> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.philsimon.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Reflections on 2016
- URL: https://www.philsimon.com/reflections-on-2016/
- Published: 2016-11-25T13:13:07.000Z
- Updated: 2025-07-05T20:44:28.000Z
- Description: Thoughts on a very interesting year.
- Author: Phil Simon
- Tags: Miscellany, HuffPo, Marillion, Message Not Received, The Visual Organization

To say the least, 2016 has been an interesting year on many levels. For starters, I wrote less that at any point since 2007\. (As usual, I churned out a bunch of data-related posts for [SAS](https://blogs.sas.com/content/datamanagement/author/philsimon/?ref=philsimon.com).) New friends came and some departed.

> I have a great deal to be thankful for.

Brass tacks, I have a great deal to be thankful for. Highlights include:

- I started my [new position as a lecturer at ASU](https://www.philsimon.com/professor-simon/). About a year ago, [I set out to obtain a full-time professor position](https://www.philsimon.com/looking-to-teach-as-a-visiting-professor-in-2016/) at a progressive school and I did just that.
- *Message Not Received* [won an Axiom Award](https://www.philsimon.com/message-not-received-wins-axiom-award/).
- The publication of [the Chinese Version](https://www.philsimon.com/visual-organization-chinese-version/) of *The Visual Organization.*
- Having coffee for an hour with Steve Hogarth of Marillion was surreal. I had interviewed him before a bunch of times for *The Huffington Post*, but I'll never forget the happenstance of seeing him on the street that Saturday morning in San Francisco. For an hour at Starbucks, we talked about politics and life.
- Interviewing [Steve Rothery](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/phil-simon/marillions-steve-rothery%5Fb%5F10757068.html?ref=philsimon.com), [Mark Kelly](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/phil-simon/marillions-mark-kelly-on%5Fb%5F12390886.html?ref=philsimon.com), [Roger Hodgson](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/phil-simon/an-interview-with-roger-h%5Fb%5F12786866.html?ref=philsimon.com) (pictured above), and [John Petrucci](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/phil-simon/dream-theaters-john-petru%5Fb%5F8990916.html?ref=philsimon.com) didn't suck either. *HuffPo* may not pay me a nickel, but there are forms of payment beyond money.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/2025/05/img_2578-1-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/2025/05/img_2589-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/2025/05/wes-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/2025/05/bn-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/2025/05/img_2617-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/2025/05/img_2676-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/2025/05/home-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/2025/05/img_2655-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/2025/05/catan-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/2025/05/img_2623-1.jpg)

On the downside, the US presidential election left me gutted, scared, and confused. Now that I'm past the shock, I need to understand the outcome. To this end and on a friend's recommendation, I am reading [*The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion*](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307455777/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0307455777&linkCode=as2&tag=phisim-20&linkId=7e25d1168d6bb15c429924ccdc67403e&ref=philsimon.com).