Friday, November 10, 2017

On the Eve of #VeteransDay2017....

Our hometown, Laguna Niguel, will honor Veterans Day on Saturday November 11 as our hometown honors all who have served:


One of our Community Leaders, Lt. Col Shep Bentley, USMC (Ret). reflected upon this day which will be read by the Scouts of Troop 772 on Saturday November 11:

VETERANS DAY 2017

Veterans Day is a U.S. legal holiday dedicated to American veterans of
all wars. 99 years ago, in 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the
11th month, an armistice (“ARM-ISS- STISS”), or temporary end of the
fighting, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in
World War I, which at the time was called “the Great War.”
The Treaty of Versailles (“VUR-SEYE”) was signed on June 28, 1919,
marking the official end of World War I. Still, the armistice date of
November 11, 1918, was remembered as the date that marked the end
of the conflict, because that is when the bloodshed stopped.

One year later, in November 1919, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson
proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day.
The day’s observation included parades and public gatherings, as well
as a brief pause in business and school activities at 11 a.m.
On November 11, 1921, an unidentified American soldier killed in the
war was buried at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On the same day the previous year, unidentified soldiers were laid to
rest at Westminster Abbey in London, and at the Arc de Triomphe
(“TREE-OMFF”) in Paris.

On June 4, 1926, Congress passed a resolution that the “recurring
anniversary of November 11, 1918 should be commemorated with
thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace
through good will and mutual understanding between nations,” and that
the president should issue an annual proclamation calling for the
observance of Armistice Day.

By that time, 27 state legislatures had made November 11 a legal
holiday. An act approved May 13, 1938 made November 11 a legal
Federal holiday, “dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be
hereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.'”
American effort during World War II saw the greatest mobilization of the
U.S. Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force in the nation’s history (more
than 16 million people), and nearly six million more served in
the Korean War.

In 1954, after lobbying efforts by veterans’ service organizations, the
83rd U.S. Congress amended the 1938 act that had made Armistice
Day a holiday, striking the word “Armistice” in favor of “Veterans.”
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the legislation on June 1, 1954.
From then on, November 11 became a day to honor American veterans
of all wars.

A century ago today, American forces were still battling against vast
numbers of the enemy in the First World War. Alive with us today are
veterans of the Second World War, Korea, Viet Nam, the Cold War, the
Gulf Wars and the War on Terror.

In Laguna Niguel, we observe Veterans Day as a tribute to our citizens
that have stepped up to defend our nation and its way of life by serving
in the Armed Forces of the United States of America. Please help us as
the Boy Scouts to carry forward this tradition and to salute them today!

In Honor of this day, we will be "dark" through this Veterans Day Week-End with only daily updates available on our Twitter Feed.

Happy Veterans Day!!!

Monday, November 6, 2017

Notations From the Grid (Weekly Edition): Fortune Announces its'[ 100 Best Companies




Please Explore--not surprising Google is No 1!!!



Onward to the new week with all its' possiblities as we also leave you with this "Snapshot" courtesy of the team at Futurism:


Saturday, November 4, 2017

Notations From the Grid (Special W-End Edition): Meet Sophia, World’s First Robot Citizen

Sophia Becomes World’s First Robot Citizen

What it is: Saudi Arabia has just granted citizenship to Sophia, a humanoid robot developed by Hanson Robotics — the first time a country has granted a robot the same basic status and privileges as humans. The announcement took place onstage at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, reports Fortune. “I am very honored and proud for this unique distinction,” Sophia said to the audience during her presentation.
Why it's important: As robotics, artificial intelligence, sensors and other enabling exponential technologies develop, we’ll start to see more humanoid robots that look, sound and even feel truly lifelike. How will humans respond as these next-gen robots become integrated throughout society — namely, in our communities, offices and homes? 

Friday, November 3, 2017

View of the Week (Special Edition): On Being Thankful

We are grateful as we begin this month of thanksgiving and send our thanks to Jonathan Lockwood Huie for this compilation of thoughts that is in the spirit of our mission here in the "Vision" property:


 
Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter
everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe
that change forever how we experience life and the world.
- John Milton

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
- Melody Beattie

He who can give thanks for little
will always find he has enough.
- Anonymous




Suppose our gratitude could be zero-based gratitude.
With zero-based gratitude,
we would be grateful for everything we had each day -
regardless of whether it was more or less than yesterday.
With zero-based gratitude, I can be grateful for all the people,
the love, the food, the shelter, the services,
the health, that I am blessed with today,
regardless of what I had yesterday.
With zero-based gratitude,
I can be grateful each day for the gift of life itself.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Affirmation:
I commit the whole month of November to expressing gratitude and thanksgiving.

Monday, October 30, 2017

Notations From The Grid (Weekly Edition): On A Vision of the Possible...

As a new week is before us, Our team chose a compilation of snapshots courtesy of Futurism that we hope all enjoy as we wish all the best of weeks and wish all a safe and Happy Halloween:


 
image
Bitcoin, which is unarguably the world's most prominent digital currency, just broke through one of the most important milestones ever, vaulting to over $6000 and over $100 billion in value.READ MORE
image
Tesla CEO Elon Musk explained to a Twitter user that his self-driving cars won't have to be told where to go. Instead, they will predict your destination, potentially as part of the improved Autopilot system that Tesla promised to release before 2018.READ MORE
image
When considering the fate of humanity, keen insight, inference, and humor go a long way. That’s what science-communicating husband and wife Zach and Kelly Weinersmith had in mind when they penned their new book SOONISH: Ten Emerging Technologies That’ll Improve and / or Ruin Everything. READ MORE
image
Scientists are seriously discussing the ability to create a new universe in a lab. This is mostly a philosophical discussion but more scientists are agreeing that it could actually some day be possible.READ MORE
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The space company owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is one step closer to flying tourists into sub-orbit, and possible even beyond.On Wednesday, Blue Origin's breakthrough was announced — a successful hot-fire test of its powerful new BE-4 engine. READ MORE

See Full Infographic


 
Self-Driving Cars Will Save Lives, But Will They Cause Organ Shortages?
Health & Medicine
 
DARPA’s New Brain Device Increases Learning Speed by 40%
Hard Science
We May Be on the Path to Nuclear War, Expert Asserts
Future Society
 
Daimler, Parent Company of Mercedes, Unveils an Electric Truck Ahead of Tesla
Earth & Energy
 
 
Neil deGrasse Tyson Weighs in on the Existence of Alien Life
See Full Infographic

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Around Town in Our Community on This National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day 2017....

October 28 (today) is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.   We received this courtesy of Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett that represents the 5th District that encompasses our hometown of Laguna Niguel at various locations throughout Orange County including Laguna Hills, San Juan Capistrano  and Lake Forest City Halls. .  We wanted to report on this throughout our properties as we encourage all to participate: 
On Saturday, October 28, medications can be disposed of safely at various location throughout South County during National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The service is safe, free, and anonymous. No questions asked, and no forms to fill out. No syringes, medical waste or hazardous waste allowed. See the flyer below for more information.
 

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Notations From the Grid (Special Mid-Week Edition): On #ClimateChange

Fiji is one of those countries at the forefront of climate change.    The image above reflects a village that is being transferred.   We wanted to share this we picked up which is critical for us all to understand--our team found it chilling: 


Monday, October 23, 2017

Notations From the Grid ( Weekly Edition): On this National Cybersecurity Month...

Being able to Own Your Online Presence is critical.    What the team at FEMA shared is critical which we wanted to report on as part of our periodic series during this National Cybersecurity Awareness Month: 

Learn to Own Your Online Presence During National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Are You Safe Online? Visit the online resource guide to find out.
During the third week of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month(NCSAM), October 16-20, learn how to keep your personal information safe online.

To build on the theme for NCSAM - Securing the Internet is Our Shared Responsibility, this week focuses on Today’s Predictions for Tomorrow’sInternet. Smart cities, connected devices, digitized records, as well as smart cars and homes have become a new reality. This week reminds citizens that their sensitive, personal information is the fuel that makes smart devices work. While there are tremendous benefits of this technology, it is critical to understand how to use these cutting-edge innovations in safe and secure ways.

Follow these tips from the Department of Homeland Security’s Stop. Think. Connect.™ campaign to own your online presence:
  • Treat personal information like money. Information about you, such as your purchase history and location, has value - just like money. Protect your data by being cautious about how mobile apps and websites collect your information.
  • Own your online presence. Control and limit who can see your information online by checking the privacy and security settings on your accounts and apps. A cybercriminal can potentially see anything you post publically, so keep your personal information private.
  • Share with care. Think before posting about yourself and others online. Consider what a post reveals, who might see it, and how someone could perceive it now and in the future.

Join in celebrating National Cybersecurity Awareness Month throughout October. Please visit www.dhs.gov/national-cyber-security-awareness-month or www.dhs.gov/StopThinkConnect for more information.

Friday, October 20, 2017

Notations From the Grid (Special Friday Edition): On the Possibilities (Cont'd)

 As The Week-End looms, please enjoy this courtesy of CBInsight that is a must read for his as we work to understand and work on presenting the roadmap to the Vision of the Possible:



Infographic: Google’s Biggest Acquisitions
As Google nears 200 M&A deals since its YouTube acquisition back in 2006, we visualize the tech giant's top acquisitions.





We analyzed 7 of the fastest-growing personal finance apps of all time to figure out the secrets to their success
Here are the core strategies that these companies are using to build, convert, engage, and monetize their audience.





AI Will Put 10 Million Jobs At High Risk — More Than Were Eliminated By The Great Recession
Automation is coming after jobs, from fast food workers to accountants. We analyzed which jobs are most — and least — at risk, given factors including tasks involved, the current commercial deployment of technology, patent activity, regulations, and more.





Healthcare Horizons: Startups And Technologies Poised To Have The Greatest Impact On Healthcare
In this report we take a look at cutting edge developments in healthcare, and the startups behind them that are just beginning to impact the world.





What’s The Easiest Place To Raise Early Startup Capital? Hint: Not Silicon Valley
The venture capital funnel shows just how brutal the VC game is.





Market Map: 45+ Indian Startups Focused On Education
Startups in India's nascent edtech sector are tackling everything from tutoring and test prep to foreign language learning.





How Startups, Tech Giants, And Automakers Could Finally Make EVs Go The Distance
From using novel compounds in batteries to creating more powerful "fuel pumps," innovators are getting closer to 5-minute EV charging times.





Apple’s New Patent Brings 3D Printing To Augmented Reality (AR)
Apple secures patent for a 3D printing method that’s compatible with cameras and AR glasses





Breaking Down The Multi-Billion Dollar Supplements Landscape
Dietary supplement companies are moving away from big box retail, focusing on subscriptions and extreme personalization.




Travel Tech Is Having An Uneven Year, But Emerging Markets Are A Bright Spot
Despite a recent dip in activity, deals to travel tech startups are on pace for a fourth-consecutive high this year.




Have a great weekend.

I love you.

Anand
@asanwal