From window seat 2D on the flight down from SFO to SNA Sunday evening 20 June 2010 there’s a stunning view of one of my favorite sights along the long and varied California coast. It’s a tableau composed of sunset, ocean, and the California Channel Islands, visible for me starting from up near Santa Barbara and continuing on, uninterrupted, south to Santa Catalina Island before we bank away and start our approach into the John Wayne - Orange County airport. Sounds of “Avalon” (the Roxy Music song and the Benny Goodman Quartet jazz piece) compete for my attention in the soundtrack assembled by my resident musicologist, with Benny Goodman ultimately winning the Battle of the Bands, if only because I later find a good jazz station on the radio for the short drive up to Anaheim and my hotel.

 

I’m on my way to the Yole Developpement MEMS CTO Meeting, the first one ever, a meeting Yole have assembled together with the help of AM Fitzgerald and Associates, and Chipworks, partners with Yole as hosts for the event.  

 

The great flight down bodes well; I know there are promising things to come.

 

Another sign, early, it’s sure to be a lively meeting: the Sunday evening fireworks show Yole arranged, starting just after dinner near the convention center hotels. Great job Sandrine, great job Jeff! (Oh, wait, those are Disneyland’s regular evening fireworks. Never mind …. Still doesn’t spoil the fun of summer fireworks though, or my appreciation for the organizers.)

What do you get when you assemble 50 MEMS CTOs (and fellow travelers) in the same room at 8:15am on the first Monday of Summer? Well, you get over 1000 years of combined MEMS experience, for one thing, and you get a flock of rare birds ready to share unguarded opinions and thoughts and make short time of this, the longest day of the year...