Conference hbahba::cam_sports

302.0. "Game called...." by CAM::WAY (and keep me steadfast) Mon Mar 31 1997 13:17

I remember as a young boy, perhaps five or six years old, watching re-runs of
the old Mickey Mouse Club in the afternoons after school, just before the
fifteen minute segment of a Flash Gordon serial.  I assume they must have been
re-runs because it couldn't have been earlier than 1964, so I'm figuring that's
what they were.

I'd watch the show, and enjoy it immensely, especially the Adventures of
Spin and Marty, and all too soon it seemed, it was time for that song.  You
know that one I mean....."Now it's time, to say goodbye, to all our company..."
That meant the show was going off, and as a youngster, that would fill me with
sadness, since I really enjoyed that show, perhaps in the way that only a young
child can truly, innocently, and fully enjoy something.

I'm reminded of those moments as I sit to write this essay, because, you see,
it is finally time for me to say goodbye to all of you.

My tenure here at DEC, (and in this last essay I'll break the rule that all the
new, self-important upper management types here love, and call this company
that was once so proud and good DEC), my tenure has been eleven years. In the
overall scheme of things I suppose that isn't so long, especially if you
compare it to a geological epoch, or to the Hundred Years War. In the life of a
man, though, ten years can amount to a large amount of maturing, growing older,
growing wiser perhaps, and of course, drawing inevitably closer to that,
hopefully far off, final demise.

I walked in here on March 24, 1986, a fresh, naive, eager young man who was
fulfilling a dream.  In the the five years before my first day on the job here,
I had constantly dreamed of working for what I truly believed was the BEST
computer manufacturer on the planet.  Going through the interview process, I
happened to read that DEC was one of the 100 best places to work in America. 
That heightened my anticipation and my resolve to work here.  I longed for the
opportunity to learn and to grow in an environment that was exciting and
fertile, and ripe with self-starters.

I was part of a new group starting up here, and am now the only remaining
member of the original seven that shipped our first effort out the door.
Those first months were filled with the heady excitement and self satisfaction
that a person can only feel when a dream is truly fulfilled and one is riding
high on the tide of accomplishment.  Soon enough I would see the little chinks
in DEC's armor that would eventually drive this once proud company to its
knees.  As the immortal Robert Frost so aptly put it, "nothing gold can stay."

Back then, as I'm sure a lot of you remember, we were valued.  We were looked
upon as one of DEC's greatest resources...eager, loyal, competent people, who
worked hard, gave a little extra, and took pride in producing the very best
product, whether it was software, hardware, or service.  Slowly, things began
to change.

Yes, the company got fat, and needed to get lean again.  Decisions were made,
and in retrospect a case can be made that the wrong decisions were made, as if
those making them were reluctant to face the hard issues and chose instead to
concentrate on bottled water, newspaper subscriptions, and how many pencils we
were using. 

The first package, voluntary and not available to all, was ripe with benefit
for those with the foresight and eligibility to take it.  How nice it would have
been had I qualified.  The remainder of this company's death spiral, slashing
and hacking OJ-esque layoffs without any apparent planning, is known too well
to all of us.

It was clear that after spending far too much time on the nickel and dime
cost cutting measures, the company needed results.  Instead of getting rid of 
the deadwood, the cuts were deep into solid muscle, and even into bone.
Instead of trimming fat, the inept managers accomplished the ignominious feat
of castrating DEC.  The brain trust of the company was laid waste, and the fate
of this company was sealed.  

Later, the ineptitude of upper management to accomplish anything other than the
broad, Pollyana type propaganda that was then spewed forth still clearly shows. 
The waffling, spinning, tap-dancing of Bob Palmer, who's made his money and
could live more comfortably than any one of us for years if he was terminated
tomorrow, is even more evident if one has closely listened over the  past
several years.  The sheer, delicious irony of his and their rantings bring to
mind the broken statue of Ozymandius in the desert, and the sign that
proclaimed, "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair."

My contacts outside the Company speak of a DEC that is getting worse, not
better.  "Off the map in most of the important markets," is how one friend put
it to me.  Couple that with the horror stories that abound from friends who now
are our customers and I have begun to believe that DEC truly is a Titanic, down
by the bow and listing to starboard.

My immediate boss, a self-important man with abosolutely no interpersonal
skills and lack of any competent idea about the value of morale is a case in
point.  Since he took over this group, it has gone from eighteen engineers down
to two, and only four of that sixteen were layoffs.  He's the kind of man, who,
were he an infantry officer, would be fragged in the latrine, dying with his
pants around his skinny ankles, from an anonymous grenade rolled under the
door.  His philosophy? Stated briefly, he doesn't care if his engineers are
happy, they have their jobs, and that's all that matters.  

