John and Federal CIO Vivek Kundra at the White House Champions of Change event, June 10, 2011.

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the White House’s Champions of Change event, which celebrated thought leaders and entrepreneurs from inside and outside government who are helping to solve some of our nation’s biggest challenges. The event also celebrated the 2nd anniversary of Data.gov, a website that enables the public to participate in government by providing downloadable Federal datasets to build applications, conduct analyses, and perform research.

The event recognized 16 “Champions of Change” – developers who built innovative applications utilizing federal, state, and local government datasets. Among the 16 Champions included: Jill Seman, creator of MomMaps; Leigh Budlong, creator of Zonability; and Conor White-Sullivan, creator of Localocracy. The event also featured speeches by Aneesh Chopra, Federal Chief Technology Officer, and Michael Strautmanis, Deputy Assistant to the President and Counselor for Strategic Engagement to the Senior Advisor, and Vivek Kundra (above photo), then Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO).

During the Data.gov anniversary celebration, Federal CIO Vivek Kundra presented me with the “Leader of the Apps Award” for having the largest number of apps published and accessed on Data.gov. As it turns out, our 116 published apps have been accessed 75,518 times, more than twice as much as the next highest person on Data.gov. My contribution took place back to 2009, when I was working at the Department of Defense, Office of the CIO, as part of a Science and Technology Policy Fellowship with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. We certainly didn’t set out to win an award, but I so proud to find that people have found our work to be particularly useful.

Below, I’ve posted a picture a me and Jeanne Holm, Data.gov Chief Evangelist and NASA Chief Knowledge Architect, and the Leader of the Apps award. In a future post, I hope to share some of the official photographs and video from the event.

John and Jeanne Holm, Data.gov Chief Evangelist and NASA Chief Knowledge Architect, at the White House Champions of Change event, June 10, 2011.

The Data.gov Leader of the Apps Award

I am proud to share that the U.S. Department of Defense’s Armed with Science project won 2nd Place for Social Media Outreach/Communications at the 2011 National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards.

Armed with Science connects Defense scientists and engineers with the general public by empowering subject matter experts to communicate through blogging, social media, and other Internet technologies. I’ve had the opportunity to serve as project lead for the past two years.

Included on our award were several of my valued Armed with Science colleagues: U.S. Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg, who helped launch the project with me in 2009; U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Ed Vaughan, who produced the Dispatches from Antarctica series; and Melody Cook, who produced the Office of Naval Research’s Distinguished Lecture Series.

Each year, NAGC recognizes superior communications efforts of government agencies and those who produce them. The NAGC Blue Pencil Awards are geared toward writing, editing, photography, and published products, while the Gold Screen Awards recognize audio-visual and multimedia products. According to the official NAGC Blue Pencil and Gold Screen Awards announcement, there were more than 430 entries in 38 categories. Awesome. Check out the Awards Program for the full list of winners.

Armed with Science was edged out by Challenge.gov, an online challenge platform created by the U.S. General Services Administration’s Center for New Media in partnership with ChallengePost. The site connects the U.S. Government and the public to help solve some of the nation’s most pressing challenges. I’ve had the opportunity to work with the team over the past year, and they are the real deal.

I also wanted to congratulation a co-former AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow of mine, Dr. Dan Stimson, whose ”Lobe-oratorium” entry took home 2nd Place in the Best Display category. For more info on Dan and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s “Lobe-oratorium” display, check out this recent edition of the NIH Record.

And, here is a giant copy of the Awards Program cover. I can promise you that clicking on it will result in you being magically transported to a glorious PDF version of the Awards Program.

I was recently interviewed by Michael Douma, Executive Director at Idea.org, about my role in the Defense Department’s Armed with Science project. The article covers Armed with Science’s origins and some of its core tenets, and relates the project to broader efforts aimed at boosting scientific literacy and improving attitudes about science. Read it. 

Idea.org is a non-profit organization committed to enhancing the public’s knowledge of science and culture. They have a pretty active blog, which I encourage you to visit at your leisure.

Below, I’ve posted an excerpt, but you can check out the full article over at Idea.org.

The idea of Armed with Science was conceived in 2008. Several U.S. Navy public affairs staff were thinking about new kinds of outreach using podcasts and social media, and Ohab was working in the department on a fellowship. The funding came from DOD’s public affairs department (the Defense Media Activity’s Emerging Media Directorate).

