Author Archives: problogic

Tuesday Tunes: Out-of-this-world rock band names

Listed below are band names (primarily from rock) that are out-of-this-world in nature. The most common terms are star (17), star (13), moon (13), sun (13), and space (7). Meanwhile Mars (8), Venus (6), Mercury (2), Jupiter (2), and Pluto … Continue reading

Posted in Astronomy, entertainment, fun, history, Language, Music, music reviews, Outer Space, Science, solar | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Riding the rails of interstellar discovery at the Very Large Array

It’s hard to fathom that a mere 39 miles of railway track could deliver the entire galaxy to astronomers around the globe. But, when the cargo is limited to 230 ton radio telescopes being moved into position, then such a … Continue reading

Posted in Active transportation, aerospace, Astronomy, distribution, education, engineering, fun, geography, history, infrastructure, land use, logistics, Maps, Outer Space, planning, Radio, rail, Railroads, Science, shipping, Skies, spatial design, Statistics, technology, tourism, transportation, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Majestic “mesa” cities and towns around the globe

Below is a list of those communities named for mesas. The largest of these in population by a large margin is Mesa, Arizona – a suburb of Phoenix with a population of more than 523,000 residents. Ten nations and 12 … Continue reading

Posted in cities, civics, geography, Geology, history, Mexico, place names, placemaking, planning, toponymy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Canada’s next supergroup – A Short Walk to Pluto

Every once in awhile you hear music from a performer that is so good, so talented, and so captivating, that you know if the stars align and everything goes right, they will go far in the industry and will become … Continue reading

Posted in art, branding, Canada, Communications, culture, entertainment, fun, history, music, music reviews, North America, Outer Space, Social media, songs, video, Women, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Two migration tales of strength, hardship, and tenacity

Far too often, certain pundits, politicos, and just plain bigots depict refugees and immigrants as criminals and/or parasites. That couldn’t be further from the truth for the vast majority of those people who are seeking a new life in another … Continue reading

Posted in Advocacy, art, book reviews, books, charities, civility, culture, diversity, education, entertainment, family, film, government, history, human rights, humanity, immigration, inclusiveness, injustice, Latin America, literature, movies, opinion, peace, politics, poverty, racism, Travel, Uncategorized, Welcome, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

An out-of-this-world visit to the Very Large Array (VLA)

This past Thursday afternoon several of us had an exciting opportunity to visit the Very Large Array (VLA) in west-central New Mexico. Anyone who has watched the 1997 movie Contact starring Jodie Foster should be familiar with the VLA. More … Continue reading

Posted in aerospace, architecture, Astronomy, Communications, deserts, education, engineering, film, fun, geography, infrastructure, lakes, land use, Maps, mountains, movies, Outer Space, pictures, planning, product design, Science, Skies, spatial design, Statistics, technology, tourism, Travel, video, Wilderness | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Albuquerque is a national leader in water conservation

As relatively new residents of New Mexico, we have been quite impressed by the water conservation efforts in the Albuquerque area. Even before arriving, we were planning on removing the remaining turf grass in the yard and replace it with … Continue reading

Posted in Advocacy, cities, civics, climate, climate change, deserts, ecosystems, environment, geography, government, history, infrastructure, land use, landscape architecture, natural history, nature, planning, rivers/watersheds, Statistics, sustainability, topography, urban planning, water, water conservation, weather, xeriscaping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The buzz about America’s “bee-friendly” cities

Communities representing 37 states and the District of Columbia are listed beelow as designated “Bee City USA” members. Unfortunately, there are also 13 states without any city members including Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, … Continue reading

Posted in Advocacy, agriculture, Animal rights, Animals, cities, civics, civility, climate, climate change, culture, ecosystems, education, environment, Food, government, health, insects, land use, landscape architecture, natural and organic foods, natural history, nature, planning, Science, seasons, spatial design, States, Statistics, sustainability, tourism, Travel, urban planning, water, water conservation, Wilderness, Wildlife, xeriscaping, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tallest buildings of Greater Washington, DC

As many know, there are building height limitations in Washington, DC. Beyond the Washington Monument, most structures in the District of Columbia are limited to a maximum of 130 feet. Meanwhile, the suburbs in Maryland and Virginia do not have … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, cities, commerce, downtown, economic development, engineering, geography, government, history, infrastructure, land use, new urbanism, pictures, place names, placemaking, planning, product design, skylines, skyscrapers, spatial design, Statistics, urban design, urban planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New Mexico’s protected wildlife areas along the Rio Grande

As one of the corridors making up the Central Flyway, the Rio Grande Valley through New Mexico is host to a vast array of migrant birds flying seasonally through the state to breeding grounds further north or wintering areas both … Continue reading

Posted in Advocacy, Animals, archaeology, civics, climate, culture, deserts, ecosystems, environment, geography, Geology, history, lakes, land use, Maps, mountains, natural history, nature, pictures, place names, placemaking, planning, recreation, rivers/watersheds, Science, Statistics, sustainability, topography, tourism, trails, Travel, urban planning, water, water conservation, water trails, Wilderness, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment