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Ecuador: 1/12 of 12
Latin American progressives and environmental duplicity
Daniel Macmillen
26th October 2014
Left wing governments across the Americas are faced with a dilemma, writes Daniel Macmillen - high social spending programs financed by income from destructive mining and hydrocarbon extraction - or a slower but sustainable development path that puts ecology, equity and justice first. Their answer - a constant pushing back of the resource frontier. more...Certified-responsible oil and gas - we need it now!
David Poritz
21st October 2014
The oil and gas industry is disrupting communities and damaging ecosystems worldwide, writes David Poritz. Tough, independent social and environmental standards for the industry can bring urgently-needed improvements to company practices - even where government regulation has failed. more...Ecuador: oil company has built 'secret' road deep into Yasuni National Park
David Hill
6th June 2014
Ecuador's state oil company PetroAmazonas has, in secret, built a road deep into the heart of the world-famous Yasuni National Park in Ecuador's Amazon rainforest, writes David Hill - violating promises and threatening uncontacted indigenous tribes. more...Your investment in Chevron will never be safe!
Humberto Piaguaje, UDAPT
29th May 2014
Humberto Piaguaje traveled from Ecuador's rainforest to Texas to deliver this Open Letter from Texaco's victims to Chevron-Texaco shareholders. Chevron is refusing to pay multi-billion dollar damages awarded to those suffering from its pollution. more...Texas Petroleum Museum rejects 'gifts from Ecuador'
The Ecologist
29th May 2014
The Permian Basin Petroleum Museum in Texas has ejected two indigenous men from Ecuador and rejected their 'gift' of posters showing rainforest oil pollution. Chevron was holding its annual general meeting at the museum. more...Ecuador's tribes declare 'national mobilization' against oil and mining
David Dene
24th May 2014
Ecuador is facing an unprecedented confrontation between a 'progressive' left-leaning government and a national coalition of indigenous peoples determined to stop vast oil and mining projects taking place on their community land and villages. more...Despite 'progressive' politics, Latin America's indigenous veins are bleeding
Benjamin Dangl
1st May 2014
Left-wing, progressive politicians hold sway across Latin America, writes Benjamin Dangl. But defying their own 'green' rhetoric, they are committed to mining and other environmentally damaging development. Now they face growing resistance from small farmers and indigenous peoples. more...In Ecuador's Amazon, a small tribe lives under a dark, oily shadow
Stephen Wallace
26th May 2014
A trip to the Achuar Indians of the Ecuadorian Amazon proved life-changing for Stephen Wallace. Their only desire is to enjoy what they have, and ensure that their children can do the same. But the threat of oil is casting a dark shadow of fear over their lives. more...Ecuador - upholding the Rights of Nature
David Dene
29th April 2014
Deep in Ecuador's Amazon rainforest, a gigantic open pit copper and gold mine is planned in the heart of the Shuar peoples' territory. David Dene tells the story of a growing international campaign to uphold and defend the 'Rights of Nature', in Ecuador and beyond. more...Amazon forest loss risks water security across South America
Paul Brown.
30th December 2013
Water, food supplies and energy production are all in jeopardy as the Amazon forest is felled for profit. And as Paul Brown writes, the damage is spreading well beyond Amazonia itself ...more...
Texaco's pollution of Ecuador's indigenous lands brought to light in new DVD
Nicola Peel
8th August, 2012
Nicola Peel talks about her new DVD, Blood of the Amazon, telling of her travels through the rainforest and her investigations on the effects of reckless oil drilling on indigenous communities more...Ecuador offers to leave rainforest oil in the ground for $3.6 billion
5th August, 2010
Ecuador seeks $3.6 billion from international donors to protect species-rich rainforest reserve from oil exploration more...
Ecuador: 1/12 of 12
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Healthy Protein Choices
When making healthier choices in high-protein foods (such as meat, fish, poultry and eggs), going with lower-fat varieties is half the equation. The other half: how you choose to prepare those foods. Some cooking methods can essentially cancel out the benefits you gained in choosing lower-fat products. Examples: deep-frying chicken, sautéing meat in a cream sauce, frying an egg in butter.
Healthier methods, on the other hand, include dry-grilling and baking. This is also why it's important to know precisely how your restaurant meals are being prepared. Ask the food server how the meal is usually prepared. If you feel the cooking method or ingredients are high in fat or calories, specifically ask for the meal to be prepared in another, healthier way. Examples: Broiling fish without butter, grilling eggs or meat without any added oil.

subset: commoncrawl


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Many athletes go to sports psychologists when they feel they are not performing well due to mental blockages, stress or some type of fear. The best diet is the good sense diet, we all know what's great for us, and which foods are likely to pile around the pounds. To see the next 53 health advantages kindly visit here.
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5 It's about what is important in life :)Posted: 18/07/2012This movie has become my favourite movie. Its not an instant classic, its not epic, its not mind blowing. But what it does do, is remind you not to take life for granted. Here you have a man and a woman that are "in love" But really its a love for materialism and not for eachother, constantly on thier phones to their friends. the guy completely ignoring her for everything else in his life. Not realising that the most amazing thing is right in front of him. Shes blindly in love as woman are (unfortunate, please girls...dont let this happen, people like that arent worth beautiful souls like you)She goes over to Ireland where she ends up meeting a completely down to earth, totally stubborn and complete opposite guy to herself. Ofcourse if you don't know...Opposites attract, and make your life complete. So naturally the very thing she hates ends up becoming the very thing she chooses in the end :)The acting is incredible, Just the 2 main characters and their bond is enough to make this movie unforgettable, what is even better is the beautiful scenery of Ireland. Being from Scotland, I can tell you that its nice to see a movie that is based in small towns and not New York for once. Its nice to see a movie thats just so down to earth and real :)This one is a winner, You will not be disappointed. Girls will love it and guys should watch this to remind them that the things that are important are the people that make you do things you would not have done if they weren't around. A big tv or a fancy car wont do this for you. So dont focus all your energy on it :)Sorry if i havent spoke too much about the movie, I would rather you buy it and see for yourself...It is amazing! :)
Kinect: Your Shape - Fitness Evolved 2012 Xbox 360 10 New from £11.46 Free delivery Available used from £9.98
5 Best Fitness Game AvailablePosted: 11/11/2011This game is fantastic, the creaters have listened to the fans on what they wanted on the original "Your Shape:FE" game and they listened and put it all in...AND MORE. you get to customise your workouts, theres so many areas to work with.Checking and comparing stats/challenges is made easier within the game.The new menu system makes for easier control and saves time shifting menu after menu. Fitness Classes there are now so much more, you can focus on particular areas like the butt to get your bum well rounded or the abs to get tighter abs. There are classes for sports athletes and thel ike, full 30-40 minute classes which are extreme fitness levels. you get proper warm ups and thats excluding the zen and yoga classes. you get mini football/"soccer" type games and warm ups also.Dance workouts are alot more fun, you get latin, african and a bunch of others...all with fun new moves to learn and implemented to make you feel a part of it with some fantastic backgrounds and blending art skills.The tracking system is much improved, on the old one doing thingsl ike lunges and staying in sync was a nightmare...not anymore. its not perfect. but its much improved, lunges and the like are now easy....and you can do floor excersises such as sit ups, push ups with ease. I havent even begun to explore this game and im already loving it. The programs are more advanced and will get you burning those calories at a much faster pace than the last edition. You can chop and change your workout to your needs and your time limits.if your looking for a fitness game be it to tone up your body, lose weight or just to improve your overall fitness and appearence...this game does it all and does it with style. Don't miss this oppertunity. I reccommend this over all the other Kinect fitness titles on the market...probably for the next 12 months atleast. It just is THAT much more advanced.Thanks for reading, and hope you make a wise choice and get this game :)
5 Forget meat, you won't ever want to eat it againPosted: 20/08/2010This production speaks alot of truth that people don't think about on a daily basis with their "busy lives" All of the points made are backed up and to see what the animals go through before they reach the supermarkets is eye opening. I know one thing is for sure, thats the last time i buy processed supermarket foods.If you are even slightly interested in Health and Safety or even fitness then i advise seeing this. It could just make things so much easier for you 10 years down the line
2 Saints No GoPosted: 20/06/2007ok, I got this game at christmas time for around £20, when i was buying i thought "what a bargain", didn't turn out that way.Graphics are ok, nothing special and sometimes very glitchy. some of the cars look pretty good...but i expected alot more in that area.Sound is good, decent radio makes for one of few pluses in this game! with things like new rock, old classic 80's, country. There is a wide rangegameplay - got bored within a week. haircuts, buying clothes are already done in GTA...i expected some new things, not alot of missions...so you will be completing the game rather easily.After 2 weeks of owning this game i already sold it. if your a BIG fan of the GTA's etc then this came maybe for you.but otherwise.. don't waste your money..even at £18


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-------- PROTOTYPE --------- PURPOSE: To design a prototype of a gripping device (Slip Grip) to assist individuals with limited hand mobility to manipulate objects that they would otherwise be unable to use. The product is used by slipping the finger holds over the thumb and forefinger and then snapping objects in to place via the clips located in between these finger holds. At a slight angle, the clip directs objects placed in it downward, giving the user a natural range of motion. When wearing a Slip Grip, the user is able to use objects such as pens, pencils, pool sticks, spatulas and tooth brushes. Slip Grips are intended to function in a variety of different scenarios without taking away any of the user's independence. TITLE: Grippy for the Grip Challenged. WEBSITE: Yanko Design. REF: http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/08/10/grippy-for-the-grip-challenged.
Notes: Designer: Stanton Burns
This product record was updated on March 15, 2011.