Ohab developed an online, weekly radio show which launched in January 2009. The show featured scientists, engineers, and other experts from DOD, other federal agencies, academia, and industry. It was broadcast live on BlogTalkRadio, taking questions via Twitter. There were 64 episodes, covering a wide range of sciences, and the podcast was downloaded nearly 200,000 times in 2009.

After Ohab’s fellowship ended, the Directorate hired him as a contractor via an existing contract with defense contractor OMNITEC Solutions. OMNITEC had prior experience with podcasts and social media, as well as ghostwriting and editing speeches and publications.

Inspired by the success of the podcast, in January 2010, additional staff were brought on, and the podcast evolved into a blog. In the blog, contributors to Armed with Science could share personal narratives, images, and videos. The Armed with Science team also posts headlines from their blog and related news to Facebook (2726 likes), and Twitter (8362 followers). In 2010, Armed with Science published 290 blog posts, 15 webcasts, and 45 YouTube videos. They had over 600k visitors and 250k YouTube views. The blog was the 4th most visited out of 80 Department of Defense blogs, a department that extensively uses social media (see list).

Even though I wasn’t there to inspire them, Darlene Cavalier and the rest of the Science Cheerleaders put on a great performance at NASA. Way to go!

From ScienceCheerleader.com:

The Science Cheerleaders — scientists and engineers who are also current and former professional cheerleaders for the NBA, NFL and other pro sports leagues — performed at NASA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. as part of the White House’s celebration of Women in History Month in March! After their performance, they shared the stage with NASA education specialists and answered questions posed by some of the 200 young female students in the audience. Then, White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, NASA deputy director Lori Garver, and astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson (who just returned from six months in space in the International Space Station) inspired the audience (including me!) and even gave some shout-outs to the Science Cheerleaders. Hands up!

Here’s a brief highlights video reel, showcasing their appearance. (And here’s a BBC report on the Science Cheerleaders, recorded at the event.)

Did you know that we’re smack dab in the middle of Public Service Recognition Week? Indeed. This your chance to thank public servants throughout the nation for working hard to provide us with essential services and advance the common good.

Our friends at GovLoop are doing their part by launching WeLovePublicService.org, a site the allows you to send e-thanks to the public servants in your life. They’ve also put together a compilation video, featuring shout outs from public servants, random passers-by, and Internet celebrities like me and the guy that invented Craigslist. 

You can watch the full video above, or skip right to the part featuring me by watching the video below. Either way, there will be lunging.

This was the only logical next step.

This week, my Defense Department (DOD) buddies, Lt. Jennifer Cragg and Elaine Wilson, wrote very nice stories about the Dispatches from Antarctica series that I’ve been working on for the past few months. The series features Air Force Lt. Col. Ed Vaughan’s first-hand experiences on OPERATION: DEEP FREEZE, DOD’s support of National Science Foundation research in Antarctica. In our effort to connect students to Lt. Col. Vaughan’s experiences, we had students from Arnold Elementary School in Maryland  and the DOD Education Activity Guam High School submit their top questions, and Lt. Col. Vaughan provided responses during his deployment in Antarctica.

To help get the word out, Lt. Cragg crafted a story for the American Forces Press Service and Elaine followed up with post on her popular Family Matters blog. If you’d like to read one of their stories, mouse over the giant screen captures below and click the appropriate button on your mouse.

That Thomas Jefferson was the third U.S. President, first U.S. Secretary of State, principle author of the Declaration of Independence, a horticulturist, architect, archaeologist, paleontologist, musician, inventor, and founder of the University of Virginia all seems sort of trivial when you consider how incredibly awesome I am at miming his statue.

Last month, I had the opportunity to speak on a panel at the Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative (ADL)’s Implementation Fest 2010 in Orlando, FL. I joined Aaron Silvers, ADL’s Community Manager, and Mark Oehlert, Innovation Evangelist from Defense Acquisition University in a discussion with the audience about some of the challenges and successes of using social media at the Department of Defense (DoD). The panel was moderated by Peter Smith, ADL’s team lead for immersive learning technologies.

Implementation Fest is the premier event for the D0D training community.  It provides an opportunity to a unique gathering of military, government, industry, and academic learning/education/training professionals to share lessons learned.  The conference focuses on a range of topics including effective use of distributed learning technologies for DoD training, training standards and specifications, innovative learning capabilities, and other topics.

