When the Smart Set Came to Town

I had such high hopes for this week. Here in our lovely little city, the SXSW music/media/interactive/film festival is going on. And I thought it would be a goldmine of stupid people doing stupid things. Instead, I keep running into cool little bits of smart. Bands playing in parking lots. Smart, albeit drunken, conversations of the merits of one film vs. another. Interestingly dressed people milling about the streets, creating a buzz that makes Austin feel a little bit more alive.

Add in that it’s spring break and most of the conservative family types (you know the ones who gather on Sundays to put their hands over their ears and chant, “la la la la la, I’m not listening . . .”) have all packed up the private jets and jumbo SUVs and headed off to terrorize the locals elsewhere.

Could it be? Do I really have nothing to complain about? I mean, sure, there’s plenty in the news to make fun of. The Bushies are doing their usual dance. Rove and Gonzales have stepped in it once again. Turns out we’ve already caught the mastermind behind 9/11 and most of the other high-level terrorist threats (wonder what the “alert level” is now? Cool blue? Isn’t it just like a mood ring?). The Christian right is ranting about the “immorality” of gays in the military---no, wait, that was a General. And of course, after the fact, said he was only speaking about his “personal” beliefs. Dude, I’m pretty sure you weren’t at that press conference in your private role. Doof. I wonder if he knows that his last name, Pace, is the word the Italian gay rights movement uses in it’s cause. It’s smack in the middle of all their rainbow flags. (It’s the little things that make me smile!)

Maybe I should have blogged on some of this stuff after all. Oh, well. After the SPIN party.