As we've all recognized for quite a while, my current job is quite different from my previous one. Some of the differences are good (shorter commute, shorter hours), some not so good (narrower scope, less opportunity to influence an organization), and some just different. It was not uncommon for me to spend half of my work week in meetings and conference calls. Quite often, I would have follow-up discussions with folks in the western time zones as I drove home. Now, I have three meetings that typically total no more than two hours per week. There are others at work who appear to be keeping the pace that I used to keep. On more than a few occasions, guys have been talking on their cell phones while in the men's room. Next time you're having a phone conversation with someone who's on a cell phone, be grateful for what you don't know.

Working at that pace would be even more challenging in Nepal.

The other day, I listened to music from the Monterey Pop Festival box set. Some of the music is heartbreakingly good, notably Otis Redding. Other stuff has drifted into deserved obscurity. There were breakout performances for Janis Joplin, Hugh Masekela, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix. (Jimi does a cover of the Troggs semi-hit Wild Thing, one of the very few rock songs to feature an ocarina solo.)

This article appeared in the Wall Street Journal, pointing out the challenges associated with looking for a new job within a company. Because one is expect to have mastered the business, the article notes, one should prepare more for an in-house move than for an external one. Looking back, I can see lots of things that I could have done differently (better).