Boston Dynamics All Prototypes

For a look at what is next in military security and combat systems, check out Boston Dynamics. It is a glimpse into the future.

DARPA Tests Exoskeletons on Soldiers

In a federally funded initiative, DARPA is testing a flexible exoskeleton that has been developed for use by American servicemen and women. Rather than the "Iron Man" version of an exoskeleton, the direction instead has been toward flexibility. For more information, see the link at: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/darpa-tests-exoskeletons-on-soldiers/ar-AAeDs4x.

All I know is that, as a former Infantry grunt, I wouldn't have minded a little electronic help with the rucksack.

-- Rev. Jim Purcell

Apple Electric Car Available in 2019!

The Apple electric car is said to begin being available for sale in 2019. Follow the link for the latest and greatest; http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/09/21/report-apples-electric-car-arriving-2019/72571316/

Inside the Army's 82nd Airborne Division: Hand-to-Hand Combat Training

Though many parts of the "Old Army" are gone, it is fortunate that at least some traditions live on in the 82nd Airborne Division, America's "Guard of Honor."

P

American Paratroopers have been known  for hand-to-hand skills since the inception of the force, in the 1940s. An integral part of being a paratrooper is being physically confident enough to sustain themselves in unarmed combat.

Things and times may change, but the need for hand-to-hand is something that should not, in my opinion. It is the basic skills of the Infantry soldier, not technology and 'soft skills' upon which the Army builds its foundation.

Military Technology: Never Standing Still and Always Advancing

By REV JIM PURCELL

Years ago, when I was a history major at then-Georgian Court College (now Georgian Court University), in Lakewood, New Jersey, the Great Depression and World War II eras fascinated me. One of the things that fascinated me most was the great leaps of technology that happened between Peal Harbor to the signing of the Japanese surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri, on September 2, 1945.

Iowa class battleship

I think the best way to discuss technological improvements, well perhaps the most obvious, is to talk battleships. The improvements of the Iowa class dreadnoughts from the earlier Pennsylvania class ships (among them the USS Arizona) are staggering.

Similarly, in the Charge of Krojanty, on Sept. 1, 1939, the clash of the past over the future was visible when Polish cavalry, some of the best in the world, were broken in the face of German panzer tanks.

Military technology cannot stand still because not only the safety of soldiers and civilians at stake, but also the course of nations and republics.

Today, it is robot, laser and nano-technologies that have inspired the creators of the next great wave of military weapons systems. I think technology's advancement is far. At the same time, though, it is more imperative on people to work on communication skills and non-violent means of resolving conflicts because the ante has been raised so high.

'Terminator' arm is world's most advanced prosthetic limb

The future is here -- U.S. Navy fields laser weapons on carrier

By REV JIM PURCELL

There is no doubt we are at the portal of a new age in warfare. Lasers are in full operation on U.S. warships at sea. It is a new day, indeed, because once made practical lasers will never again fail to be valuable weapon systems in the Armed Forces.

I do not lament this. As a former intelligence analyst in the U.S. Army, I understand a few things: the force embraces technology, the future and enhancement of its weapons systems and believing it should be some other way is not sensible. Consequently, I am interested about how this technological edge will be translated into the nation's ground forces. But, that is a post for another time.

The main way the United States projects its powers throughout the world, on a day-to-day basis, is through the Navy. If there is a way to protect our sailors and ships, not to mention win battles at sea or on land, then it should be done.

The U.S. Navy has long been a technological trend-setter, creating ships and weapons that have played important roles during times of peace and war. That lasers are now an everyday thing means the advent of warfare on a new level on the seas.

Russian Military unveils SUPER DEADLY military assault rifles

Know the Enemy...and that means his rifles and order of battle as well. Frequently, Russian weapons are found in 'secondary markets' throughout the world so any step-up in technology is worth the look. --Rev. Jim Purcell

Boston Dynamics Military Robots and the Future

By REV JIM PURCELL

The advent of advanced robotic technology in the Armed Forces offers new possibilities, some welcome and some not, in my opinion. Where it involves protecting the force from hostile entities, it is a win -- no question. However, the question begs answering: Can a robot effectively replace a sentry from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard?

This video will show you the robotic technology being decided upon, and it is a considerable asset -- let's face it. Being a forward-looking country, and because it is incumbent on the military to move ahead and not stay behind, I think these robots will be fielded at some time in the future.

Do I have qualms? A few. But, I hope they are nothing. If an asset like this is given to tactical formations, especially the infantry in the Army and Marines, the upgrade in force efficiency would be amazing.This has the possibility of transforming important parts of the Airborne, Air Assault and Light infantry. I will reserve my opinion somewhat where it involves airborne use until I see how this thing handles a drop, though.

