An aside....

I know you're expecting part #3 of the "Love" section.... and I am working on that.

However, I got invited to a meeting today that has me more excited about something than I think I’ve been in a very long time.

This project involves using ‘mapping’ type technology, think “Google Earth”, “MapQuest” etc… to assist in disaster preparations, response, recovery etc… for the transportation infrastructure.

Think about it, a hurricane is bearing down on an area, like Katrina did last year on the Gulf Coast, and allowing an industry to reroute all traffic that could be potentially at risk, in a proactive manner, remotely, from outside the area that is expected to suffer an impact. Then, as the storm progresses, shifts, eventually makes landfall and moves on… to again, actively, in a realtime fashion, adjust that routing appropriately!

Some of the data I’ve been managing, cleansing etc… for about a year and a half now is integral to this proposed application, as is much of the research I’ve been doing into ‘locating’ many of the sites within the GPS system (think Latitude/Longitude) .

I love solving puzzles, and while much of the raw information is available, the granular details are still in many, disparate sources and locations. That I’m being selected to aid in this process just has me stoked…. And… pretty focused on mechanisms to bring it together, smoothly and in the next 3 or 4 months.

So stay tuned… I’ll let you know how things develop.

In that same meeting, it also became pretty clear I’ll be on this gig through the end of 2006 as well… It’s always nice to hear that, especially when you’re still a contractor!

All in all… not a bad “Day at the office”.