Here'a a quote from one of my childhood idols and recently appointed team president of the Texas Rangers:

 

"Anytime you realize you have a problem, the longer you go without addressing that problem, then when you do decide to address it, the tougher it is to do. I think that's where we are with baseball."

 

...now about that world infamous Rangers pitching?

 

As you probably know, I am from Texas.  As a part of that, I've been exposed to extensive, in-depth football analysis for most of my life.  My Grandfather, Grandmothers, Father, Uncles, Cousins, Aunts....   they all loved football as much as any person should love football within reasonable legal limits.  That love definitely rubbed off on me along the way.  Roger Staubach, Mel Renfro, and Randy White are still my lifetime idols.  I'm not kidding, just ask my wife.

 

When I started college, I entered with a major in Meteorology - A discipline rife with mathematics, physics, and statistical analysis.  It was in my junior year at Texas A&M that I made 2 life-altering discoveries:  Geography (GIS in particular), and fantasy football.  I realized that meteorologists earned crappy pay and that the library was no place to meet girls on a Friday night, so I changed my major to Geography.  I also joined my first fantasy football league with my roommates (I had a lot of roommates, but no, I was NOT in a frat - They just aren't big at Texas A&M) and other acquaintances.  I turned my hard-earned math and predictive analysis skills to the National Football League.

 

Now you have to keep in mind that this was the early 90s, and sports fans like me could only dream of web sites that would basically manage everything about a Fantasy Football league.  No, we had to pay our commissioner a salary from the league coffers to go through the royal pain involved in scoring each game of the week with the Tuesday paper (you had to use Tuesday to get the corrections from Sunday, plus the stats from Monday night).  To cap it off, the commish had to personally know everyone and update them of scores because only a few of us had e-mail accounts, and we only checked them about once a month on amber VT 200 terminals sprinkled about campus.   It was a dark time for networked computing.  But that was about to change in a hurry.

 

Only a few years in, the internet REALLY took over.  It was awesome.  Not only was the league taken care of online (1997 was the first year, I believe), but all the stats were calculated automatically and were almost always taken directly from the NFL itself.  It was revolutionary.  In addition to scoring, several hundred fantasy football sites tried to out-duel each other with the most in-depth analysis possible.  In an instant, a mountain of football statistics spanning several decades was available for all to see. 

 

For the next several years, I can't begin to comprehend the analysis I put forth on the NFL and all of its offensive and defensive positional players.  Let's just say it was a lot.  I won some money along the way, but I couldn't help but be reminded that they guy who won the league every year ALWAYS turned out to be one lucky SOB.  All my statistical analysis definitely helped me be consistently good, but in the end the cardinal rule of fantasy football always applies:  whoever has the hottest team in the playoffs wins the cash.

 

Meanwhile, things are changing in my life.  I get married, I have a kid.  All of a sudden, the 500-600 bucks I stand to win in each league of FF pales in comparison with the cost of college tuition at UCLA or Texas A&M in 2023.  So, I made a commitment to devote that same analysis to small, mid, and large cap stocks.  Another revolution.

 

Do you have any idea how hard it is to try to predict who will lead the league in rushing touchdowns in 2007?  You can analyze all you want:  Offensive line free-agent signings, new offensive coordinators and position coaches, the ability of the slot receiver and tight end to spread the field, the strength of defenses faced throughout the year, historical drop-offs in production following a year of 350-plus carries....  Make fun of it all you want, it takes a lot of hard work and analysis to be consistently good at fantasy football.

 

I've found out pretty quickly that it is MUCH easier to analyze and invest in stocks.  You think there's a lot of information available to prepare for your fantasy draft?  There's mountains more available to evaluate companies and their ability to grow earnings at a clip that will trounce the S&P 500 over the next 10 years, and it's all ACCURATE!!

 

Companies are required by law to disclose everything about their operations on a quarterly basis so you can get a snapshot of their financial health from top to bottom (ENRON aside).  NFL teams are not.  In fact, they intentionally try to hide the facts with veiled injury reports or worse - waiting until kickoff to name a starting quarterback!!  The madness!!  Corporate CEOs get thrown in jail if they try such shenanigans (Golden parachutes aside).

