Wednesday night – Steve Jobs

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3 minutes ago I was about to start writing my blog for the night when Gabe said “Steve Jobs died”.. I couldn’t believe what I’d heard. I asked him to repeat.. then I checked cnn and twitter..   This is one of those ‘where were you when you heard ‘ moments. I cant think of an other contemporary person who had as much impact on how we lived and enjoyed our lives. His genius shaped many of the things we do for fun these days.. computers, phones, music , movies. .. he even changed that way we think of companies His company was an extension of himself.. stylish , iconoclastic, quirky and cool.. always cool. you felt like you were cool just owning the stuff that Apple designed.  Under his leadership, Apple demonstrated that the ‘innovators dilemma’.. the myth that big companies can’t innovate was just that.. just a myth.. In doing that he made many other companies rethink what they were doing.. it’s certainly done that for us in Big Blue. He recognized the power of Design .. with a capital ‘D’ .  as the major difference between making somethign that’s good and soemthing that’s great. Think about it,  there’s nothing really special about the components that go into an iphone or ipad.. .. it’s the design of the experience.. that makes them special..

What I honor Steve Jobs most for though was that he put a human face on invention and inventors.. though he never claimed to be an engineer.. he was one.. one of the finest.  in fact he is/was probably the most recognizable face of engineering in the industry.  Think about hw many kids.. .. and adults he inspired through that..

 

he certainly inspired me.

nite all, note sam

-me

Tuesday night – stones

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trying to untangle a bit.. had a very productive day working at home so not much to report today..  One noteworthy thing is that even on a day that nothing happens.. somehtign happens. Like most days.. I got a few Samstone placement and finds..  For example, one of the guys workign on the Bridge Street Bridge in richmond found a SamStoen at the very top (thanks to whomever climbed up there tfor that). That bridge is very special to us.. e’ve all jumped off of it many times. I suspec Sam even jumped from the top of it.. but I’m glad I didn’t see it.. I’ve just jumped from the road.. plenty high for me..

 

Ohte rsamstoen placements today incliude this one from Davd.half way up a cliff . while rock climbing in NY

Or these from Cheryl in Nevada and Arizona.. That’s the real London Bridge (As Jerry Jeff Walker sings in London Homesick Blues,, even London Bridge is falling down.. and moved to Arizona.. “)

 

Cheryl placed ths one in a casino in Nevada

 

My freind Laurie placed this one in an Ironwood tree on Tunnel beach in Kauaii Hawaii..

 

 

It amazes me that folks are still placing these stones for Sam.. It makes me happy and sad every time one goes out and every time one is found.. here’s where they all are.. You can see the interactive map here.  You can click on the locations and read the story and see pictures o each one.

 

 

OK.. gotta sleep now.. More tomorrow

nite all, nite sam

-me

Monday night – Insomnia

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I haven’t been sleeping very well thee past 2 weeks or so.. My work is creeping into my dreams.  Not in the good way, I might add. I love it when a technical problem works its way into my sleep.. I’ve actually done some pretty creative problem solving in my sleep (eg. the solar tracker on The Colony).. This is the hard kind of dream..   the kind when you just loop over the same ideas.. or same concern.. and nothing is worked out. a part of you knows it isn’t a real problem.. but.. you can’t seem to get off of it . A meeting I was supposed to call.. a report unfinished.. a todo left undone. I find myself staring at the ceiling now at 2 am, 3am.. 4am.. wondering why I’m awake. usually I fall back asleep.. but wake up in that same  state of something left half finished..

Actually.. I know I can get blogger for demerits for doing this..(including two poems from the same guy in the same week).. but there’s a great Billy Collins poem for this problem.. Actually.. there’s a great Billy Collins poem for every problem

Insomnia
Billy Collins

Even though the house is deeply silent
and the room, with no moon,
is perfectly dark,
even though the body is a sack of exhaustion
inert on the bed,

someone inside me will not
get off his tricycle,
will not stop tracing the same tight circle
on the same green threadbare carpet.

It makes no difference whether I lie staring at the ceiling
or pace the living-room floor,
he keeps on making his furious rounds,
little pedaler in his frenzy,
my own worst enemy, my oldest friend.

What is there to do but close my eyes
and watch him circling the night,
schoolboy in an ill-fitting jacket,
leaning forward, his cap on backwards,
wringing the handlebars,
maintaining a certain speed?

Does anything exist at this hour
in this nest of dark rooms
but the spectacle of him
and the hope that before dawn
I can lift out some curious detail
that will carry me off to sleep –
the watch that encircles his pale wrist,
the expandable band,
the tiny hands that keep pointing this way and that.

hope I sleep tonight

nite folks, note sam

-me

Sunday night – memories

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Dang.. just realized that my camera with the days pics is hidden somewhere up in our room.. and diane is asleep. I’ve just finished a couple of hours of home work.. and before that about 4 hours of painting.   We’re still in the process of painting the bell tower (aka my office). It was wonderfully mindless work.. i you call balancing on a small platform  of wood 12 feet in the air mindless.  But it was just what I needed to process the rest of last week and this weekend.   My folks were up here which was fun..  It was a very good visit.. we ate and drank and did quite a bit of nothing.. which is a treat   We do a lot of reminiscing  these days.. Old memories, new memories.. some that have gotten away. It’s very interesting hanging out with the only folks that have known  you longer than you’ve known yourself.   I always learn a little more about them and about myself every time I’m with them these days. .we spend much of our time repeating our stories to each other.. many family favorites, some from when I was little.. some from when they were little.. some which never happened..

Your parents define you in many way.. what you are and what you’re not.. what you will become.. all in all it’s comforting..

 

I love you ma and pa

 

nite all, nite sam

-me