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In May I heard a speaker from Brookings Institution speak at a Western Association of Chamber Executives board meeting in Las Vegas. Brookings is a Washington DC based think tank but he was based in Vegas and specialized in studying the economic trends in the West. One point that he made struck a chord with me. He said that cities in the western states are Silicon Valley's workbench. That, of course, would include Fort Collins.
What an interesting way to put in. The heart of America's high tech sector is in Northern California, for sure. However, getting everything done requires the talent and manpower of many communities and states.
Software is an important part of the local tech scene but hardware is at the core. Our 'workbench' includes specialties in chip design, data storage, systems on a chip, microwaves and remote sensing. About 3,000 people are employed in 17 firms that make up this cluster. The biggest companies are Avago (1000+ people), Hewlett-Packard (1000+), Intel and Advanced Energy.
The quality of life of the area, educated populace and relative affordability (at least compared to Silicon Valley) keep us as a top high tech workbench. Even as some companies contract and restructure, Fort Collins will stay on the radar.
Last Saturday I was on a 4-person panel convened by State Senator John Kefalas to talk about the future of the workforce. Since we only had 10 minutes each for comments before the Q&A, I rummaged around in the attic of my brain for things I've been thinking about relative to workforce and presented them on one slide like this:
Here's what they mean:
I-25. As in Interstate 25. My point to the group was that the growing congestion on I-25 is shrinking the labor-shed to the detriment of both employers and jobseekers.
9th out of 365. This is how Fort Collins ranks in under-employment. Out of 365 metro areas in the nation, we are 9th in the percentage of our residents that are working at jobs below their education attainment level. In essence, the community isn't producing enough good-paying jobs.
250,000 in 2045, 164,825, additional 65,050 jobs. The population of Fort Collins will grow to 250,000 by the year 2045. That's not the goal, but based on demography, it is likely. A city of that size will need a workforce of around 165,000 people. The punch line is that the community will need to add a net of 65,050 more jobs in the next 30 years.
-10-15%. This is the share of jobs the typical community loses every year through the natural creative destructive process of capitalism. Most displaced workers are able to transition into a new role. The point here is to stay focused on the fact that jobs do disappear in the natural course of things and to pay attention to the need to replace them.
$31,608 vs. $55,628. All jobs have intrinsic value but some have more economic value. $31,608 is the average wage of non-primary employer jobs in Fort Collins. $55,628 is the average wage for primary jobs in Fort Collins. Primary employers are companies, large and small, that produce more than they consume locally and sell at least half of it outside the market. Primary jobs drive economic prosperity.
$38,877 ('07), $37,732 ('09), $41,311 ('12). These numbers are the per capita personal income in Larimer County for 2007, 2009 and 2012. You need to look at a variety of numbers to get a good understanding of what is going on in a local economy, but per capita personal income is a good overall indicator. These numbers show the impact of the Great Recession in 2009.
66.2% to 62.7%. The national labor participation rate has declined from 66.2% in March 2006 to 62.7% today. We are at the lowest rate since 1984. This is a disturbing number to me because as job openings have gone up, labor participation has not. It's an indication that we are incenting people not to work through public support programs.
39% of 16-24 years old, +10% in 14 years. Here's another disturbing number. 39% of 16-24 year olds don't want a job. That's up 10% over the past 14 years. This is an indication of work ethic and motivation. This reflects in lifetime earnings and the quality of entry level skills when this job does eventually make it into the workforce.
7% ('95), 15% ('14), ~20% ('20). These numbers represent the growing 'freelance economy,' with 7% of people working independently in 1995 growing to 15% by 2014 and estimated to grow to 20% by 2020. Is this by choice or necessity and is it good or bad? My answer to the group was 'yes' and 'yes'. It is both choice and necessity and both good and bad. For the short-term many displaced seasoned workers and new grads have had to make their own way by creating their own job. The big plus in all of this is that a more fluid and flexible way of working has emerged that deploys talent in a timely way to where it's most needed.
3 billion vs. 1.2 billion. A few years ago Gallup Corporation did a worldwide survey on attitudes regarding work. They found that 3 billion people want good paying jobs (defined as steady work, 30+ hours per week). The rub is that only 1.2 billion such jobs exist. This could be a point of social and political unrest in different countries around the world. The key message for us is that our workers are competing globally and that our primary employers are other communities' prospects. Staying focused on creating a good business climate and creating jobs should be Job 1 of all local leaders and policymakers.
50 – 60 years, technology revolutions. Every couple of generations we go through massive techno-economic revolutions. While they propel us forward, they are also disruptive. We are in the middle of one of those revolutions and some of the numbers cited above are indicative to the impacts. According to Future Trends, the last 5 techno-economic revolutions include: the Industrial Revolution (1771, started in Britain), the Age of Steam & Rail (1829), the Age of Steel, Electricity, Heavy Engineering (1875), the Age of Oil, Auto, Mass Production (1908) and the Age of Information / Telecommunications (1971). In the middle of these revolutions, old models and processes no longer work very well and begin to change, and there is a glut of capital and surplus of labor. This type of change / disruption is ripe for temporary political 'solutions' that become permanent or long standing – minimum wage increases, Lifeline Assistance Program, mortgage assistance programs, expansion of disability insurance, food stamps, health care subsidies, etc.
42% vs. 45% vs. 72%. There is a lot of talk in the country about a 'skills gap' between what employers need and what works can do. In some locales that leads to the ironic situation of companies saying they can't find good workers while the unemployment rate or underemployment rate is higher than average. However, these numbers represent a 'perception gap.' Research by McKinsey & Company found that 42% of business executives believe that students are ready for work and students generally agree with that with 45% saying students are ready. The punch line is that 72% of educators think young people are work-ready. This would indicate a need for closer collaboration between business and education providers.
0.52% ('02) to 0.34% ('12). But, businesses have some culpability when it comes to the quality of the workforce. These numbers reflect a decline of in-house company training programs. According to Training Magazine, the share of GDP spent on instruction fell from 0.52% in 2000 to 0.34% in 2014.
What's the story with all of these numbers? The message is that infrastructure (think I-25) impacts labor, be conscious as community leaders about disruptive macro-changes that impact the community and be proactive in doing something to create good paying jobs while not reaching for non-solution solutions. Finally, the working relationships between education providers and business leaders at all levels could be strengthened.
Last Saturday the Fort Collins City Council had a planning retreat. One of the items on the Council's agenda was discussion about an update to the City's economic strategy. Let me go to the bottom line first: based on that discussion, it is and will continue to be the official policy of the City of Fort Collins to support a strong local economy through the retention and attraction of primary employers.Behind that good news, however, is a more nuanced conversation. There are actually a couple of Council Members who don't want the city government to encourage private sector job creation, especially primary jobs. Their colleagues on the Council were having none of it. Starting with Mayor Weitkunat, Council Members Gino Campana and Wade Troxell and Mayor Pro Tem Gerry Horak schooled them on the importance of primary employers.They reminded all of us how important primary employers are to the local economy. The jobs (and the big payrolls) they create allow the retail and service sectors to thrive. Fostering and protecting community income streams – the flow of outside money into Fort Collins – should be the key objective of the City's economic health strategy. Buzz phrases like 'steady state economies' were thrown around as an alternative to focusing on primary employers, but most of the Council understands that it's a form of voodoo economics with no grounding in the real world. The short definition is that primary employers are companies that sell most of their product or service outside the local market and bring income into the area. Jobs at these firms on average pay significantly better than those at retail or service companies. And, remember that these companies don't just hire engineers; they also need truck drivers, receptionists, shipping clerks, janitors, etc.One positive from this discussion was a reminder that we can't take for granted that people understand the importance of primary employers. That's one reason the Chamber created FortCollinsWorks.com. If you're interested in the topic of economic prosperity and primary employers, I'd suggest you visit the site and look at:
In closing, hats off to the Mayor and Council Members for keeping the City focused on supporting a strong local economy.
Here are some numbers for you to ponder:
As one of the community's biggest cheerleaders, I love bragging about the Fort Collins area. Things are certainly going our way on many fronts. That doesn't mean that we can afford to be complacent, which is the point of the top three numbers listed above. The short version is that we aren't creating enough good-paying jobs, we have to run fast just to keep up and the competition for our jobs is fierce.
Clearly the residents of Fort Collins understand all that based on their strong support for economic development.
The Chamber is holding a 'Future of Jobs' summit tomorrow morning at Hilton Fort Collins to discuss the latest on the economy and efforts to create more jobs. The Coloradoan editorial board wrote about it on Sunday as you can see here and below. We have a lot of work to do on the job creation front, and the Coloradoan is right when they say we can't rest on our laurels.
I hope to see you there tomorrow.
Would you rather be living and working in Fort Collins or Detroit? While the once mighty 'Motor City' continues to implode, the gods continue to smile down on the 'Choice City' of Fort Collins. Clearly different choices by the communities are leading to different results.So, what is going on in the greater Fort Collins economy and how do we keep our positive momentum? Are there any dark clouds on the horizon? These and similar topics will be covered at the second annual Future of Jobs summit coming up on the morning of July 31 at Hilton Fort Collins.
It's a 'don't miss' event for anyone interested in the economic future of the area. To learn more and register for the event go to the Chamber's home page, www.FortCollinsChamber.com or click here.
How much control do we have as a community to create a vibrant local economy? As I noted before, there is a long list of issues and trends that can impact us that are beyond our control.Fortunately, through the deliberate process of economic development, we can do a great deal to influence private sector investment in our area. We outline many of those actions at www.FortCollinsWorks.com.
