Today, I turn 40

Personal

Today, on the 21st of January, it is 40 years since I was born in 1972. Therefore, I am taking the liberty of taking a day off from activism and celebrating this event with my close and dear friends and colleagues.

Of course, given the current escalation of insanities from authorities and the copyright monopoly lobby alike, it can feel a little frustrating to take a day off right now. It is at times like those that I remember the wise words of our first Member of European Parliament, Christian Engström:

If you feel you need some time off from activism, that’s the right thing to do. There is no reason to fear that the world will run out of evil while you’re away.

Some people have asked me what it feels like feeling 40, if I’m getting into some sort of expected crisis. On the contrary! Six years ago, on founding the Swedish Pirate Party, I discovered how much more fun it is to speak your exact mind and make a mess out of the status quo at the same time, and I have forty years left of all this fun to stir things up! All the fun I’ll have!

For the forces of evil certainly aren’t resting on their laurels. 2012 is going to be a really messy year on the front of civil liberties, calling for a lot of action and activism. There is too much evil happening to even try to list the bad stuff off the top of my head. Lots of work to do here.

But not today.

Today, I take a day off and celebrate like there’s no tomorrow.

But, alas, there is. See you on that tomorrow. I might be a little tired. Comes with age, you know.

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About The Author: Rick Falkvinge

Rick is the founder of the first Pirate Party and is a political evangelist, traveling around Europe and the world to talk and write about ideas of a sensible information policy. He has a tech entrepreneur background and loves whisky.

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Contributors take own responsibility for their comments.

Jan

January 21, 2012 - 00:17

Happy birthday Rick!

RESPOND TO THIS

niklas

January 21, 2012 - 00:27

Grattis!

jhattara

January 21, 2012 - 00:43

Congratulations and enjoy your day off.

Mikael Hedberg

January 21, 2012 - 00:51

Grattis Rick! Ta din lediga dag och fira ordentligt du, det är du helt klart värd!

illunatic

January 21, 2012 - 01:43

Happy Birthday! I’m not big into astrology, but perhaps there is something to the aquarius’s humanitarian streak! Have a great one.

-illunatic

PS – I’m 30 in a week \o/

Jonas D.

January 21, 2012 - 02:17

Een gelukkige verjaardag from Belgium!

Britt

January 21, 2012 - 02:18

All the very best for your birthday!
-x-

Elias L.

January 21, 2012 - 03:26

Grattis Rick <3

AeliusBlythe

January 21, 2012 - 03:32

Happy birthday!

Colin

January 21, 2012 - 05:18

Happy Birthday Rick!
We all look forward to seeing you back in the saddle tomorrow to fight the copyright monopoly and other evils.
Best of luck with all your projects for this year.

Markus

January 21, 2012 - 07:52

Ett stort grattis!!

Stefan

January 21, 2012 - 09:20

Alles gute und auf weitere 40 Piratenjahre!

Jerker Montelius

January 21, 2012 - 09:39

Finlay

January 21, 2012 - 10:08

Happy Birthday!

Silke

January 21, 2012 - 10:42

Happy Birthday, have a great one!

Urban Sundström

January 21, 2012 - 10:43

Stort Grattis, och idag får nu några extra Flattr-klick.

Hälsn. Urban och PIRAT-bilen.

Hans J

January 21, 2012 - 12:25

Stort Grattis!
Happy Birthday!
Hals und Beinbruch! ;-)

Henry Rouhivuori

January 21, 2012 - 12:26

Onnittelut nelikymppiselle!

Daniel

January 21, 2012 - 12:40

CJ Hinke

January 21, 2012 - 12:45

Suksan wan gert, Rick! I had not heard the Christian Engström quote before. The real problem is not with us activists taking a break but getting a few others to share the burdens, risks and rewards. I’d rather be in gaol with folks I can trust have my back…

Benny

January 21, 2012 - 12:49

Stort grattis

Linda

January 21, 2012 - 12:59

Grattis!!

Christer

January 21, 2012 - 13:12

Congrats!

Anders

January 21, 2012 - 13:30

Gratulerar på bemärkelsedagen!

Emma

January 21, 2012 - 13:31

Jättegrattis på födelsedagen! :)

morr

January 21, 2012 - 13:34

Gratulationer!!! ;)

Herr Doktor

January 21, 2012 - 14:02

Stort grattis, din gamla get! Happy jävla birthday. :)

January 21, 2012 - 15:15

I’m 28 and sometimes I feel quite old. But age is in your mind.
Happy birthday in your new version 4.0

manen

January 21, 2012 - 16:55

gz!

Wayne Borean

January 21, 2012 - 17:38

Happy Birthday.

Meantime, over in Canada, I’ve been pouring gasoline on some fires by talking about past predictions, where I was unfortunately right.

One of the hats I wear is Futurist, and there are times I would really rather not be right.

Regards

Wayne

smen

January 21, 2012 - 19:20

Grattis

Zacqary Adam Green

January 21, 2012 - 22:00

Unless Ray Kurzweil’s right, in which case you’ll have 70, then 160, then 340, then the rest of eternity to mess things up. And/or the nanobots will assimilate us all and the concept of “you” will be irrelevant.

On a less batshit note, happy birthday.

Rickard Olsson

January 22, 2012 - 13:45

I for one welcome our old pirate overlord. ;-)

Peter Andersson

January 22, 2012 - 15:41

Hope you had many presents, here’s some whining from one guy that didn’t get the one he was expecting (SOPA), unless maybe he got the raid on MegaUpload instead…

http://boingboing.net/2012/01/21/chris-dodd-to-obama-hollywood.html