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Russia and Syria: The First Fruits Of Moscow's Victory In Georgia
August 22, 2008
(By a leading political analyst.) The visit of President Bashar al-Assad to Moscow is a startling consequence of the Russian military victory in Georgia. He stated on his arrival: 'We are ready to co-operate with Russia in any project that can strengthen its security'. He added that Russia needs to think of a response to the fact that it is being encircled by hostile nations. He made clear that he would be discussing the stationing of Russian missiles on his territory. The Syrians are also shopping for weapons.
Syria is also expected to welcome back the Russian navy to Tartus, a base Russia lost with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. We are back again to the times when Syria was very close politically and militarily to Moscow.
Syria is at present negotiating with Lebanon to exchange ambassadors and gradually to reduce the tension between the two states which has been at fever pitch since the assassination of the Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005. Then there are discussions with Israel about a normalisation of relations, brokered by Turkey. But everything has been turned on its head by the sudden rapprochement between Russia and Syria. We are looking now at the prospect of Russia fashioning a new anti-American alliance of former client states.
Moscow obviously senses that Washington has never been weaker in the Middle East (at least sine 1956) and that the window of opportunity is opening for bold new initiatives. The impunity with which Russia has exercised its power in Georgia and the pusillanimous response of the United States, NATO and the European Union, may have convinced Damascus that the balance of power in the Middle East is changing. Russia is back as an important player after an absence of 20 years.
President Bashar al-Assad heads a military dictatorship which nominally relies on the Baath Party. He is a member of the Islamic Alawite minority. He succeeded his father Hafez al-Assad who died in June 2000. His father was a military graduate and received training as a pilot in the Soviet Union. When the United Arab Republic (Egypt and Syria) dissolved in chaos a group of left wing officers seized power. Al-Assad became head of the Air Force in 1964. He launched the Baathist Corrective Revolution in 1970 and assumed the presidency. He was never as dictatorial as Saddam Hussein in Iraq. His son, Bashar, an ophthalmologist, was thrust into politics in 2000 after the death of his father.
Syria was forced to withdraw its military from Lebanon under US pressure in April 2005. Since then it has been a major player in domestic Lebanese politics and has a support base within the country. If a Russo-Syrian military alliance emerges how will this change the geopolitics of the Middle East?
It will obviously have an immediate impact on Lebanon. It may also affect the evolution of Iraq as Russia would side with anti-American groups there. It is even possible to conceive of Iranian-Russian co-operation to push the United States out of the region. Israel has good relations with Russia and Moscow would have to balance these with improving its relations with Israel's enemies. That would not be an easy task to perform.
If one follows the old adage that the enemy of one's enemy is one's friend, Moscow has many opportunities to make life difficult for the United States in the region. It has contact with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah exults at Russian military success in Georgia seeing it as proof that one of Israel's surrogates has been defeated. Will this embolden Hezbollah to renew hostilities with Israel?
Russia has declared that it is ending co-operation with NATO. It now feels stronger that at any time since 1991. A military alliance with Syria provides it with a golden opportunity to become a major player in the Middle East. Where next will Moscow seek to establish its presence?


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Facebook Gangsters
Social media was not nearly as common prior to the onset of my incarceration. In short, things of this nature were just in there infancy and I was far from interested or computer literate. I also couldn't spell "cat" if you fronted me the "c" as well as the "t."
An entire generation grew up in the computer age and with the addition of the older generations who got involved, blew this whole thing up to proportions no one could fathom. Although the technology has changed drastically, unfortunately the people utilizing it have not. A practice called "telephone tough guys" has now evolved into Facebook Gangsters.
Call me old fashioned, but over the phone you had to at least sound aggressive. But, if you had the voice of Michael Jackson it took something away from the whole experience. In this day and age, with the aid of computers a Facebook tough guy can not only rehearse what they send beforehand, they can put any face on any body to further their confidence levels. This amounts to what we used to call beer balls.
I preferred the times when some idiot on the phone could recite a few lines from "Goodfellas." It was far more realistic and a call had a more personal touch. This tough guy on the computer thing truly leaves something to be desired and furthermore, sending someone a threat and misspelling words becomes comical because now everyone knows you're functionally illiterate. Then unlike the above I did not have this page created to beef with anyone. If I wanted to, I could easily do that in the prison yard on a face-to-face basis which I am more comfortable with anyway. To be honest, I'd choose not to do it there either if at all possible.
At one point of my life, I decided to try and live a bit more righteously, no beefs, scams, or schemes, and if I can help someone who really needs it, I will. It sounds corny, or like something one might say to the parole board. However the one gift I have - despite knowing in all likelihood I will never leave prison - is I can say what I please.
This is why I learned to express myself with paper. In the future if you really have any animosity towards me, please feel free to come up and voice your grievance in the visiting room. I promise I won't try to turn it into a future Zap Tale. If anything, at the least I can get you hooked on phonics, unstuck from stupid, and, if I think your trying hard enough to act correctly, I promise to buy you an ice cream from the vending machine.
Zap Tales
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Louis Filosa's 3D printed Cobble Necklace has won the FOC Talents Challenge 2011 summer edition which was held in cooperation with designer Ross Lovegrove.
(Click the images below for full sized images)
The summer edition of the FOC Talents Challenge 2011 was awarded to designers who interpreted designer Ross Lovegrove's brief for a vision of "organic essentialism".
Says Lovegrove about the Cobble: "I find erosion a fantastic provider of form and it could be a metaphor for infinite form."
"What I also like about this work is the contained object which has an almost tribal quality and something more contemporary in the way it is worn... I like its strength and wearability almost as if emotions can crawl inside and live there... ritualistic."
Says FOC, "The Cobble Necklace is a precious collectible, visually intriguing as a complex piece of jewellery or as a beautiful, organic, and self-contained object."
Second place was awarded to the Park necklace design by Pekka Salokannel. "The design is inspired by the concept of parks incorporating two separate and distinct styles (man-made and natural scenery) to express their intrinsic beauty."
"The double faced necklace also has two distinctly unique sides that allow the wearer to express a different mood for different occasions. "It's all about your mood at the moment - which side you love the most" explains Pekka.


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About me
I enjoy working in many areas of IT, especially web design. I currently work for Derwentside college as an assessor. I also build and design websites for companies and friends.
If you need any support in ICT to help your staff get the best out of the available systems and bespoke software you have to offer, I can provide training that can be tailored to your specific needs. Make sure you are getting the best out of your IT and social media.
There are many people with excellent ideas and talents who given the chance could build their own business. I can help you to set up your business online at a fair price with a personal service to make sure you don't end up with an overpriced or generic website.
Please feel free to look through my CV.
You will also find my certificates and information on my IT background when looking at my IT info.
The assessor page takes you through the information regarding the role I play in helping learners achieve their NVQ & BTEC qualifications.
Please feel free to get in touch if you need an IT consultation, staff training or website development.


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Our Luminous Shimmer Eyeshadow is a highly pigmented, shimmering mineral eyeshadow that glides on smoothly and blends gorgeously. Use as an all over base color, crease shade, or highlight to bring out your eye color and shape. Layered or apply with a damp brush for added intensity.
Made in the USA
(.07 oz/ 2 g)
Ingredients: Mica (CI 77019). May contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510). Nothing more.
Pearluster Eyeshadow →


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Anatomic Gel New Recife Mens Leather Formal Lace-Ups
Code: n/aThe Anatomic Gel New Recife leather shoes are a fantastic pair of traditional formal lace-ups.
Anatomic Gel are renowned for their expert abilities in combining incomparable comfort with supreme style, which can often be seen as something of a rarity amongst comfortable footwear brands. A round toe and three eyelet derby lace-up design keeps things simple yet extremely versatile, making these shoes practical for the office or the weekend.
Handcrafted using only the highest quality materials, the Anatomic Gel New Recife lace-up shoes come in either a black or brown upper, created from silky full grain leather, which is treated with a minimal amount of chemicals in order to maintain a natural feel.
Lined with an extra soft sheepskin sock, the antibacterial properties inside the shoe provide excellent breathability and moisture absorption, whilst deep cushioning ensures you will be comfortable on your feet all day.
A leather-hinged insole allows the shoe flex with the foot, yet retain its original shape after wear to keep comfort to the maximum. The unique rubber gel sole is soft to walk on and provides a resilient, non-slip base.
In a wider 'H' fitting, the Anatomic Gel New Recife are suited to wider feet, yet thanks to the padded ankle and smooth internal supports they feel secure and well fitting.
Essential Info:
Upper: Leather
Lining: Sheepskin
Sole: Rubber
Fitting: H
Other: Anatomic Gel New Recife Formal Lace-ups
Product Code: 454527
We offer free delivery within the UK (excluding Channel Islands) as well as to any of our stores. Next day delivery is available on selected products, which is highlighted upon a colour and size being selected. We also offer delivery worldwide (with a few exceptions). For a full price list click here. Orders are normally dispatched within 3 - 5 days, although over 60% of orders are dispatched within 2 working days.
Our returns policy is within 35 days of receipt. If you are not completely satisfied with your product(s) we are more than happy to provide a refund or exchange. You are entitled to return your order to any of our stores or to our depot. Please ensure your product(s) are in original unworn condition. You can now return your order to us via Collect+. Simply click here to find your nearest Collect+ drop off location and print off your returns label online. For our returns address and further information please click here.


