funny stuff

from the NYTimes coverage (by the excellent jon pareles) of sxsw (funny stuff bolded):

"At South by Southwest, a music lover is also a target market. We presumed early adopters and tastemakers have been inundated not just with music, but also with whatever -- through research or, just as likely, free-association -- that marketers happen to think we'll tout to friends after the convention ends.

"The swag in the bag was just the beginning. More CDs are piled up at club doors by companies who, for the rest of the year, fret publicly about people getting music free. For those who prefer their music virtual, there are baskets of plastic cards with codes to redeem for downloaded songs."

- http://www.nytimes.com/ref/arts/music/sxsw-journal.html