Lew Bryson links to an interview with SABMiller head Graham Mackay. The general gist is that industry consolidation is, for the most part, over. There simply aren't any more pieces to buy. There are a couple still out there, Grupo Modelo and FEMSA for example. The big guys, AB-InBev, SABMiller, Heineken, and Carlsberg, are not likely to be purchased - they are, for the most part, "family owned" (!HAH!). So, now what?
Well, I want to take up the "now what" question because I think the "now what" question will affect the craft beer industry more than consolidation has. Over the past decade, market share here in the United States, proportionally, has been moderately stable. Anheuser-Busch has been number one, floating between about 45% and 60% or so, and Miller number two, between 20% and 30%, with Coors and a variety of imports and regional macros making up the difference between the remaining percentage, with micros/craft at 4% and growing rapidly. It doesn't seem like micro/craft growth is affecting any one category more disproportionately than others. Imports have been taking a hit, but I would doubt that this is because of crafts specifically, but a more general domestic/protectionist/pro-USA trend.
Consolidation with global powers like InBev, SAB, and Molson have allowed American macros to increase production and gain revenue and profits despite the meteoric rise of American crafts. The past few years have seen growth by the American macros in places like Asia, South America, Russia and particularly Africa; markets that are more than off-setting American losses. These places, largely vast wastelands of quality beer, are where concentration will be focused. South Africa will host the World Cup and Africa, as a continent, is growing rapidly where countries are stable enough to support it. There is plenty of opportunity for market growth in these regions.
In general, I think these macros will let the US market settle out over the next 10 years. There is a lot of growth and uncertainty over the American market. Who will shake out as major players? How will up-and-comers handle their growth? How will regional brewers respond? What will the market look like? For the most part (Blue Moon and Leinenkugel excepted for reasons I'm not really going to go into), the macro attempts to tap into and participate in this market have failed.
Frankly, it seems to me, that the macros, AB-InBev/SABMiller/MolsonCoors, are happy to ply their trade elsewhere, take their proportional share here and let the market settle out. All the while keeping an eye on the market until the craft market actually starts making a dent. And, while 10% market share is a nice goal for crafts, both AB and Miller crap 10% market shares. They won't even perk their ears until crafts hit 15-20%.
So, what does this mean for American craft brewers? There's plenty of market for the taking and the big-boys aren't really going to put up much of a fight. The real battle, though, is going to take place in the distribution tier. Already distributors are acquiring significant craft portfolios with a "collect them all" attitude. Distributors view crafts, largely, as a commodity. They never know which one will hit, and they don't really care - they just want to be owning the one that does.
Unfortunately for brewers, this means that they shouldn't expect significant marketing efforts by the distributors. It will be up to the breweries to do their own marketing and push their own product. A problem only exacerbated by the fact that the distributors are indifferent and, in fact, are encouraging competition in places where your brand might otherwise succeed. Of course, competition is never a bad thing, but it means that you'll have to fight for every sale with not only other crafts your own size, but larger regional and national crafts, and young, smaller up-starts as well. "Partnering" with a distributor will be largely meaningless because they only have incentive to help those that will bring them the most money.
Why Dave's BrewFarm is releasing a pale lager, BrewFarm Select, as its flagship. It's gotten some good reviews in places like BeerAdvocate (it hasn't been reviewed on RateBeer, yet), and there's not really any doubt that it's a quality product. For now it is contract brewed and canned at Stevens Point. It does present an interesting challenge though, because it will need to compete with other "macro"-ish lagers that are much more entrenched - e.g., Spotted Cow, Point, Leinie's, etc. It's not currently available here in Madison, though I understand that the BrewFarm is looking for local distribution.
Shut Up About Barclay Perkins uncovers evidence of Yogurt Beer. It's not nearly as disgusting or strange as it might appear. It is beer (wort) that has been soured with yogurt cultures and then ale-fermented. Crazy, crazy stuff. Bets on first Wisconsin brewery to attempt this? Who wants the over-under on Furthermore? Who wants O'So? Damn hippies.
MADD Virgin Drinks. They're delicious AND socially responsible. Chardonnay, Merlot, Sparkling Wine, Margarita, Mojito, Pina Colada, and Lager with Lime. All 100% alcohol free. Does it really make sense to be training kids to acquire the taste for alcohol-filled drinks if you are against kids drinking? And, what tool would show up at a party with this stuff?! DUDE!!! LET'S BONG THIS MADD LAGER WITH LIME! CEMENT MIXER WITH THE MADD MOJITO AND PINA COLADA!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On the first part of this week's podcast we explore what time does to a pumpkin beer, tasting a five-year-old bottle of Dogfish Head's heavily spiced Punk.
Very excited about this one. Sorry for the late notice, but Lakefront is going to be releasing its Local Acre Lager, made with 100% Wisconsin ingredients. We will talk about this in much, much more detail. But, in the meantime, get a taste at what looks to be a phenomenal event on Wednesday.
Join Kil@wat and Lakefront Brewery for a five-course, locally sourced and organic-infused dinner created by Chef Robert Ash. Each selection will be paired with a complementing Lakefront Brewery beer choice. It's a celebration of our shared dedication to local, organic delights.
Guests are treated to an exclusive preview of the not yet released Lakefront Brewery Local Acre Lager. 100% Wisconsin grown, this true Wisconsin Lager boasts ample amounts of 6-row organic malted barley to give a hearty body and hazy straw color. Malty sweetness is balanced with an elegant finish.
Appetizers at 6:00 pm | Dinner at 6:30 pm | Cost is $45.
I like beer. I love music. The two often go hand-in-hand. But expressing the relationship between beer and music can be difficult, at best. How do you expound on the similarities between Bruce Springsteen and Lakefront? Or the Three Floyds and The Transplants? Or Brooklyn Beer and Neil Diamond?
The only way I know how is to just let you listen to what I think a brewery sounds like. Or, perhaps stated in the alternative, here's some music that reminds me of a brewery.
In this case, the music is stylish, poppy, up-beat and easy on the ears. But if you really listen, there's a lot going on: a ton of lush instrumentation, complex and/or humorous lyrics, time changes and vocalization.
Take a listen to these songs and tell me what brewery YOU think of. I'll post mine eventually, but I'll give you a hint that it is a Wisconsin brewery or brewpub.
ps. I want to make this a regular feature, so let me know what you think.
You'll have to click through for this one, sorry.
So, what brewery does that music remind you of?
In the coming weeks we'll talk more about Beer Wars - The Movie. There is a lot of debate and interest around this movie. But, first, I wanted to simply make the announcement that Madison Beer Review has teamed up with Dane101 and Furthermore Beer to present Beer Wars - The Movie on December 2, 2009 at The Majestic Theater here in Madison.
A convenient Facebook Event has been set up for your easy-rememberance here.
Dane101, Madison Beer Review, and Furthermore Beer are excited to present the first Madison screening of the documentary Beer Wars. The film is described as "a no holds barred exploration of the U.S. beer industry that ultimately reveals the truth behind the label of your favorite beer. Told from an insider's perspective, the film goes behind the scenes of the daily battles and all out wars that dominate one of America's favorite industries." It explores what it takes to be an independent microbrewery in the shadow of the beer industry big dogs and what those smaller companies are doing to fight for a market share.
This December 2 screening at theMajestic Theater will feature a tasting with Furthermore Beer with a Q&A following the film with brew master Aran Madden and marketing master Chris Staples. We will finish off the night with a rousing and beer lifting performance from Madison's very own Pale Young Gentlemen. Watch a trailer for the film below the fold.
Doors will open at 8 p.m. so people can get a taste of what's on tap at Furthermore.
The film will start at 9 p.m. and will be followed by a question and answer session with Chris and Aran. Pale Young Gentlemen will take the stage shortly after 11 p.m. Admission is $7 for a fun night of libation and film.
Continuing with this week's sort-of-theme of tasting beers from breweries we've talked about but never tried, we taste Lost Abbey's Avant Garde. Also, some sidetracks about carbonation and food pairings.
Ok, this is the end of the porter tastings, I promise. I've had probably double the number of porters that I've actually written about, and I imagine, you're probably sick of reading about porters. Either later this week or next week, I'll do a recap of what I've learned during this Porterpalooza. But, let's just say it was surprising in some respects, not so surprising in others.
But before we get to the conclusion, let's look at a beer that is considered a classic in the style, the Samuel Smith Taddy Porter.
Just this one paragraph of the importer's description of Samuel Smith raises some pretty interesting issues. First, Samuel Smith's Tadcaster brewery was founded before the advent of porter in the late-1800s. Tadcaster is 20 minutes southwest of York, UK in Central England.
Although the statement that Samuel Smith's is one of the few independent breweries in the UK is a bit of an understatement, it's still important to note that despite (or perhaps because of) its success, it remains unassociated with Diageo, Heineken, AB-InBev, SABMiller, and all of the other brewing giants. Indeed, the Society of Independent Brewers, of which Samuel Smith's is not a member, shows dozens of independent brewers just in the Northern counties of the UK.
But most interesting is the reference to the Yorkshire Square system of fermentation. A Yorkshire Square is a unique system of quasi-open fermentation. An open vessel is constructed out of 5 slabs of local, Yorkshire, stone (4 sides and the bottom). Heat is maintained from the existence of a second, outer, square that is a little lower and about 2 inches bigger all the way around. In this outer square, water of the correct temperature is kept to keep the inner square at the appropriate temperatures. There is a second square above the first square with a series of ramps and pipes.
The beer is added to the inner vessel and long-fermenting yeast is added. This particular strain of yeast takes a long time to fully ferment (about 6 days), but its fermentation is very active. The yeast overflows from the bottom vessel into the top vessel and wort is frequently pumped out of the bottom vessel into the top to reincorporate the yeast. Thus, the process is (was) high manual in that it required frequent skimming of the top and rousing and aerating of the yeast to keep it active. After primary fermentation, residual yeast is often used for cask conditioning.
Beers of this system tend to be very smooth and fuller bodied.
Flavor: Something like sourness is the first thing that I notice, then a pretty strong roastiness comes rushing in; hoppy bitterness remains in the finish, as does the metallic tanginess of the sourness - while it's going to sound worse than it is, imagine the taste in your mouth after biting down on tin foil when you had braces - you know the part that you liked about it, the excitement, the tingle, the strangeness? That's sort of what is present here.
Summary: As mentioned above, this beer does a 180 as it warms up; from an aggressive, sour bite, to warm, smooth and chocolately; I love the complexity here and keep drinking it if only to see what flavor will come next. I suspect that this beer is exactly what people had in mind when Dan Carey said he was going to brew an "Old English Porter" - and it is very, very similar. Except New Glarus amped up the sour to reflect Dan's taste for sour beers, and included some more historically accurate smoke that brought a more pronounced dryness in the finish. Otherwise these are very, very similar beers and an appropriate end to a journey that began with the New Glarus Old English Porter.
ps. This beer paired perfectly with the sweet dry-rub beef ribs and squash and sweet potato in coconut milk that I had this evening.
OK, normally I don't use press releases for non-Wisconsin stuff, but these guys seem genuine (they included a picture of themselves with the press release - how can they not be genuine?). Plus, given the craziness of the hop crops the past few years, it probably makes sense to add another supplier to your Rolodex.
We are pleased to announce the launch of our new business, Indie Hops, LLC.
Our mission is to supply 100% Oregon grown aroma hops to the craft beer industry. Everything we do will be driven by the need to serve craft brewers exclusively.
100% of our hops will be grown from acreage in the heart of the Willamette Valley, the finest terroir for aroma hops in the U.S. We will be working with heritage Oregon farmers who have a reputation for growing premium hops in a certified sustainable, Salmon Safe fashion. We are Oregon's first and only hop pellet milling operation.
We are dedicated to learning from you, no matter how big or small your brewery, the varieties hops you need and want. The craft beer movement today is strong, thanks to the relentless pursuit of quality beer by craft brewers. To insure further gains in market share, that spirit needs to carry through to suppliers of key brewing ingredients as well.
We at Indie Hops are committed to coaxing peak quality out of existing hop varieties, and investing in the future to introduce new aroma hops for craft brewers to further showcase your skills. And we'll do this using a sustainable, transparent and fair pricing structure.
Indie Hops is looking ahead. In our quest to bring to you new aroma hop cultivars, we are investing in collaborative breeding and fermentation research. We have pledged $1 million to establish the "OSU Aroma Hops Breeding Program Sponsored by Indie Hops" in Corvallis, Oregon. We are optimistic that in the next five years, we can deliver even more flavorful and aromatic hop varieties to your brew kettle.
We are mindful that most of you are locked into long term supply contracts. We hope that if new needs arise, or you're looking for a fresh start, you will consider Indie Hops - we are in it for the long haul. In the meantime, we'll be calling from time to time to learn more about your particular needs, as well as to keep you abreast of new developments on our research front.
Please take a look at our website at www.indiehops.com. Our phone number in Portland, Oregon is 503.452.4677 and our toll free number is 877.719.4677. We are excited to have a chance to earn your trust.
We're back! Now that we've gotten the swine flu out of our systems, we got a chance to sit down and chat about recent craft beer related experiences and to taste a beer by a brewery that has come up many times on the podcast, but whose beer none of us had ever had, Brewdog. Today we get to try Brewdog's Riptide Stout.
I'll warn you ahead of time, that I have no pictures. But I've been asked for more beer and food related posts, so here you go.
I know, you're wondering: "What does this have to do with beer"? Well, as you'll see the braising sauce for the roulade was Goose Island Harvest Ale. The Harvest Ale lends a nice malty profile that compliments nicely the red pepper and goat cheese.
Sponsored by the Great Lakes Brew Fest and Kilties Drum & Bugle Corps.
Wanted to point out an article over at Wine and Spirits Daily from last week because a) the article has some really interesting things to say, and b) to give some link love to a pretty darn cool virtual rag.
The 2010 Census will show that "the concept of an 'average American' is gone, probably forever," says demographics expert Peter Francese. ... Peter said results will likely find that "no household type neatly describes even one-third of households. The iconic American family -- married couple with children -- will account for a mere 22% of households." The most prevalent type of U.S. household? Married couples with no kids, followed closely by single-person households. There will be more "blended families, single-parent families and multigenerational families, as well as multiple families doubling up in one household."
In one respect: duh. But, it is interesting to see these things being spelled out explicitly. I think there are couple things at work here to change these family units. First, people are marrying and having kids later. My super-scientific survey of "people I know" reveals that all were married after the age of 25. And the one who wasn't is now divorced. My survey group also reveals that people are having kids later - mostly in late-20s and early-30s. Third, people are moving out of the house and becoming independent earlier. For the most part, 21 year olds are not living at home, like they might have in the past, but are out on their own - often living with roommates.
So, aside from the interesting demographics, what does that mean? Well, it means that people have significant piles of disposable income from the ages of 21-29. They aren't supporting families at a young age (like their parents probably were), they aren't living at home if they are single, and they are employed in jobs that allow them to pay rent. This also happens to be a group that likes beer, as opposed to wine. So, if these consumers can be shown that beer is "respectable" and "dignified" I would't be surprised to see the 40-70 demographic (typically wine drinkers) change to a greater percentage of beer drinkers in the coming years.
While 80% of people age 65-plus will be white non-Hispanics, just 54% of children under age 18 will be white non-Hispanics, and will account for fewer than half of births by 2015. Hispanics will be both the nation's fastest-growing and largest minority. ... And in the nation's 10 largest cities, Peter says, "no racial or ethnic category describes a majority of the population....with the younger population substantially more diverse than the old."
Wow. Just. Wow. So beer for rich white kids will be a bad idea. More importantly, though, is that trends in Hispanic and non-white cultures are going to become even more important. A bad omen for those of us that don't like clam juice anywhere near our beer, but a good omen for breweries that play with convention and attract a wide audience.


The critically-acclaimed Limbo and Inside will both launch for Nintendo Switch next week on Thursday 28th June.
Danish studio Playdead's pair of acclaimed puzzle adventures are, of course, already available on various other platforms although this is the first time either has launched for a Nintendo console.
If you haven't played either game yet and own a Switch, there now really is no excuse.
The meticulous, mysterious and award-winning Inside appears to be heading to Nintendo Switch and iOS.
Seven games are coming to Xbox Games Pass in August, Microsoft has announced.
2D for the price of one.
A physical double pack of Inside and Limbo is being released for PS4 and Xbox One.
Limbo, the wonderful puzzle platformer from Playdead, is free to download from Steam right now.
From 4th August there will be a new batch of free games for members of PlayStation Plus. The biggest are God of War: Ascension for PS3 and Limbo for PS4.
UPDATE: Noir you see it - available today.
UPDATE 25/2/15 4.20pm: Without fanfare, Limbo has quietly launched today on PlayStation 4. You can buy it now via the PlayStation Store for £7.39.
Along with mobile hit Threes and Boom Ball Kinect.
The Xbox One version of cult platforming hit Limbo will be available to buy for everyone on Friday, Microsoft has confirmed.
Early Xbox One adopters who had used their console during its launch weekend were gifted a free copy of the game a couple of weeks ago.
Also arriving on the Xbox Games Store this Friday are mobile puzzler Threes and the motion-sensing Boom Ball Kinect, a message posted to the ID@Xbox Twitter account revealed.
UPDATE: Who received copies? Here's the low down.
UPDATE 25/11/14 12.05pm Microsoft has confirmed that its recent surprise free gift of Limbo was sent to anyone who used their Xbox One during the console's launch weekend.
The platformer's new Xbox One port will be made available to purchase for everyone else "soon".
"We're looking forward to launching Limbo on Xbox One," a Microsoft spokesperson told Eurogamer. "As a thank you to our earliest adopters, fans who played their Xbox One the first weekend of launch received early, free access to the game.
The critically-acclaimed Limbo is being re-released for Xbox One, a new ratings board listing suggests.
3 million copies now sold.
Atmospheric adventure Limbo will launch for iOS devices next Wednesday, 3rd July, developer Playdead has announced. It'll cost $4.99 (about £3.20).
Handheld reincarnation given date and price.
Acclaimed arty adventure Limbo will be available to download on PlayStation Vita next Wednesday, 6th June, developer Playdead has announced.
Playdead doesn't expect you to buy it again.
The Vita version of superb downloadable adventure Limbo is a straight port and does not feature touch controls, the boss of developer Playdead told Eurogamer today at the Game Developers Conference.
Divekick, Limbo, Spelunky, more set for PS3 and PS Vita.
At the Game Developers Conference this evening Sony announced a number of new PlayStation games.
The PlayStation 4 will get Blacklight: Retribution and Primal Carnage: Genesis courtesy of Sony's Pub Fund, which is being continued as the company looks to make it easier for developers to self-publish on PlayStation.
Zombie Studios' Blacklight: Retribution is a free-to-play first-person shooter that first released in April 2012 on PC. There's a PS4 trailer below.
Sony wanted the IP, Playdead wouldn't give it up.
Haunting XBLA hit Limbo was almost a PSN exclusive, but Sony's request for the rights to the IP caused developer Playdead to sign on with Microsoft instead.
"We had issues when we were trying to sign Limbo because of the IP," said Sony Computer Entertainment executive producer Pete Smith, speaking at last week's Develop Conference in Brighton, as reported by Edge.
Sony now regrets passing on the game - much as it did with Demon's Souls - because Limbo found huge commercial success, selling 300,000 copies in its first month on XBLA July 2010, and over a million by last November. It still sold well on PSN - where it was the highest-selling third-party PSN game of 2011, but there's no doubt that it would have sold much better on Sony's platform had it arrived there first.
Includes a soundtrack, 3D glasses and a Steam gift key.
A Limited Edition boxed release of atmospheric puzzle/platformer Limbo is out now, developer Playdead has announced.
Latest pack raises $5.1 million from 600,000 downloads.
The fifth Humble Indie Bundle has proven to be the most successful release in the series to date, organisers have announced.
Bleak artwork surfaces from Playdead's Project 2.
Danish studio Playdead's follow-up to its critically acclaimed debut Limbo will be a 2.5D platformer rendered in full colour, according to a new report.
Citing information gleaned from a Danish government grant site, Kotaku has written that the game, currently codenamed Project 2, "tells the story of a boy's struggle against evil forces trying to take over the world through questionable experiments on human bodies."
Its intended platforms are listed as PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC and Mac. See above for an accompanying piece of concept art.
Notch adds $10k to current $3.7m total.
Fortnight-long super offer Humble Indie Bundle 5 has added top titles Super Meat Boy, Lone Survivor and Braid to its steller line-up.
Psychonauts and Superbrothers also included.
The fifth installment of the Humble Indie Bundle is here and it offers an absolutely top notch array of titles.
Dev: "we don't have any official announcement on this at the moment."
A new job advert suggests downloadable darling Limbo will launch on iPhone, iPad and Android.
On App Store now, Steam release next month.
Mac users can finally get their hands on lauded indie platformer Limbo, developer Playdead has announced.
Limbo, PixelJunk, Hoard top US list.
Sony US has revealed PlayStation Network's best-selling independent games of 2011.
Success allows Playdead to buy its independence.
Artful indie platformer Limbo has just passed the one million sales mark, developer Playdead has announced.
Apparently it's been played by gamers in 153 countries, in nine languages, across three platforms.
Off the back of its success, the Danish studio has been able to purchase full control of the company from its early investors.
But there will always be a place for the high street.
Digital sales of video games will overtake boxed product sales by 2015, a new survey predicts.
Over 57 per cent of over 1000 industry executives surveyed by the London Games Conference said digital will overtake boxed by 2015.
16 per cent said it will take only a year. 39 per cent - the most - said during 2013.
Limbo dev: the retail model is "broken"
"Why should I get a console if games need to be installed?"
The retail video game model "has always been and still is broken".
"It's more 3D than you would think." Is in colour.
Playdead's secret "project two" is "more weird" than Limbo, boss Dino Patti has said.
Playdead: "A good game takes time."
Limbo developer Playdead's next project "will take at least three and a half years", so says the Danish studio's co-founder Dino Patti.
Demands release date, content parity.
Downloadable games must ship on Xbox Live Arcade at least simultaneously with competing platforms or Microsoft may refuse to publish them, Eurogamer can reveal.
Juarez! Insect Armageddon! PS3 Double Packs!
This week sees gaming's first Western since last year's epic Red Dead Redemption. Can Call of Juarez: The Cartel compete? The third entry in Techland's cowboy series is taking a very bold tack - uprooting the shooting from the genre's classic timeframe and dumping gamers in the modern day.
Limbo on PS3, Steam: why now?
End of Xbox 360 exclusivity opens door.
Limbo developer Playdead has explained why it has taken a year for superb downloadable game Limbo to launch on the PlayStation Network and Steam.
Developer promises a "little extra secret".
Playdead Games has announced the release dates for the PlayStation Network and Steam versions of stunning downloadable game Limbo.
Limbo launches on PSN on 19th July in the US, and 20th July in Europe.
It goes live on Steam worldwide on 2nd August.
Limbo developer Playdead has confirmed that its acclaimed Xbox Live Arcade adventure is coming to both PlayStation Network and Steam alter this year.
The news comes after a Korean Ratings Board listing for a PS3 version of the game was spotted earlier this week.
According to Joystiq, Playdead is handling both ports. No release date was confirmed, but they're expected "very soon".
Korean Rating Board spills beans.
Enchanting monochrome puzzle platformer Limbo looks set for launch on the PlayStation 3.
Playdead Studios, the developer behind hit Xbox Live Arcade platformer Limbo, has announced that it's working on a brand new IP.
The Danish studio's CEO Dino Patti told Joystiq, "I can't tell much, but I can tell you that if you liked Limbo, it'll definitely be for you. The gameplay style you'll really like. You'll feel it's the same team who made it, but everything will be changed."
Patti went on to explain Limbo was an Xbox exclusive because Playdead "used a lot of time and a lot of money" developing the game and he hoped it would help "get the money back."
128k sales for Limbo alone.
Xbox Live Arcade enjoyed its strongest sales month ever in August, a market research firm has claimed.
Phil Spencer says it's his GOTY.
Haunting 2D platform puzzle game Limbo was the big winner in this year's Summer of Arcade promotion on Xbox Live Arcade according to Microsoft's Phil Spencer.
A requirement for Summer of Arcade games.
Downloadable Tomb Raider game Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light will be exclusively available on the Xbox 360 for at least four weeks.
This is a requirement of all games that are a part of Microsoft's Summer of Arcade promotion, Crystal Dynamics told Eurogamer in a new interview.
Guardian of Light will be released on Xbox Live on 18th August for 1200 Microsoft Points (£10).
Microsoft has dated this year's Xbox Live Summer of Arcade flock.


