Farewell Dumb Awesome Austin March 17, 2009 4:10 PM | permalink

Well, my excellent whirlwind SXSW experience is almost over and I've got to skedaddle to the airport, but here are a few picture postcards of some of the wonderfully stupid stuff I found deep in the heart of Texas.  Hasta la vista guys with beards and old-timey hats and bon voyage me!

Dumb Ass Hot Sauce for sale at Tears of Joy Hot Sauce Shop. Other bottom-obsessed brands available include Bayou Butt Burner, Screaming Sphincter, Sir Fartalot, Megasaurass and Rectal Revenge.

 

Austin really knows how to party: The wearer of this shirt was a female senior citizen. 

 

This guy gets my vote for the most crazy sexy dumb hair in Austin.  He was also the only guy I met at SXSW who did not have a website.  Heck, if I had hair that cool, I wouldn't be coding either.

 

Well, gotta run to catch my plane.  Bye bye naughty photo booth!  I think I'll miss you most of all.

Tweetup Here I Come! March 17, 2009 3:07 PM | permalink

I am about to go to my first ever "tweetup" here in downtown Austin at SXSW.  A tweetup is a meeting of people who use Twitter, tweet their plans to the whole wide world and simply await and expect other Twitter folk to follow.  Here's how I got my invite:

whitneyhess: Reminder to @bradlyman @alen_m @marciikeler @annaknoll @yoni @perryhewitt -- Tweetup lunch 1pm at Iron Cactus, 6th/Trinity. Bring friends!
5 minutes ago from TwitterBerry

OK I wasn't actually invited, but no one is invited to a tweetup because everyone is invited, get it?  I don't know any of these people.  You just go to a tweetup and pray they aren't the types who carry weapons or enjoy Kevin Costner movies.

I'll take pictures, meet and tweet and let y'all know what happens.

to be continued...

Garbage Can with Brocade Skirt March 17, 2009 1:09 PM | permalink

This wastebasket, which lives at the Hilton in downtown Austin, is sporting satin pleated brocade.

Call me dumb, but I think a trash can should not be better dressed than I am.

The skirt I'm wearing right now is black, cotton and was purchased many years ago at something like Salvation Armani.

I spotted this absurdly stylish rubbish bin when I arrived at SXSW and I took a picture of it just now because it's still bugging the heck outta me.

Forget "lipstick on a pig," the new phrase should be "baroque couture on a wastebasket."

In conclusion, down with fashionista garbage cans!

SXSW Trendwatch: Beards & Old-Timey Hats! March 16, 2009 5:07 PM | permalink

I've already interview not one, but two guys in ye olde hats today.  And I mentioned that there are acres of facial hair here at SXSW.  Now, three five more dudes with face fuzz and fedoras, below.  I will update as I find more.

Above, Russell Clark of The Monkey Speaks

 

Some guy taking a call out on the veranda.

 

Nicholas K. Jayanty of Reversal Films and in the background, sans hat, comedian Eugene Mirman

 

Christian Racca of top-ix.org

 

A happy dude from roll7.co.uk

SXSW: Exclusive Dumb Interview #4 -- Great Scot! March 16, 2009 4:19 PM | permalink

I spied a guy with a kilt and facial hair, and I said, "That there is my next dumb interview!" 

Ewan Spence (pictured) is from Edinburgh and is co-founder of a site called The Daily Dust.  Here's my awesome wee chat with him.

What is The Daily Dust?

The Daily Dust is Britain's only good news newspaper.  Why would you want a paper with only doom, gloom, death, destruction, famine, wars and recession?

Why the kilt?

Why not?  Look around; tee shirt jeans, tee shirt jeans, tee shirt jeans.  This is my fourth or fifth year at SXSW.  I decided to do something different.

How often to people ask you if you've got undies on under that kilt?

About 3.7 times per hour.

Is there anything under that kilt?

Give me your hand.

