New Minnesota Zoo exhibit swarms with Big Bugs!

It's going to be buggy this summer at the Minnesota Zoo -- very, very buggy.

The Apple Valley zoo opens its Big Bugs! exhibit Saturday with 13 giant animatronic insects on display along the Northern Trail. The exhibition runs through Labor Day and is included with zoo admission.

The robots were created by Billings Productions, which brought animatronic dinosaurs to the zoo last year. While they are a spectacle, there's an education purpose to the exhibit, too.

Insects are typically an unnoticed and often unwanted part of peoples' lives, and the exhibit tries to open a window into their fascinating world, said Jessica Madole, interpretive program developer.

"We want to highlight the fact that bugs are all around us," Madole said.

Black ants, bombadier beetles, giant devil's flower mantis, orb-weaver spiders, giraffe stag beetle and a jungle nymph walking stick at the Minnesota Zoo.
"When they're this big, you can't ignore them."

Insects pollinate much of our food, break down dead plants and animals and help control the populations of other insects.

"Your breakfast plate would look one-third empty without pollinators," said Erik Runquist, butterfly conservation biologist. The exhibit includes information on how residents can "plant for pollinators" by limiting pesticide use and installing native plants in their landscapes.

The sheer size of the animatronic creatures makes it easier to learn about them as they flap their wings, close their pincers or slurp imaginary nectar. Visitors can even control the movements of a stag beetle and watch a bombardier beetle shoot gas from its backside, although it's technically referred to as the "lower abdomen."

There also are live insects on display both behind glass and in the hands of zoo workers and volunteers. Most of the live bugs are big, too; many come from the warm, wet climate of the South Pacific.

Jamie Ries, bird supervisor, said early visitors to the Big Bugs! exhibit were excited to interact with both the animatronic and real insects.

"It put all the work into perspective," Ries said. "It was the icing on the cake."

Besides their ecological value, Cale Nordmeyer, butterfly conservation specialist, hopes visitors will appreciate insects for their intrinsic value.

"They're beautiful," Nordmeyer said while holding a jungle nymph, a green stick insect about 10 inches long. "That's the whole purpose of this exhibit, to get people to think about bugs."

Christopher Magan can be reached at 651-228-5557. Follow him at twitter.com/chris_magan.

IF YOU GO

The Big Bugs! exhibit opens Saturday and runs through Labor Day. Zoo admission is $18 for adults and $12 for children and seniors. Parking is $7.


Source: http://www.twincities.com

Stunning view of the Americas on Earth Day

Today, April 22, 2014 is Earth Day, and what better way to celebrate than taking a look at our home planet from space.

NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured this stunning view of the Americas on Earth Day, April 22, 2014 at 11:45 UTC/7:45 a.m. EDT. The data from GOES-East was made into an image by the NASA/NOAA GOES Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

In North America, clouds associated with a cold front stretch from Montreal, Canada, south through the Tennessee Valley, and southwest to southern Texas bringing rain east of the front today. A low pressure area in the Pacific Northwest is expected to bring rainfall in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, stretching into the upper Midwest, according to NOAA's National Weather Service. That low is also expected to bring precipitation north into the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. Another Pacific low is moving over southern Nevada and the National Weather Service expects rain from that system to fall in central California, Nevada, and northern Utah.

Near the equator, GOES imagery shows a line of pop up thunderstorms. Those thunderstorms are associated with the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The ITCZ encircles the Earth near the equator.

In South America, convective (rapidly rising air that condenses and forms clouds) thunderstorms pepper Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and northwestern and southeastern Brazil.

GOES satellites provide the kind of continuous monitoring necessary for intensive data analysis. Geostationary describes an orbit in which a satellite is always in the same position with respect to the rotating Earth. This allows GOES to hover continuously over one position on Earth's surface, appearing stationary. As a result, GOES provide a constant vigil for the atmospheric "triggers" for severe weather conditions such as tornadoes, flash floods, hail storms and hurricanes.

When Strategies Are Not Strategic

Modern business planning owes it origins to two very different parents.

The first is the obligation to prepare a "Prospectus" when floating a company, outlining the "prospects" of the new venture. Although an early prospectus has little in common with a modern business plan, it might well have contained elements that might find their way into such a plan - a statement of purpose, a "vision" of where the new company intends to be in a few years, an analysis of opportunities and threats, and so on.