Southern California Edison (SCE) and Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas®) welcome all Participating Contractors to a new year with Energy Upgrade California® Home Upgrade! Among many developments in the works for 2015 is one item we're very excited to share with Participating Contractors: discounts on home performance tools and products. Our distributor partners are strong supporters of the program and Participating Contractors, and many have provided exclusive discounts on products you use every day when completing home assessments, safety testing and installation of qualifying measures. Visit our Product Distributor Discounts page to learn more. Make sure you are logged in to the contractor website - these discounts are for Participating Contractors only! Your account manager can provide additional information or answer questions about the discounts and how you can take advantage of them!
A new feature starting this issue is Quick Tips from the QC team. Also, the co-op marketing program available through The Energy Network has some important changes for 2015; please read below.
SCE, SoCalGas and the entire program team look forward to working with you during 2015 to help your company grow and succeed with Energy Upgrade California Home Upgrade!
As a reminder: we have eliminated all "on hold" and "cancelled" statuses along with their respective automatic emails and actions effective February 9, 2015.
Once the project enters "under construction" status, the Participating Contractor has 90 calendar days to complete the energy efficiency upgrades and submit the application information (current requirement).
If the application is not submitted within 90 calendar days, the project will automatically be reclassified as "pending action" (no emails will be sent out when this happens).
The project will stay in "pending action" status until that action is completed, and then the project will resume normal processing.
Participating Contractors whose projects stay in "pending action" for an extended amount of time will be contacted by their Account Management Team to help resolve the issue.
Projects will only be cancelled after an in-depth conversation between the Participating Contractor and the Account Management Team has occurred and the Participating Contractor indicates that the project will not be completed.
As always, keep in mind that customer satisfaction is our number one priority - completing projects in a timely manner is crucial to maintain high customer satisfaction. Happy customers lead to more referrals and business for you!
Additional $500 max on every project!
SCE and Southern SoCalGas want to remind all Participating Contractors that the maximum incentive for SCE/SoCalGas and SoCalGas-only projects has been raised from $2,500 to $3,000. In addition, we are no longer using the tiered incentive approach, and have moved to the dollars per point method to calculate incentives. This new method will result in an overall increase in average rebates and will allow you to avoid that sinking feeling when you just miss the reaching that next tier.
Each point in Home Upgrade is now worth $10. So, for example, if your measure mix results in a total of 135 points, your customer's incentive will be $1,350, where previously this scenario would only provide a $1,000 incentive.
Through the Contractor Co-Op program, Participating Contractors can receive up to $5,000 in matching funds! New and existing Co-Op Contractors must read through the Guidelines, sign the updated Participation Agreement, and email the agreement to The Energy Network. Marketing projects must continue to meet guidelines as set forth in the Home Upgrade Graphic Standards, and must use current approved logos. Training and equipment purchases are also eligible for Co-Op Matching Funds. See pages 6-7 in the Guidelines for a sample list of options. For assistance, please contact The Energy Network by email or by phone at (877) 785-2237.
Make sure when your scope of work includes both Home Upgrade measures and measures that are eligible for tax credits (solar thermal and PV) that your customer invoice clearly distinguishes between the cost of the items that are eligible for tax credits and the cost of the Home Upgrade measures. Tax credits are calculated based on the cost of the solar measures only. Bundling of Home Upgrade and Solar costs can result in incorrect calculation of the tax credit and serious issues for both the homeowner and the Participating Contractor. Keep this important requirement in mind as we approach the upcoming tax season.
Starting March 1, 2015, the SCE/SoCalGas Energy Upgrade California Advanced Home Upgrade program will require manual kWh entry of the variable speed pool pumps deemed kWh savings into EnergyPro v5 under the Alternatives Tab as a "Custom" alternative kWh measure. The variable speed pool pump deemed kWh savings amount is based on the SCE Work Paper SCE13WP001, which indicates that the deemed energy savings per installed variable speed pool pump replacing a single speed pool pump is 1686 kWh/year (for existing heating only homes) or 4,215 kWh/year (for existing heating/cooling homes).
Don't forget! SoCalGas is offering the FULL incentive amount all year! This additional funding can help boost your sales and help keep your customers smiling with bigger incentives. During this promotion, incentive levels in areas where SoCalGas provides gas service and electrical service is provided by a municipal utility (e.g., Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Lompoc, Anaheim, etc.) will continue to be funded at 100 percent of the statewide levels all year in 2015! Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to sell projects in areas with mature homes that stand to benefit greatly from our program.
Also: remember that as of December 1, 2014, Duct Insulation qualifies as a shell measure for your SoCalGas/municipal utility projects. This change means that a project consisting of a new furnace, new AC, and new ducts (sealed and insulated in accordance with Title 24 and program requirements) now qualifies for an incentive through Home Upgrade!
We are happy to welcome the QC team as contributors to the program newsletter. QC is vital to documenting energy savings and securing the future of home performance - but it can also be challenging and time consuming. The recent change to allow collaboration during QC inspections has received rave reviews from Participating Contractors, and we are already seeing reductions in processing times. Below are three quick tips from your Home Upgrade QC team. As always, the team is here to provide support and guidance as you complete Home Upgrade projects.
Electronic Gas Leak Detectors: Electronic Gas Leak Detectors (sniffers) are great tools for inspectors, but how do you know if they are working properly? Use this simple procedure each time you're ready to check for a gas leak and you can be sure your sniffer will identify a gas leak if one is present.
Turn on the unit and let it run through its start-up cycle. Once the unit is ready for testing, hold it close to an area with known Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The easiest way to do this would be to hold the sensor near the gas cap of your vehicle, crack the cap open slightly (if it's an unvented cap), or hold an open Sharpie by the sensor. If the detector sounds, you can rest assured that it will sound in the presence of a natural gas leak.
Sealing Supply Registers: Running around a house with a ladder or step stool takes time when you are prepping for a duct test. At times, you might encounter a large piece of furniture prohibiting you from getting close enough to the register to tape seal it. There is a simple, quick, safe, and inexpensive way to get around these issues.
Get yourself a painter's pole, or screw on push broom handle and a couple of paint rollers. If you are working in a home with high ceilings, try using an extension pole. Tear off a piece of duct mask and lay it over the roller. Hold it against the register and simply roll the duct mask across the register to make the seal. To remove the duct mask, slide the roller cover off the roller frame and stick it to the duct mask, then gently work the material off the register and move on to the next one.
CAS/CAZ Testing Time-Saver: When performing combustion testing, try this. Begin at the furnace and check your ambient CO, spillage, draft pressure, CO measurements in the stack, and CO measurement in the nearest supply register. A CO measurement in the supply register above the ambient CO measurement would indicate a cracked heat exchanger and/or communication if the system were back-drafting. If you started by testing the other gas appliances and they were creating CO, that CO could have circulated through the home and entered the duct system. If this happened and you tested the furnace, you could get a false CO measurement in the supply register. This would lead you to believe a cracked heat exchanger and/or communication when that is not the case. If this happens, you need to thoroughly ventilate the home and retest the furnace to get an additional CO reading in the supply register. Open all windows and turn on all the exhaust fans and furnace fan to pull fresh air into the home and reduce the ambient co levels.
Distributor Discounts: Visit the Distributor Discounts Page for more information on the numerous discounts available from our distributor partners. Please note: you must be logged in to the contractor website to view this page.
Make sure to visit our news and events sections for the latest information.
Your account manager has a limited number of branded marketing materials available for Participating Contractors. Contact us to request your copies of the trifold brochure and infographic rack card featuring program details and participation benefits for customers. Both pieces are co-branded with Home Upgrade and SCE/SoCalGas logos - helping you to make the connection between the program and the utilities with your customers, and are available for download on the contractor resources page.
All marketing materials that feature the Home Upgrade logo must be updated to use the current approved logo at this time. The current approved logo is available in .jpg format on the contractor resources page. If you need a higher resolution logo, the statewide branding guidelines or other information, visit the statewide resources page. Also, please remember that all materials that have the Home Upgrade logo on then must be reviewed by the statewide branding team. Contact us if you need assistance or guidance with Home Upgrade co-branding. Please watch your inbox for additional details coming from the statewide branding team soon.
The biggest mistake that marketers make is using weak, passive language in their Call to Action (CTA). A classic example is the infamous "click here." While "click here" may seem like a great CTA (in that it tells a subscriber exactly what to do), it really doesn't give a reader any incentive for taking action. It doesn't describe the value or what will happen if, in fact, they do click the link. Instead, you should use language that describes why a user should follow a link. Use verbs to describe what they will do by interacting with the CTA and, if possible, create a sense of urgency or timeliness. Source: Litmus.com. Read the entire article.
Congratulations to all Participating Contractors who received awards at our Fourth Annual Contractor Appreciation Night, held in December. Make sure your company wins an award this year! Talk to your Account Manager to find out how.
In an effort to ensure that projects move along at a steady pace, several time limits that triggered automatic emails to Participating Contractors and customers were previously included in our project processes. These emails often contained verbiage that customers and Participating Contractors found concerning. Due to the amount of feedback program staff have received regarding how this approach creates additional work for contractors and raises concerns about the program in the eyes of the customer, we have eliminated all "on hold" and "cancelled" statuses along with their respective automatic emails and actions effective February 9, 2015.
As always, keep in mind that customer satisfaction is our number one priority - completing projects in a timely manner is crucial to maintain high customer satisfaction. Happy customers lead to more referrals and increased business for you!
Wow! Increased Home Upgrade incentives effective immediately!
Make Bigger Profits on Every Project in 2015 with Increased Incentives!
Southern California Edison (SCE) and Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas®) are thrilled to announce a BIG change to the SCE/SoCalGas and SoCalGas-only Home Upgrade programs for 2015 that can help you generate additional sales and greater profits on every project.
Effective immediately, the maximum incentive for SCE/SoCalGas and SoCalGas-only projects has been raised from $2,500 to $3,000!
In addition, we are no longer going to use the tiered incentive approach, and have moved to the dollars per point method to calculate incentives. This new method will result in an overall increase in average rebates and will allow you to avoid that sinking feeling when you just miss the reaching that next tier.
Effective immediately, each point in Home Upgrade will be worth 10 dollars. So, for example, if your measure mix results in a total of 135 points, your customer's incentive will be $1,350, where previously it would only provide a $1,000 incentive. The changes have already been made to the WebApp, so higher incentives are already being issued.
You'll now notice revisions in the WebApp when you submit projects. The changes apply to both current projects in process and new projects submitted on or after January 15.
New Home Upgrade Info Sheets that reflect these changes are in development and will be provided soon.