One of the things we can do in our smart university town is 'grow our own,' meaning foster start-up companies. All cities can do this, of course, but we have a strong set of attributes and assets that makes it more likely in a place like Fort Collins.
One of those assets is the Rocky Mountain Innosphere, which is located on Vine Drive. The Innosphere is a business incubator. Its mission is to "accelerate the success of high-impact scientific and technology startup companies and promote the development of a regional entrepreneurial ecosystem in Northern Colorado." Fancy words for 'grow our own.'
While challenging to do, the simple concept is to identify promising start-up companies and provide the support they need through their early days. Not all of them make it and not all of the companies that do survive will become the next Apple. However, the support through the Innosphere improves their chances.
At this time, there are 34 companies in the Innosphere.
The Chamber's Red Carpet Committee just held an event at the Innosphere this morning to honor them as Business of the Month. It was a reminder to me about what a great asset the Innosphere is for Northern Colorado. The Innosphere doesn't guarantee that we'll have a vibrant economy in the years ahead but it does let us focus on our own assets and the things we can control.
To learn more about the Rocky Mountain Innosphere go to www.rmi2.org.
Primary employers are a big net benefit to the community. That should be self-evident, but apparently that is not the case based on some of the comments made recently during the City Council deliberations about the so-called 'incentive package' to retain Woodward in Fort Collins
To begin, primary employers are companies that produce a product or service in excess of what can be consumed locally. Half or more of that product / service is sold outside the area with the revenue flowing back into and circulating around the community. In short, primary employers are the key to community prosperity.
In the case of Woodward, 85 percent of the $23.5 million 'incentive package' is actually paid for by the Woodward expansion itself. Literally, for pennies on the dollar, city government is able to help retain the community's most prominent private sector employer. And even those pennies spent upfront comeback many times over as the company prospers and grows in the future.
To help people grasp all this, the Chamber has launched Fort Collins Works. To see a short video and read a 1 ½ page brief on the importance of primary (also called 'base') employers, go here.
I have two topics for you this week.
First, today is Election Day. Hopefully, if you are a resident and registered voter in Fort Collins, you have already sent your mail-in ballot. If not, hand-carry them to one of the three ballot drop-off locations by this evening. Ballots must be in the hands of the City Clerk by 7:00 PM. The locations are:
– Fort Collins City Hall, 300 LaPorte Avenue (open until 7:00 PM)– Fort Collins Police Services building, 2221 S. Timberline Road (open until 7:00 PM)– Larimer County Courthouse Offices Building, 200 W. Oak (open until 5:00 PM)
The Chamber has endorsed candidates that it thinks are ethical and will have the best interests of the entire community at heart while supporting policies that foster the creation of good-paying jobs. The Chamber has endorsed:
– Mayor: Karen Weitkunat– District 1: Butch Stockover– District 3: Gino Campana– District 5: Ross Cunniff
# # #
The other topic is Woodward. As you know from the news media and communications from the Chamber, the company was in the process of making a decision about where to site its new $220 million corporate headquarters. Though company leaders looked at numerous locations, Woodward's first choice was the Link-N-Greens property at the northwest corner of Mulberry and Lemay. Last Tuesday night the City Council voted 6 to 1 to approve a package of tax rebates and fee waivers. Members of the City Council supporting the ordinance were Karen Weitkunat, Gerry Horak, Aislinn Kottwitz, Ben Manvel, Lisa Poppaw and Wade Troxell.
There was strong support from the business community.
City Manager Darin Atteberry, several members of the Council and citizens discussed how epic this decision was for the community. It will have strong positive impacts for decades.
There were a few detractors, of course. One speaker that night said that companies need to 'pay their fair share' and the community should not give out 'corporate welfare.' I don't want to dignify that with too much attention other than to say that it reflects a tired and misguided philosophy common with a vocal minority of citizens.
My response is that Woodward has been 'paying their fair share' for 57 years. The company's economic contribution to the community has far, far, far outweighed the 'cost' of having them here. And as far as the 'corporate welfare' slur, the headline in the paper the next day should have been "Woodward Makes $220 Million Investment in Fort Collins; Might Get $23 Million Back." The animus of some people toward business is a thing of wonder! Fortunately, a huge majority of Fort Collins residents don't share this view. (See polling data here on FortCollinsWorks.com)
In the end, after a year-and-a-half, Woodward and the City were able to come to mutually acceptable and beneficial terms. The community will benefit for decades in the future.
Fort Collins's top private sector employer, Woodward, is on the City Council agenda this week. After months of negotiations between Woodward and city government, a proposal is on the table said to be worth $23 million. It will be used to secure the company's proposed corporate headquarters on the Link-N-Greens property at the northwest corner of Mulberry and Lemay.
This is good news for the community, assuming the City Council adopts the proposal and the company decides to actually move ahead. Council action is scheduled for tonight (Tuesday evening March 26) with Second Reading set for April 2.
Unfortunately, the so-called 'business assistance plan' (Shouldn't it actually be called a 'community economic investment plan?') has been characterized in the press as an incentive. I want to take a moment to correct that.
The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce is very focused on creating a climate where businesses can locate here, expand and invest. In the process of doing so, jobs are created for area residents. Chamber leaders are in the revising our 'jobs agenda' but following is a preliminary list for your reading pleasure.
Retain Woodward in Fort Collins and help the company expand. As a 57-year business resident of Fort Collins, Woodward has a long track record of being an outstanding corporate neighbor and employer. The company's decision on where to build its new corporate headquarters complex is equal parts opportunity and peril for the community. Woodward will be presenting its plans for the Link-N-Greens site (northwest corner of Mulberry and Lemay) to the city's Planning and Zoning Board on February 21. This item is the community's #1 economic priority for 2013, by far.
Redevelop Foot Hills Mall. Fort Collins is still the retail trade center of Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming. The decline of the mall over the past decade, however, has eroded that standing. Purchase of the mall in 2012 by Alberta Development was very welcome. The redevelopment plans are exciting and visionary.
Codify reasonable business assistance policies and procedures. Attractive places like Fort Collins do not need to 'bribe' businesses to locate in them by lavishing companies with lucrative incentives packages. However, incentives are an indication of a community's attitude towards business and its willingness to be a good partner. Sometimes they can be a deal maker or breaker. The city government is in the middle of a process to review its incentive policies and procedures. When done, the City should adopt a reasonable policy towards business assistance.
Eliminate the use tax on Fort Collins manufacturers. Few Colorado communities impose a use tax on companies and ever fewer impose it on manufacturers. The fact that Fort Collins does creates a significant barrier to the attraction and expansion of primary employers. Waiving or reimbursing the tax to employers is not a 'tax giveaway' or 'corporate welfare' as some contend because it is a tax that should not be imposed anyway. Eliminating it removes a large job-killing obstacle and evens the playing field vis-a-vis other communities.
Implement the City of Fort Collins' new strategic economic plan. Adopted in 2012, the plan is a good roadmap for creating good-paying jobs in Fort Collins. The plan is detailed and multi-faceted, but several of the recommendations should receive priority attention:
Identify the gaps in workforce skills. Good data needs to be gathered on the current workforce's skills and what employers need then work with the community college, university and others to fill those skills gaps.
Another year has come and gone. Thank you for making 2012 a great one for the Chamber. In a future post I'll update you on our key accomplishments. The short version is that the community continued to enjoy a strong reputation as a great place to live and the economy continued to strengthen.
The coming year will be interesting and challenging in some ways. In many respects, the uncertain policy and tax environment of 2012 continues into 2013. As I write this Congress and the President are engaged in a titanic political tug-of-war. The question isn't about whether taxes will go up but rather by how much.
Locally, the first three months of the new year city council politics will be in full swing. Nearly every issue coming before the council will be politicized. Then, due to term limits, a new group will be leading city government for better or worse.
For our part, the Chamber will continue to press ahead with an aggressive 'jobs agenda.' Life is good in Fort Collins and the region, for sure, but too many people are unemployed and under-employed. Regardless of what is happening in D.C. and with local politics, staying focused on creating good jobs is a priority.
Happy New Year to you! The team at the Chamber looks forward to working with you to make 2013 a great year for your company and the community.
Many people hoped after the presidential election that the sense of uncertainty gripping the country would decline. That is not the case according to small businesses responding in November to the quarterly Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index survey. Small companies expect to hire fewer people in 2013 than at anytime since November 2008, which was the depth of the recession. You can find the story here in the Financial Times.
A common phrase in the media at the present time is âthe fiscal cliff.â It refers to a set of tax increases, new taxes and federal budget cuts that in combination threaten to tip an already soft economy into recession.
On tap are five new taxes due to the Affordable Health Care Act (aka âObamacareâ), a possible increase to the estate tax, income tax increases for all taxpayers, a short-term fix on the Alternative Minimum Tax and expiration of the 2 percent payroll tax holiday.
On top of these issues, the federal government is spending money like a drunken sailor. (Apologies if Iâve offended any drunks or sailors by associating them with a fiscally incontinent federal government!) How bad is it? Federal borrowing averages $2.7 BILLION a day meaning a new debt ceiling crisis will come up in early 2013.
The best primer Iâve seen explaining all of this has been produced by the Tax Foundation. You can find it here.
Hats off to the Fort Collins City Council for supporting an incentive package for Avago last Tuesday evening by a vote of 7 to 0. The no-growth community was out in force to block the package, which they feared would cause population growth. A strong showing from the business community, however, countered this with a case for the economic benefits to the community. The incentive package was bascally performance-based rebating of the manufacturers' use tax and part of the business personal property tax. Both are barriers to investment. The economic benefits far outweigh the potential taxes.
Oppressive government regulations are a very common complaint of Chamber members. I hear it with numbing regularity. In the name of safety or fairness government passes laws and regulations that place enormous burdens on businesses. The business costs of compliance have an aggregate cost to the national economy. On his blog, "Economics One," economist John B. Taylor recently wrote "While correlation does not prove causation, regulations, whatever their benefits, tend to raise the cost of doing business and thus discourage business expansion and economic growth." Taylor contrasts the economic policies enacted during the recessions of 1981-82 and 2007-09. During the former, the number of federal regulators declinesd while the number of regulators has grown dramatically during the latter. The results can be seen with a robust 5.7 percent recovery from the 1980s recession compared to a very anemic 2.2 percent recovery now. Taylorâs blog post is short and you can find it here.
When mid- to large-sized companies are looking to expand, they contract with professionals known as site locators who help them identify communities and sites suitable to meet the companiesâ needs. Itâs a sophisticated and number-driven process, but itâs also about relationships.
To foster more awareness of the Denver Metro area and strengthen relationships, the Denver Metro Economic Development Corporation annually hosts a group of site location professionals. They tour the region, meet civic and business leaders and are briefed on the economic prospects of the Denver area and Colorado. The culminating event is a breakfast at which the site locators shared some of their thoughts. The Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation was a host of the Metro Denver Site Selection Conference this year, and I was a guest at their table for the breakfast. Eight site locators participated.
Among the trends and observations they shared:
As Fort Collins is working with several existing companies that are looking to expand or consolidate, there are some salient points here to keep in mind.
Until recently, the Sierra Club was in favor of hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") because natural gas reduces carbon emissions. Then it realized that fracking was actually working, and it undermined their agenda of promoting ârenewable energyâ such as wind, solar and biofuels.
No wonder theyâre alarmed. If the goal is to promote specific technologies instead of actually improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions, the success of fracking must be an unwelcome development.
Not long ago only 20 percent of Americaâs energy came from natural gas. Most came from coal. Now natural gas and coal each provide about 32 percent of the fuel for power generation. Because natural gas produces 45 percent less carbon than coal, Americaâs CO2 emissions are the lowest in 20 years.
Natural gas is a great bridge fuel as we transition from traditional fossil fuels to clean and renewable energy. The greater Fort Collins area is a center of research and development for clean and renewable energy technologies. But unless an unexpected technological break-through occurs, that transition will take decades. In the meantime, it happens that Northern Colorado is a major source of natural gas because of the Niobrara shale rock formation.
My point? As you read stories and hear alarming testimony from community activists and environmentalists about fracking think critically about what they are saying and what the real agenda might be. Is it really about protecting the public and environment or are there other agendas at play?
For more, thereâs a great article by Bjørn Lomborg titled " A Fracking Good Story " at Project Syndicate.
With a neighborhood meeting on August 20 to discuss the development of the Link N Greens property on the northwest corner of Mulberry and Lemay, it became public that Woodward (www.woodward.com) would like to site their corporate headquarters there.
This is a great and rare opportunity for Fort Collins. Nationally, very few of these kinds of corporate decisions are made on an annual basis. It is not a stretch to say that for a community of the size of Fort Collins these opportunities come along about once in a generation. (Think Woodward 1950s, HP 1970s, Anheuser Busch 1980s)
From what I understand, the company is looking to make a decision this fall and there is at least one other very viable non-Fort Collins site under consideration.
The formal process of rezoning the land begins with a special hearing of the City Planning & Zoning Board on Thursday evening September 13. The meeting will be in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 300 LaPorte Avenue beginning at 6:00 PM.
If you want to show your support for retaining Woodward in Fort Collins, this would be a great time to do so. Simply show up and make a few comments in support of the project. You donât need to make a long speech; 15-45 seconds would suffice.
Questions? Feel free to give me a call at 970 482-3751 x 102 or Ann Hutchison at extension 107.
What role should the community have in retaining primary employers? Should the government have a role in trying to keep such employers and should taxpayer money be used?
These kinds of questions are being raised regularly now in Fort Collins. The âGreat Recession of 2008â had the effect of making businesses reexamine all of their operating assumptions. That includes reviewing their facilities and the costs of operating them in specific locales.
I personally know of four key, longstanding Fort Collins employers that are looking to expand or that we are at risk of losing due to corporate facility consolidations. The Chamber, the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation and the City of Fort Collins are working together to try to keep them here.
Wanting to retain these companies should be a no-brainer, but a few no-growth citizens are worried about the possibility that the city government might offer incentives. Having worked in the chamber / economic development world for three decades, I have seen some states and communities do incentives wrong. But, there is a right way to offer them that is mutually beneficial to the company and the community.
Following is a starter checklist of questions to guide such discussions.
Where will the jobs come from? As American workers struggle to recover from the Great Recession, they arenât alone. According to Gallup polling, the number 1 issue on the minds of people everywhere in the world is a good paying job.
As I mentioned last week, in his recent book, The Coming Jobs War, Gallup Chairman Jim Clifton says that there 3 billion people on the globe looking for a good job and there are only1.2 billion such jobs available. The 1.8 billion jobs shortfall is a ticking time bomb. He contends that creating jobs is Job #1 for all public and community leaders.
In that spirit, the Fort Collins region is focused on creating jobs, which is the topic of a Chamber event on August 9 called "The Future of Jobs." Sessions include: Primary Employer Trends in Larimer County; An Economic Roadmap for the City of Fort Collins; What Kinds of Companies are Looking at Northern Colorado; and How We are Growing Our Own Companies.
If youâre interested in the economic future of the community, development insights, and career insights, this is a must session to attend.
You can learn more and make reservations here.
First, a book recommendation: Consider reading The Coming Jobs War by Jim Clifton. The author is the Chairman of Gallup, the international polling firm. His back contention is that the number one issue on the minds of the vast majority of people on the planet is having a good paying job. The rub is that there are 3 billion people wanting those jobs but only 1.2 billion full-time, formal jobs in the world.
Economic growth and prosperity are driven by innovation. Based on a new report titled "Enterprising States: Policies that Produce," Colorado is one of the top 10 states for entrepreneurship and innovation. Colorado also ranks 8th as a 'future boom state.'
Researchers looked at 33 state performance criteria in the categories of economic performance, exports, innovation and entrepreneurship, taxes and regulations, talent pipeline and infrastructure. Here's how Colorado ranked in some of the areas:
#2 high-tech share of all businesses#3 business birth rate#4 entrepreneurial activity#5 STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) job concentration#7 median family income#8 bridge quality#8 educational attainment#8 high school advanced placement intensity#9 short-term job growth#9 small business survival index#15 broadband provider availability#15 road quality#16 business tax climate#16 higher-ed degree output#16 long-term job growth#18 economic output per job#19 academic research and development intensity#24 productivity growth
You can find the full report here.
"No, Mom, Dad, really. Beer is, like, you know, important and stuff like that. It can be a job." How about this?! The 20-something's dream is real! You really can have your beer and a career, too! According to a study by Colorado State University's Regional Economics Institute, in 2010, local breweries supported 938 direct jobs and accounting for spinoff impacts, Larimer County breweries support a total of $309.9 million in output, 2,488 jobs and $141.9 million ot local payrolls. So, sit back, pop the top on your favorite brewsky, and read all about it right here.
As you know, I've made the point several times on this blog that regulations and economic policy uncertainty dampen economic activity. Economic history says that at this point, after a sharp economic contraction, there should be a very strong recovery underway. So, why isn't that the case? According to two recent studies, the answer is: increased regulations and policy uncertainty.
In a previous post I mentioned that the unemployment rate would be one of the most politicized numbers of the year because it's a presidential election year. With a lethargic recovery underway, that has certainly been the case. While the official unemployment number continues to drift down towards 8 percent, the real story is the shrinking workforce. For American men, the labor force participation rate is the lowest since this number started being tracked in 1948. You can find a couple of interesting charts and analysis here.
Time will tell what all of this means but having experienced people still young and healthy enough to work drop out of the workforce is not a good thing.
The quarterly survey by the Kauffman Foundation and Legal Zoom of startup business owners shows mixed results with most expecting lowered consumer demand over the next 12 months but with employee hiring expected to increase. Find the results here.
On the Harvard Business Review blog Harold Sirkin and Richard Lesser argue that America is âpoised for a manufacturing renaissanceâ and offer seven recommendations to improve U.S. competitiveness including:
1. Political leaders from both parties should use the bully pulpit to educate the business community and the public on the new math of global manufacturing.
2. The government needs to reform the U.S. tax system, then leave it alone for a while. The U.S. tax code currently is a deterrent to businessâ¦
3. Washington needs to get serious about leveling the playing field. While there's always risk of a trade war, all countries need to play by the same rules â and government's job is to enforce those rules.
4. The government needs to rethink regulations⦠The speed of our regulatory processes must also be addressed; excessive delays encourage shifting investments to other locales.
5. The government needs to focus on talent development to ensure that Americans are prepared for the 21st century workplace. This is an area where we need to think strategically.
