I offer a simple note of thanks to the folks at IBM Netezza who executed what is arguably the best Enzee Universe ever.

I also thank the many of you who attended the Best Practices sessions on Monday. I counted over 450 in attendance just by chair-count. I realize that there is enormous curiosity and hunger among the Enzees for these topics and conversations and I hope you feel that your time was honored and it was worthwhile to you.

About the music: I had a number of questions about the "bumper music" played during session breaks. These were selections from Tron:The Legacy soundtrack, Blue Man Group, other movie themes from last year including James Bond, Mission Impossible and a cut from Steppenwolf.

Of all the questions asked during the session, the one that interested me most was "What does Netezza have that Oracle does not?" Honestly, we only had a few minutes left in the question-and-answer session and if I gave this answer any honor, it would have taken hours. I wrote up some of the differences in both Netezza Underground and Netezza Transformation, but perhaps its time to revisit these in an open discussion so that they are up-to-date and out-in-front. The problems for Oracle have only become more apparent over the years, so it will be easier to clarify and differentiate without requiring a deep technical dive (in other words, they are obvious on the surface).

I was also offered the privilege to sit for an online interview with Mike Kearney - linked here: http://www.youtube.com/user/NetezzaCorp#p/c/55393907B7B3BDBE/3/aLQMoa1S8P8

But keep in mind that this was after all day in the hot-seat with you guys without breakfast or lunch (whew!) so the whole day was a bit of a whirlwind.

I wish each and every attendee (and even those who wanted to attend) all the best and hope to see you again soon.

Whew! The Enzee Universe this year was quite an experience.

I would like to offer my sincerest thanks to all of you who attended the Best Practices session held in marathon-form on Monday before the keynote. Over 300 people signed up, and many of you arrived the evening before, and at the end of the session, you were still there!

Afterwards we took a checkpoint and then added more material to the powerpoint presentations that we used during the sessions, and these will be added to the content of the Enzee Universe downloads for those who attended.

Some of you also asked me about the music selections we played at the intro and during the breaks. These were selected in terms of "Your Theme Songs", because some of them were from superhero movies, and some from action-adventure flicks. Here they are, in no particular order, the tune, origin and reason for selection:

Theme from "The Incredibles" - because we come from a family (The Enzee Universe) of mult-talented superstars

Theme from "Batman/The Dark Knight" - because sometimes we have to work in a thankless role (however personally rewarding, with high-tech toys)

Theme from "Superman" - because to competitors, Netezza is like Kryptonite, and to the rest of us, it solves World Problems and makes us look good without having to wear our underwear on the outside

Theme from "Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron" - surging music for those who entered the frontier on a Mustang

Theme from "Surf's Up" - probably enough said, here

Theme from "Mission Impossible" - a congenially offered rebuttal to those naysayers who say it can't be done

Theme from "James Bond" - because he, like many of you, is an MTBA - That's Multi-Talented Bad A**

Herbie Hancock - Rockit - because that's what you do

I would also like to thank Netezza for the opportunity to share these ideas, many of which I have gathered over the course of my Netezza derring-do from people just like you, so some of the information is what-is-practiced in the field, and some of it is idea-works that we have re-synthesized into practices that seem work well as a sort of "adaptive composite". The objective of course is to share with you what others are doing, to enrich your base of ideas, but are certainly not hard-and-fast rules. The Netezza appliance is one that unlocks creativity, harnessing it for the Good of All Mankind. So guidelines and practices give us more critical mass to solve problems.

Likewise I would like to thank Netezza for the Enzee Community Voice Award presented to me on Tuesday night at the Gala, in recognition for being such a vocal supporter. But my words then apply as now "The people and the product create a synergy that's like electric current. I love interacting with the Enzee Community, and being a part of it".

I also noted that a larger number of independent consultant/contractors were present on this go-round. In the best practices sessions, there are a wide range of professionals, from those who are Netezza customers, to consultants working for firms, independent consultants, analysts and the like. The Enzee Universe has various video screens constantly running slow-motion surfing videos in keeping with the TwinFin Theme. One day you might be lookin' at that guy on the wave, thinkin' about the Twinfin and wondering if you're on the wave, or just watching it pass.

As with all professions, you might be in the zone where your project is just ending, or is about to, and you're wondering about the next great thing. And as you know, I'm always on the hunt for bright architects and engineers, especially in this economy, so if any of you independent types are looking for an opportunity, give me a shout. I also extend the invitation to anyone else who is reading, with the qualified apology that I am not lurking at the doorways to steal away your company's valuable resources. But I have seen in the past that some bright folks find themselves tapping a pencil on their desk, coming down from the exhilaration of a Netezza 'experience" and wishing for more. I can say - the work is out there. I'm often in contact with people who need someone just like you - hooked on the technology. Hey, who isn't?

Finally I offer a simple salutation to everyone who "gathered round the grill" this past week, sampled the wares, wishes and whatcha-ma-callits of the various vendors, trainers and speakers, and came away enriched and enabled to dream a little stronger, solve a little simpler, and crush those waves with the shredding confidence of parallel power. So I'll either see you in your natural habitat, interact with you here, or catch up with you in person when the Enzee Universe cranks up another adventure.