The AZ Republic is reporting that my good friend JD (Javan) Mesnard has won the 2010 Republican primary for the Arizona House of Representatives, District 21. Things are looking good for Javan — he’s all but assured of taking office in January because no Democrats are on the November 2 ballot.

Congrats, Javan!

The most recent edition of the Office of Naval Research (ONR)’s Innovation Newsletter explores “open innovation” — essentially the notion that organizations can and should innovate by drawing from external sources of knowledge. Seems like a good idea, right? I made it up.  (I didn’t)

Dr. Larry Schuette, ONR’s Director of Innovation, and his team gave me the opportunity to contribute a short article discussing how social technologies (e.g., Faced Book, Classmates.com, and YourTube) are playing an increasingly important role at the government-society interface. The three areas I focused on were crowd sourcing, intra-government collaboration, and citizen science.

Also inside the newsletter, you’ll find an article capturing the entrepreneurial spirit that drives Open Innovation forward co-authored by three professors from the Naval Postgraduate School of Business; an article on massive multiplayer games and insight generation; and an article on Open Innovation and lessons learned within a specific Naval science and technology community of interest.

The Innovation Newsletter is published quarterly and covers a variety of exciting topics. It include articles from scientists, engineers, warfighters, professors, program officers, and others, all sharing their insights and research on a particular field of interest.

Last week, I had the opportunity to fill in as the voice of the American Forces Press Service News Roundup Podcast for the Defense Department. It was a fun and informative experience. I didn’t realize how poorly I enunciated sometimes until I started stumbling over my own words for six or seven iterations of a sentence. Ah, but that’s why we have editing.

Listen: AFPS Podcast 42

Topics in the podcast include: Army Gen. David H. Petraeus formally assumed the command of the International Security Force in Afghanistan; Lt. Gen. David M. Rodriguez discussed the progress the coalition forces are making in Afghanistan; Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden met with servicemembers in Iraq on Independence Day; and more.

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to give a lightning talk at the Gov 2.0 Expo Keynote Kickoff. All of the talks were 5 minutes and consisted of 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds. It was definitely a great experience.

The title of my talk was, “You’ve Been Scienced: Communicating Military Science and Technology with Social Media”. I would love to know your thoughts unless they aren’t complimentary.

In case you hate watching videos, here is a picture from the event, courtesy of O’Reilly Media and James Duncan Davidson:

Katie Packard at AFCEA wrote this very thoughtful article on Armed with Science. Check out the original.

Defense Department Wants You to Get Scienced

SIGNAL Online Exclusive, January 2010 – by Katie Packard

The U.S. Defense Department’s weekly podcast series, “Armed With Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military,” emphasizes the important roles science and technology play in military operations by interviewing scientists, engineers, policymakers and other personnel. Not only does the series highlight cutting-edge technologies and capabilities, it also encourages information sharing and collaboration across the government and the military.

The series was launched in January 2009 through the Defense Department’s Emerging Media Directorate. It’s the only Defense Department podcast dedicated entirely to science and technology. Lt. Jennifer Cragg, USN, an operations officer in the directorate, explains that the concept was developed in 2008 after public affairs officers working in various commands in the U.S. Navy realized there was “a unique need to communicate effectively about science.”

Dr. John Ohab, a new technology strategist in the Public Web division of the Defense Media Activity, agrees. “We interview scientists, engineers, policymakers, teachers—anyone involved in science and technology in the government to have them talk about science in ways that are meaningful to the general public.”

The series has two goals, Ohab shares: to convey the Defense Department’s involvement in science and technology and to communicate science and technology in ways that are accessible to anyone. “We want to demystify science,” he says. “There’s often a disconnect between the general public, the government and scientists. We want to break down those barriers to show the scientists as humans.”

From the beginning, the series has been successful. The first podcast received 3,000 feed or download requests. Throughout the year, episodes have been downloaded 200,000 times. Because of its popularity, the series began to air every week instead of every other week.

“Everyone wants to be a part of this,” Ohab shares. “What started as a DOD thing has now become a government thing. We have 50 government agencies and PAOs looking to find the people who can best speak about [these topics].” The series features guests from the military, government agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs and NASA, and other organizations such as the Science and Entertainment Exchange.

