Fireworks - past and present by Tony Green

I was sitting in downtown Livermore on the 4^th of July in picnic chairs waiting as my children used their IPad’s prior to the beginning of the fireworks display.  Traditionally, I attend the yearly celebration with my family when they are not visiting their in-laws in Japan. This year’s participation was, for the most part, a “no-brainer” since they were being held in the downtown area which was walking distance from my house.  I looked out among the people who had gathered and the unseen others in attendance at many locations throughout the country asked the question,” How did it come to this?”

 

Image of fireworks exploding

Interestingly enough, Bamboo is extremely strong and grows in a series of hollow segments. You may ask what does that have to do with fireworks? Bear with me, when bamboo is dropped into a fire and the air pockets inside will heat and expand until the bamboo explodes resulting in a loud sound. This phenomenon was first discovered in China around 200 B.C.

Moving ahead to the 9th century A.D., an unidentified alchemist, mixed sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate and by accident created gunpowder. A little gunpowder in a bamboo shoot produced the world’s first firework.

As for its connection with our nation’s independence on July 2, 1776 a day after Congress voted on separating from British rule John Adams reportedly wrote in a letter to his wife,”[The day] ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more”.

Sure enough, the next year, in Philadelphia, Congress authorized a fireworks display for the first commemoration of July 4, leading the way for fireworks to come to symbolize the day.

So now you know. With the history lesson behind us, the time had come for us to get out of the crowd and make my way back to my house.  I, and many of you, will in all probability not think again about how fireworks came to be, but it still does not take away from the enjoyment we get from spend time without families.

Image: Courtesy of fotolia.us

How can a man make a country cry? by Tony Green

Image of a soccer pitch with Brazilian flag

During the 2014 World Cup in Brazil various programming was shown on cable television related with the theme of soccer.

ESPN produced a show called “30 for 30” which caught my attention. The program profiles certain sport stories exposing the human side of the athletes portrayed.  One episode profiled the story of Moacir Barbosa who at the time happened to be one of the world’s best the goal keepers.  He had been chosen to handle the goalkeeping duties for the 1950 Brazilian national team which had been favored to win the World Cup the last time the tournament was hosted in Brazil prior to this year.  

Barbosa surrendered a “soft” goal in the final against Uruguay which allowed the country to win one of its two World Cup titles. The disappointment caused many people in Brazil to openly weep in despair and many others to express open hostility toward him.  Despite a brilliant career the defeat followed him like a shadow for the rest of his life.

Fast forward to 2014 and the scene of Julio Cesar, the 2014 goalie of the Brazilian national team, opening crying after his interview after Brazil survived penalty kicks against Chile would seem extreme upon initial glance. However, given the history of soccer in the country and the impact of the result to a nation of millions maybe I’d fold up like a cheap tent under such intense pressure.

The ‘beautiful’ game stands as a symbol as a global celebration of culture and competition.  Yet, as passionate as many fans are about their team and their countries and the game is, by far, the planets most prominent sport. The importance cannot be overstated of keeping mind that futbol is still only a game.  

Not as green as I thought by Tony Green

Image of grease in a cooking pan

Any new position whose technology touches any part of your everyday life is sure to change your view on some things once insider industry knowledge has been obtained. 

Before I started working at a company who manufacturers equipment for the waste water treatment industry I never thought about where the cooking grease goes after I pour it down the drain. Now I know the fats, oils, and greases go into the waste water treatment system where these by-products cause massive problems once the material re-solidifies.

I usually pour my used grease down the drain after running hot water on the pan. Once down the drain the greasy substance was out of sight and, in my mind, no longer my concern.  The reality was  the leftover product of my cooking would become some else’s predicament. Frankly, I should have been aware that grease, and any other fatty oil, does not disappear once melted. From my studies in college I was well aware once cooled the oil would return to its gelatinous form.

Frequent readers of this blog know I am a strong supporter of alternative energy but in this instance I had fallen short of observing green living practices. In short, I was not as green as I thought.

Maybe I should reach out to my locality and ask them about recycling grease to use as biodiesel, in the same fashion plastics and organic materials are recycled.

Until then since the placing my used grease in the trash does not seem like a viable option, what should I do?

Image courtesy of fotalia.us

Why I would want a personal logo for myself by Tony Green

Tony Green logo

Once in a while, entertainers have tried to describe themselves as an image or a logo. Remember when, his royal badness, Prince decided to refer to himself as “the artist formerly referred as Prince” and had a logo created which his marketing people pushed out to his listeners. Wasn't that the last we heard of Prince?  But I digress.

A business logo is the symbol which represents your company's identity. Its image will, over time, become the most recognizable representation for your company. A logo is designed to bring your company to a prospect or customer’s mind. The image attempts to capture the essence of what the company is about.

Companies create logos with the help of graphic artists under the direction of the marketing department who manage their companies’ brand to ensure a constant message is communicated, which with any luck will differentiate them from their competitors.

Now think of the concept on personal level. My thinking was a person represents an image to any one he/she meets.   Every person is their own brand regardless if they realize it or not. In my case, I'm technical/mathematical, but sharp, detailed and to the point with a clear creative side. Why not try to create an image to describe what I am about?

Does my decision to get a personal logo to put on my updated website as well as this blog seem a little less crazy?   More importantly, how did I do?

A thought on volunteering by Tony Green

Image of volunteer 

The reasons people volunteer for non-profit organizations include trying to find new job or taking the opportunity to give back to the community.

One of the largest obstacles for many people to volunteer as much as they would like is the amount of time required in some non-profits. If you are employed full-time or running a business, there are limits to the time available regardless of how worthy a cause might be.

Once a commendable organization is identified and the proper contacts are made after a certain period of time the volunteer activities begin.  The beginning or working with a non-profit often start where you do not know anyone and, in many instances, a road-map of how to complete the required tasks does not exist.

Once the volunteer gets up to speed organizational issues similar to those at work or in a family, in many cases, needs to be addressed, such as individual agendas and personality clashes between members.  

The result is that over time the volunteer become less involved.  Eventually the honeymoon” ends and after less and less participation they drop out of site. Ultimately, more new volunteers are required to replace the ones who have decided to do other activities with their spare time. Why?

In my view, the primary factor which keeps volunteers motivated and involved is the feeling of being appreciated. Various methods exist for communicating appreciation to a volunteer such as buying gifts or public recognition but simplest way I have noticed is a sincere thank you.

In the long term, more folks might be led to volunteer, which in the long terms moves the cause forward, isn’t that why a person volunteers to begin with?

Image Courtesy of  http://www.helplife.org