A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread, and Thou. Three theories that explain almost everything we want to know in simple terms: PART 2, A Loaf of Bread

On By Dr. AndyIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

In my previous writing (Part 1) I used a jug of wine as a symbol to explain why I believe we spend so much time dulling our senses with chemicals and activities that cater to the brain’s incessant need to process information around us to assure our survival. That post came from my musings in psychology. In this part (Part 2), taken from a paper I wrote on a unified theory of consciousness (in one of my weaker philosophical moments) I put on my physicists hat explain our relationship to time. Hopefully after Part 3 I can time all of this together into a unified theory that will explain everything about everything. Continue reading “A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread, and Thou. Three theories that explain almost everything we want to know in simple terms: PART 2, A Loaf of Bread” →

A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread, and Thou. Three theories that explain almost everything we want to know in simple terms: PART 1, A Jug of Wine….why we do everything we do

On By Dr. AndyIn Uncategorized1 Comment

A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread–and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness–
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam has long been one of my favorite poems and this well-known verse, taken from that poem, has always held special meaning for me. As I lay awake the other night thinking about nothing and everything it suddenly came to me that the poet long ago had a firm grip on the answers to some of the most pressing questions that we, as humans constantly ask. Using the poet’s jug of wine, loaf of bread and Thou as visual anchors, I will present theories in simple terms that explain three important concepts, that when combined form a universal theory of human behavior. Continue reading “A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread, and Thou. Three theories that explain almost everything we want to know in simple terms: PART 1, A Jug of Wine….why we do everything we do” →

More Hints for writing and winning Small Business Innovative Research Proposals

On By Dr. AndyIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Last week I gave the top 10 pieces of advice I give my protégés concerning the small business innovative research (SBIR) program. There is a lot to this program and it can be very valuable to a small business but it can also be a large time-waster if not done correctly. I received several requests to say more so here are some additional things to think about as you prepare proposals. Continue reading “More Hints for writing and winning Small Business Innovative Research Proposals” →

10 Tips For Winning Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Proposals

On By Dr. AndyIn Government3 Comments

In the 27 years Bevilacqua Research Corporation has been in business I must have written over 100 SBIR proposals. I have won 16 (1 was never funded) and have gone to Phase II on 7 and Phase III on five. This may not seem like much but as competitive as the SBIR program is, this is a pretty good record. In fact the DOD Techlink office has written an article on our success that will be published as soon as the DOD public affairs office approves it. Although we are not considered a SBIR company (i.e. a small business that makes its living from responding to and winning SBIR’s) I conservatively estimate that ¾ of all of the revenue that we have made since we opened our doors in 1992 are a direct result of our participation in the SBIR program.  When I mentor small businesses I always give them a free SBIR proposal template and the following advice: Continue reading “10 Tips For Winning Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Proposals” →

Testing Artificially Intelligent Systems…. Not just possible…Easy!

On By Dr. AndyIn Company News, GovernmentLeave a comment

A senior manager in our test group down at Eglin Air Force Base forwarded me a white paper by SOGETI a company in Europe. The white paper was titled, “Testing of Artificial Intelligence, AI Quality Engineering Skills – An Introduction”. In general the white paper was well done however the authors based their conclusion that AI testers will need a plethora of new skills to be able to test AI on the following statement, “AI is not required to learn, it could be using pre-programmed rules to handle all possible outcomes. However, for systems with more than basic complexity, this has proved to be a task too large and too complex to handle (it has been tried and failed multiple times since the 1960s)”. What these authors apparently didn’t now is that BRC did solve this problem in 1996 under the Army’s small business innovation research (SBIR) program. In 1998 BRC was awarded the Tibbetts award from the small business administration for “excellence in innovation” for this breakthrough. Continue reading “Testing Artificially Intelligent Systems…. Not just possible…Easy!” →

The Real Effect of The Government Shutdown on Small Businesses and Their Employees

On By Dr. AndyIn Government, Servant LeadershipLeave a comment

People often are surprised to hear that I rarely (if ever) watch TV “news” channels. (In fact I rarely watch TV at all-I prefer to do my own thinking!). I am from the Walter Cronkite generation where news organizations were trusted and were believed to be the defenders of the truth (and therefore ultimately our freedom) in America. What I see today is that neither side of the liberal-conservative split in this country gets the truth from any news organization. Rather both sides get talking points designed solely to discredit the other side at the expense of the truth. Continue reading “The Real Effect of The Government Shutdown on Small Businesses and Their Employees” →

VIETNAM VETERANS and LIVING WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE

On By Dr. AndyIn Parkinson's Disease6 Comments

In 2013 I received a diagnosis that changed my life. I have Parkinson’s disease (PD). For those of you that don’t know much about this disease, I would recommend the Michael J Fox foundation site at https://www.michaeljfox.org/. There is no cure for PD and not everyone with the disease gets all the symptoms but even though Parkinson’s itself doesn’t kill you it can sure speed things along. Continue reading “VIETNAM VETERANS and LIVING WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE” →

Artificial Intelligence or Artificially Augmented Intelligence?

On By Dr. AndyIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Earlier this year I wrote an article on LINKEDIN that questioned the Government’s stated desire to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) for use in military systems. My point being that true AI (sometimes called Real AI), cannot be controlled or validated and this makes it unsuitable for implementation in a machine capable of destroying human life. Continue reading “Artificial Intelligence or Artificially Augmented Intelligence?” →

Do You Know Who WE Are?

On By Dr. AndyIn Company NewsLeave a comment
27 years of quality, service and commitment to our employees and customers.

This weekend we had our two last Holiday Parties for our Panama City Beach and Niceville Office employees. I would like to thank all of those that came and especially those that were involved in planning and running the events. Each year these events get better and I think everyone has a nice relaxing time. Most of all I believe that seeing people in person strengthens relationships and builds trust. Continue reading “Do You Know Who WE Are?” →

The Top 10 Things a Protégé Company Leader Needs to Know

On By Dr. AndyIn Servant LeadershipLeave a comment

In my first blogpost I mentioned that for 27 years I have offered free mentoring to other small defense contractors.  Over the years I have found that there are several important pieces of information that every new business person needs to know and take to heart immediately if they are going to avoid many common business problems. Continue reading “The Top 10 Things a Protégé Company Leader Needs to Know” →