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Product Description
Available while supplies last.
Grandmaster's Box
There's more than just chess to this coolly refined little game table. Game tables made for Armies on the move always served multiple functions: end table, shaving bench, breakfast plateau… Two drawers hold chess and checker game sets. Or socks and ties. Spyglass and writing paper. Inlaid precious wood game board, classic mosaic-intarsia.
- Brass corners to protect against the rigors of transport
- Elegantly curved hardwood legs with brass finials
- Game pieces not included
- Inlaid wood game board, true intarsia
Materials: | Wood/Brass | |
Weight: | 24.5 Pounds | |
Assembly Required Some products are shipped to your door step assembled while others may require light assembly. | Assembly Required | Ready to Assemble |
Distressed Finish Furniture distressing is the act of making a piece look as though it is worn out or antique. This style has become a very popular finish in the industry. Narrow your results here by whether or not you desire a distressed finish. | Distressed Finish | Distressed |
Application | Residential | |
End Table Features End tables are sold with many different features, including removable tops, storage shelfs, and more. | End Table Features | Drawers |
Number of Drawers Narrow your search results by the desired number of drawers for your new piece of furniture. | Number of Drawers | One Drawer |
Game Table Additional Features Some game tables have additional features such as a reversible table top, drink holders, storage capability, and matching seating to coordinate with the game table. | Game Table Additional Features | Storage |
Game Game tables are normally made to suit a particular game. Narrow down your game table choices by first determining what game you will be playing. | Game | Chess |
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Group # | 1460127 |
Category | End Tables - 1023 |
Style | Traditional - 143 |
Sales Rank | 1501 |
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"What a story Zack Greenburg tells well, one that is as absorbing and exciting as Michael Jackson on stage in his prime. It's a modern, pop version of Citizen Kane."
- Steve Forbes, editor-in-chief of Forbes
"Greenburg explores the brilliance and business acumen of Michael Jackson. He intricately carves the truth behind the man who went from rags to revolutionizing and paving the way for artist to ultimately become business moguls."
- David Banner, Grammy-winning musician-actor-entrepreneur
"In his meticulously researched Michael Jackson, Inc, Zack O'Malley Greenburg has brilliantly shown us a side of the late King of Pop we've never seen before: The mercurial but oh-so-canny businessman who made hundreds of millions in his lifetime and is on his way to making even more after his untimely death."
- William D. Cohan, New York Times bestselling author of Money and Power
"A fascinating, fresh, detailed account of how Michael Jackson changed the game for artists in the entertainment industry. Packed with new angles and insights, Greenburg avoids cheap sensationalism in favor of real, research-based reporting. The result is at once a story of Jackson's remarkable business acumen, as well as a cautionary tale about the price of the ticket. While Jackson's success came at a great cost, reading this book makes clear how he paved the way for generations of artists to come."
- Joseph Vogel, author of Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson
"Zack follows every step of the way as the King of Pop becomes the Citizen Kane of Pop, creating an empire so strong that even Jackson's most mind-boggling excesses couldn't bring it down. Michael Jackson Inc. is the deepest examination and most resounding proof yet that Jackson was as pioneering in business as he was in music — a pathfinder in the establishment of Artist as Brand."
- Jem Aswad, editor-in-chief of SPIN
"Jackson was crazy like a fox, and could be as cold in business as he was hot onstage and in the studio. I'm crazy for this gripping, beautifully-reported book."
- Michael Gross, author of House of Outrageous Fortune
"We know the circus that Michael Jackson's personal life became in the media, yet Zack found the stories of who he became in the business world, which was starkly different and industry influencing. Jackson went hard in the vocal booth and even harder in the boardroom. Artist-entrepreneurs like Jay Z, Diddy and Lady Gaga owe him the world; we're indebted to Zack for shedding light on Jackson's business acumen."
- Datwon Thomas, contributing editor at Ozy.com and former executive editor of VIBE
"The King of Pop is perfectly captured by Zack O'Malley Greenburg, who has a journalist's eye for detail with Michael Jackson, Inc. The words dance across the page, the mark of a writer with vivid, natural storytelling talent. Bravo, Zack!"
- Chuck Leavell, keyboardist for the Rolling Stones and author of Growing A Better America
"One of the year's best rock books." – Bloomberg News
"Fascinating, well-done biography of one of the most extraordinary entrepreneurs of our era." – Steve Forbes
"Zack O'Malley Greenburg has become one of the rare reporters to bring dignified coverage of the hip-hop business into the mainstream. Empire State of Mind is a pure product of Greenburg's care and insight, an exploration of hip-hop's most enigmatic mogul, Jay-Z." – Dan Charnas, author of The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop
"Empire State Of Mind follows the money and key pieces of the Jay-Z puzzle in this insightful, savvy read…this book is like a GPS leading us through the modern urban reality of how Jay-Z's empire was built." – Fred "Fab 5 Freddy" Brathwaite, hip-hop artist and pioneer
Order the Book: Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Borders | IndieBound
ForbesLife magazine, 06.30.14
A Kasbah That Rocks: Inside Richard Branson's Moroccan Retreat
Richard Branson's parents first saw the riad that became Kasbah Tamadot while ballooning over Morocco's Atlas Mountains. Today his exotic retreat–where he has entertained Mick Jagger, Annie Lennox, Peter Gabriel and other famous friends–doubles as a boutique hotel.
Forbes magazine, 12.10.12
Invest Like A Star
If you hate risk and crave long-lasting returns, take a lesson from Hollywood money managers David Tracy and Chuck Tharnstrom.
Forbes magazine, 06.25.12
Invent Your Own Profits
Self-taught tinkerer Adrian Van Anz shows you don't need formal training to become a professional.
Forbes.com, 06.17.12
Jay-Z and Kanye's Maybach Tax Deduction
Sometimes it pays to blow up a $300,000 luxury sedan.
Forbes.com, 02.23.12
The Fastest-Growing University Endowments
Among multibillion-dollar players, the University of Virginia leads the pack.
Forbes magazine, 12.05.11
A Millennial's Guide To The New Economy
How to survive — and thrive — in a turbulent world.
Forbes.com, 11.08.11
What Would John Templeton Do?
Thoughts on which international markets would attract the legendary investor right now.
Forbes.com, 10.13.11
Meet The Occupy Wall Street Press Team
The protesters at Zuccotti Park are more organized than you think.
Forbes.com, 10.11.11
Less Money, More Problems
Financial lessons from rapper Ace Hood.
Forbes.com, 09.19.11
Richard Branson On Being A Rockstar Billionaire
A chat with the founder of the Virgin empire.
Forbes magazine, 05.23.11
Secret Agent
By Zack O'Malley Greenburg
Public pensions are $660 billion in the hole. Investment middleman Glen Sergeon illustrates how millions more are being lost to dubious dealings.
Forbes magazine, 04.11.11
Card Shuffler
By Zack O'Malley Greenburg
Big banks want a piece of the prepaid debit card business dominated by Green Dot. Founder Steven Streit, a former DJ, says bring it on.
Forbes magazine, 11.22.10
Tweets on the Street
By Zack O'Malley Greenburg
Social networking is coming to the brokerage business. It's unlikely to do much to enrich your retirement.
Forbes.com, 10.15.10
Mr. T Wants to Buy Your Gold — Time to Sell?
By Zack O'Malley Greenburg
Is it wise to sell your stray gold to the company trusted by Mr. T? Not necessarily.
Forbes.com, 10.01.10
Groupon: Good For You, Bad For Business?
By Zack O'Malley Greenburg
A surprising number of establishments claim to have lost money on their Groupon promotions.
NYSE Money Sense, 07.15.10
Don't Be A Tiger: The Financial Pitfalls of Marriage
By Zack O'Malley Greenburg
Tiger Woods' divorce will cost $100M, but even happily married couples face financial pitfalls.
AOL Daily Finance, 12.21.09
Ditching the Dollar
By Zack O'Malley Greenburg
The world's best currency bets.
Forbes magazine, 12.14.09
Eastern European Stock Bargains
By Zack O'Malley Greenburg
Afraid you missed the party in emerging market stocks? Maybe not in Eastern Europe.
Forbes.com, 10.13.09
Saving The Union (Pacific)
By Zack O'Malley Greenburg
Despite a billion-dollar government mandate and the worst recession in memory, chief James Young is putting the country's oldest railroad back on track.
Forbes.com, 10.06.09
Carbon Winners and Losers
By Zack O'Malley Greenburg
Looking to profit from green energy? Buy smog-belchers like AEP.
Forbes.com, 4.16.09
Intro To Index Funds
By Zack O'Malley Greenburg
Market-tracking funds aren't sexy. Just smart.
Forbes.com, 4.14.09
Mutual Funds 101
By Zack O'Malley Greenburg
Actively managed mutual funds can be sound investments. But beware the fees.
Forbes.com, 4.14.09
Intro To Stocks (VIDEO)
By Zack O'Malley Greenburg
Stocks are a key part of most investment plans, regardless of how the market is doing.
Forbes.com, 3.12.09
A Different Tune
Zack O'Malley Greenburg
High price? No problem. Preston Athey's value fund ignores the first tenet of value investing.
Forbes magazine, 07.15.13 (cover story)
Toby Keith, Cowboy Capitalist: Country's $500 Million Man
Country superstar Toby Keith has some of the most loyal fans in music. And he owns enough product extensions to make sure they're also some of the most lucrative. Personal earnings so far: $500 million.
Around The World in 20 Days: three weeks, twelve countries, and highlights including a Jay-Z concert in Germany, a ski trip in Dubai and a glimpse of the future in China. Here are my blog entries from abroad in the summer of 2010.
Around the World: Part I
In which Zack consumes a Guinness breakfast and encounters technical difficulties.
Around the World: Part II
In which Zack shatters dreams in Innsbruck and sees Plastic People in Prague.
Around the World: Part III
In which Zack becomes aware of German singer Lena and eats questionable meat.
Around the World: Part IV
In which Zack travels to Berlin and debunks the myth of the jelly doughnut.
Around the World: Part V
In which Zack visits Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and, sort of accidentally, Oman.
Around the World: Part VI
In which Zack journeys to Hong Kong, Macau, and The Real China before heading home to New York.
But wait, there's bonus material! Here are a few of the articles I wrote about my travels:
Luxist.com, 08.05.10
A Visit to Chigny-Les-Roses
Ever wonder about the origin of those gold bottles that keep popping up in Jay-Z's videos? This is it.
Luxist.com, 07.09.10
A Bubbly Hideaway
L'Assiette Champenoise — the first stop on my trip through Europe.
Jon Bon Jovi: Still Rockin' — And Making A Killing
Forbes, 05.18.11
Over the past 12 months, Bon Jovi earned more than Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Katy Perry — combined. How did that happen?
The next time you play Rock Band, don't invite Jon Bon Jovi. The 49- year-old singer's wife and kids recently convinced him to give the popular videogame a try. So he picked up the microphone and launched into a rendition of his classic "Wanted Dead or Alive," backed by family on virtual guitars and drums. He never made it through the song.
"I failed–it buzzed me down," Bon Jovi admits over lunch in Manhattan. "So I stood up off the couch and I said, 'All right, goddamn it, press play.' They did it again, I failed again, and I said, 'Everybody's going to bed. That's the end of this. Turn that shit off.'"
Fortunately for Bon Jovi, audiences in real arenas around the world are kinder. His eponymous band took home $125 million over the past 12 months by FORBES' estimates, more than any other music act besides U2–and more than relative whippersnappers Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Kanye West combined. In the past year the band has played 74 gigs in 15 nations, grossing $203 million in ticket sales and $20 million in merchandise; Bon Jovi ranks No. 8 on this year's Celebrity 100.
In Pictures: The Celebrity 100
Surprised? Bon Jovi out-earns younger, glitzier acts thanks to a relatively affluent, aging fan base who turn out to hear the ballads of their youth and see a tightly run touring machine built on decades of experience.
"They're one of the highest-grossing bands every year," says veteran concert promoter Ron Delsener. "Jon is a workaholic, constantly touring, constantly making loads of money."
Whereas Lady Gaga schleps dozens of dancers from town to town and needs 28 trucks to cart her equipment, Bon Jovi typically plays with six people. A dozen trucks carry the gear, including a circular stage and 192 double-sided LED video screens connected with a specially designed motion control system, which allows them to come together to form a screen 13 feet high and 40 feet wide. At arenas like Montreal's 21,500-capacity Bell Center, the in-theround setup lets the band sell up to 5,500 more tickets than a traditional arena stage would. Wherever possible Bon Jovi plays consecutive nights at the same venue to cut back on setup and strike costs. By playing 12 shows in 19 days at London's O2 arena the band saved $300,000.
"It wasn't some conscious decision to be penny-pinching. I think it's just wise to be efficient," says Bon Jovi. "I know big bands where each of them has personal assistants on the road, each of them has a security guard. We don't have a security guard. Take your own friggin' bags!"
On the revenue side the band's U.S. fans sport an average household income of $78,989, slightly higher than the mean for the 350 music groups tracked by research firm NPD's Brand Link database. The economic difference between Bon Jovi's fans and those of, say, Justin Bieber ($71,389) or Metallica ($71,089) is more than enough to cover a pricey special like the Crush Package, which comes with a grab bag of perks and tchotchkes, including souvenir lanyards, autographed lithographs and two front-row seats that you can fold up and take home after the show. The average cost for this VIP treatment is $2,550 per couple; lowend alternatives set you back $450. Bon Jovi sells an average of 600 individual special package tickets per arena show.
Though regular tickets start at $20, these packages push Bon Jovi's average price to $95, about 50% higher than acts like the Dave Matthews Band ($59) and the Black Eyed Peas ($63). Bon Jovi shows have up to 20 different price points, including special packages; on a recent tour AC/DC offered only one.
Mercury Records signed Bon Jovi that year. He clipped his name from John Francis Bongiovi Jr. and recruited guitarist Richie Sambora, drummer Tico Torres, keyboardist David Bryan and bassist Alec John Such to form his band. They're still together (minus Such, who left the band in 1994), but it isn't an equal partnership: Bon Jovi keeps the bulk of the earnings, whereas bands like U2 split proceeds evenly.
Slippery When Wet, released in 1986, secured his career. Anthems "Livin' on a Prayer" and "Wanted Dead or Alive" helped sell 28 million copies of the album worldwide and still get standing ovations. In the two years that followed Bon Jovi played 480 shows around the world and released another album. In 1992 an increasingly ambitious Bon Jovi took the group's business into his own hands, forming Bon Jovi Management with longtime tour manager Paul Korzilius– and dismissed manager Doc McGhee. "It just got to a point where I said, 'I can't pay you 20% of the gross, and I can't see this vision,'" Bon Jovi says. "My peers wanted to be on the cover ofCircus. I wanted to be on the cover of Time."
Since then the band has produced hits like "It's My Life" in 2000 and the country-leaning "Who Says You Can't Go Home" in 2006. Last year the band released Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection, which reached number one on Billboard's rock charts. It hasn't been all smooth sailing: In April Bon Jovi confirmed Sambora would be "absent from upcoming shows" after the guitarist reportedly checked himself into a rehab center.
But the tour rolls on, at least for now. "I don't know if I want to be 68 and doing 140 shows in a year," Bon Jovi admits. Even if the crowds–and the profits– are still there.
The battle over public pensions has recently led to walkouts, sleep-ins, tax hikes and layoffs of public employees as communities grapple with grim financial realities–including at least a $1.26 trillion shortfall in funds to pay for promised benefits (see "Mind the Gap"). One guy who doesn't seem to be suffering is Glen Rodger Sergeon Jr.
Sergeon is a placement agent. His job is to convince officials at state and local pension funds to hand over slices of their $2.3 trillion in assets to his clients, who seek to manage them for a fee. In 2008 and 2009 Sergeon lined up such work with the $14.6 billion (assets) Kentucky Retirement System on behalf of seven money managers. One that paid Sergeon's firm over $2 million was the Arrowhawk Durable Alpha Fund–an outfit that couldn't have won over public officials with its track record because it was brand-new. Another startup, Crestview Partners II, paid Sergeon's company $1.1 million.
Sergeon, contacted by phone, politely declared, "I don't talk to reporters," and hung up.
Such brush-offs are unlikely to end the questions about the $6 million that money managers paid Sergeon for lining up business with Kentucky's pension fund. The figure represents nearly half the $13 million that investment funds paid placement agents for landing business with Kentucky between 2004 and 2009, according to a Kentucky auditor's report released last summer.
Just what forms of persuasion Sergeon and the other agents apply has become a hot topic lately. Placement agents are used at one time or another by more than 90% of public funds, according to Edward Siedle, a former Securities & Exchange Commission attorney who runs Benchmark Financial Services (and contributes to Forbes.com) in Ocean Ridge, Fla.
