Long Live the Light Bulb!

Captains Report
page 3
XO Report
page 4
CSO Report; Light Bulbs
page 5
Counselor Report; Work Relationships
page 10
Marine OIC Report; 503rd History
page 13
Contact Information
page 15
Editorial Policies
page 16
From the center seat:
Greetings Shipmates and Friends,
Wow, this is the 8th Anniversary of the USS Thermopylae! Happy Anniversary one and all!
We will be celebrating our anniversary a bit differently this year. The crew elected to go out
to dinner and then hang out, party, play games at someone’s home afterwards. Chief Gwinn has located a
“Mongolian Grill” buffet that is pretty convenient to I-5 and Tacoma. Now, I am personally not enamored of
Mongolian Grills. (Two days in the hospital after the last visit to one.) So, I made reservations for a room at
Round Table Pizza by the Lodge (Walmart parking lot).
Round Table Pizza 34410 16th Ave S, suite 101 Federal Way, WA 98003
We have the room from 2:30 until 4:00. The buffet with salad bar is only $8.95 which is less than the Mongolian
buffet. If anyone has any heartburn with this, please let me know. We get a meeting room versus a group table in
the main dining room so should work better all the way around.
I don’t know if our remodel will be done by the time of the dinner, but it should be. If so, we will hold the after
party at our place.
I have made summit reservations for the Fuller clan and Lisa Hergert who will be playing “Emergency ChildNanny Hologram” for Grace. If anyone else is going to summit, please let me know.
Submissions for “gag” awards will be taken up until the 10th so put on your humor caps and send me your
nominations!
All for now, see everyone at the meeting!
FCPT Joe
Greetings Crew,
Congratulations USS Thermopylae! It does not seem like it’s been 8 years since we started, yet when I look back over our
accomplishments, I guess it has. We have received several awards, spun off several chapters for our region, been Region 5’s flagship twice and
helped people right here at home as well as overseas.
I thought everyone would like to see the first photo published of the Shuttle Thermopylae back in 2006 so I placed it on the cover. The
trailer hauls the 503rd marines (they wouldn’t all fit in the shuttle).
The next 8 years should see many new accomplishments for the finest ship in the fleet. I look forward to celebrating with you at the
anniversary dinner. Than you everyone for making Therm what she is. None of this could have happened without this spectacular crew.
FCPT Cathey R. Fuller
XO USS Thermopylae
Editor-In-Chief
The Light Bulb Is Dead – Long Live the Light Bulb!
If you have shopped for light bulbs lately, you may have noticed some changes in their availability.
As part of the Energy Independence Security Act (EISA) signed on December 18, 2007, light bulb manufacturers are required to
produce screw-based bulbs that use at least 27% less energy than incandescent light bulbs (ILB) by 2014. This affects light bulbs
between 40 and 100 watts. While the law itself is technology-neutral (meaning that it does not care what kind of technology is used to
save energy), it would effectively eliminate ILBs in the aforementioned wattage range. [1] Excluded from the new standard are 22
specialty lights like bug lamps, infrared bulbs, marine lamps, plant lights, etc. [2]
EISA is a policy that is phased over 3 years and started on January 1, 2012:
Today’s Bulbs
After the Standard
Standard Effective Date
100 watt
≤ 72 watts
January 1, 2012
75 watt
≤ 53 watts
January 1, 2013
60 watt
≤ 43 watts
January 1, 2014
40 watt
≤ 29 watts
January 1, 2014
Are Incandescent Light Bulbs Therefore Banned or Illegal?
No! ILBs are not "banned" – as many people call it. The affected bulbs are just not produced or imported anymore by the
manufacturer. All the remaining ILBs on the market are treated as leftovers, and once that supply has dried up, it's "game over!"
How Do You Measure the Efficacy of Light Bulbs?
In layman's terms, the amount of light is measured in "lumen." As a reference, a standard 60W incandescent light bulb provides 13-14
lumens per watt (lm/w), a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) 55-70, and an LED light bulb 60-100. At 200 lm/w, the world's most
efficacious LED lamp is currently in the making! [3]
On a separate note, if you really wanted to nitpick, we would have to talk about the "efficacy" and not "efficiency" of a light bulb.
