Hypocritic Oath...?

During some recent interactions with people, I have had the opportunity to witness some truly hypocritical behavior.  Just to be clear, I believe that a hypocrite is someone who says one thing and does the opposite.  These people try to use some form of rationalization to justify their actions.  I believe that these people also have double standards, they desire to have the best of both worlds. They go to church on Sundays and as soon as they walk out the door, they go back to living their “regular” lives.  To further be clear, I know that I am a grounded person, very consistent in my behavior, as evidenced by feedback from multiple family, work, and professional association sources – I know that my behavior and values are constant, and rely on my beliefs and principles to guide my actions and interactions. So I say, stay true to your faith, your beliefs, and your actions.  Always strive to take the high road, and never make disparaging comments to or against others. 

 

For reference, below is supporting information for statements made above.

 

Websters: hyp·o·crite \ˈhi-pə-ˌkrit\

Function: noun

Date: 13th century

1 : a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion

2 : a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings

 

Dictionary.com: hyp·o·crite  / [hip-uh-krit]

1: a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.

2: a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, esp. one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.

 

Review of terms at http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hypocrite identifies some thesaurus terms: dissembler, dissimulator, phoney, phony, pretender, beguiler, cheater, deceiver, trickster, slicker, cheat, … [and one of my favorites] whited sepulchre – a person who is inwardly evil but outwardly professes to be virtuous.

Tags: blogplugs, hypocrite, sepulchre, behavior

Away for a Day (or so)

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Potpourri

What a nice day yesterday ended up being.  We talked with loved ones after Beth got home early from work, then had our Christmas.  Nice things to see (Godfather series, Sopranos Season Six Part II, Elvis, and Robin Williams movies), read, and eat in our future.

The TIME Man-of-the-Year is Vladimir Putin.  Interesting choice, especially with how China has become such a "player" recently.  Some interesting facts from the December 2007 issue regarding the superpowers: Russia, population 142.5 million, almost twice as large as the U.S. but has less than half the population; China, population 1.33 billion, is very close to the U.S. in size but has more than four times as many people; U.S., population 303 million.  An interesting issue, I have been a subscriber since 1984, I highly recommend it.

Bob Buford's Halftime shows how men can make their middle years a time of transformation toward a more satisfying -- and significant -- life.

Above is a book I read approximately a year ago, very interesting and spiritual (there is also a website www. halftime.com).  The basic premise is "Have you achieved success—only to find that something is missing? If so, you may be ready to begin the most exciting journey of your life—the journey from success to significance. It’s commonly called Halftime. Halftime is a season of life that offers the opportunity to look back on what you’ve accomplished, understand who you are, and then redirect your time and talent for an even more purposeful second half."

With the stop-work clock ticking, this is an area that I plan on fully investigating.  My goals: become involved in a local charitable organization(s) using my organizational and project management skills; get involved in teaching and/or local politics in some manner; to help our local economy/environment via an existing organization such as the Nature Conservancy or to start a new local foundation (land and our climate are things that are finite, and we need to take actions to preserve them both).  With less than 10 years to go, the time to plan for this next phase is upon me, this is not something you just fall into, it takes careful thought and planning.  

Tags: Time Magazine, Man-of-the-Year, Nature Conservancy, Halftime

Merry Christmas

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas Eve and are enjoying Christmas Day with your loved ones.  God Bless.

Blustery Day at Nutwood

A perfect day to stay inside and do nothing.  After a balmy 50 degree day yesterday (we had our errands completed by 1200), today is 24 degrees with gusting wind and snow. We always enjoy our morning paper, watching nature out the window, and sharing each others company.  Later, we will watch some football and cook up some grub.  After a week of pasta and chicken, I am looking forward to some steak tonight.

After yesterday's warm weather, the snow is pretty much gone.  They are predicting some rain/snow over the next couple of days.  I would not mind a white Christmas, but do not want to tackle the driveway again.  We are now prepared though, got more salt and a hand spreader so we will not get stuck again. 

My bride has to work Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, so will be a quiet few days here.  I have some work things to get done and will continue emptying out the old garage in preparation for making a workout room.

We really enjoy being with family this time of year.  We will be with Beth's on Christmas Eve, after she gets off work, and with mine for a few days later in the week.  Not exactly how we planned everything, but sometimes the clouds have a silver lining.  May you get to spend this holiday season with those you love, and be able to share the true spirit. 

