Troubleshooting by Tony Green

The scenario is along these lines. A complex electro mechanical system is not functioning. The system is not producing revenue by creating its designed product. A lot of money may be in jeopardy if the system is not brought back to normal operation in a short amount of time. Your job is to repair the equipment and return it to operation.

Where do you start? There could be an infinite amount of things which may be the cause of the problem. You realize the pressure cooker is about to begin unless progress is made.

You suddenly remember the seven step troubleshooting procedure you learned while you were in the Navy as a nuke.

You identify and elaborate on the symptoms, identify the list possible faulty components, and narrow down your list to the one you suspect is causing your problem and finally create a possible retest procedure after performing a root cause analysis.

Yet, the machine is still not working. You relax and try a few more things. As this process occurs you ensure you are thinking positive thoughts as in the past you initially been stumped yet were eventually successful. After a few additional adjustments to your list of what may be causing the problem you find your culprit and the system is brought back into operation.

A sigh of relief is breathed as the crisis has been averted and receiving kudos from management you reflect on how you got the job done once more.

In the end you used two things: a process of determining the problem and a true belief you would figure out the solution. Yes, with that you can fix anything…

The passing of a loved one by Tony Green

Everyone knows death is evitable, as no one lives forever, yet we are so stunned when it occurs to someone close.

Most people would suspect they would experience certain emotions upon the passing of loved one. However, when the time comes the real experience can be quite different from what you would expect.

A week ago my mother passed away with from complication with lung cancer. Her first bout with chemotherapy yielded successful results but she succumbed to later recurrence of her cancer.

In the week afterward I felt profound sadness as expected. Furthermore I experienced headaches, lack of appetite, extreme difficulty in waking up even though you received the proper amount of sleep, and intermittent irritability. Later research on Google would indicate these as symptoms of mourning.

At the time, the loss seemed total. For me, as many African American men in large urban cities grew up with single mother. Mom was really a mother and father as I grew up in West Philly looking back in retrospect. She successfully guided my brother, my sister and I so that we could have decent lives.

After I went graduated college and I moved far away from where my mother had relocated. I tried to get back to visit with my family whenever I got the chance but often times it was never enough to satisfy her. Grandmothers want to see their grandchildren as much as possible.

Her nickname of “Sisty” was especially appropriate as she was the matriarch of her three children and her four grand children and an older sister to many of her nieces.
We will all miss her as her teachings have shaped the people we became as adults. The true legacy of how she is will be remembered will be how we live our lives. Hopefully, she will approve of the lives once we meet her in heaven. I will be waiting.

This posting is dedicated to my late mother, Joan A. Green March 17, 1942- December 19, 2009

A new type of Blog Comment by Tony Green

I maintain a blog because anyone can publish content on the Internet so shouldn’t I? To be honest, it is something I enjoy as it provides insight to what I may be thinking at a given point in time and into my past experiences which is the basis of many of my postings.

Since I am not blogging to make money in an internet marketer point of view or blogging to drive my business how to measure the success of effectiveness of your blog?

One was I would imagine is number of readers who read my postings and the other would the amount of comments I receive. I am aware if you receive a comment from a posting then at least five people have read the posting and thought of the same thing but did not take the time to comment. If a blog has prompted someone to take time out to leave a remark after reading I consider the blog successful.

Most of the comments I receive are positive or neutral while many others are informative. Once in a while a scathing comment from someone who disagrees with my view or disputes the accuracy of what I posted. For some reason most of these send these comment incognito. (Thus eliminating a chance for me to respond)

Upon checking my comments a few days ago, I had a first occurrence where someone left a bunch of links to everyone’s favorite on line medications, Viagra, etc. After I chuckled to myself I deleted because if you blog can be seen by the public someone checking might not get the best impression. I thought these types of messages as a rule entered into spam filters never to reach the intended persons inbox.

In short, perhaps this is a new method’s for spammers to send messages no one wants
to see. Let’s face facts, I did read the “comment” and took the few minutes to write this blog.

With that said, I will move past my temporary annoyance and look at the big picture. At least someone took the time put to comment on my blog.

Another veterans day by Tony Green

Today is Veteran’s day 2009. On this day every year all Americans including veterans to take time out to think about the serviceman who died in service of their county as well as those now are placing themselves in harm’s way.

I wanted to wear my pin of the U.S. Flag which I purchased after 9-11, and then on second thought I decided to do something a little different this year.
During a newscast on television a young lady, for some reason, happened to be wearing a pair of dog tags. I found it difficult to tell the reason why she had them on. Perhaps her significant other was a service member, or maybe she thought wearing them was fashionable.