Smoke bomb photography is unique, relatively easy to do, and creates exciting and unique photography effects. Smoke bombs can turn an ordinary day into a surreal and dramatic event. Expecting mothers love to use them in their gender announcements, and newly engaged couples go to town with them, making their engagement photo sessions a cinematic moment.
Even if you just have a smartphone, you can still make awesome photos as long as you know what you're doing. Here are some tips for making your next smoke bomb photography session a success.
1. You'll Need More Than One!
Most smoke grenades can be set off with a wire pull just like a traditional grenade. Once ignited, it'll continue producing large clouds of smoke for up to 60-90 seconds, so that doesn't give you a lot of time to meddle with posing or props. Get your shots ready beforehand and be sure to have multiple sets for re-dos.
On a side note, don't go overboard on getting different colors. Try to stick with one or two that you like best. You won't need to use more than one at a time in most cases.
Smoke bombs are a mess to deal with, so be wise when thinking about where you're going to shoot and what you're going to wear.
Our model was wearing one of her beloved sweaters when some of the orange powder residue left a huge stain on her sleeve. Smoke bombs can be unpredictable, so wear something you can accept as a loss if you can't wash off those stubborn stains.
3. Good Timing Is Everything!
Smoke bombs shouldn't be used anywhere but outdoors, but that doesn't always mean mother nature will be accommodating.
When you're working outside, your worst enemy will be the wind. Try to pick a day where you can expect calm, sunny weather and maybe a nice spot in a local forest. Trees tend to do a good job of blocking out the wind and add a beautiful touch to your background.
If you want the best possible light, shoot during golden hour. The last hour before sunset always has the softest natural light and is perfect for portraiture.
More great smoke bomb inspiration from Instagram!
Have you tried smoke bomb photography? Let us know in the comments.
Photographer for Fracture. Passion for telling stories through imagery and immortalizing them through compelling mediums.