6. Washington needs to focus on infrastructure. Every infrastructure problem â decaying bridges, congested highways and ports, overcrowded airports and outdated air traffic control systems, weaknesses in the electric grid, and inadequate broadband spectrum â costs us dearly.
7. Washington should encourage foreign companies to manufacture in the United States. TheUnited States offers the lowest-cost manufacturing platform in the developed world today.
Their full post can be found here.


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The corpus cavernosa are the two spongy chambers along each side of
the shaft of the penis. When you have an erection, the smooth muscle in these
chambers relaxes, blood flows in through the penile arteries, and the chambers
fill with blood and expand. The expanded chambers press against the veins that
would normally drain blood from the penis, trapping the blood inside and making
the penis erect.
After ejaculation or when you are no longer sexually aroused, the
arteries narrow, the veins expand, and the blood drains out. The penis becomes
Problems with the arteries and veins that supply blood to or return
blood from the penis can cause erection problems. Vascular problems may be
caused by:
Last Revised:
March 1, 2011
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & David Messenger, MD
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Copyright © 2007-2015 by Jeni Temen. All Rights Reserved.
Jeni Temen,R®, BS2560, CIPS
Coldwell Banker Select Real Estate - 1170 S Rock Blv,Sparks,NV 89502
We service the following areas: Carson City, Elko, Fernley, Lake Tahoe,
Reno, Lyon County, Storey County, Equestrian property Farms Ranches and vacant land anywhere in Nevada.
Disclaimer: Information provided to and by this website is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All measurements and figures are approximate. Properties are subject to errors, omissions, price change or prior sale. All buyers and buyer's agents to perform due diligence on all properties.
Please note: This information was obtained from sources deemed reliable but is not guaranteed by the broker. Prospective buyers should check data to their satisfaction. This property is offered subject to prior sale, price change, correction, or withdrawal. Broker expressly disclaims making any representations concerning the physical condition of, the value of, or title to any real property, personal property, or water rights, or any government entitlements (e.g. zoning) relating thereto. You are strongly encouraged to make your own independent investigation of such matters. Without limiting the foregoing, Broker advises you of the following risks for which the Broker assumes no liability: Water Boundaries. If the property is bounded by water, the boundary of the property may have shifted and title to the offered property may be adversely affected thereby. Lead Based Paint: Homes built prior to 1978 may present exposure to lead from lead based paint. A risk assessment or inspection for possible lead based hazards is recommended as is a complete home - building inspection from a qualified home inspector. Radon: Radon gas may present a health risk and radon testing is suggested. Noxious Weeds: Properties may contain noxious weeds. Government agencies may require owners to control or even eradicate noxious weeds. Meagan's Law: Certain sexual and violent offenders and other individuals may be required to register their addresses with government agencies from whom you may obtain such information. Buyers and sellers are advised to hire competent surveyors, lenders, 1031 exchange companies, appraisers, title companies, accountants, inspectors, and legal professionals and not rely on the Broker or any real estate agent for professional advice in these matters.
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August 16th, 2011
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- 16,726
SketchBook: gorgeous stuff hombre!
gorgeous stuff hombre!
August 16th, 2011
Thread: Fetschbookby Zuluf
- Replies
- 1,239
- Views
- 214,610
SketchBook: 5 freaking stars. Also, MOAR!
5 freaking stars. Also, MOAR!
August 16th, 2011
Thread: Road to Somewhere: Jdem's sketchbook!by Zuluf
- Replies
- 211
- Views
- 18,119
SketchBook: Keep working! You should start measuring, even in...
Keep working! You should start measuring, even in studies. Also, try to build, analyse angles, proportions, study what you make and try to reflect the shape in the look of your lines (modulate them -...
June 7th, 2011
Thread: Yefim Kligerman's Sketchbook!!by Zuluf
- Replies
- 283
- Views
- 33,959
SketchBook: I feel there is a lot I can both learn and...
I feel there is a lot I can both learn and appreciate from your work. It was great slowly scrolling down from one piece to the next while gasping, and I really appreciate the cleanness and smoothness...
May 28th, 2011
Thread: Sketchy Thingsby Zuluf
- Replies
- 48
- Views
- 4,509
SketchBook: I like your anatomy efforts :) keep them up, your...
I like your anatomy efforts :) keep them up, your evolution is inspiring.
May 9th, 2011
Thread: :: realgoodpizza's sketchbook ::by Zuluf
- Replies
- 8
- Views
- 903
SketchBook: Hey Anisia. You already know I love your work so...
Hey Anisia. You already know I love your work so all that remains to be said is: MOAR!
Results 1 to 6 of 6


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Fidel Castro
Political leader of Cuba
External Web sites
Britannica Web sites
Articles from Britannica encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
- Fidel Castro - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Fidel Castro ruled the country of Cuba for many years. He established a form of government called Communism. This meant that he had a great deal of control over the country and its people.
- Fidel Castro - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
(born 1926). The longtime leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro became a symbol of political revolution in the Western Hemisphere. Castro held the title of premier from 1959 until 1976, when he became president of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers.


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1995 Mercury Villager Q&A
1995 Mercury Villager Question: van suddenly won't start after replacing the radiator
We just had the radiator replaced because it was leaking. We put in a new battery 1 month ago. After we brought the van home, it would not start after 2 hours of sitting. All lights come on but no sound from starter or anything. What could be wrong? Is it connected to replacing the radiator or coincidence? - catmom9
Answer 1
The problem will need to be diagnosed, and when the problem is found, only then can you see if it is related to the radiator replacement. Anything else is guessing and speculation and it won't get your car running again. - Bret Bodas
Answer 2
don't know - COLBYCHEESE
Answer 3
sounds like a starter - Visitor
Answer 4
1) Check your starter, starter relay, fusebox next to radiator labeled "inhibit" and the relays in the drivers side fusebox 2) Next you can check to see if the wire harness going from the transmission (front right side) selector swith to the wiring harness going to the positive cable, there are three (3) plugin connectors to the right and back of exhaust manifold, toward the air intake box, make sure they have a good contact. 3) check the distributor and coil wire, check coil wire connection make sure there is good contact, 4) fuel pump, fuel filter. 5) Dirty throttle body ports and jets. 6) check ignition switch(where the key goes). 7)check the switch under the steering column. 8) Put the shifter in nutural and turn key to start. These have been problems I have had with my 95 villager, Hope one of these salutions gets you up and going again for those that are looking for the answers that are not commonly shared. ChevyRAT - Visitor
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An Excessive Heat Warning is in effect from 6/25/2015 9:00 AM to 6/27/2015 9:00 PM PDT for Mohave County. Learn more about how to stay safe in extreme heat and stay informed about future heat alerts.
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Info for the importance of being healthy before pregnancy.
Health of Women & Girls
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19 reviews
By installing you agree to the Terms of Use and other terms
PublisherAudioAddict, Inc
More from AudioAddict, Inc
File weight8 MB
Last updated19/09/2014
Works with
- Windows Phone 8.1
- Windows Phone 8
- Windows Phone 7.5
App requires
- phone identity
- owner identity
- photo, music, and video libraries
- data services
- phone dialer
- movement and directional sensor
- web browser component
- camera
- WVGA (480x800)
- location services
- media playback
- HD720P (720x1280)
- WXGA (768x1280)
Supported languages (1)
English (United States)
RadioTunes offers over 75 channels of the best music available in a variety of genres. Each one is programmed by a real channel manager who is an expert in that style of music. Find all your favorite styles including Pop, Rock, 70's, 80's, 90's, Smooth Jazz, Romantic, Easy Listening, International Music, and many more! RadioTunes attracts listeners from around the globe with its unique channels and eclectic music styles. Now all your favorite music is available anywhere you want to listen. Visit our website at http://www.radiotunes.com to learn more. FEATURES: - Listen to 75+ hand-programmed music channels - Not sure which channel to pick? Explore the easy-to-use Styles list - Stream music from the app or in the background while you do other things - Pin your favorite channels to your start screen - Control audio and view track titles from the lock screen - Save your favorite channels for quick and easy access later - New Sleep Timer feature to fall asleep to music without draining your data plan - Set data streaming preferences for when using a Cellular vs. WiFi network - Share your favorite tracks and channels on Facebook, Twitter, or by email - Optional buffer bar with data display helps you keep track of your data usage CHANNEL LIST: - Smooth Jazz - Bossa Nova Jazz - 60's Hits - 60's Rock - 70's Hits - 80's Dance - 80's Hits - 80's Rock Hits - 90's Hits - 90's R&B - A Beatles Tribute - Absolutely Mellow Jazz - Alternative Rock - Amazing Jazz Classics - American Songbook - Bebop - Bossa Nova Jazz - Café de Paris - Christmas Music - Classic Motown - Classic Rap & Hip Hop - Classic Rock - Classical - Classical Guitar - Classical Piano Trios - Club Bollywood - Compact Discoveries - Contemporary Christian - Country - Dance Hits - Datempo Lounge - Dreamscapes - Halloween Music - Hard Rock - Indie Rock - Israeli Hits - J-pop (Japanese Pop) - K-pop (Korean Pop) - Love Music - Metal - Modern Blues - Modern Rock - Movie Soundtracks - Nature - New Age - Oldies - Old School Funk & Soul - Piano Jazz - Pop Punk - Pop Rock - Reggae - Relaxation - Relaxing Excursions - Romantica - Russian Dance - Russian Pop - Salsa - SKA - Smooth Jazz - Smooth Jazz 24/7 - Smooth Lounge - Soft Rock - Solo Piano - Top Hits - Uptempo Smooth Jazz - Urban Jamz - Vocal New Age - Vocal Smooth Jazz - World Music Welcome to RadioTunes! Formerly SKY.FM Radio. RadioTunes is a new brand for the service that was once called SKY.FM Radio. We're the same dedicated team with a new name. Our company is expanding, both in the depth of our music offering, and the breadth of our reach around the world. To facilitate our expansion, we have created a fresh brand that more accurately embodies what we strive to offer – skillfully curated music of all genres and styles for everyday listening. RadioTunes offers the same great channels and service that was once found on SKY.FM Radio, plus many new improvements. We've upgraded the audio quality of all of our free and Premium streams, and have added a selection of new channels to celebrate our launch. We will continue to add new channels and expand into previously unexplored genres in the coming months. We're committed to providing all of our listeners with the best music at great quality, so you will choose RadioTunes for your daily music fix. Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions about our brand change. Will my SKY.FM Radio Account work on RadioTunes? Yes, you can log in with the same e-mail address and password. Which new channels did you add? Relaxing Ambient Piano Disco Party Slow Jams Meditation Urban Pop Hits Reggaeton How much better is the audio quality? RadioTunes is now available in 64k AAC-HE for free listeners, and 320k MP3 for Premium listeners. This is roughly a 60% improvement in audio quality for free streams, and even more for Premium listeners! To adjust your audio quality settings, visit the Settings area.