A prospectus is primarily a legal and financial document, but it is also a marketing tool to sell the new company to investors. What it is not is a strategy.

The second major influence on business planning is military planning. Many of the early pioneers of business planning were professional soldiers or naval officers who were retired or who found themselves surplus to requirements between wars. They brought the techniques they had learned in the services into the world of commerce.

There is a saying to the effect that "When amateurs talk about war, they talk about strategy; when professionals talk about war, they talk about logistics."

There is much truth in that. The key to winning wars is less actual fighting than being able to move men and material at short notice and under pressure to the place where they are most needed. The army that does this most effectively will usually win the fighting.

Since professional soldiers devote a great deal of their time and thought to this, they tend to get good at it. Experience has taught them a few simple techniques that are usually very effective in practice. Although there are many famous logistical failures, they are famous because they are exceptional. This is the military efficiency that proved so useful in the private sector.

However, the downside of professional soldiers being good at logistics because they talk about the subject more than strategy is that they are not so good at strategy.

Career soldiers are not necessarily expert strategists. The skills that make them good at logistical detail rarely come with a view of the bigger picture. Experienced commanders have often made elementary strategic errors that even a well-informed amateur would have foreseen and avoided. Whatever one's view of the policies of the West in Iraq and Afghanistan, no one can deny that the implementation of those policies has been full of avoidable strategic errors.

Many of the fine military minds that influenced the development of business planning were characterised by the same combination of logistical skill and strategic blindness.

Here then is the great gap between the two sources of business planning: neither was particularly interested in actual strategy.

Those who could draft a good prospectus might be able to conjure up an enticing picture of how things could be, and those in the military tradition could deal with the nuts and bolts of running a business, but the problem of turning the pretty picture into the nuts and bolts was never addressed.

There were plans and plans but no real strategy.

This original problem has never quite been resolved. One sees it reflected in too many business plans today. They are big on the broad vision and sound on the operational details, but have no strategy to turn one into the other - which, one would have thought, was the whole point of a business plan in the first place!

Long Term Strategy Growth For Your Business

The opportunities that are available to you when you are starting an online business are almost endless. You need to consider all of the factors that go into opening an online business before you do so, however, as that will give you a better opportunity of being successful. What are some of those options that need to be considered and how can you give yourself the running start that is necessary to make a success of your business and to continue to do so for the long term?

One of the first things that you are going to need to do is to make a determination that you will treat your business properly. If you are simply going to treat the business as you would a hobby, it is unlikely that you are going to give it the attention that it needs. Many online businesses tend to fail because they are not given the proper attention, especially when you expect the business to run itself from the start. There may be a time when you can walk away from the business to a certain extent but that is not going to happen until it is established and running properly.

You also need to consider the type of products that you are going to offer to your customers. One popular option is to sell electronic products, such as e-books or software. If you're going to do this, try to narrow the niche of your product to the tightest extent possible. That will help you to reach a very specific audience that will be more interested in what you have to offer. It is also important for you to verify in advance that somebody is looking for what you are selling. That is another problem that many online businesses experience, selling in a market that is not buying.

If you are going to be selling physical items, you should consider everything that is involved. After all, many small businesses do not have the funds that are necessary to stock the items so that they can continually ship them to customers. That is why you should look for dropship suppliers that will house the items for you and ship them once the orders start rolling in. If you find wholesale dropshippers, that would be ideal because they will give you the price that you need along with taking care of your customers through the shipping process.

One other thing that you should consider is the way that you are going to be selling the product or service online. Some people are going to want to start a website or may even sell it through social media and email marketing. Another option that is open to you is to sell your product through an online auction website, such as eBay. Although it does make a difference where you are going to be selling the product, it makes more of a difference that you are consistent in your efforts. Once you decide which way you are going to go, continue to push forward in that direction and you will find it much easier to be successful.

Source: https://www.doba.com/

Tourism At Apostle Islands Brings In $24M, Creates Over 300 Jobs

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A new report shows just how much national parks benefit the local economy.

The National Park Service report from 2012 showed that the 163,419 people that visited the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Bayfiled, Wis. spent a collective $24 million during their visits.

Additionally, 330 jobs were created in surrounding communities.

This was all before the ice caves on Lake Superior were accessible.

