2009 SXSW Dispatch #1
While my custom has been to post lengthy daily diary entries about my South By Southwest exploits, this year will probably be a little different, with less emphasis on where I ate lunch and more emphasis on what terrible misfortunes befell me. I may also talk about some of the movies, if space permits.
The fun began on Thursday, when I flew from Portland to Austin and discovered during my layover in Denver that my laptop, a second-hand iBook that I only use when I travel, had gone teats up. It was stuck on a screen that says “You need to restart your computer”; restarting it simply brought it back to that screen again. I called my brother Jeff, who did some googling and found that when other people have encountered this it has been due to problems with one of these two things:
a) the software; or,
b) the hardware.
We were glad to have it narrowed down.
As it happens, Jeff was coming to SXSW too, for the “Interactive” (i.e. computer nerd) conference, and could bring me the startup disks to try repairing the software. He also brought a MacBook belonging to our other brother Lane, in case we couldn’t fix mine. Which we couldn’t. Which means I’m using Lane’s computer for the week and hoping not to damage either its software or its hardware.
Using someone else’s laptop is like driving someone else’s car. Everything’s in a different place, the settings aren’t what you’re used to, you feel self-conscious about farting in it, etc. Will Lane object to my deleting all his useless Firefox bookmarks and downloading my own? He doesn’t even have Internet Movie Database bookmarked, for crying out loud. Why would you even need a computer if you’re not interested in movies?
(Side note about Lane’s computer: Before lending it to me, he set the Firefox homepage to be a Google search for the phrase “Why do I cry when I’m alone?” It’s the little things, you know?)
As I said, my laptop is only for travel purposes and doesn’t have anything important on it — all my files and documents and adult photos are on my real computer back home — so it will only be a financial hardship if it turns out to be unfixable, not an emotional one. Don’t worry about me! I promise to avoid falling into a mood pocket.
And hey, speaking of mood pockets, that term (if you don’t recognize it) comes from Jeffrey Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere. It was ultimately his excuse for failing to appear on the Oxford Film Festival panel he’d been flown in specifically to appear on: He’d been so emotionally drained by the lack of adequate wifi in the hotel that he’d plunged headlong into a “mood pocket.” He eventually said he’d refund what the festival paid to fly him out there, though I understand he has not actually done this yet. (Feel free to do with that information what you will.)
Anyway, in celebration, someone in Oxford knitted a bunch of little pouches, in a variety of colors and designs, and called them Mood Pockets. It works as a cell phone cozy, or a change purse, or a place to hide your weed. Melanie, our pal from Oxford who’s here at SXSW, has been distributing them among friends and colleagues. Like I said, it’s the little things, you know?
March 14th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Funniest in a while, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it was the little things.
March 14th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Awesome! Is there a place where one could purchase them online, possibly with some of the profits going back to the poor Oxford people–oh, and then we could send him the pockets for his various “moods” (read: personalities).
March 14th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
“Why do I cry when I’m alone?”
That was hilarious.
March 14th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
I’m glad to see all the Snider brothers are wise enough not to use Internet Explorer, but not yet wise enough to switch to google Chrome. Seriously, the world needs to realize how awesome it is.
March 14th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Adult photos? Which adults do you keep photos of?
March 14th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
There once was a man from Woonsocket,
Who traveled to Oxford by rocket.
It was there that he sought
And subsequently bought
A cozy and knitted mood pocket.
March 14th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
If you Google “Why do I cry when I’m alone?”, Eric’s page is the first result. One of those nice little things. It’s nice to know that you have a nice mood pocket to keep you company.
March 14th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
If you sing “mood pocket” to the commericial jingle “Hot Pockets”, it somehow makes things even better. Love the continuous return to Wells. Also I am writing this from the Middle East so you have truly gone global and so far your site is not blocked. I will not forward your comment about adult photos to the regulators.
March 15th, 2009 at 2:18 am
Feel free to dump those bookmarks. My real ones are on my computer at home too.
And I wasn’t sure if you use Firefox or Safari…
March 15th, 2009 at 10:48 am
@tkangaroo: Mr Wells would almost certainly use that as an excuse to not refund the money. After all, the festival is now using his idea to make money, right?
March 15th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Awesome. I love the dispatches from the various festivals.
March 15th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
I love the little Mood Pocket! I used to crochet nose warmers when I was in college, but they looked like tiny little jock straps, and weren’t very useful anyway.
March 15th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Hehe I love how Wells has become an ongoing joke with the Oxford people… way to exact awesome revenge!
Also, thumbs up on using Firefox… you should set up another FF identity for yourself though, so you can have your own bookmarks ‘n’ stuff.
March 16th, 2009 at 9:47 am
I really enjoyed this one, and I think it was the Wells bashing.
Also, everyone needs to go to Lane Snider’s website. It’s fantastic.
Also again, the phrase “Tiny Little Jock Straps” could totally be the name of a band. Thanks Momma Snider!
March 19th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Eric, can you get Momma Snider to knit nose warmers that look like “Tiny Little Jockstraps” to hand out at Sundance next year? That would be awesome. Also? They should be glowing blue, like Doctor Manhattan’s nether-regions.
March 20th, 2009 at 1:06 am
Michele made the pockets! Not SOMEONE.
March 20th, 2009 at 1:08 am
Oh, and I have been singing the Hot Pockets theme. I think I transcribed some of the lyrics on my own (personal, not Cinematical) blog, but since it has dirty language I won’t link to the post.
Just the blog: adventuresinmoviewatching.com