Crows could be the smartest animal other than primates - BBC Future

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191211-crows-could-be-the-smartest-animal-other-than-primates?ocid=ww.social.link.twitter 

How old ship logs are giving new insights into climate change

https://graphics.reuters.com/CLIMATE-CHANGE-ICE-SHIPLOGS/0100B4QE2FC/index.html 

Monster 74-Foot Wave Measured Off Northern California – gCaptain

https://gcaptain.com/monster-74-foot-wave-measured-off-northern-california/

COLUMN | Who will catch the fish? - Baird Maritime

https://www.bairdmaritime.com/fishing-boat-world/regulation-enforcement/column-who-will-catch-the-fish/

The Deep Sea

https://neal.fun/deep-sea/

Largest Scale-Model Solar System

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden_Solar_System

A Newly Digitized Menu Collection Shows Off America’s Lost Railroad Cuisine

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/dining-car-food

Getting Your Money's Worth from Fat Leonard

https://blog.usni.org/posts/2019/11/26/getting-your-moneys-worth-from-fat-leonard

Not Antiseptic War via Technology; War Will Only Get Deadlier

http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2019/11/not-antiseptic-war-via-technology-war.html

How to Feed a Megacity Like the Aztecs

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/floating-farms-mexico-city

Ghost ships, crop circles, and soft gold: A GPS mystery in Shanghai - MIT Technology Review

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/614689/ghost-ships-crop-circles-and-soft-gold-a-gps-mystery-in-shanghai/

U.S., Republic of Kiribati conduct joint training at sea

https://coastguardnews.com/u-s-republic-of-kiribati-conduct-joint-training-at-sea/2019/11/16/

AP: Thousands face life-threatening floods from aging dams

https://apnews.com/f5f09a300d394900a1a88362238dbf77

Photos: I traveled across Europe by train in 8 days for under $500 - Insider

https://www.insider.com/europe-train-travel-istanbul-london-photos-8-days-500-dollars-2019-11

Hat tip EWW

Intellectual Preparedness for Great Power Competition

https://blog.usni.org/posts/2019/11/08/intellectual-preparedness-for-great-power-competition

Last WWI veteran Torty the Tortoise lives on - NZ Herald

Learned of this at the Gallipoli exhibit in Wellington.   Interesting and poignant; appropriate to note as Remembrance Day is three days away.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12035638

The first map of America's food supply chain is mind-boggling

https://www.fastcompany.com/90422553/the-first-map-of-americas-food-supply-chain-is-mind-boggling

Tweet from Shit Academics Say (@AcademicsSay)

Shit Academics Say (@AcademicsSay) tweeted at 1:56 PM on Thu, Oct 31, 2019:
paranormal distribution | https://t.co/9IlpCq5gSD https://t.co/pCy67JlNYS
(https://twitter.com/AcademicsSay/status/1189964352218157056?s=03)

Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download?s=13

China is Key to Closing Ports to Illegally Caught Fish

https://maritime-executive.com/article/china-is-key-to-closing-ports-to-illegally-caught-fish

Print Me a Patrol Boat | Chuck Hill's CG Blog

https://chuckhillscgblog.net/2019/10/18/print-me-a-patrol-boat/

Inside TurboTax’s 20-Year Fight to Stop Americans From Filing Their Taxes for Free — ProPublica

https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-fight-to-stop-americans-from-filing-their-taxes-for-free

One dead in crash of turboprop airliner in Dutch Harbor, Alaska

https://thepointsguy.com/news/one-dead-in-crash-of-turboprop-airliner-in-alaska/

Virginia is planning an east-west rail route connecting the Blue Ridge Mountains to the beach

https://ggwash.org/view/74274/commonwealth-corridor-rail-route-may-run-from-the-blue-ridge-mountains-to-beach

WWII-Era Buoy Tender Celebrates 75th Year in Service

https://maritime-executive.com/article/wwii-era-buoy-tender-celebrates-75th-year-in-service