text:
Q: Avoid redirect when calling WCF service with forms authentication I am trying to unit test my web service by calling some methods on it, but I keep hitting the  login page redirect instead of getting an actual result.
I first make a call to my security service which returns a cookie, I can then reuse that cookie to make a call to my other web service. I thought this was the way to go to avoid the redirect.
string sharedCookie;

var securityWebService = new SecurityWebServiceClient(CreateCustomBinding(), new EndpointAddress("http://localhost/SecurityWebService.svc"));
using (new OperationContextScope(securityWebService.InnerChannel))
{
    securityWebService.Login("UserName", "Password");

    var response = (HttpResponseMessageProperty)OperationContext.Current.IncomingMessageProperties[HttpResponseMessageProperty.Name];
    sharedCookie = response.Headers["Set-Cookie"];
}

var webService = new WebServiceClient(CreateCustomBinding(), new EndpointAddress("http://localhost/WebServiceWithFormsAuthentication.svc"));

using (new OperationContextScope(webService.InnerChannel))
{
    var request = new HttpRequestMessageProperty();
    request.Headers["Cookie"] = sharedCookie;
    OperationContext.Current.OutgoingMessageProperties[HttpRequestMessageProperty.Name] = request;

    var data = webService.GetSomething();
}

The error is the following:
There was no endpoint listening at http://localhost/WebServiceWithFormsAuthentication.svc that could accept the message.

The inner exception is a 404 not found with a ResponseUri corresponding to the login redirect url. If I disable forms authentication, the call correctly goes through.
My questions are:

*

*How can I verify that my cookie is correctly received?

*How can I check why it is being rejected and that I am being redirected to the login page?

*Are there any other leads I could follow to solve this problem?

EDIT: For the weirdest reason, if I recycle my app pool in IIS right before making both calls to the web services, they correctly go through without being redirected.
EDIT 2: It seems that it works after I've recycled the app pool because the session id cookie has not yet been created. In the response, it appears after my authentication cookie. On any subsequent calls, the session id cookie appears first, and it looks like my second web service doesn't like seeing that session id cookie appearing first...?
EDIT 3: My authentication service has sessions enabled, and my normal web service doesn't. It seems like the second one doesn't like it when the session cookie appears first in the header. Maybe it doesn't expect seeing another cookie first?

A: here's what I did to make it work. It seems weird that I have to do this, so if anyone has a better solution, I'd like to hear it.
The security web service is returning two cookies in the response header. One is the session cookie, the other one is the authentication cookie. What I did was parse the header in a cookie container to extract only the authentication cookie to send only that one to the other web service.
string sharedCookie;

var securityWebService = new SecurityWebServiceClient(CreateCustomBinding(), new EndpointAddress("http://localhost/SecurityWebService.svc"));
using (new OperationContextScope(securityWebService.InnerChannel))
{
    securityWebService.Login("UserName", "Password");

    var response = (HttpResponseMessageProperty)OperationContext.Current.IncomingMessageProperties[HttpResponseMessageProperty.Name];
    var cookieHeader = response.Headers["Set-Cookie"];
    var container = new CookieContainer();
    container.SetCookies(new Uri("http://localhost"), cookiesString);
    var cookies = container.GetCookies(new Uri("http://localhost"));

    var authCookie = cookies["nameOfAuthCookie"];
    if (authCookie != null)
         sharedCookie = authCookie.ToString();
}

This worked perfectly.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


morning half-day workshops 8:00–11: 50 a.m.
All Continuing Education (CE) workshops are sponsored by the APA Continuing Education Committee (CEC). The APA CEC has reviewed and approved all CE workshops to offer CE credit for psychologists. The APA CEC maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.


text:
Fri, 03 Apr, 2020 - 07:00
Cork teenager jailed for burglary, theft of a Jeep and drug possession
Generic Low ResGavel law court justice crime
Liam Heylin
A TEENAGER who showed a very dismissive attitude to his probation officer was jailed for 14 months for a catalogue of offending that included cannabis-dealing and stealing a Jeep.
Jamie Russell of Presentation Close, Gurranabraher, Cork, was formally arrested by Detective Garda Liam Lingane yesterday. Sergeant John Kelleher said directions were available from the Director of Public Prosecutions for trial at district court level. Defence solicitor Eddie Burke said the 19-year-old was pleading guilty to the charges at the earliest opportunity.
Det. Garda Lingane said Russell left his home in the early hours of February 22 and broke into a neighbour's shed and stole a lawnmower and strimmers which he brought home to his own house. He then broke into another shed in the neighbourhood and did likewise with a second lawnmower.
He went out again and found an unlocked Jeep which he searched until he found the keys. He drove to Ballincollig and entered two unlocked cars but did not take anything. He drove to Blarney and got into another three cars, stealing property that included Prada sunglasses, a golf bag and a golf buggy.
Gardaí later saw Russell in the Jeep and he ran from the vehicle. The stolen property was recovered from it.
Officers called to the house and found the lawnmowers and other equipment scattered around the front garden of his own house. They also found 13 deals of cannabis with a total value of €300 and he admitted dealing the drug.
The 19-year-old also admitted previous charges related to December 10, 2019 at Sumount, Military Hill, Cork, where he committed a burglary, and another burglary on the same date at another address in the area.
He also pleaded guilty to trespassing at a house on December 14 last at Mount Eden Terrace, Mount Eden Road, Gurranabraher, Cork, in a manner likely to cause fear in another.
Finally, on December 14 2019 at Chapel Field, Gurranabraher, he got into car without permission of the owner.
Judge Olann Kelleher referred to the attitude of the accused as described in the probation report. Eddie Burke defence solicitor accepted that it did the defendant no favours.
Russell had previous convictions including one for stealing a car and five for damaging property.
Outlining his background, Mr Burke said, "He has only just turned 19. He stayed out of trouble for 12 months. He left education at the age of 13. He has a two-year-old child.
"He started getting into difficulty and his main addiction was to tablets more than anything else. He was under the influence of tablets during this escapade." Mr Burke said the young man never had a father figure available to him growing up.
Judge Kelleher noted that when the February offences were committed he was on bail on the December charges sentences for crimes in the different periods had to be consecutive. The judge imposed six months on Russell for the December 2019 offences and consecutive eight-month sentences for the February crimes.
Jail for woman who attacked neighbour with poker in Cork town
Court upholds four-year sentence for teen driver who left Cork toddler with permanent brain injury
Jail for man who collected €32k worth of cocaine to clear gambling debt in Cork city
Minister for Health announces funding for Marymount Hospice
cork courtcourts

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
<?php
/*
Plugin Name: JQuery Accessible Tree
Plugin URI: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/jquery-accessible-tree/
Description: WAI-ARIA Enabled Tree Plugin for Wordpress
Author: Theofanis Oikonomou
Version: 1
Author URI: http://www.iti.gr/iti/people/ThOikon.html
*/
include_once 'getRecentPosts.php';
include_once 'getRecentComments.php';
include_once 'getCategories.php';
include_once 'getMeta.php';

add_action("plugins_loaded", "JQueryAccessibleTree_init");
function JQueryAccessibleTree_init() {
    register_sidebar_widget(__('JQuery Accessible Tree'), 'widget_JQueryAccessibleTree');
    register_widget_control(   'JQuery Accessible Tree', 'JQueryAccessibleTree_control', 200, 200 );
    if ( !is_admin() && is_active_widget('widget_JQueryAccessibleTree') ) {
        wp_register_style('jquery.ui.all', ( get_bloginfo('wpurl') . '/wp-content/plugins/JQueryAccessibleTree/lib/jquery-ui/themes/base/jquery.ui.all.css'));
        wp_enqueue_style('jquery.ui.all');

        wp_deregister_script('jquery');