“This new report shows that national park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested, and funding generated by national parks has a swift and direct positive impact on local economies,” park superintendent Bob Krumenaker said.

According to the report, visitors spend the most in restaurants, grocery and convenience stores at 39 percent. Lodging and other recreation follow close behind at 27 and 20 percent respectively.

Already this year, more than 60,000 people have visited the caves.

Source: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com

Putting a Plan Into Action

Small business consulting companies offer a wide variety of services. These services can be utilized before a company begins to operate. In order for a business to be successful, there are many things that should be done from the start.

The small business consulting, research, planning and training can be done in any area of the business. A consultant is considered an expert in the area they specialize in. The services and advice they offer are based on experience and knowledge. It is important for a company to work with a consultant that knows what they are doing.

Customer service is probably one of the most important areas of a business. If a company doesn't have customers, then the business ceases to exist. One of the small business consulting services that can be offered focuses on the customer. A consultant can offer customer service training and customer loyalty training. Some people may think there isn't a difference between the two, but the truth is, there is a huge difference. Customer service helps get a business off the ground, and customer loyalty helps keep it that way. To put it bluntly, a customer will pay their payment, but a loyal customer will make their payment on time.

Another important small business consulting service is branding. A consultant can help with the branding of a company, which will create public awareness of the business and their product. When branding is done properly, it can provide consistency in advertising and marketing. Branding can also help a company's product standout against their competition.

Every business needs an excellent leader. Developing good leadership can be obtained with the use of small business consulting. The consultant can provide leadership training, management team development and employee training. All of these things go hand in hand when it comes to having great efficiency. When a company is run by a person with great leadership, this can allow the company to stay ahead of the competition.

Even after small business consulting services have been used and results are obtained, they can still be used as a method of prevention. For example, a company used small business consulting for employee training and leadership development. By continuing to use these services, the company can increase their chances of profitability and growth.

Procurement is another area that can be handled with small business consulting. A company needs to make sure that they are getting the product they asked for at the right price and in the time they need it. Procurement is practically handled on a daily basis. A consultant can help with things such as developing a procurement strategy, cost reduction, and value purchasing. By assessing procurement, a company be assured that they can provide their customers with the product they offer, at a fair price and have it there when they want it.

Small business consulting involves problem solving. Consultants are often referred to as problem solvers. When a company has a problem that arises, it needs to be handled as efficiently and as quickly as possible. Many problems may go unnoticed because the person in charge has a lack of time. A small problem can turn into a huge one very quickly. It is wise for a company to have someone on hand that can address problems as they occur to keep this from happening. If a company has someone to help with potential problems before they even open, this could help them in the future. A business needs to start out with as few problems as possible. A consultant can help with the problematic areas of the company, giving the manager or owner the time they need to focus on other areas of the business.

Small business consulting services can be used either short-term or long-term. It really depends on the nature of the business and how many issues exist. Either way, having a consultant as a right hand man can be very beneficial for any business. Many business fail because due to lack of knowledge and experience. These are two key components that a consultant has. Small business consulting can help a company rise to the top. It can ensure that the company has all of their ducks in a row, so to speak. If a person owns a company that is having issues or if a person is looking to open their business, it would be a wise investment to seek assistance from a small business consultant. By having a consultant on their side, it is sort of like having their own little insurance policy. A consultant can ensure the company that they will do everything to reach the goals the company has set. The company's mission then becomes that of the consultant.

Source: http://rcbryan.com/

The DIY Cyborg

Humanity just made a large, DIY step towards a time when everyone can upgrade themselves towards being a cyborg. Of all places, it happened in the back room of a studio in the post-industrial town of Essen, Germany.

It's there that I met up with biohacker Tim Cannon, and followed along as he got what is likely the first-ever computer chip implant that can record and transmit his biometrical data. Housed in a sealed box with a battery that can be wirelessly charged, it's not a small package. And as we saw, Cannon had it implanted directly under his skin by a fellow biohacking enthusiast, not a doctor, and without anesthesia.

Called the Circadia 1.0, the implant can record data from Cannon's body and transfer it to any Android-powered mobile device. Unlike wearable computers and biometric-recording devices like Fitbit, the subcutaneous device is open-source, and allows the user full control over how data is collected and used.

Read more about Tim over at Motherboard.

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