Archives for January, 2008
Jan 29, 2008 | Uncategorized
Methane is a gas found on most planets with atmospheres. In limited amounts, it isn’t a particularly problematic gas. In larger amounts, however, it can become a regulator of atmosphere temperatures.
Methane and Potential Impacts on Global Warming
Methane is fairly common gas found in nature. It is produced from both natural elements of the biomass cycle and artificial industrial sources. Methane is classified as a greenhouse gas and is believed to contribute to global warming.
Methane (CH4) is a problematic greenhouse gas for a variety of reasons. First, it has a long life once it is in the atmosphere, to wit, it will remain suspended in the upper atmosphere anywhere from nine to 15 years depending on climatic conditions. Second, methane is much more lethal when it comes to trapping heat in the atmosphere, being as much as 20 times better at doing the job than the much discussed carbon dioxide.
The unique chemical makeup of Methane is what makes it a problem. Once it gets situated in the upper atmosphere, it acts as a sponge for infrared radiation being reflected from the planet towards space. By doing so, it acts as a gas coat around the planet, heating us up as time passes. Since we can count on it sitting in the atmosphere for roughly 10 years, massive accumulations of methane can have a devastating impact over time.
There is nothing we can do to stop natural methane sources. On the industrial side, however, there are a lot of areas that can be addressed. The production of methane through our actions is primarily through natural gas, petroleum, agricultural, coal mining, waste water reclaiming and landfill systems. All produce methane to a certain degree, some on a very large scale.
Modifying our behavior on methane production is actually a win-win situation. Unlike carbon dioxide, methane can be used as an energy source in and of itself. The technology is complex and the gas can be unstable, but we have certainly accomplished far more difficult tasks. The bigger point is that we don’t have to stop any activity that produces methane, just modify such activities to make use of the methane.
Global warming is a controversial topic. There is little doubt it is occurring. The real question is what it will mean as temperatures increase. Nobody really seems to know. What is clear is our current climatic situation is fairly calm. If you agree, why risk moving to a more chaotic one?
Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com, a directory of solarcompanies.com solar energy companies. Visit us to read more articles on solarcompanies.com/articles solar power and solarcompanies.com/methane_in_atmosphere Methane in atmosphere.
Jan 29, 2008 | Uncategorized
Identifying a human gait, walking patterns, running exists. Can such records be of value? Many think so. Why is this so important? Well every time Bin Laden is on TV no one knows if it is real or not. You cannot take a DNA sample, no retina scanning, fingerprints, well then facial recognition? Harder on video tapes at only one angle. Some ones gait could be viewed and downloaded by a sniper to decide if this is the correct target, although chances are it is best to kill all the doubles anyway, the fewer they have the closer you are to the primary targets.
We can certainly thank the movie industry and specifically the animation Gurus in Burbank, CA. Much of the differences in gait has to do with the knee and foot and the geometry associated with it. There has been much work on these ideas and many worthy projects and good information and of course science seems to mimic nature often and there is one modeling of an interesting creature of the Snake.
homepages.feis.herts.ac.uk/~nngroup…tabb-amdo00.pdf .
Now there are many issues with this for instance women wearing high heel shoes which boost up their nice toushy buns and extend their length and can screw up the geometry of their lower than knee areas of course this all depends on the exact length of their heels. Now some women have closets full of shoes and can literally wear a different pair every day, sometimes several shoes per day, Nikes or New Balance for Soccer Mom efforts, sandals and high heels for events. Also with sores on feet, carrying packages fumbling keys and carrying kids or other can screw up the data set for positive ID and for these reasons I am concerned about the current knowledge and ability to identify within reason the individual by gait. And having been an athlete in my prior life, I can tell you while running at different speeds I had many different strides. Also the degree of fatigue, shoes, soreness of different limbs. So this is good to study to teach PhD students to think, but really we have not yet figured this out yet, I fear it is not the best choice of identification, but could be used as a negative identifier. For instance that particular gait is not within the realm of possibilities of said individual.
However, in the future we should see where this takes us in the way of research, because this could in fact be a very valuable tool for Homeland Security.
