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The Great Lakes region is home to 20 percent of the world's freshwater reserves, a rich array of species and habitats, and tens of millions of people. One of the most significant challenges to the well-being of the region is climate change. We are already feeling the effects of climate change, and those effects will only intensify in the future. As a result the past alone is no longer a sufficient guide for conservation decisions. To effectively protect, manage, and restore freshwater coastal ecosystems in the Great Lakes we must integrate the reality of current and future climatic changes into our work. Making our projects "climate-smart" in this way will enhance their value and durability over the long term.
Restoring the Great Lakes' Coastal Future: Technical Guidance for the Design and Implementation of Climate-Smart Restoration Projects (pdf) describes a practiced suite of tools and methods to assist in the planning and implementation of climate-smart coastal restoration by NOAA, its partners, and others. The guide highlights seven case studies of climate-smart restoration projects in the Great Lakes region, including the goals, approaches, and implementation of each project.
Some ways that habitat restoration efforts funded under NOAA and partner programs in the Great Lakes region could be vulnerable to climate change impacts include:
The guidance highlights case studies of seven climate-smart Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)-supported projects, chosen because of their likely susceptibility to climate change. Although developed specifically for climate-smart restoration in the Great Lakes, the general procedures should have broader applicability in other regions. The case studies are specific to the Great Lakes and can inform other coastal restoration projects in the Great Lakes region.
Restoring the Great Lakes' Coastal Future (pdf)


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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Record spending in the 2012 elections has prompted a new wave of campaign finance proposals in state capitols. But there is little consensus about the best way to police money in politics.
In some states, lawmakers want to raise contribution limits to allow candidates to fight back against well-financed outside interest groups. Yet in other states, officials are proposing to restrict contributions.
Missouri, for example, currently is the only state with the trio of unlimited contributions, unlimited lobbyist gifts and no waiting period before lawmakers can become lobbyists. The free flow of money must be publicly disclosed. But Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon now is vowing to lead a ballot initiative to reinstate campaign contribution limits if lawmakers don't do it themselves this year.

subset: commoncrawl


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Office Location(s):
Board Certifications:
"Being able to access your Orthopedic Urgent Care on a Saturday was a God-send. It was wonderful to avoid an ER. Thank you all so much for being open on Saturdays and after hours, Monday through Friday."
EmergeOrtho of the Triangle. All Rights Reserved. All trademarks and registered trademarks are of their respective companies. | Sitemap
EmergeOrtho complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.
EmergeOrtho does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Notice of Non-Discrimination | Limited English Proficiency


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Hi all,
I was wondering how many CIP connections for EthernetIP Tag Communications are there?
Also, I'd like to know how I can he read a subtag, like a program tag, using the EthernetIP Tag Read VI to read from a PLC.
Solved! Go to Solution.
#1. We support up to a maximum of 128 simultaneous connections for both incoming and outgoing requests.
In general, the tag name is exactally what you see in RSLogix5000. Any controller tags
you create show up in the "Controller Tags" spreadsheet. My understanding is that the
only difference between program tags and controller tags is scope. Only controller tags
can be accessed externally from the PLC though. If the datatype can be expanded then
RSLogix shows you the sytax for accessing the sub-elements.
If I add a controller tag called "TestArray" that is a DINT[3] array type in RSLogix, I
can access it the following ways:
-By "TestArray" - Gets/Set the array of 1-3 elements, depending on the count parameter
-By "TestArray[N]" (where N is an index) - Gets/Sets the array starting at offset N
-By "TestArray[N].0" - Gets/Sets an individual BOOL bit of the DINT at offset N
From my understanding, "program tags" are like local variables in a C program. They are
restricted to be accessed only from the scope they are declared in, which in this case
is a particular program. As far as I know there is no way to access these local
variables via the EtherNet/IP interface of the ControlLogix. If you declare them as
"controller tags" then they are like globals in C and can be accessed from other
programs on the PLC and externally from the PLC, such as via EtherNet/IP.
If you want to access data in local variables from outside of their limited scope,
perhaps their scope should not be declared as local to their program. If you are working
around existing code, my best guess is that you would have to mirror that data somehow.
I'd suggest adding a rung in your ladder logic to mirror whichever variables you need
into a controller tag or a data assembly on your LabVIEW system. From a simple
experiment I don't think RSLogix5000 lets you simply alias program tags into controller
tags (and this would defeat the purpose of limiting their scope in the first place...).
Thanks a lot for the reply!
Can you elaborate further on what the following means?
DirkW wrote:
#1. We support up to a maximum of 128 simultaneous connections for both incoming and outgoing requests.
Can only 128 tags be used at any one instance in x time? For example, lets say I have two PLCs each with 128 tags. I want to communicate with both in my program. Is this possible? Does it matter if I'm communicating to complex tags. For example, I will have tags that have 5 strings and an array of 10 strings. I'm using a read using dot notation (Tagname.substring) to read each of the strings. Does this count as 1 or 5 connections? This is very concerning as we are using this in an application that we have tested with one PLC, but we will in the end have maybe dozens. Thanks.
After double checking, it seems that the reading tag can only be performed one by one for a specific device.
There should be no limitation in terms of how many tag totally can be read -- since they are read one by one.


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BECOME A PREFERRED SUBSCRIBER+ Get 15% off Your Next Order
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Buckner Superior 90SD Part/Full Circle T-post Sprinkler
Irrigate all of your plants no matter their height with the Buckner Superior Part/Full Circle T-post Sprinkler. This sprinkler can be mounted at any height on a T-style fence post (item number 163946, sold separately). Just install a T-style fence post wherever you need to irrigate and move the sprinkler from post to post. Manual tightener keeps the sprinkler from sliding up or down on the post. 3/4? garden hose thread. Part- or full-circle pattern. Post spacing at 35- 48'. 1/2" sprinkler inlet diameter. NOTE: Sprinkler spacing is dependent upon your water pressure.View all Watering Equipment and Irrigation Supplies


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Tom Breunig Joins SCR Dairy as General Manager of U.S. Business
SCR Selects Madison, Wisconsin, as U.S. Headquarters to Deliver Revolutionary Solutions and Superior Support to U.S. Dairy Producers
SCR announced today the addition of Tom Breunig to their team as U.S. General Manager. A dairy industry veteran, Breunig will lead SCR's domestic dairy team's keen focus on supporting the U.S. market and providing revolutionary technology for dairy cow management.
SCR, an Israeli-based company, opened their U.S. office in Madison, Wisconsin, in March of 2012 to support the growing need for state-of-the-art technology in dairy cow management. The opening of a U.S.-based location demonstrates an ongoing commitment to further support U.S. dairy producers.
"Tom brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to SCR as we focus on growing our presence within the United States," says SCR's CEO Yariv Avisar. "We look to Tom to provide strategic direction as we engage with customers and provide better solutions and service, bringing SCR innovative products and solutions to the dairy producers in this region of the world."
"United States dairies represent some of the largest, most progressive operations in the world, and we recognize their ongoing need to have up-to-date information at their fingertips for decision-making on individual cows," explains Breunig. "SCR is committed to delivering superior support to dairy producers in the United States and advancing financial return to our customers through innovative technological solutions."
Breunig joins SCR with more than two decades of experience in the dairy industry. He most recently served as U.S. Sales Director for ABS Global, where he led the U.S. dairy sales business and developed strategic plans to strengthen and grow the ABS business. He previously held a variety of roles within the ABS Global organization including Business Development Director and ABS Global Dairy Product Manager. Breunig also spent eight years as an independent consultant for animal health, animal identification, specialty feeds, genetics and reproduction companies.
About SCR
SCR is a leading developer of advanced technologies for dairy farms and a driving force for progress in the industry. SCR provides dairy producers with revolutionary herd monitoring solutions to manage individual cows, regardless of herd size. Technologies include Heatime® heat detection and health monitoring systems, which utilize unique collar tags and advanced milking controllers based on the most successful electronic milk measurement devices in the market today, and DataFlow, a centralized complete management solution. Over 1.3 million cows on more than 15,000 farms worldwide are monitored using SCR's collar tags, while their technology touches over 10 million cows worldwide, making SCR the global leader in advanced solutions for cow monitoring. To learn more about SCR, visit www.SCRDairy.com.


