My week of nerding out with web developers and filmmakers is over and I'm waiting at gate 18 in the Austin airport hoping to get on a flight to Houston.  If all goes well, the plan is to meet up with my father in law there and spend a little time flying jets with him (he trains airline pilots for a living).  I honestly don't know if flying a jet airliner simulator will make me more or less nervous about flying after I've done it.  I'm hoping for less nervous.

So I'm still processing this year's SXSW.  All in all I think it was a good time, but I was generally more inspired and had more fun last year.  I can think of a few possible reasons for this.  First, though it was totally great staying with my friend Barnabas and his sister (they totally rock for putting me up the last several nights), staying downtown withing walking distance of everything definitely adds something to the experience -- it makes me feel more present and more a part of the festival/conference.  Also, it was noticeably more crowded this year (and last year was noticeably more crowded than the year before).  The crowds definitely make it lamer.  It's harder to get into things, it's harder to meet the people you want to meet, it's harder to meet new people and make friends.  I also think the panels and talks were generally more inspiring last year (this year's keynote with Steven Johnson and Henry Jenkins notwithstanding), though that is in part due to my own schedule of panel-picking.  I might have just missed the really inspiring ones.

I did see more films this year, including two sets of short films (Digital Pamphleteer totally rated and would have fit right in, BTW).

Last night was nerdtastic as Barnabas and I saw Second Skin, about gaming "addiction," and Nerdcore Rising, featuring MC Frontalot, who totally did an impromptu rap during the Q&A.  Nerdz rule.

Back in VT tomorrow with any luck.  Until then, this is Bill, standing by...