Personal
Final 2009 wrapup
Over the last couple of days, I've written about how Drupal, Acquia and Mollom performed in 2009, respectively:
I don't write these posts to pass time. I write them for you and me. I write them for you, because you might benefit from my experiences. I write them for myself so I won't forget the details when I tell my grandchildren about you, and the crazy ride that was Drupal. That is why for me, technologies like Twitter and Facebook, won't replace blogging -- they complement blogging. I predict that I'll continue to blog in 2010, whether you like it or not.
All in all, I've never worked harder than in 2009. 14 hour work days were standard, and I traveled almost 100,000 miles (160,000 km).
It paid off because 2009 was a year of growth. Drupal grew, Acquia grew, Mollom grew. The Drupal Association matured, and with the birth of Stan, my family grew. I met a lot new people, and learned many new things about both technology and business. There was a lot of personal growth in 2009. I pushed my boundaries and those of many of my peers.
Unfortunately, 2009 saw some regressions also. I virtually stopped doing any sports and I've been taking fewer pictures. To some extent, I inadequately addressed the growth of our family -- Stan is still sleeping in our bedroom because we don't have a spare room in our apartment, and our 8 year old car broke down on several occasions and is way too small for us as a family. Both need upgrading. And, with a growing network of people, it is hard to stay in touch with all your friends. Long story short, you can probably guess several of my 2010 resolutions.
But, on days like today, when looking back at the past year, I am reminded of how lucky I am. 2009 was been a great year, and I'd like to thank all of you who have been part of it. You're my dream team.
Smashing Pumpkins - Disarm
Another post in my favorite music series. This time, a song from the Smashing Pumpkins, a band that I listened to a lot in the formative years of my youth. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness was one of the very first albums that I ever bought. Many people loathe Billy Corgan's voice, but to me, his voice is what makes the Smashing Pumpkins so unique -- even today.
Faithless - We come one
Want to see me dance on tables? No problem. Fill me up with gin and tonic, and play "We come one" from Faithless. One of my all time favorite party songs.
Anouk
Another post in my favorite music category: Anouk, a Dutch singer.
Between 1998 and 2008, Anouk left The Netherlands and moved to US to escape the pressures of fame, only to return a few years later.
I embedded two of my favorite songs in this blog post. The first song (Nobody's wife) was recorded in 1998 before she left, the second song (Michel) ten years later in 2008 after she had returned from the US. In the first song, she is getting eggs smashed at her t-shirt and simply takes of her t-shirt to continue in her bra. In the second song, she performs live in front of 60.000 people, and is visibly more relax.
I've been a big fan of Anouk from day one, for more than 10 years, and still think she is one of the best European singers.
Linux Foundation using Drupal
In 1996, Linux kernel development is what first attracted me to Open Source, and what led me to contribute to the Linux WLAN project in 1999. Ever since, I've worked on or with Open Source projects pretty much full-time.
Last month at the Open Source Business Conference in San Francisco, I met Mike Woster, Director of Business Development at the Linux Foundation, the non-profit consortium dedicated to fostering the growth of Linux. Turns out they are avid users of Drupal.
In 2008, they switched the Linux Developer Network to Drupal, earlier this year they launched a video site on Drupal, and most recently, LinuxFoundation.org itself switched to Drupal! And rumor has it there might be more to come ...