The original focus of the series was on science and technology in relation to military operations, but that has expanded. Podcast topics include anything from applications to policy to high school science fairs.

Some of Ohab’s favorite episodes include a focus on substance abuse in the military with the Military Health System and a focus on cyber crime with Jim Christy, director of future exploration at the Defense Department Cyber Crime Center. “Here he’s talking about cyber crime, which is not necessarily the most pleasant thing, and we’re learning about him as a person. He’s [a retired special agent], he’s advised multiple presidents, he’s a retired college hockey referee. He developed the first forensic technique to recover data from a cut-up diskette. He’s a Little League baseball coach.”

This emphasis on the stories and people behind the science is a driving force behind the Armed With Science blog. “Every week, I ask people, ‘What did you do to get to this division? What’s your background?’” Ohab explains. “Their background and stories are often the most interesting part. That’s going to be the focus of the blog—first-hand accounts, people’s stories.”

Ohab also intends for the blog to serve as a test site of sorts. “We’re trying to use the blog to test out some of these new social technologies.” Ohab wants to see what works and what doesn’t work. Tools being considered include applications that allow users to choose which account they want to log into when leaving blog comments, for example logging in under their Facebook or Twitter accounts.

Lt. Cragg notes, “We’re trying to use as much social media [as possible] to get the information out there. I like learning about social media tools to inform people about science. It’s like walking into a science class every day.”

In addition to the blog, Armed With Science is also on Facebook and Twitter. Follow along and get scienced!

Yes, I came across this portrait of our 40th President at the very end of the White House tour, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t destiny.

My long-time friend, Javan Mesnard, announced that he’ll be running for the Arizona House of Representatives next year. The Arizona Guardian covered the story this afternoon, and I’ve successfully copied and pasted it below. Congratulations and best of luck, Javan!

Senate staffer jumps into House race

Thursday, 10 December 2009
By Dennis Welch
The Arizona Guardian

A longtime policy advisor to Republicans in the Senate says he’s running for an open seat in the House next year.

Javan Daniel Mesnard, 29, said he intends to open a committee on Friday and start campaigning in Dist. 21, which includes a large part of Chandler.

Mesnard, a Republican, has worked at the Senate for the past eight years, serving as an advisor to numerous committees dealing with issues ranging from education to transportation.

His last day is today. Mesnard says he’s considered running for a while because he wants to be the one making the final decisions.

“There’s a lot you can do as a staffer,” he said. “But you’re still working for someone else.”

He says he’ll have an official website up within the next couple of days and plans on running under the name of J.D. Mesnard.

“That has nothing to do with J.D. Hayworth although it doesn’t hurt,” he said.

Mesnard has already picked up two prominent endorsements from lawmakers in his legislative district, Reps. Steve Yarbrough and Warde Nichols, who are both Republicans.

“I think he’s a fabulous candidate,” said Yarbrough, who is thinking about running for the Senate next year. “He’s smart and talented and I really hope he makes it through.”

Two other Republicans have filed to run for the seat, Jeff Vance and Venessa Whitener. If everything works out as planned, Mesnard says he will be running as a team along with Yarbrough and Vance.

Nichols is prohibited from running for re-election because state law limits the number of consecutive terms a lawmaker can serve in the same office.

The district is solidly in Republican hands as Republicans currently hold both seats in the House as well as the seat in the Senate. The GOP also enjoys a big registration advantage, out numbering Democrats by roughly 20,000 in the East Valley district.

According to the Secretary of State’s website, there are about 58,500 registered Republicans, 38,700 registered Democrats and 43,203 voters not affiliated with the two major parties.

This article was written for ScienceCheerleader.com. By reading it, you justify the public humiliation that I endured while walking nearly a mile with a giant red balloon.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the Internets, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has announced the DARPA Network Challenge, a competition that will explore the role of social networking in communication, team building, and group mobilization. The challenge is to be the first person to submit the locations of 10 8-foot, red, weather balloons at 10 fixed locations in the continental United States.

Here’s how it works: The red balloons will be deployed on Saturday, December 5, in readily accessible locations and visible from nearby roads. Teams and collaborators will have approximately 9 days, until 12:00 PM (ET) on December 14, to collect the locations of the balloons and submit their entries.  All locations must be submitted in latitude and longitude coordinates. The event is open to individuals of all ages irrespective of nationality or residency (except Federal employees and their spouses and dependents), but first you must register your team on  the DARPA Network Challenge website.

