At last for Fed. Always gracious in victory, ever candid in rare defeat. Of last 4 majors, he’s won 2 (US Open and French), losing the other two in the 5th set (Wimbledon and Australian). Sounds good?! Nadal has won 3 of the last 5 (Australian, Wimbledon and French ‘08). Terrific players and better examples of sportsmanship. I admire Roger especially for his capability to look at himself from the outside to in. Even when he says how great he played, it seems sincere, thoughtful and true.

Tiger rallied from 4 strokes back to win Jack Nicklaus’s tournament, The Memorial, on the final day. He played three incredible (for other golfers) shots on the final 9 holes to win nearly before other competitors finished their rounds. As he walked off the 18th hole with a 2 stroke lead, Jack Nicklaus congratulated him. We saw their brief conversation on camera but not on interview or with a reporter. JN shook Tiger’s hand, congratulated him on the round and obvious victory and said, “now go out there and win the Open”, meaning the US Open (golf not tennis) at Bethpage in two weeks. Reflexively, Tiger replied, “Yes sir, I’ll try” showing his respect for the man whose legend and achievements that he pursues. Could you imagine an athlete from another sport such as basketball or baseball or football having such poise and a sense of how their own opportunities were created?!

The demeanor of these two superlative athletes and their commitment to improvement motivates me to improve upon whatever I’m trying to achieve.

Mentioned the privilege of luncheon with Oliver Smithies. While standing about, I met a senior chemical executive and renown scientist in his own right. We discussed my work at IBM. He quickly offered that he was among the first civilians to work on IBM’s series 701 computer, the first one available with addressable memory because of an improved design from punch cards to electronic memory. He recalled the day that he travelled to Madison Avenue in New York City to run his calculations. ‘Worked the first time that I tried, unlike the old days when a faulty vacuum tube would crash the entire calculation.”

He purchased seven (7) shares of IBM stock. “Cost over $100 each, even in 1953″. I asked if he still had them. “Yes,” he replied cheerfull, “the same seven shares are worth more than $150,000.”

Yesterday, we observed first hand the incredible abundance of science in our RTP. Within one hour and only a few miles from each lecture, we had the choice of hearing two Nobel Laureates speak: Dr. Oliver Smithies at RTP’s TARDC or Dr. Andrew Fire at NIEHS.

WE chose the hometown favorite, UNC’s Dr. Smithies, at the new RTP headquarters for the monthly TARDC luncheon (TARDC was founded 35 years ago to bring together Research Directors from across our Research Triangle Park, e.g. Triangle Area Research Directors Council).

Dr. Smithies was charming, clever, informative, inspiring and genuine. I suppose this is what one means when another is defined as ‘brilliant.’ He spoke fondly of his mentor, A.G. Ogston ending the lecture with a quote of Dr. Ogston’s:

“For Science is more than the search for truth, more than a challenging game, more than a profession. It is a life that a diversity of people lead together, in the closest proximity, a school for social living. We are members of one another.”

As the science parks from around the world convene next month to discuss their next generation of interconnection, Dr. Ogston’s quote could remind us of Dr. Smithies’s advice that a “key to scientific success is to keep simple the goals of each experiment.”

Flattered to be invited as the inaugural speaker for the USMA’s RTP Chapter Leadership Breakfast Program. Next month’s discussion will be led by Duke’s Men’s Basketball Coach, Mike Krzyzewski, followed in autumn by General Hugh Shelton, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and General John Moellering, Chairman USAA. Sometimes it pays to be the first over the side.

Web 2.0 Tools & Techniques
- Web 1.0 was about Presence & Publication
- Web 2.0 is about Participation moving from millions of customers & dozens of markets to millions of markets comprising dozens of customers
- Knowledge is no longer power as Everybody knows. How can each of us and each of our organizations become facilitators of everyone knowing.
- the delivery device will be a mobile device / smart phone, especially for the evolving customer demographic

Financial recovery will follow-up sequence of: Restoring Liquidity (via debt); Re-capitalization; increased Merger & Acquisition activity; focus on Customer. Customer retention will be paramount and customers will have many, many options.

For project funding, product or service will have to fulfill one of several categories: 1) record time to cost-recovery or ROI, usually less than 9 months; 2) facilitates Transformation of the fundamental business model whether people, process or technologies; 3) enable the enterprise to be more Innovative. Innovation does not have to be large and radical, could be incremental and small so long as it provides competitive advantage.

Reviewed recent IBM Global Services study Toward Transparency and Sustainability (email me for copy: perrien@us.ibm.com). Recommend 18 May 09 New Yorker article which overviews financial crisis. Entitled: Death of Kings.

