Blog 225 > Into the Bright Blue Bubble

Yup, IBM. If the proposed acquisition (announced on March 22nd) closes by the end of the month as planned, then I will officially become an “IBMer”. Not bad. Intimidating? Yeah. Terrifying? Sure. But it’s a tremendous opportunity as well. To explore the bright blue bubble.

What does this mean for my readers?

Sadly, while I may not be fully closing the lid on my anime-oriented Toybox blog (launched in November 2006), I feel it’s time to move onto the next phase of my extracurricular life in April 2011. To think that IBM will be celebrating 100 years (in June 2011) is not only mind-boggling, but the timing in my life feels significant. Another sign of change. Don’t worry, I won’t stop watching anime (“Mushi-Shi” is my current series), but I’m also aiming to “travel lightly”, experiment and explore territories beyond anime. (Almost like the travelling Ginko in “Mushi-Shi”, hehe.)

What do I mean by “travel lightly”?

Haha, if you’ve ever survived a barrage from one of my Toybox mega-posts, you’ll know what I mean. Not only did the gathering of 100-plus images consume endless hours, but also the composition of the prose and the construction of the code. While presenting the final masterpiece was rewarding, I no longer have the blocks of time and energy to spend. The days of pulling a heavy wagon have drawn to a close. And the days of carrying a simple backpack have begun. In other words:

Why diversify?

By freeing myself from a heavily-centralized self-hosted “wagon” of computer files and folders, I can leap lightly from site to site with a simple but liberating “backpack” of ideas and expressions. Free to pursue and explore exotic new territories along my technical path. At least, that’s the theory.

We’ll see what the bright blue bubble offers…

 

Update 1 of 1 > The Forces of Blue

Updated on 16 April 2011: Yup, it’s finally official. This past Thursday, IBM officially closed on our corporate acquisition (April 14th). Hence the “new hire process” begins. FAQs. Forms. Photocopies. Photos. Badges. Bands. Blue. Waves upon waves of blue yet to wash upon us, hehe. Next week, I’m polishing my technical skills by taking a two-week certification course. Today, I even stopped by the nearest tailor shop to alter and refit my oversized navy-blue suit. Yup, lost about forty pounds in four years. But it should be ready to pick up before the celebratory company meeting and taking of badge photos. Cool.

Meanwhile, on the extracurricular side:

  • Still watching the breath-taking anime “Mushi-Shi“.
  • Finally finished “Star Wars – The Clone Wars” Season 3. Wow, too amazing! Action. Effects. Storytelling. Even the CGI acting. Just keeps getting better and better! Can’t wait for Season 4 later this year! Not to mention a still-untitled live-action series, haha.
  • Still crushing through my “J200XC” 200-day extreme fitness program. Today was Day 48, P90X’s Yoga X. Wow, almost 25% complete already! But I wonder how I’ll deal with an upcoming 6-day hiking trip. Probably easiest to pause “J200XC” for a full 7-day block so I can resume the weekly pattern when I return. Yeah.

Well, that’s about it for now. May the Force be with you!

 

7 thoughts on “Blog 225 > Into the Bright Blue Bubble

  1. Ah, a short post for once. If only Ginko looked upwards in the picture.
    Soo, intimidating (challenge of working in an industry heavyweight), terrifying (merger=possible layoffs?). Good luck:)

  2. @A20-man: Yo! Yeah, short and sweet for once… and maybe the last in another long while.

    Hmm, not so much terrified that a merger might trigger layoffs (technically, it’s an acquisition), just that even if everyone stays, the intensity of the workload might unimaginably double or triple. I mean, we’re no longer dealing with our own software suite; over time, we’ll be immersed into dozens if not hundreds of IBM’s brand of products, services and hardware. Not only that, imagine leaving a pool of 100 or 200 employees and being swallowed by an ocean of 400,000+. Intimidating indeed. Thanks for the good luck; I may need it.

  3. Ah, I see. Easier to shine in small crowd, but it’s difficult to get noticed in such a big one unless you do something really fantastic, eh. Then again, with that many employees, wouldn’t your workload shrink? At least in the sense that there’d be increased specialization… like more stuff in your inbox, but more of the same. Ah well. Don’t forget to smuggle me some next-gen chips now and then, lol.

  4. @A20-man: Hmm, let’s see… I’d probably compare it to real estate. If there are 400,000 real estate agents, would their individual work loads shrink? Likely the opposite; they’d each have to work harder to achieve more. So if your workload shrinks, then you’d probably fall behind if not to the bottom. Who knows? Hope that makes sense… Don’t worry, I’m sure the chips will be obsolete by the time they get to you!

  5. Hmm. I get your point, though it just doesn’t feel right… tempted to throw in some Marxist shouts, but meh. Obsolete? Probably still better than what I have now, though I don’t think that will absolve you of criminal liability, hehe.

  6. WOAH!
    Am I in the right place? Wheres the huge wall of text I am used to?
    Just when I am not dropping by for a few months it seems you lost the ability to write long texts! ;P

    I can imagine that being taken over by a different corporation is quite scary since you dont know what awaits you in the future. Its better to look for the opportunities that may arise from this though than worrying your hair away.

  7. @Flying-Blow: Yo Blow! Been a long time for me too. Hmm, I’d say “lost the time” rather than “lost the ability”, haha. Well, I did add more text via the link…

    I agree. Worrying doesn’t help much. So instead, I need to redirect my energy into opening my eyes wider and preparing for any options that appear…

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