Carmichael's Position

Left -vs- Right... Brained

Hat Tip to my friend Cari--

Here's a test:  Look at the Image below.  Which direction is the woman turning? Clockwise or Counter-Clockwise?  (And yes she can appear to spin in either direction depending on your perspective).

  

If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa.

Some of us can actually get her to reverse course at will. I can do that.  I also seem to be able to see Stereograms those "3D Hidden Images" in the abstract posters pretty rapidly too. (There is a Shark in the Image below.)

Falling under the Astrological Sign of Twins I am oft accused having the Gemini trait of two personalities.  Actually I like to think of it as being flexible!  In reality I am one who explores both sides of my brain in fairly equal proportion.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with what the two sides of your brain control respectively here's a brief synopsis:

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS

• uses logic
• detail oriented
• facts rule
• words and language
• present and past
• math and science
• can comprehend
• knowing
• acknowledges order/pattern perception
• knows object name
• reality based
• forms strategies
• practical
• safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS

• uses feeling
• "big picture" oriented
• imagination rules
• symbols and images
• present and future
• philosophy & religion
• can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
• believes
• appreciates
• spatial perception
• knows object function
• fantasy based
• presents possibilities
• impetuous
• risk taking

In this political season, I find it sort of ironic that those stereotypical traits associated with Liberal (Left) -vs- Conservative (Right) are contained in the juxtaposed sides of our minds.

So, You're Telling Me They Call You "Mariah?"

Cool commercial...  Hat tip to my fiend Tommy for calling attention to it via his Blog "Driving Fast, Taking Chances."  Yeah, I figured out the metaphor about 10 seconds into it, creative though.

Especially relevant considering who I work for now... yes I can help your company explore alternative energy options... Ping me at jcarmichael@nuenergen.com and visit us at www.NuEnergen.com .

The Mariah reference, for those of you born in the MTV generation, is in regard to a song from the musical "Paint Your Wagon."  One of the only Musicals a Heterosexual male can publicly claim to enjoy!  Hell, It starred Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin for God's Sake!  (Who both sang in the Movie!!!! No Seriously!!! They Did!!)

4.72 Miles Per Second!

Well that ought to put it in perspective! 

And if that doesn't work for you... try 24,933 FEET! per "One Mississippi!"

That is how fast the non-functioning NRO Satellite ("US 193") was traveling this evening when the USS Lake Erie (CG-70) firing a modified SM-3 "Standard" missile scored a HIT on it!

Oh, did I mention that was from over 133 vertical miles away?!!! 

Bravo Zulu Crew of the USS Lake Erie! 

The DOD press release follows:

---

DoD Succeeds In Intercepting Non-Functioning Satellite

A network of land-, air-, sea- and spaced-based sensors confirms that the U.S. military intercepted a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite which was in its final orbits before entering the earth's atmosphere.

At approximately 10:26 p.m. EST today, a U.S. Navy AEGIS warship,  the USS Lake Erie (CG-70), fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) hitting the satellite approximately 247 kilometers (133 nautical miles) over the Pacific Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph. USS Decatur (DDG-73) and USS Russell (DDG-59) were also part of the task force.

US NAVY Photos:

The objective was to rupture the fuel tank to dissipate the approximately 1,000 pounds (453 kg) of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel which could pose a danger to people on earth, before it entered into earth's atmosphere.   Confirmation that the fuel tank has been fragmented should be available within 24 hours.

Due to the relatively low altitude of the satellite at the time of the engagement, debris will begin to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere immediately. Nearly all of the debris will burn up on reentry within 24-48 hours and the remaining debris should re-enter within 40 days.  

Now that is Skeet Shooting!  PULL!

Taking Donations!

I'm making it official, to anyone who would like to contribute, I will be glad to accept your donations to the "Let's Send John Into Space" fund!  The "Let's Make Sure He Stays There" fund is different!  We have about a year and a half to raise the funds! 

All I need is $200,000 +/- not sure what £100,000 currently converts to... I'm only about $200,000 short right now.

Hell, I promise to even write about my trip! It's sure to thrill my dozens of readers!   If you're really nice I might even publish pictures!!!

Here's the story from "This is London"

"The Virgin Galactic spacecraft, which was being unveiled in New York today, is already under construction. Test flights are expected to begin in June, with commercial flights starting 12 months later."

