Today, June 16, 2011 , IBM celebrated its 100th birthday.
IBM has been a leader in technology for over 100 years. From being a leader in punched card technology, to original computers, to the various components to major breakthroughs in the 60s to the first large scale use personal computer in the 1980s to other machines like the AS/400 and the ATM and the self checkout register at the grocery store to over 5000 new patents in just a recent time period.
IBM for most of that time has been considered the benchmark of technology although it has had its ups and downs. Well known for the dress code of the 60s and 70s and into 80s of long sleeve white shirt, dark tie and dark pants and coat. A relaxed code today.
However IBM goes before June 16, 1911 . That was the day that several companies merged (Computing Tabulating Recording Company was the resultant name) and made what became IBM in 1924. In 1924 the company was renamed to IBM (Internation Business Machines) In 1911 when the merger of several companies took place one was a business machine company who had the roots in punched cards. A number of computer companies we know today or did up to the late 1990s trace back to then with punched cards and adding machines. Burroughs and NCR to name two.
Tabulating Machine Company was the company on working with punched cards. It was founded by Herman Hollerith in 1896 after he had invented the punched card (80 column and the size of punched cards used until recently, which was the size of the dollar bill then, yes the dollar really is not as big as it used to be)while working for the census bureau in 1887 to do the census in 1890 as it had been by hand until then and was expected to take more than 10 years to compile the data. He also made the original card punch and reader. He had left the government and created a business for his invention.
So although IBM traces their 100 years to 1911 and had a major birthday today, it really is an older company and is really 115 years old.
Happy 100th or 115th birthday and hop you continue to lead in finding new technology to improve the world.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Observations on various stuff (Watt Thoughts)
Observations from recent events
During the holidays Walmart sold small round bottles of Coke looking line ornaments. They had them in large display boxes with a large picture of the bottle on each side. On one of the panels it stated in large letters that "Can contains 140 calories". Two problems: 1. it was a bottle not a can even in illustration and 2. the bottles themselves said contained 160 calories.
We have been hearing that the Social Security system is going broke so what does Congress do before Christmas but cut the contribution rate by employees about 30% (2 point reduction in the rate from just over 6% to just over 4%. No arguments like income tax cuts that this would cause more people to contribute more money to SS but just reduced income for a year. Sure way to bring a system back in balance that is losing money.
One of the ads fro the drugs on TV always catches my attention. The ad says if you are a loved one have suffered death or other things while taking it you may be entitled to a settlement. I am glad that i don't work for their call centers. It would be scary when people who have suffered death start calling.
Wasn't it odd the tax bill in December. They claimed it extended unemployment benefits and cut income taxes. The truth was it kept income tax rates the same as fro last 10 years and it allowed people to collect the same number of weeks of benefits as had been occurring. Both were expiring.
Dwight
During the holidays Walmart sold small round bottles of Coke looking line ornaments. They had them in large display boxes with a large picture of the bottle on each side. On one of the panels it stated in large letters that "Can contains 140 calories". Two problems: 1. it was a bottle not a can even in illustration and 2. the bottles themselves said contained 160 calories.
We have been hearing that the Social Security system is going broke so what does Congress do before Christmas but cut the contribution rate by employees about 30% (2 point reduction in the rate from just over 6% to just over 4%. No arguments like income tax cuts that this would cause more people to contribute more money to SS but just reduced income for a year. Sure way to bring a system back in balance that is losing money.
One of the ads fro the drugs on TV always catches my attention. The ad says if you are a loved one have suffered death or other things while taking it you may be entitled to a settlement. I am glad that i don't work for their call centers. It would be scary when people who have suffered death start calling.
Wasn't it odd the tax bill in December. They claimed it extended unemployment benefits and cut income taxes. The truth was it kept income tax rates the same as fro last 10 years and it allowed people to collect the same number of weeks of benefits as had been occurring. Both were expiring.
Dwight
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Mid-west travel observations
Mid-west travel observations (Watt Thoughts #224)
During my travels to Kansas this summer I had several observations. First was the area in eastern Kansas was a little hillier than I remember from 30 years ago, but still relatively flat. It was fun seeing the area where the book about a character named Dwight Watt is coming out in the near future written and published by a couple of guys in Kansas. (I have no association with that book, the author had created the name Dwight Watt, but I am looking forward to reading it)
In Kansas I encountered a number of roundabouts which are being discussed in other areas of the country. They are traffic circles that we used to have in the cities but discontinued in many places in 1960s and 1970s although these were smaller. Traffic yields entering to traffic in roundabout but mean you often do not have to stop for a left turn and going across at intersection not having to wait clearance both ways. No waste of gas sitting at red light and no other traffic around. The last was a reason right turn on red was universally adopted in the USA in the early 1970s.
