2/28/2013

Go Green - US Military


Inside the Military's Clean-Energy Revolution


Damn the deniers, the doubters, and the do-nothing Congress. The Pentagon is moving full green ahead.
GREEN_NAVY_670_CD.jpg
Frank Stockton
Interesting Article in the Atlantic


"To get to the Nimitz, 100 miles off Honolulu, our turboprop is flying a 50-50 blend of biofuel and standard JP-5 shipboard aviation fuel. The biofuel is made from algae plus waste cooking oil. This makes us part of history, my aircrewman says, players in what the Navy calls the Great Green Fleet demonstration of July 2012. It's paired with a three-year, $510 million energy reform effort in conjunction with the departments of Agriculture and Energy as part of a larger push to change the way the US military sails, flies, marches, and thinks. "As a nation and as a Navy and Marine Corps, we simply rely too much on a finite and depleting stock of fossil fuels that will most likely continue to rise in cost over the next decades," announced Navy Secretary Ray Mabus at the launch of the program back in 2009. "This creates an obvious vulnerability to our energy security and to our national security and to our future on this planet."





2/27/2013

Expanded 3D coverage in Google Earth



Expanded 3D coverage in Google Earth

Google continues to expand 3D buildings coverage in Google Earth for cities around the world. Recently added cities include Canberra, Australia; Berne, Switzerland; Anaheim, CA and Reno, NV, among many others throughout Europe and the United States.

2/26/2013

Improving Economy



New Home Sales and Consumer Confidence Jump
"New home sales surged 15.6% in January to a 437,000 unit annualized rate; December sales were revised up. This is the strongest pace since 2008, a recession year, but it marks a step in the right direction; home builders have been struggling with depression levels of activity since the onset of the financial crisis."
Read the full article on the Economic Minds blog.



2/25/2013

The Geography of America's Freelance Economy



"A recent report estimates that there are about 17 million full-employed freelancers, or independent workers, a number than swells to more than 40 million, roughly a third of the workforce, when you include temps, part-timers, contractors, contingent workers, and those who are under-employed or work without employer-sponsored health insurance, 401Ks or FLEX accounts, according to a post by Whitney Johnson in the Harvard Business Review."




Why Plan When You Can React ?


WORDS TO LIVE BY


HOARY PLANNING APHORISMS PLANNING PHILOSOPHY - DOGGEREL


Things I have learned as a City Planner and Marine and Boy Scout and in Sunday School.


Don't worry, be happy.  

Why Plan, when you can react?

Any road will do when you don't know where you are going.


As you climb the ladder of success, don't forget who helped you.


This too shall pass.


Get it done.


Think!

Life has its ups and downs.

It will get better.

Think positive.


Positive Mental Attitude is a Force Multiplier.

Don't make mountains out of mole hills.

What good does getting depressed do?

Dive right in.

Take bite size projects, and finish them.

Make a decision, and stick with it.

The longest journey begins with a single step.

Excuses are like belly buttons, everyone has one.


If anything can go wrong, it will.


If it ain't broke don't fix it.




But a stitch in time saves nine.


Run spiell chek.


Travel more.


Eat Less.


If it tastes good, spit it out.

Keep plugging away.


Swing for the Fences, but try not to strike out.

Stuff happens.

Just do it.

Can do easy.

Criticism, like sewage, runs down hill.

When in danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout.

7 "P's" - Preliminary prior planning prevents pitiful poor performance.


"We spend precious hours fearing the inevitable. It would be wise to use that time adoring our families, cherishing our friends, and living our lives!"  Mary Angelou


Be Prepared.


Do a good turn daily.


Good guidelines then and now - A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.


On your Honor, Do your Best, Do Your Duty, For God and Your Country.


Leave your campground better then you found it.


Leave your community better then you found it.


If like many planners you are disorganized, find someone who is organized to help you.


Checklists help, but don't let them become the bible.


Search for the Win / Win.


Developers are important to your community.


Seek, and Ye Shall Find.

Planning, like life, has its ups and downs.

It will get better/It's got to get better/I hope it gets better.


