Father's World | PC Dads

I grew up a long way from Silicon Valley, in Southeast Texas. My town's (Port Arthur) biggest claim to fame was that it was the oil refinery capitol of the world (before the Saudis and OPEC woke up and took control) and the hometown of rock singer Janis Joplin. The language was a blend of southern, Texan and redneck -- which also describes the culture. I spent most of my spare time working in the oil fields, reading science fiction books and trying to stay out of the way of overgrown kids whose idea of a good time was going across the river to Louisiana, drinking all night and beating up grown men. Growing up in Texas in the 60s and early 70s was strange.

Life got considerably better after I moved to Austin. I graduated in Communications from the University of Texas, worked a short time for two Texas newspapers and then got hired on at BusinessWeek Magazine as a writer in Houston. I spent most of the 1980s in Houston and Denver as a bureau chief for BW butting heads with company chiefs, covering oil booms and busts, and writing colorful profiles on high-flyers like Adnan Khashoggi ("Richest Man in the World") and John Malone of TCI Cable ("The Man the Networks Fear"). For one profile, I tagged along with Houston heart surgeon Denton Cooley as he operated on 18 patients in one day, using his unique assembly line approach to get hearts pumping again (changed my diet after that assignment).

In 1992, a senior Intel corporate marketing manager came up with the idea that they needed a professional writer to translate the technical gobbly-gook into English. He and I hooked up and the next thing I knew I was headed to Portland, Oregon. By now I'd gotten married and had two sons, and we'd soon add a daughter.

Two major events happened after I joined Intel. I learned to speak (publicly) and I met Ralph Bond, which led to the creation of the PC Dads^sm.

Speaking was a whole new trip. Through Toastmasters, I competed in statewide humor and inspirational speech contests and began speaking before college classes and professional groups. The more I spoke, the more I liked it (this from a quiet wordsmith who had spent most of his working life quietly toiling away behind a computer). Today, I speak about technology, the future and "The Digital Frontier" (managing information in a turbulent world).

I met Ralph, a cubicle mate, in the spring 1995 and we began laying the groundwork for what would become the PC Dads, by doing a workshop in a local elementary school. From day one, we had a single mission: make it understandable -- and fun. That meant using some whacky humor (dressing up in lab coats, and safari gear).

After nine months of volunteer shows, in January 1996, Intel asked us to take the PC Dads show on the road as part of the traveling Smithsonian exhibit effort. That summer I was given a new job in Intel's technology literacy group, marking full recognition of the PC Dads. In Sept. 1996, Intel officially launched us (not into space...just as a program). The world stood still, briefly.

Now I'm dressing up like Jesse James and helping Ralph entertain and educate the masses with our PC Frontier shows. To break the ice, I'll start out by asking the kids, "Imagine if YOUR Dads dressed like this to go to work." They giggle--or stare in awe. JUST WHO IS THIS GUY?

It's all kinda strange, and fascinating.

Suggestions? Feedback? We'd love to hear from you.

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