29/05/2015Bloody awesome little app... Could be a bit snappier at times, but love it nonetheless. Cheers guys!!!
09/01/2015Excellent app. The relaxing music channel is great for working too.
07/01/2015Would've been 5 but the ska channel has just been removed with no similar replacement. Otherwise, great mix of tunes and often by bands I've never heard of so all good stuff really 😊
22/12/2014Only really downloaded this app for the k-pop station, to find it doesn't have one... Other than that works well
13/12/2014Ok app... But why on earth do you want access to my phone dialer in permissions?? I'm sorry, but I'm not allowing that!! Uninstalled.
31/10/2014Absolutely amazing, thank you so much! :D Grandios, danke!
24/09/2014It never connected through the first blue screen
30/06/2014Awesome channels , but keep getting "cannot connect"


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Stock 40mm Bing jetting
View Single Post
Born Under Bad Sign
Joined: Feb 2006
Location: Cottonwood, CA
Oddometer: 404
Final jetting adjustments
In case anyone stumbles across this thread during a search I thought I would post my final (at least at this point) jetting changes. To recap- the engine is a converted 1984 R80 that is now basically a stock 1982 R100RS. The bike now has an S fairing and retains the stock R80RT 37/11 rear drive gearing. The 40mm Bings are stock for the 1982100RS engine.
Bing recommended 160 main jets and 35 idle jets. I am still using those jet sizes. They recommended a 2.66 needle jet and the needle in the second groove from the top. I went with a 2.68 needle jet and left the needle in the second groove. The carbs had already been converted to independent floats when I purchased and rebuilt them.
With this jetting the bike starts readily and idles fine. Acceleration was brisk and without a hiccup. Even with the lower R80 gearing the bike averaged 41-43mpg on some recent trips. The only issue was at steady throttle at about 4000rpm's the bike would occasionally stumble or surge. Felt like the first indications of needing to go on reserve. Strong headwinds or gradual inclines made the problem worse. Cracking the throttle open at these times resulted in flawless acceleration.
The way the bike is geared 4000 rpm is 60 mph and takes a very small throttle opening. I raised the needles to the 3rd notch and all surging and stumbling is gone now. This may decrease my mileage a little because most of the cruising done before was dangerously lean but the bike is running very well. I may play with decreasing the needle jet back to a 2.66 or changing the main but for now I am happy and will wait to see how the overall mileage gets affected.
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Minister of Industry Confirms Notice Sent to PETRONAS Carigali Canada Ltd. Regarding Proposed Acquisition of Progress Energy Resources Corp. OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 10/19/12 -- Today, the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry, made the following statement regarding the proposed acquisition of Progress Energy Resources Corp. (Progress Energy) by PETRONAS Carigali Canada Ltd. (Petronas): "I can confirm that I have sent a notice letter to Petronas indicating that I am not satisfied that the proposed investment is likely to be of net benefit to Canada. "I came to this decision after a careful and thorough review of the proposed transaction. Under the Investment Canada Act, Petronas now has up to 30 days to make any additional representations and submit any further undertakings, which can be extended with my agreement and that of the investor. Subsequently, I will either confirm this initial decision or approve the acquisition. "Due to the strict confidentiality provisions of the Act, I cannot comment further on this investment at this time. "Canada has a long standing reputation for welcoming foreign investment. The Government of Canada remains committed to maintaining an open climate for investment." Contacts: For further information (media only), please contact: Margaux Stastny Director of Communications Office of the Honourable Christian Paradis Minister of Industry 613-995-9001 Media Relations: Industry Canada 613-943-2502
Minister of Industry Confirms Notice Sent to PETRONAS
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|Release Year
|Han Solo and Princess Leia have journeyed to Cloud City, only to discover it is an Imperial trap. Now Luke Skywalker must challenge Darth Vader to try and save his friends. This exciting set is based on one of the most famous locations from the original Star Wars trilogy. Recreate your favorite moments from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, or create your own adventures. Includes Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Boba Fett and an all-new Lando Calrissian mini-figure. The set is more than 25" in length and features four separate play areas. You can even blast Luke through the window and drop Hans into the carbonite. Includes 698 pieces.
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Jamie McGinn
Avalanche Trade Forwards To Buffalo For Second-Round Picks
The Colorado Avalanche have traded two forwards in exchange for three players and a second-round draft pick.
Briere's Goal Beats Clock; Avs Beat Bruins 2-1
The Colorado Avalanche haven't showed much scoring prowess so far.
Avs Notch First Win, Beat Bruins 2-1
Daniel Briere scored off a rebound with four-tenths of a second left in the third period to lift the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Monday.
Avalanche Sign Jamie McGinn To 2-Year Deal
The Colorado Avalanche signed left winger Jamie McGinn to a two-year deal Thursday.
Stastny Leads Avs To 5-4 OT Win Over Wild
Paul Stastny scored 7:27 into overtime after tying the game with 13.4 seconds remaining in regulation, lifting the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Wild in the opener of the Western Conference quarterfinals on Thursday night.
Avalanche Upend Oilers 4-1
Erik Johnson had a goal and an assist and the Colorado Avalanche earned a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.
Colorado Avalanche's Duchene To Miss 4 Weeks After Injuring Knee
The Colorado Avalanche announced on Monday morning that leading scorer Matt Duchene will be out for "roughly 4 weeks."
Duchene Out About 4 Weeks With Knee Injury
The Colorado Avalanche will be heading into their first postseason in four years without leading scorer Matt Duchene, who injured his left knee.
Avalanche Make Playoffs With 3-2 Win Over San Jose
The Colorado Avalanche are back in the postseason.
Avalanche Pound Sabres 7-1
Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists, Jamie McGinn had two goals and an assist, and Colorado beat the Buffalo Sabres 7-1 on Saturday.


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: Confirmed with Link:
Dallas Stars sign Radek Faksa to an Entry Level Contract
View Single Post
"We'll see"
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 553
vCash: 500
I'm really excited that Faksa has signed an ELC with the Dallas Stars. I've been his fan from the day I first heard of him; watching his back story on TSN just further cemented it. It makes me really happy that his dreams of playing in the NHL are coming true.
I hope he plays 9 games and then goes back to the CHL. I do think that one more year in the CHL will help his development as I don't believe he is quite ready for the NHL yet. Those 9 games he plays will help him identify the things he needs to work on in the CHL and I fully expect him to dominate the CHL next season.
In any case, good luck with the kid and please take good care of him!
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I have been a gamer ever since i got my hands on my first joystick in 1992. My first pc game i ever played was Duke Nukum 1. i am an artist and a rpg game designer, and i am also a modder. not only am i an big fan of Hello Kitty and many other Sanrio characters, but am an big fan of Duke Nukem and the Unreal games too. Transformers G1 is also gold :) Old games from the 90s are in my personal opinion, much more challanging and fun and unique. I dont really like newer games (Crysis 2 is an exeption) since they dont give any challange due to all the scripted events lol. My main projects so far are listed, Duke Nukem Fallever for Fallout 3, Crysis 2 CryFever TC for Crysis2, Ue2 Jake Logan player model for Ut2004, and my own RPG game Galactic Alpha. ----
No blog entries have been posted here. Boring yes, but as confucius says - if you have nothing good to say, why say anything at all? Check back later, perhaps something exciting will pop-up and be worth blogging about, like season 3 of the teletubbies.
Speak your mind, rant about games, mods and the development scene, it's simple and who knows maybe someone will read it and agree. It will feel right!