Agents say they provide valuable screening for public funds that lack the resources to do the job. Critics charge they're glorified bagmen in a pay-to-play world in which public officials hand assets to money managers willing to contribute to their political campaigns or otherwise enrich them.
"Regulators and law enforcement around the country have concluded that many arrangements involving placement agents and public funds amount to little more than influence peddling," says Siedle.
Evidence of such activity has led to criminal convictions and new restrictions on placement agents. Yet the game goes on. In Kentucky, where no one has been accused of wrongdoing, even the state fund's trustees were apparently kept in the dark for years about the $13 million in placement agent payments until last year's release of the state auditor's report. In typical fashion, Kentucky's nine trustees are a mix of employee representatives–whose primary focus is benefits rather than investments–and political appointees. For several years, in fact, only one trustee, Christopher Tobe, had a background in investments.
In April the Kentucky board fired longtime director Michael Burnside amid concerns that he'd withheld information on placement agents from trustees. The state attorney general determined around the same time that Burnside had violated open-records laws by refusing to divulge staff salaries. Burnside did not respond to requests for comment. The SEC, meanwhile, has inquired into Kentucky's use of placement agents, and the state auditor has launched a new investigation.
"Public pensions need placement agents like dogs need ticks," says Kentucky trustee Tobe. "There's no reason to pay agents when fund managers have their own salespeople anyway."
Officials in a number of states appear to agree. California began in January requiring placement agents to register as lobbyists, attend ethics training and forsake finder's fees from money managers–a move that has prompted some to declare they'll leave the state. California's move follows a scandal in which former directors of the $231 billion (assets) California Public Employees' Retirement System earned $125 million as placement agents. They did so in part by enriching public officials with under-the-table payments, jobs, a Lake Tahoe condo and by hosting a wedding, a Calpers report states. Some former directors have denied wrongdoing.
New Mexico's fund is the subject of SEC and FBI pay-to-play probes. State officials are seeking to recover potentially tens of millions of dollars lost to kickback schemes. In Illinois the Teachers' Retirement System banned placement agents after three middlemen pleaded guilty in an extortion scheme that steered money from investment managers to public officials.
New York State banned placement agents in 2009 after then attorney general Andrew Cuomo discovered them arranging for money managers to receive state work in exchange for bribes to politicians. The case resulted in $170 million in fines and eight criminal guilty pleas. In April former pension boss and state comptroller Alan Hevesi was sentenced to one to four years in prison for accepting $1 million in gifts for committing $250 million to Markstone Capital Partners, LP.
"Gifts, favors and campaign contributions are not a legitimate basis for government contracts," Cuomo said. "Lobbyists whose stock-in-trade is pay-to-play have no business appearing before government."
The ability of agents like Sergeon to continue operating says a lot about the porous nature of the pay-to-play crackdown. A New Yorker who lives in a penthouse apartment on Greenwich Village's Bleecker Street, Sergeon appears to have entered the securities business around 1990 via Citibank, where he met H. Carl McCall. After McCall was elected state comptroller three years later, he appointed Sergeon as a trustee of the New York State Teachers' Retirement System. Sergeon later moved to Merrill Lynch, where he sold investment products to pension funds.
McCall, Hevesi's immediate predecessor as comptroller, had his own political career derailed in part by a controversy in which he was accused of using his oversight of the state pension fund to solicit campaign contributions and jobs for friends and relatives. Following an election defeat McCall set up his own firm, Convent Capital, in 2005 and began doing business with the state. A spokesman for McCall tells FORBES that the firm "is not a placement agency and [McCall] has not served as a placement agent."
Diamond Edge Capital Partners is another firm that was paid–$6.8 million–by money managers for lining up work with New York. In 2008 Sergeon joined Diamond Edge, where he teamed up with Marvin Rosen, a company partner and the former Bill Clinton fundraiser who arranged Lincoln Bedroom sleepovers for big donors. Later that year Sergeon landed Diamond Edge its first business with Kentucky.
Sergeon himself appears to have segued into the state via Adam Tosh. The two formerly had done business together when Sergeon was a Merrill salesman and Tosh an investment staffer at the Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System. Tosh left his state job for MDL Capital, a minority-owned money management firm whose principal, Mark D. Lay, was sentenced in 2008 to 12 years in prison for his role in an investment scam. Tosh, who now works at investment advisory Rogerscasey, did not respond to requests for comment. He has previously stated that Lay's crimes occurred prior to his own arrival at MDL. Tosh has also said that in Kentucky he relied on Sergeon's advice based on his solid track record.
Suspicious about the Kentucky fund's management, trustee Tobe began pressing for information on use of placement agents in April 2009. Tobe says that in August of that year he was forced off the investment committee by Randy J. Overstreet, who'd chaired the board for 14 years; the following month Sergeon placed $200 million with Arrowhawk.
Investment chief Tosh resigned three weeks before it was revealed last year that Arrowhawk and other money managers had paid Sergeon millions; Tobe was later reinstated to the investment committee. Last month Overstreet was ousted from his position as fund-board chairman. He did not respond to requests for comment.
Sergeon, meanwhile, has kept busy beyond the Bluegrass State. Crestview Partners, the private equity firm that in 2008 paid his firm $1.1 million for arranging work in Kentucky, also landed a $100 million investment from North Carolina's $72 billion (assets) pension fund the same year. Crestview denies working with Sergeon outside Kentucky but declined to say if it has worked with his employer, Diamond Edge.
The North Carolina treasurer's office seems to keep as lax a grip on its public purse strings as Kentucky officials did. To educate fund fiduciaries, the SEC requires money managers that register with it to disclose use of placement agents and other conflicts of interest in a document known as an ADV II. Like many institutional funds, Crestview is not registered with the SEC or obliged to make such disclosures. The North Carolina treasurer's office said in a written statement that it "obtains information about potential conflicts of interest prior to commitment."
The year after North Carolina's 2008 hiring of Crestview, Sergeon made a charitable donation of over $1,000 to the University of North Carolina Hospital in honor of Patricia Gerrick, the state's chief investment officer. Gerrick was later fired from her post amid reports that she traveled abroad on trips funded by investment firms doing business with the state. She is currently a director of Busara Advisors along with Marx Cazenave II, founder of Cazenave & Co.–another firm that employed Sergeon in Kentucky. Gerrick did not respond to a request for comment made through Busara.
Disclosure is murky elsewhere, too. Arrowhawk, the firm that channeled $2 million to Sergeon for landing $200 million from Kentucky, also snagged $100 million from the San Joaquin County (Calif.) Employees' Retirement Association. When FORBES contacted county officials seeking Arrowhawk's disclosure form, the fund's general counsel, Meg Jing, responded by stating that it is not registered with the SEC and that it does not produce a form.
Why, you might wonder, doesn't the SEC follow New York's lead and ban placement agents? It proposed as much in late 2009 but ran into fierce industry resistance. One agent leading that opposition was Park Hill, an outfit owned by Blackstone Group. (Park Hill itself received $2.35 million for lining up business in Kentucky–for Blackstone funds.) Blackstone's billionaire founder, Stephen Schwarzman, personally sent a letter to the SEC opposing a placement agent ban.
The SEC settled for limiting investment advisers to paying placement fees to "regulated persons," who are registered with the SEC and subject to pay-to-play restrictions. From July, money managers doing business with public funds will also have to issue ADV IIs.
"If the Commission determines that third party placement agents continue to inappropriately influence the selection of investment advisers for government clients–even under our enhanced rules–I expect that we would consider the imposition of a full ban on the use of these third parties," said SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro.
So much for putting investors first.
]]>On a ragged stretch of sidewalk in northwest Harlem across the street from a dingy bodega, a weathered wooden door separates the outside world from an oenophiles' wonderland. A homemade bar dominates the room, backed by walls plastered with cutouts from wine publications. Empty bottles of Nicolas Feuillatte, Armand de Brignac and Cristal loom like a hunter's trophies along the shelves.
On a torpid summer evening, Branson Belchie–better known as Branson B., hip-hop's unofficial sommelier–hovers behind the bar in search of an acceptable champagne, every move punctuated by a slight flutter of his dreadlocks. Life is too short to struggle through a bad bottle of bubbly.
"I never particularly cared for Moet, personally," Branson offers. "Moet has a tendency to give me a headache. Back in the day, we drank Clicquot. I turned a lot of people on to Clicquot." He lowers his voice. "At the time, Clicquot was really good."
Branson is the man who introduced Cristal, Dom Perignon and a number of other pricey brands to his friends Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace and Sean "Diddy" Combs in the late 1980s. Within a few years, that suggestion sprouted into hip-hop's full-fledged obsession with champagne. Branson is widely credited with starting the craze, and his name has been mentioned in more than 60 songs over the past two decades.
A self-described street entrepreneur, Branson, 52, got involved in the entertainment business during the early 1990s, serving as road manager for R&B singer Chris Williams and DeVante Swing of Jodeci. He also did consulting work for a number of other artists, and later for the producers of the film American Gangster. As Branson's career blossomed, so did his taste in champagne. He bought Biggie a six-liter bottle of Taittinger brut one year for the rapper's birthday; on another occasion, he provided bottles of Cristal and Dom Perignon to singers Faith Evans and Luther Vandross.
"You bust a bottle, pour a couple glasses, and just sip on it as they engage in the creative process," says Branson. "Sometimes people acquire a taste for one or the other. Like, 'Yo, I really like that Cristal.' You go back through there, they've got their own bottle of Cristal and they're offering you a drink now."
By the turn of the century Branson was beginning to realize that he'd created a trusted brand–and that it was time to capitalize. So he teamed up with Guy Charlemagne champagne to create his own label, Guy Charlemagne Selected By Branson B. In 2004 Branson traveled to France's Champagne region to handpick the grapes for a blanc de blancs, a brut rosé and a 2000 vintage Grand Cru.
A longtime patron of Guy Charlemagne, Branson used the winemaker's existing offerings as a template and tweaked them to his satisfaction. The process was simple enough for someone with a palate as refined as his. "If you want a little more zest to it," he says, "you add more pinot grapes."
Branson launched his champagnes in 2005, starting with 100 cases distributed between a handful of stores in New York. All three earned high marks from Wine Spectator, which gave the blanc de blancs a coveted 91 rating, praising its "subtle length on the finish" and its "fine balance and intensity." Branson's products also caught the attention of J.R. Battipaglia, store manager of Garnet Wine and Spirits on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
"They're really good wines, really top quality wines," he says. "The grapes come from a village with very chalky soil. The whites tend to be very mineraly, with almost a hint of sea salt, very crisp. For the people in the champagne world who want to experience these things, it's a unique experience."
Battipaglia, who still carries Branson's bubbly, says sales have slowed during the recession, but no more than other champagne labels. Meanwhile, Branson hasn't gotten quite as much support from the hip-hop crowd as he'd expected–many artists are too busy shilling their own spirits to give him any publicity. Branson's old friend Diddy plugs Ciroc vodka,Ludacris recently launched a cognac called Conjure, and T.I.inked an endorsement deal with Remy Martin.
Undaunted, Branson is pressing forward. Over the past few months he's been wading through the paperwork needed to sell his wines in other states and online, hoping that a Web presence will help take sales to the next level.
"I'm just trying to solidify a market share," he says. "I don't want to be an overnight situation. I want to build a solid company, a solid brand, and I want people that aspire to this lifestyle to consider my product when they decide they want a glass of champagne."
His blanc de blancs ($45), brut rosé ($50) and 2000 vintage Grand Cru ($75) are relative bargains for champagnes of their quality, according to independent wine buyer and critic Lyle Fass. But Branson may need to reconsider the cost of his champagne if he wants to make a big splash in the rap world. "No hip-hopper is going to buy those wines at that price," says Fass. "He needs to mark them up."
A $45 sticker price may not be glamorous enough for the average rapper, but back at his champagne speakeasy in Harlem, Branson seems unconcerned. Emerging from behind the bar, he softly pops open a bottle of his 2000 vintage and tips a trickle of champagne to the floor before filling two flutes. "To life."
"You know," he says, taking a long sip, "I think what makes a champagne great is that you enjoy it."
]]>Wiz Khalifa's High Earnings
Forbes, 08.09.11
By Zack O'Malley Greenburg
The Pittsburgh-bred rapper has transformed his affection for marijuana into a moneymaking marketing tool, and in the process, turned himself into a lucrative lifestyle brand.
The Camp Bisco music festival in upstate New York is a morass of sunburned teenagers stumbling around drunkenly in the mud–a distant echo of Woodstock, for better or worse. But when I knock on Wiz Khalifa's trailer behind the main stage, I find myself tumbling down a slightly different rabbit hole.
The door opens, releasing a cloud of marijuana smoke that dissipates to reveal the rapper sitting by himself on a couch. His wispy, heavily tattooed frame is hunched over and he's clutching a pair of scissors, cutting a white towel in half. "Arts and crafts," he mutters. He's the night's headlining act, but his setup is minimal—just a skeleton crew entourage and a small table adorned by rolling papers, an iPad, two dozen baseball caps, and a football-sized Ziploc bag of marijuana.
"I'm not bougie where I need all of that other shit," he explains with a grin, starting to roll a fresh joint. "I need some food, I need some weed, I need a place to smoke my weed." He licks the joint to seal it and produces a lighter from his pocket. "It's not my weed, it's up-here weed," he adds, almost apologetically. "It ain't bad, though."
Full Coverage: Hip-Hop Cash Kings 2011
For Wiz Khalifa, just 23 years old, marijuana is more than just an illicit hobby—it's an identity. His latest album is called Rolling Papers; he appears on the cover in a cloud of green smoke. He releases YouTube videos of himself smoking up in his "Puff Bus" and once claimed he spends over $10,000 a month on weed. He might be the artist most closely associated with marijuana since Bob Marley. But Khalifa has transformed his affection for the plant into a moneymaking marketing tool, and in the process, turned himself into a lucrative lifestyle brand.
Khalifa raked in $11 million over the past year, enough to land him the No. 11 spot on our annualHip-Hop Cash Kings list. Millions of Americans first heard his music this winter when his smash single "Black and Yellow" became the unofficial theme song of his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl run; the single was certified triple-platinum. But FORBES estimates that the bulk of Khalifa's earnings came from touring and merchandise, including 133 shows in a 12-month stretch from May 2010 to May 2011.
"We identify him at our company as one of the next potential superstars in the genre and as someone who will develop into a major hard ticket act," says Randy Phillips, chief of concert promoter AEG. "You know it's getting really big when it crosses over to suburban kids."
Khalifa's appeal as a so-called crossover act—evidenced by popularity on the college campus circuit and at festivals like Camp Bisco—is underscored by the startling success of his merchandise. Most hip-hop acts tend to gross $2-$3 per head per show; Khalifa's take is typically north of $5 and sometimes soars as high as $15. That's territory generally reserved for the likes of mom-approved pop acts like Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift.
But the merch peddled by Khalifa and his crew is far from PG. There's his black-and-yellow hoodie with a dimebag-sized zipper pocket on the inside of a sleeve ($60); at every show, he sells 150-200 packs of Wiz Khalifa branded rolling papers ($10); for $42, he even hawks a limited edition "420 Kit" that comes with papers, a t-shirt, an herb grinder and baggie (online, a disclaimer: "Wiz Khalifa 420 Kits and Rolling Papers are for adult use and are not intended for use with illegal or controlled substances.") The artist himself seems to not feel compelled to disclaim.
"Everybody smokes weed," he says. "My music and my fan base is really built off of my lifestyle … and from older people to doctors, plenty of really successful people function off weed."