How great seems the contrast between that philosophy and the one presented to
me when I walked in the door here.  The philosophy that said management was
responsible for helping you get where you want to go in the Company,
responsible for helping you develop yourself. You had to supply the effort (and
in those days there was none lacking) but they would empower you to get there.

And perhaps the saddest point that's lost in all of that is that there are no
leaders here anymore.  There are plenty of managers, but in the words of the
late Admiral Grace Hopper, God rest her soul, "you manage *things*, but you
have to LEAD people."  To steal and paraphrase from the author Joseph Heller,
"Where are the Leaders of yesteryear?"  Ubi sunt, indeed.



And that brings me to this point.  I'm outta here.  There comes a point beyond
which mediocre benefits and four weeks vacation cannot carry you.  Make
no mistake, I'm not a career person -- my life outside these walls is far more
important to me than the eight hours I spend here each day.  But I do want to
feel satisfaction in a job well done, and feel some self-worth in my job.
And, to be honest, I'd like very much to be VALUED again.

What will I take with me?  

Well, for one, the fine memories of the early and enjoyable years here.  Years
where I naively assumed that I could work hard and well for the next thirty and
retire from this company.

And I'll take my friendships.

I have made friends in this company through work related activities, and
especially through Sports.  Like an old sergeant in a company decimated by
combat, most of my friends are now "absent comrades."  Any list of them would
be far too long to print here, and we all know who they are at any rate.


What do I leave behind?  

Well, I hope I've left this place a little bit better for having passed this
way.  I hope that somewhere, someday, someone says "Geez, remember the time the
Chainsaw did this, or that..." and has a laugh on me.  I hope that one of my
essays touched some of you, or my crazy antics in the older days of sports made
you smile...

And I leave you all of my very best wishes for your individual futures.  Be
good to yourselves, help each other out, don't give in to antagonism, because
you see one day, in this hellhole they call "Digital," you're going to NEED
each other.  One day, when all the lame efforts of the VPs, and Robby Bob
Palmer, and even my Ebenezer Scrooge of a manager fail, this Company will begin
to circle the drain.  At that point, you'll need each other more than you ever
have before.  

And I say thank you.  

Thank you for enriching my life, for each of you has, at least in some small
way, made my life more special.  I consider myself very lucky to have you all
as friends.  I consider having friends in every corner of this world an
amazing fact, especially when I've never met many of you face to face.

And finally, if my life from here goes the way I dream it, someday, somewhere,
you'll hopefully be buying one of my books and having me sign it at some
bookstore.  If that's so, hang around until the end, and we'll go hoist one up
at the nearest tavern, even if mine is a Buckler or O'Doul's.

And if you're ever in the neighborhood, I'd consider it a grave personal
offense if you didn't pick up the phone for directions to the house.


All my best, then, to all of you.

As for me, I'll just close by saying "So help me God, and keep me steadfast."

Always,
Frank aka "Chainsaw"

    Frank good luck in the world, good luck with your new family.  I'm not
    sure this sprot thang can survive you're leaving but then again we
    survived McCarthur leaving Korea.
    
    > Buckler or O'Doul's.
    
    I thought for a minute that a discussion of Bill Buckner vs Lefty
    O'Doul had broken out but then I realized I wasn't with Glenn at the
    Bridge for Friday lunch.

  You will be missed Frank, it just won't be the same.

  Best of luck,
  George

Thanks folks.

In the original message I neglected to put in the important points that
I've accepted a position at The Hartford, an insurance giant here in CT.

I'll be a Systems Consultant over there, working with the fellow that used to
be our system mangler here (some of you might remember me mentioning "Big
John")

It was a nice 10% raise and the benefits are nice -- they have full pay for
military leave instead of the half-assed system here.  In addition, there's a
great team spirit, and the opportunity to work on leading edge stuff in a
really, really LARGE environment.

The nicest part is that I'll be a customer -- so beware....8^)


'Saw


PS  Sports WILL survive my leaving.  I'm not SPORTS.  Far better men than I
have left and SPORTS still survives......

    So, does the Hartford need an experienced technical editor?  ;-)
    
    This place will be a lot less palatable with your departure.  While
    there was no question that you had a truly whacked-out side of your
    personality, there was always a solid foundation there, and a home
    where people could shed pretenses and get honest answers to honest
    questions.  
    
    The spirit behind DEC grows weaker yet again, and there is simply no
    way to recapture that spirit.  The rest of us will carry on, but our
    jobs just became a little harder.
    
    Best of luck to you 'Saw.  I'll feel privileged if you would remember
    me as a friend.
    
    NAZZ

    Now who's going to write my speeches?
    
    
    
    billl

    Good luck Frank.  BTW folks I met Big John and maybe he should be
    called great big John.  Where is the Hartford office you'll be in?
    Were they just bought or did they just buy someone.
    
    Jimbo

Nazz, thanks for the kind words.  I'll let you know on the technical editor
position....


