Thursday, November 29, 2007

A Soldier's Christmas Poem

I don't know how wrote this originally - if you do, please let me know so I can attribute it appropriately.  Please don't forget the young men and women that are still out in the cold desert nights fighting for our freedom.  Always honor their sacrifice and never forget the things they do for us.

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,

I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,

I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."

My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..

Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."

"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

This poem always stirs me deeply - I will never forget.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Ready for Launch

So it's about time that I wrote something here I think.  It's also about time for this semester to be over... Like right now... ready... GO!

For those of you that don't know, I'm in Boston University School of Management's Cross Functional Core Curriculum program, lovingly known as CORE.  This is a class sequence that integrates 4 different disciplines (read classes) of operations management, information systems, finance, and marketing. 

All of these classes work together to develop a single project that we build throughout the entire semester on a single team.  We're getting really close, as in Friday at noon, to the point at which we hand in the business plan for said project.  I neglected to mention that this project is to design a product and business that is geared for consumers... all the way from concept through the business plan and into a prototype and an investor presentation.

Our project, the LOCKDOWN laptop security lock, is our product.  It's a laptop lock that uses an industrial suction cup to secure your laptop to any hard surface.  Our business, Hemisphere Security, can be found over at http://www.hemispheresecurity.com - check it out at some point if you'd like.

I'm going crazy with this project - doing a lot of the work for the Information Systems section (not a big surprise to anyone) and I'm having a hard time getting this thing done.  I'm not sure why though because I know this stuff so well.  It's the actual sitting down that's been so difficult so far.  Maybe it's the fact that I have so many other things going on in my life.

SKIP TO HERE IF YOU GOT BORED WITH THE FIRST PART OF THE POST

So those other things include MY SELECTION TO GO TO DUBLIN, IRELAND AS PART OF THE DUBLIN MANAGEMENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM where we get to directly enroll in the University College Dublin Quinn School of Business for their spring term and then experience an internship abroad.  I'M SO VERY EXCITED!!

We're leaving on the 16th of January and we're there until the 21st of June.  It's a looong time, longer than the regular internship program which is only there for the period of a semester.  There's a lot going on before then, as you might imagine.  Getting paperwork out of the way, seeing people, getting internships lined up, getting replacement for my job, finishing core too... that's a big one.  It's all very overwhelming but very exciting too.

I think it's time that I wrap this up... I'm getting weary and I haven't gotten any farther with the IS section so I should sleep so I can start up again tomorrow morning bright and early.  There will be more posts here in the coming days/weeks and then regularly while I'm abroad.  If you're really pining to hear my lovely voice, you can check out my podcast over at http://www.collegetechcentral.com - that will be continued while I'm gone too.  Before I leave, there will be a place to sign up for a newsletter to be included in my life happenings (family will probably love this).  I'll also publish some contact information once it's finalized so you can call etc.

Much love to all of you.  Hope this finds you well.

-James Connors

Monday, October 15, 2007

It's Been A While

It's been a while since I took the time to write here. Yes, I know - shocking isn't it? James has been too busy to take care of all the things that he's said he's going to take care of...? Well yeah, this one was a low priority and thus it's been low on the uptake.

Well, now it's time to start building again. Not just here but also at my podcast at http://www.collegetechcentral.com - Check it out for technology talk on campus.

I'm going to try to build up some more posts here on this thingy too but with everything going on, it's been hard to say the least. Things are busy but good overall so if you're worrying about me, take a deep breath and then let it out because I'm all good.

Goodnight,

James Connors

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Let Us Not Lose Touch

For thousands of people my age around the world are saying "so long" and "goodbye" as they pack boxes and bags for college.  But all of this great leaving is offset by the huge aquisition of new found friends whenever they arrive at school.  This presents a challege.

How does one let go of the friends at home and accept their new friends without "losing" or forgetting thier old friends.  Everyone faces this problem.  When I went to USAFA, I made it a documented goal to maintain contact with my friends back home.  Unfortunately, with a few exceptions, I wasn't entirely successful.  It was hard to know that those people with whom I had spent so much of myself would not be there much longer.

So what does a guy/girl do?  I think the answer lies in the little things.  You won't be able to go out to the corner ice cream store anymore, but you can definitely pick up the phone.  Students won't be able to expain everything that goes on in a day but they can easily send a facebook message or email to let someone know that they're thinking of their friends.

It's important that new students be able to accept their new friends and truly embrace their new environment or else they'll always be wishing they were somewhere else and ultimately end up unhappy at their current institution.  Our friends will be there when we come home, they aren't forgetting us.  We're all experiencing a new situation that will take some time to figure out.  My friends have scattered all over the country, but some friends from home have made it to the local area. 