 

To all the new Dads or others generally "growing up" in my generation, I say this:  Accept the fact that fantasy football boils down to luck every single year.  Spend the time you would normally spend reading articles like this, and spend it running stock screens, playing CAPS on the Motley Fool, and reading books like "One up on Wall Street" by Peter Lynch.   Trust me, in 20 years, you'll be really glad you did.

 

So I guess at this point I have to come clean...  Yes, I'm playing in 2 fantasy football leagues this year.  I'm the commissioner of an ESRI league, and I still play with the same guys from college.  All my ESRI and Aggie buddies are sharp fellas, so I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who has applied my analysis knowledge to the financial world.

 

On the flip side, my investments are doing well.  I've been at this for a few years, and I'm getting more confidence every day.  I think what makes me feel the best is that I trust myself with my money more than I trust any investment advisor. 

 

After all, I'd never let a guy with a nickname like "Schlub" pick my fantasy team.  Why would I let someone else invest my money?

 

Background:  Texas A&M head basketball coach Billy Gillespie (A NATIVE TEXAN!!) left Texas A&M today to accept the head coaching job at the University of Kentucky.  In the past weeks, coach Gillespie led the Aggies deep into the NCAA tournament, and has publicly stated his intention to stay at Texas A&M.

 

 

(Sniffle)

 

So when you said all those things before....

 

about how this was it and you wanted to stick around forever? 

 

I guess that was just all pillow talk, right? 

 

Quiet one liners after a couple of great runs in the tournament?!?  

 

That really hurts, Billy.  I really thought you meant those things you said.

 

OK, I know...  I need to be grown up about this.   I can accept this like an adult.... 

 

I mean, I'm a strong, respected research university!  I should be smart enough to recognize that I was really playing out of my league there for a while. 

 

Seriously, who am I to think that I'm entitled to a Sweet Sixteen appearance every year?  I'm just a working class school from the Coastal Prairie.  Why, just yesterday, I couldn't give basketball tickets away with a gun!!!  Any conference win at all was worth a whole week of feeling good about myself.   

 

I should have known it wouldn't work out from the beginning....  a big-time coach like you and a little prairie school like me. 

 

OH PLEEAASE!!!  Say it ain't so!!!  You were the one, Billy!!!  Together we took Texas A&M Basketball to places it had never been before!!! 

 

You and me, Billy!!!  

 

(sniffle)

 

I guess you're just telling me now what I knew all along.  It was all just a stepping stone for you, wasn't it?  I remember how - just yesterday - you used to say those mean things about poor old UTEP when you and I were making sweet music in the dance...  And now...  how can I compete with this new kid... Kentucky?

 

I mean...  all that history and success. 

 

UK?  I could never measure up to anything like that.  Adolf Rupp?  The winningest program in Men's College BB?  UK is a trophy wife supermodel I could never be. 

 

But be careful Billy...  That's right.  Be careful what you ask for. 

 

And don't you worry about ole' Army.  

 

Don't you worry about me!  I'm gonna be just fine, Billy!  I'm gonna keep on truckin'!  I'm going to find that person that's right for me.  A person that doesn't need all the bright lights and big city.   You mark it, Billy!   We're going to settle down and we're going to keep moving ahead without you.

 

And one day...  and that time is gonna come, Billy...  that one day when your honeymoon with your sweet little sassy Kentucky is over...  When she and all of her friends and boosters make fun of you and run you out of town...

 

You'll remember me and you'll wish you were back.

 

 

 

Yikes.

 

June 11th was a long time ago.  In my defense, I've been very busy getting up to speed with the new job and new member of the family.  That's right, I'm a Dad!  Our son Nate was born October 25th.  Everything has been fantastic so far (read: tiring), and I can hardly wait until he's old enough to start mowing the lawn .  Seriously though, it's a wonderful thing, and I look forward to this wonderful journey called parenthood.