Find the red balloons. Win $40,000. Do you have what it takes to be the next Balloon Boy/Girl?

“Drug Free is the Key” for the Defense Department during Red Ribbon Week, which runs from Oct 25-31, 2009. The week is meant to higlight the Department’s effort to raise public awareness and mobilize communities to combat tobacco, alcohol and drug use among military personnel, civilians and families.

I had the opportunity to help spread the word by contributing to The Sara Bellum Blog,  part of a larger effort by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to provide information to teenagers on the science of addiction.  Now, in addition to facts on how drugs can affect one’s body and resources for teachers, you can also find my article, “Are You Good To Go?,” and a cartoonishly enormous picture of my head. Thanks to Dr. Bioephemera for her help in setting up the collaboration.

Click here to read the article.  I think you will be compelled to rate it 5 stars. (seriously, do it)

Below, I’ve copied and pasted the story.

————————-

Know the Scene: Are You Good to Go?

In the U.S. military, servicemembers ask each other this question to make sure that they’re ready and able to accomplish the mission at hand. If someone is “good to go,” then they are alert, accountable, and prepared to do their job. Someone who is “good to go” will avoid mistakes and make better decisions.

One thing is for sure: you can’t be “good to go” when you’re taking drugs.

For you, the workplace might be school or your summer job. If you’re not “good to go,” it could mean a bad grade on your chemistry test or getting benched on your football team. But for our men and women in uniform, drug use threatens their ability to protect one another and defend our Nation. A lack of concentration or a wrong decision could put everyone in danger. It could even cost someone their life.

That’s why the Department of Defense is taking steps to create the largest drug-free workplace in the world. Its zero-tolerance policy (PDF, 51.27KB)on drugs means that servicemembers will have the best mental and physical health necessary to do their jobs.

At the same time, many of our servicemen and women are young and need as much support as they can get. Just like when you had to move to a new school or find a new group of friends, life in the military can be stressful. The day-to-day grind of combat, the effects of injury, or being apart from family can cause people to be depressed. And depression can lead to drug use. Just like you, service men and women sometimes need help getting through those tough periods – using healthy ways to cope without turning to drugs.

The Real Warriors Program is aimed at wiping out the stigma associated with getting mental health care in the military. The campaign uses the stories of servicemembers who admitted they needed help and now are pursuing successful military careers. From October 23-31, the Defense Department will honor these real warriors during Red Ribbon Week, an event to raise public awareness about the negative effects of drugs on military personnel, civilians, and their families.

Now, more than ever, we need good role models. Whether you are serving in the military, working at a desk job, or going to school, don’t hesitate to offer help to someone in need. When’s the last time you asked someone, “Are you good to go?”

Do you have a personal story about the importance of role models and encouraging one another to overcome life’s challenges?  If so, please comment on this blog post – we’d love to hear your story!

This is a guest post from Dr. John Ohab, host of the Defense Department’s weekly science radio show, “Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military.”

Last week, David Meerman Scott, marketing guru and author of “The New Rules of Marketing and PR,” visited the Pentagon to discuss the importance of social media in the Defense Department’s communications arsenal.  He spent two hours with the All Services Social Media Council, comprised of people from across the Department (ten points if you can find my forehead in the image below), and led a very interesting discussion about social media strategy and brand journalism.

I had the opportunity to chat with David during a 30-minute car ride, and I couldn’t help but detail all of the social media strategies we use to operate Armed with Science, the Defense Department’s weekly science podcast.  He was so impressed with our efforts to provide meaningful information about science and technology through social media that he even mentioned us in a blog entry, Brand Journalism in US Military Humanizes Large Organization.

Click here to read it.

This summer, I attended a series of Congressional briefings, “The Road to the New Energy Economy”, which brought together scientists and policymakers to discuss the various energy challenges facing our nation. One of these briefings focused on emerging biofuel technology, and I managed to score some behind-the-scenes interviews with the events’ sponsors and speakers. The above video, produced for ScienceCheerleader.com, contains some of that footage, my now-famous shorts and labcoat combo, and a little Princess Ladyfriend for good measure.

I hope you enjoy it!