Stoned or not, these people want to buy merchandise—at shows and beyond. Though he sells an average of 700 shirts a night on tour according to industry insiders, roughly one for every three attendees, Khalifa is also the all time top-grossing urban artist at teen-focused mall retailer Hot Topic.
"He built a fan base the way an old-school rock band would build a fan base—get in the van and go," says Matt Young, Senior VP of Warner Music Group's merchandising arm, which works in partnership with Khalifa and gets a cut of sales. "Merch is about wanting to identify and wanting to be part of something … I think the pot smoking thing is a big part of it. He's proud of his lifestyle and people want to share this."
Adds Hot Topic's Robert Thomsen: "In the end, the biggest factor to his appeal is that his music speaks and relates to our teen fan."
Despite his young age, Wiz Khalifa is already something of a hip-hop veteran. Born Cameron Jibril Thomaz to a pair of military parents, he moved from South Carolina to Germany to Japan before settling in Pittsburgh at age nine. He wrote his first song, a rap called "Kool Kats," when he was in third grade ("It was just about, like, being cool as f*ck," he explains)
His stage name is a nod to both past and present. "Khalifa is Arabic, it means successor, leader, shining light," he says. "My granddad is Muslim and he gave me that name … 'Wiz' just came from me being the youngest guy around everybody. I was pretty good at anything I tried to do, so they called me a young wiz."
Khalifa released his first mixtape, Prince of the City, in 2005; the next year, he launched his first album,Show and Prove, on an independent label. Hip-hop heads began to gravitate toward his lively flow and unique sound, which seemed to resist characterization in the genre's hyper-regional classification system.
"I always feel like that gave me an advantage," he says. "When you're from the East Coast or you're from the South, people expect you to sound a certain way. So if you don't sound that way, people won't label you as that type of artist. For me, I had a whole new lane to create for myself being from Pittsburgh and being a Midwest artist."
In 2007, still a teenager, he signed with Warner Brothers Records but left after his planned album experienced numerous delays. He resurfaced on the indie scene, releasing Deal or No Deal and a series of popular mixtapes in 2009 before coming to a new agreement with Warner-backed Atlantic Records last summer.
Along the way, Khalifa adopted the term "Taylor Gang" to refer to himself and his entourage; the name adorns much of his merchandise and has become synonymous with his music.
"Taylor really just came from me wearing Chuck Taylors," he says. "A lot of people in Pittsburgh didn't really wear them, that was sort of my thing. Then it became less of a Chuck Taylor thing and more about if something's tailored, it's for you, you're an individual. It became that individuality thing."
Expressing one's individuality sometimes involves breaking the rules, and that's certainly the case with Khalifa and his love for marijuana. But so far, he says, he hasn't had any trouble with the law at his concerts (one exception: a November arrest for marijuana possession between gigs; charges have since been dropped). Some venues are "420-friendly," others aren't—and he and his fans deal with it either way.
"When they're not, we respect it and the fans respect it. And when it is friendly, then people know," explains Khalifa. "The high, I don't think that ruins anything, it makes people chill out. And then when you tell them they can't smoke weed, they find other creative ways to get high that's less constructive."
He laughs. "It's just weed!"
By this point, Khalifa has polished off two joints since I joined his trailer party; he'll blaze up another on stage in an hour, and who knows how many in between. And although he's shown an (endearingly) goofy side—at one point rolling up his sweatpants to ask my opinion of a new tattoo on his ankle, just above an older one depicting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—he's more coherent than many people are sober as he explains his plans for the future.
"I just want to expand the brand organically and naturally, like people are used to seeing from me, and I don't want to move too fast," he says. "The work I put in five years ago got me where I am now … Every day I wake up is a work day, and I don't plan on chilling out anytime soon."
With the clock ticking away toward his headlining performance, he tells me it's time to bid each other adieu.
"This has been an awesome interview," he declares, showing me to the door. "All right, man, I'll see you out there, foo!"
]]>Saving The Union (Pacific)
Forbes, 10.13.09
Despite a billion-dollar government mandate and the worst recession in memory, chief James Young is putting the country's oldest railroad back on track.
On the fringe of Council Bluffs, Iowa, where the windows are cracked and rust clings to the hubcaps of dilapidated Cadillacs, the future of American railroading thrums at idle, part of a billion-dollar shotgun wedding between Union Pacific and the world's most advanced train-control system.
At 200 tons and 4,400 horsepower, the $2 million General Electric ( GE - news - people )-built locomotive sitting in an oversized garage represents the consummation of that relationship, thanks to its gleaming, GPS-enabled guts. Chief Executive James Young has spent the past year revving up a GPS refit of his company's 6,000 locomotives at a cost of $60,000 apiece. Concurrently, the company is beefing up signal capacity along 32,000 miles of track as part of a $1.4 billion total outlay. The vast new system will pinpoint a locomotive's location within one yard, improving safety and fuel efficiency.
It's an expensive job–especially in lean times–but Young didn't have a choice. After a Los Angeles commuter train collided head-on with a Union Pacific ( UNP - news- people ) locomotive in September 2008, killing 26 people, Congress passed the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, which required Union Pacific and the other major railroads to implement a new train control system by December 31, 2015. For Union Pacific, the world's largest railroad, that means refitting an average of 2.5 locomotives, 10 wayside interfaces and 10 miles of track every day for the next seven years.
Last fall, as diesel prices approached $5 per gallon, the mandate didn't look so onerous. Union Pacific consumed 1.2 billion gallons of diesel in 2008, second only to the U.S. Navy. Initial estimates of the new system suggested it could cut the company's fuel consumption by as much as 8%, which would translate to half a billion dollars in annual savings, in addition to the important safety improvements.
Then the global trade bonanza ground to a halt, customers dried up and diesel dipped toward $2 a gallon. "I now have a billion-dollar unfunded mandate–that bothers me," says Young. "Everything has to be right for this project to make financial sense." Based on current fuel prices, the opposite is happening. The Federal Railroad Administration estimates that the new system will cost the railroad industry $10 billion and return just $650 million.
Union Pacific reported a 22% decline in carloadings in the second quarter; revenues fell 28% to $3.3 billion, slightly worse than Burlington Northern's 26% decline. Young has mothballed 1,900 locomotives and furloughed 4,400 employees to compensate. Starting in September 2008, Union Pacific's stock plunged 60% over six months, and now trades at 14 times earnings. It's bad, but on par with sector peers.
Still, says Kevin Kirkeby, a railroad analyst at Standard & Poor's, "he seems to have been more willing than other rail managers to really take out costs. It sets the stage for what we expect would be some major efficiency gains as volumes come back on the rails."
Some of that's happened already, with average train speed up 20% to 27.4 miles per hour in the second quarter. Young is also hoarding cash: his company holds $1.7 billion on its balance sheet, nearly double the $611 million year it had a year ago.
What's more, Young has been aggressively wooing customers, especially in the lucrative premium cargo category. This includes hauling new autos, hazardous chemicals, and other high-margin products in specialty train cars. In June, Union Pacific lured logistics outfit Hub Group ( HUBG - news -people ) away from Burlington Northern. Union Pacific now gets an average of $1,755 per carloading, 11% more than Burlington Northern's $1,576. That should put Union Pacific in the engineer's seat when things turn around, says Kirkeby.
Young is used to tough gigs. The oldest of six children from a working-class Omaha family, he spent seven years getting through college, working odd jobs to pay tuition. He joined Union Pacific in 1978, accepting the offer just days before a position opened up at his first choice, Northern Natural Gas. (The company later went on to become part of Enron.)
After working his way through the ranks at Union Pacific, Young was elected chief in November 2005. He inherited a lumbering giant plagued by overcapacity, sloppy service and an unwieldy acquisition–six years earlier, Union Pacific had finally succeeded in buying rival Southern Pacific, a deal the company had originally completed in 1901, only to see it reversed by a monopoly-fearing Supreme Court in 1913. When the deal was reconstituted almost a century later, the troubled remnants of Southern Pacific weighed down Union Pacific's balance sheet for years. The year Young took over, earnings were down 29% to $600 million, while profit margins had fallen to an industry-worst 6%.
Young also got tough with customers. When one factory lagged unloading a 130-car coal train, he pushed its managers to work Saturdays so that his trains wouldn't sit unused all weekend. Young told foreign shippers making deliveries at West Coast ports that his trains would leave without them if shipments didn't arrive on time. Margins now stand at 22.7%.
"Jim Young is one of the best managers that I've met with," says Tom Marsico, owner of Marsico Capital. "In the past, people were afraid to say no to customers."
Young demurs. "I'm no Attila the Hun," he says. "But we did demand a culture of service, which was not always at the top of the list."
In addition to standing up to deadbeat customers, Young championed Union Pacific's Fuel Masters Program, an employee-driven initiative that rewards the most efficient engineers with debit cards they can use to fill up their own vehicles.
Indeed, Union Pacific has a few trends working in its favor. Trucking companies' market share of domestic shipping has been stalled at 30% for the past decade, while rail shipping is up from 38% to 43%. Manufacturers have taken note that, based on gross ton miles, trains can carry a ton of freight 830 miles on a single gallon of fuel; trucks stretch a gallon only 200 miles.
With diesel prices up 30% from five-year lows in March, it seems cheap fuel may not be around much longer. If it ever returns to last summer's levels, the mandate–now just a year old–could still pay off.
]]>Akon's Recession-Proof Tune
Forbes, 07.09.09
By Zack O'Malley Greenburg
One sweet-singing impresario is thriving amid rap's recession.
Ten minutes before the start of a benefit concert at Harlem's Apollo Theater, and rapper-singer-songwriter Akon is brawling with his deejay over how to hook a stodgy crowd of Manhattan philanthropists at the 2009 Do Something Awards.
"We gotta get it poppin' from the giddyup," Akon argues. His pick: Open with "Beautiful," a synthesizer-drenched ballad whose upbeat chords make you feel like you're falling in love at a beachside club in Dakar, where Akon grew up. Performing the song minutes later, he sprints and hurls himself headfirst into the audience, landing the arms of his waiting entourage–and a few surprised-looking yuppies. "When he does that in Senegal," his publicist whispers, "they rip his clothes off."
Here they just give him money. Akon is one of the only artists to increase his income in a year that's been almost as cruel to hip-hop as it's been to Wall Street. Rap record sales fell 20% in 2008, steeper than the 15% industry-wide decline. Worse, the corporate appetite has all but dried up for "360 deals" like last year's $150 million pact between Jay-Z and concert promoter Live Nation ( LYV - news - people ). The 20 top earners in hip-hop combined to make $300 million from June 2008 to June 2009–40% less than last year's half-billion.
Yet Akon's earnings have nearly doubled. He's tied with 50 Cent for fourth place on Forbes' latest list of Hip-Hop's Cash Kings with an estimated $20 million in pretax earnings over the last 12 months, up from $12 million over the prior year. His camp insists he's made even more, thanks in part to his new album Freedom, on its way to platinum status despite the slow market.
"I think people lean more to music when they're going through the hard times," Akon says, lounging in a midtown Manhattan hotel the day after his Apollo appearance. "The recession is really impacting everyday people, and they want to try to get away from the troubles they're dealing. Music is always a crutch."
Selling albums–Akon has moved 9 million in his young career–is just one part of the business. Akon performed a staggering 100 concerts from Antwerp to Vancouver during the past 12 months. According to Pollstar, he grossed $230,000 per show on average, plus merchandise sales. Factor in declining record sales, and it's not hard to see why touring is such a crucial moneymaker for artists like Akon–especially because they don't have to split concert proceeds with record labels as they do on albums. "They just try to rape you," says Akon. "You don't see money till your second or third album because you're so busy recouping." He makes nearly half his money touring.
In addition to writing, singing, producing and rapping his own songs, Akon offers the same services to other artists–sometimes for a six-figure upfront fee, plus as much as half the royalties. He's logged more than 160 guest appearances, working with acts from Gwen Stefani to fellow cash king T-Pain.
It's paying off. "At the beginning of his career, like many artists, he did not have the infrastructure in place to handle everything that was coming at him," says David Bolno, a co-director at Nigro Karlin Segal & Feldstein, which Akon hired to represent him last year. "Together we put a business plan in place in order to manage his current business ventures, the back-end administrative functions on invoicing and collections for his producing and songwriting."
Akon also launched his own record label Konvict Musik, which includes KonLive Distribution, a 50/50 venture with Interscope. He gets half the profits from album sales and still keeps his own touring revenues, merchandising rights and ringtones. Last year Akon co-produced Lady Gaga's debut The Fame, which sold more than 1 million copies and collaborated on the multiplatinum single "Just Dance."
"He's one of the most prolific producers around, period," says Ryan Schinman, chief of Platinum Rye, the world's largest buyer of music and talent for corporations. "Akon is one of the savviest businessmen in the industry. He's not going anywhere."
Akon got noticed five years ago with the release of "Locked Up," a song about the time he spent jailed for auto-theft charges in Georgia and New Jersey. The multiplatinum single is one of many recognizable hits from his first album, Trouble. But the details of Akon's life prior to 2004 remain murky.
New York State court records show that Aliaune Damala Thiam was born on April 30, 1973. Wikipedia lists his full name as Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam. Asked if this is correct, Akon grins. "It might be," he says. Age? "Twenty-young." Marital status? "I'm very loved."
What's fairly certain is that Akon was born in St. Louis, Mo., sometime in the past 40 years and spent much of his childhood in the West African country of Senegal, which he describes as his "hometown." The child of a dancer mother and a renowned percussionist father, Mor Thiam, Akon learned to play five instruments, including drums and guitar.
Akon spent his school years in the states and summers in Senegal. He moved to the U.S. full time for high school, settling in Jersey City, N.J., and later, Atlanta. After spending a semester at Clark Atlanta University, Akon says he dropped out to lead a Gone in 60 Seconds-esque car-theft outfit. "I was just the biggest hustler ever," he says. "I just wanted to be rich, I didn't care how. However I could get a break, or an opportunity to make money, my hands were involved in it."
The law caught up with him in Atlanta in the late 1990s, when he claims cohorts ratted him out. Akon says he spent three years in and out of jail as penance for his car-related kleptomania.
The story took a hit last year when The Smoking Gun reported that much of Akon's criminal background was exaggerated or completely fabricated, citing court documents that show his only automotive offense as a 1998 bust for possession of a stolen BMW in New Jersey. The report indicates that Akon served several months in Georgia's DeKalb County Jail before prosecutors dropped all charges. He claims his criminal record was expunged as part of a settlement because it had been making it difficult for him to obtain visas when performing abroad.
Whatever his past, the future looks good for Akon. He's collaborating with Lady Gaga and Lionel Richie and finishing a new album, due out this fall. He was also one of the last artists to work with Michael Jackson–last year the duo recorded the song "Hold My Hand," which has since been leaked on the Internet. Akon says the song and other material recorded with Jackson will not be released without the consent of Jackson's family.
Beyond music, Akon is producing a reality show–for a major network, he says–where members from different Los Angeles-area gangs are selected to be in a band together. He's also putting the finishing touches on Aliaune, the more expensive counterpart of his Konvict Clothing line.
Perhaps his most ambitious project is Hitlab.com, launched last September, an online community where aspiring artists can promote and sell their music outside record-label auspices. The site offers proprietary technology that promises to predict whether or not a song has the potential to be a hit. "I call it the industry killer," he says. "That's going to be the future for music."
If anyone would know, it's probably Akon.
Video: Akon's Forbes Remix Exclusive