At times it might be hard not to hold on to these people as a piece of home without forgeting all of the new people that they are meeting.  Talking every day isn't what's needed, nor are endless messages.  But eventually it would be good to give into those urges to reach out to your friend and do something together.  SO many people can't seem to get along when there isn't any interaction, but once you put them together, you'd never see better friends.

Just some thoughts from things that were on my mind after the first full day on-campus.  To any friends or family that might be reading, don't forget me because I'm definitely not forgetting you.

Blogged with Flock

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Busy Bees and the Dog Days of Summer

So, I've been ridiculously busy these last few days, hence the lack of postings.  Right now I'm working on a stats project, states studying for the final exam (now only 1.25 weeks away), trying to deliver a work project, orienting a really bright new student employee, and attempting to have some time to relax this summer.

Those of you who know me well know that I love to be a busy BEE, that I in fact thrive in such an exciting environment.  However, I feel a bit overwhelmed as the days of summer wind down now.  There's the prospect of a new job, a final exam that I need to do well on along with the project, there's the whole CORE thing coming too.  On top of it all, I'm attempting to make some lifestyle and personality changes that have been a long time coming.

I appreciate your support when we talk [to my friends] and your company.  You've been a great bunch to give me encouragement and just listened when I needed it.  On a happier note, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was an amazing book and close to the series.  It was everything that I wanted in a series conclusion and more.  Another interesting bit in my life is that I am planning to launch a podcast in the not too distant future. 

The College Tech Central Podcast will be a project that I produce about once a week or so that will bring the latest in technology and related news that is pertinent to college age audiences.  Check out the website at www.collegetechcentral.com to see the site design and release notes.  You'll also be able to find the feed on iTunes once the first episode is launched.  Surely, I'll post that sort of news here as well as my professional blog at www.jconnors.net.

That's all for now - thanks for your continued readership!  Drop a line at james.m.connors@gmail.com if you have comments or feedback! 

Blogged with Flock

Monday, July 23, 2007

Social Networks

So the new idea I have is to reach out and get out there as much as possible. I want the most exposure I can get... that means the new WEB 2.0 concepts of social networking.

What are social networks? They are probably one of the cooler developments of the users as content builders. So, websites such as Facebook, Myspace, Bebo, LinkedIn, Orkut, and many many more. These services allow individuals to build a web presence connecting them to other individuals. There's usually a number of different modes that these services work in.

The most prominent mode is where users come together to build new connections. Services such as these are Myspace and Orkut. The other mode is where users map out their existing relationships. A service like that would be Facebook whose roots come from a closed network of friends in college that already know each other. LinkedIn is another service that is designed to chart out, in a more professional manner, an individual's professional contacts.

I'm trying to explore more services but there has come into an odd situation where a friend is on the service - it caters to a close group of friends that they a part of. I realized that I seemed to be ever present where they might want some space... so, I offered to remove the account. I didn't hear back but at the same time, I had made connections with a few people, yet none with my friend. If my friend is listening, I just want you to be honest with me and I will respect it. I don't want this to be something that comes between you and I because we've got so much more on the table and you've got so much more shit to deal with than just me. I really mean this and I don't think you get it when we don't talk on the phone.

In other news - I've been downloading a lot of fun stuff for the MacBook Pro that I've acquired form work... this thing is pretty much amazing. It's so easy to work it that I think this will be my next computer - no lie. It'll be a while but I'm hopeful that it will work out at some point. I think I'm going to do a review of the machine and some apps on my other blog soon since I haven't written over there in a long time. Hope all is well with you guys. See my professional website at www.jconnors.net.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

A Little Too Late

As I was reminded by a fellow blogger, I need another update to this baby... so here it is.

SUMMER IS FINALLY HERE

Yes, folks, that's right. The season of debauchery and mayhem is upon us all. All of us except me... your loyal blogger and friend. Nay, I am stuck here in the quasi cubicle hell known as the BU Athletics Department, in a small workshop with more disassembled computers than a junk yard.

At the moment, I'm fixing two computers used by basketball coaches.. they're laptops and I think it's the mere fact that we give these users administrator access that gets us in trouble. One contracted the rather nasty Vundo virus but we're hoping that we caught the bug before it spread to any of the servers... if indeed it did hit the servers, we could be looking at HOURS of work to remove it.

