Ohio Tradition

I'm not particularly in favor of hunting, although as a child growing up in rural North Carolina guns were certainly part of the process and nine years in the Marines gave me lots of opportunities to handle some fairly serious weapons. I don't object to hunting and I know that my Sister and her family have created a tradition around Thanksgiving and deer season. They dress everything they kill and they eat vension year round. Thiswas my nephew's first kill of this season and one of many that they managed to land this year. That is relatively unusual from all accounts. I have heard of seasons past when no deer were taken or at most one or two, so this season seems to have been quite productive. I think for my sister Mary and her family the real joy comes from the gathering of relatives who visit them each Thanksgiving to partake in the this Ohio tradition. I have never managed to join them so far, but who knows? Perhaps next year with a camera instead of a gun.

Competition

Okay, I admit it. I'm a basketball fan! ACC, NBA, PAC10, SEC, BIG10, it just doesn't matter. I'm hooked. My favorite teams in order are UNC/Chapel Hill, the Atlanta Hawks, the Lakers, Georgia Tech, Virginia and the Chicago Bulls. Carolina and the Hawks rank over all the others and I'll root for them on any given night. Of course they don't always win, especially the Hawks, who have had a couple of disappointing seasons to say the least. But with season tickets and two seats on the floor I can't help but enjoy the game, win or lose. You see, I just like the competition. Basketball to me is like a lot of things we encounter in life. It has incredible highs and some fairly serious lows......it is a game of strategy and tactics and knowing when and how to deploy your bench. It takes confidence to play the game and it takes courage as well, especially when you are hurt and not feeling your best. And of course it is a game that mostly depends on the five guys on the floor playing together as a team. Superstars are welcome and often needed, but it is the team that consistently wins the day. Last night I watched Carolina play Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden and although Carolina jumped out to a commanding early lead I could see that it would not last because they weren't playing as a team. Carolina is blessed this year with an incredible group of talented young men, but it was Gonzaga, a team without its top two stars from last year that played like a team, remained patient and walked in the locker room at halftime with the lead, a lead they never surrender in the second half. So the 22nd ranked team in the nation knocks off the number 2 ranked team. Competition! I love it.

GTS 2007

One of my primary interests over the past couple of years has been the Technology Association of Georgia (www.tagonline.org), an organization that works hard to promote technology companies in the State and provides numerous opportunities to connect to like-minded individuals across multiple disciplines through the TAG Society's. The CEO Boot Camp that I attended last week was sponsored by TAG and it is representative of the kind of leading edge developmental programs that TAG initiates on an ongoing basis.

I am also honored this year to chair the 2007 Georgia Technology Summit. We have an exciting line-up planned for February 28, 2007 at the Cobb Galleria. The program will include top-notch speakers including Rich Demillo, the Dean of Computing at Georgia Tech and former CTO at HP. We will also have Chris Anderson, the Editor & Chief of Wired Magazine and author of the best selling book, "The Long Tail". We will be presenting our Lifetime Achievement Award to Jim Blanchard, the Chairman of Synovus, in recognition of his many accomplishments. The Top 40 Innovative Companies in Georgia as judged by a distinguished panel will be on hand to discuss their companies and the Top 10 will present during the program. We will also hear from the winner of this years Business Launch Competition (REACHMDConsult) and finally we will be previewing a special report on the state of technology in Georgia. Like I said, an exciting line-up and the planning committee is delighted to have it all come together before Thanksgiving.

Wow! What an accomplishment. Of course, most folks don't realize what it takes to put together a program like GTS 2007 since they think it must be organized by some professional group that TAG hires. Well, that isn't quite how it happens. In fact, the planning committee is comprised on a number of senior executives from the technology community who volunteer their time and talents to drive a creative program that both educates and entertains the guests. GTS 2007 is the largest fund raising event for TAG and to be successful we must deliver a program that inspires people to sponsor and attend. Think that's easy? Well, it isn't and tomorrow I'll tell you a bit more about our journey that started in early 2006 and still has many days ahead. Meanwhile, everyone have a wonderful evening. Ellie needs some help with her homework and so Dad needs to sign off.

Oh yeah, the funny looking hood in the pic? Well, that is none other than that infamous character Frank Baia, best known as the voice of god at most TAG events. Frank, the leader of Global Speak generously donates his time and talents to many different interests. In this photo he is doing time for Jerry's kids. He is just one of the technology executives that consistently supports TAG.

Saturday Night & Ellies Out and About!

Yes, that girl on the right is definitely my little angel. This was taken at a ballet recital last year. Of course she is much cuter now and naturally more grown up since she 8 years old going on 20...........anyway, she is standing right here next to me and needs to go to bed, so Daddy is going to finish this up and take her upstairs so she can get ready for a good night's rest before Mass tomorrow. Busy week ahead with Thanksgiving and Ellie said to tell everyone to have a happy Turkey day!

