Leaving on a Jet Plane

If anyone is still reading, I’ll be leaving for Austin in a little over a week for South by Southwest, where I will be immersed in symposiums, cinema, and suds-soaked socialization for five glorious days. Last year’s SXSW was a big part of what made 2005 the best year I have had in a long time; it was a steel-toed inspirational kick in the pants, and a networking free-for-all whose participants generally inhabited more warmth and sincerity than I even imagined was possible at an industry event. If the How-to-Make-a-Zillion-Dollar-Web-2.0-Application frenzy doesn’t transform everyone into a slobbering horde of cash-crazed zombies, I fully expect this year to be just as exhilarating. I’m looking forward to seeing many old friends and meeting just as many new ones. So if you see a badge that says “Rob Weychert” attached to a big red beard with some pale limbs jutting out of it, please don’t hesitate to come say hello, or at least wonder aloud if I’ve ever stood in direct sunlight.