Brevity is Beautiful.


KISS - Keep it Short and Sweet.


Short Plans are Best.

Don't make mountains out of mole hills.


Life can be a can of worms.

Publish or perish.


The longest journey starts with a single step. 

Keep plugging away.

Muddle through.

Take bite size projects, and finish them.

Make a decision, and stick with it.

Keep your eye on the ball.


Planning should not equal procrastination.


Keep your friends.


Don't be a workaholic.


How many people on their death bed say, "Gosh, I wished I had worked more?"


The Few, the Proud, The Marines.


The Few, the Careful, The Planners.


Building consensus among governments and people is like herding Cats.


Show me which way the people are going, and I will lead them.


Planning Chicago's third airport is like bathing an elephant - it is big, difficult, and you can definitely get hurt.

Excuses are like belly buttons, everyone has one.



Grant me the COURAGE to change what should be changed; the SERENITY to accept what cannot be changed; and the WISDOM to know the difference.


We will all hang together, or all hang separately.

Don't sweat the small stuff.


But pay attention to details - other people are.

Let criticism roll off your back.

Do what your boss tells you unless it is illegal or immoral.


Flee Fornification,  Or, Don't get caught.


Don't Ask, Don't Tell.


Most of your life is none of their business.


Socrates was a famous Greek Philosopher. Like many planners, he was always telling people what do do..............  They poisoned him.




When you take a job, you are issued some marbles. Each time there is a problem one marble is taken away. No new marbles are ever added for any reason.  After a while, you lose your marbles.








Hostile public hearings are stressful, but they seldom shoot at you with real bullets.


The Planner is like the Marine Point Man - he leads from the front, gets shot at often, and sometimes gets dinged.


When it absolutely, positively has to be destroyed overnight - Call 911-Marines.


Great Leadership enables the Marines to get American teenagers up at 0500 hours, work out, stay clean and neat and organized, and Charge Machine Guns, all for minimum wage.


Yea though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil, because I am a US Marine and therefor the baddest guy in the valley.


To err is human, to forgive divine - neither of which is Marine policy.


The height of windy braggadocio obnoxiousness - a Marine from the Windy City.


Stop me before I Plan again.




ACDC - Acronym Code Decode Center


FUBIJAR - Flip You Buddy, I'm Just A Reserve 


FUBIJAC - Flip You Buddy, I'm Just A Consultant


FUBAR - Flipped Up Beyond All Recognition 


WITAWTAW - Where There's a Will, There's a Way


PANE - People Against Nearly Everything, as in a real pane pain .


NIMBY - Not In My Back Yard


NIMTOF - Not In My Term Of Office


BANANA  Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anybody


REMF - Rear Echelon MF


SUCKS - Snarky Unfair Churlish Kid Stuff


2/24/2013

Bald Eagles




Bald Eagles. You will love this!

January of this year 2013, the weather stayed so cold in St. Louis, Missouri and Alton, Illinois that the bald eagles were cruising over houses in hopes of a quick meal. They could not
access fish that were at the bottom of the river and had gathered together.
 
Some kind souls decided to feed the eagles so they would survive the cold spell.
They gathered fish and started feeding the group of eagles huddled on the shore.
 
The photos below show what happened. A retired teacher took
these photos in front of his home. Incredible!  Feeding the eagles!
 


 A beautiful morning feeding the eagles, Jan 2013
 
Once the fish were thrown, the eagles did not seem to fear the
good Samaritans and word spread fast!

Eagles vying for the fish, January 2013


No zoom lens used here!
          The photographer was this close!



Here are the men who were feeding them,  close!
 
As you know, it was not too long ago that the American
Bald Eagle was an endangered species.
 
Amazing pictures --- please pass along!
 

Thanks to Karen Malesky for sending this:

Karen J. Malesky
S.T.E.M. Educator



2/23/2013

Nice Animal Photos


36 PERFECTLY TIMED ANIMAL SHOTS
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animal shots. Taken with high precision but most of the time just lucky shots.
Animal photography at it's best, at least in a fun way..
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Image Credit: Igor Siwanowicz
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