SXSW antics, continued

Erica Firment

My ex-professor and information architecture guru Peter Morville is in town promoting his new O’Reilly book, Ambient Findability, which I’m going to buy and review, mexican.pngwhether you like it or not. For all you digital librarians out there, he had a slide showing some attractive ladies that was meant to illustrate how metadata is sexy these days. Not exactly librarian strippers, but better than nothing.

I also caught the end of the web comics panel, which was so popular I ended up enjoying it from the floor in the back. Bill Barnes from Unshelved was talking about the future of his comic, and how webcomics can become financially self-sustaining. I recommend everyone buy his books RIGHT NOW. Bill also showed up at one of the parties in his library FBI jacket, wowing the geeks.

I met one of my favorite writers, Heather Armstrong from Dooce.com at a local coffeehouse along with fifty of my fellow slathering idiots. Heather was, of course, funny, kind and gracious. I was, of course, a big dork. Meeting your favorite blogger is an inherently awkward social situation. But not as awkward as last year when Chris’ mom asked us why we haven’t gotten married yet. In front of three of my coworkers. Several times. Really loud.

Seriously though, I have an enormous gratitude for Heather and for the story she tells. There are so many women in my generation who are trying to create a unique existence separate from the ones we were raised with. I’ve got a small family and I’ve always felt that I haven’t had many examples of women doing what I want to do, living a modern life, living a creative life, becoming mothers without losing themselves in the enormity of the endeavor. Heather, along with several of my friends and other women who write about their lives, have allowed me to consider possibilities that I wouldn’t have had enough information or inspiration to consider before.

Last night I wisely avoided the nuclear tacos, and went to Trudy’s for Tex Mex instead, along with my savior Jenny Benevento. The Google party we went to afterward had hired a terrible dj who was spinning hits from what sounded like an MTV Party to Go cd. Everyone scuttled next door to the Adaptive Path party once the free drinks ran out. Geeks are fickle.

  • StumbleUpon
  • Facebook
  • email
  • del.icio.us
  • Twitter

Related posts:

  1. Rock Rock Rock n’ Roll Librarian Hey avenging librarians… A few weeks ago, Bill Harmer wrote a letter asking for our help. You may remember Bill...
  2. SXSW Interactive – Saturday ists. Lists are the secret to blogging during a panel while still paying attention. Watch. Best things about SXSW Interactive...
  3. True friends will gut a pig for you. esterday during a convergence of April birthdays and near-birthdays, I attended a large party. The Large Party was held in...
  4. Vote for me on the SXSW Panel Picker I can’t be self-promotional all alone here, people. I need your help! Vote for meeeee! My proposal is up...
  5. Want to volunteer at the library? Pass a drug test, sister. h, Gainesville. Come for the Snowy Egrets, stay for the affronts to human dignity! Bill Mahr at The Huffington Post...


8 Responses to “SXSW antics, continued”

  • Bill Barnes Says:

    Sorry I missed you for dinner on Monday. I did opt for the Nuclear Tacos, and they were worthy of their name. I then retired to my hotel room and vegged, which is what I usually need to do after being super-panelist-guy.

  • Angela Says:

    On a previous mention I thought Ambient Findability looked interesting so I tried to borrow it from my local library. The request went up the chanin from County to Consortium to Regional ILL schemes. At last resort they asked the British Library. I am now the proud owner of a BL Inter Library Loan rejection letter. The BL considers this book “outside the scope of its interest”. The UK national deposit library that holds the collection of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals considers it “outside the scope of interest”!! Mr Morville or his publishers ought to have a word in their burning shell-like and they should be thoroughly ashamed. Meanwhile I feel you are having a very nice time on your readers’ behalf and I for one enjoy your updates of exciting events like SxSW.

  • Erica Says:

    Hi Bill,
    No worries, I’m glad I got to see you at all amid that chaos. I can’t believe how huge sxsw has gotten! I’m also glad you survived those tacos. I tried them last year and they were served with a heaping spoonful of REGRET.

    ——

    Angela, thanks for the story and the compliment. I guess that book just isn’t very findable yet…

  • plus loans Says:

    plus loans

    plus loans
    You’ll feel much better once you’ve given up hope.

  • texas hold em tv poker Says:

    texas hold em tv poker

    texas hold em tv poker
    texas hold em tv poker – texas hold em tv poker
    There was a phone call for you.
    Q: How do you know when you’re in the section of Vermont?
    A: The maple sap buckets are hanging on utility poles.

  • college loans Says:

    college loans

    college loans
    college loans – college loans
    You like to form new friendships and make new acquaintances.
    Beware of a tall blond man with one black shoe.

  • fast loans Says:

    fast loans

    fast loans
    fast loans – fast loans
    Don’t read any sky-writing for the next two weeks.
    Q: What do you get when you cross a mobster with an international standard?
    A: You get someone who makes you an offer that you can’t understand!

  • buy adipex Says:

    buy adipex

    buy adipex
    buy adipex – buy adipex
    Q: How many members of the U.S.S. Enterprise does it take to change a
    light bulb?
    A: Seven. Scotty has to report to Captain Kirk that the light bulb in
    the Engineering Section is getting dim, at which point Kirk wi…