“Lance Winslow” - Online WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; WorldThinkTank.net www.WorldThinkTank.net/
Jan 28, 2008 | Uncategorized
Career training is a postsecondary institution that provides professional, career-specific educational programs. Completion of a program can range from short-term certificates and diplomas to doctorate degrees.
Research has shown that people are happier if they make solid progress toward their goals. Career training is designed with that progress in mind. What you learn will help you discover your dreams as well as attain your goals.
Today, we are provided with a long list of careers from which to choose. Because there are so many choices, the decision can seem daunting. But one thing is for sure, the demand for high-skilled employees is much greater than the current supply. A twenty-four percent job growth rate by 2010 is projected for occupations requiring postsecondary career training. That is great news for you. Career training institutions provide training for many of these occupations and graduate approximately one-half of the trained workers who enter the U.S. workforce.
Career training schools focus on needs of both students and employers. Most have business advisory boards that help shape the curriculum and develop programs to meet growing workforce demands.
So you have done your part in getting career training, now what?
Like anything else, your chances of achieving a rewarding and fulfilling career depend greatly on how you approach your job search. It’s easy to become overwhelmed due to a lack of knowledge about what to do or where to begin. However, starting a search for a successful, rewarding and fulfilling career need not be daunting.
Why? Because your career training no doubt included helpful information to assist you in finding the perfect job for you. As a refresher some of those winning habits you have learned or will learn during your career training include the following:
Invest time in your job search - spend at least 30 hours per week on your job search.
Explore many different job search options, such as: personal contacts, internet, unemployment office, job fairs, employment agencies, network and newspapers
Be persistent in contacting potential employers - persistency is the single most important ingredient to your job search success. You may have to hear many rejections from potential employers, but that only gets you closer to when you will hear an employer say “yes”.
Send thank-you notes to prospective employers, friends and other referral sources.
Research the organization that you will be interviewing with. Find out its history, products and services, corporate structure and prospects for the future. Knowing this information will help you to answer interview questions such as: “What interests you about our company”? and “What kind of contribution can you make to our company”?
If you pay attention while taking your career training program, not only will you learn a great skill, but you create winning habits as well.
Sherry Harris is the President of online career training school, Malibu Institute. For more information on master certificate courses and career education offered, go to:
Jan 28, 2008 | Uncategorized
Graphic design is a very demanding and competitive field in the world today. There are many various opportunities for those who wish to pursue a career in this field. Not only traditional skills such as drawing, painting, and calligraphy, but also advanced technologies using computers, are used by today’s designers. A graphic designer with a good sense of business and consumer behavior can find many good jobs. However, one needs the proper education to enter this field.
Many schools and universities offer graphic design courses. Each school has its own approaches and varying levels of certification, like associates, bachelors and Master’s degrees. Degrees are available in arts, applied arts, fine arts, commercial art, science and applied science. They can be obtained over varying lengths of time depending on one’s specialization. There are literally thousands of options available. The technologically oriented programs will emphasize the mastering of computer skills and computer-aided design. It is must for students to know their career choice prior to choosing a school. A school or program must be selected carefully, to cater to what the student actually wants to learn. The basic curriculum in these schools includes art and design concepts and fundamentals, art history, designing and sketching, specialized studies, and training in graphic design software. But finally it depends on the discipline the student intends to concentrate in.
Though costs associated with becoming a graphic designer are pretty high, financial aid and loans are available for most courses. There are need-based and competition-based scholarships available for students.
z-GraphicDesign.com Graphic Design provides detailed information on Graphic Design, Graphic Design Schools, Graphic Design Jobs, Graphic Design Companies and more. Graphic Design is affiliated with e-GraphicArtist.com Graphic Artist Salaries.
Jan 28, 2008 | Uncategorized
River otters are amphibious animals that are related to the weasel family; sea otters are their cousins, along with mink and wolverines. A river otter has a strong neck and a jaw that is capable of cracking shells of crustaceans plus teeth for ripping meat. An otter has a long narrow body with short legs and webbed hind feet. The otter’s tail is also useful; it is powerful and it pushes the otter from side to side while swimming. The river otter has a soft pelt that it grooms itself; sometimes another otter helps with the grooming, while in a social group. Its thick undercoat is the bulk of the fur and it has a thinner guard coat on the outside. Its whiskers help sense obstacles while swimming or while on land. Hearing and smelling are otters’ best senses and sight is the poorest; they can see a bit better while underwater.