I wrote this for ScienceCheerleader.com on Oct 1, 2009. Tell as many people as you can.

Hooray! October is Energy Awareness Month, a national effort to empower citizens to reshape the energy economy and be part of the solution to climate change. This year’s theme, “A Sustainable Energy Future; Putting All the Pieces Together”, encourages everyone to see themselves as a piece of the much larger puzzle that includes efforts from the Federal Government, private industry, and the general public.

While scientists and engineers are working to solve many of our energy challenges, there are steps that each of us can take now to lower our emissions while reducing energy and waste disposal costs. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Personal Emissions Calculator can help you measure your own carbon footprint and then take action. The Department of Energy provides an array of low- or no-cost methods specifically geared towards homeowners who want to save energy without compromising their comfort. Google’s Energy Saver Gadget optimizes your computer’s power management settings. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Effiency offers a map of utility programs that provide incentives for those who invest in energy efficiency. You can also help by simply spreading the word and making your friends and family aware of their energy consumption.

If protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, saving taxpayer dollars, and creating a better world for our children is not enough incentive, how about a chance to meet The President of the United States? Oh yes!

Last week, President Obama announced the SAVE (Securing Americans Value and Efficiency) Award, which challenges Federal employees to submit practical, environmental-friendly ways of improving government efficiency and savings. Do you have a innovative idea for preserving light bulbs at government facilities? Or how about a brilliant method for reducing the cost of air conditioning?  You have until October 14, 2009, to submit your ideas for consideration in the fiscal year 2011 Budget. In November, the winner will have the opportunity to present his or her idea to President Obama himself. Stay tuned for news on whether you will also be drinking beers with him.

I’ll return with more Energy Awareness Month reports throughout the next few weeks, including some behind-the-scenes video interviews with speakers, sponsors, and others attending the four-part energy event, The Road to the New Energy Economy. I’m energized — are you?

This Pentagon Channel report investigates whether neuroimaging techniques can be used to detect deception. Dr. Bhatt previously appeared as a guest on the weekly science and technology podcast, “Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military”. The report also features my award-winning acting skills and demonstrates the razor-sharp wit and decision-making savvy required to answer personal questions under pressure.

Dr. Bhatt: Were you born in 1980?
John: Yes.

Virtually no hesitation.

I wrote this for ScienceCheerleader.com. I’m expecting to win several journalism awards.

Anyway, the neuroimaging report will air on the Pentagon Channel’s “Around the Services” program in the near future. In the meantime, some of the content was used as background footage in the above report on traumatic brain injury.

Check out the 2:20 mark for my world famous B-roll performance in the MRI scanner. Also making a guest appearance: my brain.

My latest video blog entry for Science Cheerleader featuring more awesome music from Princess Ladyfriend.

On Saturday, July 11, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA), the Defense Agency responsible for protecting the Pentagon, conducted an operational response test to a simulated outdoor airborne biological attack on the Pentagon grounds. The study consisted of the release of a harmless gardening powder into the Pentagon parking area, where nearly 100 citizen volunteers were positioned, followed by subsequent decontamination and surface sampling of the volunteers. The results will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of various emergency personnel and guide future operational responses to attacks on the Pentagon.

Best of all, Pentagon security relaxed its usual restrictions on photography and permitted media to film virtually all aspects of the operation. I had an opportunity to interview various subject matter experts, including Mr. Paul Benda and Dr. Christina Murata, Director and Deputy Director of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Directorate at the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, as well as some of the volunteers for a SciCheer video report.

If you’re interested in learning more about the operational response test, check out “Armed with Science”, the Defense Department’s weekly science podcast, this Wednesday at 2pm ET on Pentagon Web Radio. I’ll be interviewing Mr. Benda and Dr. Murata live, and anyone can submit questions before or during the show by posting to the Armed with Science podcast or the Twitter page.

Protect THIS!

Awesome: This morning, I attended the Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s “Urban Shield” Operational Response test. The test was conducted to improve the operational response of emergency personnel to an outdoor airborne biological attack and to evaluate the effectiveness of various personnel decontamination procedures. Test volunteers were positioned at locations inside and outside of the Pentagon, and a single release of a biological particulate tracer material, referred to as garden powder, occured along a nearby access road. Post-release, volunteers were transported to a decontamination station near the Pentagon Navy Annex, where test volunteers underwent surface sampling to evaluate their exposure to the particulate tracer followed by one of two water-based decontamination protocols. Post-decontamination, volunteers underwent another round of surface sampling to evaluate removal of the particulate tracer.