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Paper Beats Rock as Dollar Outperforms Gold
The deflation pulse I have been pounding the table on since late September has accelerated in worldwide risk assets, flushing out many of the "Nouveaux Bulls" who were under the mistaken notion that the "Bernanke Put" meant stocks could not go down.
This is not just a U.S.-driven period of weakness. Following the announcement of Quantitative Easing 3 by the Fed, the market behaviorally has acted as if reflation is over, and deflation is back....248 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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County's GIS Program Receives 'Best of Breed' Award
Office of Public Affairs
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
Oct. 10, 2003
County's GIS Program Receives 'Best of Breed' Award
Fairfax County's GIS program received a "Best of
Breed" award in the 2003 Digital Counties Survey. This survey and award
recognition was conducted by the Center for Digital Government, in
partnership with the National Association of Counties. CDG is an
international research and advisory institute on information
This survey, underwritten by Microsoft Corp., was open to applications from all counties in the United States. Awards were given to the nine top counties for their technology-savvy projects that improved government operations and customer service to their citizens.
"We've implemented an infrastructure that makes GIS widely available in the county," said
Thomas Conry, branch manager of the GIS Branch of the Department of Information Technology.
"We now have nearly 400 layers of information and it's growing. We've worked with different agencies to enable them to understand GIS and integrate it into their operations."
The majority of county agencies now use GIS or GIS products as part of
their operations. Some of the ways agencies have used GIS to improve
operations include:
• Part of the planning response to the West Nile virus threat (Health Department).
• Digitized bus routes for transit planning (Department of Transportation).
• Direct digital updating and a new data structure for digitally storing the parcel and zoning data that enables users to view the status of county property maps online at any time.
• A pioneering and award-winning project with the Virginia Department of Transportation to jointly maintain street center line information. This data sharing helped the response to Hurricane Isabel and will be used to aid snow plowing effectiveness.
• Dramatically accelerated the analysis and display of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance project, enabling citizens to view results over the Internet as the project proceeds, rather than many months afterward.
Citizens also benefit from the GIS technology. Anyone can use the
following GIS products and services by visiting the county's Web site at
and clicking on the Maps, Facts and Stats section:
• Map Gallery: Find many of the common maps that are produced by the GIS & Mapping Department. The maps are letter-size and available in many formats for downloading and printing.
• Aerial/Ortho Photo Viewer: View Fairfax County by jumping to one of the predefined "points of interest," or panning and zooming to any part of the county.
• DTA Parcel Finder: Find detailed information about property and view that parcel with the parcel viewer along with an aerial photograph of the area. This application now serves over 2 million map views per year.
• Fairfax Time Machine: Pick a highlighted area of the map to see an animation of that area from 1937 to 1990.
• Digital Map Viewer: Over 2,200 highly detailed maps are available for free viewing, downloading and printing. These maps include property data, the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance – Resource Protection Areas, contours, building outlines and zoning information. These maps are updated daily as changes occur. Some of these maps were never publicly available before, and those that were, were only updated annually. Those map books cost over $60. Over 41,000 detailed maps were viewed over the past year.
• Free GIS Data: Selected sets of GIS data are available for download for use with GIS software.
Individuals, businesses and organizations that are interested in detailed, up-to-date county GIS data for use with GIS software can purchase that data on CD from the GIS office. Information is available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/maps/cd.htm.
For more information about the county's GIS program, contact the GIS Front Desk at 703-324-2712, TTY 711.


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My Fave Gadgets Pick: Pearl USB Flash Drive
Thanks to TeamSugar user Rachie Rees for sending us one of her favorite gadgets - the Pearl USB flash drive. She says: "I highly recommend USB flash drives, they are so useful and extremley handy. You can use drives to store your photos, music, voice recordings and data. There are now so many new designs and styles- its like they're becoming geeky jewelry pieces - just like this pearl one." I definitely agree Rachie Rees! To purchase a 2GB pearl USB flash drive for $30, click here. I want to know what's in your purse, on your desktop and in your pockets. To learn how to post photos of your favorite gadgets in the group,
I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.
- First of all, join the My Favorite Gadgets group
- Click "Create and Share!" on the left hand side
- Choose "Blog"
- Give your photo a Title
- Leave the category as "general"
- Change the channel to "technology and gadgets"
- Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "My Favorite Gadgets")
- Click on the "Add Image" link below the "body" box
- A popup window will happen - click on "Browse" to find your image on your computer
- Once you have the image chosen, click "Submit"
- The popup will show you your image, choose size: "normal" - if you want, you can give it a title (which will show up as a caption)
- Click "Insert" and the popup will go away
- Your "body" box will now have some text in it. Leave it as is. If you want to add some text before the picture, do it before the code that has appeared.
- Click Submit
So join the My Favorite Gadgets group and start posting your great photos! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!


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[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffsMteF6Ktk]YouTube - iPhone 3GS vs Windows Phone 7 - Browser Speed test[/ame]
An Israeli site did the first side-by-side test (Google Translate) of web browsing, using Mobile Safari on an iPhone running iOS 4 and Mobile IE on a Samsung phone running the new Windows Phone 7. The result, somewhat surprisingly, is that the older iPhone absolutely mops the floor with the new WinMo device, though there's lots we don't know about how the test was set up. In any case, it's not the best news for Microsoft, which has been a day late and a dollar short since the beginning of the smartphone era.
Windows Phone 7 is the update - due before the holiday season this year - to Microsoft's Windows Mobile series of operating systems. Like the Zune HD, it's based on the Windows CE 6.0 operating system. The currently-shipping version of Windows Mobile, on the other hand, is based on Windows CE 5. The Windows Mobile series has been slow to adopt many smartphone features - such as touch, which was only fully supported in the stopgap WinMo 6.5 released last year - and the company has been playing catch-up. Microsoft has been handing out a bunch of Samsung "Taylor" phones to media outlets to try and generate some pre-release buzz for their new mobile OS. The phone is supposedly built on the same hardware platform as the Samsung i8910HD and so - with an ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz CPU, hardware-accelerated 3D graphics and 256MB RAM - it's about feature-equivalent with the iPhone 3GS. However, iOS 4 was designed for the more powerful iPhone 4 and iPad, so it was probably thought that it gave the Windows Mobile phone a bit of an advantage.
Well, no.
Pageloads on the Samsung were notably - painfully - slower than on the iPhone. Some pages take ten seconds longer to load on the WinMo phone, which is like watching paint dry on the video. The test - which was done using 3G rather than WiFi networking, was presumably done over the same network, otherwise it was hardly fair. However, there's no information in the article to explain those details (though the translation is exceptionally bad). It's important to note that Engadget's test of the same phone and OS showed results "just a hair slower than an iPhone 4," so there may well be some inconsistency in the way the tests were set up.
WinMo will doubtless be able to run on faster hardware upon release, and there's probably some speedups that they'll be able to do between now and the final version. So there's no way to call the fight over, with production devices not expected until the end of this year. As for now, though, the first round apparently goes to the iPhone.
Video via NewsGeek.il


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The Ram 1500 was named the 2013 North American Truck/Utility of the Year today at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Ram 1500 beat out finalists Ford C-Max and Mazda CX-5 for the honor.
Redesigned for 2013, the Ram 1500 features a new, more aerodynamic shape and new frame with improved stability and handling, with decreased noise, vibration and harshness. The interior also has been redesigned with an improved fit and finish and more upscale materials.
It features the latest version of the Uconnect built-in wireless system with 8.4-inch screen, new climate controls and a new 3.5-inch vehicle-information screen in the instrument panel that's standard on all models. Other standard features include keyless entry and start, steering-wheel controls and a new air suspension that improves the ride, eases passenger entry and exit, and enhances off-road capability.
Starting at $22,640, the 2013 Ram 1500 features best-in-class fuel economy in the new 305-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 engine paired with a new eight-speed automatic transmission, which gets 18 mpg in the city and 25 highway mpg. A 395-horsepower, 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 is also available as an option. Other fuel-economy improvements on all models come from the extensive weight reduction through the use of advanced high-strength steel, aluminum suspension components and an aluminum hood, electric power steering, and low rolling-resistance tires.
The prestigious award is given by a group of 49 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada and is financed solely from jurors' dues. The group initially considers all cars that are brand new or substantially redesigned for 2013. This is the second time in the award's history that the Ram 1500 won. The first time was in 1994, the inaugural year of the award.
What do you think of the Ram 1500? Is it a better choice than the other two trucks?
Tara Baukus Mello writes the cars blog as well as the weekly Driving for Dollars column, providing both practical financial advice for consumers as well as insight into the latest developments in the automotive world. Follow her on Facebook here or on Twitter @SheDrives.


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The Gear You Need to Start Birdwatching
Tree climbing, the sport, is an extension of tree climbing, the job, and both have been growing in popularity in recent years.
Tchukki Andersen, an arborist with a trade group called the Tree Care Industry Association, says that demand for pros who can climb and maintain trees began to increase after the Northeast blackout of 2003, which started when trees near Cleveland touched high-voltage power lines and ultimately affected 55 million people. In the aftermath government agencies required utilities to spend more to keep their lines clear. Since then a steady sequence of hurricanes, tornadoes, and ice storms have kept up the pressure on utilities and created ongoing work for arborists. "We just seem to be more inundated with more frequent and intense storms these days," Andersen says.
As the need for tree climbers has grown, the gear has improved. And a growing number of companies are teaching the necessary skills, including Tree Climbers International, in Atlanta, Georgia; a national group called North American Training Solutions; and the New England Tree Climbing Association. Gary Gross, one of the founders of the New England group, is a 59-year-old Vietnam veteran and former engineer for Pratt & Whitney. "There's so much work for arborists that they can't keep up," he says, "and it's really not that complicated to learn."
This summer I headed to Manchester, Conn., where I joined a recreational climber and two arborists for a weekend course with Gross. As a sport, tree climbing seemed easier and safer to learn than rock climbing. And the skills could even have a payoff down the road, according to Andersen. "We'll put recreational climbers to work," he says. "They have quite a bit of the training a tree care company is looking for. And the industry pays well."
Here's what we learned, and some of the gear we used, in Gary Gross's backyard. The following overview isn't enough to get a climber started, though—to learn the sport safely, hands-on instruction is vital.
Tree climbers use "static" ropes, which lack the stretchiness of "dynamic" ropes used to arrest falls in rock climbing. This Yale Poison Ivy rope is 11.7 mm in diameter and has a rated tensile strength of 6500 pounds. The Blake's Hitch seen in this photo is the central friction hitch in tree climbing. The hitch can move up and down the rope, but if the climber simply lets go, the hitch locks in place.
Pyro Mania: PM Visits America's Biggest Fireworks Festival