...Once the mother ship reaches 50,000 feet, which was the cruising altitude of Concorde, the spaceship is released and its rocket is fired, accelerating the craft up to 2,500mph, and taking it to 110km, officially making its passengers astronauts.

If you would like to find an address to contribute to or if the fine folks at Virgin Galactic would like to offer up a trip for a "Regular Joe" or "Regular John" in this case(coffee and Raisin Bran will help with being defined as 'Regular') just leave your interest in contributing in the comments section.  I'll reply in private.  Or maybe in public... we'll see!

The Future of Screen Interaction Technology

Computer,TV, HDDVD, what ever your poison, this is the next technological step in the process.

http://www.perceptivepixel.com/

Video:

We are already seeing advanced touch screen technology in Apple iPhones and iPods and Microsoft's Surface.  But expect the explosion over the next coupla!  Find your investments where you can!

BEER... The Cause and Cure to All My Problems!... Or Maybe More Cure Now!!!!

Hat Tip to Tommy on this one... from BBC News awhile ago but bears repeating.

Guinness good for you - official

The old advertising slogan "Guinness is Good for You" may be true after all, according to researchers...

...A pint of the black stuff a day may work as well as an aspirin to prevent heart clots that raise the risk of heart attacks.

Drinking lager does not yield the same benefits, experts from University of Wisconsin told a conference in the US.

...The Wisconsin team tested the health-giving properties of stout against lager by giving it to dogs who had narrowed arteries similar to those in heart disease.

They found that those given the Guinness had reduced clotting activity in their blood, but not those given lager.

I know a few dogs that would have loved to sign up for that test! 

...They believe that "antioxidant compounds" in the Guinness, similar to those found in certain fruits and vegetables, are responsible for the health benefits because they slow down the deposit of harmful cholesterol on the artery walls.

So... Even less reason to have any guilt about drinking a Pint of "Motor Oil" at your friendly neighborhood pub!  And I know a few others who will... Stu?... Lex?... Tommy?

Ok, But How's a Sierra Hotel Fighter Pilot Supposed to Pick Up Babes with That Thing?

 

I mean really, outside of the Flight Suit, the hottest thing going for your properly decked out "Fighter Jock" is his (and it's hot on "her" too) helmet!  Remember "Mav"?  Well hell, Topgun would have had a whole different look to it with this thing....

 

Or the Blues "Cool Dude" dome cover...

 

probably more like something... well like this...

Oh sure... the technology is probably stellar (I mean being able to see through the floor is pretty damn cool...)!  But damn it... we're talking fighter pilot's egos here!  One must realize how fragile these guys can be.  Now the "Attack Guys" they probably have no problem at all with these helmets, after all Attack Guys had charm and character to fall back on.

But with Today's F/A community where the communities have blurred, and the Gemini (duality of man) nature of things it will be a tough fashion trend to cope with... I guess the rearview mirrors on the canopy rails will be focused outside the cockpit from here on out.

New Gig at NuEnergen

Yesterday was my first day at NuEnergen.  And as with any new beginning it was mostly dedicated to establishing the infrastructure required to do my job; e-mail, IM, phone, "Where's the Head" you know the important things.

This looks like it is going to be a great experience.  Already I am digging into our contractual arrangements with our customers so I can insure we are taking care of them operationally.  We've got some great names in that corral.

Which leads me to answer the question many of you have asked of me.  What does NuEnergen (and you) do?

NuEnergen is an Energy Management Consulting Firm, we specialize in

• Energy Procurement
• Demand Response
• Renewable Energy Certificates

I will be wearing many hats here, primarily I am responsible for taking care of our customers, insuring they receive the service they expect along with the accurate reporting they need.  Oh and of course, the savings we are seeking on energy procurement.  Additionally I will be assisting on everything from Sales & Marketing to our IT and Web needs.  Good thing I won't be too busy!

I'll be writing more about NuEnergen and what we do as the weeks progress, but it is definitely a burgeoning industry and we appear to be in the right markets.  Time will obviously tell.

Many of you who know me are also well aware of my politics, which leads to a few more questions in your minds about "Carbon Footprints" - Green Energy- and Greenhouse Gas reductions and how I fit into that.