Ship of Horrors

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/12/ship-of-horrors-deep-sea-fishing-oyang-70-new-zealand?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Shipping cyber terrorism threat heightened by digitalization - FreightWaves

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/shipping-cyber-terrorism-threat-heightened-by-digitalization

BBC - Future - The hidden ways that architecture affects how you feel

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170605-the-psychology-behind-your-citys-design?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=daily

Sea Shepherd, Public/Private Partnership and Protecting our Seas with Paul Watson - on Midrats

http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com//2019/09/sea-shepherd-publicprivate-partnership.html

Commute Time Constant

https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2019/08/commute-time-city-size-transportation-urban-planning-history/597055/

A Breach of Faith: The Navy Must Fix the Way it Pays Mobilizing Reservists

http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2019/08/a-breach-of-faith-navy-must-fix-way-it.html

Dumbarton Bridge has beautiful details and an interesting history

https://ggwash.org/view/73608/dumbarton-bridge-has-a-fascinating-history-washington-dc

Battery-Free System Could Power Underwater Internet of Things

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/battery-free-system-could-power-underwater-internet-of-things

Farewell and Thanks to the Operational Stress Control Team

https://blog.usni.org/posts/2019/08/09/farewell-and-thanks-to-the-operational-stress-control-team

Legacy of Light: Marblehead Light etched in Great Lakes history

https://coastguardnews.com/legacy-of-light-marblehead-light-etched-in-great-lakes-history/2019/08/06/

The Moon Went on Tour Through England

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/moon-art-england

Australia Looks to U.S. for Fuel Reserves

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/australia-looks-to-u-s-for-fuel-reserves

Army Stops Selling its Navy (for now)

https://gcaptain.com/army-puts-watercraft-sell-off-on-hold/

Biology—It’s a Thing

https://blog.usni.org/posts/2019/07/17/biology-its-a-thing

Doggie Diner Head in San Francisco, California

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/doggie-diner-head

Europe Runs Out of Fish

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/europe-runs-out-of-fish

Amtrak CEO's Approach Paying Off?

https://www.wsj.com/articles/amtrak-has-lost-money-for-decades-a-former-airline-ceo-thinks-he-can-fix-it-11562385660

See How the Moon Has Been Mapped Through Time

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/historic-moon-maps-astronomy-exhibit

Corrosion Control as Strategic Investment

http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2019/07/vice-adm-thomas-moore-usn-goes.html

Free Advice on Speeches

https://blog.usni.org/posts/2019/07/01/free-speech-advice

Frida the Rescue Dog Retires

https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2019/06/25/she-saved-lives-earthquakes-explosions-now-frida-rescue-dog-gets-retire/?utm_term=.fc9014fc2948

BART Trains to be Built in Pittsburg

https://sf.streetsblog.org/2019/06/14/bart-train-plant-moving-to-pittsburg/?platform=hootsuite

A Success Story in Sea Life Recovery

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/a-success-story-in-sea-life-recovery

Norway Updates Ocean Strategy

https://maritime-executive.com/article/norway-updates-ocean-strategy

Summer By Rail – Traveling and exploring the US by train.

http://summerbyrail.com/

Ensign Duke and the Seizure of the Rum-Runner SS Greypoint

https://maritime-executive.com/article/ensign-duke-and-the-seizure-of-the-rum-runner-ss-greypoint

The Original Orient Express Could Soon Restart Operations in Paris

https://thepointsguy.com/news/original-orient-express-train-could-restart-operations-in-paris/

U.S. warns merchant ships of possible Iranian attacks in Middle East | Article [AMP] | Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-shipping-idUSKCN1SG1MX

GCaptain editorial: Admiral, I Am NOT Ready For War

http://gcaptain.com/editorial-admiral-i-am-not-ready-for-war/

The End Is Near for One of Sweden's Oldest Trees

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/swedens-oldest-oak-tree

Europeam Tramdriver Championship

I am happy to know that this exists!

