I am known for a whole bunch of grievous faults, but none so terrible as my response to the innocent question, “How are you?”
“Neat, keen, peachy, swell, fine, good, jolly, etcetera,” is my standard reply, not necessarily because I feel that way, but because without any more cost than the portion of a breath it takes to complete the litany, I’m biased down a path of expanding rather than diminishing possibilities.
How about my daily victims? Well despite their grimaces, groans, and heavy-duty eye-rolling exercises, I am prone to believe that they’re better for the experience as well (though if you read that I’ve been shot by the disgruntled victim of such a daily assault, then I hope someone will chisel “Gee, I guess I was wrong” on my gravestone).
As for the seeming simplicity of my aphoristic approach to life, there’s much to support it in what I refer to as the magic of numbers and names, the best example of which I can think of is the aircraft carrier, Enterprise (CVN 65), eighth in a line of fighting ships dating back to its commissioning in mid-1775 following its capture from the British on Lake Champlain in the early stages of the Revolutionary War.
Evolving from sail to steam, the seventh Enterprise (CV 6) was the first of the Enterprise ships to receive the nickname of Big “E.” Other nicknames included the Lucky “E,” the “Grey Ghost,” and the “Galloping Ghost.” As its designation describes, CV-6 became the sixth aircraft carrier to join the US fleet upon its commissioning as a Yorktown-class carrier on Oct. 3, 1936. With an overall length of 827 feet and a displacement in excess of 32,000 tons, the wood-decked flattop fought in many of the key Pacific theater battles of World War II, and was one of only three American carriers commissioned prior to World War II to survive the war (along with USS Saratoga and USS Ranger).
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One of the first ships to respond to its nation’s call to war in 1941 following the Japanese attack on Hawaii, the Big “E” went on to earn 20 battle stars, the most for any US warship in World War II, for the crucial roles it played in numerous battles including Midway, Guadalcanal, Leyte Gulf, and the “Doolittle Raid” on Tokyo. After its legendary World War II service, the first Big “E” was decommissioned on Feb. 17, 1947 as the most decorated ship in US naval history.
In 1954, Congress authorized the construction of the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, becoming the eighth US ship to bear the name Enterprise upon its commissioning in 1957 as CVN-65, No surprise to its past and present shipmates, Enterprise has continued its frontline activities for more than 50 years, first among which was her principal role in the Cuban Missile Crisis blockade in 1962, an operation in which I was a very minor participant. Last year, following refitting, she embarked on her 21st deployment, taking part in Enduring Freedom, New Dawn, and a number of anti-piracy missions. In port today, she is outfitting for her 22nd and final deployment, but I have the feeling we will not have seen the last of her proud line even upon her decommissioning sometime next year.
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My point here is that it wasn’t the oak in Enterprise I, the steam in Enterprise V, the steel in Enterprise VII, or even the 200,000-plus horsepower of nuclear propulsion in Enterprise VIII, that made them special, it was the magic—that special sense of destiny—invested in tens of thousands of crewmembers over the years that has passed from keel to keel in an unbroken line that makes me wish I could be around to embark in her as Enterprise XII or XX…or beyond.
What I don’t think is that the magic—that sense of destiny—came about by accident. Rather it began as a flame ignited somewhere in bowels of Enterprise I and kept kindled in the minds and hearts of crewmembers ever since.
It all starts with the belief that we can affect our world through the power of belief.
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Upcoming Forester University Webinars
April 25th
Designing Effective Sediment Containment Systems for Construction
Are your containment systems effective? Join Jerald S. Fifield and Tina R. Evans for the second installment of our advanced Sediment and Erosion Control Master Class Series and the first part of our Effective Sediment Containment Systems Series, Designing Effective Sediment Containment Systems for Construction Sites, exploring a scientific and engineering assessment of parameters necessary to capture design size particles while flood flows are discharging from a containment system.
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April 26 th, 2012
Nutrient Sources and Transformations -
How to Optimize Nutrient Removal in SCMs
Are your Stormwater Control Measures (SCMs) effectively removing nitrogen and phosphorus from runoff? Join Bill Lucas to explore how to select and design SCMs to improve nitrogen and phosphorus retention. After an overview of nitrogen and phosphorous forms, sources, and transformations, Lucas will discuss how nitrogen and phosphorus transformations can be optimized in SCMs; how to select and design SCMs for settings; and how to tailor these programs to meet TMDL requirements more cost effectively.
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May 2nd, 2012
Limitations of Commonly Found Construction Site Sediment Control BMPS
Are your temporary BMPs reliable? Join Jerald S. Fifield and Tina R. Evans for the third installment of our advanced Sediment and Erosion Control Master Class Series and the second part of our Effective Sediment Containment Systems Series, Limitations of Commonly Found Construction Site Sediment Control BMPs, exploring temporary BMPs, their limitations (e.g., barrier BMPs), and the principals and practice in assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of barrier BMPs.
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May 3rd, 2012
How to Conduct a Water Audit and Avoid the Pitfalls
Avoid the water auditing pitfalls! Join Troy Aichele, LEED AP (O+M) of Aichele and Associates LLC for How to Conduct a Water Audit and Avoid the Pitfalls on Thurs., May 3rd to learn the step-by-step process of performing a water audit; the key information, tools, equipment, rebates, and typical pitfalls in performing successful audits; and learn how to use a custom plumbing fixture water audit spreadsheet. Learn how to successfully conduct your own water audit and avoid common water auditing pitfalls to ensure your audit goes smoothly.
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May 17th, 2012
Effective LID Stormwater Reduction
Improve your stormwater reduction through effective low impact design (LID). Join Douglas Beyerlein, P.E., P.H., D.WRE to explore the different types of LID (e.g., green roofs, rain gardens / bioretention, impervious runoff dispersion, etc.), how they work
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May 31st, 2012
How to Calculate Water Audit Payback Periods and Write Water Audit Reports
Maximize your payback! Join Troy Aichele, LEED AP (O+M) of Aichele and Associates LLC for How to Calculate Water Audit Payback Periods and Write Audit Reports on Thurs., May 31st addressing the most essential skill in water auditing: how to calculate payback period and incorporate it effectively in your water audit report. Within this discussion, Aichele will explore how to calculate water audit improvement periods using a custom-built payback spreadsheet calculator; how to calculate use rates; how to incorporate savings, rebates and utility increases into your payback calculations; and how to write a water audit report letter incorporating water audit results and payback periods.
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April 18th, - May 25th, 2012
Sediment and Erosion Control
Master Class Series
Join industry expert and bestselling author Jerald S. Fifield, Ph.D., CISEC, CPESC and Tina R. Evans, PE, CISEC for a comprehensive 6-part online master class and workshop series (0.9 CEUs / 9 PDHs) exploring the ins and outs of effective sediment and erosion control plan design and review based on Fifield’s recently released 3rd edition of the bestselling manual Designing and Reviewing Effective Sediment and Erosion Control Plans (included in your Master Class Series package).
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April – May 2012
Water Auditing Master Series
3-Webinar Series
Learn the ins-and-outs of water auditing! Join 2010’s Speaker of the Year, Troy Aichele, LEED AP (O+M) of Aichele and Associates LLC for the Water Auditing Master Series, a 3-part webinar/webcast series focusing on getting you up-to-speed on the key attributes, uses, and opportunities in water auditing, as demonstrating step-by-step how to conduct a water audit, avoid the pitfalls, calculate payback periods, and incorporate these into your reports.
Series includes:
* Water Auditing 101: Introduction to Water Auditing
* How to Conduct a Water Audit and Avoid the Pitfalls
* How to Calculate Water Audit Payback Periods and Write Water Audit Reports
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