6/14/07
I have learned that I am not interested in the consulting business. Having to bring in the work so that I and some of my staff can eat is not my cup of tea. At least I have proven to myself that I can do it. Besides, it has not been easy to go from OGIS, thinking about statewide coordination and gently guiding people as to how they should evolve their GIS to knocking on their doors and looking for work as a consultant is awkward at best. What a contrast! All in all, Civil has been a good learning experience on the front lines of the private sector. Sales, project budgets, proposal writing, client management, etc. This is all stuff that I've gained from the experience.

3.22.07
palm springs, ca. foot of mt san jacinto watching sunrise over palm springs. the entire
community below me is busy. cars moving. random slamming sounds, the bark of a faraway
dog, the hum of vague machinery and the omnipresent lights.it is like looking down on an ant colony. individual ants running about busy working or
doing thier business. they are oblivious to me watching them standing above... if i
smoosh some with my shoe, many others will flee but the collective continues working.
after a little while, new ones pickup the vacancies left by the smooshed.
what would happen in palm springs if part of this mt. crashed down, wiping out the
neighborhood to my right. individual tradgedies, but the collective would continue on.
eventually, the old neighborhood would be rebuilt and reclaimed by new individuals.
we think that ants act communally. driven by robot like instincts. yet we know that the
people of palm springs below me act in each, self interest. Is there really any
difference?