For those of you who are not aware, these are issued to you once you join the military in the event you are killed in combat as a method of identifying you. The ovular shaped piece of metal identifies your name, social security number, blood type and religious preference. As a rule, a G.I. is given two pairs of tags which you are supposed to wear in any combat situation.

I served my enlistment in the service in between the two Gulf Wars (1991 & 2003) and I had not worn them since saw them for the first time in basic training over 15 years ago.

I thought it would be a good idea to wear them for old time’s sake as tribute to the guys who were wearing their tags in the event of something unfortunate happened, which is a fact of life for any military personnel in particular those in a combat situation.

The thought of wearing them prompted me to look in my place where I keep all of my effects from my time in the military. In time I found them.
When I put them on they felt strange at first as the cold metal rubbed against my chest but once I got accustomed to the clanging sound (I had lost my rubber silencers a long time ago) wearing my old tags proved to be no problem at all.

Today is Veteran’s day after all. It is the least I can do.

Image courtesy of dreamstime.com

My Alma Mater True by Tony Green

I was reading an article on line about the comedian/actor Bill Cosby being honored by at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for Mark Twain Prize for American Humor which is the nation’s top humor prize. In the article it was mentioned that his high school alma mater will be played at the ceremony by an orchestra conducted by James DePriest who also is an alumnus of Mr. Cosby’s high school.
The irony was that most people not even remember the name of their high school other than who that went on their senior prom. The pride of being an alumnus of an institute of learning is normally reserved for undergraduate collegiate and graduate programs.
In this case, Mr. Cosby’s high school is no ordinary high school. Central High, located at the intersections of Olney and Ogontz Avenues in Philadelphia, boosts one the nation’s finest academic reputations for a high school. Many of its alumni have gone on to become lawyers, doctors and engineers. 98% of its graduates attend college. Formerly an all male institution, the admission of women in 1985 has only solidified Central’s place among the academic elite high schools in the U.S.
Even more astounding was the fact that Mr. Cosby did not graduate from Central yet he holds the school in such high regard. Mr. Cosby left Central after his sophomore year and eventually graduating from Germantown High School. After Germantown he matriculated at Temple University where he was selected for the I-Spy television series with Robert Culp and the rest, as we say, was history.
Why? Because Central High is a very special place that is dear in the hearts of all of the graduates that have spread out far and wide in their various endeavors. Central High prepared me well college and for life. Maybe it has helped Mr. Cosby achieve all of the success he has.
From that, I guess you can imagine where I went to high school.

Biofuel, where are you? by Tony Green

According to the 2009 Clean Energy Trends report on Cleantrends.com the top three types of alternative energy in regards to investment are wind, solar, and bio-fuels (Ethanol and biodiesel). Global revenue expanded from 78.5 billion in 2007 to 115.9 billion in 2008.

I found this interesting because over the past few months I have stumbled upon many stories in the off and on line media about solar and wind power.

For instance, the oil tycoon Boone Pickens is a big proponent of wind power and how this power source can reduce our dependency on foreign oil. Solar power is being promoted as the latest great technology as the Solar PV market recent passed the 4 GW point in terms of global installations. Many news stories have been written about the bright future of the solar panel industry.

A shortage of stories seems to exist about the bio-fuel industry in general and more specifically bio-fuels companies. Example most people can point out who are the large wind turbine manufactures are and who the dominant solar companies, however, there is a small amount of publicity of the bio fuel outside of the clean energy family.

The market numbers as reported in the 2009 Clean Trends report indicate the market for bio-fuels was larger than solar. The market value in 2008 for wind power was 51 billion dollars, 28 billion dollars for solar, and finally, 34 billion dollars for bio-fuel.

I suspect that the coverage of bio-fuel may increase as the result of the stimulus bill and private investment into bio-fuels which many drive enough bio-fuel facilities, particularly ethanol, to produce enough volume to begin to factor into the overall renewable energy picture.

Only then will the bio-fuels industry take its rightful place alongside the other technologies as drivers of the upcoming clean economy. You heard it here first.

Image courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy Genome Programs at http://genomics.energy.gov.

Dam the price of gasoline by Tony Green

Throughout my adult life I have been driving automobiles and purchasing gasoline. The price of gas fluctuated a great deal and this was tied, in large part, in the cost of crude oil.

I am also aware that the U.S. controls large reserves of oil which are stored in the event of an emergency if the flow of oil is stopped for any significant amount of time. In theory this cushion should smooth any gaps in supply and keep prices stable.