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See Indiana Jones Outdoors on the Big Screen
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Bond's Television is proud to bring you Outdoor Movie Nights! Head to the Clarksville store on Friday, May 4, 2012 to enjoy a free screening of Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) (PG). The movie will begin at dusk, at approximately 8 p.m. There will be free hot dogs and popcorn, donated by Galaxy Cafe. There will also be free soda, donated by Nau's Drugstore, but they have run out in the past, so you may want to bring along your own drinks.
Some seating will be provided, but you can also bring along your own chairs or blankets. New this year is the chance to win VIP Seating. There will be a drawing to see who gets to sit on the leather couch.
For more information, visit the Bond's Television website.
Bond's Television & Electronics
1010 W. Lynn St.
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 476-3551
Bond's Television & Electronics
1010 W. Lynn St.
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 476-3551
Thanks, Austin Free Events!


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I recently got a Russian SKS that is missing the bayonet. A local pawn shop had the correct bayonet and related parts, but no mounting screw. Is there any place that sells little parts like the screws for an SKS? So far nothing has turned up in my searches.
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Dead Bears, the only good kind.
Thanks for the good info!!
If it is the ooooooold style Russian with the spring-loaded firing pin, congrats; otherwise, you would be safer with a spring-loaded pin OR with some EXTRA cleaning on the firing pin hole. The Yugos especially seem to get gunked up and invite the possibility of a slam-fire situation.


