Pharewell
18 November 2008
Tuesday, 1:30 PM
What a year this turned out to be.
Shortly after the year began, my time with the amazing team at Happy Cog ended. It was the best thing for all concerned, even if my lack of an exit strategy left me without direction. My comfort zone was toxic, so really, any direction would do.
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Fall Travels
17 September 2008
Wednesday, 12:59 AM
Thanks in large part to Rob Across America, this has been the most traveled year of my life, but it’s not over yet. Before I disappear under a pile of blankets for the winter, I have a few more North American destinations lined up for the fall. If you happen to see me in any of these places, I hope you’ll say hello.
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2008 US Air Guitar Championships
13 August 2008
Wednesday, 1:32 PM
Sometimes, you just can’t fight the urge to have your hair shaved into lightning bolts, hop a plane to San Francisco, and stand glaring in chaps on a stage in front of 1,500 drunken lunatics. I did this at the behest of my alter-ego Windhammer and the 2008 Cuervo Black US Air Guitar National Finals last Friday while the rest of the world had decidedly less fun watching the Olympic opening ceremonies.
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Rob Across America
01 May 2008
Thursday, 2:08 PM
Okay, I have to make this really quick, because I’m already leaving much later than I wanted to. Leaving for what, you ask? A month-long, cross-country road trip, naturally. I made a web site for it which is where I’ll be writing exclusively for the next month (not that you expected to see anything new here). My bitchin’ Corolla is leaving Philadelphia momentarily—jump in the passenger seat!
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South by Southwest 2008
17 March 2008
Monday, 6:06 PM
My fourth year at Austin’s juggernaut of an interactive conference was more of a mixed bag than years past, as both I and SXSW adapted to its growing pains.
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Flying Southwest Airlines Southwest to South by Southwest
03 March 2008
Monday, 2:59 AM
March has arrived, and since college basketball doesn’t interest me any more than a zombified messiah figure selling chocolate or an ophidiophobic Irish folk hero selling Budweiser, March means just one thing: South by Southwest. In just a few days, I will descend on Austin for nearly a week’s worth of quality time with good friends and good ideas. If you see me there, I hope you won’t hesitate to say hello. Here are some easy opportunities to do so.
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Thirty Days Has September
04 September 2007
Tuesday, 10:33 AM
Another busy summer has come and gone, most of the fruits of which are still not quite ripe enough to talk about. I do, however, have a few things going on this month that are worth a mention.
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South by Southwest 2007
16 March 2007
Friday, 2:56 PM
Whoever “they” are, they say you never forget your first time. And in 2005, my first SXSW was definitely unforgettable. They also say twice is nice, and as such, my second SXSW was all sugar and spice. As we all know, though, the third time is the charm, and this year’s SXSW charmed the hell out of me.
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The Hunt Is on at SXSW
26 February 2007
Monday, 1:09 PM
I’ve done a bad thing. And I didn’t act alone.
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Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann
20 February 2007
Tuesday, 10:43 AM
One doesn’t often have the opportunity to work on a project that strengthens his skills in multiple disciplines and helps him reevaluate his connection to his heritage. I have been fortunate to have just such an opportunity, and after months of hard work, that project is now available for public consumption.
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How I Spent My Summer Vacation
03 October 2006
Tuesday, 3:35 PM
When I saw the gorgeously dreadful October 2006 edition of Stan’s site on Sunday, I remembered that I had intended to dust off my site’s costume from last year and put it back on. I dug around in my files, and was somewhat horrified to discover that the costume had vanished. Then I realized that if I was looking for that costume, summer must have ended. And boy oh boy, was there a lot of exciting stuff from the summer that I hadn’t gotten around to writing about.
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South by Southwest 2006
20 March 2006
Monday, 10:39 PM
Although most people are completely unaware that it encompasses anything other than music, South by Southwest is one of the world’s largest interactive conferences. 2006 was the biggest SXSW Interactive ever, or so assumes this second-timer, for whom the scope of “ever” begins in 2005. There were more panels, more parties, and most importantly, more people, many of whom were old friends, and many of whom are now new friends.
