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Lupe Fiasco and I are a lot alike. I'm not just talking about the boyish good looks, the legendary mixtapes, and the ongoing struggle to reconcile spirituality with the street. Like others born in 1982, we both grew up with certain cultural touchstones – and missed out on some pretty important things, too.
To think, if I'd been born just a few years earlier, I might've known what this European Union thing was all about; NAFTA, too. Maybe I wouldn't furrow my brow upon every reference to some dude named Rodney King, or to a place called Waco, Texas. That stuff was part of my big brother's era, really, as was Eric Clapton's "Unplugged" album and Sinead O'Connor's assassination of the Pope (or something like that, I was too young to understand).
So I can totally relate to my boy Fiasco when, in defense of his flubbing of "Electric Relaxation" at VH1's Hip-Hop Honors show last month, he gave it to us straight: "I can't say that I'm sorry for not growing up on Tribe, that's just the way it is." Fair enough, right?
Ok, not really. Truthfully, I get what Fiasco is saying, since I've missed a lot of music myself over the years. I don't even blame him for screwing up the song, even if it is my favorite Tribe tune, and I get it right every time I'm rapping in the shower. But he had to know that his "explanation" was going to draw some criticism, especially within a genre that's hyper-aware of history.
More than any other genre, hip-hop requires its followers to have at least some understanding of its past, and not just because the music is so self-referential with sampled rhymes and beats. Hip-hop never had it easy; even today, when it rules pretty much every meaningful market, the music has to fight for legitimacy in some circles.
With its life seemingly always on the line (we may be past that point, if you listen to Nas), hip-hop needs fans with devotion to the cause, and true devotion can only come, it would seem, from an understanding of what's happened before. Hip-hop fans must constantly prove that they're "real", and there's no shortage of ways to challenge that assertion. "I don't want fans who don't know who G Rap is", vowed RA the Rugged Man in his anthem, "Lessons"; a similar sentiment pervades the entire community.
Every genre is insular to some extent; the hardcore fans will disregard the "newbies", and perhaps even chuckle to themselves about their ignorance. But I find it hard to imagine that the same element of confrontation exists among communities of, say, jazz fans, as it does among hip-hoppers (of course, you also rarely see disputes between jazz musicians end in death).
Go ahead, log onto your local message board and start a discussion about the top five hip-hop albums of all time. Within minutes, you're bound to see someone get called out for not knowing their history. Naiveté is not typically treated with kindness, especially in the underground; the earlier you were there, the more legitimate you are. ("Most of y'all started rappin' after Illmatic", taunts rapper Rusty Chains on "Don't Be Mad").
You could argue that this insistence on historical awareness is a good thing, because it demonstrates passion for the music. But it also alienates. It's why I often don't feel totally comfortable at hip-hop shows, and why I'm generally reluctant to get involved in message board discussions, even on topics I'm fairly knowledgeable about; I don't want to be called out if I haven't demonstrated that I know All About Hip-hop.
On the other hand, knowing your history is never a bad thing, and it's easy to study on a subject like music. How else did pretty much all of the people of my "era" come to know the Beatles so well? Music, especially great music, withstands the test of time and transcends eras. So not growing up with something is not necessarily a valid excuse for not knowing it; and if you care about what you're doing, you should want to know about the artists and the work that preceded you. Indeed, as Q-Tip pointed out after Fiasco's incident, it's what artists must do—the music of the past inspires that of the present and future.
It's not as if Fiasco is completely ignorant of history, though; he just has a different set of influences. In his post-show explanation, he talked about growing up listening to Spice 1 and 8Ball & MJG albums, which he believes deserve just as much historical status as Midnight Marauders and the like, even if they're not part of the agreed-upon "canon" of hip-hop.
It begs the question of whether one version of history is more legitimate than another, especially when it involves something as subjective as musical taste. After all, isn't that what an influence is – a subjective decision as to what moves you most? Choosing one artist as your influence over another doesn't necessarily mean you're questioning the merit of the another (and Fiasco did make it clear that he's not "pissing on" the legacy of Tribe).
In a time when so much music sounds derivative of the past, it's kind of refreshing to see an artist like Fiasco buck the trend – if that's really what he's attempting to do. Many have voiced a desire for a return to the early '90s "Golden Age" of hip-hop (and, interestingly, many of those people likely heard some of that same sound on Fiasco's debut full-length, Food and Liquor), but it's this desire to return to the past that can keep a genre stagnant. It's honorable to celebrate history in music, and let that sound carry though. But it's possible, too, that holding the past too close makes it difficult for new, fresh voices to emerge.
It's like the rookie who comes up with a big hit in the playoffs (cough, Dustin Pedroia, cough), or makes a game-winning shot; he's just doesn't know he's supposed to be scared. Maybe, unburdened by the knowledge of everything that's come before, a young artist can do the equivalent. Maybe it'll even happen in my era.
Tibet House's 30th Anniversary Benefit Concert Celebrated Philip Glass' 80th
// Notes from the Road
"Philip Glass, the artistic director of the Tibet House benefits, celebrated his 80th birthday at this year's annual benefit with performances from Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Brittany Howard, Sufjan Stevens and more.
READ the article


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10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
Oakwood University campus
"The North Alabama Connection", a consortium of three North Alabama universities, Alabama A&M University, Athens State University, and Oakwood University, brings representatives of graduate and professional schools from across the country to Huntsville to meet prospective students. This event is open to the public.
Over 70 graduate and professional school programs were represented at the 2011 GPSD event.
Registration Information regarding: Graduate/Professional School Registration
Mrs. Tangela Rutledge-Gale
Career Counselor/Recruiter
Career Development Services
Alabama A&M University
P.O. Box 997
Normal, AL 35762
Telephone: 256.372.8181
Fax: 256.372.5689
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Al-Baddad International, the UAE-based leading provider of innovative mobile halls and pre-fabricated buildings, concluded its successful participation in preparing and equipping the International Building & Construction Exhibition 2010, held recently in Tripoli, Libya. ATEX – International Exhibition Organizers has granted Al-Baddad International a 'Certificate of Excellence' in recognition for its enormous efforts in turning the exhibition into a groundbreaking success.
The four-day exhibition (16 - 20 May) witnessed the participation of major international companies that cover the fields of construction, architecture and decoration. Al-Baddad International's Libya branch team set up a huge hall to provide suitable atmosphere for all the companies participating in this exhibition.
The high-altitude and PVC-structured hall featured a large area of more than 3,000 square meters making it one of the largest exhibition halls to house major companies. In addition, the company provided participating companies with small halls to build their own space within the exhibition.
Commenting on this huge groundbreaking success, Mr. Zayed Al-Baddad, Chairman and CEO, Al-Baddad International said: "Al-Baddad is proud to receive this certificate from ATEX in recognition of our commitment to excellence. We are pleased that our team has successfully completed all works in accordance with internationally-recognized standards."
"Al-Baddad International is looking forward to even bigger projects with ATEX in the future. I would like to extend my gratitude to the Board of ATEX, the organizing team, and the Director Mr. Firas Al-Mortadi. We thank them for their confidence and trust in our company and our products," he concluded.
[1] http://www.albawaba.com


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Are Black Hair Shows Showing Us More Than Just Hair and Fashion?
Originally posted: Oct. 17, 2011
We have been a bit concerned about the hair shows we've seen on video. The movie "Good Hair" focused on black hair but also the shows behind many lifestyles.
We will focus on one particular hair show that has been popular for several years: The Bronner Bros International Hair Show. We chose this one because it has a prominent reputation in Atlanta and around the world. The Bronner Bros were started and founded with Nathanial Bronner and other siblings in 1947. They are responsible for Bronner Bros. hair products, beauty schools, beauty shows and hair shows.


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categories & filters
enter to Goto filter section
enter to Goto filter section
Plus Size Active Bottoms- Make a move towards our activewear bottoms. Catherines collection of plus size workout pants, leggings and capris includes comfortable yoga styles that go beyond the gym to become an everyday favorite in your wardrobe. Mix and match any of our plus size active bottoms with our comfortable active tops for coordinating style.


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/// Exclusive: AOL Poised to Hire Susan Lyne to Run All Content Brands, Except HuffPo
Sources said AOL is set to hire well-known media and Internet exec Susan Lyne to be CEO of its content brands unit at the New York-based Web company, except for the Huffington Post media unit headed by Arianna Huffington. Lyne has most recently been chairman of the Gilt Groupe and was CEO previous to that. She will retain her board role at the online retailer, but is likely to give up her director role at AOL. She is set to be on its executive operating committee going forward. Lyne has had a long and varied career in media and is a high-profile hire. Beside Gilt, she also ran Martha Stewart Omnimedia and was a top network exec at ABC.
See the article here:
Exclusive: AOL Poised to Hire Susan Lyne to Run All Content Brands, Except HuffPo


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Digestive Biscuit
Digestive biscuit, also known as sweet meal biscuit or digestives, is a crumbly textured cookie that is semisweet in taste. The biscuits are usually light brown in color and are said to have a good effect on digestion. Sweet meal biscuits are common in all the cuisines today but they were highly popular in United Kingdom for100 years after they were created for the first time.
History of Digestive Biscuit
The first digestive biscuit was made in 1800s by Alexander Grant, a McVitie's Biscuits employee in Scotland. The biscuit was then sold as a health food as it had the antacid properties of baking soda. The earlier digestive biscuit was very much similar to graham cracker and had a nutty and rich flavor. The cookies became popular in year 1894 after the recipe for these got published in 'New Universal Cookery Book' by Cassell. The people of France refer to these biscuits as "Biscuits digestifs", whereas in Spain, these are known as "Galleta integral".
Digestive Biscuit Recipe- Method Of Preparation
The digestive cookies are made using whole wheat flour, wheat germ, soda, salt, milk powder, sugar, butter and vanilla extract. The dry ingredients are mixed well and butter is added to form a crumbly mixture. Water and vanilla extract is added and hard dough is formed. The dough, once ready, is rolled on baking sheet and baked. Once done, cookies are cut into desired shapes and served.
Serving And Eating Digestive Biscuits
Digestive cookies are usually eaten as a healthy snack and are mostly accompanied by warm milk, tea or coffee. Due to hard crust, these cookies are relished after dipping in tea and coffee. Children often enjoy the crumbly bites by spreading jam or cheese on its top. The cookies are also used in various recipes for cheese cakes due to their crispy crust.
Storing Sweet Meal Cookies
The biscuits can be easily stored in an air tight container for few weeks. The jar should be kept in dark and in a cool place free from humidity. The dough for the biscuits can be stored in freezer for two months.
Digestives- Health Benefits
Controls blood sugar- Regular intake of digestive cookies helps in increasing the blood glucose level, which further results in production of insulin and therefore control of blood sugar.
Provides fiber- The cookies are usually made of whole wheat and thus provide the body with fiber which helps in regular bowel movements.
Buying Digestives
The digestive cookies are available under various brand names all over the world. However, McVitie's is the major manufacturer of these delicious biscuits and rules the market. While buying them, one must check for the date of manufacturing and expiry on the package. To check for broken digestive biscuits in the pack, the pack can be shaken.