A river otters weigh up to 40 pounds; however, their cousin the sea otter can reach over 100 pounds. Female otters are about a quarter smaller than males and can reach up to 30 pounds. Otters live to be 20 years old both in captivity and in the wild.
Otters live throughout North America and have the ability to hunt in saltwater or freshwater. Many are found in Alaska on the mainland, but few on the islands. Alaskans do not see them often; however, they leave evidence which lets people know they were around. Slide marks on riverbanks or sprays of urine help them mark their territories and communicate with other otters.
River otters are omnivores and they eat a variety of insects, birds, crustaceans, small mammals and plant matter. When an otter cannot finish eating its prey, it will leave the meal for other animals.
Otters are social animals that live in groups containing combinations of males and females. Some groups can have all males, males and females with pups, or females with pups from their current or previous litter. All of the otters are friends with one another and fights never occur within a group. Each otter goes out and finds its own meal, which helps reduce the risk of fights over food supplies. Both young and older otters like to play with each another by chasing, hiding, swimming and vocalizing; otters spend half their day playing and the other half sleeping. They sleep piled up on each other and once they are all awake, they begin grooming.
An otter is an excellent swimmer and diver; it can reach speeds up to 10 miles per hour while swimming on the surface or underwater. An otter will dive underwater for food and swim to 60 feet below the surface; it can remain there for several minutes. While on land, an otter has a great sprint speed, which reaches 20 miles per hour when it runs and slides. When an otter sees a human in the wild, it will run for cover and slide into the water. Humans are the main predators of otters due to trapping; they only have a few enemies in the wild, which are hawks or owls.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to alaska.guide-to.info/ Alaska.
Jan 28, 2008 | Uncategorized
In recent years, with the advance of digital cameras and computer technology, the photo industry has been revolutionized. Modifications and enhancements to the photograph can be made without risking. To learn these techniques, you can enroll in a digital photography school.
At the beginning of your study in a digital photography school, you would still be taught the basics using an analog or manual camera. The reason being, most of the functions in a digital camera are simply enhancements of the old analog model. The fundamentals of photography are better understood with a manual camera. By learning how to do things manually, you can achieve the same thing with ease using a digital camera.
Familiarizing yourself with your camera would allow you to achieve to create black and white photographs, negative images, tricks you can do with your exposure and shutter speed, and different exposures. You would be taught how to use different flashes to create the best photo expects. You will also get familiarized with the importance of lenses. By learning the differences between each lens and what scenario to use each, you would be able to produce stunning pictures.
Part of learning digital photography is learning how to make enhancements in your pictures with the use of your computer. As part of your curriculum, you would be taught how to do digital workflow and file management. You would also dive into basic digital image editing. Knowing how to make enhancements to your photographs is one of the essences of digital photography. The ability to put one or more photographs together as if it was taken as one is part of the whole learning process.
Once you get down and dirty with digital photography, you can explore your options with different genres such as portraits, documentary, sports, landscapes, wildlife, travel, night shots, fashion and the like.
i-PhotographySchool.com Photography School provides detailed information on Photography School, Online Photography Schools, Top Photography Schools, Digital Photography Schools and more. Photography School is affiliated with e-DesignSchools.com Interior Design Schools.
Jan 27, 2008 | Uncategorized
Whenever there’s a drought, someone will come up with
the idea of finding a rain maker, or holding a day of
prayer for rain.
Now far be it for me to make light of people who are
in truly desperate straits and who are prepared to try
anything to relieve their precarious situation. The worst
that can happen, assuming no deliberate or unknowing
fraud, is that everyone has something else to think
about for a day or so. For a while they have some cause
for hope.
And it may indeed rain and the drought will be over.
But in most cases not.
For more information on droughts, visit
home-weather-stations-guide.com/drought.html
Rain making can be divided into two types - cloud
seeding, which has strong scientific and engineering
reasoning behind it, and, for the moment, everything else.
Cloud seeding has been used to create or increase rain
for over 50 years, and while the results are a little
patchy and rarely spectacular, when the right combination
of cloud seeding method and clouds is present, it has been
shown to work many times over, and in a cost effective way.
