By Douglas E. Jessmer

OK, so in case you wondered why I've been silent (is that even possible?):

I was too cheap for that wireless Interweb at the Hilton. I was on dialup all weekend. Posting photos that way would have taken the patience of Job, all the time in the world, and the masochism only Kafka could dish out. Like Martin, I didn't do much posting during the conference. Martin's got an excuse, though -- he was in serious demand all weekend (I see he didn't make it to the Swamp, but there's always next year). My excuse? I'm cheap and don't want to support some heiress' addictions.

Oh, yeah, about the Swamp....

If you didn't make it to 13068, you missed out. Some photos from there will, indeed, be posted, as soon as I develop the negatives from my D-100. Good images, of course, unless your name is Matt Erickson. HA!

The Swamp was an international destination, believe it or not. We (yes, "we," because the room was the temporary domicile of Trapper Jim McBee and me) were visited by Canadians, Swedes, Singaporeans (is that a word?), Danes, Germans and Chicagoans. There was plenty of alcohol all weekend (special thanks to my editor in Sarasota for not only coming to SND again this year, but for hanging out with us and getting much of it for us), and of course, I had me a Chrysler that was as big as a whale that we got it all back to the hotel in....

...oh, yeah, and went to Whataburger in, and went to get Texas barbecue in Sunday afternoon, and did that power slide in front of the hotel in. (I'm no stunt driver, but if you've ever wanted to see a luxobarge's tail intentionally swing around 180 degrees, you missed a shot Thursday night.)

For those of you who think all some of us did was drink, act dumb and chase girls, well, yes, there was that. But the weekend wasn't about debauchery, crude humor and drinking -- it was about networking, development, camaraderie, navel-gazing (thanks, ReaGAHN and SubstitutSHAWN, for that word, as the Cajun Critiquer would have said), etc., etc.

I met a lot of interesting folks there from a lot of interesting places. Some of 'em, I'd already known through the power of VisualEditors.com, but many others, I'd either seen on the periphery of VizEds or heard of through other sources. The visual journalism world was revolutionized by Robb Montgomery, with help from Charles Apple (who I count as a great professional friend) and a bunch of big dogs and little people in this profession who saw the need for, and benefit of, VizEds. If you're not on VizEds, it is incumbent upon you to get involved, not only to raise the bar but to carry the spirit of Houston until we meet again in Mickeytown next October.

Maybe the ol' Newsdesigner hisself will keep this blog archived so we can go back and rekindle those fond memories of things like...

-- A train of people Saturday night walking downtown to a bar suggested by a new Canadian acquaintance of mine, only to wind up turning around and going back to the Swamp

-- Cramming six people into my car to shuffle off to the nearest Whataburger (poor Heidi from the CSM had to sit on the console)

-- THE TEXAS PHOTOSHOP MASSACRE!

-- Security coming up and telling Swamp visitors who spilled out into an adjacent lounge to STFU at 3 a.m.

-- A late-night phone call from an in absentia Swampie from Orlando (we missed you, Jeff) that for more than three hours kept McBee and me laughing like idiots

-- "And Many More!"

Stay tuned for SND Rewound.