Awesomer: The event marked a rare opportunity to break one of the forbidden laws of the Pentagon grounds: no photography.

When I arrived in Pittsburgh to watch the NFL draft with Dr. Brian/Josh, I noticed a glaring juxtaposition at the Pittsburgh International Airport. In the lobby, there stood a statue of George Washington, the father of our country and one hell of a model American. Next to him? A statue of Franco Harris as he appeared during the Immaculate Reception, perhaps the most famous play in football history besides every play made by the Arizona Cardinals.

Is this juxtaposition worthy of Bioephemera‘s long-running “Juxtaposition” series? How many more times can I say juxtaposition before people starting getting uncomfortable? These questions and more will be covered in the next edition of JuxtapositionFest 2009.

A-Muse-ing

When AnHUGE and I volunteered for Servathon 2009, we weren’t thinking about individual recognition or accolades. We were thinking about America’s youth and their right to an enriching educational experience. But, I suppose when you dedicate a single Saturday morning each year to cleaning and painting elementary school bathrooms, you’re bound to inspire at least one piece of public art. This year, our commitment to teamwork, excellence, and yellow-green doors led to this beautiful artwork on the Wilbur J. Cohen Building (across from the Air and Space Museum).

What will we inspire next year?

Infectious diseases, gene guns, and the military — all on this week’s Armed with Science!

LISTEN to Dr. Connie Schmaljohn, senior scientist at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, discuss research investigating vaccines against two types of hantaviruses, which are known health threats to U.S. troops stationed in Europe and Asia. The research team used small amounts of genetic material, or DNA, from the Hantaan and Puumala viruses to develop the vaccines. These DNA vaccines are potentially more cost-effective, and the needle-free vaccination method used to deliver them is less painful. She discusses the research that led to the development of these vaccines and the path that lies ahead. Both vaccines are now in Phase I clinical testing, the first step toward licensure by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

​U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID)​
​​American Society for Microbiology

RSS | iTunes | Armed with Science | On Twitter

• The audio-visual coordination was so uneven that it often took 5 full seconds for a person’s actions to reflect the words or music they produced. At times, this was hilarious, but other times, for instance, during Obama’s speech, it was almost embarrassing.
• I stood in the same spot right next to the Smithsonian Museum in the middle of the Mall from approximately 6:30am to 1pm. That’s a personal record.
• I used a port-a-potty at about 6:15am for no reason other than so I could later say I used one of the of port-a-pottys. I actually feel sort of fulfilled.
• At one point, I was actually booed by about five Pittsburgh Steelers fans who saw my Arizona Cardinals beanie. I smiled.
• On the way home, I helped a man having a panic attack hurdle a large barrier so he could lay on the ground and gain his composure.
• My roommate showed up 2 hours after me and ended up just 20 yards behind me.
• I still haven’t searched for news articles that might explain why Dick Chaney was in a wheelchair because I prefer to make up my own reasons.
• Obama’s speech was amazing.
• I wore a Cardinals beanie and sweatshirt that both had a red, white and blue color scheme. Barack Obama’s campaign logo was also red, white, and blue. The American flag consists of three colors which just so happen to be red, white, and blue. Coincidence? I think not.

Here is my picture album. Enjoy looking at that pictures and imagining you were there with me.

Cardinals in Super Bowl + Obama in White House = best weekend ever

We were freezing.

The Arizona Cardinals Lanyard

Apparently, Christ did a little proof-reading and got the Tampa Bay Business Journal to change the headline for THIS article.

Taken from THIS article in the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Amen!

Fellows select assignments in Congressional offices or federal agencies. This is a year-long opportunity, beginning September 1 and ending August 31. Most federal agencies offer Fellows the opportunity to renew for a second year.

Dueling McCain rallies in Phoenix fight for Arizona votes
by Chelsea Schneider – Nov. 1, 2008 04:57 PM
The Arizona Republic

On one block, they wanted U.S. Sen. John McCain to be their president. On another block, they wanted to divorce him.

Two competing rallies for and against the Republican presidential hopeful were held within blocks of each other in Phoenix on Saturday.