In the Huckabee vein - MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Tags: Nutwood, Huckabee, Snow, Family, Silver Lining

Gaea Saved?

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (c/o The Energy Daily)-- In a dramatic ending to two weeks of often bitter negotiations, 189 countries gave final approval Saturday to a detailed agenda to guide further talks aimed at crafting a new climate change treaty by the end of 2009 to succeed the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012.

The deal came after the United States, under enormous pressure, dropped its opposition to a last-minute proposal by the Indian delegation to ensure the talks include consideration of increased aid by industrialized countries to help developing countries adapt to the worst impacts of global warming.

The U.S. opposition prompted catcalls and angry denunciations from developing country delegates -- virtually unprecedented in such a high-level diplomatic forum -- culminating in an emotional appeal from Kevin Conrad, the senior delegate from Papua New Guinea.

"If you cannot lead, leave it to the rest of us," said Conrad, the country´s ambassador for climate change. "Get out of the way."

Moments later, the U.S. negotiating team relented, declaring it would support the Indian proposal and clearing the way for final approval of the "Bali roadmap."

Winner?  I say mother earth and all of humanity.

Tags: Climate Change, Bali Roadmap, Blogplugs,

T T T tttiming

I have written several times regarding Pandemic planning.  Well, today, I got a special package from AEP - our home pandemic planning kit.  It included respirator and surgical masks, a digital thermometer, hand sanitizer, and rubber gloves.  While I truly appreciate the concern my company has for our employees and our families, I do not think the timing of sending the pandemic planning package is good.  Less than a week until Christmas.  Oh well, it is the thought that counts :o)

Speaking of thoughts, Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Tags: Pandemic, Christmas

Sustaining Excellence

Today, we had our Management Review Meeting (MRM) where we review the previous month's performance. This meeting was special since we had 11 visitors from the Utility Services Alliance (USA), which represents all the single site nuclear plants.  They were here today to see what has allowed us to reach "Excellence" (a recognized performance achievement we received in July).  

While we took our "two" seconds to celebrate, we spent most of the meeting focusing on what we can do better.  One area is safety, with our winter storm last weekend, we had four injuries in a 24 hour period, three in the parking lot and one inside the plant perimeter.  None of these injuries were directly work related.  So please, take the time to be aware of your surroundings, and do not make any quick movements.  Also, make sure you wear the proper footwear during this time of year.  Remember, all injuries are preventable, and all employers want their workers to go home in one piece.

During the meeting wrap-up, our Chief Nuclear Officer talked about the challenge to sustain our excellent performance.  The two keys are human performance and equipment reliability.  Human performance is a tactical item, and equipment reliability will not be successful unless we are strategic, and that relies on long range planning.  This was music to my ears as I am the Strategic Planning Project Manager, responsible for the long range plan for the station.  We are looking at options to increase our performance in this area, including providing more people for my group. 

Long Range Planning is a passion of mine, both in my job and in my personal life.  At home, we have a plan that we have been following for the past six years, and it has been a true team effort.  Please take the time to develop a plan, a wonderful way to ensure that your goals are aligned, whether at work or at home.

Tags: Long Range Planning, Strategic, Tactical, Safety, Human Performance, Nuclear

What would it take for $4 a gallon gas?

Previously, I provided a summary of an AP story that addressed the prognosis for recession in 2008 (not predicted).  This is a follow-on, based on a forecast by Jeremy Siegel, Ph.D.  "If oil surges past $100 a barrel for whatever reason, we will be in trouble. Three dollar gasoline did not prove to be the tipping point for the consumer in 2007.  But with a weak housing market, I believe $4 gasoline would do considerable damage to consumers’ pocketbooks in 2008.  And $4 gasoline would happen if oil rose to $120 a barrel or higher. "

I know that in order to limit the dollars that go into the tank, I take Blacky (Mustang) to work whenever I can (43 miles each way), since Blue only gets about 12 mpg and Blacky gets about 22 mpg.  I paid the price this morning, however.  Blacky got stuck in the driveway (we have decided we need to pave the garage area next summer).  I had to get out Blue, crawl under Blacky to put on the tow rope, and then drag the car out of the snow.  I did get to do a little four-wheeling to get Blue back into the garage :o).  Have to admit that getting the used Dodge Ram truck was one of the best investments we have made living out in the country.  We are going to purchase some extra salt and a spreader this weekend to help us get through the winter (this is second time one of the Mustangs has gotten stuck in the driveway).