But what of the rest? I don’t wish to question the power
of prayer, which presumably transcends all physical rules,
but it is worth looking at just what it would take to
change the weather pattern before it is ready to
change.
But first let’s take a look at the rain maker’s methods.
They can be divided into two parts - local knowledge and
rainmaking techniques or ceremonies.
Firstly, rainmakers with a good reputation will generally
be folk with a strong knowledge of local weather, climate,
and seasonal changes. Some of these may be subconscious,
but I think we can give them some credit for astuteness
and good observational powers. This allows the rainmaker
to practise his or her rituals at a time when a change
in the weather seems most likely. With good local weather
knowledge, chances of success will be high, and in any
event, payment is usually dependent on success. It is
also human nature to remember (and advertise) the
successes and forget the failures.
In primitive societies, rain makers usually have an inbuilt
“get out” clause. The rain making ceremony consists of
certain things done by the rain maker, supported by other
rituals, requirements, or prohibitions required of the
community the rain maker is serving.
These may be bans on certain foods or practices, but if
the rain doesn’t come, who is to say that someone in the
community failed to play their part, destroying the rain
maker’s good efforts?
And eventually, with persistence, the rain will come.
So, in a very general way, that’s how the rain maker works.
But let’s see what he or she is up against.
Weather is the local end result of the effects of the vast
atmospheric circulation system, which works towards creating
some sort of balance between unequal heating of the earths
surface, the planet’s rotation, transferring water from
the oceans to the atmosphere and back again, variable
distribution of warm and cold water currents in the oceans,
and much, much more.
All this takes a huge amount of energy. Let’s put it in
perspective. In 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on the
Japanese city of Hiroshima, effectively destroying it.
That bomb was the equivalent of 12,500 tons of TNT, or
12.5 kilotons. An average thunderstorm generates
the equivalent of 20 kilotons.
A hurricane generates the equivalent of a 10 megaton bomb
- 10 million tons of TNT - every 20 minutes. Some people
have asked why large bombs aren’t used to divert or
destroy hurricanes. Others have suggested that would be
about as effective as throwing a ping-pong ball at a
charging elephant.
To create rain out of nothing, a rain maker would need
to control huge amounts of energy to overcome the inertia
of the stable weather systems associated with droughts.
With that sort of power, why hasn’t the rain maker taken
over the world, hopefully for the good of all, or at the
very least made his fortune by affecting the results of
horse races?
Copyright 2005, Graham McClung.
A retired geologist, Graham
McClung has had a lifelong interest in the outdoors. And
where there’s outdoors there’s weather. He is the editor of
Home-Weather-Stations-Guide.com Home-Weather-Stations-Guide.com, where you can find reviews
and advice to help you choose and use your own home weather
station. You can contact him by email at
mailto:information@home-weather-stations-guide.com information@home-weather-stations-guide.com
Jan 27, 2008 | Uncategorized
During the cold war we had a some very good anti-aircraft and land based mobile missile defense systems. Could we take one of these systems and scale it down, miniaturize it and use it to defend and protect our oil refineries, infrastructure and national security interests? Could we take let’s say a smaller and lighter version of the “Lance” mobile missile systems of the cold war, with a similar theory and place it on a Sandia “Sarge” type tiny mobile autonomous unit. Then employ these robotic security systems along defendable perimeter locations?
We could put them on the border when we attack Canada and take some property off their hands for aiding and abedding International Terrorists, so if they tried to fly one of those little Israeli UAVs they are buying over our border we would dust it immediately. Just kidding, but we need to be thinking defense and offence here to have a proper discussion on anti-attack defense systems. Obviously we are not going to war with Canada, but we do have our enemies in the Middle East harboring International Terrorists and some State Sponsored Insurgents attacking our troops in Iraq? Could we use such a system like this there to prevent intrusions over the borders? Perhaps we could, but how you ask?
Well lets first look at the issues with guarding oil assets as the International Terrorists wish to take down our economy using oil as a weapon knowing we need the oil to run our civilization. If we pay humans to carry weapons to patrol a perimeter of let’s say an oil refinery then will they be able to take out a single mission UAV which will self destruct and explode on impact and even if they did hit it, which is highly unlikely, could they take out a swarm of them? The answer is no, you have just lost you oil refinery asset.