More on that to come.  I owe it to a friend of mine to actually dedicate a few more brain cells to addressing the perceived philosophical contradiction. 

Stay tuned...

Hey Al! You Catch'n this? Or is this Information a Bit too... Well... INCONVENIENT?

NASA Sees Arctic Ocean Circulation Do an About-Face
11.13.07

PASADENA, Calif. – A team of NASA and university scientists has detected an ongoing reversal in Arctic Ocean circulation triggered by atmospheric circulation changes that vary on decade-long time scales. The results suggest not all the large changes seen in Arctic climate in recent years are a result of long-term trends associated with global warming.

Yep, from the same NASA you claim as an independent scientific resource.

Reporting in Geophysical Research Letters, the authors attribute the reversal to a weakened Arctic Oscillation, a major atmospheric circulation pattern in the northern hemisphere. The weakening reduced the salinity of the upper ocean near the North Pole, decreasing its weight and changing its circulation.

"Our study confirms many changes seen in upper Arctic Ocean circulation in the 1990s were mostly decadal in nature, rather than trends caused by global warming," said Morison.

"While some 1990s climate trends, such as declines in Arctic sea ice extent, have continued, these results suggest at least for the 'wet' part of the Arctic -- the Arctic Ocean -- circulation reverted to conditions like those prevalent before the 1990s," he added.

Ok folks watch and learn as the Global Warming Extremists take to the airwaves discrediting where they can.  Remember, MAN! is at fault!  100% ALWAYS!!!! 

Why? Because if the gross affect of Global Warming is due to forces outside man's influence or creation... well then there pretty much is no need for a "CAUSE" now is there?  And what do causes gain?  Notoriety and MONEY!  Without cause, both go away. Back to the commune with you now...

Now There's a Milestone the MTV Generation Can be Proud to Call Their Own!

In the news today... from Breitbart.com

U.S. Sets Record in Sexual Disease Cases

ATLANTA (AP) - More than 1 million cases of chlamydia were reported in the United States last year—the most ever reported for a sexually transmitted disease, federal health officials said Tuesday.

"A new U.S. record," said Dr. John M. Douglas Jr. of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More bad news: Gonorrhea rates are jumping again after hitting a record low, and an increasing number of cases are caused by a "superbug" version resistant to common antibiotics, federal officials said Tuesday.

Syphilis is rising, too. The rate of congenital syphilis—which can deform or kill babies—rose for the first time in 15 years.

And yes, I do think our focus on Pop-Culture and the MTV (a)morality code has a lot to do with it.  Does that exonerate individuals from having to accept the responsibility for their actions?  Nope... I'm just not as hopefully optimistic as Dr. Khalil Ghanem when he expressed, "Hopefully we will not see this turn into a trend..."  Yeah... It's probably more of a "Fad." 

Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk Part 2

Ok... Now that I have your attention... Greg, Scott, Chris, Tommy, John, Steve, Ken, Dave, Clay, Jeff, Dan, Trevor, Jason, Mark, Brian, Jim, Tim, Todd, Matt, Tony, Doug, Andy, Craig and Stu!

It's time to re-visit a worthy cause!  We've saved the whales, the Baby Seals, the Sea Otter... now its time we save something near and dear to all us!

Let's save the Breasts! 

Boys!  We certainly don't want these to go the way of the DoDo Bird, so it's time to act now!  My sister (not pictured above... really!) is doing something for the cause, and I say we help where we can!

All kidding aside, My sister is walking for the cure! The Breast Cancer 3-Day is a 60-mile walk over the course of three days. Net proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust, funding important breast cancer research, education, screening, and treatment.

Here's the request once again from my sister:

On May 30, 2007, I celebrated an anniversary; 10 years since cancer was removed from my body. In February 2007, my friend, Betsy, asked if I would walk 60 miles with her in the Breast Cancer 3-Day event October 12-14 in Atlanta, Georgia. She has had breast cancer this past year and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation has helped her financially in this battle. She would like to give something back. I said I would begin training and walk beside her every step of the way in the 3-Day and the journey beyond. Betsy has a wonderful husband, Shawn, and 3 very wonderful children, Luke (10), Hannah (9) and Joseph (5).