Tags: Mustang, Dodge Ram, Recession, Gasoline

White Stuff

Wow, we are in a winter storm, and got more than six inches last night.  I got up early today to take my wife to work, as Slick does not do well in the snow.  The winter storm advisory does not end until 7:00 PM tonight.  The main roads were not bad, but blowing and drifting resulted in 18 inches in spots on our road. 

Quiet day today as Beth is working.  I will go out this afternoon and snow blow the driveway.  I set up the tree last night, and we will decorate it this evening.  I am going to make some of my spaghetti sauce, I use lots of garlic and spices, and let it simmer for several hours.  We will do roasted garlic also, which we spread on french bread that has an olive oil spread and lightly toasted (I am making myself hungry, LOL).

Hope you and yours are well and enjoying the holiday season.

Please remember to take time to help others who may not be as fortunate.  In the paper this morning, there was a suggestion to buy something for the local food bank in lieu of a stocking stuffer.  Yesterday, I went through my closet and coat rack and have a duffle bag full for a local homeless Veterans charity (one of my co-workers has a box at work).

God Bless.

Tags: Spaghetti, Homeless, Snow

No Recession in 2008???

The following information is a synopsis of an AP - Los Angeles posting in December 2007:

The nation's housing doldrums will drag on at least through 2009, dampening U.S. economic growth and job creation, but the slowdown should not push the economy into a recession.  Despite plunging housing values, rising oil prices and credit problems that continue to plague Wall Street, the nation's job market is unlikely to suffer the kind of steep losses that would tip the economy into recession.

The odds that the housing woes alone will hobble the economy enough to cause two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth in the nation's gross domestic product -- the standard used to define a recession, is unlikely. In addition, the U.S. unemployment rate would have increase significantly to drive the economy into a recession, requiring substantial losses in a sector other than construction, which is unlikely.

The economy will remain sluggish for another couple of quarters before starting to rebound in the second half of 2008. Even so, the housing drag on the national economy will abateby mid-2008.

Meanwhile, the decline in the value of the dollar should help fuel U.S. exports for the next several years, and the decline in consumer spending will mostly affect other countries as U.S. consumers purchase fewer foreign-made products.

Plan your investments accordingly. 

Tags: Recession, Dollar, Investments

gEEk

For those who know me, you know that there is an EE in GEEK.  Go Illini (UofI), Go Engineering (BSEE), Go Science (PE).

Reference for this entry is Popular Science, January 2008.

Word Watch (I found these 2008-2009 new potential words very apropos):

Anthropocene: The most recent epoch in Earth's history, during which humans first began to affect the planet's climate and ecology.  Approximately 1800 through the present.

Exergaming: The action of playing video games that do double duty as exercise regimens.

Blogical: Illogical ramblings found online :o)

Other Worlds Revealed? - "In the late 1970s, the two Viking landers failed to detect any signs of life on Mars.  But when, a quarter century later, scientists used duplicates of the Viking's detectors to search for life in the dry valleys of Antarctica and Chile's Atacama Desert - regions on Earth where we know life exists - the detectors failed to find it.  Were the Viking landers blind to the presence of life on Mars?"

[The Phoenix Lander, set to touch down on the ice-rich Martian arctic this May, could provide clues, as to whether there is, or was, life on Mars]

Forever Yours,

GeekBoy :o)

 

 

Tags: Popular Science, Mars, BSEE

New Nuclear Potential for AEP

From 12/12/07 Platts: --AEP IS CONSIDERING EXPANDING ITS NUCLEAR PORTFOLIO, a company executive said December 11 at the Power-Gen International Conference in New Orleans. Nicolas Akins, executive vice president of generation for American Electric Power, told the conference in a keynote address that AEP is "very focused on nuclear as a possibility." He said the company expects to make a decision next year on whether to file a combined construction permit-operating license application with the NRC. AEP has a generating capacity of more than 36,000 megawatts, of which 73% is coal and just 8% is nuclear: the two-unit Cook station in Michigan.

We are very excited.  A team is being formed, more to follow when details are determined.

Tags: AEP, Cook Plant, Nuclear

Being Green (Luv U Kermit)

Being Green is a good thing to aspire to.