Basketball & Scouts

An interesting day spent mostly on catching up on expenses from my previous employment. Need to get them done and in the system before the end of the month, but the Lord knows I hate paperwork, especially expenses. Why can't they invent a credit card that allows you to record everything automatically so you don't spend hours and hours trying to figure out all the details of each item? I guess I'm just going to have to learn to do these things on a regular basis.

We had basketball practice tonight and the real coach showed up with his son, who can drill it from about 15 feet out and is pretty darn good on the boards. I could see the difference almost immediately in the way the kids responded to his approach, which was far more disciplined than mine. Moreover, the practice was more effective and the kids played much better during the scrimmage. I guess it helps if you know what you're doing.

Afterwards we all walked across to the boy scouts Fall Festival. Our boys are all cub scouts, but they graduate to the boy scouts next year and we are getting them ready for the big move. It occurred to me as I wandered around chatting with all the Dads and Moms who had organized the Fall Festival and the Dads who had just coached basketball that this really is a wonderful community. I chatted with Frank Bell, the CEO of Intellinet, who was doing his duty for the evening and Leigh Mayerson, the guidance counselor at Sarah Smith (who also happens to be the real coach I referenced earlier)and so many others. People working together to ensure our children have all the opportunities that we were given......and it does take a community to make it happen. It makes me proud to be a part of this neighborhood.

The photo is a shot of the approach to the Wintergreen Winery just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. A great place to hang out and drink some wine!

CEO Boot Camp

After midnight and I'm just finishing up with my review of today's material. Was it worth the price? Absolutely! Don't know what I'm talking about? Well then, go to the TAG website (www.tagonline.org) and explore events and read about the CEO Boot Camp, or just wait until later in the week and I'll tell you all about it. Bottom line? Best program I've attended in probably 10 years..........practical, concise and most important it is real-world advice from a guy who has been there, got the video and written four books about the experience. Check it out folks. It is WTPOA! (Worth the Price of Admission)

By the way, the canal doesn't have anything to do with this post. It's a photo from our home town in the Netherlands (Leiden), home to Rembrandt and one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe, plus a center of excellence for the care of patients with leukemia. I thought I'd share it with you this evening because quite frankly I'm a bit homesick.

Southern Living

Have you ever spent a few hours in Social Circle, Georgia? Well, if you did, it was because you love southern cooking and you don't mind wandering around a few antiques shops. The Blue Willow Inn is one of Georgia's finest restaurants, operating out of a home that was built at the end of the 19th. century. It is family style dining with all the wonderful foods that most of us never properly learned to create from our Mom's, with of course the exception of myself, and my sisters Judy and Mary. They can still do cornbread the old fashioned way. We all learned to cook fairly early in our lives and with seven brothers and sisters it was important that at least some of us could take care of dinner while Mom and Dad worked most evenings to pay the mortgage and keep us in school.

The Blue Willow Inn, Social Circle, Georgia. About an hour out of Atlanta on I20 East, it is the place to be at Sunday lunch time. Make a reservation and then plan on visiting the shops on Main Street. It is a delightful experience and having been on numerous occasions I can attest to the fact that it just gets better with each visit.

Correction from Sis.........

Received a brief note from my sister who lives in Ohio. She wrote to correct me because my running around the front garden here with a blower does not truly represent a serious effort at gathering leaves. Her husband Roger obviously has a entirely different approach to the situation. I stand corrected Sis.

Christmas Already

I had to spend some money today and given the circumstances, I wanted to make certain that I got the best possible deals. My first stop was at Joseph Banks where I heard that they were having a 50% off of everything sale. Hmmmmm......found it kind of hard to see any real bargains. It looked like they had marked everything up by 75% and were offering discounts on items that would normally sell for far less. No real bargains there. I then popped over to Lowes to get a blower........Kate was desperate to see the lawn and drive cleared of all the leaves and our petrol blower got blown up by the last gardener who put unleaded into it instead of a oil/petrol mixture. The prices were a tad high, but after a bit of discussion I was able to purchase a demo model (it had never actually been used, but was out of the box on the shelf) for 40% below retail. I then spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning the front garden and believe me, there were a lot of leaves!

I have a great week lined up with CEO Boot Camp on Tuesday and Wednesday and lunches on Thursday and Friday. I'm also planning a dinner on Tuesday evening. I got a lead of a job that sounds like a good match with my skills and will be pursuing that over the rest of this month. I set myself up in the garage with an office and got hooked into the wireless network and while it is a bit odd sitting in the garage it is comfortable and except for the occasional really big spider it isn't all that bad.

Anyway, what's up with all the Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving? It's a bit weird and absolutely too soon. Shouldn't someone tell them that we don't want Christmas in November?

