How many eras are allowed to end at once? First, IBM sells off its PC business. Now, AT&T wants to sell their whole damn selves. More than most business stories, this one makes me a bit nostalgic. Not only can AT&T trace its legacy to Alexander Graham Bell, but my grandmother retired as a telephone operator in the 1960's, after more than twenty years at the switch (or in her case, the switchboard). She worked as an operator during the later years of the Depression through World War II, the 50's, and beyond. Without people like my grandmother, there would be no AT&T as we know it today. Now that she, and those of here generation, are no longer with it, perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised that the company cannot survive.  ¶ 9:54 PM