Happy 4th of July!

For fun here are a few Independence Day videos and images. Happy 4th of July everyone!

Fireworks over Grand Army Plaza

Celebrating Independence Day

Tags: 4th of July, Independence Day, Pictures, Professional Land Surveyor, Videos

China Compass (Beidou) Constellation Planned by End of 2010. Source: InsideGNSS.com

Here’s an article I found China Daily about the Chinese Compass, or Beidou (Big Dipper) Global Navigation Satellite System which is expected to challenge our U.S. developed GPS, the EU’s GPS and Russia’s GPS.

This Compass GPS is planning on providing regional service to China with 12 satellites in 2011. By the year 2020 China plans to employ a total of 35 satellites in this Compass navigation satellite system.

Also reported is that all four Global Navigation Satellite Systems are negotiating compatibility amongst their civilian-use technologies.

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Tags: BDStar Navigation Co Ltd, Beidou, China, ChinaDaily.com, Compass, Global Navigation Satellite System, GPS, Hu Gang, Land Surveying, News, Professional Land Surveyor, Professional Land Surveyor Source, Satellite, Satellite Navigation, State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, U.S., Xinhuanet.com

International Space Station. Credit: NASA

HOUSTON — As America celebrates its 233rd birthday this holiday weekend, there will be an extra light in the sky along with the fireworks. Across the country, Americans will be treated to spectacular views of the International Space Station as it orbits 220 miles above Earth.

Many locations will have unusually long sighting opportunities of as much as five minutes, weather permitting, as the station flies almost directly overhead.

To find out when to see the station from your city, visit:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings

Expedition 20 Commander Gennady Padalka works in the Harmony node of the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

The largest spacecraft ever built, the station also is the most reflective. It will be brighter than most stars at dawn and dusk, appearing as a solid, glowing light, slowly traversing the predawn or evening sky. It is visible when lit by the sun while the ground below is not in full daylight. It moves across the sky too fast for conventional telescopes, but a good set of binoculars can enhance the viewing experience, even revealing some detail of the station’s structure.

The station circles Earth every 90 minutes. It is 357 feet long, about the length of a football field including the end zones, and 45 feet tall. Its reflective solar arrays are 240 feet wide, a wingspan greater than that of a jumbo jet, and have a total surface area of more than 38,000 square feet.

An international crew of six astronauts, including American flight engineer Michael Barratt, is aboard the complex conducting research and continuing its assembly. Other crew members are from Russia, Europe, Canada and Japan.

For more information about the station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

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Professional Land surveyor Source: NASA

Tags: America, International Space Station, July 4, News, Professional Land Surveyor, Professional Land Surveyor Source, Space, Spacecraft, Station, U.S.

In this week’s PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR SURVEY I’m asking: As a Professional Land Surveyor, What Do You Want?

You may want to read my recent post entitled What do Professional Land Surveyors Want? In that post I ponder what Professional Land Surveyors want, listing the following 5 ideas which I used in this weeks PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR SURVEY.

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Tags: Land Surveying, Professional Land Surveyor, Professional Land Surveyor Survey, Source, Survey, Surveyors, Surveys

RPS announces that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the entire share capital of Conics, a major planning, surveying and environmental consultancy headquartered in Brisbane, Australia for a maximum cash consideration of A$64.4 million (£31.3 million). The transaction is programmed to complete on 30 July 2009 following an extraordinary general meeting of the Conics shareholders. Virtually all Conics shareholders have already approved the transaction by signing the sale and purchase agreement.

The acquisition of Conics represents a significant step forward in the development of RPS’s strategy and its business in Australia. Our existing strength in Western Australia will be complemented by a business with considerable presence in Queensland, which will also assist us to create strong market positions in New South Wales and Victoria. The Australian economy remains strong relative to those of other developed nations around the world and has excellent links with many parts of Asia. Against this background, the combination of our existing businesses with Conics gives us a considerable platform from which to deliver growth.

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Tags: Acquisitions, Australia, Business, CONICS, Firm, Land Surveying, Planning, Professional Land Surveying, Professional Land Surveyor, Professional Land Surveyor Source, RPS GROUP PLC, Strategic, Survey, Surveying, Surveyors, Surveys

HUD

Announces eligibility for borrowers up to 125% underwater in Las Vegas with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Congresswoman Dina Titus
WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced an expansion of the Obama Administration’s Home Affordable Refinance Program to include participation by borrowers who are current but up to 125 percent underwater on their mortgage. Under authorization provided by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, borrowers whose mortgages are currently owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will now be allowed to refinance those loans according to the terms of the Home Affordable Refinance program established earlier this year.

Secretary Donovan made the announcement while touring a neighborhood in Las Vegas with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Congresswoman Dina Titus. Las Vegas leads the nation in foreclosures and approximately 67 percent of the current mortgage holders have mortgages that are higher than the worth of their homes.

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Tags: Affordable, Congresswoman Dina Titus, DC, Eligability, Fannie Mae, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Freddie Mac, Home Affordable Refinance Program, Housing, HUD, Mortgages, News, Obama, Professional Land Surveyor, Professional Land Surveyor Source, Property, Refinancing, Secretary Shaun Donovan, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, U.S., U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Values, Washington