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lost rear drive shaft
About a month ago I asked for help, could not get the front wheel drive to work after the rear drive shaft tore off while towing.
Well here's a update . Had to remove the rear yoke, and clean out the sheared off bolts. had to buy rear drive shaft from salvage. $89.95. Two new U-joints. $23. I thought the drive shaft was too short because of the lift kit that was installed before I got the 91 Wrangler. I was right because when the drive shaft tore lose it dammaged the rear T\Case housing. Half of the bushing shim inside the Housing was really chewed up. New Housing cost $37. Oil seal $7. Drive shaft had to be extended by inch and a half. $95. The slip yoke from the salvage yard was all rusted out and would not slide on to the shaft coming out of the T\Case. New slip Yoke. $45. When the Shaft tore lose it damaged the Muffler. New Muffled and pipe $126. And I still can't get the front drive to work. Valcume hose from the transfer case to fire wall ends with a bolt plugged into It. So no vacume to operate the front shift box. Where dose this vacume hose go after the fire wall ? This part is missing. Like the man says Iam up to my eyeballs in jeep but I love it. |
Glad you are enjoying this :D I thought that amerijeep put some schematics on your last post that traced all the vacuum lines for your front axle.
Missing vacume line.
Dose the 91 wrangler have a electric full pump?
Is this pump inside the fuel tank? |
All I can tell you, from the folks I know that have YJ's, is that they usually get the manual control device for the axle actuator. It would seem that the vacuum system is prone to failure. Quadratec, and I am sure others, have these cable operated devices for sale. I have a YJ tub, the rest has all been replaced by non stock components. Sorry I am not of more help to you.
As far as the fuel pump, yes, I believe that is in the fuel tank. If not, I am sure one of the YJ owners will correct me. |
Vacume skimatic
Yes I have the printout. The problem lies with me trying to read the dam-thing. First off , my jeep has injectors, not a carb. 2nd: what is the egr and the cto viv 3rd: can you send someone over. too help, Twin Falls ID Happy Labor day everyone. Roy M |
Tanks for your assist
The front wheel drive thing is on the back burner , for awhile. I need to get the jeep runing first and then play with that, A new thing has popped up where the jeep wont start, I think because of old gas in the tank. Got to go too eat its labor day now. |
I just noticed you are in Twin Falls. I have some good friends out there. I've been thinking about flying out sometime in the future and stayin' at Cactus Pete's
Or no gas in the tank. Dont trust the gas guage. Mine coasts to a stop at 1/4 tank. Im told its a jeep thing, I dont understand it. I Just fill it back up at 1/4 tank. And I ckecked no dents in tank. (yet) Hope it justs needs fresh gas.
jeep wont stat
Thats a good Idea, Thanks. Have you ever tried to check the fuel pump by unplugging fuel line at the engine to see if there is still gas. |
i also believe there is a inline fuel filter that is the size of a soup can located under the drivers seat along the frame. atleast on my 95 yj.
Is it the harness hose (plastic tubing with multiple colors)? Or is it a regular black vac. Hose?
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Archive for January, 2012
Pinch hitting: Brendan Sennott • 01.30.12
As expected, I got a lot of Pinch Hitter suggestions in favor of the Yankees offseason approach. I selected a few who gave slightly different versions of why they were in favor of the conservative approach. But certainly not everyone agreed.
Our next Pinch Hitter is Brendan Sennott, a Yankees fan living in Detroit, where his wife of eight years, Angela, says he loves the Yankees more than he loves her. "To which I always respond," Brendan wrote, "'But at least I love you more than football.'…All kidding aside my family is my life." He has a a degree in broadcasting and worked as a part-time sports reporter in Detroit until giving it up in 2009. He now works in marketing, but he says he would love to get back into sports media some day.
For today, he dips back into writing to explain why this wasn't the best winter for a conservative approach. The moves of earlier this month redeemed the Yankees somewhat, but Brendan believes this is a time for aggression, not patience.
It had been quite an unsatisfying winter in the Yankee Universe. That was until the most successful Friday the 13th in the history of mankind.
The Bombers acquired young, fire-balling starting pitcher Michael Pineda and pitching prospect Jose Campos from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for catcher Jesus Montero and pitcher Hector Noesi. While consummating the trade, the Yanks signed veteran right hander Hiroki Kuroda. The moves solidified the New York rotation and instantly improved a team that won 97 games and the American League East last season. The Yankees are now the prohibitive favorites to duplicate that very feat in 2012.
My question is, why stop there? This team still has many holes and question marks to address before pitchers and catchers report in three weeks. In my humble opinion, Yankees GM Brian Cashman still has more work to do to try and upgrade this ball club from a potentially great team to an unbeatable one.
It is my feeling that Cashman's sense of urgency should be heightened this offseason as compared to any other in his tenure as GM. The reason being the loss of a truly indispensable cog in the Yankee machine is looming.
The Steinbrenner Doctrine has always been championship or bust since the beginning of the family's reign in 1973. Constant talk of new luxury tax thresholds, payroll limitations, and developing young players from within is quite prudent for the Braves and Royals organizations. It just doesn't fit the New York Yankee brand and what the late George M. Steinbrenner stood for. This is especially true approaching a season that may well be the last for the undisputable most valuable player of the last five Yankee world championships, Mariano Rivera.
Rivera will begin 2012 in the final year of the two-year, $30-million contract he signed prior to the 2010 season. He will be pitching at age 42 in his 18th major league season, all of which have been gloriously spent in Yankee pinstripes. All signs point to this season being the last of his storied career. Rivera is baseball's all-time saves leader with 603. He has an incredible career ERA of 2.21.
The scary thing is, Rivera continues to be as dominant as ever. In 2011, he was 44-for-49 in save opportunities with a 1.91 ERA. He retired all four batters he faced in the Yankees' Division Series loss to Detroit with one strikeout. Rivera has 42 career saves in the postseason, with an obscene 0.70 lifetime ERA. It is that continued dominance on the game's biggest stage that makes him the ultimate weapon in baseball, a weapon that no other team in the majors possesses.
So why then is a global conglomerate like the Yankees getting away from what it allegedly stands for in winning at all costs??? Why are they selling its fan base on the values of fiscal responsibility and developing young talent? It really doesn't make much sense now, does it?
I truly hope all of the members of the Yankee hierarchy have the same recurring nightmare that every single Yankee fan has had for the last decade or so. The Yankees are clinging to one-run lead in a pivotal game and there is no Mariano to protect that lead. There is no "Enter Sandman" blaring through the Yankee Stadium loudspeaker. Another, less qualified relief pitcher is coming into the game. That nightmare is getting far closer to a reality for all of us, so why stand pat?
Stop talking about budgets and prospects. It is time to act. Find a way to get rid of A.J. Burnett, even if it means eating the money owed to him. See if Edwin Jackson will take a one-year deal to be the fifth starter. Try to trade Nick Swisher and Phil Hughes for an experienced, clutch righty bat. Help keep A-Rod healthy by signing a quality big leaguer that can actually field (apologies to Eduardo Nunez). Sign Johnny Damon to be the DH and add another lefty reliever to solidify the bullpen.
The Tigers, Angels, and Rangers clearly don't care about increasing payroll or the future ramifications of the new luxury tax rates in 2014. Why the heck should the Yankees?
After all, the Yankees still have the one guy that all of those other teams don't: The Great Rivera.
Associated Press photo
A week of saying goodbye • 01.29.12
The Yankees officially took care of a few inevitable orders of business last week, but the most memorable moment was certainly Jorge Posada's retirement press conference. It was an emotional celebration of the longtime catcher's life and career.
"Playing for the? New york Yankees has been an honor," he said. "I could never wear another uniform. Being a part of seven World Series and having five rings is something I never could have imagined being a part of. It was just priceless. I will forever be a Yankee.?"
Officially, the Yankees lost Posada and Jesus Montero in the same week, leaving a massive hole at designated hitter. Filling that hole will almost certainly be the focus of these last few weeks of the offseason.
The rest of the week in review…
• Speaking of saying goodbye, the Yankees officially goodbye to Montero when they finalized their trade with the Mariners. "He may very well be the best player I've ever traded," Brian Cashman said.
• Despite an abundance of designated hitter types on the free agent market, Cashman made it clear that he would like to trade some of his excess starting pitching to acquire a bat. There could be another significant move in the Yankees future.
• Hiroki Kuroda is officially on the roster. Almost two weeks after the two sides agreed to terms, the Kuroda signing was made official. Kevin Whelan was designated for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
• Andruw Jones is also officially on the roster. News of his signing broke in December, but it didn't become official until Wednesday.
• All of the arbitration-eligible Yankees are officially under contract. The Yankees took care of the last on on Thursday, agreeing to a one-year deal with Boone Logan.
• Joba Chamberlain took to Twitter to announce that his Tommy John rehab is still moving forward, including throwing off flat ground with Larry Rothschild.
• MLB Network and MLB.com revealed their Top 100 prospects list, including Yankees prospects Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, Gary Sanchez and Mason Williams. When the list was initially posted online, Banuelos was ranked on spot ahead of Jesus Montero. The two have since been swapped. Weird.
• Yoenis Cespedes is officially on the free agent market, though I still doubt the Yankees will be heavily involved. Spending big on such an unproven player seems completely opposite of everything else the Yankees have done this winter.
• The biggest name still on the market finally signed when Prince Fielder agreed to a massive nine-year deal with the Tigers.
Associated Press photos
Putting the pieces together • 01.29.12
In this morning's Pinch Hitter post, Nick wrote about the evolving strategy of the Yankees front office, and I think he's right that the Yankees are trying to find a balance between sustainable player development and powerful free agent spending.
Truth is, the current roster is beginning to reflect that balance. It's hard to project a 25-man roster right now — the Yankees clearly need to settle their DH and bench situations — but based on what they have right now, player development has produced more of the projected big league roster than free agency. The trade market has been an equalizer, a way to use player development to land proven veterans.
Here's the current 40-man roster, minus the two Rule 5 picks:
Dellin Betances, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, George Kontos, D.J. Mitchell, David Phelps, Dave Robertson, Austin Romine, David Adams, Derek Jeter, Corban Joseph, Brandon Laird, Brett Gardner
