That's right, SFist is getting on a plane early tomorrow and will be flying deep into the heart of Texas in order to bring you wall-to-wall reporting of the internerd/hipster fest that is South by Southwest. We really, really hope all those stories of Austin being "cool" and "hip" and, mostly, "liberal" are true -- we get scared of potential conflicts with Red Staters once we pass Pinole on 80. Can they see it in our eyes that we support same-sex marriage, universal healthcare and public transportation funding?

Well, if a horde of angry Republicans do come after us, at least we won't be alone -- the local blogosphere will likely experience "the Burning Man effect" (where tumbleweeds roll through every dive bar, medical marijuana dispensary and live-work space in town during Labor Day weekend) in miniature, as practically everywhere we turn we run into yet another Bay blogger that will be there (or at eTech in San Diego, but you've got to be an even bigger geek than us to get into that). We'll have operatives on the ground for the duration, bringing you team coverage. Is Shiner Bock better than Anchor Steam? Can the Salt Lick stand toe-to-toe with Brother-In-Law's? Will their burritos have rice and beans? And if Paris Hilton and Gavin Newsom start making out in Union Square, and no one's there to blog about it, will they make a sound?