Happy Birthday Marines

Today is the 231st.birthday of the U.S.Marine Corps and tomorrow we celebrate Veteran's Day. As a former Marine and a Vietnam Veteran, I am reminded of that period in my life. I am also reminded of the young men and women who sacrifice so much today to protect our country. My time was important to me, but it is time to focus not on my generation, but on today's kids who are serving with honor and integrity. When you wake up tomorrow, please remember our sons and daughters serving across the globe and do something constructive to help them. We owe them so much and we need not forget them during the coming weekend and every weekend to follow. Be proud of them no matter what how you feel about Iraq or our reasons for being there. They are the real hero's!

What a Week!

Okay, so I had the Men's Club meeting on Monday evening and then on Tuesday evening I attended an invitation only CEO dinner at Yum & Ross Arnold's home in Mid-Town Atlanta. Their home is quite impressive and has a very comfortable lived-in feeling. You know, sometimes you go into a big house and that's about all it turns out to be........a big house. This was a home, warm and friendly with lots of pictures and an air of children and family. I loved the way they catered it as well. Instead of pulling in a bunch of stuffed shirts they arranged to have food delivered from Whole Foods, put it on their own dishes and served everything buffet style. Again, there was a sense of familiarity with everyone sitting on couches and chairs, eating and really getting to know one another. I sat with Kelly Gay and Patrick Taylor and by the time we had finished our meal I knew more about Kelly and Patrick than I would have ever learned at the Hi-Tech CEO Council or TechLinks "Let's Do Business" or any other networking venue. Not that any of the networking venues are ineffective.........it was just that extra feeling of comfort that comes from being in someones home and feeling welcomed. After the dinner we had sat together with coffee and dessert and discussed a number of critical issues that were submitted prior to the event by all of us. All in all, an outstanding evening. I got lots of advice and lots of reassurance from everyone about the job situation and while no one offered me a job, I did get a number of suggestions and tips that should serve me well in the coming weeks. Hat's off to Yum and Ross for a lovely evening.

Holy Spirit, Georgia Tech & The Men's Club

I was asked earlier today by my good neighbor, Dave Denning to attend this evenings monthly meeting of the Men's Club of Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Although Katie and I have been members of the parish for about three or four months (having escaped from Christ the King), I have not had an opportunity to participate in the Men's Club. Dave, a former pilot with the Navy and currently a senior pilot for Delta called to suggest we go together. The guest speaker was Dan Radakovick, the relatively new Athletic Director of Georgia Tech. Well, I thought it sounded like a wonderful opportunity and jumped on it. It turned out to be an absolutely delightful evening. Dan was charming and graciously answered more questions than I think he might have anticipated from a Catholic Men's Group. I met a wonderful group of men of all ages and decided on the spot to join the group and attend other meetings going forward. One important lesson that I've learned over the years is that the last thing you want to do when you hit a wall is to hide your head in the sand. Get up in the morning, get dressed like you mean it and get out, even if it is only to a Starbucks or a Boarders with wireless access............what's important in this situation is not that you are unemployed.......what's important is that you don't fall into in any traps or start feeling sorry for yourself. Me, I'm a Hawks fan and for the moment we are leading the our division...........go Hawks!

Change Equals Opportunity

I packed my office this afternoon, said goodbye to a few folks, and made my way back home with the accumulation of three plus years of odds and ends, lots of books and a few awards picked-up along the way. I can't honestly say that I was sad or felt really bad about the situation. You see, over the years I've come to realize that everything happens for a reason and the good Lord has a plan for me and while I may not completely understand it, I trust that it will work out for the best. I've already been pinged a few times with some ideas from different folks. I'm looking at a franchise that would allow me to leverage the past few years of living the Internet experience and I may consider doing some project based worked in the new year on a temporary basis just to clear my head and do something different. I'm at peace with the situation and comforted by knowing that I have lots of talent and lots of opportunities ahead of me. Change always brings opportunity if we just take the time to find it.

50+

Did you know that two-thirds of all the people who ever reached the age of 65 are alive today? Did you also that the fastest growing segment of the population is those 85 and over?

There are 78 million baby boomer's, the oldest of whom just turned 60 this year and the youngest 42. One baby boomer reaches the age of 50 every 7.5 seconds, which adds up to 4 million every single year

You can read about the 50+ revolution by picking up a copy of Bill Novelli's book, "50+...Igniting a Revolution to Reinvent America" with an interesting forward by Steve Case. Bill is the CEO OF AARP and therefore has an interest in those of us that have qualified for the 50+ club.

