Monthly Archives: June 2013

Thursday night – after work in SF

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I’m still reeling from yesterdays news  I’ve heard from so many good friends who were caught in the layoffs. My thoughts are so with everyone effected..  It still seems pretty unreal..

It was honestly hard to concentrate on work today.. though  I did. We fished up a very good set of meetings out here. I really enjoy the partner we’re working with here.. and look forward to working with them.

Our meetings were during the day.. I did make good use of the time after our meetings. Yesterday between our meetings and dinner I ran out to meet my new friend John at his maker space “freespace’. John has been advising soem of the Vermont makers on our planned makerspace activity.

Freespace is a new collective of artists and makers. I sent a good hour and half there checking it out and talking to some of the many folks that were hanging out in the new space. They’ve only been there 11 days, but already it’s decorated and homey.. Check out some of these murals !  All new in the last 11 days !

 

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It was great getting to hang out with John and his friends. IMG_0731 IMG_0733

 

Today we had soem good meetings .. then we got a tour of onne of the copanys new maker spaces.. check out the view from this ironing board.. IMG_0742

 

and check out this swinging conference table they invented !IMG_0743 IMG_0746

 

By the end of tat meeting it was late afternoon. I took a quick half hour to tour the new Exploratorium site.. it’s amazing.. I loved the old setting at the exhibition center.. but this new space is so nice and bright !!.. I ran aorud looing forold favorite demos.. and soem new stuff. it was great.. check out this water fountain !

 

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this clock s hands moved by guys sweeping sand  to the position of the hands.. so cool !IMG_0756 IMG_0757 IMG_0758 IMG_0759 IMG_0761

 

there was soem great history here.. here is frank oppenheimer the founder of the exploratorium IMG_0763 IMG_0764 IMG_0766 IMG_0767 IMG_0768 IMG_0772

 

as always, they had the cow eyeball disection table.. ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwIMG_0778 IMG_0779 IMG_0782 IMG_0783

 

i found y favorite peice of all time here as well. the lariat chain.. it’s heavy metal chain floating in spacein undulating kinks and loops.. so cool IMG_0784 IMG_0791

ok.. flight is boarding.. gotta go.. more tomorrow..

nite all, nite sam

-me

 

Wednesday night – very tough day

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Today was really hard. As many of you may know, my company took what we euphemistically call resource actions today. . To some it was a necessary portfolio alignment. The others it was the end of long careers .I'm at client meetings today. The meeting was really good technically. We really like these people and we love the challenges that they pose. Even as we spoke with them today, we were all getting emails and instant messages from longtime colleagues we just received word that their jobs were going away. it was such a strange contrast.

On one hand, I know the company has to change and evolve… That's why we are still strong after 100 years. At the same time, my heart breaks to know how many people's livelihoods , retirement plans, even the definitions of themselves changed irrevocably today in that one minute call from their managers. Many of these folks ,like me, live to work not work to live. They define themselves as an engineers, computer scientists, programmers … whatever. When the situation takes that definition away from you, it's easy to wonder what you have left. For many, this change will actually be pretty welcome… Many of my friends were ready to retire anyway. For some, this change will be a needed, if not welcome, kick out of complacency. But for many… This is going to be hell. And for those my heart goes out.

Heart is the important word here. I can't help thinking that business….not just our business …. is too focused on the mind these days. What is the short-term financial outcome. What to the stockholders want?. To me, work is a way of keeping heart and mind together. You can't have one without the other. Business strategy and people's needs cannot be separated. It's not that I see another way. It's just that I regret that has to be this way.

The economy and the stockholders are a tough master. I hope as the economy improves, we like many companies will re-find our hearts. I think this is the only path forward.

For All of my friends who are affected today I wish you strength and creativity. I hope this turn in the road works out okay for you. you're in our thoughts and hearts. .

Night all, night Sam
– Me

Monday night – 641

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Hello from room 641 in some nameless hotel in time square. I'm here for a meeting tomorrow. The room number, 641, is come up repeatedly in my life. It was my dad's first office address in Houston… And it was my Boy Scout troop. Now it is my hotel room. What does it mean? Does it mean anything? How can it not mean anything?

The questions on my mind after having dinner with my friend Sebastian, a number theorist. We had a great conversation and a pretty good Thai meal. Then we walked through the rain down through Times Square. I'm not a big fan of Time Square, but I do love the rain. I got so drenched that a random guy looked at me and said dude you look like Frankenstein. G-d I love New York.

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More tomorrow from the road
Night all, night sam

– me