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Back to: /Budget & Planning/
Budget & Planning Seed Funding for New & Refreshed Online Programs for 2014-15 February 17, 2014 MEMORANDUM
Academic Affairs invites proposals from academic units for one-time funds in 2014-15 supporting the development of new and refreshed online programs, degrees and certificates. In response to input from adult nontraditional online students, proposals will also be accepted that support the development of evening and weekend blended classes (50% or more of the course content is online, with a corresponding reduction in class face-to-face meetings). New this year: funding will be available for converting traditional or existing online courses to the U-Pace self-paced format (focus on gateway introductory courses). Funding is also available for online redesign/refresh of STEM gateway courses and for remedial/developmental courses. Proposals should demonstrate the need for the program (including alignment with state/national employment projections, areas of high demand, etc.), faculty/staff who will participate in the program and other instructional support such as teaching assistants, preliminary program budget, timeline for developing the program and offering courses, capacity/readiness to undertake the program, and commitment to faculty development and quality assurance in online programming. In its document "Best Practices for Electronically Offered Degree and Certificate Programs," the Higher Learning Commission summarizes its expectations with respect to program quality:
In keeping with UWM's Access to Success initiative, proposals for new and refreshed online programs that support student access, success and active learning are encouraged. Project proposals should be submitted electronically
on the attached Online Program Seed Funding Form A to Laura Pedrick
at firstname.lastname@example.com
no later than midnight, March 17, 2014. |