In Missouri they have some very interesting sinks in the rest stops. First thing was I had to look carefully to spot the sinks in the rest room as they were in the wall not extending out. The next was relative easy that the soap was automatically supplied and the water turned on when extended hand in the fixture. Then I looked around for paper towels or driers and did not see one and realized I had felt air when removing my hands. Leaving my hands in the enclosure withdrawing slower caused the drier to work and I had clean dry hands. I have driven all over the United States and this was a unique rest room experience.
Dwight
During my travels to Kansas this summer I had several observations. First was the area in eastern Kansas was a little hillier than I remember from 30 years ago, but still relatively flat. It was fun seeing the area where the book about a character named Dwight Watt is coming out in the near future written and published by a couple of guys in Kansas. (I have no association with that book, the author had created the name Dwight Watt, but I am looking forward to reading it)
In Kansas I encountered a number of roundabouts which are being discussed in other areas of the country. They are traffic circles that we used to have in the cities but discontinued in many places in 1960s and 1970s although these were smaller. Traffic yields entering to traffic in roundabout but mean you often do not have to stop for a left turn and going across at intersection not having to wait clearance both ways. No waste of gas sitting at red light and no other traffic around. The last was a reason right turn on red was universally adopted in the USA in the early 1970s.
In Missouri they have some very interesting sinks in the rest stops. First thing was I had to look carefully to spot the sinks in the rest room as they were in the wall not extending out. The next was relative easy that the soap was automatically supplied and the water turned on when extended hand in the fixture. Then I looked around for paper towels or driers and did not see one and realized I had felt air when removing my hands. Leaving my hands in the enclosure withdrawing slower caused the drier to work and I had clean dry hands. I have driven all over the United States and this was a unique rest room experience.
Dwight
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Obama's veto part 2
The bill that was passed unanimously was changing requirements on where papers had to be signed and notarized for foreclosures. I am not really sure my opinion on the bill. I was just commenting on the odd processes occurring in DC.
The bill allows electronically notarized documents and documents notarized in a different state than filing in the foreclosure process. Electronic signatures (and I had not heard of electronic notarizing, wonder if my uncle who is a notary and does not use a computer knows about it) raise questions to many people. I would have thought a duly notarized document in one state would be recognized in another state, i.e. interstate commerce. The concerns are that it will make it easier to and quicker to foreclose and whether documents were legitimate. Questions we need to consider but I still find it odd that the House had passed it twice before and then it made unanimously in the Senate this fall and had passed the House on a voice vote in the spring and no one had thought of concerns until Obama. There seems to be agreement that some type way needs to be found to accept notarized documents across state lines. Apparently you can use non-embossed from out of state in some states and others say it can only be embossed from anywhere and no agreement on that, much less using electronic notarizing. Hopefully they can find way where notarized documents are known to be done right and usable across state line but also that the documents really were signed by the person signing it. There is no way I can think of that we can really make people have really read before signing and know if info is really right they signed. That is what courts often have to decide whether the document is is truthful.
Further consideration of the bill is needed, but a real veto would have been more straight forward, not try to slip a pocket veto, and our representatives who are now saying it needs refining should have thought more before voting. It remains hard to believe though that it managed to go thru Senate unanimously, I am not really sure we could pass a bill unanimously there that the sun rose this morning.
Dwight
The bill allows electronically notarized documents and documents notarized in a different state than filing in the foreclosure process. Electronic signatures (and I had not heard of electronic notarizing, wonder if my uncle who is a notary and does not use a computer knows about it) raise questions to many people. I would have thought a duly notarized document in one state would be recognized in another state, i.e. interstate commerce. The concerns are that it will make it easier to and quicker to foreclose and whether documents were legitimate. Questions we need to consider but I still find it odd that the House had passed it twice before and then it made unanimously in the Senate this fall and had passed the House on a voice vote in the spring and no one had thought of concerns until Obama. There seems to be agreement that some type way needs to be found to accept notarized documents across state lines. Apparently you can use non-embossed from out of state in some states and others say it can only be embossed from anywhere and no agreement on that, much less using electronic notarizing. Hopefully they can find way where notarized documents are known to be done right and usable across state line but also that the documents really were signed by the person signing it. There is no way I can think of that we can really make people have really read before signing and know if info is really right they signed. That is what courts often have to decide whether the document is is truthful.
Further consideration of the bill is needed, but a real veto would have been more straight forward, not try to slip a pocket veto, and our representatives who are now saying it needs refining should have thought more before voting. It remains hard to believe though that it managed to go thru Senate unanimously, I am not really sure we could pass a bill unanimously there that the sun rose this morning.