So why do gas prices fluctuate the way they do? Not only does the price vary by season but pricing varies in different portions of the country outside of if you chose to purchase regular, or premium. It is the same gas? After doing a little research the basic breakdown gasoline costs is, not surprisingly, about half of the price at the pump is due to the expense of crude oil.

County and local taxes account for almost another quarter of the total charge. The variability of these taxes from state to state is responsible to a large degree for the regional variation in the price of gas. The costs to refine the crude oil and profits account for another 17%. Distribution, marketing, retail dealer costs and markup make up the final another 10%.

Some retail outlets are owned and operated by refiners, while others are independent. These businesses purchase gasoline from refiners and marketers for resale to the public. The price at the pump includes the retailer’s cost to purchase the finished gasoline and the costs of operating the service station, local market conditions and the factors.

Price fluctuations will still exist based on demand and other factors. In addition some of these spikes will be drastic and will effect on the finances of many people. Yet as we need to get around and live life we will need to pay the money. So why don’t we all purchase hybrid/electric cars and be done with it?

Marketing My Career by Tony Green

Every professional should create a plan for marketing their careers. The plan does not need to written down all of the time, however, at minimum a mental game-plan should exist for getting the most out of your talents.

One of the best guides I have come across on how to market yourself is book called “Marketing your Career” by Linda Popky. One of the strengths was it used all of key words involved in marketing services and products among them positioning, differentiation, branding, and value proposition and deftly applied them to the ultimate product in everyone’s mind … you.

Linda was gracious enough to conduct a workshop on the topic while I was the V.P. of Workshops at the Silicon Valley American Marketing Association. (SVAMA)

Periodically, I re-read the book to ensure I am doing the things required to make certain I maximize my chances to having the most successful and lucrative career possible. In many careers including sales and management one often gets occupied in the day to day job requirements which accompany these types of positions.

It is easy to lose course of the overall picture of your desired overall professional destination. Case in point, I neglected reviewing my plan since I started my new position over a year ago. I am overdue for another review of Linda’s Book.

If you need guidance to your professional plan the following link to the website should set you in the right direction. http://www.woodsidebusinesspress.com/

The expense of time and money will be well worth your time if you are thinking about marketing yourself and your career.

My 40th birthday by Tony Green

My 40th birthday came and went a few weeks ago. The big 4-0. Many people asked if I feared turning 40. In short, being forty years ago is simply more justification that life moves along. Let’s take a glance at my life on the anniversary of my birthday in ten years intervals from today.

My preoccupation forty years ago involved my birth. On a clear evening my mom gave birth to my brother and me at the University of Pennsylvania hospital in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, I do not recall much from that evening :)

30 years ago I was a fifth grader at Lansdowne Friends School in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania which is outside of Philadelphia. I recall I started being interested in girls, of course, I had no idea where to start.

20 years ago I was matriculating at the University of Delaware as a Chemical Engineering undergraduate student. Like many college students who went to Delaware in those days, opportunities to party seemed to never subside. I was not of legal drinking age for the bars but I remember vividly partaking and having a good time. Moreover, I do remember many late nights which resulted in hangovers in the morning. In summary, the focus of my efforts did not center on my studies as much it should.

10 years ago in the later portions of my service in the U.S. Navy. I had been married for about a year and my son would be born in less than two weeks time. My memory does not recall what occurred on this particular day but since almost 300 days of the year either at sea or on-duty I am sure I spent my birthday on the submarine in one way or another.

All told, my life has been an interesting trip through the decades when I sit back and reflect. I do not believe appear to be 40 years of age. Assuming my life expectancy is 80 years then I am only half way through. ;) Where will I be ten years from now? Let’s worry about age fifty when the time comes.

Cure cycle and my commission by Tony Green

In any sales position salespeople are paid on the amount of sales they generate.
Selling industrial products is no different. Customers are attained and maintained if they get value for what they pay for and the value is communicated in a consistent manner.

The promotion of these products are the same as any product because the customer is still a person but different since the ultimate value is dependent upon the benefits that they received.

In many industrial fields, Chemistry in particular, the value comes from the actual properties and behavior of the chemicals in the customer’s application.
Case in point, I work in the chemical industry. My primary function is to market and sale epoxy chemicals to our customers. The electrical and heat resistance properties of epoxies find many uses as sealants, adhesive agents and in various other applications.

Epoxy polymers are cured by a process which is referred to as cross linking. Heat applied causes the molecules to form a three dimensional network of molecules. The time the reaction takes to complete is known as the cure cycle.
How does this relate to sales? Part of my job is to understand what the customer values. From my experience customers require as a short time as possible for curing to occur for their applications. There are many instances where this time can be shortened without loss of performance.

