cc: file, Andrea, Tony Hafen, Sara and Des Penny, & Maxine Shirts
"Monday was my first day dedicated to the GDC Project. I was focused on building the Infinite Grid(SM) framework within which all of the GDC lithology database will be placed as a new way to package this data. They sell their database for up to $20,000 per site, and the approach I am bringing to the table will be a new way to package, distribute, and understand the information in their database.
I was so busy getting started I didn't really notice how hard it was raining outside. Les Denham left and called back in saying there was 14 feet of water at the underpass at Beltway 8 and I-10. Dave Agarwall had similar problems. Bob finally left, and I just kept working. Then there were a bunch of technical problems, and I ended up not being able to proceed with what I wanted to do. Oh well! I left II&T's office at 5:15 PM. It was still raining hard and traffic was at a standstill. It was 6:30 when I got to the house. Oh well!
Monday evening the mother of one of Sara's Peace Corp colleagues who lives in the valley called. They made arrangements we could call Sara on Tuesday morning. It turned out Sara went to the capital and was not available. However, she sent a note, and I was able to conference Melanie, Andrea, and myself to talk to her for the first time since she arrived there. It was a nice talk. She sounds good. We made arrangements to call each Sunday morning at 9:00, except for Fast Sunday, until she takes her assignment on the 12th of December. Actually, as I look at the calendar, this is only going to be next Sunday the 30th. She was at the beach today, and although I had Roice on the phone, we called four times and could not get past an automatic French operator machine. Hopefully we will be able to conference Roice in next Sunday, and then when she gets settled, we will have a regular calling schedule. The third world is frustrating.
Melanie was asking Sara if it is really as dirty as her last letter described, and whether the people thought they were clean. As I listened to the conversation, I was pleased to see someone who can better describe the third world is going to be able to verbalize the things I have seen in China, Nigeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, India, and other third world countries I have visited. I commented to Sara and Melanie they have no concept of what it was like to grow up working at Nelson Meat Packing Plant and at the By-Products Plant. I realized in this conversation I grew up with one foot in the third world. Oh well!
We have had big hassles with phones since we changed to AT&T to have a cheaper rate to call Benin. For instance, we received a $1,200. phone bill for some calls I made to China. This was almost $10/minute. I ended up spending over an hour after talking to Sara getting the phones changed back to Southwestern Bell. They are actually giving us a better price to call Benin (65 cents per minute) and about 20 cents per minute to call China. It was almost 10:00 before I made it down to II&T. And I had signed up to go the the GSH luncheon at 11:30. It was good to see friends, and the talk was reasonable. I probably didn't have the time, however, I feel like I need to get back into the professional society activities I have been so active in over the years. And because of my Life Membership it only costs $11 for lunch. I made a couple of appointments as a result of being there, the most important turned out to be arranging to have Peter Duncan come over to the office on Friday morning, which was when we discussed Faith, Water, and Energy.
Tuesday night was Ward Temple Night. Andrea had a meeting at Taylor High School, and so I just worked late. Hopefully we will make it to the temple next week. I could use the comfort that comes with spending a couple of hours thinking about the eternal perspective of life.
Wednesday was spent working on GDC stuff. At 4:30 Joe Roberts and I met with Tony Rebec of Core Labs at the Omni Hotel at Eldridge and I-10. I like Tony. Englishman with a broad international background and good training at GSI (Geophysical Services Inc.). Joe Roberts was convinced I said this or that wrong. I left them after they had each had about 4 beers, and Joe came by the house a couple of hours later. He started to get a little testy with me, and I told him if he is going to act like that the deal is off. I do not need more hassles, and particularly the hassles accompanying working with drunks. He got very civil very quickly, and the conversation got back on track. We have a follow-up meeting on Roice's birthday, Tuesday November 25th.
Thursday was more work. I left the office at 4:50 and discovered I had a flat tire. I changed the tire and was still able to pick up the missionaries for dinner at 5:30. Good Elders. Sara, they both asked how you are doing. Elder Rasmussesson is on leave from the U.S. Army. He has been through Boot Camp, and plans on spending five years after his mission in the army. There is a maturity in outlook that many of the young men who come to Katy do not have. And Elder Rose is enjoyable, simply because he is such a good singer, and will sing when asked to.
Andrea had a nice dinner, and Matt got us to all play Uno after dinner. I was running back and forth to the printer, and signed the Joint Venture Agreement with Geo for the formation of Geo-China over dinner. After dropping off the missionaries I went to Fed-X and sent the agreement to Beijing. I did not eat at home, because I got a call from Jerry Fletcher of Fletcher Enterprises. Fletcher won their bid for the three Indonesian Oil Fields I evaluated for them a few weeks ago (0334.html). We ended up at Landry's on Westheimer and talked from 8:00 until about 10:30. Assuming all of the legal stuff comes together, they will pay $3,000 plus some bonus payments if they are successful in finding additional reserves. He has agreed to outsource geotechnical and engineering work to me and to provide a monthly retainer, which will be dependent on the number of full-time equivalent folks we have working on the project for them. This is what I have been looking for, but it is in Indonesia. Andrea sees it as another China, India, Nigeria, Iraq, Shell Oil, etc. deal. Can't say as I blame her.