I'm 56 and Kate is 41. We have have an 8 year old daughter and a 10 year old son. I have more iTunes than any parent I know and I am constantly impressing my kids by introducing them to artists that recorded 20+ years ago. But you know what? They like the music and they think it is cool, which of course is very cool! Who knows, Kate and I may not be done with having kids yet. Heck, my Dad was 60 years old when I was born and he was 65 when my brother Jim was born. My Mom was 29 years younger than my Dad and we just never thought much of it until he got into his 80's and because of his heart condition he went downhill pretty fast and died at the age of 83......he was a devout catholic and a democrat and while he wasn't necessarily the greatest or best Dad ever, he was my Dad and I loved him. Age never seemed to bother him and he worked harder at 83 (he had a massive heart attack at work at the age of 83 still putting two kids through college) than many of the kids that worked in the firm I just left. He never moaned about the injustice of the system.....he just constantly tried to figure out how to make the system work for him. He was an entrepreneur before anyone knew what that word meant and he was respected in the community. I was proud to be his son and now that folks are beginning to recognize that age is not a factor in life the way it was in the 50's, I am reminded of that hard working man who got up everyday and somehow managed to support and educate seven kids. Jack Gaul was his name and he remains my role model for life! Born in 1889 and orphaned at the age of 11, he left school and went to work to support his Aunt and Sister. He was a self-taught man and an avid reader. Gosh, he read everything and was so current that I was often amazed how he could engage any conversation........he worried far too much during my time in Vietnam and the greatest hug I have ever received in my life was the night I got back and my Dad embraced me. He was both proud of me and thankful that I was home without any major damage. That was the Christmas of '69. Patrick Jr. was born in July of '72....his first grandson with the name Gaul......he died less than a year later, but not without holding the next generation of Gaul's and I think that made him very happy. I hug my grandson, Patrick David Gaul the 3rd and I know what my Dad felt..........

Time to Calibrate

Yesterday I left my former position with the hosting company and joined the ranks of the unemployed in Atlanta. It was a timely move for me and will allow me to have some time with my family while I consider my options and think about about what I want to do next. We have a move coming up in early December and there is lots of packing to be done. I'm going to attend a CEO Boot Camp being held in mid-November that is being sponsored by the Technology Association of Georgia. Should be an excellent refresher for an old dog like me. I also want to continue to do some writing, catch up on my reading list and enjoy a glass of wine in the evening. I plan to free lance for some local firms and most importantly, I intend to wind down and relax. Managing a business has its own unique set of challenges and over the past three plus years I've had my share of those challenges. Every so often it's good to take inventory, examine where you are versus where you want to be and sanity check the findings. I'm grateful that I have the luxury to approach the situation in such a balanced manner.

All Saints Day

Today is "All Saints Day", a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation, which means you are supposed to go to church. We did this evening and stayed for the church supper afterwards and it was actually quite nice. Holy Spirit, our church in Buckhead does that every Wednesday evening and we are trying to go as often as possible given it conflicts with Joe's karate lessons. So we can't go every week, but every three or four weeks seems to fit our schedule. During Mass I was listening to the prayers being offered.......you know, for the recovery of the sick, hear our prayer.. For the well-being our our troops and first responders, hear our prayer, for leadership that actually thinks, hear our prayer. I'm guessing that in Boston, a very Catholic and Democratic city that many Catholics were inserting the additional plea that John Kerry keep his mouth shut for the next week.........well, Karl Rove promised a miracle and John certainly did deliver it. What an absolute idiot! Sorry, but there is no way he can spin what he said into anything except what he said.........so he has now apologized after waiting about a day too long, has a lot of Republicans in arms when they were going to sit out this election...........that John Kerry shut-up until the election is over, hear our prayer!

101.4 Million & Growing, or is it?

Netvention just reported that there are now 101.4 million websites across the Internet, up from 50 million in May of 2004 and 18,000 in August of '95. Wow! Over 100 million websites......now, you know what's funny about that number? I read recently that the average life cycle of a website was less than 60 days and from my experiences as the President of a hosting company, I can tell you that there are a significant number of folks that purchase websites on a whim and never even build them for all sorts of reasons, but mostly because they just lose interest.Some folks just don't have the technical instincts, even when a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get)site builder is included in the hosting package. Some folks go to the trouble of building something, but didn't really know what they wanted to do with the site to start and they lose interest. Then there are those who build them and don't do anything to give the site visibility on the Internet, which is the same as abandoning it. What's the point of building a website if no one is going to actually see it? So, my point? We may have over 100 million websites sitting on servers across the globe, but what percentage of those sites are every actually visited. Now add the complications associated with the hosting industry. In the U.S.alone we have over 15,000 web hosting companies in business, but the top 10 have nearly 60% of the market. So now, we have web hosting companies that aren't seen hosting websites that aren't seen.........the lesson here folks is that it is hard to be seen in a crowd and you had better know what you what to do before you launch the site and if you really need to be seen you have to engage an expert to make it happen. Buying Google AdWords is not going to get you on page one on Google, and if you aren't on page one of Google you better be on page one of something or else you are wasting your money. Want to know how to be seen. Go to my links, click on neboweb and talk to some experts.