Dwight
Last Week’s Veto by Obama (Watt Thoughts)
Last Week’s Veto by Obama (Watt Thoughts)
The party of no combined with the Democrats to unanimously pass a bill and the guy up the street who says that the party of no is blocking anything from being done in DC vetoed it. Yes that is correct the House and Senate unanimously (meaning all Democrats, Republicans and Independents (and anyone else I missed) all voted for it) and the president vetoed it because they may not have thought about the ramifications. I have no question that some did not, but I doubt 533 of them did not and one man living up the street did.
This is the same White House that the Attorney General works for and the Attorney General blamed congress for being opposed to the president and not doing anything about immigration. He failed to apparently remember that he is a Democrat and the Democrats have large majorities in Congress and normally when you campaign against Congress you are campaigning against a Congress held by the opposite party or the opposite party is almost exactly same number, not when your party is fully in control since you were appointed Attorney General with the new president taking office. Odd that the Democratic attorney general would be advocating the American people elect a Republican Congress. This is much worse than Gibbs (White House press secretary) telling the press that it is likely the Democrats will lose a number of seats in Congress in a couple months when there was already general agreement that will occur.
Odd also that the controversy whether Obama can veto this bill about foreclosures the way he did. He announced he is using a pocket veto and that can only be used when Congress is in recess, and the Senate has pointed out they made sure they were not going in recess. Reason is to block recess appointments and that was an action agreed on by the Republicans and Democrats, a bipartisan maneuver to stop the presidential powers.
The Republicans may not be the party of no after all, it is beginning to look like Obama has finally achieved one of the items he said he was going to do and that was bipartisanship in Congress. We appear to be having it occurring but it is not what Obama had intended, but bipartisanship against the president.
Dwight
The party of no combined with the Democrats to unanimously pass a bill and the guy up the street who says that the party of no is blocking anything from being done in DC vetoed it. Yes that is correct the House and Senate unanimously (meaning all Democrats, Republicans and Independents (and anyone else I missed) all voted for it) and the president vetoed it because they may not have thought about the ramifications. I have no question that some did not, but I doubt 533 of them did not and one man living up the street did.
This is the same White House that the Attorney General works for and the Attorney General blamed congress for being opposed to the president and not doing anything about immigration. He failed to apparently remember that he is a Democrat and the Democrats have large majorities in Congress and normally when you campaign against Congress you are campaigning against a Congress held by the opposite party or the opposite party is almost exactly same number, not when your party is fully in control since you were appointed Attorney General with the new president taking office. Odd that the Democratic attorney general would be advocating the American people elect a Republican Congress. This is much worse than Gibbs (White House press secretary) telling the press that it is likely the Democrats will lose a number of seats in Congress in a couple months when there was already general agreement that will occur.
Odd also that the controversy whether Obama can veto this bill about foreclosures the way he did. He announced he is using a pocket veto and that can only be used when Congress is in recess, and the Senate has pointed out they made sure they were not going in recess. Reason is to block recess appointments and that was an action agreed on by the Republicans and Democrats, a bipartisan maneuver to stop the presidential powers.
The Republicans may not be the party of no after all, it is beginning to look like Obama has finally achieved one of the items he said he was going to do and that was bipartisanship in Congress. We appear to be having it occurring but it is not what Obama had intended, but bipartisanship against the president.
Dwight
Friday, October 1, 2010
Oil
For the past 2 weeks the price of oil has risen significantly. No reasons have been given. It is not the beginning of driving season (reason given every spring/early summer, although gas usage is just a part of oil usage), no hurricanes threatening gulf, no war in mid-east (peace talks occurring although dispute on building freeze end in certain territories), reports are inventories have been at highest levels fro several months compared over many years and other usual stuff.
The only reason I have best figured is the US government has been claiming the economy is improving and the group that decides recessions has declared we are out of recession (a year ago). Oil over $80 a barrel by my my watching and analysis just knocks the economy back down and today we have passed that number again. Less money for people to spend on other stuff than gas, less money for businesses to build and expand as the money is going to oil products.
Although we had the BP disaster in the gulf this summer, expectations are currently at many places that we are no where near peak oil (meaning that the amount we will find and drill is in decline). Since the 1973 in the first oil crisis we have heard continuously that we have reached peak oil and will be out of oil in 30 or less years. We have discovered massive amounts of oil in last few years and although it is not all easily accessible I believe we are probably years from peak spot. Since the 70s we have also become much more energy efficient in the US and the world. Our cars today get much higher MPG than back then. WE have developed and are developing a number of alternatives including recycling and using green sources. Electric cars are not necessarily a way to reduce oil usage and carbon footprint depending on how that electricity is produced.
