1. How Satellite technology Connects US Navy warships to State side Commanders
• Why do Navy ships need to be connected to Commanders in the Continental US?
• Does every ship in the US Navy have this capability?
• Can Navy ships navigate anywhere in the world and still be connected?
• Are these systems reliable and fast?
• Does everyone aboard the ship have access to this technology?
• Do these huge ships ever need to come back to the port for “recharging”
• What does the future hold for communication systems within the Navy
2. Comparing the US Space program to Russia’s Space program
• Are these two space programs even comparable?
• What kind of technology does the US have that Russia does not?
• Why have these differences occurred in the first place?
• How did Russia beat us into space?
• How does Russia’s space program get funded?
• How does the US space program get funded?
3. What is the purpose of the international space station?
• Why do we even have an international space station?
• How does the ISS(International Space Station) get funded?
• How many countries are involved with the ISS?
• Which country has contributed most if not all the same amount to the ISS?
• What kind of work is being done in the ISS?
• How long can Astronauts stay in the ISS?
• How many people can be accommodated in it?
• What does the future hold for the ISS?
• What is it like living in the ISS?
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Freewriting #6
1. How GPS technology Connects US Navy warships to State side Commanders
• Every US Navy ship on the sea has a GPS System on board that connects to satellites in the skies orbit. It is used to locate the ship and relay its location to state side commanders. Also on board these ships is very elaborate communications systems that allow not only the commanders of the ships to keep in touch with ports in the US but also these systems allow sailors to call home and keep in touch with family. Internet is also accessible on these ships, even while they are in the middle of the ocean, 100s of miles away from land. The technology used on these ships a major part of government defense contracts.
2. Comparing the US Space program to Russia’s Space program
• The US space program is a one of the biggest in the world, if not the biggest. We currently spend almost 19 billion dollars a year on the space program and we have made so much progress in the last 40 years of our space exploration. Russia is also a leader in the space race. They beat us into space and ever since, we have been competing for bragging rights.
3. ICBM’s – How they work and are they a threat?
• Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles are a major issue, both defending from them and having the capability to launch them. We invest billions of dollars a year into funding research projects so that we have the most advanced missile systems in the world. As far as technical matters, I’m really not too sure about those. However I am interested in the topic and will definitely develop my research topic and question further if I choose this one.
• Every US Navy ship on the sea has a GPS System on board that connects to satellites in the skies orbit. It is used to locate the ship and relay its location to state side commanders. Also on board these ships is very elaborate communications systems that allow not only the commanders of the ships to keep in touch with ports in the US but also these systems allow sailors to call home and keep in touch with family. Internet is also accessible on these ships, even while they are in the middle of the ocean, 100s of miles away from land. The technology used on these ships a major part of government defense contracts.
2. Comparing the US Space program to Russia’s Space program
• The US space program is a one of the biggest in the world, if not the biggest. We currently spend almost 19 billion dollars a year on the space program and we have made so much progress in the last 40 years of our space exploration. Russia is also a leader in the space race. They beat us into space and ever since, we have been competing for bragging rights.
3. ICBM’s – How they work and are they a threat?
• Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles are a major issue, both defending from them and having the capability to launch them. We invest billions of dollars a year into funding research projects so that we have the most advanced missile systems in the world. As far as technical matters, I’m really not too sure about those. However I am interested in the topic and will definitely develop my research topic and question further if I choose this one.
