Austin Whitney, a 22-year-old UC Berkeley grad paralyzed in a 2007 car accident (he got drunk and hit a tree), fulfilled a dream today that most of us would take entirely for granted: He walked seven steps to collect his diploma, with the help of a motorized exoskeleton. Watch the video and be inspired. (And don't drink and drive.) [PopSci]

Sometimes the best plan of action is to simply wander down Austin's main streets without a set schedule, ducking into parties at random as you find them. SXSW is filled with the chaos of too much happening at once and that's especially true on the final day when brands, bands and attendees try to cram in everything that didn't fit during the days prior.

Day three of the music portion of SXSW continued in sun-drenched fashion. While many of the fest's most hyped musicians meandered about the streets, much of the action and popular day parties centered around Red River street, from Spin's event at Stubb's to Club De Ville, Beerland and more. [Previously: Day 1, Day 2]

Legions of green decorated the streets of Austin yesterday as day two of the music portion of SXSW coincided with St. Patrick's Day. After various parties, loft retreats and even a vegan BBQ hosted by Moby during the day, Thursday night's big draw was a free outdoor concert by the Strokes. And in keeping in Texan fashion, the event was large in size, taking over an entire field and culminating in a fireworks display during the group's last song. Here are some photos of yesterday's action.

If you are picture-shy—as Texas resident Johnathan Washburn is—you are advised not to assault people who photograph you—as Mr. Washburn did—because then the police are required by law to take a picture of you, and give it to anyone who asks. Which is why you are loooking at a picture of Mr. Johnathan Washburn, courtesy the Austin Statesman and the Austin Police Department. (Washburn allegedly grew angry with a fellow who took a photo of his "mohawk" and demanded that the photograph be erased; the situation escalated to the point where Washburn hit the guy with his skateboard. It's unclear whether or not the offending photograph survived the assault, but Washburn's mug shot more than makes up for it.) [Austin Statesman via The Daily What]

Under overcast skies, the music portion of Austin's annual SXSW festival kicked off yesterday. While Wednesday is seen as more of a precursor to the higher profile headliners and bigger parties that the weekend brings, throngs of people turned up at the various venues and tents for the fest's launch. With free booze flowing thanks to all the sponsors who have descended on the event in recent years, we ducked into a handful of shows including an especially energetic set from Alabama rapper Yelawolf before capping off the evening with the live taping of MTVu's Woodie Awards.

Texas—for a brief period the most All-American state except for New Hampshire—has, alas, succumbed to the inexorable demographic tidal wave that continues to swamp this nation in non-whiteness. Says the Washington Post:

The Solid Waste Services Department of Austin, Texas needs a new name, and they've asked for residents to vote online in a poll that ends next Thursday. The current frontrunner? "The Fred Durst Society of the Humanities and Arts."

No, it's not just your three friends from college and your ex-girlfriend and your cousin and those guys who used to be in your band: all the kids these days are moving to Austin, Texas. I heard Austin's cool, yeah.

Here's a pre-wedding invitation "Save the Date" video made by a couple living in, duh, Austin, TX. It's in the style of nü-vintage filmmaker Wes Anderson's work and we can't decide if it's annoying or not. You be the judge!

[President Obama looked like he was about to start headbanging to a Judas Priest song when showing the crowd the "hook 'em horns" at the University of Texas in Austin today. Image via AP]

As details begin to unfold about the plane crash in Austin, CNN's Marylynn Ryan tries to explain the course of events to Anchorman Tony Harris. Accomplished newsman that he is, Harris only needs three detailed explanations to grasp the situation.

A small plane has crashed into an office building in Austin, Texas, that houses local FBI, CIA, and IRS offices. The scene is 20 miles from the nearest airport, and witnesses say the plane "hit the building full-throttle."

Spotted all around Austin during this week's South by Southwest conference: a moving billboard (truck, actually) for BarCamp Austin, the "unconference" originally created as an alternative to Tim O'Reilly's exclusive Foo Camp. The billboard's owner, Anderson Mobile Advertising, says their trucks "provide businesses with a creative solution helping them break through today's media clutter." They bought the entire truck, so the same ad keeps rotating, promising "tech, beer, and the karaoke apocalypse."

Bi The Way, a new documentary about that beloved 90s trend of being bisexual, proves that the decade is back in a big way. And only nine years after we said goodbye to the trends of worrying about AIDS and listening to the Black Crowes before reviewing them! The movie even features 90s talking head Michael Musto. Free weeklies may be out, but the Village Voice columnist is back since his Lindsay Lohan as Marilyn Monroe spread this week. (Fortunately, filp-flops and socks were never in, so we don't need to worry about that coming back.) Nearly NSFW trailer and proof that the 00s are recycling the 90s, which is also very 90s, after the jump.