Total: 13
Big leaguers: 5
Quite often, the Yankees are risk takers in the draft, and that's led to plenty of disappointments. The Yankees more or less went bust on four straight draft classes from 2000 through 2003, and Hughes is really all they have to show for 2004. But things have turned a little bit. Gardner, Austin Jackson and a couple of pitching role players came out of the 2005 draft, and the 2006 class has produced 10 big leaguers, ranging from Robertson and Chamberlain in the Yankees bullpen to Mark Melancon and Dan McCutchen as trade chips. There's a lot of disappointment in the 2007 class — starting with Andrew Brackman — but Romine still has considerable potential, and it's too early to know much about the 2008-11 classes (though there's some real promise in those groups, and some of that promise is close to the big leagues).
International market
Ivan Nova, Mariano Rivera, Francisco Cervelli, Robinson Cano, Eduardo Nunez, Ramiro Pena, Zoilo Almonte, Melky Mesa
Total: 8
Big leaguers: 5
The Yankees ability to find impact players on the international market is somewhat underrated. They've missed a few times — Juan Miranda, Kei Igawa, etc. — but they've also found significantly overlooked gems that aren't mentioned here (Alfredo Aceves and Manny Banuelos jump to mind). Twenty percent of the projected Opening Day roster came from the international market, including the Yankees best hitter and best (ever) reliever. The emergence of Nova as a middle-of-the-rotation starter, and a progress of Nunez from forgotten prospect to big league role player, have helped ease some financial burden on the front office.
Boone Logan, Michael Pineda, Alex Rodriguez, Chris Dickerson, Curtis Granderson, Justin Maxwell, Nick Swisher
Total: 7
Big leaguers: 6
If the 40-man roster is unchanged, I guess you have to assume either Dickerson or Maxwell will make the team as a bench player, but if you prefer to think of this as five big leaguers, that's perfectly fair. Either way, the point stands: The Yankees have done a nice job using the trade market to supplement their roster. They bought low on Swisher, got Logan as a secondary part of a bigger trade, gave up their own top prospect to get Pineda, gave up forgettable players for Dickerson and Maxwell, and pulled off an incredibly complicated deal for Granderson. Rodriguez is clearly the product of financial might, but the rest are the product of using positions of strength to fill positions of weakness.
Free agent
A.J. Burnett, Pedro Feliciano, Freddy Garcia, Hiroki Kuroda, CC Sabathia, Rafael Soriano, Cory Wade, Russell Martin, Mark Teixeira, Andruw Jones
Total: 10
Big leaguers: 9
Obviously, when the Yankees sign a free agent, it's with full intention of putting him on the big league roster. The only non-big leaguer on this list is Feliciano, and he'd be there if he were healthy. One interesting thing about this list: The Yankees made that huge splash in the December of 2008, landing Sabathia, Burnett and Teixeira within days of one another. But the only other multi-year free agent contracts currently on the roster are Feliciano and Soriano.
Associated Press photo
Pinch hitting: Nick Kirby • 01.29.12
Next up in our Pinch Hitters series is Nick Kirby, a 19-year-old freshman studying communication theory at the University of Delaware (which happens to be where my brother-in-law went to undergrad). Nick is from Pennsylvania, but he roots for the Yankees because his dad is from New York and took Nick to Yankees games every summer since he was 6.
For his post, Nick took a look at the changing strategy of the Yankees front office. Part conservative patience and part high-powered maneuvering, the Yankees decision making has certainly evolved over the years.
The Yankees go out and sign the big name. Growing up a young Yankee fan in Philadelphia, the son of a transplanted New Yorker, I was accustomed to playoff losses followed by "wins" via trade or free agency. Giambi. Contreras. Matsui. Sheffield. A-Rod. Randy Johnson. Carl Pavano. The list goes on and on.
The Yankees, under George Steinbrenner, had a simple offseason approach of outspending the competition for proven talent. They also gave in too easily to player demands, like when Hank Steinbrenner offered 32-year-old Alex Rodriguez 10 years and $275 million when there were no other bidders. However, this approach did not produce in any championships from 2001 to 2008. The last big spending spree with lengthy contracts was the 2008 offseason when the Yankees committed more than $400 million on Mark Teixiera, CC Sabathia, and A.J. Burnett. The Yankees gave out too many years and too much money for aging stars during the Steinbrenner era and were not shrewd negotiators.
The Yankees needed to do something besides flex their financial muscle in order to win championships. Once Brian Cashman was granted "full autonomy of baseball operations," the front office started to show more patience. One of the first signs of patience came in 2007, when they resisted trading Phil Hughes to the Twins for Johan Santana. Although Hughes has been somewhat of a disappointment as a prospect, Santana got a six-year, $137.5-million extension with the Mets and has been injured for the majority of the contract.
The Yankees have also started to play hard ball and show patience with their own free agents, such as when they dragged out negotiations with Derek Jeter to make sure they didn't give him too many years like they did with Rodriguez in 2008. The declining health and eventual passing of Steinbrenner has made this fundamental transition a bit clearer. The Yankees have not signed a free agent to an outlandishly long-term, oversized contract since Steinbrenner died.
The current off season is a prime example of how the culture has changed. Instead of overpaying for C.J. Wilson, the Yankees wouldn't even meet with him. They didn't throw $100 million at Japanese sensation Yu Darvish. They didn't give Albert Pujols a ten-year deal to DH, or attempt to lure Jose Reyes from the Mets in order to make back page news.
They waited, waited and then pounced on Michael Pineda. They got a young flame-throwing starting pitcher who will come very cheap for the next five years. They did it by being patient and not giving into to free agent temptation. They did it by developing Jesus Montero into a grade-A trade chip, and then cashing him in when it was clear that this rotation needed help.
An example of why a patient, controlled philosophy is necessary can be found during the 2010 off season, when Cliff Lee turned down a seven-year deal with the Yankees and took $50 million less to return to Philadelphia. It was demonstrated that nothing is guaranteed in free agency, and that placing a large emphasis on developing home grown players (to either play or be used as trade chips) would be a top priority for the club.
Cashman has taken some heat for "babying" some of his prospects, whether its implementing the Joba rules, refusing to discuss the killer B's in trade talks, or waiting until the last second to call up a young pitcher. Cashman saw over the years that huge contracts could ruin Yankee teams. The 2002-08 teams were filled with overpaid players who never lived up to their hype or salary. Kevin Brown was 39 years old making big bucks as an injury prone has-been. Gary Sheffield got $40 million dollars to be a statue in right field and complain about management. Carl Pavano spent more time rehabbing in Tampa than he did on an actual pitcher's mound.
Cashman realized that prospects could not only turn into productive players like Robinson Cano and Brett Gardner, but that they could also be used to acquire stars in their prime. One of his best trades as GM was when he cashed in Austin Jackson to get Curtis Granderson, a 40 home run center fielder who anchored the Yankee lineup last year.
Saving money and saving prospects could not come at a more convenient time. With the new collective bargaining agreement in place, the Yankees are making a serious attempt to be under a $189-million payroll by 2014 to avoid paying a larger luxury tax penalty than is already in place. To accomplish their goal, they will need to continue to develop and call up prospects and avoid giving out large, multi-year deals to players that have done most of their damage for another team. Since the Sabathia/Burnett/Teixeira splurge, the Yankees have stayed true to their new philosophy and will hopefully ride it to a championship in 2012.
If the seemingly endless Yankee finances can be combined with a top notch farm system and smart negotiations, the Yankees will be a dynastic force for years to come.
Associated Press photo
Vallejo High School celebrates CC Sabathia Day • 01.28.12
CC Sabathia was back at his old high school on Friday, this time as the guest of honor.
Vallejo High School declared CC Sabathia Day, and celebrated by naming the school's baseball field in honor of the Yankees ace. Sabathia has remained heavily involved in his home community, and tonight he's hosting a baseball clinic at CC Sabathia Field.
"I have known CC for years," Vallejo school board member Hazel Wilson said. "and I have to say he and his mother Margie are the same people they were at the North Vallejo Little League, at Vallejo High School… Although they received a great blessing, they have not forgotten their community."
Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher have also had baseball fields named in their honor this offseason.
Picture from Sabathia's twitter account
Filling Posada's place in the clubhouse (literally) • 01.28.12
In the back of the Yankees clubhouse, there is a large doorway that leads into the training room and the dining room and the weight room. That doorway is flanked by two of the most prominent lockers in the room. Derek Jeter's locker is on one side. Jorge Posada's was on the other.
So who take's Posada's spot?
"We were just talking about that before," Jeter said. "I've got to check out the resumes and see how it all works."
I have to assume these candidates are being considered
Mariano Rivera
An obvious choice, but Rivera already has a pretty good locker location. He's on the far left side of the clubhouse, and he might want to stick with the spot he's used to. Also, Rivera might not like the prominent locker at the head of the clubhouse. In theory, no one makes more sense than Rivera, but would he be interested?
Alex Rodriguez
Kind of a conflicted possibility, isn't it? On one hand, Rodriguez and Jeter are clearly the highest-profile players on the team. On the other hand, is Rodriguez really going to step into Posada's locker? He wouldn't have to move far. Rodriguez is currently only a locker or two away from Posada's spot.
CC Sabathia
There's a lot to like about this one. Sabathia has definitely emerged as a leader in the clubhouse, and he just signed an extension that assures he'll be a clubhouse presence for a long time. Might as well put him in a position of prominence in the clubhouse. He's also easy going with the media, so the high-profile spot wouldn't bother him.
Robinson Cano
He's too young for the Core Four, but if you're looking for a homegrown superstar, it has to be Cano. There's a natural connection between the second baseman and the shortstop. It doesn't hurt that Cano has emerged as the best player on the team. Might as well treat him that way.
Mark Teixeira
The way the clubhouse is setup right now, Teixeira is arguably the biggest name among a set of lockers that includes key but not necessarily high-profile players like Dave Robertson, Russell Martin, Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner. Like Sabathia, Teixeira's contract means he's going to be a significant presence in that clubhouse for a long time.
Andruw Jones
Too hefty of a decision to make right now? Then think of it like the Hiroki Kuroda contract: Go with a short-term deal that leaves all future options on the table. Jones is a veteran with an impressive resume, and he's already tight with Jeter. If no one else feels quite right in Posada's spot, then make a short-term choice to fill the hole while waiting for a permanent option to present itself.