 

On the ESRI front, I've been very busy dusting off the old technical skills and learning a whole bunch of new ones.  One of the main things I've been doing in Tech Marketing is getting right in there in the thick of the 9.2 release.  I hope to be adding more content in the blog about neat things we've done here and how we've found them useful.  Hopefully you will too.

 

In the meantime, I'll look forward to seeing a lot of you at the Business Partner Conference and Developer Summit coming up in Palm Springs.  If you're there, swing by the ESRI Showcase.  We've got some pretty cool stuff to show off.

 

Hope to see you then.

 

Jeff

Hello again,

 

This weekend was the VW Classic - a week long celebration of all things (and buses, and ghias...)VW.  I had hoped to attend a campout this weekend and caravan to the event with a bunch of other bus owners, but that didn't work out for a number of reasons.  I have it on the slate for next year.  However, I did spend a lot of time on the tarmac taking in the sites.

 

The Classic is held at the Irvine Meadows (now the Verizon Amphitheatre) and is HUGE!!  Wendy and I walked around for 2 hours before we even hit the show cars!  This is the biggest event of the year for VW nuts, and we weren't disappointed.  The VW community from all over the world was out in force, and there were some truly off the wall customs and immaculate show cars.  We saw hundreds of great rides, and I personally heard Spanish, French, German, and Russian spoken by attendees.  Impressive!!  Check out the new photo gallery for details.

 

Cool runnings...

 

Jeff

Hey all,

 

Wendy and I took a couple of extra days off last weekend and spent some time with my family in East Texas.  My Mom has a thing going every year where the family comes in for Memorial Day, so we always try hard to make it back.  It was great to see the family and spend some time in the late May heat.

 

I added a new gallery to the pictures, so check them out.  I don't have a lot from my Mom's place, but I do have a lot from my Dad's ranch a few miles away. 

 

If you like what you see of the ranch, I have good new for you.  Lone Star Cattle Company is not only a world class breeder of shorthorn cattle and monster Bass.  It's also a guest ranch.  If you are in Texas and need a place to get away, you could do worse than this.  See the website for more details.  Just one rule:  Bass over 4 pounds must be released.

 

Enjoy the pics, and more to come soon.  The VW classic in Irvine is just over a week away!!!

 

Jeff

Okey Dokey,

 

2 months without a post is a little out of control.  In my own defense, there has been a lot going on.  Most notably, I've made a change in career at ESRI into Technical Marketing.  My time in Product Management was fantastic, and I can't stress enough what a talented group of developers I've had the pleasure of working with.  Guys like Art, Jay, Ryan, Steven, and the rest of the Server team (Even the non-bloggers ;-) are incredible.  Likewise all the other folks I've worked with for the past few years in Software Products and Product Management.  I feel fortunate for my time with them and the experience was great, but it was time for a change.

 

As such, I have been fortunate enough to move into a role where I get to spend more time doing my 2 favorite things in GIS - building applications for real scenarios and working with ESRI customers.  This was my favorite part of working in Product Management, so why not do it full time?  I have some serious rust to knock off the web development skills, and a whole lot of new stuff to learn, but on the positive side, I'm spending a lot of time coding and working in 9.2.  Did I mention what a great product this is?  You Server and IMS folks out there are in for a real treat, let me tell you. Desktop, GDB, and developers too.  Powerful stuff.

 

I have to make the point that I feel lucky working for a company that allows for movement into new and challenging positions internally.  It's always nice to face new career challenges.  It keeps your work interesting, and ESRI definitely respects that.  It really is a great place to work.

 

So, as I embark on this new chapter in my career at ESRI, I'm very excited.  Hopefully I'll get over the hump on the learning curve soon and start contributing to the ESRI Developer Community.  In the meantime, I just might be coming soon to a trade show near you.  If you're there, be sure to stop in and say Howdy!