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Joan Jett, a vegetarian rock n' roller, will grace South Dakota's float in the upcoming Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.
According to the Rapid City (S.D.) Journal, Tourism Secretary Jim Hagan announced Jett's role on the state's Mount Rushmore American Pride float, and now faces questions from the state's livestock community.
Jodie Anderson, executive director of the South Dakota Cattlemen's Association, worries that Jett, a vegetarian and poster child for PETA, may project the wrong image for a state rich in agricultural history.
"South Dakota Cattlemen's Association is very concerned that the South Dakota float would be featuring a prominent vegetarian on the Thanksgiving Parade float," she said Tuesday. "We hope that future floats would support not only the tourism industry but also agriculture."
However, Hagen points that the float isn't designed to promote agriculture. Instead, it's hoping to attract tourists.
"The feedback through the years has just been immensely positive about the float and South Dakota as a vacation destination," he said. "I don't know the personal opinions and viewpoints of a lot of these artists."
Hagen also said that Jett's political views are really not an issue when it comes to marketing the state to a national audience.
"She holds views that I don't, but there are a lot of people who love her as an artist," Hagen said. "It puts the focus on Mount Rushmore and South Dakota."
USA Today reports that Jett was not the state's first choice for artists. None of the artists the state proposed were available – or willing – to appear on the parade. Macy's selected Jett and her band instead.
Read, "Ranchers rankled by Joan Jett pick for S.D. float."
On Friday, Macy's responded to the outrage by moving Joett off the float.
Orlando Veras, Macy's parade spokesman, told The Associated Press that Jett and her band, will be moved to another float.
Veras explained that the annual parade in New York City is about entertainment, not advocacy, and that Macy's was making the change "to prevent any further distraction from our entertainment mission."
"The Parade has never taken on, promoted or otherwise engaged in social commentary, political debate, or other forms of advocacy, no matter how worthy," Veras said in a statement. "Macy's intention is only to provide a range of entertaining elements and performers free of endorsements or agendas."


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20 Rue Pierre Levée
75011 Paris
Tel : 01 48 06 33 02
M° Goncourt
This restaurant is in an old artist studio in the 11th arrondissement with a rather industrial but inviting and warm decor. Soya offers a flavorful and copious vegetarian cuisine... we suggest trying the couscous and the grande assiette of mezze.
We highly recommend this restaurant, even to non-vegetarians !
Open Monday through Friday for lunch (12 pm - 3:30 pm) and for dinner (7 pm to 11 pm) and the weekends for brunch (11:30 am - 4 pm)


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Welcome, Ye First Loser of the Year
Welcome Amazon (AMZN), the first losing trade of 2013, for which I bought puts Wednesday morning. Ironically, volatility puts were the first winning trade. That is how it works. There will be winners and there will be losers; neither trade will define me. Neither trade will define the year, either, nor will it make or break the year. But there will be losses. I will keep watching Amazon looking for another entry, and not necessarily on the short side. But, for now, the market is not ready to give up the Amazon ghost, so I need to give up the Amazon trade.
For those who look for long-term, slow-motion breakout trades, I'll revisit Monsanto (MON). Jim Cramer and I covered this one back in the last week of July 2012, both with a very bullish outlook. While the stock subsequently retested the support/breakout level -- represented by the brown dotted line shown below -- this chart has held up well....285 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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A 69-year-old local man has been seriously injured in an accident on the Great Western Way this morning.
Police were called to the eastbound carriageway outside B&Q at 9.42am.
A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said: "A 69 year old man has suffered very serious injuries, potentially life threatening, and has been taken to Frenchay Hospital.
"We haven't yet ascertained if the man was on a bike or pushing a bike, as there was a bike near the scene."
Nobody else was injured in the accident, but the van involved was an Iveco Daily 50 white tipper van.
The road has been closed eastbound between Barnfield Road roundabout and Bruce Street Bridges and is set to remain closed for several hours while a police investigation is underway.
Police are advising drivers to seek an alternative route.


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Venice Airport on Florida's Gulf Coast stands out among the 40 or so fields that received FAA Airport Improvement Program grants totaling more than $260 million in August. It's not because Venice is a bastion of business aviation activity–the field is lucky to see six bizjet movements per day–nor did it receive the largest ($32.9 million) or smallest ($791,000) grant.
Instead, the $7.1 million grant to rehabilitate Runway 4/22 is noteworthy because just two years ago the FAA was seriously considering taking back airport funding because of grant-assurance violations. By accepting a $3.6 million AIP grant in 2007 to repave Runway 13/31, Venice Airport was obligated to adhere to the grant's assurances.
But in early 2010 the local government of the sleepy Florida retirement community was pushing an airport master plan that sought to downgrade the airport to class B from class C in an effort to squeeze out jet activity, a plan that put the field in violation of its obligation to the FAA. It was embroiled in a nasty legal battle with the agency to do so, using more than $150,000 of airport revenues to file a lawsuit and fight the FAA in court. The town also filed a lawsuit–using more airport revenues–against the airport's FBO, then known as the Venice Jet Center (now Suncoast Air Center), to prevent it from building more hangars that the FAA had approved.
But, as the saying goes, "All politics are local," and this couldn't be truer than in Venice. The airport support group, the Venice Airport Society (VASI), mobilized and found airport-friendly citizens who were willing to run for the open town council seats and for mayor. Through vigorous endorsements, VASI was able to help get the full slate of airport-friendly candidates elected.
Around the same time, Chris Rozansky, 34, was hired as the new airport administrator. Rozansky was previously the operations manager at Collin County Regional Airport in McKinney, Texas, and he told AIN that, because of the former council's animosity toward the airport, he was reluctant to take the job. But, seeking a challenge, he did.
With more airport-friendly elected officials at his side, Rozansky was able to get a new airport master plan approved in July last year, one that preserved Venice Airport's class C status. Since then he has been busy paring down a list of long-neglected upkeep items at the airport, but one project has loomed large in the background: repairing potholed Runway 4/22. Thanks mostly to the FAA grant, Rozansky will be able to scratch this off his list come January, when the project is expected to be completed.
The 5,000-foot runway, which dates back to 1942 as part of the original construction of Venice Army Air Field, is currently restricted to aircraft weighing less than 24,000 pounds and underused because of its poor condition. According to Rozansky, jet aircraft currently avoid 4/22, but multiple jet operators have advised the city that they would use it more frequently if it were restored.
Use of this runway, to be redesignated 5/23 to accommodate magnetic declination, will also mitigate noise because the southwest end abuts the Gulf and commercial buildings are on the northeast end. Residential neighborhoods are less than half a mile away from each end of Runway 13/31.
The total project cost is approximately $8.4 million, including $7.1 million from the FAA, $400,000 from the Florida Department of Transportation and $900,000 from the city of Venice.
Key elements of the project include reconstructing the runway with asphalt so it can support aircraft weighing up to 80,000 pounds; partially rebuilding parallel Taxiway E; relocating the adjacent golf course driving range (currently less than 500 feet from the end of Runway 22 and within the runway safety area); installing new LED runway and taxiway lights; installing new wildlife fencing; moving the displaced threshold on Runway 5 from 294 feet to 463 feet to account for a nearby bridge; and installing non-precision runway markings in preparation for future GPS approaches.
"I'd like to thank mayor John Holic and the Venice city council for their tireless effort and supportover the past two years to help secure this grant. City leaders have built a renewed spirit of cooperation with the FAA that will enable the airport to serve the community better," Rozansky told AIN. "I'd also like to thank the FAA and FDOT for their partnership and commitment to the airport."
Nancy (not verified)
November 14, 2012 - 7:53am
Does this now mean I will be hearing more loud, annoying jets flying low over my house??? Just great, another reason to get out of Venice!
Nancy (not verified)
November 28, 2012 - 6:50am
Guess it will coincide with all the increased ambulance and police sirens that snowbird season brings to quiet little Venice as well ... Yup...as I said, Great!
tj (not verified)
January 25, 2013 - 11:42pm
After many conversations with the airport manager and counting loud planes for 10 years, we took our money and left Venice. The airport and the questionable money that the airplane owners spend is obviously more important than the taxpayers of Venice. How can occasional weekend visitors flying in spend more money than the taxpayers who live in Venice? We loved the beaches, Venice downtown, access to Sarasota, etc. But the planes were so loud and increasingly annoying every year we finally sold our home and moved. There are a lot of beautiful beaches and golf courses in Fl - why be tortured by loud planes - we sold our home and moved on - and are very happy with the quiet!


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The holiday season is upon us, which means cold weather and gift giving, and what better way to cover all your bases than a cozy pair of Ugg Boots? When you invest in something like a pair of Ugg boots, you want to get your money's worth. Nothing is more frustrating than paying over a hundred dollars for something that is poor craftsmanship. I also know that people love a bargain and search tirelessly for the best deal on a product before purchasing, but when it comes to Ugg boots you want to make sure you are getting the real deal. There are millions of manufacturers flooding the market with inferior knock-offs and as a consumer you need to educate yourself. Ugg does take precautions to help their customers make sure they are getting the real deal.
To check our store, among others, visit the link below.