Robertson, Granderson and Girardi making appearances • 01.28.12
Just a few things to put on your radar in case you're able to attend…
• Dave Robertson is making an appearance on Sunday at something called The Man Show in Poughkeepsie, NY. The event is being held at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center, and Robertson will be there from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. signing autographs.
• Curtis Granderson is making an appearance Monday at the annual Hot Stove Cool Music Roundtable at Fenway Park's State Street Pavilion. Hosted by Theo Epstein and Peter Gammons, the discussion will center on the dynamics of small and big market baseball, with Ben Cherington, Bobby Valentine, Neal Huntington and others taking part. The event begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale at FoundationToBeNamedLater.org.
• Joe Girardi is making an appearance Sunday at the at the Harrison Public Library from noon to 1 p.m. I mentioned the fundraiser on the blog yesterday, but figured I'd mention it again with the Robertson and Granderson appearances.
The ones who got away • 01.28.12
Looking back at the ones who got away goes both ways. This morning, Pinch Hitter Brian took a look at those players he's rooting for because the Red Sox lost them, but let's be honest, there are quite a few players scattered around baseball who the Yankees wish they had back.
This is a list of guys the Yankees would like to have still in pinstripes. As we'll see, wishing they were still with the team isn't the same as regretting letting them go.
CF Austin Jackson
RF Melky Cabrera
1B Lance Berkman
C Jesus Montero
3B Wilson Betemit
LF Jose Tabata
DH Shelley Duncan
2B Jimmy Paredes
SS Alberto Gonzalez
Of course the Yankees would like to still have Montero in their system, but obviously they felt it was worth trading him away. Betemit is coming off a nice year with the White Sox, but there's no way the Yankees regret trading him for Nick Swisher. Same applies for trading Jackson for Curtis Granderson. And Alberto Gonzalez makes the list strictly because I couldn't come up with a better shortstop. There's no regret about losing him.
There's more regret with a guy like Tabata, who hasn't emerged as a superstar but remains a very young player at a thin position for the Yankees. The fact he was lost in a regrettable trade obviously doesn't help. Berkman and Cabrera are coming off big seasons, and maybe the Yankees wish they'd foreseen that, but how could they? Duncan and Paredes are far from everyday guys for the Yankees, but Duncan has become a solid, part-time power bat — a .484 slugging percentage making league minimum — and Paredes has become a so-so prospect since being traded to Houston.
RHP Ian Kennedy
RHP Alfredo Aceves
RHP Arodys Vizcaino
RHP Dustin Moseley
RHP Hector Noesi
Of course this list starts with Kennedy, but because he was a key part of the Granderson deal, the Yankees can't second guess that trade too much. Noesi is also a guy the Yankees wish they had in the system, but he was necessary to make the Michael Pineda deal.
Aceves and Moseley, although they're more back-of-the-rotation/long-relief options, could have stayed in pinstripes without much financial commitment. That's what makes those two regrettable, especially Aceves, who's become a valuable piece of the Red Sox staff.
Ultimately, Vizcaino might be the most regrettable of everyone on this list. His prospect stock has continued to grow since being traded in the Javier Vazquez deal, and the winner of that trade might depend on the development of Vizcaino vs. the development of Dante Bichette Jr. (a compensation pick when Vazquez became a free agent).
RHP Tyler Clippard
RHP Dan McCutchen
RHP Mark Melancon
RHP Kyle Farnsworth
LHP Mike Dunn
LHP Phil Coke
RHP Jeff Karstens
Mid-level prospects as starters, both Clippard and McCutchen were traded away and converted to relievers. They've each found success — especially Clippard — in that relief role. Clippard was originally traded for bit player Jonathan Albaladejo, and McCutchen was part of the regrettable Xavier Nady/Damaso Marte trade, so obviously the Yankees would like to have do-overs. If Clippard had emerged as this sort of relief option in pinstripes, would the team have committed so much money to Rafael Soriano last winter?
Long considered an elite relief prospect, Melancon had some chances in New York, but he never thrived until stepping into the closer's role in Houston. Would he eventually have found the same success in New York? Was he worth a two-month rental of Berkman?
Dunn was essentially replaced by Boone Logan, Coke was worth trading for Granderson, and it's hard to imagine the Yankees sticking with Farnsworth long enough to reap the benefit of last year's strong showing as the Rays closer. Karstens has been a good back-of-the-rotation starter for the Pirates — perhaps better than anticipated — but the Yankees haven't exactly been desperate for fifth starters and long relievers.
Associated Press photos
Pinch hitting: Brian Levy • 01.28.12
As a writer, there are fan experiences that never cross my mind. This is one of them, and that's why I wanted to include it in this series.
Our next Pinch Hitter is Brian Levy, a third-year student at NYU School of Law, and a Yankees fan since 1990. His emailed suggestion for a post was basically an all-sour-grapes team of ex-Red Sox. As a kid rooting for the Cardinals, I believe I had the opposite reaction. I remember disliking former Cubs players wherever they went, but Brian sees the opposite. He likes to see former Red Sox thrive, if only to laugh about the ones that got away.
One of the long-running debates about the importance of statistics is whether feelings affect baseball. When it comes to issues like whether a player performs better or worse in the clutch, the consensus says there's no statistical significance to crying in baseball (cold streaks are not determinative of future slumps, nor do players perform worse because of fear in the clutch).
Another statistical shorthand that smoothes out emotional reactions is team revenue per win curves. E.g., Vince Gennaro, 2005. Economists and saber-enthusiasts argue that, from the perspective of the team, revenue can be estimated purely from the wins and losses in the standings.
This, however, seems to elide the difference between fan interest and fan payment. On aggregate, fans probably do pay more in eyeball-time or in dollars when the team wins. But, in my anecdotal experience, fan interest can be generated by a series of events with little direct bearing on the team's overall record. Two of my own strongest and earliest baseball memories consist of two streaks on losing teams: Kevin Maas's record-breaking rookie home run pace and Anthony Young's pitching loss streak.
I think that readers of this blog are the kind of people who derive their interest, in part, by becoming invested in prospects, whether the big league team is winning or losing. For fans like us, losing prospects or other players under team control can be agonizing. See, e.g., the two references to Jay Buhner on Seinfeld.
That is precisely the kind of anguish we Yankees fans would like to inflict on Red Sox. After all, the goal of the Yankees fan is, to quote Gov. Schwarzenegger, "[t]o crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their [fans.]" Therefore, when a player leaves the Red Sox, I want to see him have a Hall-of-Fame career with another team. When I go to the Stadium in May, I am always sure to grab stacks of All-Star ballots and vote for ex-Red Sox.
If you want to join me in believing that all of New England suffers tremendous pangs of regret when a former Red Sox player succeeds, you need to know who they are. In the post–Reserve Clause world, it can be hard to keep track of players who were briefly on other teams. Below is the best team that could be made of players liberated from Red Sox Nation.
C: Victor Martinez
1B: Casey Kotchman
2B: Freddy Sanchez
SS: Hanley Ramirez
3B: Adrian Beltre
LF: Josh Reddick
CF: Coco Crisp
RF: David Murphy
DH: Anthony Rizzo
OF: Mike Cameron
UT: Jed Lowrie
C: George Kottaras
DH: Johnny Damon
SP1: Justin Masterson
SP2: Annibal Sanchez
SP3: Jorge De La Rosa
SP4: Erik Bedard
SP5: Chris Narveson
Long: Bartolo Colon
Loogy: Ron Mahay
RP: Taylor Buccholz
RP: Mike Gonzalez
RP: Takashi Saito
SU: Rafael Betancourt
CL: Jonathan Papelbon
DL: David Aardsma
GM: Theo Epstein
Manager: DeMarlo Hale
Bench Coach: Tony Pena
3rd base coach: Dale Sveum
1st base coach: John Farrell
Hitting Coach: Don Baylor
Pitching Coach: Mike Maddux
Broadcast Team: Terry Francona, John Flaherty, and David Cone
There are some better players who were left off, but how could any Yankees fan in 2012 skip Bartolo Colon? Of course, an all-time edition of this list would be pretty cool. It would necessarily have Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs riding a horse, and Jeff Bagwell. Others suggested include some left-handed pitcher from the Deadball Era, G.H. something.
The methodology for this piece included memory and Baseball Reference's transaction and draft pages for the last two decades. Thanks to Chad for including me in this series.
Associated Press photo
Chamberlain continuing to rehab, plus some notes and links • 01.27.12
Joba Chamberlain's rehab from Tommy John surgery continues, and today he used his Twitter account to announce that he's throwing off flat ground with pitching coach Larry Rothschild.
Had an amazing day, threw a flat ground with Larry and felt great! Thanks for all the support!
Still hard to imagine Chamberlain being ready for the start of the season, but all indications are that the rehab process is going smoothly.
Some other notes and links…
• I had a press conference and a beat writers meeting at Yankee Stadium this week, each of which provided an opportunity to see the current state of the field. It's kind of in between baseball and football right now, with the infield being installed for the upcoming season. That's my cell phone photo on the right.
• Chamberlain isn't the only Yankee using social media to talk about his offseason workouts. Russell Martin tweeted a picture of himself in the cage in Arizona. I talked to Yankees strength and conditioning coordinator Dana Cavalea this week, and he said he's about to make the rounds to check in on a few guys — including Martin — before spring training.
• A released statement from Hiroki Kuroda: "I feel happy to be a part of such a storied franchise, which is always in contention for a World Series. I am also very proud to be a part of this current team, which boasts so many great players. As a member of the Yankees, I would like to do my part by doing the best I can throughout the season. I hope that I can make a difference in achieving the team's ultimate goal, which is to win the World Series."
• Speaking of Kuroda, Ken Rosenthal reports that he has a full no-trade clause.
• Although Brian Cashman says the Yankees are focused on the trade market, the New York Post reports that the team has some interest in Raul Ibanez as a potential designated hitter, at least as the left-handed side of a platoon.
• While the Yankees still have a spot for another backup infielder, Ryan Theriot came off the market with a one-year, $1.25-million deal with the Giants. Theriot wouldn't have been a perfect fit for the Yankees — they don't really need his up-the-middle defense — but he does help further set the market for backup infielders.
• Speaking of utility infielders, the Rays made their Jeff Keppinger signing official today. To make room on their 40-man roster, the team designated Russ Canzler for assignment. I don't want to oversell him — he's almost 26 and was never considered an elite prospect — but Canzler would be an interesting fit for the Yankees. He's kind of a Brandon Laird type, a four-corners utility guy who, unlike Laird, had a tremendous Triple-A debut last season (his .314/.401/.530 slash line is more incredible given the league he was in). Given the Yankees search for a corner infielder and their need for outfield depth, claiming Canzler might not be the worst idea in the world.


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The Mummy's Curse : The True History of a Dark Fantasy
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In the winter of 1922-23 archaeologist Howard Carter and his wealthy patron George Herbert, the Fifth Earl of Carnarvon, sensationally opened the tomb of Tutenkhamen. Six weeks later Herbert, the sponsor of the expedition, died in Egypt. The popular press went wild with rumours of a curse on those who disturbed the Pharaoh's rest and for years followed every twist and turn of the fate of the men who had been involved in the historic discovery. Long dismissed by Egyptologists, the mummy's curse remains a part of popular supernatural belief. Roger Luckhurst explores why the myth has captured the British imagination across the centuries, and how it has impacted on popular culture. Tutankhamen was not the first curse story to emerge in British popular culture. This book uncovers the 'true' stories of two extraordinary Victorian gentlemen widely believed at the time to have been cursed by the artefacts they brought home from Egypt in the nineteenth century. These are weird and wonderful stories that weave together a cast of famous writers, painters, feted soldiers, lowly smugglers, respected men of science, disreputable society dames, and spooky spiritualists.
Focusing on tales of the curse myth, Roger Luckhurst leads us through Victorian museums, international exhibitions, private collections, the battlefields of Egypt and Sudan, and the writings of figures like Arthur Conan Doyle, Rider Haggard and Algernon Blackwood. Written in an open and accessible style, this volume is the product of over ten years research in London's most curious archives. It explores how we became fascinated with Egypt and how this fascination was fuelled by myth, mystery, and rumour. Moreover, it provides a new and startling path through the cultural history of Victorian England and its colonial possessions.show more
Product details
- Hardback | 336 pages
- 143 x 222 x 23mm | 514g
- 25 Oct 2012
- Oxford University Press
- Oxford, United Kingdom
- English
- 23 black-and-white halftones
- 0199698716
- 9780199698714
- 61,863
About Roger Luckhurst
Roger Luckhurst has written and broadcast widely on popular culture, specialising in science fiction and the Gothic. He is interested in the odd spaces between science and popular supernatural beliefs. He has previously written a history of how the notion of 'telepathy' emerged in the late Victorian period, and has published editions of Jekyll and Hyde and Dracula. He is also a regular radio reviewer of terrible science fiction films. He teaches horror and the occasional respectable novel by Henry James at Birkbeck College, University of London.show more
Table of contents
PART ONE: CURSE STORIES ; 1. King Tut and the dead Earl ; Opening the Tomb ; First Interpretations ; 2. Precursor Stories I: Thomas Douglas Murray and 22542 (The Unlucky Mummy) ; 3. Precursor Stories II: Walter Ingram and the Coffin of Nesmin ; PART TWO: CONTEXTS ; 4. Egypt in London I: Immersive-Exotic Spaces ; The Egyptian Hall, Belzoni's Tomb and Mummy Pettigrew ; The Exotic Panorama and the Theatrical Extravaganza ; Bazaars, West End Shopping, and Exotic Consumption ; 5. Egypt in London II: The Exhibitionary Universe ; Egypt at the World's Fairs ; The British Museum in the Empire of Shadows ; 6. The Curse Tale and the Egyptian Gothic ; Learning to Curse ; Plagues, Scarabs, and the Nuclear Option: The Golden Age of Egyptian Curse Stories ; The Museum Gothic ; Algernon Blackwood: Egypt Introjected ; 7. Rider Haggard Among the Mummies ; Rider Haggard's Encounters with Egypt ; Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Haggard and Major E. Arthur Haggard in Egypt ; Rider Haggard's Artefactual Fictions ; 8. Evil Eyes, Punitive Currents and the Late Victorian Magic Revival ; Late Victorian Hermeticism: Blavatsky's Theosophical Society ; The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn: Haute Magie and Low Comedy ; Magical Thinking and Curse Logic ; Closing in: The Evil Eye Looks Back ; Afterwordshow more
Review quote
The Mummy's Curse is a thoughtful and thorough exegesis of an enduring popular myth. Irish Times A fascinating account ... There are some absolutely laugh-out-loud moments in this consistently insightful and well-written study ... This is the kind of academic volume which impresses you with the ideas found on each page, and at the same time sparks off new ideas in the reader. Stuart Kelly, The Scotsman Here is a topic with a variety of themes, some farcical, some darkly serious, some complex, and others which are beyond silly. It takes a particular skill to balance such a range of ideas, and Roger Luckhurst possesses this skill. John Ray, Times Literary Supplementshow more


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Buckmasters: Story Story Posted 08-01-2014 Evesdropper By: Mike Handley The rusted barbed-wire fence was as good a stopping point as any, and it was closer than the road. I dragged the buck right up to the bottom strand, let go of it and leaned my bow against an adolescent oak. In one burst of uncharacteristic effort, I'd covered 40 yards. Thank god it was all downhill. As I stood there sucking in air like a Hoover upright, rustling leaves on the opposite hillside pulled my gaze off the 8-pointer at my feet. Instead of the deer I'd expected to see, it was Cory, a kid who'd been hunting the adjacent property. In a matter of seconds, the young man had crossed the dirt road and was pulling my buck under the fence while I picked up my beloved Renegade to go over it. "I knew you'd shot a deer," he beamed. "I heard the arrow hit, and then I heard it coughing … I heard you cough, too, when you got to the bottom." Cory – betrayer of a desk potato's indiscretions – had been in a ladder stand more than 100 yards distant. Oh, but to possess the hearing of youth! "It was awesome," I began, eager to share the story and somehow squelching another cough. I'd arrived in Nebraska at noon the previous day, Nov. 4, following a weeklong bowhunt in Kansas. Although I'd put in at least 40 hours in stands, I was eager to spend Saturday's last four hours in yet another – preferably the same one from which I'd arrowed my best-ever bow buck in 2002. At 4:30 that evening, a freshman 8-pointer chased a yearling doe out of the nearby cedars. While she browsed directly beneath my stand, her would-be suitor remained at 15 yards for a half-hour or longer. Neither deer had a clue that I was there. I have a habit of lowering a heated scent dispenser on my pull-up cord after I've hoisted up my bow. In this case, I'd clipped on a scent-bomb canister filled with Tink's #69. The doe was so close that when she lifted her head at one point, her nose nearly tipped over the orange plastic bottle. I'd also approached my stand by blazing a new path and avoiding the numerous deer trails traversing the oak ridge. Along the way, I laid down a semicircle of powdered buck urine at 17 yards. The 8-pointer was fascinated, if not slightly unnerved by the remnants of an imagined rival's passing. The 25 longbeards, 'possum and brace of obese raccoons that crossed the drag line before and afterward paid it no mind. It was a glorious afternoon, capped by a succulent 14-ounce ribeye at a tavern in the small town of Beatrice. I went to bed that night with a full belly and a happy heart. The full moon was so bright that I never had to turn on my flashlight while returning to the stand the following morning. While the halogen moon had severely diminished my chances of getting a deer in Kansas earlier in the week, I wasn't all that concerned here. My 16-foot ladder stand sat atop a north-south ridge linking thick cedars to soybean and cornfields. It's perfect for either morning or evening, regardless of wind –testament to the eye Tim Puhalla has for choosing stand sites. Tim, the proprietor of Wild Things Outfitting in Filley, Neb., is a bowhunter, which is immediately obvious to his archer clients. During a lull in the incessant gobbling of nearby turkeys at about 7:00, I happened to glance through a window in the brush behind me and saw an enormous 8-pointer walking from west to east. One hand shot out to lift my bow off its hook; the other crawled down my shirt to grab my Woods Wise grunt call. Grunting and bleating stopped the buck, which glared in my direction, but the animal ultimately resumed its eastward walk. Desperate to coax the deer closer, I continued alternating the grunts (blowing in the tube) and bleats (sucking on it), and I threw in a couple of higher-pitched whines by flipping the canister in my coat pocket. As I was, reluctantly, about to write off that deer, I glanced to my right just in time to see yet another 8-pointer heading directly to me. This rascal had obviously been eavesdropping on my one-sided conversation with what very well could have been its father. When the eavesdropper stopped at the scent trail I'd laid the previous afternoon, shielded by a tree, I drew. When it cleared the obstacle at 17 yards, I green-pinned it and released. There was no doubt in my mind that the buck was carrying enough antler to qualify for "Buckmasters Whitetail Trophy Records." The 4x4 took two hops and looked around, unaware that the thwack had left it with two holes in its sides. Steam boiled out of both as it coughed twice before all four legs buckled. Never doubt the lethalness of a double-lung hit with a sharp cut-on-contact broadhead. The whitetail was dead five minutes after the shot, and it had gone no farther than 10 feet. Still, I waited half an hour before going to ground. Ten minutes into my wait, a third 8-pointer exited the cedar thicket and circled me at 15 yards. When it disappeared, a doe emerged and stared hard at my unmoving buck. The big 4x4 that set off the chain of events was trailing her. During five hours in the stand, I saw five bucks, four of them 8-pointers. I was sorely tempted to go online and purchase a second $178 tag, which is exactly what another client did that week after arrowing a handsome 10-pointer. But I wound up spending my remaining day and a half riding around with Tim. We spotted numerous great bucks while cruising the grid of Pawnee County's dusty roads. And I lost count of the colorful pheasants we encountered. The week leading up to Nebraska's firearms deer season is a wonderful time to bowhunt. The rut is under way, and there's a never-ending parade of bucks looking for love. I've been there four times now, and you can bet that I'll go back. My goal is to accept a book-class whitetail whenever opportunity knocks, and I'm two-for-four with Tim. If he or I decide to raise the bar, I'm still safe. I've had the pleasure of measuring numerous monsters in the 170- to 200-inch range that have been shot or, more often, found dead on the farms for which Tim has hunting rights. These are the old warriors that rarely show themselves in daylight. Take a place that's crawling with record-book deer, add the very real possibility of harvesting a buck worthy of a magazine cover, and you've got one great place to hunt. If you value hunting more than four-star accommodations and three squares, pick up the phone and call Tim. If you want a fancy place to hang your hat and dislike pub fare, do the rest of us a favor and book with someone else. Editor's Note: Mike Handley is the editor of Rack magazine and chairman of the BTR. To contact outfitter Tim Puhalla, call (402) 520-0006, or log onto wtohunt.com. This article was published in the July 2007 edition of Buckmasters Whitetail Magazine. Join today to have Buckmasters delivered to your home. Share This Story Next From Story Native Antelope, Exotic Caliber Related Deer Season : Posted 08-12-2014 'Plotting' Your Deer Season View Comments Categories News Stories Recipes Tips Gear Videos Photo Galleries Viewer Photo Galleries Features Deer Season Outdoors 365 with Lynn Burkhead Everything Deer with Jeremy Flinn Short Stories by Larry Potterfield Opening Days Live Hunts Hunting Check Out All The Photos Explore the United States. Find information about and activities within your state. Get Started
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Symptom Checker. Top 100 Health Sites You Can Trust. Updated September 2013 The purpose of the CAPHIS Top 100 List is to provide CAPHIS members and other librarians with a resource to use in their daily practice and teaching.
Secondly, it is our contribution to the Medical Library Association so that the headquarters staff can refer individuals to a list of quality health web sites. Our goal is to have a limited number of resources that meet the quality criteria for currency, credibility, content, audience, etc., as described on our website. These lists of resources expand upon the MLA Top Ten List. pdf of complete Top 100 List No direct recommendation or sponsorship by CAPHIS or MLA of these listed web resources is implied. The Medical Library Association and CAPHIS endorse the Criteria for Assessing the Quality of Health Information on the Internet of the Health Summit Working Group.
Top 100 Health sites for Seniors. With new advances in health care, people are living longer and healthier lives than ever before.
You can help your body and mind stay fit well into your golden years by using the Internet to read up on the latest in health care, nutrition, and fitness. Here are a few sites we've put together to help you find what you need to stay happy and healthy at any age. General These sites cover a wide range of issues related to senior health. NIH Senior Health: The National Institutes of Health provide seniors with a range of information on topics like bone health, nutrition, exercise and more on this site. Organizations and Government Resources Make use of the resources and information provided by these senior-oriented organizations and programs. National Council on Aging: Dedicated to helping improve the life of older Americans, this organization's site can be a good place to find information on healthy aging, staying independent, and keeping active. Fitness. Herbs and Supplements. Disease Search.
Drug & Medical Search. WATCH Videos. Biography: What Doctors Don't Tell You. NetWellness Homepage. Healthy Sleep. Alltop - Top Pain News. Welcome To Orthomolecular.org. Life Extension Interview with Dr. Bruce Ames. Dr.
Bruce Ames is devoted to uncovering strategies to reverse the aging process, primarily by identifying the underlying mechanisms of degenerative disease. Best known for his groundbreaking research on the mitochondria, Dr. Ames's lab was the first to document the synergy of lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine for optimizing mitochondrial function. Following this work, Dr.
Ames recently developed the Triage Theory of Aging. Dr. Life Extension: One of your best known accomplishments is research into the field of mitochondrial health. Bruce Ames: Initially, I was curious about cancer prevention and how mutagens damage the human genome. The link between my interest in cancer and mitochondria came together because mitochondria were postulated to be important in aging. Normally, to research such a topic you use mice. As we were developing these assays in young and old rats, we came across a paper by some Italian researchers who had fed old rats acetyl-L-carnitine. Bruce Ames: Correct. Vitamin D Council > Information on Vitamin D, Vitamin D Deficiency and Vitamin D Toxicity. Your plan to stay young. National Institute on Aging. International Council on Active Aging.
Sage Crossroads-Aging Research. The Buck Institute for Research on Aging. Methuselah Foundation - Welcome to Methuselah Foundation. Independent news on natural health, nutrition and more. Oasis Health & Wellness Blog. Ouroboros. Gerontology Research Group Index Page, as of [1997 - 2007] Healthy Living Tips, Fitness, Recipes, Diet, Beauty.
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Sleeps 4
Bedrooms 2
Bathrooms 1
Pets Yes
- Smoke-free
- Garden / Patio
- Cot available
- Highchair available
- Washing machine
- Dishwasher
- Broadband / WiFi
The property
A traditional, whitewashed, mid-terrace cottage nestled in the small village of Langtoft, amidst the Yorkshire Wolds.
This Langtoft cottage, with its character beams and exposed brickwork, is perfect for small families or groups of friends wishing to explore the surrounding countryside and Yorkshire's popular seaside resorts.
From the sitting room, in this Langtoft cottage, a spiral staircase leads up to a spacious, light and airy double bedroom and a pretty single room.
A family bathroom houses a bath, the perfect place for a relaxing soak after a day exploring the delights of Yorkshire!
The well-equipped kitchen boasts a traditional beamed ceiling, whilst the cosy sitting room features a double sofa bed and a brick fireplace housing an original bread oven.
To the rear of this Langtoft cottage is a sheltered, enclosed courtyard, an ideal spot to sit and relax in the morning sunshine, while planning the day's adventures.
Numerous footpaths in the area make this Langtoft cottage an attractive base for walkers and cyclists, whilst art lovers can follow the David Hockney Trail through the beautiful countryside that inspired his many wonderful paintings.
A few minutes' drive brings you to the bustling market town of Driffield, with a selection of tea rooms, good restaurants and independent shops while the nearest shop and pub can be found in Kilham, just a ten minute drive.
Explore the towns of Malton and Beverley and enjoy a visit to the nearby stately Sledmere House and Burton Agnes Hall with their gorgeous grounds, providing pleasant afternoons out.
The coastal towns of Bridlington, Filey and Scarborough offer traditional seaside fun with long, sandy beaches and excellent fish and chips!
A warm and welcoming Yorkshire cottage providing an excellent holiday base, all-year-round.
Two bedrooms: 1 x double, 1 x single. Bathroom with bath, basin and WC. Kitchen with dining area. Utility. Sitting room with sofa bed and electric fire.
- Oil central heating with electric fire
- Electric oven and hob, microwave, fridge, freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, TV with Freeview, DVD, CD, iPod dock, WiFi, selection of books, games and DVDs
- Fuel and power inc. in rent
- Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
- Travel cot and highchair on request
- Roadside parking outside property
- Bike storage
- Private enclosed courtyard with furniture
- Three well-behaved dogs welcome
- Sorry, no smoking
- Shop and pub 3 miles
- Note: This property has an open tread spiral staircase.
About the location
Driffield 5 miles; Bridlington 13 miles; Filey 15 miles; Scarborough 17 miles.
The village of Langtoft quietly sits amidst the rolling countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds, just five miles from the market town of Driffield. With its mixture of old and new cottages, a quaint church and a charming bowling green, this idyllic holiday destination is not to be missed. The local pub acts as the focal point of the village and serves good food, whilst the surrounding countryside provides numerous walking and cycling opportunities, and the village can be found at the very heart of the Hockney Trail. Just a short drive from all the family attractions of the east coast seaside resorts of Bridlington, Filey and Scarborough, and wonderfully situated to visit the numerous stately homes scattered throughout the area, such as Burton Agnes Hall and Sledmere House, this great location has something for everyone. Alternatively, travel a little further afield and explore the many market towns within easy reach, or for those in search of some culture, visit the historic Minster City of York. Plenty to do for all the family!
This property offers the following short breaks:
- Winter
- Off-season
- Last minute