 

 

Jeff

 

 

 

Hey Everyone,

 

Well, the Fightin' Texas Aggies made the tournament as a 12 seed!!  I can remember being on Campus in College Station for years when the University couldn't give Aggie basketball tickets away.  Now they are in the NCAA Tournament.  Kudos to Billy Gillespie for turning the program around in just 2 years.  Hopefully I'll have time to watch them burst the 'cuse bubble tonight as I prepare for the Dev. Summit and BPC.  Even if I can't get to a TV, CBS is streaming live coverage from the NCAA web site via March Madness on Demand.  Be sure to sign up if you haven't already.

 

If the internet seems to be running a bit slow in your office for the next couple of days, I would suspect that MMOD might have something to do with it :)

 

Stop by the booth if you're going to be in Palm Springs for the Dev. Summit or BPC.  I'll be there most of the time.

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

Hey everyone,

 

After much review and many revision cycles, the Server Functionality Matrix is finally available.  Thanks to all at ESRI who helped get this together and published.  It was certainly more work than it appears!

 

This version of the matrix is specific to ArcGIS 9.1 (ArcGIS Server and ArcIMS) and ArcWeb 2006.  Please feel free to provide feedback on this matrix in the ESRI support pages or even in comments for this blog entry.  I'll be checking regularly.  Also keep in mind that there will be a 9.2 version of this matrix in the future to coincide with that upcoming release.  I can assure you that there will be significant additions :)

 

This current matrix will help clarify the functionality and strengths of ESRI's suite of internet GIS products by centralizing what was relatively "stovepiped" information.  Hopefully, it will help developers decide what might be best for them in their own GIS projects.  The format is designed to emulate and complement the Desktop Functionality Matrix.  It should look familiar to many of you in that respect.

 

Please read and understand the introduction at the upper left hand corner of the Matrix.  Note that it covers currently available technology from a POST-PUBLISHING standpoint.  That is to say that there might be functionality that can be provided by authoring tools for services (e.g. ArcMAP or ArcIMS Author), or by using 3rd party APIs and creative web development ( a lot of you guys are very good at that!!).  However, the matrix only deals with ESRI-provided APIs, samples, SDK content, and data as applied to published and running services.

 

Finally, keep in mind that this is not intended to be an end-all reference for ESRI Internet GIS.  It is intended to be a companion to other product information and to your regional or international ESRI representative.  Be sure to keep all available resources involved in your ESRI internet GIS projects to ensure success for you and your clients.

 

Enjoy,

 

Jeff

Howdy,

 

The Orange County Transporter Owners (OCTO) and the L.A. All-Euro swap meets were held today in Huntington Beach and Long Beach, respectively.  Since I bought a cabinet from one of the vendors at OCTO, I decided to just meet him there to pick it up and take in some of the sites.  Rarest of the rare accessories and beautiful vintage transporters were the norm.  The L.A. All-Euro meet was mainly focused on Porsche, which we all know is the richer, more refined sister of the VW.  I like to think that Ferdi is just as proud of both siblings.  Both shows were well-attended, and there was tons of great stuff to see.  Check out the new Photo Gallery for more.

 

Cool Runnings...

 

Jeff

 

 

 

Hey everyone,

 

Great news!!  Beta 1 has shipped!!  Thanks to all of the sites out there that have submitted your feedback thus far.  Keep it coming!

 

Also, I finally got the bus back on the road.  Miracle of miracles, I got everything wired back up correctly on the first try.  It was still sitting on jack stands when I put some gas and a battery in it and VROOM!

 

Now the wheels are on and it's operating well under it's own power.  All I've had to do is a few carburetor tweaks and it runs great.  I've driven it to work a few times and plan on driving it again tomorrow.  It still needs a lot of TLC in the cosmetic areas, but I've got a lot of confidence in the mechanical and electrical systems.  As my Dad always tells me, the other stuff is just "Time on task."  Of course, it leaks a little oil, but as a very old and wise mechanic once said about old VWs, "If it ain't dripping oil, it's probably out."  Another good quote to round out the trifecta is "Old VWs always mark their territory."