Regular incandescent light bulbs are actually very "efficient" at what they are doing: They turn about 80% of their energy (expressed
in watts) into electromagnetic radiation, which is mostly infrared waves that we perceive as heat. However, as light bulbs, they are not
very "efficacious" in producing visible light (expressed in lumen) that is usable for the human eye [4], and some scientists are
mocking incandescent light bulbs as misnamed "heat bulbs."
Compact Flourescent Light Bulbs Are Efficacious But Contain Mercury!
Unfortunately, that is correct, and therefore, CFLs have to be properly recycled at the end of their life cycle. However, a lot of people
do not realize that 50% of the mercury pollution is caused by coal-fired power plants! Therefore, the less electricity you use, the less
mercury you allow into the environment! [5] If you want to be on the safe side, stick with LED lights.
Aren't LED Lights Expensive? [6]
When LED lights hit the market a few years ago, they demanded a premium of about $30 per piece! But those days are over. Just as
with the earlier adoption of CFLs, power utilities are sponsoring the purchase of LED lights with rebate incentives. It is true that the
prices are still nowhere close to the 50-cent per ILBs, but consider this: LED bulbs consume only one-sixth the energy of an ILB and
last 25 times longer.
If you replaced a 60W ILB with an LED equivalent, you would save about $130 in electricity costs over the lifetime of the new bulb.
When I Buy a Light Bulb, What Do I Look For?
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces the Energy Labeling Rule [7] and "requires light bulb manufacturers to give
consumers key information in an easy-to-read format." [8]
The following information must appear on the Lighting Facts label on the front packaging:
1. Brightness (in lumens)
2. Estimated annual energy cost in dollars based on 3 hours of use and 11 cents per kWh
The back packaging must include the following:
1. Brightness (in lumens)
2. Estimated annual energy cost in dollars (based on 3 hours of use and 11 cents per kWh)
3. Life expectancy in years based on 3 hours of operation each day
4. Color temperature measured in Kelvin
6. Design voltage if other than 120 volts
5. Energy used (in watts)
6. Mercury content
You can easily do the math and choose the most efficient light bulb by dividing the number of lumens by the number of watts. Hence,
the following light bulb is very efficient at 84 lm/W:
What Is the Color Temperature?
Color temperature is expressed in Kelvin. A light source with a lower Kelvin number appears orange/yellowish, while a light source
with a higher Kelvin number is regarded as "cooler" (or more bluish). 5500K is considered to be "daylight" while a candle has a
temperature of around 1900K. [9]
When you are at home and want to create a cozy environment in your living room, you may want to choose a light bulb that emits a
warm yellowish light similar to a candle. But if you are working at the office and deal with a lot of graphics, you may want to pick a
light source resembles daylight.
However, this is only part of the story. The quality of a bulb is also determined by its color rendering index (CRI). The higher the CRI,
the more realistically it reveals colors. ILBs have a CRI of 100, while the CRI of most CFLs and LED bulbs are only in the 80s. [6]
Unfortunately, the CRI is not always listed on the packaging.
Are CFLs and LED Lights Dimmable
Yes, there are CFLs and LED lights that are dimmable – check the packaging for details. But you need to make sure that the dimmer is
designed to work with high-efficiency lamps because older dimmers might not work with the them.
Well, I hope the above information will allow you to make a more informed decision on your next light bulb purchase and help save
energy.
Until next time, live long and prosper!
CAPT Prasith Kim-Aun, DMD
Chief Science Officer
USS Thermopylae NCC-74703
References:
1. http://www.energystar.gov/ia/products/lighting/cfls/downloads/EISA_Backgrounder_FINAL_4-11_EPA.pdf
2. http://www.lightingfacts.com/Library/Content/EISA
3. http://www.extremetech.com/electronics/153123-philips-200-lumens-per-watt-prototype-led-lamp-is-the-worlds-most-efficient