These are some of the reasons I walk:

• Because I can and I am grateful . . . I’m alive and well 10 years later.
• Because I want to contribute to the the cause . . . A CURE for Breast Cancer
• Because I want to honor those women in my life who have lived inspiring lives and fought the fight against cancer gallantly.
• and Because I want to honor those I dearly miss in my life. . . I have lost 3 aunts, 3 uncles, and 3 close friends to cancer and disease in the past 5 years.

 

Although I did not have breast cancer, I believe that research done to find a cure for breast cancer benefits us all and the strides made in finding a cure in one type of cancer will surely benefit many if not all types of cancer.

Please join me in Celebration for lives fully lived. It is with a grateful heart and much hope and encouragement that I prepare to walk this walk.

I must raise $2200 in order to participate. I hope to raise much more. I invite you to support me and join the global movement to end breast cancer forever.

Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Kelly Carmichael Brustman

PS. If you would like for me to walk in honor of someone, please let me know. I will carry their names with me on the 60-mile walk, and in my heart long after.

You too can help... click here and contribute...

A Cause Greater than Herself...

Ginger and I were headed to the local shopping mall yesterday after visiting a friend.  En route, we were pretty much one of the first vehicles on a not so pretty accident scene involving a Range Rover and a motorcycle. 

We were about 5 vehicles back from the intersection where the accident happened.  I could see from my driver seat vantage point that there was a victim on the ground writhing in pain.  I advised Ginger that this "Really didn't look good..." as many bystanders were running to the victim's aid, and many other drivers were rapidly dialing 911 on their cell phones. 

Ginger looked at me, and knowing her duty, popped open her door and headed toward the injured man, yelling back as she ran across the intersection "Pull Over Somewhere!" 

Uh... Yeah... Duh...

By this time, all traffic at the normally busy intersection was at a standstill.  I managed to move across the intersection, using a bit of an improvised routing, and pull over to the side of the road, (4 wheel drive is awesome!).

By this time there were five to seven people administering what care they could to the victim on the ground (obviously the motorcyclist).  As I observed, it rapidly became apparent to me that there were two professionally trained individuals among the care givers.  One appeared to be a physician and the other was Ginger. 

I watched from the sidewalk (there were enough people in the intersection and I assumed that all I could do would be get in the way at this point) as Ginger and the physician switched gears, from their average weekend activities into well trained professionals.  I could easily and immediately see the difference in the two, compared to the others tending to this injured man.  Ginger and the physician rapidly exchanged pedigrees establishing knowledge and an instantaneous working relationship as they triaged their unexpected patient. 

At one point Ginger came running toward, not our SUV, but the one parked in front of mine, the physicians.  Opened the door, grabbed the doc's stethoscope and charged back to the victim. 

Immediately the doctor began running an assessment on her charge's condition as Ginger focused on keeping the patient stable and more importantly keeping his head still and inline.  As I said before, this didn't look good, protruding leg bones and basketball sized black and blue marks are a clue.

It was about this time I heard the first sirens of emergency responders.  Understand that we are probably only some 3 minutes into this by this time.  The first to arrive... the police.  They immediately acknowledged that two professionals were tending to the injured man and let Ginger and the doc continue administering what care they could, while they took care of traffic control and checking on the less injured driver of the Range Rover.

Within another minute, the EMT's and Littleton Fire Department were on scene.  Ginger and the doc rapidly relayed what they knew of the victim's condition to the Paramedics and Fire Fighters as they began to digest the scene. (That's Ginger highlighted in the grainy cell phone photo on the right).  Another couple of minutes and the patient was urgently yet in a quite specifically controlled manner, lifted onto a backboard and secured.  At this point there was not much more for Ginger and the doctor to do, it was in the other professionals' purview now. 

And as quickly as their involvement began, it ended, and the two accidental professionals walked together, toward me and their hazard flashing vehicles all the while exchanging pleasantries and mutual thanks to each other for each other's service.  I learned that, much like Ginger, the physician while not currently a trauma doc, had recently been in a Level 1 Trauma Center back east (Ginger had been a Trauma Nurse here at one of Denver's Level 1 Centers before becoming an oncology nurse).  They both made a passing comment about Bicycle riding and never forgetting...  Obviously true.