Friday morning Peter Duncan came by to catch up on stuff we have talked about. One of our topics was the letter I sent to him about the SEG talking on the Infinite Grid(SM), Timedex(SM), Knowledge Backbone(SM), Abbott Data Type Index, and HyperMedia software. It is interesting how this has evolved. Swede is using it as the basis of his negotiations in Iraq. I have sent copies of a revision titled `Energy Policy' to Mike Leavitt at EPA and Senator Orin Hatch. Swede is convinced there will be positive results. We are both in agreement it is likely to be implemented in Iraq before it in the United States. One of the things which have come out of our discussions is that my ideas will never be adopted by industry without government provided motivation. The cost do not go directly to bottom line profits. However, this is exactly what governments need to do to optimize recoverable reserves, and Swede is convinced it will become a significant cornerstone of Energy Policy. It was interesting talking to Jerry Fletcher about this, and seeing his eyes light up with how this will help Pertamina, the Indonesian National Oil Company.
Looking back at all of the effort I have made over the last 15 years to sell these ideas, it is interesting to realize why I failed. The ideas are government ideas, and not commercial ideas. And the new insight I realized during these discussions with Swede is that my focus has always been to build the New Jerusalem and prepare the world for the return of the Savior by helping to build the Kingdom of God, which is a government, not a commercial type activity. I shared this insight with Peter. His response was very interesting to me, and I will end up thinking about it for years.
Peter commented on the diversity and duplication of components in biological systems and of the resulting resilience of these systems. Then he pointed out how sterile man-made systems can be destroyed by a new virus or a strategically placed bomb. Then he said, `Roice, you need to be sure you are not building the Tower of Babel.' I listened, and my initial reaction was that the God's house is a house of order, and the indexing I'm proposing enhances order. However, I understand that if these technologies are implemented for the purpose of gaining power or for status or wealth, it is building on the Tower of Babel. And frankly, my motivation is much different than some of the others who have bought into these ideas. It seems like there is always a black and white boundary between good and evil, and it even exists in ideas and philosophies.
Peter told me about the SEG President's reception in Dallas, and how much fun it was. They had several folks play guitar, and there were still 50 people at the reception when the hotel shut it down at 11:00. Most of the receptions I've been to have shutdown by 9:00. We talked about his new company Microseismicity, Inc. (http://www.microseismicinc.com). Exciting concepts. The Geo-China Joint Venture will be testing the waters on whether this technology can be sold in China. He has some folks whom he believes will be very interested in the Infinite Grid(SM), and he is going to make the connections for me.
The bottom line that came out of this hour and a half discussion was a new insight. My focus in life has always been first my faith, second water, and third energy. Ever since Corvallis (../1997/9715.html) my faith in God has been the kingpin of my life. Having grown up on a farm in the desert, I learned the importance of water at a visceral gut level. Water is like family, you can not really live if you choose to cut yourself off from it. We can last longer without water than without air. But not as long as we can go without food. Food is the source of body heat and is the energy of life. In the Preface to Prime Words I specify God, Family, and Work as the three prime drivers. Faith, Water, and Energy are parallel concepts. And just as we must watch out for the Tower of Babel and the Great and Spacious Building, it is important to bring order into the world, specifically within the priesthood's framework. And just think, these thoughts didn't come as a result of High Priest Quorum Discussions, rather from a discussion with a long-hair guitar playing geoscientist.
Saturday morning I went for a run, cut the soggy carpet by the shower off and Andrea threw it away, and then I spent the rest of the day working on Iraq stuff for Swede and a Geo-China presentation for Core Labs on Tuesday. I am pleased with how both have come together, although I did spend a few hours working on them today, which is not pare of my normal sabbath activities.
Saturday evening Jerry Fletcher came out to dinner. Andrea fixed a feast. Chicken breasts stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped with bacon, cole slaw with nuts and cranberries, shrimp, potatoes and yams, cranberry juice, and cranberry cake with frozen cream. We both enjoyed Jerry, and he was very straightforward concerning our concerns about working with Indonesians. Turns out he made $90 million after leaving Arco. His partners lost it in Venezuela, and he is starting over. He is a very interesting man, and I hope his project comes together and we are able to work on it with him. Time will tell.
Today was pretty quiet. Mike Milich(a) gave a great talk in Sacrament Meeting. I wrote the following possible stanzas for Prime Words from his talk:
Austin Beckstrom returned from his mission in Minnesota.
He looks great. Just missed the big snow storm that
went through yesterday and today. He made a comment
in Gospel Doctrine I turned into a possible stanza:
I already wrote about the frustrations of attempting to
call Sara this morning. When we got home from church
we ate the left over chicken and salad and potatoes and
yams from last night. I spent some time working on the
China presentation. Then I put together today's
Grandkidlet for Ethan, and wrote two Thoughtlets. Andrea
went to Stake Choir to prepare for the joint Christmas
Concert with Epiphany Catholic Church. I am not going
to sing with the choir this year, for the first time
since we started doing this. Oh well! In my conversation
with Paul tonight I learned he is quoted on a BYU web
page: http://www.et.byu.edu/news_fulton.htm
Mr. Fulton wants to build a new engineering building at
BYU, and there are two other projects which need to be
finished first. The other projects are an athletic building
and a building for family life, needing $8 million and $10
million. They agreed to go ahead with the new engineering
building when he agreed to donate the $18 million for the
other buildings. He also gave $50 million to his alma
mater, Arizona State University. However, the President
and the Provost took a semester Institute Class, and
agreed to give an unused parcel of land on campus to the
church for a new Institute complex before he made the
donation. Earlier in the day, Andrea had quoted from the
Church News where President Hinkley asked: `Is this guy
real?' after Mr. Fulton told President Hinkley he would
be giving an additional $20 million donation to BYU. It
is interesting how doors are open in unlikely corners to
build the Kingdom of God.
I'm not sure where the line of thinking discussed in this Thoughtlet will take me, and yet I am sure that I will spend years thinking about God, Family, and Work, along with the corollary Faith, Water, and Energy."