4. http://www.carbonlighthouse.com/2014/02/13/683-lumens-per-watt/
5. http://www.livescience.com/42025-5-myths-light-bulb-ban-eisa.html
6. Popular Mechanics, March 2014 Issue, pgs. 100ff.
7. http://www.ecfr.gov/cgibin/retrieveECFR?gp=11&SID=73761cc1f845bec3a3d4dd94a2c5fb2f&ty=HTML&h=L&n=16y1.0.1.3.29&r=PART
8. http://www.business.ftc.gov/documents/bus26-lighting-facts-questions-and-answers-manufacturers#one
9. http://www.visionglobalmedia.com/resources/kelvin-chart.jpg
Hellooooooooooooooooo, yes I am back from my vacation on the “USS Titan” visiting the “folks”. Hope the New Year is
going well for everyone. As I write this I am excitedly counting down the days until Emerald City Comicon 2014. I have
my badge and am almost done getting all my spending money together. Unfortunately, like last year, the Ship’s Therapy
Dog will be guarding our quarters (more like sleeping through everything  ) I will give a full briefing after the away
mission to the Washington State Convention Center, Seattle WA, USA, Earth (complete with images).
Our Ship’s Therapy Dog and I are also all set, excepting for the lodging reservations, to attend the Region 5 Summit. We
would like to thank our shipmate Yeoman Cmdr Lisa Hergert for agreeing to keep us company on the trip over. Don’t
worry, we will try not to get into too much trouble…… *smirk* I don’t know about this “Ugly Hawaiian Shirt” contest, I think
we may see some veeerrryyy frightening spectacles. *snicker, snicker*.
Due to some stuff going on at work, I have been thinking about office dynamics lately – or in our case “ship-board
dynamics” so-to-speak. How do you get along in a place with so many different personalities?? Here are some words of
wisdom that I managed to pull together:
The Top Ten Ways to Build Positive Relationships at Work
Building positive workplace relationships is vital for career success. Relationships can positively or negatively affect your
satisfaction with the job, your ability to advance and gain recognition for your achievements. When you build positive
relationships, you feel more comfortable with your interactions and less intimidated by others. You feel a closer bond to
the people you spend the majority of your time working with.
However, for a lot of people, relationship building isn’t natural or easy to do. Most refuse to admit this is a concern
because it is such a basic, common sense concept.
They assume they already know how to do it. Don’t fall into that trap. Everyone – even the most outgoing, engaging
personalities – can improve their skills in this critical area.
The ten tips listed below are for anyone who wants to build positive workplace relationships. Apply these tips to
interactions with your boss, team members, project managers, senior management, vendors, clients, customers, direct
reports and administrators.
1. Share more of yourself at meetings. One of the best ways to build relationships is to let others know who you are.
This can come by sharing your expertise, knowledge and personality at meetings. Other people will either get to know
you, like you or want to hear more from you. They will find you more approachable and thus the chance of building
relationships begins to occur. If you are fearful to share at meetings, think ahead of time what you want to say so that you
are more prepared.
2. Speak positively about the people you work with, especially to your boss. Get in the habit of speaking positively
to others and providing quality feedback about the people you work with. Many times the information that gets shared
(whether positive or negative) comes back to the person who is being discussed. People will enjoy hearing that you have
said supportive things about them and will know that you are on their side. That will build trust. Be careful of the
workplace gossip that is so prevalent and don’t contribute to it.
3. Be supportive of other people’s work. Ask how you can get involved. This will form a closer connection because you
are working directly with them to help them meet their goals. They will appreciate your support and get to know you
better which is vital to creating a more connected working relationship.
4. Ask others to become involved in your projects or activities. Don’t be afraid to ask others for help and bring them
onto your projects. The more they can participate in the activities you are working on, the better you get to know each
other. You’ll enjoy working with others in getting more things done.
5. Write thank you notes. Write notes of appreciation to the people who are doing exemplary work, making positive
contributions and going above the call of duty. These notes can be hard-written, sent via email or done by voice mail.
Send them to people above you, below you or at the peer level. Colleagues like to be appreciated and will feel closer to
you by having been noticed and thanked for their contributions.
6. Initiate conversations by asking questions. When we first meet someone it can be a bit intimating. We often don’t
know what to say or how to say it. Asking questions is a great way for you to listen and let the other person share. They
will feel closer to you when they have shared about themselves and you demonstrate you’re interested in what they have
to say. Then share something about yourself so the relationship becomes a two-way interaction that can help establish a
bond.
7. Initiate repeated interactions and communications. An important part to building relationships is to continue
interacting with the person you have gotten to know. As you get to know each other better, personally and professionally,
you establish a closer connection that can greatly impact your satisfaction.
Some of these suggestions may work, some may not. Some may need to be tweaked to fit the situation. However we do
it, maintaining a comfortable work environment makes the day hopefully run smoother.
FCPT Dona Rae Colbert
Ship’s Counselor
"Save the Earth.... It's the only planet with chocolate"
and Ensign Yuki Colbert
Ship’s Therapy Dog
Hey, Spartans! Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat! …. “But that trick never works …”
I’m writing this in March, but, since it’ll be published in the April issue, I wanted to give you all a little overview of the 503rd as we
approach the USS Thermopylae’s Birthday.
Back in 2006, we were the new kids in the 5th Brigade. At the launch ceremony of the SHUTTLE Thermopylae, , the CO of our
“mother ship”, the USS Rubicon formally confirmed that the 503rd Marine Strike Group - The Spartans- had been activated by the
brigade, and the “acting ranks” were made official for Major Joe Fuller, 1LT Angelina Christian, and GSGT Jerome Stoddard, who
served as the founding OIC, DOIC, and NCOIC. The new “baby” Marine unit was promised as much support as the Rubicon and the
Brigade could give them, and they wished us luck. Luck? LUCK? As Prigal might say “Luck is what you need when you ain’t got
TALENT!”
Over the past eight years, the 503rd has admittedly had our ups and downs. For a time, we were the largest unit not just in the Brigade,
but in the entire SFMC. We’ve also been just above average for the Brigade in membership. People come and go, but the Spartans
have carried on. And, the talent has certainly shone through.
In addition to all those streamers you may see on the guidon (and about HALF of the ones we’ve earned aren’t there yet), and the
multiple awards of the Meritorious Unit Citation and the Legion of Valor ( 5th Brigade Unit of the Year), individual members of the
503rd have been recognized by the STARFLEET Marines as some of the “best of the best” by winning several of the annual Honor
awards. This once obscure unit, stuck way out in the STARFLEET “boonies” of Region Five has had various members receive the
Distinguished Service Cross (the SFMC’s third highest award, given for exceptional and long service in a position well above the
local level), two different awards of the Cross of Honor (Marine of the Year), two separate Shield’s of Honor (Volunteer of the Year)
and two winners of the Star of Honor (NCO of the year). To put it another way, in the time since the 503rd was formed, only a dozen
DSC’s have been issued, and only eight each of the Cross, Shield, and Star of Honor (since they‘re annual awards). To have a single
unit so heavily represented in that small group speaks to not just the individual talent we have, but of the mutual support we give each
other that lets that talent flourish.
And, that doesn’t even begin to account the various STARFLEET Academy, SFMC Academy, Corps level, and Brigade level awards
members of the 503rd have earned over the years. The 503rd, in a relatively short time, has shown that we are willing to rise to the
occasion and accept any challenge. Does “Retreat is NOT an Option” ring a bell?
And the spirit and drive that has made the 503rd great over the past eight years is part of the very fabric of the STARFLEET Marines
right now, since two of the seven positions on the SFMC General Staff are held by members of this unit, helping shape SFMC policy
and help the Corps to adapt and grow over time.
Yeah, we’re THAT darn good, folks, and it’s all due to each and every member, past, present, and future, helping to find and develop
that talent in our fellow Spartans.
Now, since this is the April issue, time for a little April foolishness. I often wonder how many folks read this every month, so here’s
the deal: if you read this, and want to have a little fun more or less at MY expense, drop me a quick email (my address SHOULD be
there in the back of this fine newsletter). Just a simple “Hi Gunny - I read it” will do. I have a full, sealed bottle of Gunny’s Private
Reserve standing by, and, every email I get on this subject between the time this comes out and the time I have to file my next Comm
Link article (April 20) will force me to open that bottle and take a Marine sized slug out of it. I’ll report next month on how much is
left.
Nothin’ up my sleeve …Presto! Oh, look, a birthday cake …with a fuse? I HATE April sometimes …
Gunny Hawk
Aka
MGSGT Jerome A “Gunny Hawk” Stoddard
OIC 503rd MSG “The Spartans”
“Retreat is NOT an option”
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