 

It's a lot of fun to drive, just like any old bus.  It tops out at about 58, and it will get you anywhere you want to go as long as you're not in a hurry.  A lot of guys in SoCal spend a lot of money on high-horsepower engines and re-geared transmissions, but they are missing the whole point, in my opinion.  If you want a fast car, buy a fast car!!  Besides, 58 is just fine when there's nothing between your knees and the wind but a thin layer of German sheet metal and a bakelite steering wheel.  Crumple zone calculations never went through a slide rule when this thing was designed.

 

I will say however, that I am continually amazed at the engineering genius that is the air-cooled VW.  They can really take a tremendous amount of wear and punishment, and still keep on truckin'.  Critical systems are kept as simple as possible, and are readily accessible for maintenance and repair.  If only it was possible to buy a car like it new that didn't require an advanced degree and 10 grand worth of diagnostic equipment to turn the "Check Engine" light off.  It's a give and take, I guess.  The newer cars do cruise faster than 58 and are definitely much safer.  Not as fun, though :)

 

Now I'll have to try to get the Ghia back together and on the road.  It needs far less, so it should be a pretty quick process.  Also, the body, paint, top, and interior are in great shape still.  I just need to get the fuel system and brakes dialed in.  Time on task... 

 

0 to 60 mph..... sometimes,

 

Jeff 

 

 

Howdy folks!

 

Hope everyone had a great Holiday Season.  I certainly feel refreshed after some much needed time with the family, a nice mini-vacation at Lake Tahoe, and a few soggy SoCal days filled with NFL and College Football. 

 

Now that we're all back and dieting, I want to share some important information with the Server community about the latest Service Pack for the 9.1 release. 

 

On the following web site, you will find everything you ever wanted to know about SP1:

 

 

Simple enough, I know, but the reason I'm blogging about it is to emphasize step 6 in the installation section:

 

 

6.  (Server Installation Only) After the Service Pack has successfully been installed, you must run the ArcGIS Server Post Installation for the updates to take affect.

• The Post Installation is available from Start > Programs > ArcGIS > ArcGIS Server > ArcGIS Server Post Installation.
• Log out of and back into your Windows session to activate the new security settings.
• This Service Pack must be installed on the Server Object Manager and all Server Object Container machines in your ArcGIS Server configuration. You must first install the Service Pack on each remote Server Object Container machine, then install the patch on the Server Object Manager machine. If a Server Object Container and a Server Object Manager exist on the same machine you only need to install the Service Pack and run the post install once on that machine.  

 

The moral of the story is:  It is required to run the post-install for ArcGIS Server 9.1 after installing SP1.  This is a required step to incorporate a few of the key updates that install with the service pack.  Be sure to make a note of the accounts that you've assigned to the Manager and Container before running it, or locate the XML file that contains this information and have it handy.  Also, be sure that you have the location of your authorization files as well, just in case.  I know from experience that it's easy to forget where you put those post-install files after Server has been installed and running for a few months.

 

I just wanted to get the word out about this and save everyone some confusion on the install process.  Tell your friends!

 

Cheers, and have a great 2006.

 

Jeff

It's been a while since I've updated this thing.  Times have been exceptionally busy, both at home and in the office.  ESRI is really a very busy place right now, as we all work very hard on the 9.2 release.  I can't say enough about the effort and teamwork that is going on right now on the Server team.  It's really something special, and reminds me every day why I love to work here.

 

I won't get into it too much, but I hope you guys are all enjoying your weekends.  I haven't had one in a while!  I don't mind so much though, we do get paid by the hour here at the mothership.   I've done plenty of 60 hour weeks on a 40 hour salary in the past, and I can't say I miss it much. 

 

Anyway, that's work, and lots of it.  I've also been really busy around the house and under the bus!  Wendy and I just put down new floors in the kitchen, which means another round of base boards, caulk, and touch-up paint.  Nothing too tough, but the extra work hours have sure cut into the projects.  On the flip side, the extra hours have funded the projects!  We've been without a stove for a few days now and the fridge is in the middle of the dining room.  It will all come together this weekend, though, as I hope to finally have 2 free days to finish up the kitchen and (hopefully) the bus.

