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"First People of Back Bay

"Bootleggers, Rum Runners, Shrimp Pirates, and Oyster Thieves"

 
"First People of Back Bay" provides a story as told by a young boy growing up in the commercial seafood industry on the Gulf of Mexico.  If there ever was a smorgasbord of people assimilated in an industry, the Gulf Coast seafood industry was it.  The boy's journey in commercial fishing began when he was about 5 years old and continued until he finished college.  It involved a range of relationships and characters that are described in the chapters of this book.  Each character as well as the Gulf Coast area had a profound influence on the story teller's life.
 
Legal immigrants from Austria, France, Greece, Italy and Yugoslavia with their heavy backgrounds in fishing were instrumental in catching seafood and the success of the industry.  Migrant Polish workers from factories in Baltimore, MD helped meet the demand for low cost labor in the factories.  Also a source for labor was the Slavic nationalities from the Dalmatian Coast of the Adriatic Sea.  They all brought with them their skills in building boats, making nets, running canneries, and their innovation in how the seafood industry should be. 
 
Some might call the early fisherman Pioneers of The Gulf, while others could say they were Bootleggers, Rum Runners, Shrimp Pirates, and Oyster Thieves.   Perhaps the early fisherman were a little bit of all of these things, even cowboys and Indians.  After all, Biloxi is an Indian word meaning "First People", and the "Biloxis" and "Pascagoulas" Indians were on the Gulf in 1699 to greet the French.  Like most people in other parts of the country, the Gulf fisherman adjusted their lives to address the challenges and situations they faced everyday.  In the simplest of terms, it was about making a living and survival.  Most of them had very little formal education, and they made remarkable adjustments to accommodate changes in the work force and technological advances. 
 
Probably at least 90% of the fishermen in those days would have been classified as living in a state of poverty in today's standards.  Whatever they got or achieved, they did it on their own.  The book is based on real life people and situations; however, it is fiction because the names and some of the situations have been modified for publication.
 
The official release date for this book is November, 14 2009.  However, it is now available for order through Publish America's online bookstore, or by contact them at 301-695-1707.
 

Now available for purchase -click here!

 
   

"Operations Research Analysis in

Test & Evaluation"

 
"Operations Research Analysis in Test & Evaluation" by Donald L. Giadrosich represents a significant addition to the technical literature in this field.  Although the text focuses on processes and methodology that are vital to the military, these techniques are applicable to civilian problems. 
 
The text provides an insight into the importance of operations research analysis, test & evaluation (T&E), and how they both affect systems at critical decision points in their life cycle.  Risk reduction in the decision process through operations research analysis and T&E becomes increasingly important as budgetary pressures impact the acquisition process and the Nation moves toward a smarter defense force.   The application of advanced technologies in computers; distributed an interactive simulation; information processing, synthesis, and display; virtual and hybrid reality; global positioning; automated systems and diagnostics; and other areas cited in this text are extremely important in reducing both cost and risk association with future systems. 

 

The text is recommended reading for Manager and Officials involved in making critical decisions requiring timely analysis.  The text should also be of great value to those who would like a better perspective into the advanced aspects of applied operations research and analysis and T&E.  This book can be order through the AIAA web site.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 

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© 2002 Destin Don

Destin Don ~ PO Box 144 ~ Destin, FL 32541