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Trout, Reds' Frazier linked by Jersey
CINCINNATI -- It was in the fall of 2010, while playing for USA Baseball at the Pan-American Qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico, when Todd Frazier finally got a chance to meet that fellow New Jersey kid everyone kept raving about.
Mike Trout was only 19 then, coming off his first pro season and about 18 months removed from his senior prom, but Frazier was already in awe.
"It was crazy," the Reds' up-and-coming third baseman recalled. "I was sitting there with [Leon] Durham, the Triple-A hitting coach for the Detroit Tigers, and we were like, 'Holy cow, this guy's going to be for real.' I was talking to [pitcher] Todd Redmond, who played here. We were all looking; we were like, 'God, this guy's the real deal.' And we knew he was going to be something special. We really did. Just the way he played, the way he tracked balls down in the outfield, just how he went about himself. He was a pro."
Trout hit .350 in that tournament, providing just a taste of what would lead into an historic rookie season in 2012. And ever since then, Frazier and Trout have been buddies.
It's a Jersey thing.
The Garden State doesn't produce many Major Leaguers. In fact, only 19 native New Jersey guys played in the big leagues last year. But Trout and Frazier, who finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting, are doing their part to show bright, young talent can come out of there.
"We take pride in guys from the East Coast, especially from Jersey, knowing there's a handful of guys that came out of Jersey," Trout said. "For him being up here now, at a young age, as well, it makes you feel good, to put Jersey on the map a little bit."
Frazier is six years older than Trout -- even though they have almost exactly the same amount of service time -- and grew up about 100 miles north of Trout's Millville, N.J., home. But the two have grown close the last few years -- and Frazier hasn't missed an opportunity to get on the Angels' 21-year-old outfielder.
"All the stuff he does, man," Frazier said. "I'm with him 100 percent, but I have to [talk some trash]. He's like one of my teammates because he's like a brother to me. He deserves everything that has come his way, he's a great person. But I have to put him in his place every once in a while because we don't want to get him too big real quick."
What has Frazier been on Trout about the most?
"Well, he's huge now," Frazier joked. "I don't know what happened this offseason -- he blew up. I'm confused why he didn't ask me to work out with him so I could look like him."
Alden Gonzalez is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Gonzo and "The Show", and follow him on Twitter @Alden_Gonzalez. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Amid an uneven and slow recovery at home and financial volatility in established European markets, U.S. chain retailers are increasingly looking to emerging global markets to expand operations, increase overall revenues and gain a competitive advantage. The reasons are obvious: Consumer spending is on the rise in many of these areas, boosted by, in some instances for the first time ever, a growing middle class. Equally important, emerging markets present significant opportunities for store growth.
"Many of our retail customers see expansion into emerging markets as a way to get into markets that are not saturated, especially in light of how competitive things have become in emerging markets," said Michael Griffiths, global industry product director, distribution and retail, Microsoft.
In some instances, new markets are on more solid footing than older, established ones.
"Emerging markets were impacted much less severely by the 2008-2010 recession, and these markets are now proving their sustainable growth," said Mike Moriarty, partner in the retail practice of A.T. Kearney, and co-author of the Global Retail Development Index (GRDI), an annual study that ranks the top 30 developing countries for retail expansion worldwide. The index ranks the attractiveness of retail expansion in emerging markets based on economic and political risk, the retail market, and the difference between gross domestic product growth and retail growth.
As to where the growth is, during the 10 years of international retail growth tracked by A.T. Kearney, five countries have consistently ranked in the top 10: China, India, Russia, Vietnam and Chile. The growth trajectory of the retail market in these countries has consistently surpassed other developing markets, according to A.T. Kearney.
But while Asia is key to the global economy, South America is emerging as a potential retail powerhouse. Indeed, three of the top five countries in the 2011 A.T. Kearney study were from South America.
Brazil, which is now the world's eighth-largest economy, led the rankings with an expected GDP growth of 5% over the next few years, a large and mostly urban population, and surging retail sales. Also, the country will host both the 2016 Summer Olympic Games and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Preparations for the events are expected to generate billions of dollars in new investments.
"South America, especially the southern part, is roaring on all cylinders," Moriarty said. "The nations are becoming more open and business-friendly, and the consumers are becoming more globalized."
For some reason, however, most U.S. retailers, Wal-Mart being a notable exception, have ignored South America.
"European retailers are there, and I fear they will be the ones who have the opportunity to take best advantage of the economic benefits that a rising South America offers," Moriarty said.
The strong showing of Latin America in the 2011 study is a reflection of the faster pace of growth of the economies in the region, as opposed to a sign of falling retail potential in China or India. China recently overtook Japan as the world's second-largest economy, while India is expected to grow even faster than China in the long run, given its younger population.
"China is a complex market," Moriarty added, "but one with tremendous opportunities, especially in the Tier 2, 3 and 4 cities."
Brands thinking of entering China need to be aware that Internet penetration in the vast country is immense.
"The Internet makes shoppers smarter and requires you to sharpen your strategy even more. If you open up a store, make sure the store and brand experience is in sync with what's on your website," Moriarty said.
As for India, the time to enter is now, according to the most recent GRDI study, with forecasted annual growth of 8.7% in the GDP through 2016 and increased consumer spending among the factors contributing to the favorable retail climate.
Foreign direct investment regulations continue to require single-brand retailers to enter India through an Indian partner or joint venture. But a committee of secretaries has given a green signal to FDI in multi-brand retail. Although the move requires political approval, it is the first step toward relaxing the regulations.
While global expansion is increasingly being viewed as a priority, creating a consistent and profitable performance across borders can be a challenge.
Many U.S. retailers, particularly on the apparel side, have opted to pursue global expansion by entering into franchise agreements with international partners. Such arrangements allow retailers to enter a market quicker than they might have on their own. But in the long run, they could constrain a retailer's success, Moriarty warned.
"The desire to get into a market quickly can cause you to make business decisions you might regret later," he said. "If you decide to franchise, go in with your eyes open and understand that the distributor is there to serve the market, not grow it. You have to build the market. All too often, brands become disappointed with their global partners because they are not working with the same passion and love of brand and product that the principal has."
Some retailers that previously sought to grow globally with a partner are now going direct. In May 2011, for example, Coach Inc. announced it was taking back control of its retail business rights on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau from its distributor. Last year, Burberry said it had agreed to buy out its franchisees in mainland China. The shifts allow retailers more control over the merchandise and how it is marketed, and also mean profits from the stores will move from simply wholesale earnings to retail.
That is not to say, however, that franchising does not make sense for some retailers. Consider the success of McDonald's global efforts.
"If you opt for the franchise model, understand clearly that this is your model and why the strategy makes sense," Moriarty said. "Don't go into the situation out of weakness."
Having the right business systems and information technology in place is as crucial to global expansion and success as it is to domestic operations.
"Many companies that expand into other markets fail, not because the concept or products are bad but because they keep introducing new systems and processes [in each market]. There is too much > effort involved, and things become too dysfunctional to succeed," said Michael Griffiths of Microsoft, whose Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail (see story, left) is available in 50 countries.
Running multiple systems in multiple countries, or having to localize the system yourself, is hugely inefficient and costly, Griffiths added. It also doesn't allow for transparency or consistency across the business.
"Global availability of an IT solution is critical to maximizing resources and business processes," he said. "In fact, the tech platform that a retailer utilizes can actually be a barrier to success if the solution is regional and not globally available."
The more consistent and standardized a retailer's IT platforms are, the more it is able to leverage the business efficiencies it has established in base countries and extend them into new markets, according to Griffiths.
"Not having a single platform also makes it hard to make strategic decisions at the global level," he added.
With a single solution, retailers can feel confident that, as they expand into new markets, they can keep the same platform and training tools, and reap the benefits they have established in base countries, according to Griffiths, and also provide the same customer experience regardless of the country.
"So ultimately, the cost of expanding is dramatically reduced," he said.
In terms of store design, experts caution that retailers should be sensitive to the local market.
"It's importance to define the relevance of your brand in a new market," said Bruce Dybvad, CEO, Interbrand Design Forum. "You need to be in tune with the customer. Everything from the merchandise assortment to the store design needs to be informed by the local competitive circumstances, as well as consumer sensitivities."
Retailers are also urged to make local connections.
"Consistency across brand touchpoints is important, but a one-size-fits-all approach can be a mistake," Dybvad said. "We've seen retailers miss opportunities by not adapting their brand appropriately to connect with a new market."