The messages couldn’t have been more different leading up to Tuesday’s election.

More than 400 people attended a Get Out the Vote rally in support of the Arizona senator at Desert Storm Park near his downtown Phoenix office on 16th Street near Missouri Avenue.

Down the street, a rally protesting McCain’s policies at Madison No. 1 Middle School drew about 100 people.

Nancy Bennett of Phoenix listened as U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl and Rep. John Shadegg, both Arizona Republicans, told McCain supporters to talk with their neighbors and take to the phones to help their hometown candidate.

“A lot of people are reevaluating their feelings about Obama because they’ve really been basing their decision about Obama on feelings,” Bennett said. “I think most Americans can get past their feelings and vote for what really makes sense.”

Kyl began his comments asking the crowd to yell for McCain loud enough for the other rally to hear them.

He also questioned the validity of polls that show the presidential race is close in Arizona saying they aren’t an actual reflection of who will vote for the Republican ticket.

“We need to surprise those guys with a very strong vote on election night,” Kyl said. “Not only do we want to show those folks they wasted their money coming to Arizona because it’s McCain country, but we got to think about the next two years and four years as well.”

Bart and Brenda Tesoriero of Phoenix brought their 13-year-old daughter Hannah to the rally. For the Tesorieros, this year’s presidential election is about maintaining support for pro-life policies and preserving the America they know for their children.

“This election is one of the most important in our nation’s history,” Bart Tesoriero said. “What’s at stake here is the culture of life versus the culture of death.”

Outside of the rally, people dotted Missouri Avenue holding signs supporting Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.

Stephanie Hayden of Ahwatukee, along with several other mothers, call voters in swing states when their children are at school to talk about Obama.

“We are just fed up and want our country back,” Hayden said. “The past eight years have been a nightmare, and John McCain would be a continuation of that nightmare.”

The anti-McCain rally ended with protestors marching to his office where a symbolic divorce ceremony between Arizona and McCain was staged.

Clad in a wedding dress, Lisa Blank, local coordinator of the women’s peace organization CodePink, represented Arizona.

“We’ve been married way too long,” Blank said. “A lot of people in Arizona don’t agree with his policies, and for him to come out and say he’ll be the change for the new Washington, he created the old Washington.”

Tim Carpenter, national director of Progressive Democrats of America, said several traditional Republican states are beginning to turn blue.

“Arizona is changing it’s not going to be a red state much longer,” Carpenter said. “These people know they are progressive and are organizing.”

This happened.

Reporter: What does the Vice President do?

Sarah Palin: They’re in charge of the US Senate, so if they want to they can really get in there with the Senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family his classroom.

No, the Vice President is not in charge of the US Senate, and the Vice President most certainly does not make any policy changes that will make life better for anyone. At least, that’s what the Constitution says: “The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.” (Article 1, Section 3) Even the US Senate website claims that the Vice President now “presides over the Senate only on ceremonial occasions”. Wow.

Just a reminder: if elected, this individual would have access to our nuclear launch codes.

Function: noun

1 a: a handheld device that aids in accomplishing a task, b (1): the cutting or shaping part in a machine (2): a machine for shaping metal

2 a: something (as an instrument or apparatus) used in performing an operation or necessary in the practice of a vocation or profession, b: an element of a computer program that activates and controls a particular function, c: a means to an end, d: often vulgar

3: one that is used or manipulated by another

Let the countdown begin. Twenty-two days until I have something to say to Morrissey. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.

America is not the world
By Morrissey

America, your head’s too big because, America, your belly is too big. And, I love you. I just wish you’d stay where you piss

In America…the land of the free, they said, and of opportunity, in a just and a truthful way. But where the president is never black, female or gay, and until that day, you’ve got nothing to say to me to help me believe

In America… They brought you the hamburger. Well, America, you know where you can shove your hamburger. And, don’t you wonder why in Estonia they say, “Hey you, you big fat pig, you fat pig, you fat pig”

Steely blue eyes with no love in them scam the world.
And a humorless smile with no warmth within greets the world.
And I, I have got nothing to offer you
No-no-no-no-no, just this heart deep and true, which you say you don’t need.

See with your eyes. Touch with your hands. Please, hear through your ears. Know in your soul, please. For haven’t you me with you now? And, I love you. I love you. I love you. And, I love you. I love you. I love you.