As reported yesterday in the Energy Daily:

NUSA DUA, Indonesia -- The United States will oppose preamble language in a draft "roadmap" document for negotiating a new international climate change agreement that implies that mandatory emissions reductions for developed countries in the range of 25 to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 must be included in the agenda for the future talks, a senior U.S. official said Monday.

As a Board Member of our Political Action Committee (PAC), we recently had our new Chief Nuclear Officer address our members.  Based on his insights, I have to say that I support the reluctance of our government to commit to mandatory emissions reductions.

In order to achieve carbon dioxide levels (CO2) levels below those of 1990 will require a mix of all available technologies.  None of the technologies currently available, by itself, will achieve this aggressive but potentially feasible goal.  The currently available technologies are: Energy Efficiency, Renewables, New Nuclear Generation, Advanced Coal Generation, Carbon Capture Sequester, Alternative Fuels Vehicles, and Electrical Vehicles.  It will take a "village" to ensure that this energy mix comes to fruition.  Not only that, it will also require some bold congressional initiatives to ensure that tax credits, rights of way,  and loan guarantees are established.  At the state level, public commission rate cases, collegiate programs, and individual voters will provide direction as to where we proceed on this important issue.

So, a natural question would be, besides voting, what can I do as an individual contributor?  I can provide two immediate responses, one based on the current holiday environment, and one based on a recent TIME article.

First, the holiday environment.  As a long time member of the Nature Conservancy, I pondered, real Christmas tree, or artificial Christmas tree (I went Artificial nine years ago).  Recent research I performed indicates that these two options are neck-to-neck, provided you compost (or plant) your real Christmas tree, your real Christmas tree is locally grown with an organic farmer, and if you select artificial - you keep your tree at least 10 years.

Second, the TIME article (12/17/07 Issue), Let There Be Light.  A single incandescent 60W light bulb, which costs less than $1, lasts about 1,000 hours, and costs about $263 over five years to illuminate.  Compared to a compact fluorescent 15W light bulb (which provides as many lumens as an incandescent 60W bulb), which costs about $2, lasts about 10,000 hours, and costs about $66 over five years to illuminate.  If you have not started using compact fluorescent bulbs, start now.

Tags: TIME, Emissions, Compact, Blogplugs

Careful of Hidden Agendas

In this information age, we must be very careful of what we read, "google", and listen to.  Do you believe everything you read - guess it depends on the variety of your sources, and the expanse of your search criteria.  Remember that what is most outrageous is often the most "hit" in our Internet age.  So digging deeper is often required.

Case in point - Nuclear Power In Germany.

Several years ago, the German Green Party shared power, and they were able to institute a "phase-out" of nuclear power.  Current administrations are evaluating whether that was the right decision, especially in light of the Kyoto Accord and whatever agreement will replace Kyoto in 2012.  Interestingly enough, Germany has not identified how they would replace the power lost from nuclear power, and could even be in a position of having to import power from other countries. 

A recent report that was available regarding the impacts of radiation, and attributed to the German Government, was "leaked" to the press.  The following was sent out by Platts today:

--GERMANY's RADIATION PROTECTION COMMISSION WILL EVALUATE THE RESULTS of an epidemiological study showing a significant statistical correlation between cancer incidence in children and proximity to nuclear power plants, according to a statement released this weekend by Sigmar Gabriel, Germany's head regulator and federal minister of environment and reactor safety. The statistical evaluation was performed by scientists at the University of Mainz, on behalf of the Federal Radiation Protection Agency, BFS, using data from an established national cancer registry. Gabriel said he called on the German Radiation Protection Commission to evaluate the results of the study because the emissions levels from German reactors "would have to be 1,000 times higher" to explain the statistical correlation of cancer and proximity to the plants. Sources in the Radiation Protection Commission told Platts that the body,whichmet in Berlin late last week, was briefed in detail on the findings. On the weekend, they said, BFS leaked the report to selected German media.

Tags: Platts, Nuclear Power, Radiation Protection

We had an ice storm last night, so thought this picture was appropriate.