Photo is view from breakfast meeting. Not exactly the home office view.

Mothers Day on Reeve Drive in Mount Airy. Beautiful afternoon after the thunderstorms of Saturday. Sat awhile with Uncle Jimmy the bass player who owns the pest control business, a Viet Nam Medic. Spoke with Uncle Doug about the hazards as a driver for Fed Ex between North Carolina and Ohio, ‘careless drivers of 3,500 lb. automobiles should respect the laws of force & motion when they cut in front of 60,000 lb. tractor-trailers.’ Papa lives on his mother’s property across the driveway from Aunt Brenda who lives in her mother’s house. Drove around the corner to Chile’s for take-out dinner for the mothers Teresa, Sandra, Megan and Grandma. Spoke to the cousins who are teachers and now parents about the challenges and restrictions on being teachers. Aunt Brenda and Aunt Netty discovered a baby dove fallen from its nest 12 feet up in the sycamore tree. Mother dove visited routinely to feed this baby. Because of the cats, organized a 5 man working party to retrieve Papa’s ladder and we restored the baby dove to its nest. A fitting deed on Mothers Day. Shared gifts for the occasion and for Grandma’s birthday on the day before, nine books and a dvd series of British mystery. Cousin Jimmy vanished without a fuss and Uncle Doug departed to visit his mother’s grave site. Aunt Linda called as we packed up to go.

As we waved our goodbyes, Aunt Brenda reappeared to say that we missed Missy and that Chrisy would soon arrive. “Can’t stay and please tell Lori’s family “hi”.” Quickly asked about Chase who will soon graduate from the local high school. “Oh, Aunt Brenda said, he was really hoping for Columbia … even though Duke and Vassar offer him scholarships, he’s accepted the one from Brown. His mother was really hoping that he would accept the one from Duke.” What else could you expect?!

Nice people serious about their parking.

It was Navy weekend with the NROTC commissioning ceremonies at both NC State and Duke Universities. Gratifying to be around so many purposeful young men and women and their inspiringly proud parents. Observing 12 young midshipmen take the oath of office then promoted to Ensigns and hearing of their assignments to nuclear submarines, airplane squadrons and the Medical Corps excited me about the intriguing futures in store for each and diminished the weight of the prevailing befuddling stream of economic news.

After these Friday ceremonies, we prepared for a BBQ and the Navy vs Duke lacrosse match as part of the NCAA tournament. A vicious thunderstorm forced us inside without much loss of our spirits, but whatever good mood remained was completely dispelled when Duke ran off 10 unanswered goals in the first period. Even John Paul Jones might have struck his colors at that point. As Yankee Yogi would say, ‘it got late early for Navy.’

Duke is off to Annapolis next weekend to play UNC in the second round of this championship! The schools are 20 minutes apart and will drive 11 hours round-trip for a 90 minute game. Go Green Movement! Of course, both are happy to be in the final 8 no matter where the field.

Lacrosse participation is certainly on the rise as the Duke players appeared larger, faster and more skilled. Thirty years ago, the Navy had the larger and faster players keeping them competitive even when they were not as skilled. I’m sure that the distribution of talent into our corps of naval and marine officers follows an opposite trend, more talent is drawn from a smaller pool of interested parties.

In both the commissioning ceremonies and the lacrosse game, one had to both entertained and satisfied that there is wealth of talented and capable youth readying to relieve the watch.

Alexander and I sat for breakfast in Sydney, Australia in March of 2006. Handed the International Herald Tribune, we were stunned to see the headline referring to a police report from Durham, North Carolina involving Duke lacrosse players. Poor judgment compounded by careless oversight (with plenty of warning; just ask Charlotte Simmons) exaggerated by suppressed hostility between members of the faculty for segments of the student body. Add political opportunism and the guilt of racial suspicion which evolved to an outcome where justice was not served; jobs were lost; reputations ruined, both individually and collectively; with the essential elements of this social disaster retreating to their corners neither corrected nor redeemed. Life does go on and, ultimately, one is responsible to and for oneself.

We enjoyed a gorgeous spring weekend in the RTP; perfect weather to mingle with parents, students and fans of the game. TV dictated that the tournament be played in the UNC football stadium. Fans would have preferred the customary lacrosse field. Duke defeated the #1 ranked Virginia team for the second time in two weeks (the game was over at half-time even though UVA scored within the first 11 seconds and Duke scored 9 seconds later!). Earlier in the evening, UNC defeated Maryland for their first ACC tournament win in many years. On Sunday afternoon, Duke looked to be the better team for the majority of the game and just could not separate from Carolina until time expired.