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Leaving on a Jet Plane
02 March 2006
Thursday, 11:37 AM
If anyone is still reading, I’ll be leaving for Austin in a little over a week for South by Southwest, where I will be immersed in symposiums, cinema, and suds-soaked socialization for five glorious days. Last year’s SXSW was a big part of what made 2005 the best year I have had in a long time; it was a steel-toed inspirational kick in the pants, and a networking free-for-all whose participants generally inhabited more warmth and sincerity than I even imagined was possible at an industry event. If the How-to-Make-a-Zillion-Dollar-Web-2.0-Application frenzy doesn’t transform everyone into a slobbering horde of cash-crazed zombies, I fully expect this year to be just as exhilarating. I’m looking forward to seeing many old friends and meeting just as many new ones. So if you see a badge that says “Rob Weychert” attached to a big red beard with some pale limbs jutting out of it, please don’t hesitate to come say hello, or at least wonder aloud if I’ve ever stood in direct sunlight.
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Four Things
25 January 2006
Wednesday, 6:59 PM
It is a beautiful January morning in Philadelphia. The Pixelworthy office is incandescent, its twentieth story windows unable to find refuge from the sun. Shaded by a pillar, Stan glares at the iMac on his desk.
“Damn Zeldman. Fucking meme shit.”
A few feet away, Rob snickers into his cinnamon roll.
“Keep laughing. You’re getting tagged next.”
“Come now, Stan. I can’t break over three months of editorial silence by participating in some retarded meme.”
“Tough luck.”
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The Darkness Falls on D.C.
01 March 2004
Monday, 12:39 PM
I’m not often interested in shows that could conceivably sell out in less than five minutes after tickets have been made available, so imagine my disappointment when that exact thing happened on Friday as I waited in line for Darkness tickets. Now it appears that my only chances at seeing what will probably be the best show of the year... more »
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The Poorly-Planned Pittsburgh Pop-In
29 October 2003
Wednesday, 8:30 AM
Since Pittsburgh is the other big city in Pennsylvania, and I had never been there, I decided to check it out with Merritt this past weekend. The chosen weekend was timely; The Animation Show (which isn’t scheduled to visit Philadelphia) was screening in Pittsburgh, and since I wasn’t going to Ottawa this year, this was a good excuse to drive... more »
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What’s Goin’ On
01 October 2003
Wednesday, 6:27 PM
There has been plenty going on, but I haven’t had much to say about any of it. Lightning Bolt, Hangedup, Battles, and Lost in Translation are all great and were all taken in last week. Over the weekend, I saw a bumper sticker that said “Abortion Causes Breast Cancer,” watched my dear friend Mary get married, and cheered as some... more »
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2003 Chicago Adventure
03 September 2003
Wednesday, 1:37 AM
The summer technically ends on September 22 (as anyone eagerly anticipating the redesign of this site should note), but most people pack up their lawn sprinklers and sun dresses after Labor Day, moribundly lumping the whole of September into the Autumn category. Apparently Mother Nature’s embitterment toward this trend compelled her to adjust the calendar herself; it was 65° and... more »
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Philadelphia: Providing One-Man Bands, Erections, and LEGO
18 July 2003
Friday, 1:47 PM
Every year, I take a trip to Chicago to visit some friends and spend some time in one of my favorite cities. Every year, my trip to Chicago is scheduled to coincide with one or many Philadelphia events that I’d really rather not miss. It’s uncanny: bands, film festivals, exhibitions, and all manner of special events all pop out of... more »
Filed under: Film, Music, Philadelphia, Travel
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Turn Off the Bright Lights
22 January 2003
Wednesday, 11:08 AM
Peter and I took a trip up to New York yesterday. The early afternoon was occupied by sifting through galleries in Chelsea, the highlights of which were the Tim Gardner and Michael Craig-Martin exhibitions, held (respectively) at 303 Gallery and Gagosian Gallery. The late afternoon was spent being herded around NBC Studios in Rockefeller Center, waiting to see Interpol perform... more »
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I Could Live in Ottawa
12 October 2002
Saturday, 12:16 PM
I’ve been back from Ottawa for nearly a week now and the annoying cold I contracted while I was there is on its last leg, so I am finally getting around to reporting on the festival. This was the third bi-annual Ottawa International Animation Festival I have been to; I counted seeing 162 short films in just about three days... more »
