All I Know³
Information, transmission, modulation, and noise – 3rd Edition

As some of you may be aware, I’ve been a bit preoccupied over the viability of my day job. This week my employer was acquired by a much larger company, and we’ve all been sweating the details. Suffice it to say that today I found out that I am fortunate to have a job in the new company, which hopefully will mean a good stretch of years coming without hearing the word “layoffs” ever again. Well, we can hope.

The emotional and  psychological toll on all workers faced with these events is awful, especially when they drag on for 9 months! And losing so many good people is almost as hard to deal with as a death in the family.

Certainly I’m glad to know that I’m secure in my job going forward. But it is tinged with the pain of knowing what some of my ex-colleagues are now facing.

I only hope that for them this period of limbo is brief.

And, now maybe I can turn my mind back to more interesting things!

 We’re having a string of storms arriving from the Pacific. But they also bring rainbows. Double ones, too.

Today is my birthday .  King Richard II’s too. (1367). Curious.

I’m taking the day off. Going over to Pt Reyes in the morning. Take some pictures. Do some ham radio from my van (will I contact Japan this time? No sunspots.) Maybe take a walk if it’s not raining.

I’ve been getting all these automated emails from websites wishing me a happy birthday. Very strange. “Happy Birthday from blahblah.com”.  Thanks. Really.

A lot to think about. So what is 66 supposed to feel like? Any different than 65? Not really. So far. Can’t tell yet. It was midnight Jan 6th almost four hours ago in New York City. My mother told me I was born around midnight, New York time. So I really can’t judge. But I think I’m the same person I was 30 years ago. A few more aches and pains.

Oddly, so many of my friends seem to have their birthdays around this time as well. In fact, many of my best friends are within the first 3 weeks of January. What’s the significance of that?  I’ve always wondered.

I think we make too much of age, and aging.  Beats the alternative, however.

   This is me right now.

I’ve got my grumpy face on.

The interesting thing about having your birthday in the first week of the year is that my new years  are in synch with everyone’s calendar new year.

But I kinda think everything is going to turn out all right in the end. Don’t know why I feel that way. I’m not an optimist.

We’ll see.