Monthly Archives: January 2011

Sunday afternoon – Happy Birthday IBM

We’re hunkered down inside for what might be the coldest night of the year.. it’s barley cleared zero today.. and we’re expecting a cold clear night tonight.. probably about -18 F. . I love it when gets like that.

Inside it’s bright and warm.. no complaints.

One thing I’ve been meaning to write about this week is the IBM Centennial.. This year. my company becomes 100 years old. There’s going to be lots of fanfare around the year.. and .. I hope.. lots of reflection.

Here are two movies that have just been released to celebrate our birthdays.. (note: I’ve got a 3 second cameo at minute 12 of the first one..

This second one is longer.. .. but it has some great stories..

The company has gone through many changes in the last century.. From a company making meat slicers, to a near monopoly in computing.. almost to non-existence in the early mid 90’s to the huge global company we are today. It’s a really proud legacy for the most part.. Many ‘firsts’ .. the first system family of computers, the first relational database, the UPC code, the first DRAM memory, the computer system for the moon landings, the first computer to beat a human chess champion, (and perhaps a Jeopardy champion.. we’ll see on Feb 14th 🙂 . There have been many challenges along the way as well.. ..to be sure, it’s not the family business it used to be.. but it’s still one of the most broad, solid and socially minded businesses on the planet. I get a great kick out of having colleagues that range from Nobel prize winning physicists to toxicologists, to mathematicians , to business theorists. I don’t know of a broader technical community that’s ever been aligned under one banner in the history of humanity..

All in all, the company has been very very good to me, .. it’s the only place I’ve every really worked.. 30 years this coming August. They’ve let me work all over the world, sent me back for a PhD. and given me really cool stuff to work on. They even introduced me to Diane (Stairs of bldg 963, august 1982) .. It was my gift as a second generation IBMer.. Diane’s dad, Gabe worked at IBM for more than 30 years in Endicott. He tells us stories of singing the IBM song in the morning before work, wore a tie to work, went to the IBM Country Club, etc.
I must also say I appreciate how much the company has done to take care of me since Sam’s death.. though they don’t always know what to do. It would be hard to ask for more.

Don’t get me wrong.. there are many times I’m not completely in love with my job or the company… I strive to love about 80% of what I do there. . sometimes that’s been as low as 40 %.. ..but it always turns around.. but hey.. isn’t that what a relationship is supposed to be like ?

So.. Happy birthday IBM.. you’re looking pretty good for 100..

nite all, nite Sam.

-jc

Saturday night – memorial

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Connor M’s memorial service was at 11 AM this morning. We knew there’d be a crowd.. so we had decided to park at Jack B’s and walk into town with them. Around 10 we left from Jack’s and walked towards the Congregational Church .We saw quite a few other friends with the same idea.. The day was sparkling, sunny and cold.. Everyone was quiet as we walked.. This town has seen more than it’s share of tragedy in the past 10 years… and I sense folks all feel that. . Jarred, Amanda, our Sam, Adam, Brendan and now Connor.

The church was packed.. and silent as we waited for the service to start. Really.. not a word.. though every seat was full. The service was shrt and direct. a few hymns. a few prayers.. and a really good set of comments from Rev. Ling the new paser at the Congo. She used the story of Lazurus to frame a message about how folks needed to move beyond feelings of  guilt and blame. It was heartfelt and direct.  She concentrated on Connor’s life, not his death.. and asked people to remember him for the great kid he was.  The service ended and folks shuffled downstairs.. again.. completely silently. Connor’s parents, brothers and sisters were there by the door greeting everyone. We had a breif moment of mutual acknowledgment in our shared loss.. then moved on. This was not about us.. it was about Connor. Seeing his family there  brought back strong and surreal memories of comforting others at Sam’s memorial..    We spent a few minutes milling around taking to people. It was particularly good talking to a few of the teachers from MMU.. they are taking Connor’s death understandably hard.. It was good to see him supported.   A bit later, Bucky B. started a slide show that one of Connor;s friends had complied. The pictures were of a happy and athletic kid.. I remember him out on the lacross field . it was good to see his smiling face. Watching everyone watching that movie put me over and I cried.. i felt so bad for connors family. friends and teachers.. .. what they are going through.. .. .. It’s no use to say that they will heal in time.. they will, but it’s useless to hear that in these early days..

After a bit. we headed home.. It felt good to be outside in the sun again.. Connor’s service stayed with me most of the rest of the day. not much else happened.. and that was fine.Life goes on.. it always does..

nite all, nite sam

-me

Friday night – grief online

Tomorrow is Connor M’s memorial service. It’s been hard this week watching our community try to get their heads around the unthinkable …. . I was out of town all week . but I was able to watch folks integrating Connor’s death on Facebook… it reminded me how important and helpful  I found social networking to be when Sam died.. Back then it was Myspace. Talkign to everyone on myspace is what inspired me to start this blog. .. I still have a record of everythign folks wrote.. I still have sam’s myspace page.. folks still post on it occasionally.. and they even send Sam messages there, still. I see them come in.. but I never read them.. I still view them as private.

Here’s a memorial site that someone set up for Connor.. Kids are using it to share their feelings .. and comfort one another..

I’ve noticed that as a sign of support,  tons of kids at MMU have changed their FB profile picture to the purple rose picture from this site..

I even saw how the event got people thinking about us.. Here’s a hit profile of the night I blogged about Connor’s death.. 

I know it might sound strange to be thinking about this stuff now., but .. I’m really grateful that the community has a resource like Facebook to use in a time like this.  I wonder if the creaters ever thoguht their software could help people so much in tough times ?

nite all, nite Sam.. just checked your site

-me

Thursday night – home early

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I was able to get an earlier flight home.. so I’m going to get home tonight.. not tomorrow.. It’s been hard to be away this week. Thanks to everyone who checked in with us this week after Connor Mennings death. I’m surprised.. and grateful that folks thought of us.. I have to admit.. I was surprised by that.. We’re fine.. our thoughts are on Connor and his family..    I hope the community can support them as you all have supported us over these last four years since Sam’s death..

Ahh we’re boarding.. more later..

nite all, nite sam

-me