If I spent a week combing through the 1,000-odd lookback, look foward and round up lists, this might be more comprehensive--but you wouldn't be reading it on New Year's Day. So, fast, cheap, and good, here's a few lists that are on my must-read.

Rex Sorgatz: 30 most notable blogs of 2008
Nothing like a fresh and authoritative point of view to help enliven the blogroll!

TechMeme, Megan McCarthy: Top Ten Tech Stories of 2008
Don't love the list items (because I am not a fan of how TechMeme turned into CNET as the breaking news home for consumer electronics product stories, ugh), but love that Miz Megan is there to write the list(and more lists to come.)

Orli Yakuel:The Web in 2008
Israeli blogger Orli has her own take on things, one that always enhances my perspective--and this video piece is no exception.

Louis Gray,10 Things I Wish I Would Do Better On the Web Come 2009
A new king of I-centered blogging has great notes to share.

Everyday Journalism: Resolutions for journalism students: become invaluable
Isn't it true that all of us need to become invaluable and network like crazy in 2009?
Kudos to recent grad Suzannah Yada  for articulating that. (Via Ryan Sholin)

2008 has had more change for me than any recent year since 2005.

 In the past year, I left a executive job at a large company, worked as an advisor running an amazing non-profit social venture competition, went to Israel on a blogging trip, started a company and went to Boulder, CO to do TechStars, a venture incubator, stalled that company and then started another company which we are working hard to launch in Q1 2009.

On a personal level, I moved around more than I have since my 20's--giving up the post-divorce apartment in Palo Alto for sublets in Boulder and Berkley---and, classically, used these transitions to re-think my life.

Most importantly, 2008 was the year I fell deeply in love, enough to want to live together, something I didn't expect would ever happen. Because of that love, I now live in a house in Oakland and it is great.  2008 is also the year I connected--in a more adult and playful way--with my son, who has always been amazing, but who is becoming one of my best friends as well as a great family member.

For me, the big lessons of this year were that meaningful work matters incredibly and that I want roots in a place, want to live sustainably and want to feel connected to creating positive social change. If that can include doing product development, helping others with new business opportunities and solving problems and doing a kick ass start-up, great!

This was also the year I reconnected with myself as not only a blogger, but as a writer--both a poet and an essayist/article writer--skills that were part of me for a long time, but have recently come back to the fore.

Like Blanche DuBois, we all depend on the kindness of strangers(and friends)--this was especially true in my case, this year. 

There are so many people who were so kind at different points during this year, I don't think I can call them all out, but I would like to single out some of the people, who for me, help make this year of transformation very special indeed.

The (former)  and present Yahoos!: Ryan Kuder, Barbara O'Conner, Gail Schumpert, Elizabeth Churchill, Salim Ismail, and others.

Boulderites: David Cohen, Andrew Hyde, Brad Feld, Ingrid Alongi and the most amazing Amy Gahran, along with techstars mentors Susan Kunz and Lisa Rutherford, and fellow teams at TechStars, with special call outs to Samantha, Brian & Emily. And my wonderful friend Jem. And Joe Juhasz & Tom Vilot & Dan P & Dr. Hellspawn. You all rock!

The Florida crew: Gary Kebbel & Alberto Ibarguen for giving me a chance to work with them. Jose Zamora, Kristen Taylor, Marc Fest, Jessica Goldfin, Robbie Adams, Jenne Hebert & Heidi Miller for working together on the Knight News Challenge.

The home team, East Bay & Valley divisions: Keith Teare, Mary Hodder (who went over and above in helping me out), Ed Falk, Jared Brandt, George Kelly, Patty Mitchell, David & Jennie Coleman, Robert and Maryam Scoble, Jory des Jardin, Lisa Stone, Elisa Camahort Page, Renee Blodgett, Craig Newmark, Sarah Lacy, Lori & Seth Neumann, Raines Cohen & Betsy Morris, Sylvia Paull, JD Lasica,and Carrie Sealine.

The SF team: Marnie Webb, David Cohn,Cathy Brooks, Sarah Dopp, Christine Herron.

Northland: Ponzi Pirillo, Roland & Barb Tanglao, Boris Mann.

My posse (East coast): Co-founders Lisa Williams & Nancy Soriano, problem-solvers Chad & Erin Sullivan Capellman, Deanna Zandt,  The amazing Viviane.

Thank you for being in my life, for what you give and teach me (and how you make me laugh, sometimes).


 

I'll be at the Editor & Publisher conference in Las Vegas for the next couple of days, in support of the Knight Foundation announcement of the 2008 Knight News Challenge winners.

If you're not aware of this Knight program, it's a multi-year grant program that supports innovative ideas that use digital media and technology (mobile, platforms, etc.) to transform local and regional community news and support discourse in the commons. Knight has funded both very location specific projects and much more platform-driven efforts and these efforts have jump-started platform and tool development around local, community, news and even some social justice and accessibility issues,because of how well-distributed the funding has been.

Last year's News Challenge (2007) winners iwent to 25 individuals, and to private and public entitiesthat ranged from individual developers to  MIT to MTV. This year's list of winner's is equally cool, and the announcement of the winners is tomorrow.