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The Littlest (And Slowest) Bugatti
Today when we think of Bugatti, we probably think of a 1,000+ horsepower monster. The most expensive and maybe fastest car in the world. An engineering wonder. Or, maybe the classic Atlantique, or Bugatti race cars that today fetch the highest prices at the fanciest auctions. »
Goggomobil T300 Is A Rare And Tiny Find
Goggomobils were among the most popular of the variety of odd little vehicles built during the German microcar craze of the 50s and early 60s. While we would like to attribute this popularity to the fact they were sold with one of the coolest names ever given to an automobile, something tells us it took more than that… »
Trident micro car is the (most recent) one that got away
Finding affordable microcar projects like this Taylor Dunn Trident that sold on Ebay yesterday is a rare occurrence. Spending time lusting after obscure Ebay finds with regret after they have found a new home is unfortunately anything but a rare occurrence. »
Buy the "Cheap and Ugly" Subaru 360
1958 BMW Isetta Convertible for an Eggcellent $39,650!
The old maxim admonishes you not to keep all your eggs in one basket. Today, Nice Price or Crack Pipe wants to know if that's still true if your basket happens to be an egg? »
Toyota iQ Spotted, Gary Sinise Hiding In Back Seat?
With gas prices the way they are, everyone's thinking about getting a car that's smart. But not everyone likes the Smart. So, for those seeking a Japanese alternative to Europe's favorite sub-subcompact, the super number one best awesome automaker from the Land of the Rising Sun has got just the car for you. These… »
Project Car Hell, 1958 Edition: Mercury Commuter or Vespa 400?
Yesterday's all-Corvette Choose Your Eternity poll resulted in the '68 just barely edging out the '69, no doubt due to the Jimi Hendrix connection. Now it's time to try a different type of theme; we haven't yet seen a selection of cars based on a model year alone, so today we're going with two vastly different- yet… »
Toyota iQ To Become Reality, Debut At Geneva Motor Show
Toyota is finally getting smart by getting Smart. The Toyota iQ Concept from Frankfurt will show up at the Geneva Motor Show as a fully capable production vehicle that will be a "break-through in compact urban transportation." And by a break-through they mean a Japanese version of the Smart (see the name). The last… »
DOTS Germany: Supermini Substop Delivery Truck
Job one when we made our way into Bamberg on the first day was to replace the anemic and poorly appointed Mercedes B-Class rental (seriously, how does that thing wear a star?) with a far more capable and comfortable Audi A4 mit 2.0 TDi. While we were on this mission, we came across this spectacular beauty. Making … »
Project Car Hell: Lotus Eclat or 3 Bianchis?
After a pair of close ones, we finally had a decisive victory in our last Choose Your Eternity poll, with the Taurus SHO using its Yamaha power to roar to victory over the SRT-Faux by a 70/30 margin. We're not surprised by that, but we don't have the foggiest idea who should be considered the favorite in today's… »
Chevy Set to Produce Beat Microcar
The votes are in, those who voted in the GM survey to pick the next microcar selected the Chevy Beat (pictured). I guess when you have a contest you shouldn't be surprised when the one you named Beat beats the competition. Out of 1.9 million votes this was the top selection, besting the Trax and the Groove. The Beat… »
What Might Have Been: Ford Fiesta Corrida
I picked up a copy of Let's Call It Fiesta at my local used bookstore the other day and found it a fairly interesting, if PR-esque, read. It turns out that Ford had an idea they might make a sporty car out of the Fiesta, one that wouldn't look out of place parked next to a row of Simca Bagheeras: Corrida! Since the… »
An NSU Just for You!
If this ain't the Craigslist find of the day, we don't know what is. Yes, it's an NSU Prinz from 1960. The seller seems to be in the know about classic Teutonic microcars, as he's tagged the post with Goggomobil. He also notes that you cannot drive the adorable slice of Neckarsulmium back to your abode from his place… »
House of Honda 600: Merciless Mings Revealed
The first time I saw a Honda 600 was likely many years ago. So many years ago that I don't remember. A few years back a for sale sign in the window of a nearby AN600 sedan reintroduced the little Honda back into the mental queue of cars. In that same window was a small sticker that said Merciless Mings. While at the… »
A Quartet Of Microcars
I was introduced to Jonee Eisen by a mutual friend at a flea market in Echo Park. "He's into cars, too." So, I asked, what sort of cars do you have? "A couple of Subarus and a DAF 66." I nearly choked. "A DAF!?!" The sky was falling. "Yeah, you know - the Dutch took the clutch." Yeah Jonee, I know.
Sadly tragically… »
Autorama Blowout! Vespa 400, Tiny Like Whoa
Okay folks, last day of tardy Autorama coverage. I'm going to go all out and provide a show-centric post every hour, on the hour. Why? So that all you slackers suffering through a Friday in the confines of your cubicles can keep from going insane waiting till five o'clock rolls around. See if you can hang on to your… »
Isetta in Drag: The Whatta Drag
As its name attests, the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum is the venue for all manner of microcar, from the Grataloup to the Vespa 400 and right up to the towering Isetta. In fact, funny story. There was this Hot Wheels car called the Whatta Drag. It was part Isetta, part drag bike and all the kind of Hot Wheels car that… »
I've Noticed This Peel P50 Can Also Be Worn as a Hat!
When, in the course of human events, a singular driving objective reaches its lunatic culmination in a product, a certain amount of respect must be paid to its creators. In the case of Peel Engineering Company, that driving force was fuel mileage — mileage the likes of which Prii and Insights the world over could… »


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Mrs. Robinson's Disgrace
The Private Diary of a Victorian Lady
By Kate Summerscale
(Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, Hardcover, 9781608199136, 320pp.)
Publication Date: June 19, 2012
List Price: $26.00*
* Individual store prices may vary.
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"I think people marry far too much; it is such a lottery, and for a poor woman—bodily and morally the husband's slave—a very doubtful happiness." —Queen Victoria to her recently married daughter Vicky
Headstrong, high-spirited, and already widowed, Isabella Walker became Mrs. Henry Robinson at age 31 in 1844. Her first husband had died suddenly, leaving his estate to a son from a previous marriage, so she inherited nothing. A successful civil engineer, Henry moved them, by then with two sons, to Edinburgh's elegant society in 1850. But Henry traveled often and was cold and remote when home, leaving Isabella to her fantasies.
No doubt thousands of Victorian women faced the same circumstances, but Isabella chose to record her innermost thoughts—and especially her infatuation with a married Dr. Edward Lane—in her diary. Over five years the entries mounted—passionate, sensual, suggestive. One fateful day in 1858 Henry chanced on the diary and, broaching its privacy, read Isabella's intimate entries. Aghast at his wife's perceived infidelity, Henry petitioned for divorce on the grounds of adultery. Until that year, divorce had been illegal in England, the marital bond being a cornerstone of English life. Their trial would be a cause celebre, threatening the foundations of Victorian society with the specter of "a new and disturbing figure: a middle class wife who was restless, unhappy, avid for arousal." Her diary, read in court, was as explosive as Flaubert's Madame Bovary, just published in France but considered too scandalous to be translated into English until the 1880s.
As she accomplished in her award-winning and bestselling The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher, Kate Summerscale brilliantly recreates the Victorian world, chronicling in exquisite and compelling detail the life of Isabella Robinson, wherein the longings of a frustrated wife collided with a society clinging to rigid ideas about sanity, the boundaries of privacy, the institution of marriage, and female sexuality.
Lynn Neary talks to three critics about the books you absolutely shouldn't miss this summer. Critic Laura Miller of Salon.com, says it's a particularly rich literary summer because in election years, publishers release their juiciest books before the fall. More at NPR.org
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aqua floral twill bow detail flats
designer's notes
Who says you need to wear a stiletto heel to feel chic? These flats from Prada will do the trick just fine.
color: Aqua / Grey Floral printed twill upper Rounded toe Oversized bow at toe Leather lined Leather sole Fabric / Leather; Italy; style# 309907101


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YIELD: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Cook chopped bacon in heavy large pot over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel. Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Add to drippings in pot and sauté until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to large bowl. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from pot. Add chopped onion and minced garlic to pot; sauté 4 minutes. Add bacon, stewed tomatoes, chicken broth, red wine, basil and oregano. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Add cannellini; simmer 10 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


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Photoshop is one of the world's most powerful image editors, and it can be daunting to try to use skillfully. Photoshop CS4 One-on-One: Advanced, the second part of the popular and comprehensive series, follows internationally renowned Photoshop guru Deke McClelland as he dives into the workings of Photoshop. He explores such digital-age wonders as the Levels and Curves commands, edge-detection filters, advanced compositing techniques, vector-based text, the Liquify filter, and Camera Raw. Deke also teaches tried-and-true methods for sharpening details, smoothing over wrinkles and imperfections, and enhancing colors without harming the original image. Exercise files accompany the course.
Recommended prerequisite: Photoshop CS4 One-on-One: Fundamentals.
Download Deke's customized keyboard layouts and color settings for Photoshop from the Exercise Files tab.
In this exercise I'm going to introduce you to really a great sharpening function that has a really crazy name, and that's Unsharp Mask. Now I'm still working inside Orange on blue.jpg found inside of the 14_sharpen folder, and I want you to go up to the Filter menu, choose Sharpen, and there is Unsharp Mask. Now notice, if you loaded my Deke Keys, way back near the beginning of the previous part of the series Photoshop CS4 One-on-One Fundamentals, then you have access to a handful of keyboard shortcuts for the best of the filters.
So I have got Shift+F5 for Unsharp Mark, Shift+F6 for Smart Sharpen, on and on all the way up to this guy right here Shift+F10 for High Pass, which itself is a sharpening function. Now I should say before I go any farther, that you can learn more about sharpening. If you start getting into this, and you find it to be interesting, and it really is important stuff, especially if you do a lot of output work, meaning you print a lot of your photographs, you really want to know the ins and outs of sharpening. I had explained how sharpening works in glorious detail, all kinds of different sharpening scenarios for output, for effect, for detail, and for acquisition too, for input, inside of my series Photoshop CS3 Sharpening Images. Sharpening technology really hasn't change here inside CS4, so all the information inside the CS3 Sharpening images series is accurate, except for the part where I rail against the screen resolution or the zoom ratios, and that has actually been resolved in Photoshop CS4, and I'll explain that more in detail as we get into it. But I just want you to know, there's a whole series about sharpening there available to you in the lynda.com Online Training Library, so check it out at your leisure.