Now then let us re-think a man-portable stinger missile type system, when you may have to worry about a swarm of these little UAVs, each with 5-10 lbs of plastic explosives or even a smaller payload per explosion of two-hand grenades, you see the problem. The International Terrorists may not be able to take out your entire refinery, but they might get lucky and start an uncontrollable fire.
Remember those Refinery fires outside of London, early reports, which were later denied said that an aircraft flew over prior to the explosions? Well did they throw something out; if so what. Was that aircraft manned or was it a small UAV; if so could it have been shot down with an intercepting UAV devise or a man-portable unit; perhaps? But only if the security force was alerted, actually saw it and focus, identify and fire in time.
Could a man sit and wait to fire it? Do you want to put a unit such as this into the hands of a civilian $10 per hour security guard? Not me? That type of weapon in the hands of the wrong person who knew and was trained how to use it could be used to take out a commercial airliner. Not funny.
Yet if the International Terrorists continue to attack non-military soft targets for PR and oil or natural gas assets we have serious issues as we must defend the flows of our civilization right? So how about an Aerostat or UAV which is tethered on a track with a system on it to detect such an incoming threat which would interact with a robotic perimeter defense system then you could potentially defeat anything which comes close and thus defend such an asset? Think on this.
“Lance Winslow” - Online WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; WorldThinkTank.net www.WorldThinkTank.net/
Jan 27, 2008 | Uncategorized
College biology majors may be preparing for a variety of careers. They could be future doctors or veterinarians. A biology major could be a teacher or a wildlife scientist. And they could leave school with a mountain of debt.
To pursue their chosen careers, biology majors often need more than an undergraduate degree. As you begin to plan for college be sure to set aside some time to look at your options for biology scholarships.
Which biology scholarships are available to you may depend on your specific area of study. Some are given out simply by need, others by merit. Many biology scholarships are awarded in the form of grants for research. These may be general research grants, or for study in a particular field, part of the country or time of year. For example, a school or association may offer a student money to study plant life in the Southeast in the summer.
There are also many biology scholarships given in honor of previous professors or leaders in an area of study. These are often unique to schools, so check with your admissions advisor to see which you are eligible to apply for.
Most biology scholarships, though, are general scholarships. Competition in a department could be tough depending on how the school divides the department. Biology is a broad term, and the biology department at a school could encompass many students and professors with very different interests. For example, one biologist may be interested in agriculture, and how to make farms safer and more efficient. Another student may be focused on wildlife biology. They would study natural habitats and learn how to fight global warming and protect endangered species. Other students may be preparing for cutting-edge research in the stem cell field or a life working with animals at the zoo.
When not writing about college admissions and college life Veronica Krully enjoys spending time with her family and supporting the local college. One thing all biology majors share in common: Tuition fees and the need for
Jan 27, 2008 | Uncategorized
Have you ever seen a traffic cop standing in the center of the street when the power goes out directing traffic or after a big game directing traffic to keep the flow moving? Have you ever considered how dangerous this really is? Have you ever stopped to think that someone not paying attention or talking on their cell phone could at anytime mow over the traffic cop? Hey now be nice, as you probably deserved that last ticket, so don’t go there. You are evil I cannot believe you just thought that?
In any case my point is this, with the up and coming future advances in Holographic Technologies, which are getting closer to becoming reality we may soon be able to design a Holographic Police man to stand in the intersection so you can run him over all you want; no harm, no foul.
I propose we put holographic projectors in the police cars to display the 3D or 4D in Virtual Reality, just like what Microsoft is planning with the next generation of our 360 X-Box Video Games in our living rooms. The system will run off the police cars extra alternator for juice and will not need the power grid, so if the power is out after a severe thunderstorm, Hurricane or Earthquake, the police car can drive up point it, turn it on and restore the flow of traffic without risking his life. This will insure an end to the chaos and smooth traffic flows and prevent injuries. Because as a taxpayer the last thing we want it to pay for medical bills from a flattened policeman. Think on this.
“Lance Winslow” - Online WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; WorldThinkTank.net www.WorldThinkTank.net/