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Look @Mshenay
My MK IV is using the same driver tube as your MK VI+ will have...
Cheap Soviet 6H9C Dual Triode made by the Saratov Reflektor factory in '75 mounted in my DIY octal adapter.
Listening to Paul Simon's Graceland 25th Annivesary Edition on the DT880 Pro's and for an inexpensive tube (I picked up 4 for $9 from Romania) it actually sounds quite good.
how hot does your copper tubings get...I feel like it would be a safety hazard around me xD


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Hello, I am stuck on Step 14.3.1 PHP-FPM at: Copy php.ini and php-fpm.conf (if you've compiled PHP with FPM) to the correct locations: cp /usr/local/src/php5-build/php-5.3.18/php.ini-production /opt/php-5.3.18/lib/php.ini Error msg: cp cannot stat '/usr/local/src/php5-build/php-5.3.18/php.ini-production': No such file or directory. I have re-done everything from beginning twice and I still get stuck here. Please advise!
Make sure the directories exist. When I performed this install, I noticed that I had to create the directories. They didn't exist. So maybe try: mkdir /opt/php-5.3.18 mkdir /opt/php-5.3.18/lib After that, try copying the file again.


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Las Vegas
The hottest offers in town, and they're yours for the taking. Planning the perfect Las Vegas adventure has never been easier. Just sign up for our emails and we'll send our best offers and more straight to you!
This can be a rugged landscape. And for that, you need just the right rugged vehicle.
Type: Hummer/SUV
Location: Grand Canyon
Location: Grand Canyon,Hoover Dam,Lake Mead
Location: Colorado River,Hoover Dam,Lake Mead


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Tottenham finally reveal new stadium plans
White hart Lane site will soon look a bit like The Emirates
[click image to enlarge]
After years of speculation, Tottenham Hotspur have finally unveiled detailed plans for their new stadium. In a glossy booklet designed to let the public know of their intentions, the club showcase proposals for a 60,000 seater stadium that will sit on the High Road and cover part of the existing ground.
The 20-acre Northumberland Development Project will also include a supermarket, restaurants, new club offices and 500 residential apartments – because we all know the smart money is in building homes right now.
The plans look quite impressive, and Daniel Levy and co should be commended for finding a suitable site so close to the club's roots – after all, the folks at Wimbledon FC searched high and low for years, and concluded that the closest possible site to south west London was Milton Keynes.


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T-Mobile, Verizon and Dish among 70 companies allowed to bid at AWS-3 auction
The FCC's upcoming AWS-3 auction will be the biggest spectrum auction in the U.S. since 2008, and the list of companies qualified to bid has 70 names. The auction is set to begin on November 13th. T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T are all on the list, as is Dish Network. But perhaps the biggest absence is Sprint. Old Yeller decided to sit this one out. Alongside the major companies are a host … [read full article]


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This past week, the House debated HR 1, the Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act. This bill would fund the government through September 30th of this year at $100 billion less than the amount President Obama requested in his Fiscal Year 2011 budget.
Given the current fiscal crisis that faces the 5th District and the nation, I delivered the following remarks on the House floor to discuss the urgent need to cut government spending and reduce government debt:
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The place to be....for the Characters, Places & Things on Television
(includes beings encased in mechanical exo-skeletons)
"Gentlemen, We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better. Stronger. Faster."
Back to Top


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Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee proposed the final budget of his term in office at his recent State of the State speech, and while it was not viewed as a transformative political speech, there were a number of initiatives that could be viewed as economic development programs.
Which of the following list do you feel was the most significant among his proposals?
Tuesday, March 21
5 days ago
Yesterday at 12:15 PM


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Jump to: Board index » SILENTS » Silent Screenings
Sun Apr 15, 2012 4:33 pm
Gagman 66
Sun Apr 15, 2012 4:55 pm
Sun Apr 15, 2012 5:44 pm
Mon Apr 16, 2012 3:28 am
Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:35 pm
Nick_M wrote:No such thing as a digital print; it's video. The video they showed of Wings should've looked just like the BD and all its other recent big-screen video showings.Our Dancing Daughters, however, was in 35mm. If the TCM guide hadn't said that it was a new print, I would've sworn it was the same worn-looking print that UCLA showed in 2008. The picture was pretty danged beat-up, but the replacement end title was gorgeous, steady, and spotless. All throughout, no more distracting than splices, shots paused to make up for missing frames, I guess to make the sound track play without hiccups. The wretched picture quality is nowhere near what I expect when I see the words "new print," but it's probably the best it's looked in a while.
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text: It's Like Inception, But with Cosplay PhotosToshi Nakamura9/22/12 8:00amFiled to: PhotographyTgsTgs 2012Tokyo game show 2012CosplayPictures29EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink One of the highlights every year for Tokyo Game Show is the cosplay and cosplay events, and this year is no different. During the day, before the evening events, cosplayers pose and show off their costumes for the public to see and take photos of, and Kotaku photographers were on the scene for some snapshots. Advertisement Unfortunately, the more popular (and/or revealing) cosplayers tend to garner large groups of photographers crowding for that perfect shot, making taking a picture somewhat difficult at times. After being nudged and pushed aside and many futile attempts to take pictures over or between some the packed masses, we just got fed up and decided to see what everyone else was so interested in. The results were... Well, see for yourself...Click the image's lower corner to expand to full image size. Reply29 repliesLeave a reply


