September Meeting

San Diego Supercomputer Center

By Gary Stigall

You think you know the company you keep, but you don't.

When I spoke to Walter Johnson about hosting an SBE meeting, we kicked around a couple of ideas about products he represents. Then he mentioned that, oh, his ISP business originates at the San Diego Supercomputer Center, and he thinks he could get us in for a tour.

Turns out that Walt is working to bring high performance Internet to rural schools and communities in the United States, as well as make San Diego the Internet Hub for connectivity to Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific Rim via satellite. Take a look at the 4D.NET web site and you'll see what he's up to.

Most of you know of the San Diego Supercomputer Center, but haven't figured out what they do or how they do it. Their web site explains that their "highest-performance computing resources...are available for use through a peer-review system to academic researchers and students in the U.S. SDSC also operates other resources in fulfilling its mission as a national laboratory for computational science and engineering." Their engines include a IBM SP, CRAY T3E, and CRAY T90.

What does that mean in terms of...say...computing 3D scenery for Tomb Raider? Let's find out! Meet us at the Supercomputer Center Wednesday, September 15 at 6 PM for social hour with snacks you can make a meal of, and 7 PM for the business meeting and tour. RSVP if you intend to attend. E-mail SBE36@Broadcast.Net or leave a message with me at (858) 495-8699 ext. 473.

Election Night

We have some business to accomplish at the meeting. For one, we'll be electing new officers. Consider a position for yourself. Election is a loose term here.

We're looking for a Webmaster, someone who wants to run the SBE36.ORG site--no further obligation to write or organize chapter business. I have a great set of Applescripts to automate the process of cutting and pasting information and HTML on a Macintosh with the BBEdit text editor, but you may wish to start over with a well-organized visually oriented program like FrontPage or DreamWeaver. This was my favorite part of the job over the past 2-1/2 years we've been on the web, but I never tackled making the site more aesthetically pleasing through better graphics. Maybe you will....

We need a Program Chair, someone to dole out our monthly demos and seminars. Because manufacturing reps have realized the leveraging power of having being able to demonstrate their products in front of a room of qualified buyers and influencial techs, the calendar fills itself now. Honestly. Your job would be to liaison with upcoming meeting presenters and local broadcast facility managers to make sure the meetings find a good home with some snacks before. You would be expected to write-up a promotional piece to attract meeting goers. Never have we had to spend more than an hour or two a month on this task.

Oscar Medina has served well as this year's Certification Proctor. If you are SBE certified and willing to help out, you would be asked to conduct exams during any or all of the scheduled exam dates, just a few a year.

Ron Foo, one of our charter members, has been Newsletter Editor for years, dutifully setting, printing, and mailing the monthly printed newsletters (with some help from John Barcroft). Ron deserves a break if you could step forward with computer layout software and a copier.

The Secretary/Treasurer position has been managed well this year by Fred Gotwald. He weekly checks the mail and manages the checking account. Fred keeps records of attendance and sends reports to the national headquarters. He makes a monthly treasury report at meetings. Depending on arrangements worked out with the administration at the time, the sec-treas may be asked to write a summary of the last meeting with formal or informal minutes. Fred has been working on a great membership database in his "spare" time.

Bob Vaillancourt has served as Vice-Chairman this year, filling in for my absence at meetings, and giving extra in terms of a written series on customer service behavior in the helping profession that we have chosen. Little should be required of this position--you get to craft it largely in your own image.

I originally increased my involvement in the local SBE chapter because I wanted to learn about developing a web site and here was a perfect real-world application. Also, I like to write, and this seemed like a worthy outlet. I took on more duties because I saw the same folks doing all the work year after year, and I wanted to give them a break. Some selfish goals, some not so.

I'm not seeking the Chairmanship for the next year. I intend to remain involved, but would like a little time back for my family and my health.

The Chair position, as I see it, is one of leadership. I encouraged Bob to share his knowledge of customer service training because it's one of the weaknesses of a profession built largely on knowledge of things and not people. I strived to give scholarship money to worthy students because that's how you help grow the next crop of engineers. I wrote about people like Charlie Abel because he has a mind of great stories to learn from. On the other hand, I'm not the inspirational speaker others in this position have been. If you take this job, you can craft it in just about any direction you wish. Give it a try.

Directions

From I-5, take the Genesee exit. Proceed west on Genesee to the top of the hill and turn left onto North Torrey Pines Road.

Take the next left onto the campus at UCSD NorthPoint Drive. Go straight along Northpoint Drive, to the Information Booth on the right and purchase parking permit ($3.00 after 4:30 p.m.). Continue along Northpoint as it angles right/south and becomes Hopkins Drive near the athletic fields. Pass the big RIMAC gymnasium complex (the first building on your right after the athletic fields).

SDSC is just beyond RIMAC - A four-story white building with a satellite dish on the roof. Turn right into Lot 354. Park your car in any open space or metered space, but don't use RESERVED spaces.

The building entrance at the parking lot is one floor below the main level, so take the elevator up to the lobby. The receptionist (on the first floor) will give you a parking permit; please place the permit on your dashboard in full view. This permit is good in metered spaces, which may be the only ones available.

Consider printing out the website campus map.

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Web site contents ©1999 Society of Broadcast Engineers Chapter 36 San Diego. For more information, to become a member or a sponsor, or to make suggestions or comments, e-mail sbe36@broadcast.net. Write to P.O. Box 710702, San Diego, California 92171-0702.

Edited by Gary Stigall. Posted 18-Aug-99.