Summer Plans
What exactly are you doing for the summer, James? You may be asking... so, I'll tell you. WORK, and lots of it. I'll be working here for ISPS (http://isps.bu.edu) all summer long in-between classes and other assignments. That brings me to topic number two - I'll be taking a Decision Modeling class and a Managerial Accounting class over the summer too. Those should be fun but I really need to kick some butt if I want to make it to Ireland next year. I'm honestly worried that I won't be able to make it... :-(

On the weekends, I plan to make my way to New Hampshire to partake of the gorgeousness that is Lake Wentworth - even if our hand built kit-home is a piece and basically falls apart around you. These are supposedly the days that we're supposed to remember... the days that keep us entertained in our old age as we retreat into our own heads and lose touch with the outside world. I just hope they're good enough for at least a laugh when I'm 70 something (assuming I make it THAT long).

Omega
And now I find myself at the end of yet another seemingly pointless entry that probably will never be read by anyone that isn't my friend - and assuming my friends know my summer plans at this point - and therefore means nothing to everyone else that may stumble upon this little section of web-text. I hope anyone taking the time to read this is having an amazing summer thus far and that the season tans them to perfection and provides plenty of relaxation.

-James

Friday, May 11, 2007

It's 2am I Must be Lonely

Or studying... either one. I've been working hard for the evening and such... so I'm going to slip into bed here pretty soon. Oh, btw - IT'S FLIPPING HOT!!!! I'm just sitting here and I'm spontaneously sweating. It's soo gross. I'm also procrastinating on even going to bed... That never happens. Perhaps that's what's wrong with me - it's not insomnia, I'm just so much of a procrastinator that I even procrastinate sleep.... that couldn't be, could it?

Tomorrow will prove to be a good day though. I have the exam tomorrow morning at 10am and apparently it takes like 30 minutes... so that'll be great. Then I get to see my grandfather and help move him into his temporary living place. Then it's back up to Maine for a couple days. Friends and I will be starting the construction of our woodland campsite and cabin. Within said area we will have multiple fire pits, food prep areas, a cabin, and the James Connors Memorial Outhouse!!

That's right folks, I'm going to have my own naming gift on the crapper - I love it. I'm super tired and this typing thing isn't working out really well for me so I think it's about time for this kid to get to bed. Wish me good luck and good fortune for this test tomorrow - I need to do well!!!

Thursday, May 10, 2007

One More Exam

So... since the last time I blogged a lot has happened.... and by a lot I mean I studied endlessly and then took two exams (Stats and Econ) both of which were relatively difficult despite the LARGE investment in studying. I'm starting to ponder a few things.

What is the "college experience" or even the "college education"? I'm not fully convinced that it is the content espoused within lecture halls all around the world that makes up what we call a college degree. I believe that what is valued the most is the ability to think, or perhaps the actual act of learning to speak is most important. For example:

I can go and google pretty much any statistical formula and get it's usage, syntax, and application. However, the experience of spending hours trying to analyze and interpret, and execute these commands by hand instructs a lot. I learned patience, implementation, and even a little organization.


But now the exams are over and I'm starting to relax... then there's the quiet little voice reminding me that I still have one more to go. That's right. Two hours of organizational behavior lay between me and my status as a Junior at Boston University. I can't wait to be done with this!

Monday, May 7, 2007

Studying for Finals

I just wanted everyone to know that I am studying for exams and I hate it... There are not many personal notes on this site but this will be the first. I am currently studying for my Financial Accounting exam... I've been at it for a little over an hour and I feel as though this isn't the way to do it.

For years, I've recopied my notes as a way to get things into my head again and then moved on from there as far as working problems or something similar. This studying strategy has worked wonders before but for some reason seems to not love me now. Perhaps it's because I sleep to much.

Today was the second day in a row that I overslept but I feel that it's a combination of insomnia and laziness. For example, I knew I needed to go to bed early last night. Everything was set to be in bed at 11pm, however I did not fall asleep until well after 3am... not good. My alarm was set for 8:59 which then turned into 9:59, and finally 11:59 - the time I actually got out of bed to start the day - and by that I mean shower and get food for an hour.

I hate studying. This school sometimes really depresses me because all the fun stuff happens at the end of the year - people are going home all excited that they don't have classes for another 4 months and then there's me... I'm going to be here all summer working and taking classes, so basically it's going to be a never-ending cycle of going going going. My peers tell me this is more or less standard for school and more than standard for the working life... so I will have to get used to it.

And with that, my section on pensions and deferred tax liability beckon me back to the page. Goodbye all, I hope to make it through these exams with more sleep and good grades - lord know I need them both.