        // add your own script
        wp_register_script('jquery-1.4.2', ( get_bloginfo('wpurl') . '/wp-content/plugins/JQueryAccessibleTree/lib/jquery-ui/jquery-1.4.2.js'));
        wp_enqueue_script('jquery-1.4.2');

        wp_register_script('jquery.cookie', ( get_bloginfo('wpurl') . '/wp-content/plugins/JQueryAccessibleTree/lib/jstree-a11y/jsTree.v.1.0rc2/lib/jquery.cookie.js'));
        wp_enqueue_script('jquery.cookie');

        wp_register_script('jquery.hotkeys', ( get_bloginfo('wpurl') . '/wp-content/plugins/JQueryAccessibleTree/lib/jstree-a11y/jsTree.v.1.0rc2/lib/jquery.hotkeys.js'));
        wp_enqueue_script('jquery.hotkeys');

        wp_register_script('jquery.jstree', ( get_bloginfo('wpurl') . '/wp-content/plugins/JQueryAccessibleTree/lib/jstree-a11y/jsTree.v.1.0rc2/jquery.jstree.js'));
        wp_enqueue_script('jquery.jstree');

        wp_register_style('demos', ( get_bloginfo('wpurl') . '/wp-content/plugins/JQueryAccessibleTree/lib/jquery-ui/demos.css'));
        wp_enqueue_style('demos');

        wp_register_script('JQueryAccessibleTree', ( get_bloginfo('wpurl') . '/wp-content/plugins/JQueryAccessibleTree/lib/JQueryAccessibleTree.js'));
        wp_enqueue_script('JQueryAccessibleTree');
    }
}

function widget_JQueryAccessibleTree($args) {
    extract($args);

    $options = get_option("widget_JQueryAccessibleTree");
    if (!is_array( $options )) {
        $options = array(
                'title' => 'JQuery Accessible Tree',
            'categories' => 'Categories',
            'meta' => 'Meta',
            'recentPosts' => 'Recent Posts',
            'recentComments' => 'Recent Comments'
        );
    }

    echo $before_widget;
    echo $before_title;
    echo $options['title'];
    echo $after_title;

    //Our Widget Content
    JQueryAccessibleTreeContent();
    echo $after_widget;
}

function JQueryAccessibleTreeContent() {
    $recentPosts = get_recent_posts();
    $recentComments = get_recent_comments();
    $categories = get_my_categories();
    $meta = get_my_meta();

    $options = get_option("widget_JQueryAccessibleTree");
    if (!is_array( $options )) {
        $options = array(
                'title' => 'JQuery Accessible Tree',
            'categories' => 'Categories',
            'meta' => 'Meta',
            'recentPosts' => 'Recent Posts',
            'recentComments' => 'Recent Comments'
        );
    }

    echo '

 ' . $options['recentPosts'] . '

                                ' . $recentPosts . '

 ' . $options['recentComments'] . '

                                ' . $recentComments . '

 ' . $options['categories'] . '

                                ' . $categories . '

 ' . $options['meta'] . '

                                ' . $meta . '

';
}

function JQueryAccessibleTree_control() {
    $options = get_option("widget_JQueryAccessibleTree");
    if (!is_array( $options )) {
        $options = array(
                'title' => 'JQuery Accessible Tree',
            'categories' => 'Categories',
            'meta' => 'Meta',
            'recentPosts' => 'Recent Posts',
            'recentComments' => 'Recent Comments'
        );
    }

    if ($_POST['JQueryAccessibleTree-SubmitTitle']) {
        $options['title'] = htmlspecialchars($_POST['JQueryAccessibleTree-WidgetTitle']);
        update_option("widget_JQueryAccessibleTree", $options);
    }
    if ($_POST['JQueryAccessibleTree-SubmitCategories']) {
        $options['categories'] = htmlspecialchars($_POST['JQueryAccessibleTree-WidgetCategories']);
        update_option("widget_JQueryAccessibleTree", $options);
    }
    if ($_POST['JQueryAccessibleTree-SubmitMeta']) {
        $options['meta'] = htmlspecialchars($_POST['JQueryAccessibleTree-WidgetMeta']);
        update_option("widget_JQueryAccessibleTree", $options);
    }
    if ($_POST['JQueryAccessibleTree-SubmitRecentPosts']) {
        $options['recentPosts'] = htmlspecialchars($_POST['JQueryAccessibleTree-WidgetRecentPosts']);
        update_option("widget_JQueryAccessibleTree", $options);
    }
    if ($_POST['JQueryAccessibleTree-SubmitRecentComments']) {
        $options['recentComments'] = htmlspecialchars($_POST['JQueryAccessibleTree-WidgetRecentComments']);
        update_option("widget_JQueryAccessibleTree", $options);
    }
    ?>

        Widget Title:
        <input type="text" id="JQueryAccessibleTree-WidgetTitle" name="JQueryAccessibleTree-WidgetTitle" value="<?php echo $options['title'];?>" />
        <input type="hidden" id="JQueryAccessibleTree-SubmitTitle" name="JQueryAccessibleTree-SubmitTitle" value="1" />

        Translation for "Categories":
        <input type="text" id="JQueryAccessibleTree-WidgetCategories" name="JQueryAccessibleTree-WidgetCategories" value="<?php echo $options['categories'];?>" />
        <input type="hidden" id="JQueryAccessibleTree-SubmitCategories" name="JQueryAccessibleTree-SubmitCategories" value="1" />

        Translation for "Meta":
        <input type="text" id="JQueryAccessibleTree-WidgetMeta" name="JQueryAccessibleTree-WidgetMeta" value="<?php echo $options['meta'];?>" />
        <input type="hidden" id="JQueryAccessibleTree-SubmitMeta" name="JQueryAccessibleTree-SubmitMeta" value="1" />

        Translation for "Recent Posts":
        <input type="text" id="JQueryAccessibleTree-WidgetRecentPosts" name="JQueryAccessibleTree-WidgetRecentPosts" value="<?php echo $options['recentPosts'];?>" />
        <input type="hidden" id="JQueryAccessibleTree-SubmitRecentPosts" name="JQueryAccessibleTree-SubmitRecentPosts" value="1" />

        Translation for "Recent Comments":
        <input type="text" id="JQueryAccessibleTree-WidgetRecentComments" name="JQueryAccessibleTree-WidgetRecentComments" value="<?php echo $options['recentComments'];?>" />
        <input type="hidden" id="JQueryAccessibleTree-SubmitRecentComments" name="JQueryAccessibleTree-SubmitRecentComments" value="1" />