 

Speaking of the bus, it is coming along in the past month, but not to the point of driving.  I've got the brakes mostly done, the engine back in, and all the parts I need to re-assemble the driveshafts - CV joints, moly grease, 20 rolls of shop towels, stocking cap for my long hair...  I think if I could ever get a full day to work on it, it would be on the road.  I simply have to get some pictures of it and the Ghia up on this blog.  Don't expect too much.  Remember, the bus was free :) 

 

OK, I know, not my best post.  Especially with all that has happened in the past month.  No matter.  I still would like to wish everyone a very happy and safe Christmas, Hannukuh, Kwanzaa, or general celebration and all the best for your families in this great time of year.  Remember to take the time to share some of your good will and good fortune with the less fortunate this holiday season. You always get out of it more than you put in.  It's the best deal going.

 

Until next time....

 

Man, it took me a while to write this.  Busy times in Redlands!

 

After much affiliation with James Fee in the Blogosphere, we at ESRI got a chance to hang out with  him on Tuesday - some of us met him for the first time.  He stopped in on the Redlands campus for a visit on his way through the area, and we took the opportunity to make him feel welcome and to show him some of the new stuff coming out with the 9.2 release.  Judging by his recent blog entry and the ear to ear grin he was wearing when I saw him, I thik he liked what he saw :) 

 

James is a true GIS professional and a great guy.  It was a pleasure to finally get to meet him in person.

 

Until next time....

 

 

 

 

Well, I'm much more rested now, so I thought I would share a bit more about my recent trip to Russia.  The best way to start is just to say again that Russia is a very unique and fascinating GIS market. 

 

One of the more interesting presentations at the Conference was by a gentleman from the GIS Association of Russia.  Sergei Miller is the acting head of this body, and neither he nor the association are affiliated with any vendors or other industry groups.  They are most closely affiliated with the academic community, and are simply trying to help steer the direction of GIS in Russia in the most productive direction.  It was considered an honor that he would speak at the Data Plus conference.

 

Anyway, Sergei spent a great deal of time explaining the idiosynchrasies of GIS in Russia.  A lot of these deal directly with the transition from the Soviet era to the newer, more open system of government and commerce.  Most of the spatial information - especailly the most detailed - iis still held by the state, and is considered "top secret".  This is obviously a problem for the GIS community, as they are currently forced to build their own GIS data from scratch.  Despite this issue, GIS is steadily growing in Russia and the professionals at Data Plus and elsewhere have world class talent. 

 

It is undeniable that the winds of change in Russia are blowing in the direction of improved economic development.  As a result of this, there is a movement to try and make all of the "top secret" GIS information available to the GIS community at large.  This is in recognition of the proven value of GIS in planning, infrastructure management, and other areas that directly affect economic growth.  If this were to happen, it would certainly supercharge the GIS industry in Russia and cause an unprecedented boom in Spatial Science.  I'm sure that Data Plus would like this very much!  Such an effort has already proven successful in the Ukraine, and data is beginning to flow down into the hands of those that can use it.

 

Very interesting stuff.

 

Until next time...

 

Jeff

Man, that's a long flight from Moscow!

 

I'm back and I am very pleased with this trip from start to finish.  Data Plus were excellent hosts, the conference was a huge success, and this was one of the most thoroughly enjoyable trips of my career.  I need to extend heartfelt thanks to all of the employees at Data Plus for taking care of everything with accomodations and also for putting on a great conference. I would also like to extend many thanks to our software users in Russia and other former Soviet countries.  The presentations I saw from them were world class, and would be impressive at any conference - including San Diego.

 

I can't say enough about the warm welcome and friendship that I received in my stay in Russia.  Good thing too, because Moscow is getting cold this time of year!  I would recommend Moscow and all of Russia to anyone thinking of traveling in Europe or Asia.  It is truly a unique and fascinating place.  In short, I had a great time that I will remember forever.  Please see the new pictures in my gallery for a few highlights. 

