Stories, etc.: March 2015

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Bizarre Aircraft from History

The Caspian Sea Monster

The Caspian Sea Monster, also known as the "Kaspian Monster", was an experimental ekranoplan, developed at the design bureau of Rostislav Alexeyev in 1966.

Stipa-Caproni

Stipa-Caproni, an experimental Italian aircraft with a barrel-shaped fuselage (1932).

Blohm & Voss BV 141

Blohm & Voss BV 141, a World War II German tactical reconnaissance aircraft,
notable for its uncommon structural asymmetry.

Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster

Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster, an experimental bomber aircraft,
designed to have a very high top speed (1944).

Libellula

Libellula, a tandem-winged and twin-engined British experimental plane
which gives the pilot an excellent view for landing on aircraft carriers (1945).

North American XF-82

North American XF-82. Stitch together two P-51 Mustangs, and you get
this long-range escort fighter (1946). Photo: U.S. Air Force

Northrop XB-35

Northrop XB-35, an experimental flying wing heavy bomber developed for the United States Army Air Forces during and shortly after World War II. Photo: U.S. Air Force

McDonnell XF-85 Goblin

McDonnell XF-85 Goblin, an American prototype jet fighter, intended to be deployed from the bomb bay of the Convair B-36 (1948). Photo: U.S. Air Force

Martin XB-51

Martin XB-51, an American "tri-jet" ground attack aircraft. Note the unorthodox design: one engine at the tail, and two underneath the forward fuselage in pods (1949).

Douglas X-3 Stiletto

Douglas X-3 Stiletto, built to investigate the design features necessary
for an aircraft to sustain supersonic speeds (1953 - 1956).

Lockheed XFV

Lockheed XFV, "The Salmon," an experimental tailsitter prototype
escort fighter aircraft (1953).

De Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle flying platform

De Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle flying platform,
designed to carry one soldier to reconnaissance missions (1954).

Snecma Flying Coleoptere (C-450)

Snecma Flying Coleoptere (C-450), a French experimental, annular wing aeroplane,
propulsed by a turbo-reactor, able to take off and land vertically (1958).

Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar

Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar, a VTOL disk-shaped aircraft developed
as part of a secret U.S. military project (1959).

HL-10

HL-10, one of five aircraft built in the Lifting Body Research Program of NASA
(1966 - 1970).

Dornier Do 31

Dornier Do 31,
a West German experimental VTOL tactical support transport aircraft (1967).

Alexander Lippisch's Aerodyne

Alexander Lippisch's Aerodyne, a wingless experimental aircraft. The propulsion was generated by two co-axial shrouded propellers (1968).

Vought V-173

Vought V-173, the "Flying Pancake",
an American experimental fighter aircraft
for the United States Navy (1942).

part II coming soon...

Monday, March 30, 2015

Technology in Developing Countries

9 Ways to Get More Out of Your Day

Time to Ignore the Hourglass

Do you always feel pressed for time? If so, you are certainly not alone. Last October, millions of Americans participated in the first annual “Take Back Your Time Day,” a project of the Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy at Cornell University. The idea arose as a way to make the public aware of the “epidemic of overwork, over-scheduling and time famine” in our society.

Lack of time can be detrimental to our physical, emotional and spiritual health. When we are pressed for time, we tend to exercise less, eat foods for their convenience rather than their nutritional value, have less time to interact with our families and friends, and spend little, if any time, on self-development and spiritual growth.

Here are some simple ways you can begin to take back some of your time:

Set aside a certain amount of time each day just to do what you want to do. How about 1 hour each day? If that’s not “possible,” start with smaller increments of time, say 15 minutes, and work your way up.

Doing part of something is better than doing nothing. Even if you can’t complete a task or a project, it is better to take a small “chunk” out of it rather than letting the whole thing slide until later. If you absolutely “hate” working in that manner, then just make sure you set aside a specific time to complete the entire task or project.

Learn to say “No.” This isn’t always easy, but it can make a world of difference. Even if you don’t want to say “No” completely, try to set limits around how much you will do and when.

Bundle your tasks. Save up non-urgent errands so that you can do those that are logistically close to one another.

Delegate. How much is your time worth? It may be worth the cost of hiring someone to do things like mow your lawn, clean your house, AND you will be purchasing the precious commodity of time. It’s more than okay to ask for help.

Do the yucky stuff first. Take care of the tasks that you dislike so that you don’t waste precious mental time ruminating about not having done them!

Are the things you feel you “have” to do really necessary? It can be easy to get caught up in the details to the detriment of the big picture.

Take an honest look at the activities and people in your life that are “energy drainers.” Do they need to be part of your life? What would happen if you eliminated or reduced your time spent on/with them?

And, most importantly, set aside time each week to do something special. Make sure that, no matter how busy you are, you take time to play. Spending time with friends, outdoors, at the movies, whatever makes you happy, is essential in helping you be the most focused and effective you can be with your time.

By Life Coach Mary Guarino, Ph.D

Sunday, March 29, 2015

An Interview with God

I dreamed I had an INTERVIEW WITH GOD.

"So, you would like to interview me?" GOD asked.

"If you have time," I said.

GOD smile. "My time is eternity... what questions do you have in mind for me?"

"What surprises you the most about humankind?"

GOD answered...

"That they get bored with childhood, that they rush to grow up, and then long to be children again."

"That they lose their health to make money... and then lose their money to restore their health."

"That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future."

"That they live as if they would never die, and die as though they had never lived."

GOD's hand took mine... and we were silent for a while.

And then I asked, "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"

GOD replied, "To learn they cannot make anyone love them. All they can do is let themselves be loved."

"To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others."

"To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness."

"To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those they love, and it can take many years to heal them."

"To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least."

"To learn that there are people who love them dearly, but simply do not yet know how to express or show their feelings."

"To learn that two people can look at the same thing, and see it differently."

"To learn that it is not enough that they forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves."

"Thank you for your time," I said humbly.

"Is there anything else you would like your children to know?"

GOD smiled, and said... "Just know that I am here."

"Always."