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Armarkat Cat Tree is made and designed for your cat's needs and to keep them active. Our premium carpeted cat tree features carpet that you would find in your home.
Features: Premium carpeted cat tree
Height: Triple Level
Color: Brown with Beige posts
Materials: Polypropylene fiber carpet; pressed wood
Dimensions: 24" L x 16" W x 37" H
Base Dimensions: 20" x 16"
House Dimensions: 12" x 11"
Perch Dimensions: 12" x 12"
Post Dimensions: 4"
Max Holding Weight: 50 lbs
Weight: 22 lbs
Care Instructions: Wipe with damp cloth, may use gentle liquid detergent
Assembly Instructions: Easy to assemble with step by step instruction and tools


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Looking for something published by Innovative Resources? Come and browse our complete range of card sets, stickers, picture books ...and more!
In the Bookshop you'll find a diverse range of books and resources, many of which can be used in conjunction with our own publications.
Our 'seriously optimistic' workshops are filled with ideas for using our resources in your work, and can be tailored to suit any organisation.
We publish and sell a diverse range of conversation-building tools for human service practitioners, including card sets, books and stickers. These reflect our commitment to recognising and promoting the strengths and dignity of individuals, families and communities.
Innovative Resources shares the St Luke's motto:


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Much like many school districts do, it is a good idea to confirm understanding of company policies by obtaining individual employee signatures. That way, no employee can come back at a later date, when a policy has been violated, and say they didn't receive or understand the policy in question.
Although ignorance of the law is no excuse, there is so much gray area in potential lawsuits. It is smart for a company to eliminate as many variables as possible from the start.


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About This Listing Report Omissions or Errors in This Listing
Appearances (1921) British B&W : Five reels / 5374 feet Directed by Donald Crisp
Cast: David Powell [Herbert Seaton], Mary Glynne [Kitty Mitchell], Langhorn Burton [?] [Sir William Rutherford or Lord Thornton]?, Mary Dibley [Lady Rutherford], Marjorie Hume [Agnes], Percy Standing [Percy Dawkins]
Famous Players-Lasky British Producers, Limited, production; distributed by Paramount Pictures Corporation [British]. / Scenario by Margaret Turnbull, from a play by Edward Knoblock. Assistant director, Claude Mitchell. Cinematography by Hal Young. Intertitle card design by Alfred Hitchcock. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.37:1 format. / British Board of Film Censors certificate: A. The film was released at 1344 metres (five reels) in the USA by Paramount Pictures Corporation on 12 June 1921.
Survival status: The film is presumed lost.
Current rights holder: (unknown)
Listing updated: 25 January 2006.
References: Gifford-British n. 07192 : Website-IMDb.


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Tire burner opposition team not finished
MILTON – Even though a tire burner project has been canceled at National Gypsum in White Deer Township, Union County, the "Stop the Tire Burner" team says they are still working to help keep communities safe.
The Rev Dr. Leah Shade reflected on the surprising turn of events, "We were preparing for a long drawn-out fight. We were actually quite surprised how quickly this ended. In January, we were supposed to have a meeting with the judge before the Environmental Hearing Board for the appeals that those of us on the team had submitted against DEP's Air Quality Permit. We got a call from the lawyer saying that National Gypsum had pulled their support from the project and the meeting was not happening because En-Tire was not able to secure the site any longer. All of the sudden, it was over."
But, Shade says they still have work to do to prevent this from happening in other communities, "The regulations themselves are very much influenced by the corporations and by lobbyists for the businesses. We realized that communities need to be able to be empowered to say whether or not they want to have a public health threatening business in their community. As it stood, the White Deer Township Supervisors had very little recourse to action with the zoning ordinances. There was no option for the community to take a vote on whether they wanted this."
They will be hosting a Pennsylvania Community Rights Workshop on February 21 from 6 to 9 p.m. and February 22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The workshop will be held at Susquehanna University in Room 319 at Apfelbaum Hall. For more information you can call 570-713-8843. To hear more from Shade, listen to Friday's On The Mark program online at www.wkok.com. (Ali Stevens)
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Texas Red Dirt Roads Radio Program – Justin Frazell 95.9 The Ranch
Sunday Fun Day – Texas Red Dirt Roads Radio Program
Fat Daddy's Mansfield is proud to be hosting Justin Frazell (host of 95.9 The Ranch) at Fat Daddy's Mansfield on Sundays from 3-6p.m. This is a great way to end your weekend and have some fun. We have had big name artists such as Wade Bowen, Stewart Mann, and Greenriver Ordinance make and appearance so don't miss your chance to see other Artists and come out and see what we're all about!
While you are there, grab a bite to eat, have some drinks, and enjoy!


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When Gary Carmichael moved from dairying to commercial hay growing more than a decade ago, he quickly figured he'd need more than traditional marketing methods to be a success. We could see that, as a society, we were gradually moving to a new generation of people who go to the Web first for their communication needs. We decided that having our own Web site was the way to go, says Carmichael, Evart,
More About:
When Gary Carmichael moved from dairying to commercial hay growing more than a decade ago, he quickly figured he'd need more than traditional marketing methods to be a success.
"We could see that, as a society, we were gradually moving to a new generation of people who go to the Web first for their communication needs. We decided that having our own Web site was the way to go," says Carmichael, Evart, MI. He markets alfalfa and alfalfa-grass hay from 2,000 acres to dairies, beef producers and horse owners in Michigan and neighboring states.
Last year, www.carmichaelfarms.com had more than 4,000 visits and 11,000 page views. Carmichael's son, Kevin, developed the Web site, which carries general business information, a description of the types of hay produced, pages devoted to photos and videos of the farm, contact information, links to other hay and agriculture sites and more.
"In just an average year, we'll end up getting a lot of calls, especially at the height of the growing season," says Gary. "Two years ago, when there was a hay shortage in many areas, we were getting 10-15 calls a day." Some sales are made to customers as far away as Missouri, New Jersey and Florida.
Part of Carmichael's Web-site success was having a son with computer and business savvy. Kevin Carmichael now runs a Web application consulting firm, KCTechnologies, Inc., in Lansdale, PA (KC-Web.com) and is the founder of AgriHayExchange.com, an online hay-listing service. He and several other professional site developers who've built Web sites for hay-growing clients agreed to share their thoughts on how to get the most from a business Web site. Even if you opt to hire development duties, their tips will give you working knowledge of the process:
Make the site easy to find
Having the best hay-marketing Web site ever won't do much good if people can't find it, says Kevin Carmichael.
"If someone goes to a search engine like Google and types in 'hay for sale,' or 'hay wanted,' you want to make sure your site is on the first two or three pages that come up," he says. "If you're not, chances are people will never get to your page because they've already found what they were looking for on another site."
A good Web developer will know how to use tools like key words, reciprocal links and sponsored ads to make sure your site can be found.
Make a good first impression
"Once you get people to your site, you want to keep them there," says Kevin Carmichael. The Carmichael Farms site starts with a Flash Media slideshow highlighting haying, raking, etc. The farm business phone number is also prominently displayed.
"The whole idea with the home page is to let people get to know you a little better. If you can make them comfortable there, they'll be more likely to click on to the other pages."
Keep things simple
Don't pack too much into your Web site, advises Danielle Reith, Hadley, MN. Reith, a graphics designer for a communications company, develops Web sites for local businesses in her spare time. Her first client was her dad, Kevin Nelson, owner of Nelson Hay Company in Hadley, MN (www.nelsonhayco.com).
"If you have too much text or too many pictures on the front page, it can get overwhelming for someone visiting the site," says Reith. "If the front page isn't quick loading or easy to navigate, visitors will lose interest quickly."
She also favors using traditional typefaces for text. "Remember that people of all different ages will be coming to your site," she notes. "A font that's too fancy can be difficult to read, especially for older people."
Be straightforward
"If your customer base is mostly other farmers, you probably don't want or need to load the site up with a lot of glitz and glitter," says Jordan McGowen, a Beaver Crossing, NE, farmer who does Web-site development as a sideline business called McGowen Computer Services.
He works on about two sites a month. One of his clients is Stock Hay Company (stockhay.com) in Murdock, NE.
"Most farmers don't have a lot of extra time to spend at computers sorting through a lot of extras on your site. Go with a straightforward approach. Tell them enough about yourself and your business to make them feel comfortable with you. Then make sure that they can find your contact information quickly and easily."
Project a professional image
Incorporating photographs and videos to show your farming operation is good strategy. But be selective, says Jennifer Reinford, founder of LocalEquineServices.com, a Web site geared toward helping horse owners find hay, bedding material and other products within specific geographic locations. She also does Web-site design work for other businesses.
"You see a lot of sites where the photos and videos look like an afterthought or a last-minute project," says Reinford, of Boyertown, PA. "High-quality photos will project an image of professionalism."
For more tips on developing a Web site, check out "Internet Strategies To Improve Farm Business Management," an online learning tool developed by USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service. You'll find it at tinyurl.com/InternetTool.
A Classified Option To Web-Site Marketing
For years, Davis, IL, hay grower Don Brown relied on traditional print advertising to reach customers in northern Illinois and Wisconsin.
A year ago, he placed an ad on the Rockford, IL, edition of Craigslist.org. "I didn't really know what to expect," Brown says. "But about 20 minutes after the ad appeared, I had sold two semi loads of hay. Both of the sales were within an hour of home."
As part of an overall marketing strategy, Brown combines his use of Craigslist ads with listings on the Illinois Department of Agriculture's online Hay and Straw Directory (www.agr.state.il.us/markets/hay) and the University of Wisconsin's Farmer-To-Farmer crops marketing Web site (farmertofarmer.uwex.edu).
"Like everybody else, we're trying to watch what we're spending on advertising more closely. These sites give us a way to reach a few more people at no cost."
He also continues to run print ads in regional farm newspapers and magazines. He's just more selective about when and where he places the ads. "We try to do some more research up front to target areas where there's likely to be more demand for what we have."
For other Internet marketing options, see Internet Marketing Resources.