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The comeback metal fabricator
How Super Steel rebounded from receivership
Everyone knows that metal fabricators need to be good at quick turnarounds. Super Steel became just that, hitting the financial skids in 2009 and transforming itself into a quick-turn fabricator and key manufacturing supplier to the freight rail industry in just three years.
Super Steel owns an empty 180,000-sq.-ft. plant in Milwaukee. A for-sale sign hangs on the gate. This could be seen as a remnant of the overleveraged, pre-financial-crisis era. The fabricator exited receivership several years ago. The financial crisis forced the company to downsize significantly, from a head count high of 650 in 2008 to only 185 in the beginning of 2010.
But then you look at its bustling main facility a few miles away, all 450,000 sq. ft. of it. Today this plant alone has the capabilities to generate more than double the revenue produced previously from three facilities—two in Milwaukee and one in Glenville, N.Y., near Schenectady. In the months and years since the financial crisis, the organization has transformed.
Super Steel went back to its roots of quick-turn contract fabrication and successfully balanced it with its product line work for the freight rail industry. In short, the company found the right mix of people and work to grow. Managers expect revenues to reach $70 million by the end of 2013.
It's been a productive three years.
Leveraging Out
Launched back in 1923, the company was purchased by Fred Luber in 1966. Over the years he built the fabricator on quick-turn, contract metal fabrication and, in later years, expanded into the freight rail business, producing cabs for locomotives. By 2005 Luber, then in his 70s, was looking to retire. His son Paul had grown up in the business but had since gone on to operate contract manufacturers of his own. So his father sold the business to the management team in a highly leveraged deal.
As sources explained, Super Steel's downfall came as a result of business decisions that in hindsight look extremely risky. But 2005 was a different time. Super Steel had built a name for itself in the freight rail arena (see Figure 1), and managers at the time wanted to extend those capabilities to the passenger rail sector. The company entered a joint venture with EMD, or Elecro-Motive Division, which before the recession was part of General Motors' locomotive business, and purchased a plant near Schenectady, N.Y., to ramp up its passenger rail work.
It turned out that the highly regulated passenger rail business was entirely different from the freight arena. But even if this weren't the case, Super Steel was in trouble. To those in contract fabrication—including the managers at Super Steel—building steady product-line work can look incredibly attractive. But as the credit markets froze in 2009, so did Super Steel's product-line work in the rail sector. With so much revenue dependent on that work, the fabricator's finances quickly went on life support.
In 2010 Fred Luber bought back the business. As his son Paul recalled, "Dad had a lot in the buyout [in 2005]. He had funded a good portion of it; he was a major secured lender going into it. And when it went into receivership, it was his wish to repurchase, restart, and get the business back on track. Over the years, it had been such a big part of his professional working life. He has a passion for it."
"He had spent more than 40 years of his life here, and he didn't want to see it purchased, cannibalized, and shut down," said Dirk Smith, president and COO.
One more thing: When Fred bought back the business, he was 85.
Today company shares are in a family trust. Fred remains chairman; his son Paul is the CEO (see Figure 2). Paul went to school for mechanical engineering, got his MBA and delved into the capital markets business, then circled back to manufacturing in the late 1990s and purchased an HVAC products company.
"This started me down the entrepreneurship path, and I'm still involved in several small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses," he said. "From high school, being on the shop floor at Super Steel, and throughout the past 24 years, I've been active in the ownership of manufacturing companies. I've participated in quite a few turnarounds and restructurings myself. And it's a space I'm comfortable in; I like it."
Paul knew he needed a leadership team to carry out the turnaround, and this is where Smith came into the picture. Smith previously co-owned Custom Metal Products and Phoenix Coaters, both purchased by Mayville Engineering Co. (a company that has topped this magazine's Fab 40 list for several years running).
"I've known Dirk for more than 10 years," Paul said. "We met as metal fabricating competitors but built a relationship through common customers and getting to know each other at industry events." And so Smith was brought on to run the day-to-day operations.
Back to the Shop's Roots
Super Steel is a hybrid. One part focuses on short-run, quick-turn fabrication of products ranging from subassemblies to short-run, whole-goods work, in which the fabricator takes on the entire manufacturing process and shipping for a customer. Another part focuses on complex, highly engineered, make-to-order product-line manufacturing—specifically freight locomotives. This involves not only welding and fabrication, but also electromechanical assembly.
Managers knew they didn't want to abandon the rail industry altogether. Over the years, the shop had built a good reputation for its engineering and shop floor expertise. "But we wanted to shift the organization from what was a one-cylinder engine to more of a V8, serving multiple industries and multiple customers," Paul said. "We wanted a much more diverse platform."
The receivership lasted several months, ending in May 2010. During this period, the company communicated everything and remained extremely transparent with its customers and vendors. "We needed to tell our customers where we were at, and where we were going," Paul said. "No customers were lost during the receivership."
Super Steel had a new leadership team in place; a longtime owner who had built up customer trust over the years had thrown his hat back into the game; and the company had a plan to diversify, to build its contract fabrication business while retaining its presence in freight rail. All this, Paul said, buttressed customer confidence.
By its nature, contract fabrication benefits from short order-to-cash cycles, at least compared to some sectors, locomotive manufacturing being one of them. For contract work, a customer places an order for a few dozen subassemblies, the product ships several weeks later, and the cash flows into the business. Super Steel's rail business, however, entailed months-long lead-times and intricate supply chain collaboration. The work was steady, but the company invested in a lot of engineering, labor, and material in the interim.
"Coming out of the receivership, we got our cost structure aligned, sold the facility in New York, reorganized the operations, and invested about $4 million in new equipment and an ERP [enterprise resource planning] platform," Smith said.
This included spending for machine tools, building upgrades, and (especially) software. The capital spending this year continues unabated, Smith said, adding that he expected total spending to be about $2.5 million.
Process Improvement
Aligning cost structures, selling facilities, reorganizing operations—all are standard tools for a company coming back from the brink. But what about the capital investments? As sources explained, the investment was necessary to help shorten that order-to-cash cycle and drive efficiency.
The length of those order-to-cash cycles is driven in part by customers and the type of work they do. Although it exited the passenger rail business, Super Steel remains a major supplier for the freight rail sector. The orders entail thousands of different parts and complex fabrication and assembly, and that prolongs lead-time.
Still, shop floor inefficiencies also prolong lead-time, so the company looked inward and analyzed material movement. Where did material sit, and for how long? The longer that material spent sitting or being transported between operations, the longer it took to get a product through manufacturing—and the longer the lead-time would be.
During the restructuring the company consolidated its operations, moving everything to one building. The 180,000-sq.-ft. building down the street previously acted as a staging area for work-in-process. Parts would be cut, bent, sent to the other plant to be kitted, then sent back to the other facility for final welding, assembly, and finishing.
That's a lot of wasted motion, so much in fact that managers have no plans to use the building as a manufacturing facility again—hence the for-sale sign on the front gate. As Smith explained, the main plant has enough capacity to fabricate up to about $100 million worth of products in a year. "So we have room to grow within our existing footprint." And if the company were to grow past this, it has room to build additional buildings adjacent to its main plant.
Super Steel also reached out to its sheet metal and plate supply base to reduce its raw stock inventory. The company now benefits from quick delivery from several service centers. "Previously we would have sheet metal stacked high," Smith said. "Now we've partnered with two of our service centers. If we e-mail them at 2:30 p.m., they can have the order on the truck the next morning. As a result, we've turned our raw stock inventory space into productive space. The space that used to be tied up in inventory dollars is now being used to generate revenue."
"We're lucky. A lot of steel distribution has come into our region," Paul said.
From raw stock, material is fed to the cutting systems, which include seven laser cutting centers, one plasma cutting table (see Figure 3), and one oxyfuel system. But products flow differently than before. For years Super Steel had employed dynamic nesting, with disparate parts nested together on one sheet or plate. But instead of looking 14 days out on the schedule, the company now only nests parts needed over the next seven days.
"We're able to get 90 percent or better sheet utilization," said Smith. "So our utilization actually went up, our throughput went up, and our batch sizes got smaller."
Smaller batch sizes call for faster setups. To accomplish this in the press brake area, workers purged unused tools and developed standardized work instructions (see Figure 4). The scheduling system groups like jobs for the day together, so operators can run similar setups one after another. "If I have a single-hit, 0.375-in.-radius, 90-degree bend, the system will show me all the jobs available that use that setup," Smith said.
Parts then flow to a kitting area—the operation's heartbeat. Here, parts are kitted and sent to welding and assembly cells downstream. Some flow to an area dedicated to rail industry fabrication, while the remaining pieces flow to flexible assembly cells set up for a range of products.
Hiring Talent
The company considers welding as its core competency, with extensive in-house training and its own welding school (see Figure 5). "About 40 percent of our direct labor costs involves welding," Smith said.
But how does Super Steel—a company just three years out of receivership—attract talent, especially in a place like Milwaukee, where people skilled in metal fabrication have options? "We are a big believer in pay for performance," Smith said. "We changed our incentive program away from an across-the-board 3 percent raise to one that's based on performance, as measured by attendance and productivity. If you're a performer, you're going to rise up."
Leading up to the receivership, workers had endured years without pay increases and some pay reductions. Now, according to the company, Super Steel offers very competitive wages—and we're not talking about just 50 cents more an hour.
"We pay better than most in our area," Smith said. "For some positions, we're talking about $5 additional an hour. Over a 40-hour workweek, that's $200 more. What does it cost you to have a poor performer in quality, in delivery, in rework? It costs far more than $200."
The pay attracts the talent, but that's only the starting point. From here, managers work to nurture the talent, based in part on a person's technical skills, in part on soft skills. Those who have leadership skills—that is, those who bring improvement suggestions to the table and communicate well with others—often are made what Super Steel calls "tech leaders," who lead improvement activities in certain departments. Smith noted that these people might not be the best machine operators or welders. A top notch welder without a torch is like a painter without a brush. The best welders often are happiest doing what they do best.
"Previously a lot of people didn't know what was expected of them," Smith said. "So we defined roles and responsibilities, and we assessed our talent to ensure we have the right people in the right role. And some people left the organization as a result of that. But I'm a firm believer that to be the best, we have to employ the best. So we hired some good people, and those people tell their friends. They've been our best recruiters—and that has allowed us to be successful."
In a 2012 financial benchmarking survey from the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Intl. (FMA), fabricators reported their direct labor as a percentage of sales. The average was 13 percent. Conversely, material costs as a percentage of sales was about 35 percent. And according to a 2009 survey from FMA, a correlation exists between high inventory turnover, high returns on net assets, and a shop's profitability.
Translation: Direct labor costs certainly factor into the equation, but process efficiency plays a bigger role. The more efficiently a shop can turn expensive material into things of value, the more successful it can be.
Paying for Talent Pays Off
During the credit crisis, Super Steel looked as if it would meet the same fate of so many businesses. It relied on one sector for a good portion of its revenue. It overleveraged to expand. But it turned around. Its freight rail business has long lead-times and entails complex assemblies, but provides consistent work and so helps smooth out the peaks and valleys of customer demand in contract fabrication, which in turn provides the market diversity.
"We've moved beyond rail," Smith said. "We're heavily in agriculture, mining, construction—we touch all the players, so diversification has been a big component of our success."
The year Super Steel went into receivership, 2010, the fabricator made $27 million and employed 185. Now the fabricator employs more than 400 (see Figure 6). In just a year revenue doubled from its low during the receivership.
Moving forward, managers said they expect the company to grow 10 to 15 percent annually over the next several years. Super Steel now ships products nationwide as well as to Mexico—all this from a workforce that makes far above the average wage in a city that's one of this industry's most concentrated, competitive areas.
"Labor costs are certainly meaningful," Paul said, "but it's a small wedge of the pie. We employ very motivated, focused, skilled folks on our shop floor who are getting paid a better-than-market wage, and we give them the tools to thrive. At the end of the day, we can knock it out better, faster, and for less money than someone who is pinching pennies on payroll."
Tim Heston
FMA Communications Inc.
Elgin, IL 60123
Published In...
The FABRICATOR
The FABRICATOR is North America's leading magazine for the metal forming and fabricating industry. The magazine delivers the news, technical articles, and case histories that enable fabricators to do their jobs more efficiently. The FABRICATOR has served the industry since 1971.


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before or after the GOP did it for them?
You can't win an election based on getting rid of a Black guy and then *****ing that minorities went for the Black guy. This election was about Republican anger at a sitting President. There was no grand vision and policy that lead to a grand vision. Suck it up.
Excellent point
From January 21 2009 the only point in the GOP mission statement was to "Get that black guy out of the White House"
Mitch McConnell stated that agenda publicly almost immediately afyer Roberts administered the Oath
And it worked Nationwide from Georgia to Idaho so it must have been a success
As WCO so ably said the Dems didn't really have to do all that much to defeat this singly focused one plank platform!
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
My answer may have been too brief; what does it say about us if our president has a vague vision? I wouldn't crow about anything except Obama's ardor for regular people. There sure are a lot of opportunities for lip service as chief was pointing out.
I think people have turned their eyes directly on this now.
You are naive. Granted the term "get the back guy out of the whitehouse" is terribly misquoted. Party over country.
Last edited by dmitexxi; 11-08-2012 at 03:08 PM.
It's naive to think Romney didn't have to run as a right wing nut job to win the Republican nomination and then have to move to the center to win the Presidency. The debates were embarrassing to watch for a fiscal conservative. Newt and Perry did much of the Presidents work for him by attacking Bain while Romney was changing his centrist positions on Health Care, abortion and taxes to meet the required Republican litmus test.
The Republican debates were embarrassing to most Americans. Hes cred was shot and the President was able to continue to use his own words against him burying him one shovel full at a time.