Sheeba, our cat, looks just like this one.  He is a great Kittie :o)

Tags: Kitty

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Holiday Specs

The December 17th, 2007 Edition of TIME had the following in the Briefing Section:

White House 2007 Holiday Specs

895,000 Christmas cards sent

20,000 Christmas cookies

10,000 Handmade tamales

1,000 Pounds of Shrimp

862 Feet of Garland

700 Assorted holiday cakes

600 Pounds of asparagus

347 Ornaments on main tree

320 Gallons of eggnog

232 Wreaths

73 Volunteers

33 Christmas trees.

Sure would be a sight to see.  When we took our 2004 trip to D.C., we had made arrangements for a White House tour, but it was canceled.  Something to look forward to in the future.

As for the holiday party scene, been there, done that.  Not really my cup of tea so to speak.  I have always been the one or two friends/family members, a cold "amber" beverage, and a game of pool/ping pong or the like. 

My wife and I get along so well because we are both introverts, relying on simple activities (reading, yard work, talking, etc.) to keep us satisfied, no need for other people's approval or constant interaction with others to make our lives complete.

Tags: White House, TIME, Introvert

Ketchup Day

Today was a quiet day.  End of year is a crazy time for my Business Services group at the Nuke Plant.  I spend some hours today getting caught up on some work related items.

Also, used this opportunity to try and catch up (get it?, don't you hate it when people do not get or cannot take a joke?) with family and friends.  We talked with my Mom, left message for Kim & Steve (great friends), and left message for kidlets (have been very unlucky in actually talking with them :o(    )

Did get a chance to watch the Fighting Illini lose to Arizona in BB though.

Tomorrow, we will put up our Christmas Tree, and rejoice in the season. 

Tags: Fighting Illini, Family & Friends

Energy Policy

First, since the post is regarding political issues - just a note that we got our annual holiday card from the White House :o)

As contributors to the National Republican Committee, we get our "form" card each year.  We always get a kick out of it, with both George and Laura signing their full names.

Below is a summary of a Wall Street Journal article:

A new group of energy winners and losers is emerging as House and Senate lawmakers move toward agreement on the terms of legislation that could markedly change the nation´s energy consumption in the next two decades. Big beneficiaries of a $21 billion tax-incentive package announced yesterday by House and Senate tax-writing committees include companies that have invested in more energy-efficient products, buildings and vehicles. They also include the nascent industry that is working on bio fuels and other alternatives to reduce the use of petroleum-based vehicle fuels such as gasoline. The new $21 billion tax package, measured over 10 years, provides $2.8 billion in incentives for various energy-efficient products; a $993 million credit for plug-in vehicles; and more than $7 billion in incentives for renewable fuels (Unfortunately, it does not appear that Nuclear will be included in this category. However, there is a separate bill that provides $25 Billion in loan guarantees that is making its way through the process).

25 of our states have implemented renewable energy requirements for the 2015 target time frame - ranging from 8% in Illinois to 40% in Colorado. 

This morning, I was reading an interesting article related to coal electricity generation, which is expected to increase by 65000 MWe by 2015 (typical plants are in the 500 - 1000 MWe range, so this is a huge number if plants).  The biggest obstacle to this expansion is the railroad system, there are only two carriers in the east, and two in the west, and they are not regulated.  Using our vast coal reserves is critical to a balanced energy mix in our country, but we are going to need to bring more regulation and fairness into the railroads.

One of the considerations for my next career (I have started my 10 year count-down to retirement from Nuclear) is to start a foundation for green energy development here in South Bend.  I have really started to look into options regarding Midwest energy options.

Tags: Nuclear, bio fuels, green energy

Oversite Day

Wow - busy day. At the plant, all supervisors and managers need to participate in "safety monitoring".  As a production facility, our biggest desire is to send people home to their families in the same condition that they arrived.  Safety is our first priority, with one of our guiding safety principles being "all injuries are preventable".  Today was my day, so I spent most of the day in the field providing oversight for safety.  Tomorrow morning I will present the things that met my expectations, and those that did not to the senior leadership team.

At the completion of my normal work day, I had a meeting of the Board of Directors for the local Project Management Institute chapter, of which, I serve as the President.  I originally volunteered,  about 3 years ago, to become involved to provide startup assistance to this new chapter, based on extensive professional organization experience.  Unfortunately, the President had to resign soon after we got started, due to personal life issues, and I became the President to ensure the Chapter did not dissolve (we only had 48 members at that time).  Tonight was the first meeting with four newly elected officers, and we had a great 90 minutes of orientation and some brainstorming.  We are up to 81 members, and it was very encouraging to have new officers with fresh energy - I expect 2008 will be a great year for PMI Michiana. 

