will lead to improved results is still an open question.
"Power strip" is two words, not one.
Sydney is juicy.
Telling true stories can be harder than telling made-up ones; telling true stories about yourself can be harder than telling them about other people.
Jish was once an even bigger stud than he is today.
A cowboy hat can make even the best party just a little bit better.
It is damned hard to say "no" to Molly and I'm not sure how I was able. No, it's not what you think.
The tech stuff is great, but it's getting to meet and see again all these people that makes it an A-list experience.
On returning home, I learned this: Austin in early March is like a womb - warm, comfortable, enveloping. Stepping off the plane on my return I felt wet, naked and hungry. But I'm going home to be with a family that loves me sometimes beyond comprehension, and that will makes all the difference in what happens next.
UPDATE: I also learned that Lia is my friend.
Posted by wasylik at March 12, 2003 07:20 PM | TrackBack