A new home for my thoughts
I finally got beaten down by the hand-roll. Sounds like an incident at a sushi restaurant, but really I just got tired of hand rolling my blog in Dreamweaver/Editpad. So here I am on Blogger.com getting a fresh start like the survivors of the first episode of Lost, which I watched the other night. Gripping stuff, really.
It would be really foolish to try to "catch up" from where I left off on the prior incarnation of my blog. But that won't stop me from posting a couple of recent happenings. Er, not so recent happenings.
I guess I could start off with where I finished my last job. I don't know if I ever mentioned it here, but I deployed a new press room capability for IBM and worked on perhaps my final annual report. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. There's the somewhat boring financial section (though I should note that this year I was asked to make a contribution to the content accompanying the Chairman's letter, which is quite an honor in my world.) And then there's the beautiful propaganda/marketing/messaging section, which is all about IBM as an innovation partner. I'm really pretty happy with how it turned out, especial this part about super computing (click the link in that big top image to view a cool little Flash movie about IBM's Mare Nostrum supercomputer).
So, after three years working in IBM's Strategic Communications department I was offered a new position at IBM as the editor in chief of the company's worldwide intranet. I agreed.
And so now I'm responsible for the editorial content on perhaps the world's best, most feature rich and cutting edge intranet. And I'm not just saying that to flatter IBM. It's pretty sweet. We have 330,000 readers to serve, and we're staffed pretty well to do it. There are dozens of writers, editors, information brokers and the like making sure that the right information gets to the right individuals at the right time. It's pretty amazing, and I'm flattered that I got the call to run the editorial. And so one month into the new gig I am trying to figure out how to try new ideas, make a difference, make my staff feel appreciated and somehow keep some semblance of a personal life going. It's going to be a year of big learning.
Speaking of personal life, in between the two jobs I managed to sneak away for a week to Costa Rica with Sarah. Much needed reprieve from NYC and I can't wait to get off of this island for a spell again. IBM is sending me to India at the beginning of June, so that'll be a head trip, but not quite the same thing as just vegging out at the pool, which was nice. The picture on the left is me jumping off a cliff. Luckily I had some rappelling gear.
Deep thoughts from the dumper
Why do I get depressed in the bathroom of my apartment? Probably because it is a sad little space. I mean, it is unique and oddly shaped, which might work in its favor. But it is depressing all the same because it is cramped and attched oddly to the rest of the world (and aren't we all?) by way of my kitchen and a window onto a rusted fire escape. The other night while I was in there I was trying to figure out why we are here. Not why we are in the bathroom, but rather, why are we living? I thought, perhaps it is to witness great art. In which case I am doing so-so.
Or maybe it's really all about creating great art. In which case I am not doing all that great right now. I have one newish song, called "Outerspace." Other than that, I have been in hiatus. Or as my friend Dr. Z said, I am letting the unexamined life take over.
It's impolitic to ruminate on my fantasies of running away because I know my colleagues at IBM read this now and again, but here's the truth: I fantasize about packing it all in and leaving NYC to go make art somewhere calm. But it's a pipe dream. (So don't start eyeing that stapler...it's mine, dammit!)
I want to make it work here. I have made it worked. I have made quite a great life -- and I did it on my own. And that's what I gotta focus on. Work, School, Music, Social life and relationships with people I care about. It's a lot to balance. Or rather, not balance. How can life be anything but life out of balance?
Life out of balance, yeah. KOYAANISQATSI
It would be really foolish to try to "catch up" from where I left off on the prior incarnation of my blog. But that won't stop me from posting a couple of recent happenings. Er, not so recent happenings.
I guess I could start off with where I finished my last job. I don't know if I ever mentioned it here, but I deployed a new press room capability for IBM and worked on perhaps my final annual report. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. There's the somewhat boring financial section (though I should note that this year I was asked to make a contribution to the content accompanying the Chairman's letter, which is quite an honor in my world.) And then there's the beautiful propaganda/marketing/messaging section, which is all about IBM as an innovation partner. I'm really pretty happy with how it turned out, especial this part about super computing (click the link in that big top image to view a cool little Flash movie about IBM's Mare Nostrum supercomputer).
So, after three years working in IBM's Strategic Communications department I was offered a new position at IBM as the editor in chief of the company's worldwide intranet. I agreed.
And so now I'm responsible for the editorial content on perhaps the world's best, most feature rich and cutting edge intranet. And I'm not just saying that to flatter IBM. It's pretty sweet. We have 330,000 readers to serve, and we're staffed pretty well to do it. There are dozens of writers, editors, information brokers and the like making sure that the right information gets to the right individuals at the right time. It's pretty amazing, and I'm flattered that I got the call to run the editorial. And so one month into the new gig I am trying to figure out how to try new ideas, make a difference, make my staff feel appreciated and somehow keep some semblance of a personal life going. It's going to be a year of big learning.
Speaking of personal life, in between the two jobs I managed to sneak away for a week to Costa Rica with Sarah. Much needed reprieve from NYC and I can't wait to get off of this island for a spell again. IBM is sending me to India at the beginning of June, so that'll be a head trip, but not quite the same thing as just vegging out at the pool, which was nice. The picture on the left is me jumping off a cliff. Luckily I had some rappelling gear.
Deep thoughts from the dumper
Why do I get depressed in the bathroom of my apartment? Probably because it is a sad little space. I mean, it is unique and oddly shaped, which might work in its favor. But it is depressing all the same because it is cramped and attched oddly to the rest of the world (and aren't we all?) by way of my kitchen and a window onto a rusted fire escape. The other night while I was in there I was trying to figure out why we are here. Not why we are in the bathroom, but rather, why are we living? I thought, perhaps it is to witness great art. In which case I am doing so-so.
Or maybe it's really all about creating great art. In which case I am not doing all that great right now. I have one newish song, called "Outerspace." Other than that, I have been in hiatus. Or as my friend Dr. Z said, I am letting the unexamined life take over.
It's impolitic to ruminate on my fantasies of running away because I know my colleagues at IBM read this now and again, but here's the truth: I fantasize about packing it all in and leaving NYC to go make art somewhere calm. But it's a pipe dream. (So don't start eyeing that stapler...it's mine, dammit!)
I want to make it work here. I have made it worked. I have made quite a great life -- and I did it on my own. And that's what I gotta focus on. Work, School, Music, Social life and relationships with people I care about. It's a lot to balance. Or rather, not balance. How can life be anything but life out of balance?Life out of balance, yeah. KOYAANISQATSI
posted by Ethan at 9:24 PM
2 Comments:
You go, Boy!
Ok, so it doesn't have the quirky www.ethanrand.com feel, but it's nice, slick, user-writer-friendly, and it works!
Welcome back to blogworld...
;)
(and you get to type really cool "words" like 'shzigosd' to get your comments posted!)
For the record, lots of your IBM colleagues have the same dream.
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