Tags: PMI Michiana, Safety

University Of Minnesota Website

Yesterday, I referenced the University of Minnesota website for monitoring health related issues.  Below is the website. 

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/

The county disaster planning meeting today was very interesting.  The bottom line is that for Business Continuity Planning, you need to develop and test your plan based on the worst case scenario.  For Berrien County Michigan, the worst case scenario is a winter blizzard with loss of power.  For my location, I think our worst case scenario is a pandemic (loss of workforce) combined with a winter blizzard (reduced workforce available to clear snow and for employees to get to the plant).  Very interesting, I volunteered to be on the Utility Advisory Group committee.

Weis Meets President Bush

First, let me address a pet peeve I have regarding the media.  Whether you agree with his policies and decisions or not, President Bush is our leader, and I get aggravated every time I hear on the radio or read in the paper/magazine about Mr. Bush.  Give the man the respect he is due.  Phew, glad I got that out.  Now, below is a great story about the ND Football Coach and PRESIDENT BUSH! [Source: 12/5/07 South Bend Tribune].

During a recruiting whirlwind last week, Notre Dame head football coach Charlie Weis piled up the handshakes and frequent-flier miles.

Then a funny thing happened -- Weis himself got recruited.

Weis and wife, Maura, took a detour off the recruiting trail Thursday to speak with President Bush and first lady Laura Bush at the White House. The Weises were invited by Bush to attend a holiday party in Washington hosted by the president and his wife.

The Bushes also had some business in mind. They wanted to know if coach Weis would be interested in serving on the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.

"It's moving in that direction," Weis confirmed Monday.

It's been moving in that direction for years, actually. Four years ago, Charlie and Maura Weis started Hannah and Friends, inspired by the Weises' almost 12-year-old special-needs daughter, Hannah. It is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to providing a better quality of life for children and adults with special needs.

In August, the Weises broke ground on Hannah and Friends Farm, a 30-acre residential community off Hollyhock Road, north of Auten Road, that will serve as a home for adults with special needs.

A caretaker's house is expected to be finished by this month, a recreation center for the property by spring and the first two units that will house a total of eight residents by next football season. The plans for Hannah and Friends Farm call for a total of 16 residential units to eventually be built.

Six months ago Weis said the White House sent a representative to South Bend to meet with the coach to gauge his interest in serving on the committee.

The President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities was created in 1961 by former President John F. Kennedy. It was originally called the President's Panel on Mental Retardation.

Twenty-one citizen members and 13 ex officio members appointed by the president comprise the committee. Among the citizen members currently on the committee is singer Clay Aiken of "American Idol'' fame.

It is estimated that more than 7 million Americans experience mental retardation and intellectual disabilities. Intellectual disabilities affected one in 10 families in the U.S.

Weis stayed in California after ND's 21-14 season-ending victory over Stanford, then began working his way across the country recruiting. On Thursday, he flew from Arizona to Washington to meet with "the big boss."

"We thought that would probably be a good thing to do," Weis said. "So we did that."

 

 

Tags: Notre Dame, ND, Charlie Weis, Hannah and Friends, President Bush

Business Continuity/Pandemic Planning

I work for a large utility, at a nuclear power plant, in the Business group.  One of my recent responsibilities is to coordinate the Business Continuity Planning for our station, with the stated goal of keeping our electrical generation plant on-line to support the Michigan and Indiana areas by keeping the juice flowing and the lights (and much more) on.  For us, Business Continuity means planning for Loss of Infrastructure (a.k.a., computer systems), Loss of Building (tornado, fire, earthquake, etc.), and Loss of Workforce (due to pandemic, influenza, etc.). 

Our main focus over the past six months has been to address the loss of workforce issue.  What is interesting is that we have had three pandemics in the 20th century, making the average about every 30 years.  The message is that it is not a matter of "if", it is a matter of "when".  The prediction for a H5N1, bird flu pandemic, is 40% loss of workforce, and of those, 3-5% will die; this is serious business folks.  My company takes this very seriously, paying for flu shots for all employees and family members, subsidizing flu shots for our contractors, sending a pandemic planning package to all employee homes, and stock piling critical supplies and food at our critical facilities.