Filed under: Film, Music, Travel
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The Motörhead Version
16 July 2002
Tuesday, 8:50 AM
You may or may not have noticed that I redesigned the site. Welcome to robweychert.com Version 2, lovingly dubbed “The Motorhead Version” by my friend Merritt. Version 1 has been permanently archived and will no longer be updated. As with that original version, I welcome any and all comments, suggestions, criticism, praise, and disparagement regarding content, functionality, and/or aesthetics. To... more »
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New York, New York
10 June 2002
Monday, 6:13 PM
Just got back from a weekend in New York, primarily for two nights’ worth of sold out shows at North Six in Brooklyn. Saturday night was The Fucking Champs, Rye Coalition, and Drunk Horse, the denser of the two shows in terms of quality. The Fucking Champs were excellent as usual, Rye Coalition was significantly more entertaining than the last... more »
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Top o’ the Mornin’ to Ya, Captain Wesker
12 May 2002
Sunday, 12:26 AM
I have returned from Ireland in one piece. Details and photos should be up within a few days, but I see that the Resident Evil redux for GameCube arrived in my absence, so don’t hold your breath.... more »
Filed under: Travel, Video Games
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The Left Side of the Road
06 May 2002
Monday, 4:21 PM
I’m in Dublin today and tomorrow and this cyber cafe ain’t cheap, so I’ll just briefly say that the trip is going well, I’ll be back in the States this weekend, and I’ll be putting together a micro-site detailing the trip then.... more »
Filed under: Travel
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National Security
02 May 2002
Thursday, 3:42 PM
Tomorrow afternoon I leave for a week in Ireland with the fam, armed with a stack of Irish literature for the many hours destined to be spent on planes and in cars. Luckily, the Transportation Security Administration issued their new list of items banned from carry-on luggage just in time, so I can feel safe knowing that no one carrying... more »
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Sometimes This Old Farm Feels Like a Long-Lost Friend
11 April 2002
Thursday, 3:27 PM
I survived the trip home, and apparently spring arrived while I was gone. The ice cream man is in full effect. Since I missed the first half of the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema, I’m diving in tomorrow night with a late screening of the U.S. premeire of Versus. Looks delicious.... more »
Filed under: Film, Philadelphia, Travel
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Marked for Death
10 April 2002
Wednesday, 3:28 AM
Detroit is interesting in a ghost town kind of way. About half of the city’s buildings are vacant. And aside from business hours, there is virtually no activity. Weird. None of this stops the place from having some sweet bookstores, though, and looking through those took up much of the day. I also got to check out a nifty arcade... more »
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Kick Out the Jams
09 April 2002
Tuesday, 12:13 PM
I’m in Detroit today. Last night I got a little driving tour and today we’re gonna do some book-shopping and sock monkey picture-taking and punk rock finger-pointing. Results later.... more »
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Dancing in Heaven
07 April 2002
Sunday, 4:06 PM
Last night was a fund-raising party at the Heaven Gallery in Wicker Park for the upcoming Version02 Festival (which I’m really sad I’m going to miss). Despite huge potential for overhipness, it was a genuinely great time, and I met a bunch of really nice people. I was also familiarized with the very slick SELECT zine. Thanks to Kelly and... more »
Filed under: Art/Design, Travel
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2002: A Chicago Odyssey
05 April 2002
Friday, 2:39 AM
My generous hosts and I got back a couple hours ago from seeing a gorgeous digitally remastered 70mm print of 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Music Box Theatre. Wow. This afternoon I paid my inaugural visit to the inside of The Art Institute of Chicago (I took some fabulous photos of my sock monkey around the exterior last spring).... more »
Filed under: Art/Design, Film, Travel
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Mileage
03 April 2002
Wednesday, 9:27 PM
Today I drove seven hundred something miles to Chicago. If you didn’t know, Ohio and Indiana offer little in the way of intriguing scenery. But I did see a sign in Ohio for “Gore Orphanage Rd,” so now I’ve got another name to choose from when I start my metal band.... more »
Filed under: Travel
