Technical Reference Models

Today’s Thoughts

Interoperability is greatly facilitated by a shared Technical Reference Model.  The US Department of Defense developed these as a part of the Corporate Information Management (CIM) Initiative.  A current TRM is available at http://ce.sharif.edu/courses/87-88/1/ce448/resources/root/EIAP-methodologies-references-models/DOD_TRM_V0.4_10Aug.pdf.

Satellite Communications is shown in context in Figure 6 on page 17 in the above reference.

The OSI Technical Reference Model describes a seven-layer protocol stack.

See http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc977591.aspx.

 

 

MH370 Fact and Hypotheses

MH370 Facts

The plan took off nearly on time.

Things were normal throughout the first controller’s tenure.

The InMarSat data has been accurate and reliable.

The range of the flight has been uncertain.

Hypotheses:

The P-3 dropped sonobouy detected Tireless.

US Assets added nothing to the realization that the aircraft was on the Southern Arc.

US National Authorities wish they had assets capable of contributing.

MH370 Flight Path

Without knowing the uncertainty in the altitude values for the military radar, we really do not know that it forces deviation from the otherwise determined flight path.

The maximum likelihood fit to the data is that the plane went down on the southern arc of the circle.

Who benefits most?

The media has been focused on the loss of MH370 for two weeks.

Who benefits most, Obama or Putin?

To establish Post Offices and post Roads

The US Congress is given this responsibility in the Article 8 of the US Constitution.

Al Gore didn’t invent the Internet but he did recognize that it was useful to our Country.  We now refer to mail delivered by US Post Offices over post Roads as “snail mail.”

If our Founding Fathers were writing the Constitution today, wouldn’t they address email and the Internet?  Isn’t the Internet today’s post Road?

A modern Post Office would be some kind of electronic mail server.

Email on the Internet should be protected from snoopers (including NSA) as snail mail is currently protected from snoopers.

The USPS could be working on a Transition Plan for moving forward instead of running deficits and the union running promotional ads.

Perception is Key

Perception was more important than reality in the Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) strategic nuclear policy of the Cold War.  If a party was perceived as weak enough to be attacked, it would be of little consequence to the millions of dead that the attacking party was wrong.  On the other hand, would one expect to be able to achieve savings by focusing on perception rather than reality?

In the good old days, the US could retaliate against a terrorist country for a terrorist act against the US or a US citizen.  If we got it wrong, nobody knew except for the real perpetrator and, possibly, us.  If someone credible spoke out, we would have a new target.

While thinking about the War on Terror, I realized that, if we have a list of “bad guys/countries”, we can pick a (deserving) target and punish them.  Everybody will think that crime does not pay except for the real perpetrator.

I can see an analogy with local law enforcement.  Now, with DNA evidence, the innocent of the particular crime is being set free but no replacement is being found.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott Vetoes Family Law Reform

I watched the hearings for SB 718 and the companion bill in the Florida House.  There was very moving testimony about how a mother had achieved independence.

Government Rick Scott needs to be more pro-Family and less pro-Florida Family Law Bar Section.

(DR)2H