I have to confess, at one point while watching my fiance' tend to the injured man lying on the 100 degree asphalt, I had an overwhelming sense of pride in her and her dedication.  Ginger, in that instant in time, epitomized the philosophy of duty over self.  And I loved her for it... That's my girl out there!  I'm a lucky man!  And because of the millions of nurses like her, we all are.  Next time you see a nurse, you might remember to thank them, their job certainly isn't easy, their knowledge is intense, and their dedication is astounding.

Thank you Ginger...Here's to you and those like you... Damn few left!

USS Oriskany Revisited

Back in May I wrote about the former USS Oriskany being sunk off the coast of Florida to become an artificial reef and thought those photos were impressive.  Then my buddy Tom called my attention to some equally powerful photos taken by Keith Mille.  Very Impressive!

There is nothing artificial about a near 900 foot long ship resting on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico!  And Kieth's photos prove it.  Hoping to be able to illustrate this follow-up post with an image of his, I contacted Keith via e-mail.  It turns out, he is a Fisheries Biologist for Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and was kind enough to grant permission as well, he provided a bit more information on the scenes from the depths.

From Keith...

"The diver pictured in the photo ... is Robert Turpin, director of Escambia County’s Division of Marine Resources. Escambia partnered with us (the State of Florida) in working with the Navy for the successful completion of the project. Here’s a link to Escambia County’s web site... http://www.co.escambia.fl.us/departments/nesd/MarineResources.php

There are plenty of other great photos of the newly established Oriskany Reef here, I highly recommend taking a look! 

Although I hate to see these great defenders of our freedoms ever fall beneath the thermocline, I am glad the service to the country does not end with their decommissioning. 

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Division of Marine Fisheries, Bureau of Marine Fisheries Management's Artificial Reef Program has a number of goals but their primary objectives are illustrated by these 5 points outlined on their overview page.

The Under the program, reefs have been constructed with one or more of the following intended objectives: 1) enhance private recreational and charter fishing and diving opportunities; 2) provide a socio-economic benefit to local coastal communities; 3) increase reef fish habitat; 4) reduce user conflicts; 5) facilitate reef related research; and, 6) while accomplishing objectives 1-5, do no harm to fishery resources, Essential Fish Habitat (EFH), or human health.

Take it from a guy who has fished artificial reefs, these endeavors are priceless to preserving and enhancing our marine habitat and insuring future generations can enjoy all our oceans have to offer.

Thanks to folks like Keith Mille and Robert Turpin and all of the others at the FWC and Escambia County’s Division of Marine Resources you've done good!

NASA Actually Has Successes Too!

Many regularly criticize that NASA can't seem to do anything right lately...  To those naysayers...I give you JPL!  The Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Surfing the web tonight, I stumbled across the JPL site where they dedicate a significant amount of space (pardon the pun) to their HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL! Mars Rovers.

If all operations could go this well!

The Rovers "Spirit" and "Opportunity" have been doing their thing for... get this... a combined 1,018 SOLs BEYOND their planned mission duration! Each was initially planned to conduct their experiments and odysseys for a mere 90 SOLs.  A SOL is a martian day to you and me... some 24 hours, 39 minutes 35.224 seconds/each. Now that's getting our money's worth in my "Taxpayer" opinion!

Keep up the good work JPL!

Physics is Cool!

I did ok in my science courses, only “ok” due to probably an undiagnosed (except by my friends) case of ADD.  But in the broad sense I am fascinated by all things Physics, Astro-Physics, Quantum-Physics and many of the dynamic principles.  My sister Kelly, the bright one in the family, is actually a Physics teacher in Minneapolis and I think she is even surprised when I know of a complex physics principle and can even kind-of explain it.  But hey, I’ve even read Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity in it’s original English!  And some of my favorite reads include A Brief History of Time and The Feynman Lectures on Physics.

Anyway it should not come as a surprise to those of you reading my weblog when I throw something like this into my commentary fray.  I stumbled across this today and had to say “Wow! That’s cool!”  Now if I can just figure out how to recreate it in mass scale!

Now this is Quick Sand!  And check out the videos that accompany this…

Reports that travelers and even whole vehicles have instantaneously vanished by sand have often been dismissed as products of fantasy. Rightly so? Our latest experiments show that such a dry quicksand may exist, and that objects can sink up to many diameters deep into very loose, fine sand.