 

More to come on this trip very soon.  Right now I'm trying to get settled in again and recover from a full day of travel.  Russia is a very unique and growing  market for GIS, and I will certainly expand on this with additional blog entries in the near future.

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

 

That's right!  Back in the (former) U.S.S.R!

 

I'm very excited about getting the chance to go visit with our comrades at Data + in Moscow.  Data + is our International Distributor in Russia, and they're hosting their annual conference.  I've been asked to go there and help them spread the word about ArcGIS Server and all the good stuff it can do.  I'll be there starting a week from Friday and staying through the entire week of the 17th.  This is one of the international User Conferences I've really hoped to get to attend.  I'm very excited to get tapped for it this Fall.  I've known several ESRI staff who have gone to this UC in Moscow in the past and have had nothing but good things to say.  I'm looking forward to having my own good things to pass on.

 

In other news, ESRI is a very hectic place right now as we continue working on creating quality software for our 9.2 release.  There is definitely an overall renaissance in the spatial science community right now, brought on by the recent high-profile news from Google, Yahoo, and others.  These things have really energized the GIS community and brought in a lot of new people to our fair science that might not otherwise have joined us.  This is great news for all of us GIS types, but it sure does ratchet up the amount of work in Redlands!!  It's a great thing, though, and I think people are really going to be impressed with the 9.2 release.  I certainly have been.  Not to toot my own trombone, but I thoroughly enjoy getting to be one of the first few people to play with the new toys :-)

 

Speaking of toys....

 

For those that haven't seen it, there is a one-stop shop for everything you would ever want to own in the way of VWs.  The place is called the Samba, and I have to warn you, if you like old, air-cooled VWs (anything with that 'old VW smell' - You know what I'm talking about!!) you will be instantly hooked on this site.  Cool, cool, cool.  One of my favorite all-time web sites.

 

As for my own VWs, work is proceeding slowly on the bus.  I've got the engine just about ready to bolt in, but I want to pull the tranny and give the shift rod and coupling a once over before I do.  I'd also like to give the tranny a good power washing, as it has the usual build-up of oil-soaked gook that identify it as part of a VW.  All the tin on the engine is cleaned and repainted, and the rebuilt carb and manifold are mounted.  The high-temp painted heat exchangers and exhaust are also ready to go back on.  I've been pulled off on other projects, though.  Wendy and I are having the kitchen and bath painted in our house, and it's made me realize that I'd better use the opportunity to cross some more of the home improvement items off my list.  Looks like it's going to have to wait until I return from Russia to really dig into it again.  Oh well, it's a great hobby and Lord help me (and Wendy, forgive me!), I do love it so.  No worries, the bus is still coming soon to a campground near you.

Since I started this blog, I've been cross-listed with a lot of other GIS bloggers out there.  This is really great, and a fantastic way to share information about GIS and other things that make our lives interesting.  Since I'm getting all this exposure, I thought it might be a good idea for me to give everyone a little more information about what I do at ESRI and what my background is in GIS.  I wanted to put this information in my profile, but I'm having some technical difficulties getting it in there.  Oh well, until I figure that out, I'll just put it in a blog entry.  Here goes....

 

Current role:  I currently work in the product management group at ESRI.  My official title is Product Manager for ArcGIS Server.  I work very closely with the Server team to help get the word out about what is new and exciting about the product, and also to bring back feedback from our user community about what we are doing right and what we can improve.  I'm a GIS guy at heart, so interacting with our user community is a very exciting part of my role and something that I truly enjoy.

 

I've been at ESRI for a little over 5 years now, and still enjoy coming to work every day.  What a great place to work and a great group of people to work with.  I really feel lucky.

