Wow, Paul. I know that folks have some negative outlooks from the recent events but
this was a bit of a surprise to me (and I work in one of the industries you
mention). I don't want to tell you how you should run your business and I agree
that you should be conservative about ordering parts well in advance, even if it
does mean a slower turnaround on orders. [Although, I've been waiting about 5
months for some assembled modules (cough, cough)].
I know this is OT but I really don't see things quite as darkly. I don't think all
the Internet jobs will disappear. Sure, we're recovering from a good spate of
"irrational exhuberance" and that is painful. The pendulum has swung back pretty
hard but it will recover and settle down over time. This was going to happen
regardless of the events of 9/11. The economy will adjust, the airlines will adjust
capacity to the number of folks flying, etc. etc. I actually think that this
tragedy has defined things much better. We can see "the bottom" on the economy much
better now and I think have much better resolve to work through it. These events
have actually brought out a much greater sense of community in people and I think
will enhance our national sense of worth.
I find your comments on the electronics industry much like the "no one will ever
want ∗talking movies∗" attitudes of the past. Just because we can't see any use for
a new technology now doesn't make it any less important. Faster processors will
beget new applications we haven't yet figured out. I know that processors are still
not fast enough for the work that I do so we have to resort to the painful process
of developing custom ASICs (I would need 2GHz memory to go with that 10GHz processor
;)
I guess I'm looking at things a bit differently. The sun still rises in the
morning, I have my health and family (I feel fortunate that I only know of "friends
of friends" that were lost in the tragedy), I have work to busy my hands, and I have
music to soothe my soul. Of course, my MOTM helps out in that last item and for
that I am thankful to you.
Call me a Pollyanna but I think the long term prospects look bright. I know I am
very fortunate but the last thing I think anyone should do is crawl into a hole and
feel like the world is falling apart. That can certainly become a self-fulfilling
prophecy if you try hard enough... A very important axiom of life I have learned
recently is "it is not what happens to you, it is how you react to it."
Sorry, enough rambling. I just found your commentary too depressing to leave alone.
Eric
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