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Is it possible to breastfeed my baby who was born with Down Syndrome?
How wonderful that you want to give your baby the precious gift of your milk! Babies with Down Syndrome experience special benefits from breastfeeding beyond the many advantages to typical newborns.
- Breast milk provides extra protection against infections and bowel problems, which are more common in babies with Down Syndrome.
- Breastfeeding improves mouth and tongue coordination, giving a child with Down Syndrome a real developmental advantage.
- The act of breastfeeding provides additional stimulation for your baby.
- Breastfeeding promotes closeness between mother and baby, and enhances mothering skills.
- Extra patience and reasonable expectations are critical when breastfeeding a baby with Down Syndrome. Low muscle tone and a weak suck can impede the baby's ability to breastfeed.
Here are a few tips that may help you breastfeed your baby.
- Because babies with Down syndrome are often sleepy and placid, you may need to interest your baby through frequent breastfeedings throughout the day, wake him fully before breastfeeding, or provide extra touch and stimulation to keep him alert.
- Pay extra attention to positioning your baby at your breast. Try to keep your baby's body elevated near your breasts with his ear, shoulder and hip in a straight line and use extra pillows for support. See LLLI FAQ "How Do I Position My Baby to Breastfeed?" for more information.
- If gulping and choking are a problem, try positioning your baby so that his neck and throat are slightly higher than your nipple.
- If poor muscle tone makes it difficult for your baby to latch on well, try supporting your baby's chin and jaw while nursing using the "Dancer Hold." (The name of this position was coined by Sarah Coulter Danner, RN, CPNP, CNM, IBCLC and Ed Cerutti, MD. "Dancer" comes from the first letters of their last names (Dan + Cer).) Hold your baby with the arm opposite the breast you'll be offering. Using the hand on the same side as the breast you are offering, cup your breast with your thumb on one side of the breast, palm beneath, index finger pointing outward, and the other three fingers on the other side of the breast. Use your index finger to support your baby's lower jaw while nursing. As your baby's muscle tone improves through breastfeeding and maturity, he will become able to support himself and breastfeed more effectively.
This FAQ gives general information for mothers of babies born with any disability.
Here is a link to a story from NEW BEGINNINGS, La Leche League's magazine for mothers, written by a mother of a baby with Down Syndrome. It is called "Nobody Smiles Like I Do."
Resources for Additional Information
These publications may be available from your La Leche League Leader or from the LLLI Online Store.
Breastfeeding a Baby with Down Syndrome. Provides education and support for the mother who is breastfeeding a baby with Down Syndrome.
Defining Your Own Success: Breastfeeding after Breast Reduction Surgery, by Diana West: This thoroughly researched book has useful information far beyond what its title suggests. It contains extensive information about supplementation as well as increasing milk supply. Some mothers of babies with Down Syndrome will find this very useful.
La Leche League's classic book, THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING, has lots of good information on breastfeeding your baby. This book is available from the LLLI Online Store. You may also find it in bookstores or libraries in your area. It contains all the latest research-based information available about breastfeeding.
Many mothers find it helpful to call a local La Leche League Leader or attend a La Leche League meeting. The support and information of other breastfeeding mothers may make a big difference for you. Check out the section of our Web site entitled "Finding a Local LLL Group."


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Marvel Universe S20, Walking Dead S3, WWE Elite S20, More!...
ToyWiz.com has thousands of in-stock items. Use the coupon code PEEP and receive 5% off your purchase! Shop from an incredible selection of the newest and most popular action figures, toys, and collectibles including:
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Find all these great toys and more at ToyWiz.com!


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Metallic Dot Euro Sham
No longer available
- Overview
Shine bright with our metallic Euro sham. Stamped with foil dots, it adds eye-catching shimmer to your bed.
- 26" square
- Made of 100% cotton percale.
- Features a metallic-printed dot design.
- Reverses to self.
- Zip closure.
- Insert sold separately.
- Machine wash.
- Imported.
- Dimensions + Care
- Machine wash in warm water; gentle cycle.
- Use only nonchlorine bleach, if needed.
- Tumble dry on low heat; remove promptly.
- Warm iron as needed.
- Shipping Info
This item will arrive in 3-5 business days. Please proceed to the Payment & Review page of Checkout for a precise delivery estimate.
- Final Sale
Final-sale items, identified by a price ending in $0.99, cannot be returned. Once placed, your order for any final sale items cannot be canceled.


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'"We've got to get back to simplifying things, especially at home," Pominville said. "It seems like when we get home we try to make that extra play, try to make it a little too cute and it ends up costing us. We can't do that against a team like [Tampa Bay] that has players such as Lecavalier, St. Louis and Prospal, who can make things happen out there."'
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FIREFIGHTERS were unable to prevent the death of a horse after it fell in its stable in Rossendale.
A crew from Rawtenstall and a specialist large animal rescue team from Nelson attended the incident at Peers Clough Farm, in Lumb, on Friday.
The horse, an 18-year-old shire called Betty, died despite the assistance of vets from Stanley House Veterinary Group.
Rawtenstall crew manager, Alex Wilson, said a call was received at 8.21am on Friday.
He said: "One horse, weighing several hundred kilograms, was unable to get to a standing position within its stable.
"The attending equine vet made several attempts over a three hour period to raise the horse which ultimately proved unsuccessful."


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A's announce seven roster moves
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland A's optioned infielder Grant Green and outfielder Michael Taylor to Triple-A Sacramento, the club announced today. The A's also reassigned five non-roster invitees to their minor league camp, including right-handed pitcher Brian Gordon, catcher David Freitas, infielders Scott Moore and Darwin Perez and outfielder Michael Choice.
The A's now have 38 players in camp. That includes 35 players on the 40-man roster and three non-roster invitees. The breakdown includes 19 pitchers, three catchers, 10 infielders and six outfielders.


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Today I was playing a round with my friend. I ended up landing a shot both touching the ground and the basket (not the pole). There is a lot of sand around the basket due to the recent flooding. I was told an ace counts if the disc is stuck in the side of basket, so I thought the putt would count too. Below is an image.
Brown is sand piled around the basket
Red is Disc


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Dog Walkers in Slate, WV
Book a dog walker to give your dog a 30-minute walk around your neighborhood.
Trustworthy, Loving & Gentle Sitter
Parkersburg, WV, 26104
House Sitting, Drop-In Visits, Doggy Day Care, Dog Walking
"Thank you, Olivia! Olivia took my pup in last minute while she was sick! She responded very promptly to my request, was incredibly accommodating to my schedu... (more)"
Animal Care Provider
Harrisville, WV, 26362
Dog Boarding, Drop-In Visits, Doggy Day Care, Dog Walking
" Brittany S. is an incredible pet lover. She lives on a huge farm and is able to give her pets 24 hour care. They get plenty of exercise while running ar... (more)"
Sweet, Kind, Loving Dog/Cat Person!
Marietta, OH, 45750
Dog Boarding, House Sitting, Drop-In Visits, Doggy Day Care, Dog Walking
"Sibyl is an incredible lover of dogs and really all animals in general. She cares for her own dogs with the upmost love and care. They eat only the best an... (more)"
Peace Love n Pet Sitting
Marietta, OH, 45750
Dog Boarding, House Sitting, Drop-In Visits, Doggy Day Care, Dog Walking
About: I have a lifetime of experience hanging out with dogs. I grew up on a dairy farm and taught border collies to round up the cows at milking time. ... (more)
I'll love your dog like it's my own
Waterford, OH, 45786
Dog Boarding, House Sitting, Drop-In Visits, Doggy Day Care, Dog Walking
"Valerie has been our go-to pet sitter for several years! She is thorough and careful and has taken wonderful care of our pets. I would enthusiastically rec... (more)"
Avid dog park goer. Dog lover
Marietta, OH, 45750
Dog Boarding, House Sitting, Drop-In Visits, Doggy Day Care
About: I coach college baseball and have a flexible schedule. I have been around and wonder dogs since I was born. I currently have two dogs of my own tha... (more)
Experience exceptional service and a personalized match
From start to finish, we'll handle all the details for you.Learn About Premier
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|Windy, WV
|Worthington Meadows, WV
No more begging your friends to take your dog for a walk when you can't make it home in time. With Rover, you can find a loving Slate dog walker who'd love to take your dog for a 30-minute stroll or jog around the neighborhood. Book a dog walker for one day or all week, just tomorrow, or every Tuesday. We're proud to bring you dog walkers who've built dog walking businesses right here on Rover. No matter how much exercise your dog needs, we can help you find the perfect dog walker in Slate, WV. And just like overnight services booked on Rover, dog walking booked on Rover includes premium insurance, photo updates, and 24/7 support. Someone nearby can't wait to walk your dog, and it's easier than ever to find them.
Wondering what you should be paying for a walk? Check out our standard dog walking rates for a comparison.


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Free-agent closer Rafael Soriano has agreed to a two-year, $28 million contract with the Washington Nationals, according to Yahoo! Sports. There also is a vesting $14 million option for a third year.
Soriano will earn $7 million in both 2013 and 2014, with the remaining $14 million coming in deferred payments starting in 2018, according to ESPN.com's Jim Bowden.
Soriano, 33, was among the last of the premier free agents still on the market with spring training camps due to open in about a month. However, he had drawn few offers because a team that signs him must surrender a first-round draft pick as compensation, as well as the draft pool money associated with it. Washington will lose the No. 29 pick overall.
In 69 relief appearances for the New York Yankees last season, Soriano went 2-1 with a 2.26 ERA, 42 saves and 69 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings. He took over as closer after Mariano Rivera tore his ACL in early May. Following the season, Soriano opted out of his deal with the Yankees (he would have earned $14 million in 2013) and then rejected a one-year, $13.3 million qualifying offer to remain with the team.
Soriano is yet another impressive addition to a Nationals team that led the majors with 98 wins in 2012. This offseason, they also have signed righthanded starter Dan Haren and acquired center fielder Denard Span in a trade with the Minnesota Twins.
It is unclear whether Soriano will close for Washington, which already has Tyler Clippard (32 saves in 2012) and Drew Storen (43 saves in 2011).
Fantasy Baseball '13 magazine: Available now! Find out how to buy it


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HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. – Old Man River has a little more spring in his step, thanks to winter rains and snow.
"The river at Helena was at 21 feet on March 14, and was forecast to be around 32 feet this past Tuesday," said Robert Goodson, Phillips County extension agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. "That's a lot of water."
According to the National Weather Service:
- The Mississippi river at Helena is forecast to rise to 33.6 feet by Monday, March 25. Flood stage is 44 feet.
- Arkansas City was expected to rise to 27.9 feet by March 25. Flood stage is 37 feet.
- Near Greenville, Miss., the river was expected to hit 39.4 feet on Monday. Flood stage is 48 feet.
The river levels are in stark contrast to last August when low levels forced closure of an 11-mile stretch of the river, clogging barge traffic. The low levels also extended to ports serving the river, keeping barges at home until dredging equipment could make the rounds. Last November, water levels dropped again, to a low of minus 2.5 feet at Helena, Goodson said. A negative reading doesn't mean the channel ran dry. (See "How can a river stage be negative": www.erh.noaa.gov/ctp/features/negstage.php)
"The river is up about 30-35 feet from the lows during the drought," said Bob Anderson, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, based in Jackson, Miss. He warned that "we will need to dredge again this summer when river levels fall."
Anderson said the Corps is "gearing up for possible flooding on the Red River in North Dakota and along tributaries in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. We are hoping the snow melts slowly this spring to keep the flooding down."
The Mississippi is an important highway for farm products, with some 60 percent of the nation's grain being shipped by barge.
As farmers gear up to plant the crops they'll harvest this summer, fertilizer and weed control products are coming up the river and "grain is going down as terminals and farmers clean out their grain storage bins," Goodson said.