Our friend volunteered to help coach Duke for this season as he enjoys a respite between his naval service and his civilian career. He was especially proud of a couple of fifth year seniors who opted to remain with the program in order to help it restore some of its much lost luster.

Maybe there is a lesson for us all here as we await the final resting point of our economy (ies) due to our financial hubris. We may chose to forget what got us here or we may forgive (bail-out) everybody in hopes that we’ll be forgiven (bailed-out) and the way back will certainly comprise a just measure of commitment, hard work and little victories which may result in the occasional championship along the way. Chastened but not defeated, humbled but not afraid is working for the men’s lacrosse team at Duke University and may be a helpful remedy for our recent financial failures.

Visited with my elder son over Easter weekend and lent a hand looking for off-campus housing. Even in the lovely, politically progressive town of Boulder, the reaction to two NROTC students innocently looking for a place to live was generous and inspiring. Nearly every building manager and potential landlord expressed their strong interest in having NROTC students as tenants. The Internet and its social media buzz are all about on-line reputation, too often evaluated by the number hits or size of following herd. Real reputation is rooted in what one is known for; with whom one associates; and what one can be counted on to deliver. This shot is a bit direct and a take-off of despair.com, one of my favorite web sites. Thanks to TARP etc., they now have sufficient material for a complete overhaul of nearly every product. To think, at one moment recently, we thought that V.P. Dick Cheny was one of a kind. Ah, for the good old days. At any rate, I comforted that there are those who know what they are doing and able to stand-up to the very worst kind of bullying. There is nothing charming about having your work day interrupted by an intruder with an automatic weapon. Go Navy!

The challenge to me is if I tweet on average of 2 to 4 times per day, that is a 500 word blog post that doesn’t get posted. Tweets are observations; posts require more thought from me. I am amazed about what I am learning about science journalism just by following 3 or 4 science journalists on Twitter. I would not read their blogs so regularly.

Twice on WXDU this weekend with playlist today and a jazz show tomorrow. Music for tomorrow provided by a long time and good friend who is now a colleague at work. Feel prepared for once. Will post the playlist upon completion.

Otherwise, Final Four this evening and bbq tomorrow afternoon. All amidst a predicted lovely Spring weekend. Will try to hold the barbarians of economy’s uncertainity at bay for a couple of days.

I read three newspapers each morning. This habit, near fetish or fix, began after serving in the Navy in the 1970s. For news aboard ship, the officers would pass-around a clipboard of news captions received in the radio room. Sometimes we received only half of the transmission.

As a consequence of my time out of the popular culture mainstream and periodically when we’re in front of the television or at a dinner, someone will mention a tv program or even song from that period. While my fellow viewers and dinner partners express related opinions and associations, I react as though I just landed here from afar. Now I’m used to saying, “that must have been in the seventies.”

One of my Navy roommates tried to enjoy investing in the stock market. During port calls in the Pacific, he’d receive a pile of Wall Street Journals. He pore through the stack exclaiming and cursing the performance of his investments as their 2 and 3 week histories were compressed into a 2 tand 3 hour interval for him. Speaking of the Journal: I’ve been a diligent reader and loyal subscriber for nearly 30 years. Under the newly formed News Corp. / Murdoch administration, I’m finding the paper predictable in its point of view and shallow in the depth of its reporting. The editors may be interested to know that my wife, a publications designer, approves of the new trim size. At this rate, I’ll drop the Journal and spend more time with the Times.

Which leads me to the topic of leadership because the unwritten news headlines are furious cries for a TARP-like program of leadership. Aren’t we all just looking for a little bit of it here and there?! What are its elements? Can it be taught? Do we only know it when we see it? Is it valued and encouraged?

I work for a technology company in a college town populated by medical professionals which offers a rewarding mixture of possibility, energy and achievement. My favorite discussions are when we compare the mechanics of our worlds. Yesterday, I spoke with a military officer about the organization of a bbq at an April sporting event. In this discussion, she exhibited the same traits of leadership skill that I attribute to others whom I admire in medicine, technology and in education: foremost, their intent is to get something done; they are unfailing polite while being candid; they work hard in the achievement of mission and are eager to acknowledge the contributions of others; they do not lay blame and do not tolerate incompetence, willful or unintended; they solicit genuine feedback about their performance.

What do leaders do? Leaders create environments where people can belong to something larger than themselves. They inspire confidence that the group will succeed in its purpose even as individual members rotate in and out. Great sports teams are the epitome of this. After all, why do some teams become programs that always play well; some never play well; and most played well so long as so&so was there.

Of course, the essence of leadership is courage. What is that and can that be taught?