Tomorrow, as the leader for the Business Continuity at our nuclear power plant, I am attending the first Steering Committee meeting of the county Continuity Of Operations Planning (COOP).  As a provider of a critical service, we are a member of the steering committee.

The University of Minnesota has a great web-site for keeping abreast of pandemic planning, and other national health matters.  I encourage you to google and get access to this information.

Tags: Pandemic, Influenza, Business Continuity, Nuclear Power Plant

Back to the Grind <sigh>

Sunday was kind of a quiet day, my best friend was at work, so I was piddling around on my own.  Read the Sunday Paper (one of my favorite weekend activities), made Chex Mix scramble for the first time (it turned out well), took care of cousin Shane's kitties, cleaned the garage, and did some work-work.  That took me to 1:00 PM, and time for the Colts game, they won.  Unfortunately, the following game, Da Bears, resulted in another Chicago loss. Oh Well. 

On the BCS front, how cool that Illinois is going to the Rose Bowl.  Hope they do better than the last time they went, 1984 again against USC (I was there, and the game was a blowout, against the fighting Illini).  Looking forward to watching, will not be able to make the trip this time :o(

Thats all for now :o)

Tags: Illini, Colts, Bears, Rose Bowl

Winter Weather

Note to self - never wait until the last minute to get tires for winter weather.  I went to Discount Tire today, after running my other errands, got there around 12:00, and waited 25 minutes in line.  After we checked out my tires, it was clear that I needed four new ones.  After getting into the system, there was a 3 hour wait, so I headed to Lowes.  Got some new shelves for the garage and started moving some items over from the old garage.  Headed back to Discount Tire at 3:15 PM, and had to wait another hour before the truck finally got into the bay for new tires. Got home around 5:15; the new tires worked great, as we are getting some winter weather, about 1/2 inch so far, did not need to use the 4-wheel drive.  Soooo, make sure you plan ahead, cause when the bad mojo weather is coming, the tire dealers are very busy. 

Weekend Boy!

We have a joke here at Nutwood regarding when we have time off from the daily grind.  I am Weekend Boy this weekend, unfortunately, Beth has to work. 

However, I have lots to keep me busy.  We are taking care of cousin Shane's cats, I need to get several hairs cut, need new tires on the truck in preparation for SNOW (yuk!), packaging up the recycling, getting in a couple of workouts, cleaning the old garage (move things to the new garage), and some AEP work to do.  Helps keep the time moving until my "bride" gets home from work.

One of the things that we are most proud of, after six years of marriage, is that we still have not had an argument or a fight.  I think that is something to be quite proud of.  Being "Bucko", I have to admit that I have hurt her feelings with my joking, but it is easily identified, and then we talk it out.  How wonderful to have a true life partner.

Also, a very happy birthday to my daughter, she is 14 today. 

Tags: daughter, birthday, bride

Groundwater

Interesting Facts:

Groundwater - water beneath Earth's surface between saturated soil and rock that supplies wells and springs. 

The thing that I did not know that I found fascinating is, "At any one time, the Mississippi River carries just 1 percent of its waters to the Gulf of Mexico.  The other 99 percent lies beneath the river's bottom, saturated in rock and dirt." [Source: Nature Conservancy/Winter 2007 Edition].  I never realized the true linkage between our rivers, our watersheds, and our groundwater. 

Living in the country, we are on well water, and understanding these types of facts are important.  We have a small pond in the back yard, and we can gauge the water table based on how dry our pond is.

 

Tags: Groundwater, Nature Conservancy, Wells

Who Would You Vote For?

We took the opportunity last night to watch the Republican U-Tube debate.  Have to admit, as Republicans, we were disappointed.  I heard on NPR on the way home tonight that Thompson and Huckabee lost ground, Romney held his, and McCain gained in the eyes of the New Hampshire voters.  We did love the Huckabee line "Jesus was too smart to run for office".  That cracked us up (WWJVF).

On the Democratic side, Iowa still remains very undecided.  Some recent reading I have done indicates that Iowa is very pragmatic in their voting, and if the trend and press indicates that you are not electable, then you will not get their caucus vote.  Based on that, my prediction is that Hillary will continue to lose ground, Obama will continue to gain (have to admit that I will consider voting for him if he is the candidate, most likely to be non-partisan and invoke change, even if he is anti-nuke and more liberal than my tastes condone), and Richardson has a good chance of doing well.