Love in the time of networking.

This was that last picture I took at #BATTH, i.e., the Big Ass Twitter Happy Hour held once a month here in Austin.

Do you recognize this handsome man? It is Chris Apollo Lynn, of the award-winning Republic of Austin blog!  Damn Chris. You so fly.

(And I am, very clearly, white.)

Anyway, tonight I am going to #BATTH.  I tend to treat these things like a National Geographic photographer, watching excellent networkers in their natural environment. Oh, I'm an OK conversationalist. But networking?  Eh.

Some people are networking naturals, like my boss Marika, or my friend Kelly. A popular Twitter personality and blogger, Kelly is years younger than me, but the kind of networker I only hope I can be someday. She asks intelligent questions, she is ridiculously informed about social media, she can talk about her interests and involvements without domineering the conversation. It is a gift, and an especially valuable one in a city that treats its social media users so respectfully. I really love that about Austin. That people take bloggers / Twitter users seriously, and treat us as for-real information sources.

Where was I?  Oh yeah. I am a shy networker. Are you guys?

I tend to corner Peter Tsai at #BATTH events and be like, "HELLO. TALKING GOOD. YOUR DAY, HOW WAS IT."  We go on like that for a few minutes, Peter graciously humors me and laughs at my weird cavewoman remarks, and then I feel socially lubricated enough to go forth and talk to more people.

But tonight, I won't abuse Peter's attention span. Tonight, I'm bringing real business cards. Tonight, I am looking forward to meeting more Austin Twitter users, because frankly, it's a neat group of people that I want to get to know. Everyone is so jazzed and excited by social media, and that, in turn, energizes me.

One more thing. Are you wondering about the "Crushworthy" sign Chris and I are holding? That was an idea we had for a "show," where we both interview (like, together, two-on-one) someone in Austin that we have a "crush" on.  For me, that would definitely be James at Hancock Center H-E-B, who is only the loudest, proudest, most cheerful sample giver EVER.  I am going to post about James someday so you can all know about this man.  In fact, you already do, if you've ever been there on a Saturday and heard,

"MY GOO'NESS!  ISS A HOT ONE TODAY!  GOOD THANG WE GOT WATAHMELON HALF OFF!  WITH RANCH FO YO SALAD!  AND, AW NAW, WAD ELSE?  SHAKE N' BAKE, Y'ALL!  SHAKE!  N'!  BAKE!  BUY ONE GIT ONE FREE Y'ALL!"

I love James. I am, in love, with James.

Chris may have had other folks in mind to interview for Crushworthy, but sorry, James is my first choice. I can't wait.

Who would you like to see interviewed for Crushworthy, if we ever seriously made that a little show? (By which I mean, YouTube vids embeddeded on our respective blogs).

In other words, who in Austin do you have a crush on?

Bloggers, Twitterers, socializing. And possibly dancing.

Man, we Austin social media types can't get enough of each other in person, eh? As it turns out, we are JUST as socially capable in-person as we are online!

First, I want to talk about this event happening tonight, which has an exceedingly well-designed poster:

Isn't that pretty? Good job, Software Advice.

Ok first of all I know what you're thinking - "Software Advice." Woooohoo. But I met Chris Thorman, one of the lovely young lads behind the company, at the Bleet-Up a few weeks ago, and I was intrigued by this item on their party's press release:

"The Software Advice office at 7th & Congress is paperless. Any documents that come into the office are scanned and stored digitally before being recycled. Each month, the company prints fewer than 20 sheets of paper."

Less than 20 sheets, for serious? I think I used that many yesterday printing out a juicy office email thread about whether we should reorder a stock of Avery labels, or consider the slightly less expensive kind from Staples? (Hawt. Gossip.)

Anyway you never know, bloggers, when you will need some software advice, and that is why I'm posting about this party tomorrow. Like for example, I would like to learn how to use Dreamweaver so as to figure out how to design an ACTUAL SITE. You know, the kind with "About" tabs and stuff. Also, there will be free beer.

Secondly, Lani Rosales - President of New Media Lab (and a downright Twitter Ninja) - has organized a Tweetup at the north Iron Cactus that all local Twitterati are invited to attend. (Oh Twitter. There is no end to the cute words you produce!) I will be there tomorrow, and would you believe this is only my second Tweetup? I believe Breanna of One Leg at a Time will be my lady-date.

What I love about Tweetups is how great the Twitterers are about updating in real time. "I'm sharing a margarita with @RachelSmith!" "@MikeR just gave me his card!" "Um, @BeerDan stepping on my foot."

Switching subjects dramatically. If you're more in the mood to dance tomorrow evening, Learning Secrets is holding it down at Lanai:


Free popsicles! Fuggedaboutit, I'm there.

Speaking of dancing, and bloggers. (Actually a party thrower). Knuckle Rumbler sent me something pretty delicious yesterday:

I can't stop watching / listening to it. Don't the animal masks remind you of Donnie Darko a little?

And no, Miike Snow is not coming to Austin anytime soon. But let's encourage Transmission / Emo's / C3 / The Parish / whoever wants to tackle this to woo him down to our city. DO IT!

Lastly, for no reason whatsoever: kittens.