Day 4:
Got up really early and stopped by a grocery store on the way downtown to buy myself some snacks and food for lunch. Actually made it up in time for the keynote panel with DJ Spooky and Ian Clarke (of Freenet) and found the whole thing very interesting. Not only were the speakers really good and brought up some good points, but there was a really funny incident that sort of made the whole panel worthwhile. At one point during the panel, the cellphone of a woman about two rows up from Jason, Meg, and I started ringing. Instead of turning it off or just checking who it was from, she actually starting talking right in the middle of the panel. Everyone around her was visibly annoyed, and one fellow took the moment and threw a wadded-up piece of paper at her, which hit her right in the face. Good job, chap!

After the keynote, I headed up and sat in on another couple panels, then said my goodbyes before making my way out of the conference center for the last time. On the way out, I spotted Mark Borchart from the film American Movie being interviewed off in a corner of the place. I thought about snapping his picture, but decided to not be obtrusive and just keep on moving instead. Right before I left the building, though, I saw his sidekick Mike, though, and couldn't pass up the opportunity to pose with him. Finally, I was on my way back to the parking garage and snapped one more picture of downtown Austin before driving back to the airport to return my car.

The flights home were uneventful and although I witnessed a major car accident (warning: long story) on the way home from the airport with my brother, I made it home fine and was actually happy to be back in my own bed and relaxing. It was a whirlwind 4 days, and I needed some sleep.

Closing Thoughts