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A Google executive says that the tech titan had no interest in acquiring Whatsapp. Read »
Microsoft has decided to sell its Google dislike by emblazoning it on T-shirts and mugs. Read »
Google is rolling out parental controls on its Chrome Web browser and Chromebooks. Read »
Yahoo reportedly paid $60 to $70 million for social browser Rockmelt. Read »
A report says that Google is starting to build brick-and-mortar retail stores in major metropolitan areas. Read »
Malware disguised as Rovio's new game, "Bad Piggies," has infected about 80,000 users at the Google Chrome web store. Read »
Both Android and iOS users overwhelmingly use default browsers -- but iOS users use Google Chrome more often. Read »
The new Google+ app update for iOS uses Google's Chrome browser which will likely lead to all Google properties. Read »
A company sues Google over patent infringement in its Chrome mobile browser. Read »
Google is "polishing Chrome" according to the company, until it's ready for Apple's retina-display MacBooks. Read »


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WAAPA to Present ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, March 16-23; WAAPA Jazz Super Group to Debut, March 14
The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) is pleased to announce the spectacular production of the Tony Award-nominated musical Once on this Island at the Geoff Gibbs Theatre from 16 - 23 March 2013.
A Caribbean flavoured, non-stop song and dance spectacular, Once on this Island tells the thrilling story of a peasant girl who rescues and falls in love with a wealthy boy from the other side of her island... when he is returned to his people, the fantastical Gods who rule the island send the peasant girl on an epic quest which will test the strength of her love against the powerful forces of prejudice, hatred and death.
"Once On This Island is a magical production that draws its inspiration from The Little Mermaid story. It's a moving and beautiful tale of star-crossed lovers with an unforgettable score that will touch audiences of all ages and asks the ultimate question... what price are we willing to pay for love?" said Director Jason Langley.
WAAPA's 2013 music program will be kicked off in spectacular style with the WAAPA Jazz Super Group in their debut performance, performing Jazz Dimensions at the Music Auditorium on the 14 March 2013.
This dynamic group of post-graduate and 3rd year performance students will present an exciting and eclectic range of music, from original works to much loved modern jazz classics.
"Jazz Dimensions brings together the jazz Honours students from WAAPA, the cream of the crop, to perform their original compositions and arrangements at this special concert. Expect a dynamic and creative concert featuring Australia's next jazz stars", said the shows Music Director, Jamie Oehler.
All cast and creatives are available for interview and tickets to both shows are on sale from 5 March 2013 at www.waapa.ecu.edu.au/performances-and-events/bookings.
Date: Thursday 14 March 2013
Venue: WAAPA Music Auditorium, 2 Bradford Street, Mount Lawley Tickets: $24 Full, $20 Concession/Friends
Date: Saturday 16 - Saturday 23 March 2013
Venue: Geoff Gibbs Theatre, 2 Bradford Street, Mount Lawley Tickets: $45 Full, $40 Concession/Friends


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Updated from 9:38 a.m. EST to provide spokeswoman comments regarding retail store plans in the thirteenth paragraph.NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Google ( GOOG) is said to be following in Apple's ( AAPL) footsteps, as the search giant focuses on foot traffic. The Mountain View, Calif.-based firm's reportedly thinking about opening up its own line of retail stores, according to 9to5Google. The stores will sell Google-branded hardware, according to the report, similar to Apple's massively successful Apple Stores. Citing sources familiar with the matter, 9to5Google reported that the first stores could open in major metropolitan areas by the end by the end of the year. Will Google Retail Suck as Bad as Microsoft Stores? Google has become more like Apple in recent years, moving away from just software and services, and developing its own hardware. The company's Nexus 7 tablet, for example, has been a hit. Google now has its own lineup of Nexus products; a Nexus 4 smartphone, as well as the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets. The company's also working on Google Glasses, which it showed off at its Google I/O developer conference in June 2012. Google acquired Motorola Mobility last year, and is reportedly working on its own secret "iPhone killer," dubbed the X phone. Aside from hardware, Google has plenty of Android-based devices to show off. Samsung, LG and others use the Android operating system for their smartphones and tablets. Amazon ( AMZN) even uses a version of Android on its Kindle Fire tablets, though the look is drastically different from most Android-based tablets. Google could also show off various of Chromebook-based computers. Chromebooks run on Google Chrome's operating system, and are designed to compete with Apple's MacBook Air laptops. Google may well have noted the success of Apple's Retail Stores, and believe that it can replicate the model. At the most recent Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook credited Apple's retail outlets for the success of the iPad, saying that the tech giant's network of stores helped customers understand the product when it was announced in 2010. "Because here's a product coming out. It's different. People's view of a tablet -- the tablet that was ingrained in their mind was this heavy thing that the Hertz guy was holding that no one wanted," Cook said, when referencing the iPad's success. "But our store is a place to go and explore and discover and try it out and see what it will do. And I don't think that the launch would have been nearly as successful without stores that welcome people in at 10 million a week and show this."
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The Natural Resources Defense Council is trying to drop a big load of guilt on American consumers and the producers of fruits and vegetables about wasting food to a scale that could feed the hungry of the world while also eliminating negative environmental impacts.
First, the NRDC did its food waste study that found Americans are currently tossing up to 40 percent of our food supply, and now, NRDC has taken a closer look at "one primary culprit: Crop Shrink—the significant fruit and vegetable losses on the farm."
Americans are tossing more in the fruits and vegetables segment of foods than any other, 52 percent of the nation's fruits and vegetables, according to NRDC. And fruit and vegetable waste is occurring at "a rate higher than any other type of food product at nearly every level of the supply chain."
The newest study investigates why "mountains of produce never even leave the farm" and what can be done about it. A summary of some of the findings are interesting, although it must be noted that they are compiled from an environmental activist organization's point of view—without a hands-on understanding of the intricate operations of farming. They are looking in from the outside, and not really providing a cure from top to bottom. Change will involve a major change in consumer attitudes and the way that farmers are paid for what they market.
NRDC says it has revealed what growers have known since the beginning of farming—that produce losses are driven by everything from overplanting, perfectly edible "imperfect produce" leading to culling, market fluctuations, labor shortages and spoilage, and much more.
The potential food solutions don't seem like real solutions to many outside of NRDC.
- Consumers: can buy "funny fruit", perfectly edible produce that might be less cosmetically attractive.
- Businesses: can acknowledge the challenges of farming, allowing for the occasional short volume and experimentation in procurement, food recovery and new secondary markets.
- Policy-makers: can expand research on food loss on farms, so we know which crops have the most excess and why. And new legislation can provide tax credit incentives for food donations.
It is interesting to note that NRDC calls Dana Gunders, its "food and agriculture-focused scientist and dynamic food waste warrior."
"Some of this massive produce loss is happening well before it reaches retailers, as perfectly edible produce is literally being left on the field or sent to the landfill," wrote Gunders.
Weather events are often blamed for crop waste/shrink, but Gunders contends, "It does not take an extreme weather event, or a weather event at all, for crops to go to waste in the fields. In fact, thousands of acres of perfectly edible produce go to waste every year because of market fluctuations, cosmetic imperfections, and other reasons."
This new crop loss report NRDC admits surveyed a small sample of 16 farmers and packer-shippers in the central coast and Central Valley of California. NRDC calls the results "an anecdotal snapshot of the extent of losses that occur." They found that "shrink," another word for lost product, "could be as low as 1 percent for the crops which were studied and, depending on weather and market conditions of a particular year, as high as 30 percent. Losses for plums and nectarines were on the high side; head lettuce and broccoli losses (at least where the farmer was selling florets separately) were relatively low.
Gunders then proceeds into making calculations related to an ideal world. "If just 5 percent of the U.S. broccoli production is not harvested, over 90 million pounds of broccoli go uneaten. That would be enough to feed every child that participates in the National School Lunch Program with 11 servings of 4-ounces of broccoli.
"It also translates to a lot of resources used for naught. For example, if just 5 percent of broccoli grown in Monterey County, California (producer of 40 percent of U.S. broccoli) is not harvested, that represents the wasted use of 1.6 billion gallons of water and 450,000 pounds of nitrogen fertilizer (a contributor to global warming and water pollution)," Gunders wrote. "And let's not forget about the energy, pesticides, land, and other resources that went into growing that food. All told, it would amount to about a $12 million bill for broccoli farmers—a chunk of change and resources that warrant further investigation into how we might recover and improve upon some of these unnecessary staggering produce losses."
The NRDC admits it is consumers as much as anyone that causes problems because they search for the perfectly round, perfectly colored, perfectly sized peach, we as consumers ultimately drive much of this waste.
Gunders tried to show some sympathy for farmers and show that she understands vegetable and fruit production to a degree in her report issued to consumer and agricultural news outlets.
"Our finicky preference for perfect-looking produce not only forces some fruit and vegetables to be voted off the marketplace, it drives down the price of even slightly misshapen, smaller, or scarred fruit. A peach grower once told me that for eight out of ten of the fruit he can't sell, 'you wouldn't even be able to tell me what's wrong with it.' Yet they are considered lower 'grade,' lower grades mean lower prices, and low prices are another cause of shrink.
"It costs money to harvest a field. If prices are too low, the farmer would have to pay more for people to harvest the product and for cooling and transport than he would receive in revenue. So, that farmer is forced to deem that field or orchard a "walk by" and turn it back into the soil when possible. Estimates of how often walk-by's happen ranged from 1 to 30 percent of the time. This mostly happens when the market is flooded with more supply than demand.
"There's more to the story, however. Inherent to the produce industry is a structure of a few large buyers and many suppliers. This leads to a situation where the largest food buyers are able to dictate the terms of a sale, and the growers are generally forced to accept them. These terms can include formal "penalties to deliver" if the grower comes up short in quantity at the agreed-upon level of quality. Even if that's not required contractually, growers are compelled to ensure they meet the orders for fear they will otherwise lose their biggest customers. Therefore, they do exactly what anyone in their right mind with a riskier-than-average business would do—they plant a little extra for insurance. One grower estimated overplanting about 10 percent on a regular basis. Of course, when harvest time comes, he /she tries to find other markets for the surplus, so it may not go to waste. In aggregate, however, this adds to the overall supply in the marketplace, thus driving prices down and potentially leading again to those walk-by's.
"A farmer might also be forced to abandon a field or entire crop because he/she simply can't find enough workers to harvest it. Labor shortages are an increasing problem for farmers, as was demonstrated this year when in Washington apple growers estimated losing upwards of 25 percent of their harvest due to lack of skilled labor.
"Another big driver is market fluctuation. With highly variable prices—one broccoli grower had seen prices go as low as $6 per case and as high as $32—growers are constantly guessing on how to play the supply-demand game. One good year can cover a series of bad ones. This can lead to an almost gambling mentality where growers 'double down' on what they are planting one year to cover the losses they incurred the previous year. That again creates more supply potentially creating the conditions for walk-by's."
Gunders ended with a thank you. "Gleaners and food rescue organizations, keep it up! You are doing a service to all of us, and often with mere crumbs of a budget. We should all be throwing more moral, financial, and volunteer support your way. And we should all consider this a problem that we can help solve."


