Author: James McNally

SxSW Failures To Communicate

It’s traditional for everyone to come home and talk about all the great people they met and link to their sites. I’m going to do things a little differently. Because of my own stupid timidity, there were a number of people I either didn’t meet at all, or with whom I only exchanged the lamest of pleasantries. I say this to my shame. Here are the ones that got away:

Wow, that’s a lot of folks, and of course I’ve probably forgotten a few more. I don’t mean to imply that any of these people felt diminished by me denying them my company. I just feel bad that I didn’t make more of an effort. If you’re on this list, and you feel the same, get in touch!

So Far I Have…

  • been pooped on by a grackle.
  • dropped my digital camera from a height of four feet onto concrete (it still works, honey!).
  • been hugged a lot
  • “enjoyed” a $14 margarita. (OK, it was US$8.25 but at $1.60 for each US dollar, you do the math)
  • brushed my teeth with hot water too many times.
  • laughed hysterically at dancing kittens.
  • seen more Apple laptops in one place than I’ve probably ever sold in my life.
  • met or been reacquainted with some of the smartest, funniest, and warmest people on the web. These people are, in the parlance of Cory Doctorow, my “tribe.”

I come home tomorrow.

Greetings From The Hampton Inn

Well, here I am, settled in to my hotel room and blogging already. I just wanted to note how much nicer my hotel is than last year, and apparently it’s about the same price! The Hampton Inn and Suites just opened recently and it’s only about two blocks from the Convention Center, where all the SxSW stuff is going on.

The weather is gorgeous, sunny, maybe about 70°F. I forgot sunscreen and just had to go out and get some. Tonight is Break Bread With Brad, one of my favourite events. It’s a perfect icebreaker and a chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones.

I spent last night with the amazing Browns. They manage to juggle two energetic boys, a crazy dog, and a cat, and still make room for little old me.

Gotta go now. I’m being IM’ed!

Off To Texas!

Well, I’ll be away for the next week in (hopefully) sunny Austin, for South By Southwest. I’m hoping to be able to blog a little bit from there, but I can’t make any promises. When I come back, I’ll be sure to post a nice wrapup with some photos.

Over the past 24 hours or so, we got about ten more inches of snow. So this trip couldn’t come at a better time.

Tonight, Brooke and I went to the Raptors game. They lost to Houston 97-95, and a few thousand of Toronto’s large Chinese community were in attendance to cheer on rookie sensation Yao Ming. Also spotted: Canada’s (probable) next Prime Minister, Paul Martin, sitting courtside.