    <?php
}

?>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


all in all, a good weekend. How was yours?
Man, I wanted to like this book. Really, really wanted to...and I almost did.
The plot, the characters, the world de Lint built...were all so close to being good, to being right what I was looking for, but ultimately missed it.
The elements are all there for something great: a mix of the real world, a secret government program, Celtic mythology and Native American tales--oh, yeah, and a magic house. Who could want more? Not me. Unless you count a plot that moves faster than a glacier and well-developed characters that get the chance to do something.
There are just far too many characters moving around this book -- it's honestly difficult at times to keep track of some of them. And tracking is essential, because the book is essentially 320 pages of introducing players and moving them around to set up the last 90 pages (don't have the book with me, so my page counts are estimates).
Nice try, but nowhere near as good as his straight fantasy that preceded it.
This isn't your typical Charlie Fox novel, and in this case, that's a good thing (I can easily see where an atypical Fox novel would disturb my quiet).
Are there twists? Yup. Action? Yup. Bad guys in need of taking down? Yup. As you'd expect. A few less bullets than you'd expect.
But there was more to this. Sure, Sharp develops her characters further and further each novel--but here, they grew by leaps and bounds, a few books' worth. And it didn't seem forced or obligatory, it was wholly organic and genuine.
Honestly, I groaned when I realized we were getting "undercover op in a cult compound" for a mission. But it turned out to be so much more, and a satisfying read.
Ohhhh, thank heavens, there's a report on this, 'cuz otherwise, who ever would have known?
I don't know why so many of the reviews/recommendations I've read for this book compare the hero, Flavia de Luce, to Lisbeth Sanders. I guess it's because they're both not your typical female mystery protagonist. The comparison doesn't seem fair -- I know which one I'd like my sons to marry (seriously, if she has a granddaughter...). On the other hand, I know which one I'd like walking home with my daughter after dark, too.
Anyway, I need to get back on task, this, by gum, was a fun read with an utterly charming hero that deserves all the accolades and awards it's getting.
Our 11-year-old hero (no, this is not a kid's book [not that there's anything inappropriate for anyone who's made it through Rowling here]) is a budding, self-taught, chemist with a curious mind and a stubborn streak a mile wide. Her family life is a mess -- but in a charming, amusing, English countryside way -- but our plucky gal has managed to get through it pretty much intact and for the better.
So when she discovers a body on her lawn, yet the police shoo her away from the crime scene and dismiss her, she starts her own investigation. She's helped early on by a fact or two the police didn't obtain from her, and some that she kept to herself out of spite. Her father's arrest for the murder just adds fuel to her fire and becomes determined not only to solve the case before the police but to make them eat a good-sized helping of crow.
Probably not much of a spoiler to say that's exactly what she does, because the book's not about that foregone conclusion, but in watching Flavia do that while making less than flattering observations about her older sisters.
I was almost disappointed by this one, on second thought, maybe I was disappointed by this installment in the Anna Strong series.
Stein introduces us to her version of werewolves (different, a la Meyer, than the shapechangers we've already met). Her take on the species isn't my favorite, but I dig what she's doing with them and the backstory for vamps/werewolves/demons she worked up.
I wasn't crazy about how Anna "solved" the real world job (which she really didn't do), but I thought she handled the supernatural "case" okay. On the whole, though, this book showed Anna at her most clueless, which may be what Stein intended--as long as she's denying one side of her nature, she can't be what she needs to be, etc.--but I doubt it.
For a page or so I thought we were done with the Max subplot after book #3, but no. I thought we were done with the Gloria thing, but no. I thought the David stuff had turned a page and onto something new there, but no. And so on.
Basically, this book served to shuffle the characters around a bit to (potentially, hopefully) do something with next time around.
Don't get me wrong, I'm back for (at least) #5 and #6. Just hoping I don't regret it.
On a planet colonized by Muslims using insect-based technology in the far-flung future ravaged a multi-sect religious war, in the midst of which a scrappy band of pansexual assassins try to scrap out a living (selling the occasional organ to pay bills). Ho-hum. Nothing we all haven't read a thousand times before, right?
Well, maybe not. Fantastic concept, well-written, heckuva world built by Hurley here.
But here's the problem -- I couldn't force myself to care about any of these characters, particularly the protagonist Nyx. Unpleasant people, no real moral core, no reason to root for/against them, to care about their lives, their missions, their wars. I kept trying and trying and trying to find a reason to get invested in this beyond trying to figure out exactly how the insect-tech worked and utterly failed at every turn.
You can have the coolest, most inventive setup imaginable, but if you don't fill it with people readers can give a rip about, it's just not worth the effort.
A lot of heart, a lot of laughs. All you can ask from it.
I was really looking forward to reading this one, I mean, what a concept -- tell a love story through a series of personal dictionary entries. Amazon gives a sample or two (I'd provide my own, but I don't have the book on me): "breathtaking (adj.)," the unnamed narrator explains, "Those moments when we kiss and surrender for an hour before we say a single word." For "exacerbate (v.)," he notes, "I believe your exact words were: 'You're getting too emotional.'"
Some of the entries are short, not even a sentence long; some go on for a page or two. Some are funny, some are bitter, some are lovey-dovey and sweet. The entries are listed alphabetically, rather than chronologically, so the reader has to piece together the story from beginning to end.
And that's pretty much all it is.
Sure, it was skillfully accomplished. Can't complain about the execution. But beyond that, there's little to be said about it. It comes across as little more than a clever exercise for a Creative Writing course.
I was pretty disappointed in case you can't tell.
Dead Waters displays the growth of Anton Strout as a novelist as much as it shows Simon Canderous' growth as a person. This fourth installment in the Simon Canderous series is (like each installment before) better than its predecessors -- which works out great for me, because I've enjoyed all four of them.
The best part of this series (next to the characters) is the way Strout mixes magic into the real world. The adversary in this go 'round brings the challenge in the best mix of magic, myth and technology I can remember. Worth the read just for this.
The humor sprinkled (sometimes heavily) throughout the tale isn't forced, like I think it was earlier in the series. It flows from the characters and the situations naturally.
Simon's partner, Connor, still doesn't get as much screen time as he should, but the partnership does seem stronger this go around -- and Connor's character feels more like a person. Maybe its because Connor's family situation is a bit more settled, or maybe it's just the nature of the case. Doesn't matter, it's a lot of fun.
Speaking of fun, Jane, Simon's girlfriend really gets to strut her stuff magically here, frankly, I'd love to read a solo adventure or two featuring her. More pressing for our hero, however, is the fact that she's putting pressure on him to deepen their relationship -- which causes Simon to go through a good amount of maturing (or at least to consider it).
The ending of Dead Waters is one I should've seen coming, it was telegraphed like crazy. BUT, I'd spent most of the book convinced Strout was telegraphing something else, so what do I know? Frankly, I'm not crazy about the major character development that happened at the end, I'm afraid it will lead to this series losing some of what sets it apart from the rest of the genre and become a little more like typical Urban Fantasies. But I figure Strout's gonna pull this off right and show me I'm worrying for nothing.
I should add here, that almost immediately after finishing this, I sent a tweet Strout's way bemoaning the ending, and in only a few minutes got a reply that made me laugh. Gotta love an author who'll take a moment for a fan and this Internet thingy that makes that interaction possible.


Churchill Conservatives joined our colleagues across Westminster in the campaign to save Belgravia Police Station. Sadly, the Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan refused to listen to us and is continuing with the planned closure. He seems more interested in wasting resources on gimmicks, such as pedestrianizing Oxford Street (which we oppose). Disturbingly, we have seen a drastic increase in drug dealing, drug taking, and anti-social behaviour across Westminster.
The Council's Leader Cllr Nickie Aiken offered to house local neighbourhood police teams at City Hall in Victoria Street. I am working with councillors from neighbouring South Westminster wards to identify other locations that police could use once Belgravia Station closes in 2020. Going forward we will do everything possible to ensure we retain effective local policing.


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More info on Top works produced by Hanna-Barbera: 1980s
Top works produced by Hanna-Barbera: 1980s (Trending topics)
The following are the current most viewed articles on Wikipedia within Wikipedia's Top works produced by Hanna-Barbera: 1980s category. Think of it as a What's Hot list for Top works produced by Hanna-Barbera: 1980s. More info »
Top works produced by Hanna-Barbera: 1980s
1 Space Ghost (new episodes) 1223
2 Paddington Bear (1989) 1102
3 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988) 726
4 Monchhichis (1983) 716
5 The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo (1985) 597
6 The Smurfs (1981) 595
7 Snorks (1984) 572
8 Pound Puppies (1986) 531
9 The Herculoids (new episodes) 504
10 Challenge of the GoBots (1984; Hasbro owns the series due to toy line) 411
11 Pac-Man 371
12 The All-New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show (1983-1985) 306
13 The Dukes (1983; co-produced with Warner Brothers TV) 281
14 The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley (1988) 277
15 The Flintstone Kids (1986) 220
16 The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang 209
17 Richie Rich 205
18 Shirt Tales (1982) 201
19 The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985) 188
20 Yogi's Treasure Hunt (1985) 172
21 Fantastic Max (1988) 167
22 Space Stars (1981) 167
23 The Berenstain Bears (1985; co-produced with Southern Star Productions) 147
24 Dink, the Little Dinosaur (1989; co-produced with Ruby-Spears Productions) 146
25 The Gary Coleman Show (1982) 141
26 Popeye and Son (1987; Kings Features Syndicate owns this Popeye series, and have licensed DVD rights to WB.) 134
27 Drak Pack (1980) 124
28 The Little Rascals 109
29 The Flintstone Comedy Show (1980) 105
30 Paw Paws (1985) 102
31 Sky Commanders (1987) 99
32 Pink Panther and Sons (1984; co-produced with DePatie-Freleng) 95
33 Wildfire (1986) 81
34 The Biskitts (1983) 79
35 The Flintstone Funnies (1982) 72
36 The New Yogi Bear Show (1988) 67
37 Foofur (1986) 57
38 Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (the second version) 51
39 The Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show (1980) 46
40 The Pac-Man/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show (1982) 45
41 Amigo and Friends (1981) (Time Warner doesn't own this series) 43
42 The Further Adventures of SuperTed (1989; Time Warner doesn't own the show) 41
43 The Kwicky Koala Show (1981) 31
44 Laverne & Shirley in the Army (1981; co-produced with Paramount Television) 22
45 The B.B. Beegle Show (1980) 13
46 Mork and Mindy: The Animated Series 5
47 The Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour (1982; co-produced with Ruby-Spears and Paramount Television) < 5
48 Astro and the Space Mutts < 5
49 Jokebook (1982) < 5
50 Teen Force < 5


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Home » TV » How Don Bellisario Recalls What Happened Between Him and Mark Harmon
How Don Bellisario Recalls What Happened Between Him and Mark Harmon
Don Bellisario was the creative mind and showrunner behind NCIS for several years before he was eventually replaced by Gary Glasberg (who formally took over as showrunner in 2011). Reports of behind-the-scenes tension between Bellisario and Mark Harmon surfaced, leading to Bellisario's eventual exit in 2007.
Though several reports suggest that a hectic work environment and Bellisario's chaotic management style led to the showrunner's eventual departure, Bellisario remembers the behind-the-scenes squabble a little differently than has been oft-reported.
The LA Times wrote about NCIS back in 2008. The publication reported comments received from Bellisario, who was then reached at his office on the CBS lot. Bellisario remembers the events that led to his exit with a specific story at the center.
Don Bellisario on asking Mark Harmon to 're-shoot' a scene for 'NCIS'
Bellisario said that he asked Mark Harmon to re-shoot a scene, leading to unfavorable results. According to Bellisario, this was the beginning of the end for the relationship between the show's lead actor and executive producer/ showrunner. Bellisario shared:
"I asked Mark to re-shoot a scene. He redid it exactly the same way he did it the first time and never spoke to me again."
Bellisario reportedly went on to blame Harmon and his handlers," as the LA Times reports, for a "full-blown PR campaign" that alleged subpar on-set working conditions. CBS soon informed Bellisario that he should exit the series and use his talents somewhere else.
How Don Bellisario feels about the way things ended with 'NCIS' and Mark Harmon; who came next?
The LA Times reported that while Don Bellisario seemed to speak of the series with pride, it's clear that the man had his regrets. The outlet argues that it's clear he held a bit of anger concerning the abrupt conclusion of his tenure with the show. He claimed, "I do wish it hadn't ended the way it did."
Though Bellisario's daily contributions and creative oversight surrounding NCIS came to an end when he exited the show, he remained a co-creator and silent executive producer for many years following his departure.
Gary Glasberg eventually stepped in, as mentioned above. Glasberg died in 2016, but before his death, he also worked on NCIS: New Orleans, The Thief and the Cobbler, Crossing Jordan, Bones, and The Mentalist. George Schenck and Frank Cardea were named the new co-showrunners in 2016, following their years as writing partners and executive producers on the show.
TV, tv shows
Saweetie Reveals She Skips Deodorant and Uses a Natural Treatment for Armpits
Good Morning Britain gets 1,008 Ofcom complaints from viewers furious about Ben Shephard's clash with Rishi Sunak