In the end, understanding the details of the cure cycle allows you to move the sales process forward. It will allow you to understand and communicate the customer requirements straight to your company who will use its expertise to provide the best possible solution. This does not turn out in the sales persons favor all the time. At times other polymers are better suited to the customer’s application. My training allows me to be to supply engineering support to our customer while the engineer does engineering.

In short, my perspective on chemical sales may be different due to my roots as an engineer prior to thinking about entering sales. In my view if you are already technically inclined why not have total control of your sales process? After all it is my commission.

Now everyone has personal website by Tony Green

Nowadays almost everyone maintains a personal website. A website is similar to having a mobile phone; a person may not need one, however, no one wants to feel excluded by not owning their own Universal Resource Locator (URL).

The only problem is since you have no idea what launching a website involves where do you start?

A good place to start is a name. Your given name works best. In the event it is not obtainable due to the (URL) being taken by someone else other options are available. Examples include if you are a senior or if you hold a title such as Ph.D.
Once a name for the domain is chosen it will need to be registered. There are many wonderful Web hosting programs to take care of this. Some include 1-on-1,Go-Daddy, and Yahoo!.

Assuming the chosen name is accessible and you encounter success in registering your domain a plan of what you want your website to be think of the following question: what do you like people viewing to find out about you?
This will, as you would expect, lead to the content you will include within the website. In the end, the material you write will pull readers in at first and keep them coming back. The best material to include is anything you may think someone else may find interesting. Examples of content would be ideas you are passionate about, your life story, hobbies, jobs, family, etc.
Now we will need a format to present this information. Infinite ways exist to arrange the contents. Regardless, the one item which needs to be established is home page. This is the first page a viewer accesses and gives visitors and idea of what your site contains. Some good things to add are your picture and links to everything else that is included.

No hard rules for material, although within the sections enough information should be enough to get to know a person. Popular choices include professional background (breathe life into your VC), Fast Facts (public associations, and schools and universities attended). Add a resume for kicks, or a video of yourself to complete the package.

Whew! All done! Now the fun begins on maintaining the website by updating with new content……..

I maintain a personal web site if you wondering …..http://www.tonygreen.name

Value of my education by Tony Green

I read a Smart Money magazine article detailing a study on value of Ivy League schools. The writer surveyed working professionals to determine the average salaries for its graduates 15 years after graduation. Afterward the typical costs of tuition and other fees for four years of study were tallied.

The ratio of these numbers determined the “value” of the university. In short, the number is a measure how well the graduates doing money-wise compared with how much they paid to receive their education.

This led me to recall my undergraduate decisions after high school. I was privileged enough to be admitted to the engineering programs of six high caliber universities. Two of these happened to be Ivy League schools.

I pondered the options and after considering my brother would attending college within a year and the huge financial burden to my family I decided to attend the school where received a full scholarship.

20 years after the fact I wonder how my life would turned out if I had attended an Ivy League institution.

I reviewed the list of universities and noticed my university was listed in the top ten schools in terms of value. I never doubted I received a fine education but would I have received a better one with a more expense school? I did not think so then and I do not think so now. Without a doubt the worth of an education is not based solely on the income accumulated after years in the work force but it is a start.

I must confess being gratified seeing my decision being re-affirmed after all of these years.

Yes to R.E.S. by Tony Green

A few weeks ago I attended AWEA 2009 convention and exposition in Chicago and during the morning session the C.E.O. of the AWEA Denise Bode passionately asked all of the attendees to repeat after her when she said, “Yes to R.E.S.”

It was quite early after an exciting night on the town in Chicago and I was in a daze as to why this woman was trying to make the morning session interactive.
As a result I was puzzled but upon further thought a few things became clear once I woke up and began to think about the topic.

I have been in the wind business trying to market and sell materials used in the manufacture of the wind turbine blades for less than a year. My experience during my brief in wind has made me realize that the future for the industry is bright and would be a strong field to enter.

A Renewable Energy Standard (R.E.S.) specifies a certain portion of new power generation capacity be committed to renewable sources. Currently, many states employ their own RES standards. What is needed is a national standard to drive the infrastructure needed to realize the full potential of wind.

To ensure the success of the industry there needs to be a method on ensuring strong demand for wind in the long term.

This is where R.E.S. comes into play. Other ways an R.E.S. might prove beneficial included versifying our power supply which would allow reducing the amount fuel consumed. Another way this would help is reducing greenhouse gasses by lowering amount carbon burned in our atmosphere. Moreover, sustained wind would drive the return of American manufacturing due since business conditions are favorable to having a local supply and production within the United States.

In short national renewable Energy Standard make be the key to ensuring a bright future not only for me but for my fellow Americans.

Blog following by Tony Green

Webblogs or blogs are becoming more and more popular. Any individual can showcase their thoughts in the event you want to say something and a platform to do so. A person can choose tofollow a blog which means every time an update occurs the latest entry can be read in a reader. In most circumstances somebody chooses to follow someone’s postings when the content of interest to them. The subject matter of the blogs you read on regular basis tell a lot about you, however, who you follow perhaps a bit more.
For the record here are the webblogs I follow, the reason why and how I came to add them over the noise of all of thousands of other communications I am bombarded with in a daily basis.

1. Joel Spolsky

I read his monthly column in Inc. Magazine. His postings provide a good balance of high technology, common sense and military knowhow. This isn’t surprising as his background from Ex Israeli army, a former employee at Microsoft, and now is running his own software company.

2. Robert Scoble

I read his material for the first time in Fast Company magazine. The link to the blog was in the byline of the article. I always tried to check out his latest musings when I could from then forward. I enjoy his postings because of their direct style. Additionally, they make me think about a vantage point on a topic I had not examined.

3. Denise Lee Yohn

I have never met Denise face-to-face. I was “introduced” to her while I was the VP of Workshops for the Silicon Valley American Marketing Association (SVAMA). I was considering conducting a seminar on Branding. Ultimately, we were unable to come to an agreement. In the end I wound up on her email list. During a quiet moment at home I read some of her postings. As an engineer trained marketer I am aware that many technical trained folks have no idea of the importance of a brand. Her insights caught my attention within an instant.

4. Denise Shiffman

I met Denise who led a SVAMA workshop last year on the topic of the Age of Engage. I try to conduct research the speaker to judge if they would be a fit in before agreeing to allow a speaker conduct a seminar. I find her insights witty and insightful. Her book, which is the same title of her presentation, is a definite recommended read if you want you know about social networking.

Is there a theme to the choice of these selections of blogs to follow? Is a recommendation to read printed magazines regularly? How about being active in non-profits marketing organizations? What does that say about me? I will let you check these blogs for yourself and be the judge.

Overall, I think that it would be quite flattering to have someone follow what I wrote. Who these people are would serve nicely as the topic of another blog posting. Anyone care to help me out by following this blog? Just kidding….

Photo courtesy of Dreamstime.com

Language and English by Tony Green

The way everyone views the world is shaped by their experiences through life. This is normally a combination of formal education in a class room setting, degrees, certificate, and informal education, which includes life experience, clubs, association, church, etc. My training is in engineering, with a stint in the military then business school after I left the service.

Overall, I am quite pleased with my background; it has provided me the opportunity to do what I enjoy and make a decent living simultaneously. My two shortcomings were foreign languages and writing.

I hate to admit but I underestimated the importance of these two skills. In high school I was pushed to a technical curriculum and I seemed destined to pursue either medical school or engineering. I thought writing and languages would be skills which I would not need to focus on. Years later I feel extremely silly for thinking that way.

Sure, I took language (Spanish) and writing courses. I enrolled in those classes and got through them to because of graduation requirements. That should have provided a hint in retrospect.

The reason languages are wonderful things to learn are they function as windows to minds and cultures of others. Insight into cultures is one of the most important methods of building relationships.

In regards to my writing on many occasions (as my M. B. A. professors can tell you) when I had many wonderful ideas, however, I had a difficult time expressing myself. The object of writing is being able to communicate and express your ideas to others.

Does this sound familiar to you? No worries, time is always available to improve and learn as long as you are breathing. Upon further thought I should pass the word along to my children as it is knowledge they would want to know. Communication, albeit written or spoken is something they will need as adults.

Majoring in Chemical Engineering by Tony Green

Every high student as arrived at college for the first time undecided on which major to pursue. The choice depends upon what you area you an aptitude is in and where you would like the degree to take you.

In my case during my high school course work I enjoyed my initial chemistry class enough to enroll in Organic Chemistry as a junior.

The first portion of my goal consisted of attending a good university and getting a quality education without bankrupting my families’ bank account. The second portion depended on obtaining a decent paying job devoid of being in school for 10 years. I learned engineers earned higher pay than their non-engineering graduates upon leaving school once I conducted some research and asked some people in the industry.

Moreover, various people pointed out to me that Chemical training would provide inroads into would various technology and industry positions not to mention other fields. Still, I questioned if I was doing the right thing and it might be beneficial to enroll general classes and chose a major in a few semesters. I decided to push forward starting, naturally, with my introductory chemistry classes.