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Searched but haven't found a solution to this.I want to remove everything from html code that is not a
 or
 tag (opening or closing).Since this matches the divs:
I thought I could just negate it somehow, such as:
(does not work)
Any ideas? Cheers
I want to remove everything from html code that is not a
 or
 tag (opening or closing).
Am I misreading this. Surely you will then just be left with a string containing
s and
s which doesn't seem much use.
This works for me:
Use in PHP as follows:
$some_string = preg_replace('~</(?!div).*?>|<(?!/)(?!div).*?>~is', '', $some_html);
Breakdown of this regex:
~ - Start regex</ - match </ literally(?!div) - Negative lookahead for the literal string div.*? - match anything, lazyly. Shouldn't be needed here, but without it the regex doesn't work !?> - match > literally| - OR match the following:< - match < literally(?!/) - Negative lookahead for the literal string /(?!div) - Negative lookahead for the literal string div.*? -match anything, lazyly.> - match > literally~ - End regexis - Modifiers: Case Insensitive (i) and Single Line mode (s)
Single line mode is to also remove HTML that spans multiple lines, like


text:
On July 11, 2011, Pasadena City Council unanimously approved amendments to the City's Tobacco Use Prevention Ordinance to prohibit smoking in apartments and condominiums to protect residents from drifting tobacco smoke. The new law became effective on August 13, 2011, with provisions that take effect on certain dates. Beginning July 1, 2013, smoking is prohibited in all units of multi-unit housing (properties with two or more units), including balconies and patios. Violators will be subject to a $100.00 ticket citation for the first violation, $200.00 for the second violation, and $500 for the third violation occurring within a 12-month period.
To report complaints, or for more information, please contact the Pasadena Tobacco Control Program at (626) 744-6014 or visit http://www.cityofpasadena.net/publichealth/pasadena_tobacco_control_program/.


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Last week I had the unpleasant experience (once again) of talking with a contract grower who was faced with a bill for pig death loss due to a ventilation failure. It's not a lot of fun talking through the sequence of events and having to tell them that the evidence points to negligence on their part and my opinion is that they should pay the bill.
At this site, for some reason the main breaker into one room of a double-wide tunnel finisher was either tripped or turned off. I say tripped or off because I didn't talk directly with the person who reset the breaker, etc. The net consequence of this breaker being off was no electricity to the controller or ventilation fans in the room.
There was an emergency alarm at the site and it was wired for incoming power to the facility and high/low temperatures in both rooms. Because the alarm was wired to the incoming power and not the power to either room, it failed to detect the loss of power to an individual room within the facility.


text:
New Feature
|Added support for the Amazon SES mailbox simulator.
|The mailbox simulator is an easy way to test generic email responses, including bounces and complaints, without sending messages to actual recipients. To use this feature, simply email mailbox simulator email addresses. Each address simulates a specific type of behavior, for example, a successful acceptance, a hard bounce, an out-of-office auto response, a complaint, or a blacklisted address. Since your test messages are received by Amazon SES instead of actual recipients, your bounce and complaint rates are not affected. For more information about the mailbox simulator, see Sending Test Emails to the Mailbox Simulator in the Amazon SES Developer Guide.


text:
Anybody who has ever set foot into an auto parts store on a mission for chrome will recognize the "Spectre" name. For over 26 years, Spectre Performance has been servicing the aftermarket industry with a vast array of custom parts. Their sufficient parts roster carries anything you'd need to dress up your engine, including everything from polished aluminum pulleys to ball mill valve covers. The company is also unique in the fact that The Speed by Spectre brand is the only brand currently building or creating intake for domestic vehicles in the form of horsepower-rated air intake systems. The principle behind a cold air intake is that cooler air has a higher density, which will contain more oxygen per volume unit than warmer air, thus giving you more power and efficiency once the car has warmed up. The Spectre cold air intake systems are horsepower-rated, washable, reusable, and come with a lifetime warranty.
"No one of two air intake systems has come out the same, and when it comes time for plumbing, there is no wrong way to create a custom look for your ride," says Guy Smith of Spectre Performance. We learned a lot from Guy, who was willing to take on the task of creating a custom air cleaner system using Spectre's vast selection intake pieces for us. This process only took a couple of hours, but dramatically changed the appearance of the engine compartment. Now follow along, as Guy creates a custom air intake system for this small-block 350.
Spectre Performance
1720 South Carlos Ave.
Ontario, CA 91761
(909) 673-9800
Hours: 6:00 AM-4:30 PM PST
Closed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
1. This small-block 350 engine was ready to receive a breathing upgrade.
2. The stock element was removed from the intake.
3. Using a selection of tubes is the key to creating a custom air intake system.
4. Our first item on the agenda was to find the right ram horn air tubes that featured the right bend and angle.
5. The Spectre boot was applied to the throttle body. This is the foundation that will support the completed air intake system.
6. We stepped back to get an idea of what style air intake we were going to use, as with these intake systems, you can never go wrong.
7. As we mentioned, style is all about the visual aesthetics and it is crucial to get an idea of what tubes you will use.
8. Here is a look at the tube work using shallow air filters. Since we were using dual batteries, this style of a setup would not work with what we look to achieve.
9. We opted to use the bigger air cleaners to allow more air to flow. This setup was also going to give us more room, in order to keep clear from the batteries that we planned on installing in the near future.
10. In order to keep it from having leaks, the tube was welded together.
11. We bench-tested the old air intake to see how much horsepower it was able to handle and the results were 500 HP, which was good for our 350 HP rated engine.
12. The Spectre intake was flowing and was able to support up to a 720 HP engine; giving us more than a 200 HP capability increase.
13. The intake system was ready to be reassembled onto the car, and this step should only take you a few minutes to complete.
14. The ram horn tube was the first part of the system to be bolted back on.
15. Guy made sure that the air cleaners were straight and readable once they where installed.
16. This engine was ready to breathe with its new custom Spectre intake system!