Unsharp Mask, it also tells you why Unsharp Mask is called Unsharp Mask. It's based on an old traditional camera technique, and the idea is that you are using blurring, because you can't really sharpen something imposed, it's really pretty much impossible. You can't blur detail imposed, and so Unsharp Mask uses blurring and actually blurs the edges and then masks them in order to create the appearance of sharpening. Is that not weird? And in fact, down to the last pixel, you can mimic the effects of Unsharp Mask using just Gaussian Blur if you want to. True story and I'll show you how to do it, if you want to geek out inside that sharpening images series I was telling you about.
But for now, I just want you to know, it's got a crazy name but it's a great function. It is the Premiere Sharpening function inside a Photoshop, and then it got updated for Smart Sharpen. All right, so I'll go ahead and show you this command, here it is, brings up a dialog box. Let's go ahead and zoom out, a click for the snake for the in dialog box preview. You also have an out of dialog box preview, so you'll see the image change on the fly as long as the preview check box is turned-on. Now in the old days you really had to watch your zoom ratios, when I say old days, I mean Photoshop CS3 and earlier. You had to watch your zoom ratio, something like 67% would be bad, it would be just dropping pixels, and you wouldn't really be able to accurately gage the sharpness of the image.
Now, assuming that you have an OpenGL compliant video card inside Photoshop CS4, you are going to be able to gage good sharpness at pretty much any zoom ratio, and definitely the standard ones are just fine. So these ones that you get by clicking the minus and plus buttons work out beautifully. And I'll show you how to make sure you have got an open OpenGL compliant card in just a couple of exercises here, when I show you how to measure screen resolution. But in the mean time, let's discuss Unsharp Mask, it has three sliders, and at first they are little daunting, but once you learn how to used them, it all make sense, really easy to use this command.
The first one I think is really easy right out the gate. It's just the amount. How much sharpness do you want to apply? Wouldn't it be great for new people if they just made a command instead of having sharpen that just has, you know, the static group of these three options that it applies? Wouldn't it be great if you had sharpened dot-dot-dot, and all it gave you is amount? At least you could control the amount of sharpness and then the newbies would be satisfied, it'd be awesome. But we don't have anything like that, but you could just apply this amount, and notice, if I apply a higher amount value, I get more sharpness on screen.
Great, that's too much sharpness. I'm over sharpening the image, but still, you know I can gauge the difference here, and I can go as high as 500%. That just controls how much sharpness you want. Then let's go ahead and crank it up actually, I'll set it to 250, so we can really see what we are doing. Radius, defines the thickness of the halos. Now it's telling you Unsharp Mask is using a blurring technology in order to create the appearance of sharpness, and I was also telling you in the previous exercise, it's enhancing the contrast around the edges, right? So it's making the dark edge darker, and the light edge lighter. So look at the snout up here.
See how you can see a little bit of dark edge at the top? I'll go and zoom in, and I'm doing this by the way by Control+Spacebar+Clicking. That will be Command+Spacebar clicking on the Mac. So you can't zoom even though you've got a dialog box opened. Now you can't zoom by pressing the Z key, as you can't when the dialog box is close, but you can use that old technique of Ctrl+Spacebar or Command+Spacebar+ Clicking, and you can also just press Ctrl+Plus or Ctrl+Minus, Command+ Plus or Command+Minus on the Mac. All right, so see that little edge there, little dark edge above the snout, light edge below the snout. Watch it gets thicker as I change the radius value.
So notice there is more of a pop now, more of a blur, bigger halo expanding outward and expanding inward. So if you go with high radius value, you can get big thick goopy edges like we are seeing here, and if you go with a low radius value, you are going to get a nice crisp exacting edges, which would make you think you always want a low radius value, but I'll tell you why that's not true in future exercises here. Anyway, let's change this to radius of 2, and then we have this threshold value. Now edges are areas of rapid contrast between neighboring pixels. You've got basically 2 pixels that are right next to each other, let's say, anywhere in the image. Threshold value is saying, all right, if there are at least 0 luminance level different from each other, I'll sharpen them. So in other words, it's going to sharpen everybody inside this image, because everybody is at least 0 levels different than each other.
However, if you've raised that value to let's say 20, okay, then it's only going to sharpen 2 neighboring pixels where they are at least 20 luminance level different from each other, bearing in mind of course, that there are a total of 256 luminance levels in an 8 bit per channel image, and even if you are working in a 16 bit per channel image, threshold is just imagining you're working with 256 levels. You can only go as high as 255 levels there of difference and that, of course, is going to illuminate all sharpness from the image, because no two pixels can be 255 different from each other, unless they are white and black. I guess might be, but I'm not seeing any neighboring pixels that are white and black. Then if you sharpen them, you couldn't create more contrast between them, then black and white, so anyway, no sharpening occurs.
The problem with this function here, and the reason I don't use it, I actually don't use it at all, some people use it sparingly, and I'll tell you how to do that. But if you take it up to something like 30 levels, notice you get this pock marking effect, and that's because it's an on/off proposition, either you are sharpening 2 neighboring pixels, because they are at least 30 luminance levels different from each other, or you are not, because they aren't, and as a result you get this weird, the sun sharpness inside the image, and it usually does a really great job of picking out bad detail like pock marks, and moles and zits. And it's horrible.
However, if you keep it low, you can get half way decent effects, something like 3 to 4 for a low-noise image, this is a pretty high-noise image, so threshold value of about 8 level works pretty nicely for avoiding sharpening the noise in the background, behind the snake there. But we still are getting that pockmark effect, that on/off propositions, so we are drawing at some details and not others, which is why my favorite threshold setting is 0. Anyway, that gives you a sense. There is your three sliders. In the next exercise, I hope to help you make you sense of the most mysterious and the most important of these three sliders, the radius value, coming right up.
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The Trial: Round Two for Fordice Mississippi Higher Education Back in Court
Hawkins, B. Denise, Black Issues in Higher Education
The Trial: Round Two for Fordice Mississippi Higher Education Back in. Court
by B. Denise Hawkins
OXFORD, MS -- There is no inlaid Italian marble on display at the North Mississippi Rural Legal Services office. It is a spare, windowless, storefront decked in brown paneling, sandwiched between a Black-owned dress shop and a dingy grocery store.
The waiting area consists of worn carpet and stiff plastic chairs. A small brass bell attached to the front door tolls for those who pass through in search of justice.
Yet, for all its simplicity, the office houses a revolution in social and political change that, for nearly 20 years, has maneuvered to thwart state efforts to close key Black universities -- a move legal services officials regard as a naked defiance of the late Jake Ayers Sr.'s dream of equalizing education for Mississippi's Black children.
On the Friday before the state and the Black plaintiffs were poised to return to court, the back conference room of the law office was a quiet storm. At 4:45 p.m., nearly the close of the work week, it looked like moving day.
As fast as staffers could maneuver around long conference tables and wade through ankle-deep legal documents, boxes bound for the downtown courthouse were being whisked out the door and into a waiting mini-van.
Another Bitter Battle
But on Monday, May 9, those determined to unravel the confounding 19-year-old higher education drama known locally as the Ayers case, began their journey, for a second time, down a familiar legal path. Attorneys, three Black-college presidents, students, families and state lawmakers who gathered here occupied the same 80-seat, downtown courtroom they did in 1987 when U.S. District Court Judge Neal B. Biggers Jr. dismissed the initial desegregation case.
This time the plaintiffs and the state are again engaged in another bitter battle over how Mississippi should comply with a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court ruling to end all traces of segregation in its eight universities, three of which are historically Black.
The case, which has sparked national attention, began in 1975 when the late Jake Ayers Sr., along with 20 other plaintiffs, sued the state for operating two systems of higher education -- one for whites and a separate, unequal one for African Americans. Ayers, who said he filed the suit on behalf of his nine children, died in 1986 of a heart attack at 66.
In his opening statement, William Goodman, lead attorney for the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning -- also known as the College Board -- accused the plaintiffs of wanting to lower academic standards for Black students and creating steep walls of racial separation.
Said Goodman: "If Black students of yesterday received an inadequate education, it was the fault of white people. But today, if an inadequate education is what awaits Black students, it will be the fault of certain Blacks in power who push for quantity instead of quality."
Ripping into the plaintiffs' proposal, which includes steps to redress admissions policies they say have long excluded Blacks from university ranks, Goodman told the still-sitting Judge Biggers, "They are proposing no standards at all. Their plan is to encourage Black high school students not to take the core curriculum.
"They think that with a high school diploma they have an automatic road map into graduate and professional schools. I hope Black parents of the state will hear this and react."
But Robert Pressman, a Cambridge, MA-based attorney for the plaintiffs, in his opening argument, calmly pitched a simple plan for integration -- access to higher education for all African American students.
"Segregation is but one form of racial discrimination," Pressman argued. "You can't be segregated if policy and practice denies you access to the universities."