https://tramem.eu/?page&lang=en

https://amp.dw.com/en/germany-team-stockholm-wins-european-tram-driver-championship-in-stuttgart/a-43670972?maca=en-Twitter-sharing&__twitter_impression=true

How Amateur Astronomers Used a Remote Observatory to Peer at a Nearby Galaxy

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-the-large-magellanic-cloud

A Sea Service Stress Proem

https://blog.usni.org/posts/2019/04/26/the-navys-stress-problem-a-spouses-perspective

The Washington Post: Venturing upstream where Rhine cruises don’t go

https://wapo.st/2Gn5xvT

The Washington Post: How living on the wrong side of a time zone can be hazardous to your health

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/04/19/how-living-wrong-side-time-zone-can-be-hazardous-your-health/

Vigilance on the high seas

Vigilance on the high seas https://coastguardnews.com/vigilance-on-the-high-seas/2019/04/14/

Follow The Yellow Brick Road Inside a Rarely Open Wizard of Oz Theme Park

https://thepointsguy.com/news/wizard-of-oz-theme-park/

Redefine ‘SWO Culture’

Recommend reading through a USCG lens as well

#cutterman #cuttermen

https://blog.usni.org/posts/2019/04/12/redefine-swo-culture

Forget The Black Hole Picture — Check Out The Sweet Technology That Made It Possible

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/forget-the-black-hole-picture-check-out-the-sweet-technology-that-made-it-possible/

The Last Howard Johnson's in Lake George, New York

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-last-howard-johnsons

New Subsea Laser Technology Models Historic Plane Wreck

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/new-subsea-laser-technology-models-historic-plane-wreck

Why is the US still using a Nazi tall ship? - BBC News

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33543706

The USCG Cutter Icarus and the First German Prisoners of WWII

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/the-uscg-cutter-icarus-and-the-first-german-prisoners-of-wwii

MoBoards Will Never Be Obsolete

https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2019/april/moboards-will-never-be-obsolete

Zweibrücken R2-D2 in Zweibrücken, Germany

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/zweibrucken-r2-d2-observatory

Panama Canal

https://xkcd.com/2127/

Kenyans Call for Tighter Controls on Chinese Fish Products

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/kenyans-call-for-tighter-controls-on-chinese-fish-products

Message to the Mess - USNI Blog

https://blog.usni.org/posts/2019/03/22/message-to-the-mess-earn-back-the-sailors-trust

Coast Guard enforces North Korea sanctions in the East China Sea

https://coastguardnews.com/coast-guard-enforces-north-korea-sanctions-in-the-east-china-sea/2019/03/18/

Relevant to any sea service

http://nextnavy.com/in-press-the-new-naval-race-to-look-good/

Asteroid Westfall 28602

Discovered in 2000 and named after my father a few years ago.

Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL):  https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=28602#content

Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meanings_of_minor_planet_names:_28001%E2%80%9329000#602

Ordnance Survey Blog OS’s adventures in AI - Ordnance Survey Blog

https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/blog/2018/05/os-adventures-in-ai/

Lines

http://www.niittyvirta.com/lines-57-59-n-7-16w/

When Amtrak train stalled in Oregon snow, crewman emerged as ‘source of comfort’ - oregonlive.com

https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2019/03/when-amtrak-train-stalled-in-oregon-snow-crewman-emerged-as-source-of-comfort.html

White House Makes "Military to Maritime" Transition Easier

https://maritime-executive.com/article/white-house-makes-military-to-maritime-transition-easier

The Argentine-Chinese Fish Wars of 20XX

http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-argentine-chinese-fish-wars-of-20xx.html

Where Did All the Refugees From Vesuvius End Up?

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/where-did-pompeii-refugees-go

USS TAMPA PURPLE HEART MEDAL CAMPAIGN

USCG Crowd-source request:

ALCOAST 062/19 COMDTNOTE 5700 SUBJ:  USS TAMPA PURPLE HEART MEDAL CAMPAIGN 1. The U.S. Coast Guard needs your help with locating and contacting descendants of the USS TAMPA, which was tragically sunk during World War I with all hands lost. The Service has yet to present 84 of the outstanding Purple Heart Medals awarded posthumously to the crew. We intend to recognize as many of the descendants as possible this Memorial Day. We need your help to do this. 2. Background:    A. USS TAMPA, a Coast Guard ship and crew serving under the Department of the Navy, was lost with all hands after being torpedoed by a German U-boat off Wales on 26 September 1918. This tragic loss occurred just weeks before the end of World War I. It was the single largest loss suffered by the Coast Guard during that conflict.    B. At the time of TAMPA's loss, the Purple Heart Medal was not in use. In 1942, eligibility was extended to include the Coast Guard, but it was not until 1952 that the awarding of the Purple Heart Medal was made retroactive for actions after 5 April 1917. However, TAMPA was overlooked until 1999, when a retired Coast Guardsman submitted a proposal to award the Purple Heart to her crew.    C. In 1999, then-Commandant Admiral James Loy authorized the posthumous awarding of the Purple Heart Medal to the crew of USS TAMPA. Today, over one hundred years after TAMPA was lost and twenty years after the first TAMPA Purple Heart was awarded, the Coast Guard is still attempting to identify those families who have yet to receive their ancestors' Purple Heart. 3. The purpose of this ALCOAST is to raise awareness of the Purple Heart award program and to continue to identify those families who have yet to receive their ancestors' medals. You can help. 4. Summary of USS TAMPA Purple Heart Medals awarded:    A. There were 130 men on TAMPA, including 111 Coast Guardsmen and 4 Navy men.    B. 26 TAMPA Purple Heart Medals have been claimed since 1999.    C. 3 TAMPA Purple Heart Medals are presently in progress.    D. 84 TAMPA Purple Heart Medals remain unclaimed. 5. The names of the 84 TAMPA crew whose Purple Heart Medals remain unclaimed are listed here: https://www.history.uscg.mil/tampa/. 6. To submit applications for TAMPA Purple Heart Medals, please contact Ms. Nora Chidlow, Coast Guard Archivist, at Nora.L.Chidlow@uscg.mil or 202-559-5142. She has served as the primary point of contact between the Coast Guard and many TAMPA descendants, and also with the Medals & Awards branch. 7. To apply for their ancestor's Purple Heart Medal, descendants are required to provide documentation showing the descendant's relationship to the TAMPA crew member, such as family trees, pages from family Bibles, birth/death certificates, and/or pages from Ancestry or other genealogical applications. Please expect about 4-6 weeks' time for processing. 8. I encourage all members of our Coast Guard family to share this ALCOAST with the widest possible audience. We owe it to our shipmates in USS TAMPA and their descendants to ensure their heroism and sacrifice are recognized and remembered. 9. RDML Melissa Bert, Director of Governmental and Public Affairs, sends. 10. Internet release is authorized.

Plans Underway to Boost Congo River Shipping Capacity

https://maritime-executive.com/article/plans-underway-to-boost-congo-river-shipping-capacity

U.S., Canada conduct fisheries enforcement with partner nations in South Pacific

https://coastguardnews.com/u-s-canada-conduct-fisheries-enforcement-with-partner-nations-in-south-pacific/2019/02/16/

Last Known Carville House in San Francisco, California

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/last-known-carville-house

The Wages of "Make it Happen"

https://blog.usni.org/posts/2019/02/06/fitzgerald-and-the-wages-of-making-it-happen

AVPN - Members of Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana

http://www.pizzanapoletana.org/en/associati

NTSB: “Multi-Tasking is a Myth”

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/ntsb-multi-tasking-is-a-myth

Coast Guard patrols South Pacific in support of international fisheries

https://coastguardnews.com/coast-guard-patrols-south-pacific-in-support-of-international-fisheries/2019/01/26/

Actions You Can Take To Reopen the Coast Guard

https://maritime-executive.com/article/actions-you-can-take-to-reopen-the-coast-guard

Amidst Funding Lapse, Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf departs for Western Pacific Patrol

Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf and crew depart for Western Pacific patrol https://coastguardnews.com/coast-guard-cutter-bertholf-and-crew-depart-for-western-pacific-patrol/2019/01/20/

ALCOAST 012/19 - JAN 2019 EXPANDED LIMITS TO CGMA LOANS DURING LAPSE IN APPROPRIATIONS

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: U.S. Coast Guard <uscoastguard@service.govdelivery.com>
Date: Tue, Jan 15, 2019, 19:43

R 151936 JAN 19 FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-13// TO ALCOAST UNCLAS //N07220// ALCOAST 012/19 COMDTNOTE 7220 SUBJ: EXPANDED LIMITS TO CGMA LOANS DURING LAPSE IN APPROPRIATIONS A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 271409 DEC 18/ALCOAST 434/18 1. The Vice Commandant recently announced an increase to Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA) interest-free loans for a select group of Coast Guard members consistent with the Commandant's commitment to provide best support to those impacted by the lapse in appropriations. This ALCOAST announces another expansion of that access thanks to the generosity of CGMA donors, including a $15 million donation from USAA, and a partnership with the American Red Cross (ARC). It also outlines updated application procedures. Effective immediately, all civilian employees and active duty members are eligible for expanded CGMA assistance as defined below. If you intend to apply, please read the directions carefully as this is a modified/simplified process, and involves the ARC for certain members/employees. 2. Expanded limits for CGMA interest-free loans:     a. Up to $1000 for personnel with dependents;     b. Up to $750 for personnel without dependents;     c. If individual circumstances dictate, any person may apply for funds in excess of the established limits (a-b above). They must personally visit a local CGMA representative to complete the full application process. 3. Procedures:     a. Furloughed civilian employees. While active duty and non-furloughed members can verify employment at work, furloughed civilian employees will need to utilize a CGMA representative for verification. To apply, take the following steps:       (1) Locate a nearby CGMA representative at: www.cgmahq.org;       (2) Before visiting a representative, go to the "Forms" section of the CGMA Website and fill out "CGMA-12, Federal Funding Lapses CG Assistance";       (3) With your filled-out CGMA-12, visit your CGMA representative, and complete the process;       (4) You will receive an in-person check that day.      b. Active duty members and non-furloughed civilian employees. To deal with an anticipated high volume of applicants in this category, the Service and CGMA are partnering with ARC to streamline application procedures for this group only. To apply, take the following steps:      (1) Go to: www.cgmahq.org, then "Forms", then fill out "CGMA-ARC, Federal Funding Lapses ARC Assistance";      (2) Have your supervisor electronically sign the CGMA-ARC form;      (3) Visit the ARC website at https://saf.redcross.org/css and click on "Create Account". (The ARC has a 24-hour "Hero Care Center" Hotline should you have logon problems: 1-877-272-7337);      (4) Logon to the account, and click on "New Request";      (5) Follow the steps to request your loan, which will include uploading your CGMA-ARC (e-validated) form;     (6) Payment will be issued via Western Union within 24 hours. 4. All CGMA interest-free loans will be automatically repaid, via lump sum, on the first pay period after the lapse ends. 5. Up to date lapse in appropriations information can be found at: www.dcms.uscg.mil/budget; this site contains authoritative documents, Frequently Asked Questions, an interactive mailbox, a Resources Guide, a helpline, and other useful information. As always, CG SUPRT is available to help (1-855-CG SUPRT (247-8778)) https://www.cgsuprt.com/. 6. For more information on how to receive assistance, please see your local CGMA representatives. 7. RDML Matthew Sibley, Acting Assistant Commandant for Human Resources, sends. 8. Internet release is authorized.

Army Scaling Back Maritime Capacity !?!

https://gcaptain.com/u-s-army-to-divest-a-majority-of-its-watercraft-and-maritime-capability/

The Amtrak era is over. It’s time for a replacement - Railway Age

Don't let the title dissuade you, the author makes a case for an evolutionary step in rail policy.

https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/the-amtrak-era-is-over-its-time-for-a-replacement/