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The widow of an off-duty Marin County sheriff's deputy slain while on leave in Petaluma last year will get a tax-free service-connected pension because her husband was acting as a peace officer when he died even though he wasn't on the job.
That decision by county pension trustees came on an 8-1 vote Wednesday to applause of three dozen observers, including delegations of police and firefighters backing a premium pension for Cynthia Mathiesen, widow of 49-year-old sheriff's deputy Jim Mathiesen.
Cynthia Mathiesen, who now receives a taxable spousal pension of about $16,000 a year, will be in line for about $50,000 a year tax-free under the decision.
The deputy was shot to death by the ex-boyfriend of the daughter of a friend Mathiesen was advising about getting a restraining order. The nine-year veteran was killed on July 19, 2011 by Thomas Halloran of Novato in an off-duty confrontation in Petaluma. Halloran, a former inmate who met Mathiesen while in county jail, appeared at his ex-girlfriend's home and gunned down the deputy when he came outside after a movement-sensing alarm in the woman's yard was triggered. Halloran was then shot to death by the woman's brother.
County finance chief Roy Given, a member of the pension board, was the lone dissenter Wednesday, contending issues involving facts remained murky and required clarification in order to make findings under pension law. He favored referral of the matter to an administrative hearing officer for advice as proposed by pension staff.
But most pension trustees said the issue seemed clear: Officers and their families are due premium service benefits when injured while acting as peace officers, even when off duty — especially when facing imminent danger.
"What do we expect of our public safety members when off duty?" asked pension trustee Chris Cooper, a San Rafael firefighter who read a moving statement about around-the-clock responsibilities of safety officers. "If your child were choking, would you want a paramedic to step up and clear the airway?" he wondered. "If you were being beaten on the sidewalk ... would you expect an off-duty cop with a gun to intervene?"
Trustee Bernadette Bolger summed up the view of many. "This was a peace officer situation," she asserted. "When those scared women ... called him, he stepped in as a hero and tried to protect them."
Trustee Allen Haim, a retired county counsel office lawyer marking his last meeting after serving as a trustee for 10 years, went out like a lion, pointedly criticizing the analysis of a county lawyer who challenged a coroner's report while asserting the deputy's widow was not eligible for a premium pension.
"Are you aware of the administrative procedure act? We hear hearsay evidence all the time!" Haim declared, his voice rising in apparent anger.
"We're not operating under the administrative procedure act," replied Deputy County Counsel Patrick Richardson, who represented the Marin County Employees Retirement Association in the case.
Richardson argued that while a tragedy, there was no "real and measurable relationship" between the deputy's death and his county employment, as there must be to get disability benefits. He cited a declaration by the sheriff's office that Mathiesen was not fulfilling requirements for responding to calls for assistance, was not acting on behalf of the Marin department and was on worker compensation leave — and instructed he could not perform the duties of a deputy sheriff. And no fact indicated the deputy was acting as a peace officer when he went out of the house unarmed to investigate the driveway alarm, he said.
But attorney Craig Dykman of San Rafael, representing the widow, called it a no-brainer. "A peace officer is a peace officer 24/7," he said. "Was he a peace officer that night? You bet he was."
Mathiesen had reason to believe a crime was underway and that he was in imminent danger, along with others, and was authorized to act as a safety officer under state law, Dykman asserted, adding it makes no difference that he was off duty, on leave, out of uniform and out of the county.
"Jim went out and tried to intercept this felon, this potential assailant. ... He apparently told the family to call 911," Dykman said, although Richardson contended there was no evidence Mathiesen knew what was outside, or had tried to summon help. "The assailant pulled a gun," Dykman continued. "Within a second or two, Jim lay dead in the driveway."
"Jim Mathiesen," Dykman added after a long pause, "did what any peace officer would have done in that situation."
Pension chief Jeff Wickman issued a written recommendation that the widow's application for a premium benefit be rejected because Mathiesen was not engaged in conduct that fulfilled sheriff's requirements or benefited the county. "There is no evidence ... to indicate that Mr. Mathiesen was acting in the capacity of a Marin County deputy sheriff," Wickman concluded. "Staff recommends denying the application ... and providing the applicant with the opportunity to request an administrative hearing."
Four public safety employees rose from the audience to urge approval of the pension, with San Rafael fire Capt. Greg Geide asking pension officials for assurance that his family would be taken care of should something happen to him when he helps others. "I'm here to make sure you have my back when I'm off duty, too," he said.
The board's public 8-1 decision Wednesday comes after a 5-2 approval vote in closed session last month, when two members were absent and board president Maya Gladstern joined Given in dissenting. After an Independent Journal inquiry about the propriety of holding a closed session on a matter of public interest — rather than a personnel matter involving medical issues — officials scrubbed the vote and scheduled Wednesday's public hearing.
The application "should not have been considered by the board in closed session" under the Ralph M. Brown Act because a death benefit determination does not "affect a public employee's employment status," according to Ashley K. Dunning, a pension board lawyer.
Contact Nels Johnson via email at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him at twitter.com/nelsjohnsonnews


text:
- When:
Add This Event To YourSunday, November 3, 2013
at 2:00 PM
- Where:
- Theater Building, Haugen Theater
- Contact:
- Jim Hanson
Apostle on the Edge
Apostle on the Edge is a solo performance interpreting the life and letters of the apostle Paul, written and performed by Associate Professor of Religion Jim Hanson '83, directed by John Woehrle. There will be an additional performance on November 2, at 7:30 pm. Admission is free. Tickets will be available at the door one hour before the performance, or may be reserved in advance through email@example.com.
< Return to main calendar page


text:
Items where Division is "College Of Engineering Sciences > Petroleum Engineering Dept" and Year is 1993
Group by: Creators | Item Type | No Grouping
Number of items: 2.
Al-Towailib, Hassan Saeed (1993) Comparative study of computational methods for the solution of the two-dimensional reservoir flow equations. Masters thesis, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.
Kandil, Ahmed A. (1993) Investigation of the production performance of horizontal wells in fractured bottom water drive reservoirs. PhD thesis, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.


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PORTLAND, Ore. (TheStreet) -- The average U.S. beer drinker doesn't know what a witbier is. Ask them what a wheat beer is, however, and there's a good chance the answer will be Blue Moon.
The hazy, cloudy, coriander-and-citrus concoction that's become a summer favorite here in the U.S. and has worked its way into the catalog of brewers including Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) , Boston Beer's (SAM) Samuel Adams and the Craft Brew Alliance's (BREW) Redhook existed long before Blue Moon came to be, but owes that brand a great deal of gratitude -- as do many small brewers and members of the craft beer community for whom Blue Moon served as a gateway between light lager drinkers and more complex beer styles.
It wasn't until Pierre Celis single-handedly revived the witbier after centuries of dormancy in 1965, when he began brewing it in his barn in the Belgian town of Hoegaarden, that witbier came out of a more than 400-year slumber. The yeast in witbier that's allowed to float around and give it a hazy color disgusted brewers adhering to the Reinheitsgebot, the German brewing purity law enacted in the early 1500s that limited beer ingredients to water, barley hops and, begrudgingly, yeast after some prompting by Louis Pasteur. Under that provision, witbier's standard combination of wheat, bitter Curacao orange peel, coriander, sweet orange peel and only a slight touch of hops is a no-no.
Celis' recipe turned into Hoegaarden White Ale and sold more than 300,000 barrels at its peak in 1985, when a fire engulfed its brewery and forced a cash-strapped Celis to sell to giant Belgian company Interbrew. That company is now known as Anheuser-Busch InBev and is the reason jelly-glass tumblers of Hoegaarden can be found in outdoor restaurant spaces and beer gardens across America. Undaunted, Celis moved to Texas and opened his own craft brewery just outside Austin in 1992. His Celis White was good enough to get Celis a buyout from Miller and introduce witbier to a generation of craft brewers.
Three years after Celis debuted his white, however, Coors (TAP) brewer Keith Villa formulated Blue Moon while working at the company's on-site brewery at the Denver home of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies in Coors Field. Not only was it well-received during the initial craft beer boom in the early '90s, but it's still growing in popularity today. Amid a recession that sent light lager sales plummeting, Blue Moon sales rose 26% in 2010 and anther 19% a year later, according to Beer Marketer's Insights. Of the 20 beer brands that make up 72% of all beer sold in the U.S., Blue Moon is the only one that's not a light lager.
Though slurred as "crafty" by the Brewers Association craft beer industry group and often ridiculed by craft brewers themselves, Blue Moon is often beer drinkers' all-important first leap from the comfort of their favorite mass-produced can into the broader beer spectrum. If you've drunk witbier, you can handle a hefeweizen. If you can hack that, you might try a Berliner Weisse and some raspberry or woodruff syrup. If you're comfortable with that in your beer, you could be persuaded into a tart lambic. From there, you could kick it up to a stronger tripel or abbey beer. From there, you'll be ready to drink a Trappist brew such as Rochefort or the evasive Westvleteren 12.
If you take that path, congratulations! You just went from Blue Moon to some of the best beers in the world in five steps and it wasn't a very difficult trip. It's the wonder of an expanded palate and, depending on what a drinker enjoys most about Blue Moon or other witbier, it can go off in several directions. Like the citrus flavor? That's the first step on the pale ale trail to an Imperial IPA. Like the cloudiness and spice? Welcome to wheat doppelbocks such as Germany's banana-flavored Aventinus. Like the refreshing mix of all of the above? Step into a saison and see if that suits you.
The only problem presented by a Blue Moon is where to go next. Craft beers and imports have been the answer more often than not, but the mean, mocking cool kids from both of those ends of the beer aisle should be a bit friendlier if they want to keep reaping Blue Moon's benefits. MolsonCoors has grown wise to Blue Moon's effect on business and has built an entire "craft" division -- Tenth and Blake -- around it. After all, why let beer snobs who hate you cull your customers when you can redirect them to a Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss or Summer Shandy or a Third Shift amber?
Until Tenth and Blake broadens its offerings a bit, there's still a window of opportunity for smaller brewers to woo beer lovers who are just getting into wheat beers. The following are 10 examples of wheat beers well-suited to folks testing the boundaries of their beer tastes and looking to take the next baby step beyond Blue Moon: