thatnight.net

It apparently started in the comments section of this blog entry, and when I arrived at a screening of Ghostbusters last night with my very favorite people, I was greeted with wine, a chocolate fountain, and the biggest award I could’ve ever hoped to receive.

Norm got it on video:

“I went all the way to Austin, and all I got was this stupid Burghie.”

I was so surprised that I really couldn’t get many words out, despite the honor of such a prestigious recognition, but if I did present an appropriate acceptance speech, it would probably go something like this:

First I’d like to thank my fairy blogparents for making all of this possible. To my two beautiful children and wonderful husband, thank you for your constant support, and my dear uncle for your guidance. To my representatives, Gallant Management, for guarding my reputation after all those destructive, Keystone-filled evenings, and my fantastic media consultant for keeping me in the know. And, of course, I’d like to thank God.

But really, Dawn, Norm, and Uncle Crappy, I’m thrilled. Thank you.

Related to this post:

Tweet: [Screw the Bloggies, I won me a BURGHIE.]
Photography: [jimshireman | Ghostbusters Party March 2008]
Blog: [Who You Gonna Call?] [Twitter helps my social life]

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Towards the end of his PostSecret presentation (which was incredible, by the way, but more on that later), Frank Warren invited audience members to share their secrets with the crowd. I managed to quickly grab my video camera as a guy proposed to his girlfriend.

It was a little nerve racking for a moment, as she took a while to get to the stage, but she finally got there and said “yes.” And he cried. And I cried. And Frank said some funny things.

Watch it.

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After briefly visiting the conference center yesterday afternoon, we grabbed some dinner at a spaghetti place. Besides a bat problem, they had a magician on hand who ended up being pretty awesome. Or at least, better than the bat.

I was especially excited by one card trick in particular, and, as you can tell by my annoyingly screechy reaction, impressed that he managed to pull it off so flawlessly.

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I was emailed a video this morning, and I’m somewhat perplexed as to his identity. Anyone? Anyone?

At this time in two days, I will be somewhere between flights on my way to Austin, TX for the SXSW Interactive conference and 2008 Bloggie Awards. I am excited, and I am petrified. If I’m not high on Dramamine by the time the plane leaves Pittsburgh, I plan on recording takeoff so you can witness pure terror.

I can hardly even focus on the enthusiasm I have hidden somewhere for all of the people I’ll be seeing. The actual bodies of people. Internet people. In real life. I’ll be making a whole album just of Heather’s hair. And also? Convincing Leah to become a polygamist, because I totally want in on that marriage.

There are also a couple little things I’m working on that should come out this weekend, and if you’re easily annoyed by reader updates, I would almost recommend removing me, just for the weekend. Almost. Because I’m going to be constantly bugging the hell out of you. Think: Some girl running up to you on the street, ripping out pages of her well-documented diary, and throwing them relentlessly at your right ear. Hi, I’m Rachel.

I also have a secret. Perhaps about my personal life? Perhaps that will especially surprise my PodCamp friends?

Now you’re looking for the secret, but you won’t find it because you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to know the secret. You want to be…fooled.

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Recently, this website has surpassed my humble blogging expectations, and I’ve been trying to come up with ways in which I could offer my thanks and appreciation. Because of you, I am happy to write every day. I can eat food now and then. Not to mention, I am able to attend SXSW in two weeks.

And so I sit here, with Dan, at a coffee shop (OK, it’s Panera). Dan is one of my very best friends. Back in 9th grade, I was the new girl at a public high school, recently transferred from a Catholic middle school, and we were about on the same level as Dan spent 8 years not talking to anyone. We were fiercely unpopular.

Anyway.

I happen to have this $100 Apple gift card laying around. And I want you to have it.

I had originally thought about going the route of the goddess Pioneer Woman and having “Name that Photo” contests. But I’m an English major, yo. We need to go deeper.

Enter: The first ever PhotoKu.

That photo way up top there? I took that of Dan at a party goods store. And you? You are centering your creative medium and writing a haiku about it, and posting it in the comments section of this entry. Be serious or absurd, witty or allusive. Either way, my favorite submission will be $100 closer to a shiny new piece of Apple goodness. Apple pie? Never mind.

The contest will close tomorrow afternoon when I return from my lit. theory class (Monday 6:00 PM EST), and I will announce the winner shortly after. Remember, syllables per line are 5, 7, 5. One entry per person, please. And I will keep watch, trust me. Seventy percent of my waking life is spent checking my comments.

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I’m really lucky to be from Pittsburgh.

When the news of the Bloggies made it through the grapevine on the local level, I was contacted by Ashley DiParlo (seriously, between her and Andrew Stockey, how could anyone not claim serious eye candy? WTAE has the hotness) to do a little interview that would run Thursday, this morning, on the last day of voting (which ends at 10PM tonight).

I was nervous as all hell, as I usually am when the situation calls for explaining what my site is. A book? Of stuff? That’s on a screen? But after sitting down with her and talking for a few minutes, she was so sweet that I wanted to curl up in pajamas and talk blogging until the coffee shop tossed us out onto Carson Street.

I am extremely grateful that Pittsburgh has the tolerance to experiment with the “new media” thing without making it seem completely unconventional or foreign to the real world.

In short, it rocks here. Come to Pittsburgh. And also, Pittsburgh? Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh.

The video is here (if that doesn’t work, it’s listed in the Plugged-In section of ThePittsburghChannel).

Edit: My friend Richie, who is wonderful, YouTubeified the story for me. Hopefully, if you weren’t able to see it before, you can do so now.

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As a quick follow up to my previous Saw IV post, Blogtober: Saw IV – Effective Horror Advertising, the wonderful people at Movie Snobs caught the TV spots and put them up on YouTube. Surprisingly, their version had three splits, resulting in four different Saw clips.

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A session at the conference made some video shorts related to the idea of “why you chose the shirt you’re wearing.” Chris Brogan posted all five on his site. I am in the first one, but my favorite (an impromptu comedy about alternative definitions of techie terms), which has nothing to do with the original topic, is embedded below.

It was filmed in a way in which individuals were told to stand against a wall, given a term, and asked to elaborate on the fly. It’s also a very good display of the different people who have come together this weekend.

“What’s Facebook?”

“A really dissatisfying porn magazine.”

On a side note, the Tribune-Review covered us.

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