Welcome to this week's edition of the POB eNews ...

If you're looking for a unique and, perhaps, tricky way to share your love of mapping with your friends and family, then carve out some time this week to take a field trip to a corn maze near you.  

Thanks to GPS technology, corn mazes are popping up all over the country. What used to be a labor-intensive activity--transferring a design to the field by hand using a grid system--can now be done in less than a day using satellite technology and tractor-mounted computers for plotting and cutting.  

And while you are finding your way through the maize, the USGS Rocky Mountain Mapping Center has created a comprehensive lesson plan you can use to teach geography on your adventure. The 10 lessons in Corn Maze Geography cover map interpretation to GPS navigation to complex concepts such as spatial organization of people on the Earth's surface, land use issues, culture, climate and cultivation, and much more. There is something for every age group.  

To find a corn maze near you, check out the Corn Maze Directory. There are more than 600 corn mazes in the U.S. and Canada, but many are only open through Halloween, so don't delay.

P.S. For more information on designing and constructing corn mazes, visit the Corny Culture page of Purdue University's KingCorn Web site.

Surveying Works of Art now available at AECStore.com  

The AEC Store is now offering four different pencil drawings with the surveyor in mind. Each drawing can be purchased framed or print-only. Only 100 prints available for each drawing! Four options:

• The Surveyor on the Peak 
• The Surveyor and Truck at Station Sauharita
• The Stadia Crew
• Ronald Reagan (pictured) 

Follow this link for more information about these drawings or to purchase. Call 248/244-1275 to place your order by phone.

Web Exclusive! Daratech Inc. Study Forecasts Slow Worldwide Growth in GIS/Geospatial Industry.
by Charles M. Foundyller
GIS/geospatial industry worldwide growth is forecast to slow to 1 percent, down from 11 percent in 2008 and 17.4 percent in 2007, according to a just-released study by Daratech Inc., a Cambridge, Mass., market research firm.

Digital Edition Exclusive: 31 Degrees of Latitude 
Historic maps and modern technology help surveyors locate earthen mounds on the Ellicott Line. 
by Larry Crowley PhD, PE, and Milton Denny, PLS
At the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War, the newly formed United States government struggled to define the nation's boundaries--particularly in the south where other governments claimed land on the North American continent. The Treaty of San Lorenzo signed in 1795 between the United States and Spain contained two provisions that were important to these efforts.

JOIN THE SEARCH: On Dec. 3-4, 2009 , Auburn University's Technology Transfer program will hold a seminar in Andalusia, Ala., to provide surveyors with the best information available to find the mounds. Attendees will be given a classroom overview of the mound line, provided with locations of some of the mounds and assigned to teams to find them. Attendees are asked to bring their own GPS equipment if possible. This event will provide an opportunity to work on a survey of great historical importance while walking in the footsteps of one of America's great men of science. A link to the brochure is available in the sidebar at the end of the story.

Digital Edition Exclusive: Taming the Wild GIS
Establishing GIS standards under the NSDI framework will lead to a more productive use of data and a more informed spatial network.
by Darron Pustam, MBA, GISP 
An infinite number of disparate spatial and nonspatial data sources exist, much like the proliferations of hardware and software combinations. Merging and developing relationships with these data have changed the way we perceive and interact with our environment. Geospatial data usage has evolved into a necessary science and has revolutionized the way data are collected, analyzed and displayed.

Digital Edition Exclusive: A Digital Desert 
A fast-track survey in a remote desert region of New Mexico requires high-tech positioning tools.
by Vicki Speed 
The U.S.-Mexico continental boundary is a 2,000 mile stretch that follows the Rio Grande from the Gulf of Mexico to El Paso, Texas, continues westward over the harsh deserts along the New Mexico and Arizona borders, takes a short jog north along the Colorado River and, finally, traces the southern edge California out to the Pacific Ocean.

Field Engineers - WEEKS MARINE INC, one of the nation's largest marine construction and dredging services companies seeks surveyors with experience in hydrographic surveying or construction layout to support projects along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. 

Experience in Hypack, AutoCAD, TGO, RTK GPS, Total Stations, Trimble and TDS data collection software a plus. Applicants must be willing to work a rotation schedule of 19 days on and 9 days off. 

Competitive wages offered with excellent benefits, including medical, dental, and 401k.  This company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

E-mail resumes to fecov@weeksmarine.com.

What is your firm's stance on employee training?

• It's very proactive and provides or pays for ongoing training.
• It primarily focuses on training that allows our firm to stay on the cutting edge.
• It provides training on an as-needed or individual basis only.
• The firm is just barely making ends meet, so training isn't a priority right now.
• The employees are responsible for getting the training they need.

Take a moment to vote at www.pobonline.com. 

Nobles Consulting Group, Inc gains competitive edge through acquisition of Leica ScanStation C10
Nobles Consulting Group, Inc. (NCG) is among the first innovative and cutting-edge companies to embrace the latest advancements in High-Definition Surveying, recognizing that it is an essential tool for its future competitiveness.

Geospatial Holdings Provides Revenue Guidance for 2010
Geospatial Holdings, Inc. announced that due in part to the visibility derived from potential long term contracts with major municipal and corporate clients the Company anticipates projected revenue for fiscal year 2010 of approximately $35 - $40 million.

The Matthews Co. Launches Surveyors Helping Surveyors 2009
The Matthews Co. Inc. and land surveyors from around the United States have teamed up to help bring Christmas to the families of surveyors who are out of work due to the economy through a program called Surveyors Helping Surveyors 2009.

For more industry news, follow this link.

Clintondale Man Celebrates 20th Wedding Anniversary With $250,000 Mega Millions Win
Persistence pays off bigtime for land surveyor Adolf Jonietz.

Dempsey: It was self-defense
A 20-year dispute between neighbors over a 200-foot landline tragically escalates to murder.

Missouri Governor Proclaims Earth Science Week
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declares the week of Oct. 11 through Oct. 17 as Earth Science Week to bring awareness to the fact that earth sciences are fundamental to the health, safety and welfare of all Missourians.

To read the latest Surveying in the Headlines, click here.

Joke of the Week: Grave Matters

Two men were walking home late one night after a Halloween party.  

They decided to take a shortcut through the cemetery just for laughs. Halfway through, they were startled by a tap-tap-tapping noise coming from the misty shadows.

They followed the sound, trembling with fear as they drew nearer.

To their relief ... 

Problem of the Week: Computer Operations: Order of Arithmetic Operations

Considering the rules of precedence used by computers, what solution will be generated for the calculation shown?

9 + (2*6) * 54/10

A. 650
B. 750.9
C. 759
D. 1312.5

Follow this link to access the rest of this week's Fun & Games.