oz: the blog of glenda sims ( the goodwitch)
Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.
What SXSWi 2010 panel am I dreaming about? Without a doubt, it is:
In the world of web standards, industry forms best practices, education instructs emerging talent—and neither the twain shall meet. A decade on, the rate of standards adoption across the school/street divide is dishearteningly poor. Join us to discover how curriculum building and strategic industry alliance can close the gap.
How can I possibly explain the magic of SXSWi? Imagine you are high in the sky with Willy Wonka in the great glass elevator. Anything is possible. Magic is probable. (Sigh) That is how SX feels. What moments took my breath away in 2008? Let me share a few.
I’m counting the moments until SXSWi 2008 begins. Every year holds new adventures like the Bike Hugger Beer & BBQ on Saturday, March 8.
Imagine…free beer, bikers, bbq and the latest buzz on the IE8 Browser…does that sounds like geek heaven, or what?
And, for the true biker, don’t miss the first ever Bike Hugger Urban Ride with stops at REI and the Blanton Museum of Art, with the Bike Hugger Beer BBQ as the final destination.
See you there!
Sigh. Words cannot possibly describe the experience of SXSWi. It is true, this year’s event left me speechless (but smiling all the way to my heart). If you can’t imagine me at a loss for words, just ask Pixeldiva who saw me rendered speechless multiple times.
What is so magical about SX? Well…imagine…a place where there are no barriers to dreams, where ideas flow like a waterfall…drenching you with a creative fire so intense and pure that it feels like nirvana.
Moments of pure bliss for me this year include:
Once upon a time
there was a brilliant
(yet humble)
designer named Hicks.
His work was known
throughout the land.
He laughed often
and had won
the deep respect
of his peers.
Then, without warning
a very large
wheel of cheese
fell on Hicks.
The journey has begun toward SXSWi. You can see the city transform as an infusion of energy, ideas, brilliance and creativity pour in.
It is as though Austin is singing her siren song:
“Cut a path
across the blue skies.
Straight in a straight line
You can’t get here fast enough.
Run. – George Strait”
Have you see the SXSWi logo this year? It looks like a lightning bolt and now I know why! I’ve just returned from the SXSWi Southwestern Connections party at the Beauty Bar. I’m still buzzing from the creative energy that flowed freely tonight.
In SXSWi style, I wandered around the room and introduce myself to people I didn’t know. This is how I connected with a Burner named Sparky.
One of my muses (chainsaw panda) shared a priceless video clip with me this morning. After I got up off the floor from laughing, I just had to share it with you.
So…if you want to know why I love being a woman born into a time and place where I’ve been given opportunity, inspiration and the belief that anything is possible…then look, listen and take heed…watch “Women: Know Your Limits” (which portrays the antithesis).
What if we were to remake this clip to portray the atmosphere at SXSW-Interactive?