After completing my course after some stumbles along the way I entered the work force concentrating on building a positive career.

Even though some of my undergraduate and early work experiences not enjoyable I was glad I choose to study Chemical Engineering. When I look back I do not regret my decision. Not one bit.

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Office ClipArt

Automotive Trend – in spite of tough times will survive but look may change by Tony Green

I have been working in the automotive industry for the last nine months in my new sales position. I had no previous exposure to the industry; therefore, I experienced a large learning curve. My unenviable task is to try and penetrate into the Big Three Automotive OEM’s and their Tier One suppliers with my companies products. It is obvious times are tough but I believe in the long term the American automotive industry can and will survive.


My reasoning for this is as basic as the geography of America. In many portions of the country public transportation does not exist. People will be required to get around as the average American drives 40-50 miles daily. As a consequence there still will be a need for automobiles since a typical automobile lasts 5-10 years in most circumstances.


Since American cars will exist in some capacity it is clear as a result of the lack of competitiveness in the global arena changes are on the horizon for the America automotive industry.


The largest factor I foresee driving change is the increase on foreign influence. Lately the sales of the Japanese just overtook for market share for the Big Three within the United States. Also, the European automotive manufacturer’s accounts for less than 10% of the U.S. market with mostly in higher end luxury vehicles. Recent news stories seem to indicate they are looking to increase their share in spite of the fact that past attempts proved unsuccessful. In light of the weakness of the American automotive industry one could not blame them. Many operate large factories within the United States already. The workforce that has been displaced due to layoffs should provide plenty of trained personnel to staff these new foreign plants. Further foreign influence will be noted as China and India are designing and manufacturing cars which will be available will be within the next few years.



The other large trend in automotive will be the increase in alternative vehicles– Plug-In, Electric, and Flex Fuel and Fuel Cell by the America public. Diesel powered automobiles, which run cleaner than gasoline powered vehicle, can make inroads especially if the price of diesel approaches gasoline pricing. The cost is presently 10-20% higher in most places.



Furthermore the largest car companies may be replaced by many smaller ones which work in well defined niches. One example is Tesla Motors who manufacture electric cars and drive-trains. In spite of the troubled times their backlog is still a year long.



The final trend for the future proposes all of the companies which manufacture automobiles for American customers have their supply chains for parts and vendors based in the U.S. This will result in non American companies becoming household names in the United States. A pair of examples of this genre includes BYD based out of China and Tata Motors based out of India.
In conclusion, the American automotive industry will stay in existence with a very different look. The question is will we recognize it? I admit that is a lot to think about. Shall we go for a drive (in an American car) to clear your head?

When you get out you will see by Tony Green

I reflect back on occasions to my time as a Navy Nuke. One of the best times during my tour of duty was the final days on the submarine. Your hand is wrapped firmly around SNOT rag. For those not familiar with Navy terms S.N.O.T. means Shortest Nuke on Topeka. The rag is held by the nuke on board who is closest to their E.A.O.S. End of Active Obligated Service date who had not reenlisted. After four long years my E.A.O.S. would soon be a reality.

I was doing final checkout where I had turn go around my boat get a checklist signed off documenting I had spoken with required personnel. I had covered the front of the boat and I was making my way through the back portion.

The Engineering Department Master Chief EMCS Jeffrey Birch(at the time) said to me in effect, “you may be thinking how things are going to be when get back in the civilian world there will be days where you will wish more people operated in military fashion ”. My initial thought was,” Could you sign off my checklist so I can get off of the tin can for last time?”

Once the topside duty announced on the ship’s 1MC(loudspeaker), “ET2/SS Green departing” and I walked across the brow in Guam, took a plane flight back to Hawaii, and spent some time in X-Div my enlistment in the Navy would be finished.
Almost ten years later after my time working in Silicon Valley I have noted various instances where problems or issues existed and no one wanted to admit they were wrong. In addition, nobody wanted to take action while everyone waited for someone else to resolve the problem.

I wished someone would either step up or “volunteer” someone address and resolve our problems. It was then I thought about my last days on Topeka. I must admit being a touch embarrassed when reflected back on my thoughts on my days of my enlistment.

Time has proven Senior Chief to be 100% correct. Honestly, I wish I had the chance to tell Senior. I think he would want to know. Wait, I published this blog on the Internet, I already did.

P.S. I served in the U.S.S. Topeka S.S.N. 754, a nuclear powered fast attack submarine. Currently she is based in San Diego but was stationed in Pearl Harbor while I was a Reactor Operator from 1996-2000.