Pressman told Biggers that the state's plan to close the historically Black Mississippi Valley State University by merging it with traditionally white Delta State would automatically limit the number of Black students attending college. …


text:
Rutgers Senior
40: 5.65
PROS: Shows nice athleticism. Initiates contact with defender, with a decent hand punch. Finishes blocks and shows mean streak. Can get the seal on the edge and does a nice job clearing the backside cutback lane. Can block on the second level and pull. Has potential as a cut blocker. Flashes ability as a drive blocker.
CONS: Needs to improve his footwork and technique. Is too much of a waist bender, doesn't play with good base and can get bull-rushed. Needs to get bigger and stronger. Struggles with speed off the edge. Gets too deep, opening himself up for the inside move, or opens his stance too early. Whiffs on too many blocks in space and not natural when asked to pull.
OVERVIEW: At this point, he's a better run blocker than pass protector that fits best in a zone blocking scheme.
NFL FORECAST: Haslam has upside worth developing, but he's a guy that I could see spending three years on the bench and then washing out of the league. Or potentially make that next step at that point and developing into a decent backup. I would compare him to a guy like Ephraim Salaam. I think he needs to fill out his frame better, but I think he coudl work as a right tackle in a zone-blocking scheme. He's athletic enough to play on the left side as well, although at this point without drastic improvements to his footwork and technique, he'd struggle mightily there. But down the road, might develop into a capable swing guy like Salaam did later in his career. Can develop as a capable stopgap starter, but that's a few years off. I think if he is coached up and can put on another 10-20 pounds he stands a much better chance of sticking in the league.
ATL FORECAST: Haslam has potential to develop in Atlanta, but his length to impact is probably too long to be effectively developed here. He would ride the pine for two or three years and contribute little. At this point, he's not an upgrade over any of the backup tackles the team has now, and the Falcons would be developing him for his next team more than likely. I don't see him as a better option than Ojinnaka at any point in the next three or so years.
VALUE: For a patient team looking for a developmental zone blocker, they might snag him in the sixth or seventh round.
Kevin Haslam, OT, Rutgers
Scouting reports of offensive tackles, guards, and centers in the 2010 draft.
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It''s easy to forget that this Spartan, violent film, which begat the Rambo series, was such a big hit in 1982 because it was a good movie. Green Beret vet John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) wanders into the wrong small town to find a fellow ''Nam buddy and gets the living heck kicked out of him by the local law enforcement (led by Brian Dennehy). The vet strikes back the only way he knows how, leading to a visceral, if unrealistic, flight and fight through the local mountains. Based on the 1972 novel by David Morrell, this film saved Stallone''s then-foundering career and the Rambo character became the inspiration for countless political cartoons. But this film is Deliverance without the moral ambiguity. --Keith Simanton
Academy Award-nominee Sylvester Stallone stars as war hero, ex-Green Beret John Rambo in the one that started it all! FIRST BLOOD is an explosive action-thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, powerful frame.
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HB Rentals Completes Trinidad Offshore Work
Offshore accommodation specialist, HB Rentals, a Superior Energy Services company, has completed an eight-building and heliport package on a fixed platform in offshore Trinidad, Jude Primeaux Director of International Operations announced. The 12-month project included the construction of three 12-man sleepers, a galley, diner, office, laundry room, company man office, and heliport with a fire suppression system. HB Rentals also provided stairs and platforms for the building package. At the customers' request, HB Rentals completed an onshore mock up and test fit of the entire package including the heliport and fire suppression system prior to shipment. "At HB Rentals we will go the extra mile to ensure that we exceed the expectations of our clients," said Primeaux. "In this case it meant completing a trial run of the package on land." HB Rentals is the world's largest supplier of temporary onshore and offshore accommodation modules, operating from three major global hubs in Broussard, La.; Aberdeen, Scotland; and Singapore. Visit www.hbrental.com.
HB Rentals Completes GOM Project
HB Rentals Completes Seven Building Package in Green Canyon Area of Gulf of Mexico. Offshore accommodation specialist, HB Rentals, a Superior Energy Services company has completed a three-month project to install seven ABS/USCG building packages on a compliant tower in the Green Canyon Area of the Gulf of Mexico, announced Glenn Aguilar, HB Rentals Vice President – Corporate Sales and Marketing. The package consisted of three 12-man sleepers
Yacht Club Adds Electric Boats to Fleet
Vantage Yacht Club Adds Sustainable Electric Boats to Its Rental Fleet. Vantage Yacht Club, the premier fractional club offering shared yacht ownership and creator of the Yacht Card, announced additions to its Fleet Membership and Non-Member rental fleets today with the delivery of four electric Duffy Boats. Vantage Yacht Club is proud to announce this first electric boat initiative in Chicago as it continues to lead the evolution of the yachting lifestyle
Ferguson Director Global Business, HB Rentals
Accommodations specialist, HB Rentals, a Superior Energy Services company, has named Ken Ferguson the Director of Global Business Development. Ferguson will be based in HB Rentals' Houston office and will oversee the company's business development efforts. Before joining HB Rentals, Ferguson served as the Business Development Manager for Emtunga Offshore and worked in sales for Universal Services Inc., Evergreen Mobile Company, ATCO Structures Inc. and ATCO Saudi Arabia Ltd
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HB Rentals Opens Service Location in Mexico
HB Rentals announced the official opening of its new service location in Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico. The new location supports HB's range of service offerings that include accommodation modules and operating essentials such as water, sewage, power, lighting and communications systems. The addition of this facility allows the company to respond more quickly to the needs of its Mexico-based clients while reducing project expenses by eliminating importation and transportation costs
Bishop Lifting Acquires Delta Rigging & Tools
SBP Holdings, through its wholly owned subsidiary Bishop Lifting Products, has completed the acquisition of Delta Rigging & Tools headquartered in Houston, Texas. Bishop Lifting Products and Delta Rigging & Tools specialize in the fabrication and distribution of slings, wire rope and rigging products, crane and rigging inspection services, engineered solutions and equipment rentals. The combined Company will go to market under the brands Bishop Lifting Products
HB Rentals Major Norway Contract & Fleet Investment
Offshore accommodation specialist HB Rentals has secured a contract for four modules offshore Norway and announced a significant investment in its fleet. HB Rentals has agreed a long-term lease contract with Prosafe to supply four 20 ft by 8 ft A60 Zone II Norsok office modules for the Valhall platform in a $385,600 deal. The company has invested a further $771,300 in a fleet of brand new 20 ft by 8 ft A60 Zone II Norsok compliant modules for use as offices
International Markets Keep Tidewater Earnings Strong
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Floating Fender Rental Extended by Trelleborg
Floating fender rental takes the pressure off: Trelleborg Marine Systems extends floating fender rental service to APAC region Following the success of the recently launched floating foam and pneumatic fender rental service in Europe, Trelleborg Marine Systems are now extending the service to the Asia Pacific, Australia and China (APAC) region. Trelleborg Marine Systems launched the service in Europe as a response to the need for fast turnaround and installation times on quality fendering
Karpowership to Present Ghana Powerships Project
Karpowership to share Ghana project at African Energy Forum Karpowership, a subsidiary of Karadeniz Holding, and its executives will update participants on its first ever project in Africa, the "Power of Friendship for Ghana" project at the upcoming 17th annual African Energy
LGH's Kansas City Warehouse Relocates
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Safeway: New Motion Compensated Gangway
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Gauthiers' Announces Modex Merger
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IHC IQIP Opens New Yard, Offices in Australia
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China Shipbuilders may Merge to Stay Afloat
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H2O's Owens CrapZapper Offers More
H2O's Owens CrapZapper marine sanitation device has dual certification to the latest IMO and USCG standards for operation anywhere in the world. Features include low maintenance, compact footprint, patented floating skimmer ensures optimum discharge water clarity
Torqeedo Launches Commercial-grade Cruise Motor
Torqeedo has updated its electric outboards with a new design to meet the demands of commercial users. Available in comes in 5 hp and 8 hp equivalents, the Cruise is an electric solution for pontoon boats, sailboats, small boats, workboats
LTE Deployment Launched in the Gulf of Mexico
Industrial LTE wireless broadband services provider Infrastructure Networks, Inc. (INET) is deploying a pilot LTE system in the Gulf of Mexico. INET said its pilot deployment will be used to demonstrate the capabilities of industrial LTE wireless broadband service and coverage when
CWind Secures Another Contract in Germany
CWind has secured its third temporary power supply project in German waters. CWind is providing an integrated solution that includes the project management, rental of generators, the servicing, maintenance and refueling as well as the specialist workboat required at Borkum Riffgrund
Reftrade Upgrades Fleet Refrigeration Systems
Reftrade UK has made an investment to upgrade its fleet with environmentally friendly technology. The world's first refrigeration system to use CO2 as a natural refrigerant, NaturaLINE, has been installed in Reftrade UK's fleet
LGH Opens Phoenix Warehouse
Lifting Gear Hire (LGH) opened a new warehouse in Phoenix, Arizona, the company's 19th warehouse across North America. The new warehouse aims to offer a one-day equipment ship point to many southwestern cities, including Los Angeles, Denver, and Las Vegas
OP/ED: Knowing the Rules of the Road
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WSS' Adjusted Pricing From 1st Jan
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Hoists Facilitate Offshore Crane Repairs
When the diesel engine of a deck crane failed, it caused major handling problems for an offshore platform operating in the Dutch sector of the southern North Sea, problems that were solved with the use of J D Neuhaus air operated hoists. The crane was operating at 40 meters above sea level and