Just as the geeks begin to disperse, Viacom sues YouTube for over $1 billion in copyright damages. Hey! Everybody come back so we can discuss it in person!

Had Viacom's announcement preceded this panel, how different it might have been. As it is, my heart's still with the audience member who quite reasonably pointed out to MTV's David Gale (whom I couldn't help but call "Henry Gale" in my notes, though he seems like a nice-enough guy and meant us no harm) and others that Joe and Jane America already have Internet TV in their living room: TiVo, which is a Linux box.

Of course, badge-holders have been hitting the SXSW party scene, so we'll give a quick shout out to the organisers of last night's The Futures of the Past steampunk party. Not only did they do the honorable and provide attendees with the one thing every SXSW attendee seems to crave (BBQ, baby!) but they also laid on the entertainment thick and fast. With a genius performance by Austin's own diva of despair Luna Tart, tumblers, theremin concerts, mad creations from the Austin Robotics Group and a frickin' Tesla coil (Coolest. Piece. Of. Electrics. EVER), it was the future as HG Wells told us it would be, where men with large moustaches and women with parasols canoed to the moon and met tin Venusians.

Jody Conradt confirmed Monday night what Lady Longhorn basketball fans had wondered about for weeks – would the iconic women's coach retire this year? After two consecutive disappointing seasons, logic held that she would. But the suddenness of her announcement – just 15 minutes after learning of the team's failure to qualify for the NCAA tournament – came all too soon for friends and fans who had followed her 31-year career at UT. "Losing is not acceptable," Conradt said, explaining her decision to retire, one week after achieving her 900th coaching victory in Oklahoma City. Conradt's career milestones could fill a book; she took her team to a national championship in 1986 and she has groomed hundreds of talented players. Now the search is on for Conradt's successor. Some potential candidates include Duke University's Gail Goestenkors, and Baylor's thoroughly entertaining firecracker of a coach, Kim Mulkey.

The city of Austin has some South by Southwest pointers up on their Web site. No, City Manager Toby Futrell isn't recommending you check out the Turbonegro showcase; instead, they're warning of a peril roaming Downtown: fraudulent parking attendants.

"The Downtown Area Command would like to advise the public that there are subjects wearing 'safety glow vests' and pretending to be valet parking attendants for the entertainment district. Vehicles are parked on public streets in marked spaces and drivers are being charged a parking fee," sayeth the APD. A hearty, "Bitch, please!" to these fellows (the scofflaws, not the cops) sounds in order.

They've also got street closures, parking info, and a list of free stuff up, like Auditorium Shores. (Will Wynn's guaranteed to be at the Public Enemy concert, as he's in talks with VH-1 for his own Flavor of Love-style reality TV show after the mayor gig: Will Wynn Ya, Babe?)

Some people just can't be happy for anyone.

Local professional surly cuss John Kelso started his week off complaining about the fact that the city of Austin decided to become a South by Southwest sponsor and waive the costs to the city of hosting the Festival - like they do for lots of events.

The average, everyday, "just like reg'lar folks" Johnny-boy (who recently turned his column into a round-about way of bragging that he drives that most blue-collar of vehicles, a Lexus) seems to believe that our beloved leader, Louis Black, dines on foie gras, probably paid for from the city sponsorship. Maybe John thinks it gets delivered by his own boss, Rich "I Blew $70,000 on a Boat" Oppel.

Now it's beneath us to really get into it with John (it's beneath everyone, really), but it's probably best that we clarify something for his readership. There's not one fridge here at Chronicle towers, but two. One is where the staff gets to keep lunch nicely chilled. The other is usually stuffed to bursting with cold cuts, snacks, and nibbles for the staff provided by … guess who? I'll give you a clue, it's not John Kelso. By the way, never seen any foie gras in there, Johnny-boy.

But just to cheer everyone up, here's a picture of two people promoting Eagle vs. Shark, which screens at 6pm this Friday at the Alamo Downtown.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Christopher Dennis and Joe McQueen, aka Superman and The Incredible Hulk. They're the guys who dress as comic book heroes on Sunset Strip and get their photos taken with tourists. They're in town to help promote the documentary about their lives, Confessions of a Superhero, which made its SXSW debut Saturday.

There's two more screenings of Confession this week: 9:45pm Tuesday at the Alamo Downtown, and 9:30pm Thursday at Austin Convention Center.