OK, which series do you think had more viewers last week?
Surprisingly to those who don't follow this stuff, Castle bested the series finale of Breaking Bad 11.8 million to 10.3 million on the Nielsen ratings front. It's surprising because no one at my local water cooler, dog park, happy hour and most of all, on Twitter, was talking about Castle (Nielsen's 18th-highest-rated show). But the entire world couldn't stop analyzing the benefits of making and distributing crystal meth, or how Bryan Cranston got screwed out of winning Best Actor, or how the show was the exact opposite of Dexter in terms of the proper, perfect way to end a series.
Castle, of course, has the built-in advantage of being on so-called "free TV" and on a network like ABC, while AMC—despite producing shows critical megahits like Mad Men and The Walking Dead—isn't as generously positioned on the dial, nor is it in as many homes. So if I'm an advertiser, do I run to a show with a smaller audience (from a Nielsen perspective) like Breaking Bad or Castle? An additional 1.5 million viewers are 1.5 million viewers are, after all.
Of course not. And starting last week, Twitter–which exploded during the Breaking Bad finale with a peak of over 22,000 Tweets per minute during the end of the show–has emerged as a certified gauge of success for TV programs. Thanks to a new partnership between Nielsen and Twitter, it's called Twitter TV Ratings, a tool that tracks TV-connected conversations on the social media juggernaut that now boasts 218 million active users.
Nielsen says Twitter for TV can measure the number of users Tweeting about a show (range) and the audience reading those Tweets (penetration), respectively. The new Twitter Ratings will consider the number of people who read TV-related tweets, not just the number of writers. Results are already in for Week 1, where Scandal won the Twitter Ratings race: Tweets about the show were seen by over 3.6 million different Twitter accounts. The ABC drama was followed by the empire that is Miley Cyrus, where her MTV documentary and Saturday Night Live hosting appearance finished second and third, respectively.
Another interesting note: Nielsen's research indicates that a Twitter audience for a program is an estimated 50 times larger than the number of people actually Tweeting about it. For instance, four Tweets (50x) equal 200 viewers—which is a considerable amount of low cost (See: Free) advertising for TV shows. Moving forward, Nielsen and Twitter will compile the numbers and share them with advertisers…where they could use that data to choose which shows to buy 30 or 60 seconds of space on.
From a financial perspective, the timing couldn't be better for Twitter: In its recent IPO filing, the company highlighted partnerships with conventional media firms like Nielsen as an arena where big money can be made (some analysts have questioned Twitter's ability to generate revenue).
In the old days of 2012, a show's success was basically measured by where it landed in the Nielsen rankings. But as advertisers have openly questioned the now-antiquated metrics in a society dominated by social media, the game has changed. Nielsen knows this—and also announced recently it will (beginning in 2014) incorporate viewership on phones and tablets into its standard ratings method.
Advertisers are demanding broader representation of who's really watching what. And as many born after 1980 will tell you, it ain't like that Honeymooners scene in Back to the Future anymore (if you recall, Marty McFly is at his "Mom's" house in 1955, where his grandfather drags a TV in front of the kitchen table so the whole family can watch Jackie Gleason together). Instead, it's watching your favorite shows binge-style (I'm currently doing so with the perfectly-executed House of Cards) or just simply absorbing live events and programs wherever, whenever.
It's the reason why the race to be the most nimble and lightweight phone or pad has turned on a dime. Now, phones are actually getting bigger…simply because the calling aspect of a phone is dwarfed on the priority list by, well, watching stuff.
Look around a Starbucks or a bus station the next time you're there.
If you can see the whites of someone's eyes, color me impressed.
Immersed in a world that once only existed in a living room.
Nielsen will begin counting these kinds of consumers.
Nielsen will now work with Twitter to gauge buzz.
It's no longer about who's watching a show.
But who's talking about it as well.


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Home Uncategorized These local agencies will receive smith and brandon Tramaine Brock Authentic Jersey
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Juventus legend Andrea Pirlo has urged Paulo Dybala to train with the same desire as Cristiano Ronaldo in order to secure a regular starting role with the Bianconeri. The Argentina international has witnessed a tough introduction to the new Serie A season and he has managed just 100 minutes of action from the first three matches.
"Despite Pirlo's comments, Dybala's future has been greatly discussed across " the media over the past few days and Palermo president"Maurizio Zamparini has recently" confirmed that there are clubs from Spain and England, who are prepared to offer him the escape route at the turn of the calendar year.
Dybala recently witnessed a frustrating international break after managing just one substitute appearance for Argentina and that surely came as a surprise, given the country were without their talismanic captain in Lionel Messi. The Barcelona star's desire to play on the right wing had often forced Argentina to keep Dybala on the substitutes' bench and that trend continued during the recent internationals against Guatemala and Colombia despite the Blaugrana star making himself unavailable. Dybala could feature for Juventus this weekend they entertain Sassuolo at the Allianz Stadium.


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Cost is only $15 per person and includes admission, range balls and simulator time. PGA Pro Doug Wert will also be on hand to demo the K-Vest Swing Trainer. Can't wait to see all of you!


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EMC Makes Case for CAS, IBM Hits 4Gbps
Monday May 9th 2005 by Clint Boulton
EMC offers its Centera content-addressed storage system in configurations more appropriate for small and mid-size enterprises. IBM counters with its TotalStorage DS4800, a midrange storage server that pipes data at 4 gigabits per second.
Looking to help small and mid-sized companies move to the next level of fixed storage and archiving, EMC Corp. today announced that it will now offer its Centera family of content addressed storage (CAS) systems in configurations more appropriate for smaller operations.
The new Centera offer falls under EMC's Making Storage Simple campaign, which is designed to cater to SMBs (see EMC Tackles Big Need for Small Business Storage).
Today's move is meant to bring lower-capacity and lower-cost storage to companies with between 100 and 500 employees, said Roy Sanford, vice president of CAS at EMC. EMC will now offer Centera in a four-node configuration that will allow four ATA drives to function as one pool of storage. Previously, the minimum configuration for Centera was an eight-mode system.
While enhancements to the CenterStar operating environment allow for smaller configuration and less capacity, Sanford said, the same content and self-management features are available in the new offering. He said that Centera's content address storage eliminates the need for storage management by using what he describes as "digital fingerprints" to manage information. "Direct attached storage and NAS-based systems are based on where data is, CAS is based on what it is."
That is, users and network admins don't need to worry about or keep track of which directory stores a particular data file. Sanford used the analogy of valet parking in describing how digital fingerprints store data. "You're handing the keys to a trusted valet, who may park your car out back or move it around, but if you have a ticket, you can get your car."
The newer Centera configurations will be ideal for enterprises that have increasingly complex storage needs — needs that may rival those of larger enterprises — but may not need tens of terabytes, Sanford said. For example, a hospital could use it to store X-rays or any type of unstructured data. E-mail files, user manuals, employee records and sales records are also prime candidates for the Centera system.
In another change meant to lower costs, EMC will now allow Centera customers to rack-mount the four-node configuration in any industry-standard rack chassis, which means Centera products can share racks with existing server and storage systems.
The Centera four-node configuration will be available from EMC and partners this month. It offers 2.2TB of usable capacity. Sanford wouldn't comment on specific price points and would say only that the new configuration will start at less than $100,000, which is about 35 percent lower than the base list price of the previous Centera entry point.
Big Blue Has Storage News, Too
In related news, IBM moved to one-up EMC's Clariion line by unveiling a midrange storage server that pipes data at four gigabits per second.
While product upgrades are frequent among storage system vendors, IBM's TotalStorage DS4800 cracks the ballyhooed four Gb mark. Most competing machines ferry data at two Gbps.
That performance should enable the server to help high-performance computers draw from a wealth of data. This makes the DS4800 ideal for software that requires a lot of bandwidth, including applications for scientific research and financial services, said IBM spokesman Charlie Andrews.
The DS4800 will carry up to 67 terabytes of data and features new data failover software. Also new from Big Blue in the box is a "call home" function to alert IBM if there is a problem with the system. Two Ethernet ports and a switched expansion drawer round out the perks of the new machine.
Available for $54,000 on June 17, the box is priced similarly to systems from EMC and HP, but offers up to twice the sustainable throughput of those machines in certain scenarios, Andrews said.
The DS4800 works with a number of operating systems, including AIX, HP-UX, Solaris, Windows and Linux.
Clint Boulton is senior editor with Internetnews.com. Dan Muse is executive editor of internet.com's Small Business Channel, EarthWeb's Networking & Communications Channel and ServerWatch.
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