Article Summary #6
“Forget the Tablet — Apple Needs to Rebuild iTunes”
Read More http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/01/forget-the-tablet-apple-needs-to-rebuild-itunes/#ixzz0e3Wegtab
On the 28th of January, Apple will be releasing details about the new tablet called the Apple “iPad”. While some people are really excited about the release of this supposedly ground breaking device, some wish that Apple would focus on a program that is already out – Apple iTunes. iTunes is Apples primary content channel that allows playing media, syncing with the iPhone, video playback and purchasing media. iTunes has so many problems though, some people think that Apple should focus on having a “from –the-ground-up rebuild” of iTunes. iTunes has several problems, including slow start up time especially on Windows and the fact that iTunes is barely making money, and breaking even month after month in terms of profit revenue. With the release of the “iPad”, Apple hopes that this will increase sales and profit from iTunes because the iPad will also be using iTunes to sync. In this article, one of the reasons that it says iTunes doesn’t make as much money as it should is because 95% of the music that is downloaded, is downloaded illegally and Apple is coming up with a way to regulate this way of getting music. Apple recently bought a music downloading company called “Lala”, which is an inexpensive and innovative way to download music. Apple hopes that this purchase will sway music downloader’s away from illegally downloading, and purchasing music online legally.
Read More http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/01/forget-the-tablet-apple-needs-to-rebuild-itunes/#ixzz0e3Wegtab
On the 28th of January, Apple will be releasing details about the new tablet called the Apple “iPad”. While some people are really excited about the release of this supposedly ground breaking device, some wish that Apple would focus on a program that is already out – Apple iTunes. iTunes is Apples primary content channel that allows playing media, syncing with the iPhone, video playback and purchasing media. iTunes has so many problems though, some people think that Apple should focus on having a “from –the-ground-up rebuild” of iTunes. iTunes has several problems, including slow start up time especially on Windows and the fact that iTunes is barely making money, and breaking even month after month in terms of profit revenue. With the release of the “iPad”, Apple hopes that this will increase sales and profit from iTunes because the iPad will also be using iTunes to sync. In this article, one of the reasons that it says iTunes doesn’t make as much money as it should is because 95% of the music that is downloaded, is downloaded illegally and Apple is coming up with a way to regulate this way of getting music. Apple recently bought a music downloading company called “Lala”, which is an inexpensive and innovative way to download music. Apple hopes that this purchase will sway music downloader’s away from illegally downloading, and purchasing music online legally.
Article Summary #5
http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/24428/?a=f
At Princeton University, research is being done on a material that when flexed creates an incredible amount of energy. The list of applications that could use this technology is endless, but some of the ones that are currently being researched are putting this material into the soles of shoes to power portable electronic devices and putting it on a person’s lungs to recharge a pacemaker as he breathes. This technology uses piezoelectric devices, which are pretty much mechanical buttons that when pushed or stressed create electric current. The amount of current depends on the type of piezoelectric device, the more current, the more expensive the device costs. Today’s piezoelectric devices harness around 20 percent of the mechanical energy applied, while ones that are being developed will be able to harness up to 80 percent of the energy applied. This process might seem like a complicated to implement, but the production is actually quite simple. With old devices the silicon plate, which is the part that actually creates the current, has to be heated to extremely high temperatures, which would melt the rubber or plastic encasing that holds it. Now, they have come up with a production method that allows production of the silicon plate first, then putting it on the plastic or rubber casing that secures it and allows it to be flexible.
At Princeton University, research is being done on a material that when flexed creates an incredible amount of energy. The list of applications that could use this technology is endless, but some of the ones that are currently being researched are putting this material into the soles of shoes to power portable electronic devices and putting it on a person’s lungs to recharge a pacemaker as he breathes. This technology uses piezoelectric devices, which are pretty much mechanical buttons that when pushed or stressed create electric current. The amount of current depends on the type of piezoelectric device, the more current, the more expensive the device costs. Today’s piezoelectric devices harness around 20 percent of the mechanical energy applied, while ones that are being developed will be able to harness up to 80 percent of the energy applied. This process might seem like a complicated to implement, but the production is actually quite simple. With old devices the silicon plate, which is the part that actually creates the current, has to be heated to extremely high temperatures, which would melt the rubber or plastic encasing that holds it. Now, they have come up with a production method that allows production of the silicon plate first, then putting it on the plastic or rubber casing that secures it and allows it to be flexible.
Article Summary #4
January 29, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2010/01/100127211857.htm
According to several Penn State engineers, light is a better means of communicating than radio waves. Light offers a faster and more secure way of communicating when in restricted areas such as hospitals, aircraft and factories. Using light is not a new technology, light transmission systems are in use today but they either require a direct line of sight or have low signal strength. This new system of light transmission has two elements – the transmitter and the receiver. The transmitter turns electric signals into light signals and the receiver takes the light signals and converts it to electric signals. Most of the light signals that are transmitted are in the infrared frequency spectrum; however tests have been done using visible and ultraviolet light frequencies. This new technology is more secure than radio wave technology because with radio technology, if you are transmitting in a room, the next room over will be able to pick up your transmission. Light signals do not have this problem because light will not pass through walls, making it ideal for applications where mobility is needed but security is also a factor. If transmission to other rooms is necessary, then light sensors can be placed selectively to insure that only the people you want to receive the data will be able to. This is has practical applications in the consumer sector also. In neighborhoods, stealing internet is a big issue. With this technology, the signal would not transmit outside eliminating the need to secure and encrypt your data.
According to several Penn State engineers, light is a better means of communicating than radio waves. Light offers a faster and more secure way of communicating when in restricted areas such as hospitals, aircraft and factories. Using light is not a new technology, light transmission systems are in use today but they either require a direct line of sight or have low signal strength. This new system of light transmission has two elements – the transmitter and the receiver. The transmitter turns electric signals into light signals and the receiver takes the light signals and converts it to electric signals. Most of the light signals that are transmitted are in the infrared frequency spectrum; however tests have been done using visible and ultraviolet light frequencies. This new technology is more secure than radio wave technology because with radio technology, if you are transmitting in a room, the next room over will be able to pick up your transmission. Light signals do not have this problem because light will not pass through walls, making it ideal for applications where mobility is needed but security is also a factor. If transmission to other rooms is necessary, then light sensors can be placed selectively to insure that only the people you want to receive the data will be able to. This is has practical applications in the consumer sector also. In neighborhoods, stealing internet is a big issue. With this technology, the signal would not transmit outside eliminating the need to secure and encrypt your data.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Article Summary #3
"Mobile Touch Screens Could Soon Feel the Pressure"
http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/24414/?a=f
A company based out of the United Kingdom called Peratech has signed a deal for $1.4 million to license its pressure touch screen technology to a Japanese company called Nissha. This technology is similar to current touch screen technologies except that this technology can sense the force exerted by your finger onto the touch screen, adding an entire dimension to the functionality of the device. Before this technology, when you would touch a touch screen a sensor would detect it as either being on or off, but now with the advent of this new technology the amount of pressure exerted onto the screen will determine its function. This new technology uses a process called “Quantum tunneling” which pretty much means that individual cells at the atomic level will be used in determining the amount of pressure applied. There will be pressure sensors on the perimeter of the screen that will sense how much pressure is applied, then coupled with something comparable to the touch screen design today, will accurately measure both the position of your finger on the screen and how hard you are pressing down on it. This technology can relatively easily be added to current touch screen displays, so that will definitely a hot topic in a couple months. The schedule release date of this new technology could be as soon as April of this year, so keep your eye out for devices with this capability soon.
http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/24414/?a=f
A company based out of the United Kingdom called Peratech has signed a deal for $1.4 million to license its pressure touch screen technology to a Japanese company called Nissha. This technology is similar to current touch screen technologies except that this technology can sense the force exerted by your finger onto the touch screen, adding an entire dimension to the functionality of the device. Before this technology, when you would touch a touch screen a sensor would detect it as either being on or off, but now with the advent of this new technology the amount of pressure exerted onto the screen will determine its function. This new technology uses a process called “Quantum tunneling” which pretty much means that individual cells at the atomic level will be used in determining the amount of pressure applied. There will be pressure sensors on the perimeter of the screen that will sense how much pressure is applied, then coupled with something comparable to the touch screen design today, will accurately measure both the position of your finger on the screen and how hard you are pressing down on it. This technology can relatively easily be added to current touch screen displays, so that will definitely a hot topic in a couple months. The schedule release date of this new technology could be as soon as April of this year, so keep your eye out for devices with this capability soon.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Article Summary #2
Article summary #2
Recently, NASA has been undergoing quite a few changes in the way that it plans missions. These changes have been caused by the presidential agenda that has been set forth by President Barack Obama. NASA is dependent on government funding, and they really can’t do anything unless they have the funding to back it up. On Monday, President Obama held a meeting that gathered several defense contractors with the intention to create a cheaper way to shuttle astronauts back and forth from the space station. With this in mind, President Obama plans on increasing the government funding by less than 1 billion dollars which might sound like a lot, but the current funding is 18.7 billion so increasing it by less than 1 billion dollars doesn’t seem like it will do much. In spite of this little increase, President Obama plans on having a “robust 21st century space program”. The current goal of NASA is to have astronauts return to the moon by year 2020, and after this goal is reached then NASA will set its sights on reaching Mars. In order for this ambitious plan to take place, NASA estimates that a budget increase of 3 billion dollars is needed, and without the increase the trip will never take place. President Obama continues to work with his “Augustine panel”, the panel of Space Policy Experts that president Obama created to handle the nations space policy, to strike a deal between the current government funding and the funding that NASA knows it needs to get ff the ground.
Recently, NASA has been undergoing quite a few changes in the way that it plans missions. These changes have been caused by the presidential agenda that has been set forth by President Barack Obama. NASA is dependent on government funding, and they really can’t do anything unless they have the funding to back it up. On Monday, President Obama held a meeting that gathered several defense contractors with the intention to create a cheaper way to shuttle astronauts back and forth from the space station. With this in mind, President Obama plans on increasing the government funding by less than 1 billion dollars which might sound like a lot, but the current funding is 18.7 billion so increasing it by less than 1 billion dollars doesn’t seem like it will do much. In spite of this little increase, President Obama plans on having a “robust 21st century space program”. The current goal of NASA is to have astronauts return to the moon by year 2020, and after this goal is reached then NASA will set its sights on reaching Mars. In order for this ambitious plan to take place, NASA estimates that a budget increase of 3 billion dollars is needed, and without the increase the trip will never take place. President Obama continues to work with his “Augustine panel”, the panel of Space Policy Experts that president Obama created to handle the nations space policy, to strike a deal between the current government funding and the funding that NASA knows it needs to get ff the ground.
Freewriting #5
List of possible research ideas
1. The effect of Psychological Warfare on the people of occupied countries
2. How GPS technology Connects US Navy warships to State side Commanders
3. How Smart bombs have the changed the face of the battlefield
4. Exploring the technological feats that the US Army has funded
5. Comparing the US Space program to Russia’s Space program
6. ICBM’s – How they work and are they a threat?
7. Exploring the Patriot Missile system that defends are Nations’ skies.
8. How Air defense has changed during the decades.
1. The effect of Psychological Warfare on the people of occupied countries
2. How GPS technology Connects US Navy warships to State side Commanders
3. How Smart bombs have the changed the face of the battlefield
4. Exploring the technological feats that the US Army has funded
5. Comparing the US Space program to Russia’s Space program
6. ICBM’s – How they work and are they a threat?
7. Exploring the Patriot Missile system that defends are Nations’ skies.
8. How Air defense has changed during the decades.
Freewriting #4
I have pretty much planned my entire life out these past couple years. I know where I want to be and what I want to be doing and for exactly how long. The only problem is, that I am not setting myself up for my goals, unfortunately this is out of my control. The only reason that I am an engineering major is because my dad kind of pushed me into it. I am already in my 3rd year though, and changing it now would mean not graduating in four years and not having a chance to accomplish my goals in the army. The thing is, its not that I just don’t like what I’m studying, it’s that the job you get in the army is based off of your GPA ; and me being an engineering major puts me at a serious disadvantage because my GPA is naturally going to be lower than my fellow cadets. But I don’t know, let’s just say that somehow miraculously I graduate in four years and become an officer. In 5 years, I want to have travelled overseas a couple times with a whole bunch of leadership experience and stories to tell. I want to have done something that I am proud of, and to be in a position that matters and be able to influence people. In 10 years, I will be hopefully a Major in the Army which will probably put me either in the DC area, or another area that I have a say in. This is around the time that I want to start having kids, because before then having a wife and kids would be a burden and they would definitely tie me down. As a major, my chances of being deployed are reduced and once you become a little higher in the ranks, your job becomes more like a 9-5 which is why I want to have kids around this time. I want to be able to grow up with them, be there for their birth and first steps. Also, I want my kids to have a great relationship with their grandparents, my parents. Growing up, I never really got to see my grandparents at all so I definitely want my kids to experience this. I will definitely request to be assigned to an area that my parents are living in. Right now, they live in the DC area but they have talked about moving to California which also has many opportunities for an army officer. In 15 years I will have my master’s degree and possibly a PhD in a field of study TBD. At this point, I want to go to a university that offers Army ROTC and become their Professor of Military Science (PMS). I’m really not too picky about which school this is at because this will once again be determined based off the living situation of my parents because I definitely want to stay close with them forever and let my kids have the opportunity to experience something that I never had.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Freewriting #3
One of the most memorable experiences in my life was getting an Army ROTC Scholarship. Before that, I had kind of lost hope because of my new found red/green color deficiency. This gave me the motivation I needed to get my life on the right track. I remember when I found out that I got the scholarship; it was the best day ever. I had just gotten home from a rough day at school, and came back and checked my email and the subject was “Congratulations….” From that moment on, I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and I knew that I had to be very successful in ROTC to get to where I wanted to be. I remember the summer before freshman year started, I had to go in and sign the contract and take the oath. I think my dad was really proud, even though he didn’t show it. I went in, signed the contract took the oath and swore in with an Army Major in front of an American Flag. At this time, the ROTC office was in a little trailer in between the old PE building and lot J. It was only my first time in there, and I had already signed a document that was going to dictate the next 8 years of my life. It was a great decision and now that I look back at the application process I realize how much of an impact it has made on my life. I wonder where I would be today sometimes if I had not gotten the discipline, confidence and leadership skills from ROTC. I know that no matter where my life takes me, I will always remember my time here in ROTC that all started one fateful day back in senior year of high school.
Freewriting #2B
The three events that made a significant impact on my life in chronological order are as follows, going to see air shows, growing up in a military family and finally receiving and Army ROTC Scholarship to attend mason. When I was younger, all I wanted to be was a fighter pilot or/and a soldier. From as far back as I can remember, I would go to the library and just grab stacks and stacks of books on fighter jets. That really was my life goal, and that’s really what motivated me through the hard times I would have in grade school. As a part of this goal, my dad was in the Air force so I grew up on military bases and receiving the benefits that military family gets. This really is one of the most significant events of my life. I loved growing up and moving around the nation while being financially secure. That’s really one of the reasons that I have chosen to go military today, I want to continue down that path of having all the benefits and living the life of a service member. Lastly, I always knew I wanted to be in the military but I didn’t know which service to enter or which path I wanted to take. After high school, I started applying for air force rotc scholarships, and during the process was a eye examination. I found out that I was slightly red/green deficient during this exam, and that’s when it hit me that I was never going to be a pilot. In fact I remember the eye doctor told me straight up – you will never be a pilot. This was completely devastating for me, I remember getting back home and just breaking down. It was my lifelong goal to be a pilot, and in a second it was all over. Around the same time I was applying for Army ROTC scholarships and that’s when I realized that my other dream of becoming a soldier was about to come true.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Freewriting #2A
Three people that have had a significant impact on my career goals are my dad, General Stanley Mcchrystal (Google him) and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. My dad is the hardest working person I know. Coming to another country with no possessions and creating an empire for me and my family to benefit from. He came way back in the 70s, enlisted in the Air force to get his citizenship then worked his way through an electrical engineering degree, then became a Communications officer in the Air force. After going through grad school and earning his PhD. he worked his way up through the workforce and became a senior level Air force officer eventually retiring in 2000 with over 20 years of active duty service. After his air force career he started a whole new one, working for defense contractors, NASA and a whole bunch of other companies in the DC area. Meanwhile, since the early 90s he has also been full time faculty at the University of Maryland. He has been working two full time jobs and still been making time for his family. He never let anything get in his way, and that’s what I admire so much about him. Even though he has had such a successful career, he is also such a family oriented person. Even today he is still such a big part of my life and he will continue to be. Working two fulltime jobs but still making time to for us, things like going on family vacations more than most people do, always being lenient with me and my sister when it comes to house rules and giving us enough to appreciate things, but not enough to be spoiled. Someday, when I have a family I hope I will be like this to. Placing a huge importance on my career, but also placing my family in the front seat along side with me.
The second person who has made a serious impact on my career decision is General Stanley Mcchrystal. He is the commanding general of the International Security Assistance Force, which is helping to rid Afghanistan of Taliban forces. He is a four star general, which is the highest rank a military officer can achieve. This man sleeps four hours a night, and eats one meal a day to stay sharp. He is a Special Forces officer, Army Ranger and above all, an amazing leader. Now why would I idolize someone like that? No, I’m not crazy hardcore –shoot ‘em up and take names, but the fact that this man had dedicated his life to the US Army and has proven himself at all levels of command is what impresses me. To be a Special Forces officer, you have to be the best and this man shows it. The level of commitment and love for his country that he must have is astonishing and one can only admire his many feats as an Army officer.
The third person that is inspiring me to be what I want to be, is Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He is the current Mayor of New York city and currently ranked the 8th richest man in America. One thing that many people don’t know is that he is an electrical engineering major from Johns Hopkins University. This shows that once you get an engineering degree, you really can do whatever you want. And once you get the degree, countless doors of opportunity open up for you and you really don’t have to be stuck behind a desk with a calculator and graphing paper. The discipline that he showed during engineering probably gave him the confidence that he needed so that he knew he could do anything he wanted to in the world and that the sky is the limit and there is nothing holding him back except for himself. He is one of the most successful businessmen in America, even though he has his education in Engineering. This story of opportunity and success is what inspires me to keep pushing through and never give up.
The second person who has made a serious impact on my career decision is General Stanley Mcchrystal. He is the commanding general of the International Security Assistance Force, which is helping to rid Afghanistan of Taliban forces. He is a four star general, which is the highest rank a military officer can achieve. This man sleeps four hours a night, and eats one meal a day to stay sharp. He is a Special Forces officer, Army Ranger and above all, an amazing leader. Now why would I idolize someone like that? No, I’m not crazy hardcore –shoot ‘em up and take names, but the fact that this man had dedicated his life to the US Army and has proven himself at all levels of command is what impresses me. To be a Special Forces officer, you have to be the best and this man shows it. The level of commitment and love for his country that he must have is astonishing and one can only admire his many feats as an Army officer.
The third person that is inspiring me to be what I want to be, is Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He is the current Mayor of New York city and currently ranked the 8th richest man in America. One thing that many people don’t know is that he is an electrical engineering major from Johns Hopkins University. This shows that once you get an engineering degree, you really can do whatever you want. And once you get the degree, countless doors of opportunity open up for you and you really don’t have to be stuck behind a desk with a calculator and graphing paper. The discipline that he showed during engineering probably gave him the confidence that he needed so that he knew he could do anything he wanted to in the world and that the sky is the limit and there is nothing holding him back except for himself. He is one of the most successful businessmen in America, even though he has his education in Engineering. This story of opportunity and success is what inspires me to keep pushing through and never give up.
