Happy Weekend!

I'm hanging out at Northern Voice today, out at UBC. Darren, one of the organizers of this fine event, kindly arranged for a small handful of non-profit groups to have booths at the event, and so I get to be here and spread the Web of Change love.

It's been gratifying, over the time that I've been involved with WOC (five years? good grief) to watch the awareness of our name grow. Certainly not everyone here has heard of us, but plenty of people have.

And it's a timely moment in time for me to be spreading the good word... because we have some big news about our 2008 programming. Have a peek at the site if you're curious...

It's been a fun day so far, with a whole of conversations that go a little something like this:

"You're here! How come?"

"Hi! Yeah, I moved back."

"Oh wow! Welcome back! When? Why?" etc etc etc.

So that's fun. Surprise! I moved back. Most people seem glad to see me, which makes my little ego feel good.

(The irony, I suppose, is that this is a blogging conference... and anyone who actually read my blog would know that I moved back... But then again, I totally don't expect that people actually read this thing, and in fact I'm always slightly shocked/embarrassed whenever I run into someone who tells me that they do!)

Yoga and Linux?!?! (you might be thinking...)

Why yes! Yoga and Linux! October 13th is the Ontario Linux Fest, and I will be there to lead a lunch hour class for any and all interested open source aficionados.

Join me for a 45 minute class before you grab your lunch. This will be mostly chair yoga, so no mats are required, and no fancy exercise attire either.

Think less about "yoga" and more about a chance to get to know your body better, to breathe deeply, to gently stretch, and to learn some good things you can do at your own desk to ease the common trouble spots (shoulders, backs, hips...)

As always, if you're interested in having a YFG session at your event or conference... drop me a line.

Today my inner Canadian and my inner Food Snob did battle. The Canadian won, and I voluntarily wandered into Tim Horton's and ordered lunch.

I should have listened to the Food Snob. It was terrible. And don't even get my Coffee Snob started.

But it reminded me – Northern Voice is coming around again! If you were there last year, you'll understand the connection. Only this year, I will not be the one organizing said BBQ. My toes still haven't fully thawed since that night...

Ya know, I really don't have it in me to write anything articulate right now. But I'm down in Marin County at the Bioneers Conference, which must be one of the most incredible and inspirational events on the PLANET these days, and I had to write something.

I'll attempt to do a better report-out tomorrow, but for now, I'll just say... what a day. From breakfast with the force that is Vicki Robin, to the round of plenaries that left me in tears, to the conversations I had with friends old and new, it was an amazing day. It was also about 30 degrees here (the hot 30 degrees, the centigrade kind) and gorgeous and boy so I ever love California.

I feel very lucky to be here. I wish that everyone I knew was here too - or at least able to listen to the plenary speakers in some form. Seriously, the world needs to hear these messages and feel this spirit. And that's all I got.

I've been trying for a whole week to write this post, to no avail... It's always a bit crazy when an event that you've been building up to for months is suddenly over.

So Web of Change!

I really don't know where to start. For me, it was fantastic. It all came together, we had even more people than we had anticipated, the calibre of the people there was fantastic, and the weather even changed its mind at the last minute and blessed us with 4 days of sunshine (see picture proof).

The sessions were really good (see the live-blogged notes here) this year, stronger than in most previous. The most common complaint was that it was hard to chose between break-out offerings. I know I got a lot out of the sessions I attended... and I got to meet the super-star behind The Meatrix, Jonah Sachs. (Duuuuude, you're *so* internet famous!!)

Really I just don't even know what to say. My reactions are still settling, I'm still having conversations about people about it all, thinking about what worked, what didn't, and I'm also wrestling a cold I managed to get up there. Also, I'm pondering whether I'll be involved next year. I cannot imagine not being integrally involved with Web of Change, but it also might be time to pass the torch. We shall see...

If you want more, check out Micheal Silberman's post at EchoDitto, or Beth Kanter's at NetSquared.

Just a quick post to say that after much hard work on the part of our kick-ass conference convenors, we've got a fairly-finalized agenda for Web of Change ready!

It's looking pretty awesome, as is the list of people who are coming. If you're still thinking about coming, don't wait another single day... we're almost full.

I can't wait for the conference, but I gotta say, I also can't wait for it to be over. :P These last few weeks are always the hairiest...