SXSW: Exclusive Dumb Interview #3 -- Let's Go Dutch! March 16, 2009 2:56 PM | permalink

Simon van Melick came to Austin from Amsterdam for the the SXSW Film conference.  He's here with a movie called Say My Name, which he did fundraising for.  He was sitting next to me while I blogged, is cute, and had a beard, which is a great reason to interview him, don't you think? 

Have you been to SXSW before?

No, first time.

Have you noticed a lotta guys here have beards?

I've seen them, ya.  I didn't think of it as anything special, but I saw a few long beards and I thought of ZZ Top and the music festival. How do you say, "free judgement"? 

Austin is known as a rocking town, but coming from Amsterdam, which is kind of anything goes, do you find it boring here?

No. I mean, I beg to differ in the sense that I find people really open here, very party-like, especially on the weekend, "Let's get ready to party."  I love it.  Doors are open, you see the bands playing, they block streets...what do you want more?

But there are certain things you can get in Amsterdam that you can't get here.  You know, legally.  Um, you know, green things.  If you catch my drift...

Ya, I don't know, for me, that's so normal for me to be able to get it, it's just part of life there.  It's nice it's available there and it's lovely.  

Will you miss not being able to get your fix here?

No.

SXSW: Exclusive Dumb Interview #2 March 16, 2009 1:54 PM | permalink

A cute beaded guy working the Phizzpop tablefor Microsoft would have been my second interview, but he got nervous and tried to bump me over to a couple of his non-bearded superiors.  I passed.  But then I found Mike Bonifer, who, like my first interviewee, was also wearing a fedora indoors.  Plus he rocks the SXSW beard.  Hence, he lucked out into being the subject of my second dumb, yet enllightening interview. 

 

What are you doing at SXSW Interactive?

I did a book reading here .  And I've been talking to people pretty much non-stop about what I do. My book is GameChangers: Improvisation for Business in the Networked World.

Why the hat?

It's become a little bit of a signature for me.  I don't have hair under the hat.  Plus it was cold when we got here, so the hat was appropriate.  And I look damn good in hats.  I do.

Does the hat ever come off?

Oh yes. 

When?

For yoga.

SXSW: Exclusive Dumb Interview #1 March 16, 2009 12:41 PM | permalink

I'm at SXSW Interactive and just storming total strangers who are SXSWi attendees for quick interviews.  Web developer Marc Juneau was on a laptop sitting across from me and wearing a fedora with stickers on it.  I felt the world needed to know more. 

What are you here for?

I have my own company, but I'm here with net2no -- the New Orleans chapter of NetSquared. To quote from their mission statement, they work "to jumpstart the leading edge of online technological change — and to help nonprofits use that edge to change the world."  After Katrina, we lost our population, but New Orleans is the Silicon Bayou.  There are jobs and companies that need skilled professional in the tech industry -- so come on down N'awlins!

What's the flair on your hat?

Y'at means where are you at, how are you, what's goin' on and wassup.  We are the y@ pack.

Where'd you get the hat?

Roadkill on Decatur Street in New Orleans.

When does the hat come off?

Never.  Men should wear hats.  Men should always wear hats.

SXSW Web Awards: Walking the Red Carpet March 16, 2009 12:27 PM | permalink

As you may know, dumbasablog.com was nominated for Best Blog in the SXSW Interactive awards. 

Last night was the big night.  How big?  Well basically, it's the Oscars for nerds. At least that's what the nerds say.

I walked the red carpet and was snapped by a gaggle of press.  Yes, there really was a red carpet. 

I have performed for years live and on TV, but truth is I kind of hate my picture being taken.  So, to actually enjoy the experience, I took photos of the press photographing me.  Good times.

 

SXSW Quick Pic March 16, 2009 12:25 PM | permalink

Cupcake Paparazzi at SXSW Interactive...

"Shake your buttercream baby!"

Read some of the Tweets from this event here.