Epoxy in the Automotive Industry by Tony Green

There are various polymers that are utilized in manufacture of automobiles. Some include silicone, urethane, polyester and epoxy which are designed for applications ranging from the painting on the outside of the car, to forming the material used make the bumper, to bonding the wire to the PCB board which form many of the control electronics.

The polymers types are used include polyesters, urethanes, silicones, and epoxy. All of these polymers share the characteristic of enabling technology. Epoxy in particular has played a role due to its high chemical and heat resistance.

There are many uses for epoxy in the assembly of an Automobile. For instance, Epoxy is used in many of the motors by adhering the magnet to the commutator, in wire harnesses to protect wiring in the harsh automobile environment, in compressors to pot the wiring in the clutch, just to name a few.

Due to the gas crisis and a new desire to leave a more environmental footprint the automotive industry as a whole is moving away from gasoline power vehicles to alternative energy vehicles power by electricity, Fuel cells, and ethanol.

The usefulness of epoxy is still clear in light of the change in automobile due to its flexibility. By adjusting the some of the ingredients epoxy can be formulated with customized properties which can be catered to any specific automotive application.

Examples of these applications include potting for Flex Fuel sensor due to resistance to ethanol environment and Lithium ion battery packs due to its ability to adhere in alkaline/acidic environments.

The future is guaranteed to bring changes in customer requirements which will spur changes in technology. Participants in the industry will need to ensure their product offering meet the changing requirements of their customers. Epoxy will continue to play large role in the automotive industry due to its versatility.

Photo courtesy of FreeFoto.com http://www.freefoto.com

Nuclear power on the rise by Tony Green

A month ago I read an article detailing plans to add multiple nuclear powered plants in the United States and in China with the intention of bringing them on line by 2015.

Due to the regulatory requirements associated with building a plant ten years can pass from the initial planning to the delivery a fully operational nuclear reactor.
I had mentioned in one of my previous blogs about the future of nuclear power due the requirement for relatively cheap method of generating power which nuclear reactors can provide.

The United States Navy has showcased the fact the reactors involved in its nuclear power program can be operated in a safe manner. This requires a large amount of organization, oversight, procedures, and qualified and trained operators.

The increase in the demand of nuclear power will lead to resources being allocated including research and training programs. The result will be that the infrastructure can be provided to enable full adoption of nuclear power as a viable power source.

The key for adoption for future growth is proper regulation of the industry. It is clear nuclear power can meet the requirements for power needs as long as its production is regulated thus ensuring safety.

The accidents of the past taught us valuable lessons about the effect of poor oversight. We should not forget these incidents, however, it is time to move forward and focus on today’s crisis. Solutions involving nuclear reactors may not as ideal in most people’s minds but out of the box solutions may be what is needed in the future.

So, what are we waiting for? Are we more concerned about history or the reality that your television requires electricity to create a picture when you turn it on?

Photo courtesy of http://www.freefoto.com

My First trip to Mexico by Tony Green

Last week I went to Mexico for the first time for business. Anytime a person goes to a country where they have never been there is a certain amount of excitement in anticipation of the experiences and people you will encounter.

During my time in the Navy I tried to enjoy some of the culture of every country I visited.
Mexico would be no different as my goal was to try and understand the people better which would aid in any prospective business relationship.

In my view part of this entailed knowing a bit of the language and being cognizant of the history.

I attempted, for starters to re-familiarize myself with the Spanish. I took Spanish in High School and a semester as an undergraduate in college. I was surprised how much I remembered despite the fact I had not thought about the Spanish language in almost 20 years.

Once I returned I read a book !Ask Mexicans! by Gustavo Arellano which gave me insights not only to Mexicans and Mexicans Americans but their interactions with African Americans, which I am and Asians, as the company I am currently employed by.

In short I had a good time as I had little problem getting around as far as English went with the exception of the taxi driver who did not speak English. Thanks to a little Spanish and patience we were able to get where we wanted to go.

Once I finished the ride I was able to understand in Spanish that my bill totaled sestenta pesos and he got paid the correct amount which I would be afraid if I had customers who could not speak a word of my language.

With the greatest respect to Mexican sovereignty Mexico is not as foreign country as you might think. This is due to history of the two countries. The fact is where I live in California, in addition to the southwest portion of the United States, used to be a part of Mexico.

The culture I observed in Mexico seemed extremely similar to life in the U.S. culture of Mexican Americans who are very proud of their heritage.

It is hard not to observe the Mexican influence in direct and indirect ways when the time is taken to notice. Have you been to California lately?

