Real Time View

It was late summer 1977 when I found myself in Boston working with a banking customer, installing the data base management system, Datacom/DB, and migrating their applications from IBM’s DL/1. I became involved with the installation as I was familiar with the programming language, PL/1. I cannot recall the specifics of what transpired, but I can recall that I made sure the work continued past the weekend and into the following week! For sailing “history” fans, they may recall that in the early weeks of September, 1977 the America’s Cup was under way and I spent the weekend at Newport, Rhode Island. Australia was the challenger and its latest 12 meter yacht, Australia, faced a formable foe in Robert Edward Turner, better known as Ted Turner, as well as “The Mouth from the South” and even “Captain Outrageous,” aboard the heavily modified Courageous. The picture at the top of the page was taken in my Boulder office where behind me on the wall hung silk-screen prints promoting the Americ...

It’s been a month since I posted a story to this blog that opened with a car example, so perhaps it’s fitting to revisit this theme as I return to the subject of Tandem’s 35th anniversary, as all previous postings on this subject started with a car example. This weekend saw the just-created Pyalla Technologies’ car roll out onto the circuit at Willow Springs International Raceway (Big Willow) for the first track sessions of 2010, the start of the third year of our participation in the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) program, High Performance Driver Education (HPDE). For those who may have missed the point of the graphics in the Pyalla Technologies, LLC company logo, there’s a distinct red square representing the red-center of Australia, together with a stylized set of black-and-white squares overlaying one corner – a combination of the love of Australia that I still harbor, together with the most recognized icon from car events worldwide, the checkered flag! As part of the...

After a couple of days of snow the skies cleared over Boulder and I was anticipating clear views of the mountain peaks to the west. As I pulled out of the driveway and headed to The Eye Opener, my local coffee shop, a thick fog had arisen from the shallow valleys and I could barely make out the mountains at all. Only one or two peaks managed to rise above the thick fog cloud and driving through the fog, even though I knew the way, was an eerie experience nonetheless. The picture above shows clearly how some peaks could be seen but as for the rest, they were buried beneath the mists that covered everything. I have been active in social networks of all types for many years now, ever since my first blog posting which I wrote in August 2007. I have written more than 150 posts to this blog as well as almost as many to online forums of the NonStop community, as well as to those maintained by third-party ISVs active in the NonStop marketplace. I have also developed an active presence on a...

With a change in our Simi Valley abode last year, when we had to find a new condo on short notice, I had to set up a new office for the times I find myself in Southern California. And while I miss the mountains of Colorado, with the weather as cold as it has been of late I welcome any opportunity to spend a few days in the sun. Even though it’s only for a few days, spending time in jeans and t-shirts isn’t hard to take after having to load up with four or five layers! The picture above is of my away-from-home office that I have just set up – with HP equipment in abundance. And in the picture you can just make out, on the screen of the laptop, this opening paragraph! As I review the data on the blogs written to date, there are some topics that generate a disproportionate amount of readers’ interest. If I add Tandem into the subject line, that spikes readers’ interest, as does anything that includes a reference to ACI be it events, strategy, or product. If I throw in a few negative co...

Winter in Boulder is an adventure. Even when you have weathered the worst of it, you can never take anything for granted and surprises can be waiting for you around every corner. Returning home a few weeks ago, I misjudged the entry to our community, hit the brakes on a patch of ice, and gracefully slid into the gutter surrounding the entrance divider. The speed was minimal, but with it turned at 45 degrees, the impact “de-spoked” the wheel, and the picture at the top of this post shows what I was left with as I stepped out of the SUV. It still looks pretty good on the outside, but everything inside is gone! I am not sure whether a flaw in the wheels manufacture, or simply its age and its exposure to the elements of winter contributed in any way, but safe to say I became a little concerned about the integrity of the other wheels, so on went a new set of wheels and tires. As much as I dislike the looks of modern SUVs and prefer something a lot sleeker, there’s no denying that with ic...

Over the holiday season I didn’t spend as much time pulling bottles of wine from the cellar as in previous years, yet sadly, I have to admit, the inventory is beginning to thin out. On the other hand, what has been growing has been my collection of model cars and motorcycles and now, spread across the tasting table, they capture quite a bit of history – the picture above includes most of what is on display. Obviously, there are several model Corvettes in the collection. Among the models are F1 cars – the Ferrari of Schumacher and the Jaguar of Weber – as well as a Yamaha R1 sports bike that’s a constant reminder of the fickleness of youth! Missing from the display is the one car I thought would always find a place in my collection – the mighty Porsche Turbo! When I returned to Australia in 1977 I took up an assignment with a small software distributor that represented The Computer Software Company (TCSC) of Richmond, Virginia. However, in those early days I was in desperate need of ...

I was out driving the other night when through the snow-laden clouds came a sudden burst of sunlight that created spectacular lighting effects! For just a brief moment the sky turned every color, from red through orange to yellow with splashes of violet and mauve thrown in as well. I was able to get off a snapshot of the sunset, as I approached Golden, Colorado, and I have included it to the left. Natural lighting effects always provide us with a treat, and on those occasions when we see something special, it stays with us for many years. On a trip to SATUG, a few years back, there was a reception on a river cruise where we were treated to a colorful evening sunset that I will remember for many years. And on a flight from San Francisco to London, the Sunday evening that the San Francisco 49er’s were playing in their last Superbowl, I was fortunate enough to have a window seat. On the port side! Leaning back against the airplane fuselage, straining to pick up the commentary on my a...