Jimbo is right -  Great Big John is probably a better description.  Personally,
I'm no lightweight, but I'm little next to Big JOhn.


I'll be in Southington.

The Hartford was a part of ITT, and they used to be called ITT Hartford.  Very
recently, the were divested or whatever you call it, and they are now known by
their original name, The Hartford.


Internet address should be 

		fway@thehartford.com


No less than 27 other former DECcies are employed there, or in their Simsbury
office.


'Saw

    
    
        Frank,
    
          Even though I only met you once,You have made my job easier by
    reading your essays and your humor is so very uplifting. Like it has
    been said even though just meeting the once I too consider you a friend
    from all the mail messages and noting we have done together.
    
        Sports has given me a place to vent my frustration with the job so
    many times, I know sports will go on but it won't be the same.
    
        It's getting to be more and more like the saying a few of our
    departed sportsters have said.... "last one out turn out the lights."
    
        Good luck in the new position and God speed......
    
    
    
    Chap

    Peace and good luck!  See ya at the OPP, maybe.  

    
    
      Frank I wish you all the luck in the world in both your professional
    and personal life.  Stay in touch and look on the bright side on April
    14th the B's will be looking for a new head coach.

     Every time we lose a ::SPORTSnoter, folks bid adieu and
    in the course of doing so invariably a few will say, "it
    won't be the same blah blah blah." 

     "See you, Hawk. It won't  be the same." 
     
     "Later, Mr. T. It won't be the same." 

     "Good luck, JD. It won't be the same."

     It ain't been the same for a long time. ::SPORTS used to 
    be a nice gumbo of viciousness, maliciousness, humor, rumor,
    good-natured busting and actually a hell of a lot of sports 
    savvy. There were serious diehard fans (ACC Chris, Tom Garry) 
    and there were serious kooks (we all know who they are/were). 
    There troublemakers like me and Groiner wiseasses, again like me. 
    You could tune in anytime and be guaranteed a good laugh at a flame 
    war or one  of Mr T's overwrought, overlong notes or Dinz' unique
    random note generator which is the only possibly explanation for how 
    he could post notes that followed no known rules of grammar or
    spelling and which may or may not have anything to do with the
    subject at hand. ::SPORTS hasn't been like that for a long time
    and it'll never be that way again. So good luck, Frank but ::SPORTS
    will be the same. It just won't ever be what it used to be.
    

    I usually only read this file, and occasionally plug in an article from
    one of the news webpages.  But I'll chime in here and wish you the
    best, Saw.  
    
    I enjoyed your recall of your youth as it brought back memories of my
    own from time to time.  Your gift of being able to recall and recant
    those times I find special.  I tend to be in the group that says:
    "Yeah, I remember that."  After you wrote it...it stirred the memory in
    the first place.
    
    We never did meet face to face and only corresponded via Mail on one
    issue, but I did feel a kindredness on the subject at hand.  :-)
    
    Anyhoos, good luck in your work and on your book(s).
    
    	Ted

Best of luck 'Saw.

The Pat's Day Sox games were great times.

You will be attending this year right?

    Best wishes, Saw.  Sorry to see you go, but I don't blame you at all. 
    I'm sure some of us are even envious.

    Good luck Frank, in both your personal and private endeavors.

    Is it true that all ::SPROTS noters get free copies of your novel?

    UMDan

    	Great note - thanks for painting the picture...
    
    joyce

Re the free copies of the novel:


Let me write it first and then we'll see.


'Saw

well when's the party? best of best ofs and all that other good Shit.
 "All in all Man it says that you've been pretty groove man and you've
  been doing a goovy scene. And we got to thank you for it. You're been
  beautiful you're making this show................"

Again, thanks everyone for the kind words.

I'm kind of looking at this as a going-away card -- the kind you'd get at that
going away lunch at a small company.

gonna save 'em all....


btw, personal information etc:


	1. Last day -- 4/11/97

	2. Home address:

		Residence:  70 Ponderosa Lane
			    Newington CT 06111

		Mailing:    PO Box 310976
			    Newington CT 06131-0976


	    a) No, Hoss, Lil' Joe and Pa are NOT buried in our backyard

            b) Residence address subject to change, hopefully soon.  I'll
	       let someone know.

	    c) Mailing address good at least through the end of May.


	3. Internet:
		
			fway@thehartford.com


	4. Home phone:  (860) 667-9969



'Saw

    
    
    Good luck Frank,
    
    After knocking around in here for 9 or 10 years it won't be the same
    without you to bring some sanity back to the conference. I had always
    hoped I could get back East and make one of the Opp's and meet you and
    the rest, maybe some day.
    
    Best wishes to you and your family. Good luck in your new endeavor and keep
    the faith, the RED SOX will make it to the big show one of these days.
    
    
    Keith