Future Wearable NanoTechnology 2015 - (Future Are Here)

STEALTH Main Battle Tank set to take on Abrams, Merkava

By REV JIM PURCELL

A main battle tank is the basic tank of an army. For example, in the U.S. Army today the M1A2 is the MBT for the force. The MBT is that tank that a nation's armor theory and tactics is entwined with. With each new generation of armor, product improvement and peripheral systems (e.g. porcelain, depleted uranium, layered or Chobham armor systems), the ability of the armored force expands.

When the M1A1s were initially fielded in the 1980s, that one change sparked the creation of accompanying weapon systems that also required an upgrade due to the MBT for the U.S. changing from the M60A3 to the M1A1. Consequently, this gave rise to the MLRS system, as well as the dawn of the M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the M-3, which was essentially an M-2 fitted for specific use by scout units. The Abrams was faster, heavier and required much more support than its predecessor. So, recovery vehicles like the behemoth M88 Recovery Vehicle were necessarily put into production, MLRS systems were developed and fielded for field artillery, so the pace and punch of artillery units could keep pace with the new needs dictated by the advent of a new American MBT.

Photo by Jim Purcell

When some company talks about challenging an army's MBT, it is an expensive change, albeit necessary to keep track with the times. Still, any possible retirement of the M1 series would likely spark retirement for many other classes of armored vehicles. So, new innovations are always worth taking a look at, if for no other reason for force logistical and tactical weapons changes.

Armored divisions are the 'gold standard' of the U.S. Army. The more armored divisions an army has, the better trained its crews and the more advanced the basic MBT, the more possibilities are given to commanders at all levels for facing a wide range of potential and actual threats. This impacts not just military policy, tactics and procedures, but also political thinking relative to matters of war during either peace or war. So, the replacement of an MBT is a 'macro' move that has ripples throughout the Army as a force.

When he served in the United States Army during the 1980s, Rev. Purcell served in the 4th Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Armored Division (Forward), which was among the very first units to receive the then-newly fielded M2 and M3 Bradleys. In addition, then Sgt. Purcell was temporarily assigned to both the 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry and the 2nd Battalion, 66th Armored Battalion as an Intelligence Analyst (96B) during various training periods. 

The 4 Best Drone Stocks To Take A Look At

Writer Sam Matera has written a piece about the four best stocks to look into for companies producing drones. He is definitely worth a read, for drone background if for nothing else.

Article segment:

"Unmanned aerial vehicles -- or drones, as they're commonly known -- remain in their infancy. Although the U.S. military has used them in various capacities for several decades, their civilian and commercial use remains limited. That should change soon. Research company The Teal Group believes spending on drones will double over the next 10 years, totaling more than $91 billion in the process. 

"For investors, the coming drone revolution represents an opportunity. Although it's impossible to pick the winners and losers at such an early juncture, the following four stocks could benefit as drones become more widely used.

"A drone manufacturer
"AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) is the closest thing investors will get to a true, "pure-play" drone company. AeroVironment designs and manufactures drones, and a significant percentage of its revenue comes from the sale of these drones, primarily to the U.S. Department of Defense. That said, not all of its revenue comes from drones. AeroVironment also has an energy business -- it supplies charging systems for electric vehicles. In fiscal year 2014, roughly 17% of AeroVironment's revenue came from the sale of these systems.

"Still, that means more than 80% of AeroVironment's revenue is coming from its drone business, which should allow it to benefit as the demand for drones surges in the years ahead. Currently, AeroVironment is largely a government contractor, with little exposure to the commercial drone market, but management sees the commercial side to be an area of great potential growth."

For more, go to:
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/06/18/the-4-best-stocks-to-invest-in-drones.aspx

Search Engine Optimization and Blogging, Pt. 2

Part II of III

 

GETTING TO THE FIRST DOWN ON GOOGLE

By REV JIM PURCELL

I am going to begin this segment where the last one left off. My basic take on Search Engine Optimization is to allow Google blogs to do the heavy lifting, so to speak. Why? Well, it's cheap (as in free) but it is manpower intensive. So, if someone has no money and a lot of time then they can achieve maximum result without having to spend a lot of money.

For the record, I am not saying that using social media like Facebook or Twitter can ever hurt your SEO, but it is not going to help it as much as staying and living within the 'Googleverse,' which is saying stay within Google's paradigm for best results.

I am not addressing the Bing algorithm in this segment, because I do not know much about it beyond some basic observations and there are similarities to the Google algorithm insofar as architecture, if not search imperatives.

OK, with that said. We know Google promotes its blogs over anyone else's: without exception. We know that the Google blogs that are promoted first among those are blogs that: 1. Update frequently; 2. Use photography; 3. Hyper-link to other Google products; 4. Are tagged at the end of posts (so the algorithm can find that post); and, if you really want to bump your SEO, use a YouTube segment (also a Google product).

Now, we are ready to go: Go where? Do what?

Well, I want to talk about, for example, Pluto not being considered a planet anymore. I want to be the No. 1 reference online for the controversy about Pluto, or at least get the best SEO placement I can get.

I might name my blog with a name that has "Pluto" in it. I would use Blogger accessories to the greatest degree. I will install a YouTube video bar on my blog that references YouTube pieces on Pluto. I may emplace another video bar that discusses the Pluto controversy. Then, I would install links on my page to other blogs, all of which were trusted blogs by Google. Then, as a greeting for the blog, I might hyperlink to something about Pluto in the text so it is there permanently. I would certainly add an RSS feed that discussed Pluto and the Pluto controversy. Perhaps I will select one YouTube video that distills my point of view on the subject permanent along the margin of the blog. Awesome start.

My imaginary blog will specialize in Pluto, and it will bring in distinguished scholars' video posts or I will break down news offerings about it (and hyperlink to the original works). I will not digress in my blog, and my blog is ALL about Pluto. You see, even on this blog, I do not specialize, per se. I write what I want, but in writing what I want I trade point of view for location in Search Engine Optimization and know it.

So, my blog frame is done. Looks great. It's on point and now I am blogging. Every day, I am going to blog about Pluto, the controversy and use all of the rules I know I have to use in order to capture favorable SEO on Google.

I am also commenting on those other blogs, we previously discussed, that are also discussing Pluto and the Pluto controversy.

Now, and only now, do I look outside the blog at Facebook, for example. Why? Glad you asked. Having a blog configured in this way is the equivalent of a billboard placed on a highway near the Lincoln Tunnel, but just having a Facebook account dedicated to my subject is like having a lemonade stand along the same highway. Now, having a lemonade stand and a big billboard is wonderful, but I would not trade the billboard for the lemonade stand. Same for Twitter.

 I want to make an argument for good morals here. No one respects a site that has smut on it. Kids like to put filth on sites because they think that it's witty. It's not witty, it's garbage. If you are running a blog, the first thing it should be is 'family friendly.' I count that as meaning that a five-year-old can go to your site and read it. If they are bored, then fine. But, they shouldn't learn anything online that their parents wouldn't want them to know. And...by the by...Google treats family friendly blogs a lot better SEO-wise than those blogs that do not use good common sense and decency.

Rev. Jim Purcell is a graduate of the New York Theological Seminary. He received his M.P.S. there and wrote frequently about Search Engine Optimization and Digital Ministry.

AlphaDog, U.S. Marines Robot Pack Animal - Legged Squad Support System

Blogging, SEO and Subject Placement in Searches

Social marketing will not be a practical business tool
until there is a finite way to measure its successes.

PART I OF III

By REV. JIM PURCELL

I had an interesting discussion with an art professional today, who was searching for a company to pay a vast some of money to in order to improve their name recognition and placement on Google. I tried to explain that one's SEO status is dependent on a set of Online behaviors, using and cross-referencing various Online entities. It isn't as simple as going to a window at the DMV and giving some bored civil servant a check that they stamp. The business person was determined still to find someone to pay a large sum of money to in order to accomplish what they could not believe could be done without breaking their personal bank: such is life.

There is so much social media going on every minute of every day that trying to get hold of an advantage in Twitter, Instagram...whatever...is like trying to catch a horse that broke out of its pen and is running loose. If you spend enough time and lose enough weight, I suppose you might make a dent (by throwing yourself into it for 80 hours a week or more). I am not saying anyone should ignore social media....heck no. But, I do think that trying to be everywhere at once without having a plan is pretty weak plan.

I believe in Search Engine Optimization.

Rather than trying to run around like a chicken with their head cut off, I suggest another course of action. At the end of the day, all that anyone gets by using gosh only knows how many social mediums is a relatively higher rating on the Google and/or Bing search engine than otherwise. And, the process these search algorithms use are, by design, enigmatic. However, it makes more sense to study the Google and Bing algorithms and use one's time wisely and with efficiency, rather than spending a whole bunch of time achieving absolutely nothing.

Even today, Corporate America can be confused as all get out about what exactly they are attempting to do with social media and SEO. So, I would like to offer a rock solid mission for companies looking to invest in social media. The goal is to use social media (e.g.blogs, Facebook, Instagram) to secure the highest possible SEO one can get; use it to bolster name identification and additional placement for your name in the top pages of these search engine results. And, the good news about this mission is that it is very attainable without breaking the bank at all.

The problem: Right now someone is asking themselves 'what SEO is' after I have already given the spelled out acronym -- this post probably isn't for you. Still others do not understand the basic idea of what optimizing search engine placement is about. This is not a '100 level' discussion, so this isn't going to benefit you either.

If a social media effort doesn't make it to Main Street why do it?

This is about capturing the first pages of Google and Bing using common sense and hard work, and maybe a smidge of creativity. Oh, it costs nothing but labor. There is nothing to buy, nothing to hire anyone about (unless you are very busy or horribly lazy).

I see the alleged 'work' of many "Social Media Advisors" sometimes, but it is obscure. Being the number one Twitter page for @buyanewcar isn't going to move the marketplace. OK, a few people might be interested -- but social media anything doesn't or shouldn't amount to a hill of beans next to bona fide high placement on the Google or Bing search engines. Personally, I have very little respect for social marketing 'gurus.' I can wrap my head around improving SEO standings by being active in Blogger, or Google, or Facebook, Linkedin and a handful of other sites -- because those sites are Bang for your buck. I cannot see getting wrapped around the axle for Twitter or Instagram, etc.

It isn't because there aren't a lot of eyeballs on Twitter I do not like it for commercial applications -- there are a ton of eyes on Twitter. I just don't think there is enough 'there' there to be putting a commercial effort into it.

It's easier to throw one's self at social media, though, rather than formulating a plan (and executing it) with the intention of raising the profile of a company on search engine pages. Why? Because if someone is succeeding or failing on a mission like raising a company's profile, the result can be enigmatic and hard to measure without being very grounded about just what should be a positive result of a company's efforts. It is easier, by far, to give employers a line of bull about some site that 12 year olds are flocking to today rather than actually getting in the trenches there and raising a company's brand in a practical way.

Here, let me unearth some of the confusion: Google wants to promote its blogs (out of self-interest). Hence, Google gives a better ranking to its blogs than by those of other blog providers: common sense stuff here. There are finite ways to determine if a blog is 'good  ' or 'bad' for helping a commercial effort, and they are not based on subjective 'how do you feel' criteria by bloggers. In fact, what is a good or bad blog, for Google purposes, is apparent in the search for the blog. If a blog is showing up on the first page, or any of the concepts tagged in it insofar as originating pages...then the blogger is doing something. And, if they aren't getting that done then they are full of malarky -- straight up and flat out. The age-old belief is that 'the more people visit you site the higher its SEO is, so 'we should do everything possible to get people to go to the site to raise its Google or Bing profile.' Here is the logic problem with that, though: If Google isn't helping your company or service with a positive SEO profile then how are people going to find your blog in the first place.

Tags on posts are beacons for the algorithm.

In fact, Google has 'rules,' if you will, about awarding blogs favorable placement in searches, and here are some of them;

1. The more frequently you post entries, the more Google will reward the blogger. Ideally, Google would like to see people post daily;

2, Use photos to make points and/or YouTube (another Google product) and these efforts will get rewarded as well;

3. Tag, tag, tag! At the end of every post, the blogger should ensure that pertinent concept are tagged. The reason for this is because those tags become road signs for the algorithm to find;

4. Use Google ads for your site, and Google will reward this with better placement in searches; and

5. Use hyperlinks to go to other Google products (e.g. Google News, websites, other blogs) and there will be a reward of placement.

It does not matter what someone blogs, from technical information to tinker toys, if a blogger uses all of the concepts discussed here then their blog will receive amazing placement in a short time and, instead of having to come up with elaborate dog-and-pony shows to gain viewer interest, it is the algorithm that does the heavy lifting.

I am going to write some more about this, but this is my opening shot.

Rev. Jim Purcell is a graduate of the New York Theological Seminary, where he earned an M.P.S. in Parish Ministry. During his seminary days, Rev. Purcell wrote frequently about Search Engine Optimization and Digital Ministry: driving viewers through strong placement on Google and Bing. 

THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 8/18/15 FULL BROADCAST HIGH QUALITY (720P)

President Jimmy Carter: The United States is an Oligarchy...

I think President Carter has hit the nail on the head this time. It's not what people like to hear, but sometimes the truth goes down hard.

Donald Trump is going to make 2016 memorable

Commentary

By REV JIM PURCELL

Donald Trump running for President of the United States is going to make the 2016 Presidential Campaign can't-miss-television.

Politics has been theater since the first caveman decided he was going to run the show. But, mankind has made it more and more entertaining until now -- when the shark has been jumped with "The Donald" running for the Oval office.  In most cases, it's been the same old thing on America's biggest stage -- Republicans and Democrats going at it with lefts and rights.

In 1992, there was some commotion when H. Ross Perot ran as an independent candidate for President and placed himself right in-between incumbent President George H.W. Bush and upstart Arkansas Governor William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton. As an aside, a lot of people don't know Clinton was actually born with the last name of "Blythe."

Anyway, I didn't have any white-knuckled terror about any one of those three men being elected. They were all sane, well-educated and had impressive records of leadership. It just so happened Clinton won and the rest, as they say, is history.

Now, turning our attention to this coming race: Yes, this horse race has me terrified all the way down to my dress socks. America is ambling out of two catastrophic wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which were fought for questionable reasons, at best. Our country is being torn apart by politics, some Liberals (like me) believe Conservatives these days are bordering upon sheer insanity and the back-and-forth going on with them and basic issues like Social Security, healthcare, military action, Medicare and worker's rights. Conservatives are terrifyingly aggressive about nonsense.

Enter Donald Trump.

I would easier trust the country with the Crips or the Bloods than with anyone in the GOP line-up these days, especially Donald Trump. Frankly, I am not the greatest fan of Hillary Clinton. However, I believe she is sane and that is all it takes to get my vote this time out.

I wouldn't care if the GOP came up with a surveillance video of Hillary robbing a liquor store with an Uzi -- she is better than any alternative the Party of Lincoln can produce. At the very least, though, it will be a show, particularly if Trump decides to go the route of Perot and become a third-party candidate should the GOP bounce him.

Cute dogs waking up owners - Funny dog compilation

Need a puppy fix?

The road to recovery can be a hard one

BY REV JIM PURCELL

I ran across a story one of my former friends penned, and there are striking similarities to my own story and the main character in her story. Though this story was crafted as a work of fiction, I certainly recognize the truth of a time in my life in its paragraphs. And, reading this very good work reminded me of some very hard times, indeed.

Today, I am an alcoholic in recovery. As well as being in recovery I also deal day-to-day with psychiatric illness, which is a struggle (though it is a struggle I beat every time I make good, positive life choices, exercise and diet appropriately). Anyone can become an alcoholic. There are always a thousand 'good reasons' to take a drink. But, there is only one excellent reason for not drinking: Alcohol was not made for all people and some people are alcoholic and others aren't.

This main character "Eric" is a broken man, reduced to living in the streets, a victim of his own demons. The story the author penned is not 100 percent accurate, and the author, I am sure, never intended it to be so or regarded as a work of non-fiction. Nowhere in this work does the author say I was an inspiration to her, but I have a 'psychic twinkle' about this one -- because this is a hard story to make up (and an even harder one to live). This tale does bear a very close resemblance to a reality I lived, while in my addictions and being untreated for PTSD while living in Keansburg.

I was there during Hurricane Sandy and was one of so many who faced the blunt-force trauma of that storm's fury. This is not a sympathetic treatment of the "Eric" character, and that is fine because (if this was based upon me) in those days there wasn't much to inspire very much sympathy about me in others. 

After I lost a child, whatever shred of sanity I had was buried with him in Lincoln, Nebraska in 2012. I became lost; heck, I was lost even before that, I suppose. This story would, if it followed my actual timeline, take place about the same time I actually did move back to Keansburg in the wake of that great loss. 

I have to say, this is wonderfully written by the author. This can be a story to inspire people about what a true 'bottom' might look like in one's life. If for no other reason, this tale can be a cautionary tale for those who are wandering down the path to addiction.

You see, addiction grabbed hold of me and destroyed who I was and mental illness was there at every turn, making the world around me someplace dark and menacing. As you read this story, I want you to keep in mind that there is a lot of truth in these words and those who view it should know that, if anything, the author made this tale more palatable for mainstream audiences and that the actual truth of those times for me, and others like me who I knew, was even darker than in her pages. 

I came back to life through recovery, which is available to all of us. All any of us have to do to recover is be tired of being sick and tired of addiction. Similarly, to those who suffer from mental illness and refuse to take meds, I ask how illegal drugs or alcohol helps to put their life back on track. Fixing substance addiction problems without addressing psychological disorders is as useful as fixing a funnel but leaving a whole in the bottom of the bucket you are trying to fill up.

Recovery works and is available in any one of thousands of meetings that take place all across this great nation and even the world every single day. 

I wish the author all success and praise their work. There is no better story than the one that has the possibility of touching the lives of others.