The rising of oil prices leads me to think that the economy will continue in its doldrums for a long time. People controlling the oil market can cause the economy to rise or fall. Either that or we have another balloon and it is oil and by November/December we will see the effect of oil prices too high and them fall in the $40-50 range which is probably unrealistically low. $60-70 strikes me as a realistic range that both is low enough for good economy and high enough to encourage being more efficient.
Definition of recession by the authorities is not when economy is still bad but whether it is getting worse. Basically if you fall out a 3 story window the time while you are falling to ground is a recession after you hit and people come over to help you are no longer in recession as you are no longer falling but you are major hurting now with broken bones and body but you are recovering and not in recession. For the general public we would define recession when things are not as good as they should be (unemployment above 5-6%, growth of the economy less than 2% and most of the decision based on employment).
Remember when they tell you we can cut oil dependency by just raising the price of gas $1 a gallon we did that in 2005 and have stayed pretty consistent with it and they are still claiming that is what we need to do.
Dwight
The only reason I have best figured is the US government has been claiming the economy is improving and the group that decides recessions has declared we are out of recession (a year ago). Oil over $80 a barrel by my my watching and analysis just knocks the economy back down and today we have passed that number again. Less money for people to spend on other stuff than gas, less money for businesses to build and expand as the money is going to oil products.
Although we had the BP disaster in the gulf this summer, expectations are currently at many places that we are no where near peak oil (meaning that the amount we will find and drill is in decline). Since the 1973 in the first oil crisis we have heard continuously that we have reached peak oil and will be out of oil in 30 or less years. We have discovered massive amounts of oil in last few years and although it is not all easily accessible I believe we are probably years from peak spot. Since the 70s we have also become much more energy efficient in the US and the world. Our cars today get much higher MPG than back then. WE have developed and are developing a number of alternatives including recycling and using green sources. Electric cars are not necessarily a way to reduce oil usage and carbon footprint depending on how that electricity is produced.
The rising of oil prices leads me to think that the economy will continue in its doldrums for a long time. People controlling the oil market can cause the economy to rise or fall. Either that or we have another balloon and it is oil and by November/December we will see the effect of oil prices too high and them fall in the $40-50 range which is probably unrealistically low. $60-70 strikes me as a realistic range that both is low enough for good economy and high enough to encourage being more efficient.
Definition of recession by the authorities is not when economy is still bad but whether it is getting worse. Basically if you fall out a 3 story window the time while you are falling to ground is a recession after you hit and people come over to help you are no longer in recession as you are no longer falling but you are major hurting now with broken bones and body but you are recovering and not in recession. For the general public we would define recession when things are not as good as they should be (unemployment above 5-6%, growth of the economy less than 2% and most of the decision based on employment).
Remember when they tell you we can cut oil dependency by just raising the price of gas $1 a gallon we did that in 2005 and have stayed pretty consistent with it and they are still claiming that is what we need to do.
Dwight
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Warning about messages about e-mail accounts
I have gotten several e-mails entitled "Your e-mail Account Suspend Notification" in the last few days. These are not from your e-mail provider (yahoo, hotmail, bellsouth, att, comcast, whoever) but are phishing e-mails. They are the usual phishing e-mails with a new subject line. They are wanting to get your personal information including account numbers, passwords, checking account number, etc to then be able to steal money from you
Do not reply to these e-mails or click on the link. If the e-mails were real they would have your specific name in them and the links would go to your e-mail provider not to some long strange one like these have in them. The address they are coming from with be the address of your e-mail provider. The ones I have gotten show admin@mil.com and my e-mail is not at mail.com.
Just delete these e-mails just like you do other phishing e-mails and selling crazy things like body part enhancers.
If by chance you did click on a link in one of these and put any info contact your bank and local law enforcement ASAP. If you did not supply any information and send, but did go to the link then still run a full antispyware and antivirus scan on your computer
Dwight
Do not reply to these e-mails or click on the link. If the e-mails were real they would have your specific name in them and the links would go to your e-mail provider not to some long strange one like these have in them. The address they are coming from with be the address of your e-mail provider. The ones I have gotten show admin@mil.com and my e-mail is not at mail.com.
Just delete these e-mails just like you do other phishing e-mails and selling crazy things like body part enhancers.
If by chance you did click on a link in one of these and put any info contact your bank and local law enforcement ASAP. If you did not supply any information and send, but did go to the link then still run a full antispyware and antivirus scan on your computer
Dwight
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