Scientific Article #1
"Boeing's Plastic Plane Takes Off"
http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/aviation/boeing-plastic-plane-takes-off
Last year, On December 15th 2009 Boeings new 787 had its first commercial flight. This plane is unlike any other, the wings and fuselage are made entirely of composite plastics like carbon. The Boeing 787 is the first commercial jet-liner to have this. This significantly reduces the weight of the aircraft, in turn improving fuel efficiency by 20% comparing it to other commercial jet-liners and improving maintenance costs by 10%. Another interesting fact about this new aircraft is the collaboration efforts that went into the design of the plane. Japan, Italy and Australia had essential parts in the design process of plane, each country putting in their ideas about the plane on the table and eventually coming up with a final model that can satisfy all the countries involved. The original release date of the 787 was last June, but due to supply chain issues, and later on, worries about the strength of the wings, delayed the release of the jetliner by 6 months. The reception of this plane has been great; in fact so far Boeing has had so many orders that the 787 is now the fastest selling commercial jet-liner ever. The rival of Boeings midsize, fuel efficient jetliner is the Airbus A380, which has a much greater carrying capacity however it is a lot heavier and therefore less fuel efficient.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/aviation/boeing-plastic-plane-takes-off
Last year, On December 15th 2009 Boeings new 787 had its first commercial flight. This plane is unlike any other, the wings and fuselage are made entirely of composite plastics like carbon. The Boeing 787 is the first commercial jet-liner to have this. This significantly reduces the weight of the aircraft, in turn improving fuel efficiency by 20% comparing it to other commercial jet-liners and improving maintenance costs by 10%. Another interesting fact about this new aircraft is the collaboration efforts that went into the design of the plane. Japan, Italy and Australia had essential parts in the design process of plane, each country putting in their ideas about the plane on the table and eventually coming up with a final model that can satisfy all the countries involved. The original release date of the 787 was last June, but due to supply chain issues, and later on, worries about the strength of the wings, delayed the release of the jetliner by 6 months. The reception of this plane has been great; in fact so far Boeing has had so many orders that the 787 is now the fastest selling commercial jet-liner ever. The rival of Boeings midsize, fuel efficient jetliner is the Airbus A380, which has a much greater carrying capacity however it is a lot heavier and therefore less fuel efficient.
Freewriting #1
My earliest childhood memory is when I used to live in Beavercreek Ohio. I used to live in the friendliest neighborhood ever. There were so many kids and so many families that all were middle class, safe and fun to be around. My two best friends were Erica walker and Chris tongue. I must have been around 5 years old and I would see them every day. I wasn’t in either of their classes – I can’t remember why but I remember running off the school bus, throwing my stuff in my house and running over to Chris’ house. He had this little play house kind of thing in his garage and we would pretend we were flying in it, and going crazy places. He also had this tree house in his back yard that now I know must have been condemned because that thing was so unsafe. We never actually got inside of it, we were always to scared. We would make it up the ladder and just as were about to get in we would freak out and run away. Erica was of course a girl so we never really did the same kind of things that Chris and myself did. We would actually pretend we were lions and we would crawl around the floor of my house sipping cups of water and weird stuff like that. I am pretty sure I had a huge crush on her, but I don’t really remember how I felt back then. I just remember always wanting to be around her. I think 5 is way too early to start liking girls so I’m pretty sure it wasn’t anything like that, but now it would be really interesting to see where she is now. I think I’m going to facebook her right after these 10 minutes are up. We lost contact after I moved away from Ohio and I have no idea where she is now. That’s probably the oldest memory I have. Just being with my two best friends at time, playing make believe and doing stuff I have no idea why we did. We would go on adventures to the store down the street which for a 5 year old was a huge thing and every time I got back my dad would yell at me because I was never allowed to go there. I had this little red bike that I would ride around in circles in my neighborhood and see who I could find to play with. I remember the house that I lived in perfectly. It’s almost like I have been back there since I left, but I definitely haven’t. It’s been probably around 15 years since I have been there. My elementary school was Parkwood elementary school.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
FIRST POST
This is the first time I have ever used any sort of blogging website. I know some people are all about it, so I am ready to see what attracts people to it...
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