 

Background:  I have a bachelor's degree in Geography and a Master's in Forestry from Texas A&M University in College Station.  I also worked in the petroleum industry for 2 years prior to coming to ESRI.  I worked at PennWell MapSearch in Durango, Colorado - a pipeline GIS data provider.  While in that role, I got exposed to ArcIMS and internet GIS by supporting our efforts as a charter member of the Geography Network.  Great experience that landed me a job at ESRI supporting our internet GIS technology. 

 

I hope this gives all of you a little more information about my background and what I do.  Please feel free to post questions in this or other ESRI blogs, as we are always happy to hear your feedback. 

 

Again, once I get the issue straightened out with my MSN profile, I'll make this available there. 

 

Happy mapping,

 

Jeff

Hey all,

 

The trip to Edmonton was great.  I got to hear all about how some of the customers in the prairie regions are having great success with ESRI products.  It was truly a great time, and I want to thank Alex Miller, Dwayne Fletcher and everyone at ESRI Canada for the warm welcome they provided for both me and my wife. 

 

Some of the neat stuff I saw included a rather large model for forest management that was put together by Carol Doering at the Forestry Corp.  The model was extremely impressive and really showcased how advanced geoprocessing can streamline workflows and increase efficiency within an organization.  I unfortunately don't have any slides or anything to explain the details of the model that was built, but it took in several inputs for predicting the health of the forests and created new data that could really help streamline a management plan.  Great work Carol.

 

I also saw a really neat run-down of how the Northwest Territories provincial government has jumped into enterprise GIS with both feet.  Brad York, the GIS Manager for the province gave a great history of how they built their system from the ground up with ESRI Server technology and Blade Center hardware.  Great work, Brad!! 

 

Equally impressive was the climate monitoring system put together by Arva Traynor and others at the Alberta Agriculture, food, and Rural Development Ministry.  It's a little hard to get to, but have a look at their site and navigate to the ACIS system.  You will want to click on "Weather and Climate" in the left menu, then "AgroClimatic Information Service" under Quick Links on the right side.  This is a great implementation of ArcIMS technology that makes over a million climatalogical records available on the fly.  Just select the proper inputs to generate your map.  Really impressive work in Java web development with ArcIMS to manage such a huge amount of information.

 

Of course, the good folks from ESRI Canada also came up with some very impressive demos to showcase current and future technology.  A great conferenct all around and a smashing good time!!

 

Until next time....

 

Jeff 

Howdy,

 

Well...  I can hear the theme from the Great White North playing in the background as I get ready to head up to Edmonton for a little GIS palaverin'.  I've been working with ESRI Canada in absentia for years now, and it's really going to be nice to get up there and work with them on their home turf.  The reason for the trip is the ESRI Canada Regional User Conference, hosted by the Prairie RO for ESRI Canada.  I've been told to expect a lot of GIS professionals from energy, local, and provincial government.  It will be great as always to get out there and talk to the Alberta user community to get a feel for how they work with ESRI products.  I really love helping to create quality GIS software - don't get me wrong - but the GIS guy in me really loves to see how people apply it.  I guess that's why I ended up in Product Management.

 

My visit is specific to presenting information on ArcGIS Server, so if you're in the neighborhood and are curious, drop the prairie RO a line and see if there are still open slots.  I'll have some time on Thursday afternoon to present what's the neat current stuff and what's coming in the future. 

 

My wife is from Canada and lived in Edmonton for a couple of years, so she's coming along for the trip.  She's got all sorts of activities lined up, but I'm most excited about a visit to MEC and a trip to Jasper for the weekend.  I've got a soft spot for the mountains after living in Colorado for a couple of years.

 

In other news, I got the carburetor rebuilt for my bus last weekend, in addition to starting and finishing several home projects.  I'm really looking forward to getting it on the road.  I had hoped to be farther along with it by this date, but now I'm traveling most of the month of September.  Looks like October will be my time to shine.  My digital camera is still broken and unreplaced, but I'll try to get some pictures up soon.

 

Take care everyone and it might be a couple more weeks before I add any other blog posts.  Who knows, maybe I'll find time when I head up to Canada next week for a friend's wedding. 

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff