Bear ... Ranger Bear

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Because I really am smarter than the average bear (a phrase coined by my amazingly fortunate cousin Yogi) I try to stay up on technology and how technology can help bearkind and mankind. This just came my way from the Herman Report -- just another reason why Google is possibly the most widespread really cool technology to come along -- ever!

Herman Trend Alert: Encouraging Innovation      November 26, 2008

Some months ago now, the leading search engine Google launched a competition calling for ideas "to change the world by helping as many people as possible". It was open to anyone anywhere in the world.

They call the contest "Project 10^100" (pronounced "Project 10 to the 100th"); 10^100 is another way of expressing the number "googol", a one followed by one hundred zeroes. The goal of the challenge reflects the company's goal---"to achieve great results through smart technology that starts small and scales dramatically over time to have a tremendous long-term impact". The Project is a similar attempt to produce those kinds of scalable results by harnessing [their] users' insights and creativity. Yes, Google wants to help change the world for the better. Unfortunately, the deadline for submission of ideas was October 20, 2008.

However, you can still vote on the idea you believe is best. The voting on ideas will begin on January 27, 2009. (They will send you a reminder to vote, if you wish?) At that time Google will post a selection of one hundred ideas and ask you, the public, to choose twenty semi-finalists. Then an advisory board will select up to five final ideas. To implement these projects, Google has committed $10 million, and their goal is to help as many people as possible.

This Project reminds us of others. Many of us have heard about the X Prize given for Space Flight. Yet, the X Prize Foundation is planning other prizes in diverse fields, including Health Care, Education Energy and Environment, Exploration, Global Entrepreneurship, and Life Sciences.

The other well-publicized competition to encourage innovation is the DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Challenge. For years, the United States Department of Defense has had an interest in developing a driverless vehicle that would navigate long distances. Remarkable technological advancements have emerged from this annual contest.

I can't wait to vote in January -- I love voting for stuff.

Have a great Thanksgiving, everybody!
RDB

Congratulations, Ladies!

For those of you who have been following the fall sports here at UW-P (like me) you have to be really proud of Jessica Monson and her cross country accomplishments -- AND the women's soccer team. Jessica completed her CC career with a fifth place finish at the NCAA DII national meet at Slippery Rock, Penn. (Slippery Rock, sounds like a dangerous place for a CC race).

I would like you to believe that I compiled the following data, however I have to tip my cap (I usually don't wear a cap) to UW-P sports info guru Steve Kratochvil:

Monson wrapped up a record-setting year. She became the all-time UW-P women's cross country won-lost leader (5,284 Wins and 258 Defeats 95.3%) surpassing, former leader Amber Antonia, runner-up Michelle Rohl, and the likes of Kim Merritt and Wendy Burman. She compiled the best individual season won/lost record of 1,637 wins and 8 defeats (99.5%). She earned the highest individual finish at an NCAA cross country championship (her fifth place finish surpassed Deb Spino's seventh place finish at the 1982 championships) and became the sixth UW-Parkside women's cross country runner to earn a Top Five individual finish (she joined '76 Kim Merritt, third at AIAW, '80 Wendy Burman NAIA National Champion, Deb Spino, third at the NAIA '81, Michelle Rohl, second Place '87 NAIA, and Amy Haines, fifth at the '94 NAIA).

The women's soccer team did something pretty impressive -- beat Grand Valley State, the nation's numero-uno team on Friday, 1-0, to advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA DII tournament. WAY-TO-GO! Sunday, unfortunately, the story was a little different as the Rangers ended up on the short end of a 1-0 contest against Metropolitan State in the quarterfinals. All in all a GREAT season for Troy Fabiano's crew as they advanced further into the NCAA tourney they ever before.

RANGERS RULE!!

Le' me catch my breath.

Does time seem like it is just FLYIN' by ... for me it is. Athletic events, health fairs on campus, Senior Send Off, you name it, I have been there. Great to see everybody but let's face it, I'm bushed!

However! Gotta get my game face back on for this weekend. The Parkside women's soccer team -- the CHAMPIONS of the Great Lakes Valley Conference -- host two NCAA DII regional games this weekend. The first game is Friday at noon with Northern Kentucky battling Rockhurst. My hope for that game, a tie with overtime going well into the evening -- maybe even the next day. Then Sunday at noon the Rangers take on the winner (see why I'm pulling for record-setting overtime -- tire 'em out).

Go Rangers!

A chicken in every pot...

Ranger Bear was quite disappointed this week. I went to vote, just like I instructed you, my faithful readers to do. Armed with my monthly bill from Lands End, I strolled in to the designated polling place for my neighborhood. Holy cow! You would think some people have never seen a bear in public before. Yipes. Caused quite the commotion. Well, sir, the person at the polling place told me -- get this -- that wild animals are not allowed to vote ... even if they do have a Lands End bill. Needless to say, I was somewhat shattered. But I rallied.

The election for president is, to me, an amazing reflection of what makes the United States of America a truly remarkable country. Keep in mind that mascots, as a breed, are a very positive lot. You may not agree with everything that happens here, but in the long run, the USofA is a pretty good place to live. The part I like best: We get to say and do things and go places in this country that if we tried to do in other parts of the world -- let's just say, we probably wouldn't be feeling too well the next day.

No one, especially a "wild animal" who isn't eligible to vote, needs to remind you of the historic significance of this presidential election. You have heard that message from every media outlet for the past two years.

But let me say this -- it's my blog: Attitude is the key to almost every success (or failure) in life. It's one thing -- not the only thing, but one important thing -- that as individuals we CAN control when we begin each day. So far, the attitude of the citizens of the USofA regarding this election is very positive. Ranger Bear likes positive stuff.

Does everyone agree with the outcome? Nope. If you are one of those people, Ranger Bear hopes you will choose to support the 2008 version of our elected officials and do whatever you can personally to help those men and women succeed.

RDB