Dear Shawn, You do a fine job as the editor coordinating the Chronicle's SXSW Film and Interactive coverage; you really do. That's why it's tough to admit that this had to happen. It was easy enough to will that pencil into your pocket, point up. It was even easier to predict you would stick your paw in that pocket and impale yourself. Does it hurt, Shawn? I know that chunk of graphite is a cross to bear, but can it really compare to having to see a string of angst-ridden twentysomethings on the screen obsessing about their twitchy lives? Have you noticed that the women are always cute in these films and the guys mop-headed trendsters? My prescription is a heavy dose of early John Cassavetes starting with Shadows. I'm getting a strong sense these filmmakers are studying local hero Richard Linklater's films a bit too closely: Random talkiness, meeting strangers of the opposite sex, talking some more, riding the subway. Cassavetes is their man. Maybe their films will look a little less translucently white afterward as well. The good news? With that chunk of pencil in your hand, you had the pleasure of viewing my favorite film of SXSW to date: Skills Like This at the Paramount. The irony here? It's a story of twentysomething angst, but it does it with style, a script, and a bank robbery. Maybe I'm just a sucker for writerly angst stories, but this cast dealt with the angst head on and with humor. Is that irony that you're out to write about films and your scribe's weapon attacked you, Shawn? Is it trying to tell you something? I'm guess it's telling you write with flair and edit with a light touch. I have the mental powers usually reserved for those born with cawls. I know things. OK, maybe I need to quit attending midnight SXSW screenings of horror flicks. Rest that hand, pardner. The rest of us are counting on you. Later – Joe Editor's note: Joe, yo pal, Shawn here. You spelled John Cassavetes' surname incorrectly, which I thought was pretty telling itself. Lightly touched that one up, but could've (unethically) left it to make a point about twitchy Internet writing. Speaking of which, yes, the graphite chunk that found its way into my finger as I was on my way to the movie was indeed troublesome, but Nurse Darcie Stevens (thanks to Danu at the Paramount, pictured, as well) fixed me up when I returned to the office. At 2pm. You'll of course recall that the Skills Like This screening started at 1:30pm. No, I didn't leave after 20 minutes because I was in pain. Well yeah, actually, I guess I sort of did. I left because – ironically – I found the movie rather disappointing. It hurt to watch, especially because I had such high hopes for it. Won't go into it any more than that because, hey, I'm not a big film guy. You're a big film guy. I'm glad you liked Skills Like This so much. Thanks for all of your great work. Keep it up: I'm counting on you! Especially for your amazing photography (and to maybe explain these mysterious "cawls"). :sb Editor's note No. 2 (pencil, LMFAO): Skills Like This received the SXSW Film 07 Audience Award for Narrative Feature. Check the Screens section on Thursday for the full list of winners. :sb

"Who's here to find out about libel?" asked publishing law expert Dineen Wasylik. She used that line to kick off her quick guide to reporting on the web (Journalism in the Blogosphere: A Legal Guide to Internet "Press") this afternoon If you thought you could get away with saying anything on a blog, just because it's on-line, think again. Oh, and just because you're a blogger, doesn't mean you get the legal protections afforded journalists. So tread careful.

Legal conundrum time: it's probably better to be a blogger, because if Joe McBloggington throws a bad-tempered hissy about MegaSupaCorps, they're not very likely to be sued for libel. Why? Because blogs aren't taken very seriously. If that same blog was printed in, say, The Wall Street Journal, then they would get sued, because they're a publication of record, and people take what they say seriously.

BUT!

On the other hand, it's better to be a real journalist who happens to also blog, because then you get to take advantage of nifty things like shield laws and the Communications Decency Act.

Confused? Wait 'til you find out that, as a blogger, you might be legally liable for anything that people write on your comments board. Depends if the court thinks you're a publisher or a service provider.

Arguably Texas’ best-known drug war casualty, Tyrone Brown will soon be released from prison on the terms of a conditional pardon issued by Gov. Rick Perry last week.
Brown was 17 years old when he took part in an armed robbery 17 years ago; no one was injured, and Brown was initially given probation for his role in the crime. However, when a drug test came back positive for marijuana, Brown’s probation was revoked and Dallas Co. District Judge Keith Dean sentenced him to life in prison. Dean’s actions came into question after The Dallas Morning News reported that the judge’s treatment of Brown was far different than his treatment of well-connected murdered John Alexander Wood, who Dean allowed to stay on probation even after Wood repeatedly tested positive for cocaine use – Wood was even allowed to quit taking the drug tests.
The disparity in treatment – which Dean has, to date, declined to explain – prompted a grassroots campaign to free Brown. Finally, on March 9, with the support of the Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Dallas Co. District Attorney’s Office and Judge Dean, Perry granted Brown a conditional pardon, meaning Brown will have to meet several requirements – that he live with his mother, Nora, report to a parole officer, get a job, and see a therapist – in order to remain free. Perry declined to grant a full pardon, which the BPP reportedly recommended.