Top 10 reflections of a ex-submariner by Tony Green

Once in a while I when I go through some of my old photo albums I get the chance to reflect on some on the things I have observed during my stint on aboard a nuclear powered submarine. In no particular order these are my top ten oddities/questions:

1. I have been to Hong Kong twice have never been to its Airport.
2. The Golden Gate bridge really looks real ugly from underneath.
3. As chaotic as the Yokosuka harbor is (Japan) for shipping there are still very few accidents.
4. British Columbia is not beautiful until you actually tie up the boat to the pier.(Strait of Juan de Fuca)
5. Ketchikan, Alaska is so breathtakingly beautiful it can make the most fouled mouthed sailor speechless
6. Why do all Navy “haunches” look similar regardless of their location on the planet?
7. I now know the meaning of your “shadow at high noon” during lunchtime in Guam (Shadow?)
8. The Soviet Union would have beautiful place if I had ever been there, officially at least.
9. Why was I chosen to start the new century straddling the dateline and equator at midnight of 1/1/2000? (Golden Millenium Shellback)
10. Rough Seas? it is as still as a building down here (at a depth of 400 feet under during any given Typhoon in the South China Sea)

Photo courtesy of AP/U.S. Navy Don Mongomery Article on Yahoo.com March 20, 2009 about a submarine and an amphibious ship colliding in the Strait of Hormuz.

I have got PACMAN Fever by Tony Green

As a Christmas gift by son and daughter got me one of the portable PACMAN™ devices that plug into the audio and video jacks on your television and allowed you to play the old style arcade games which were popular in the 1980’s.

It did not take the three of us long to get hooked. Even my children who had never seen PACMAN™ because it was created long before they were born became addicted. Soon we started playing far more and longer than we should.

Vivid memories flooded my mind from my childhood where I spent many hours (and quarters) playing in the arcade trying to get the high score.

A few days later I sitting at my computer and my daughter asked if we possibly play PACMAN™ on line. I explained to her the game was copy right protected and would not be available for free. However, to her amusement and my surprise after checking Google there many websites offered various versions of the Pacman™ game designed to be played on line for no money. Even more they existed in every flavor I thought possible and some I had not. They had Ms. Pacman™, Baby Pacman™, Pacman Plus™, and Super-Pacman™, so on and so forth. One included a version based on the Simpson’s television series.

I downloaded the “Pacman Fever” song by Jerry Garcia. After listening to the single a few times my children were amazed someone would write a song about a video game. The faddish craze does seem odd looking back in retrospect.

PACMAN™ is essentially a crescent shaped icon eating dots trying to avoid four colored ghosts. Eating one of the four energizers located at the corner of the screen allowed you get to eat the ghosts, which now have turned blue for points. Once along a piece a fruit comes along and in the event you can eat you get more points. You received three lives to play and after these are used the game is over. (Yes, I know it would be four men assuming you get your bonus life at 10,000 or 20,000 points). Its beauty is its simplicity, which is part of the appeal.

The technology of video games has come a long way in the last twenty years. In a time where Wii, Nintendo-DS and X-Box are commonplace I wonder if kids might enjoy any entertainment without 3d graphics or the ability to play against someone on line.

Actually, the answer is not complicated. Of course, they could. The reason PACMAN™ became so popular was the game is simply a lot of fun. My children realized that and I bet in the future their children might find playing enjoyable. Enough reminiscing, my daughters just lost her last live on her turn and it is my turn……

The long tail of searches by Tony Green

Anyone proficient in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will tell you if you are looking to drive traffic to a website for a chosen word if your word is not listed on the first three pages of your search results then the website in question might as well not exist.

I would agree in terms of the common traffic your website may not be accessible. Conversely, information may be available on what you are looking for. Chris Anderson mentioned in his article and book on the Long Tail that items which are not desired by 80% of the general public may be valuable to certain niches of the other 20% of the population.

Case in point, I scheduled an interview for a position and I researched the corporation ahead of the interview. I checked Google and after finding the company’s website it did not contain any useful information. Determined I kept scrolling through the search results. I found a business plan done on the company on the 25th page of results completed by pair of M.B.A. students at the Monterrey institute a few years before. I found precisely what I was searching for.
I printed out all 105 pages of the plan, after which, I read and studied it ahead of my interview. A few days later during the interview after when I went into depth about what I learned my interviewers had the strangest looks on their faces. I came clean to them about the report I found on the Internet. As it turned out this business plan was proprietary and not supposed to be available. My potential employers were not bothered too much by this as eventually I received the job offer.

From this, I will always review multiple pages when searching for anything on Google what case something of use may well be found. The long tail lives!