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The Service Revolution
Manufacturing's missing crown jewel
For manufacturers, services have often been regarded as an onerous obligation and stocking spares a complex and thankless sort of business that gives cost accountants ulcers. Yet with unprecedented pressures on product margins and the threat of commoditization, services may the best opportunity for profit and differentiation.
Henry Ford wasn't just a brilliant supply chain innovator. He was a natural entrepreneur who understood business in all its dimensions. "A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits," he said. "They will be embarrassingly large."
Ford's assertion, unfortunately, appears to have gone unheard by many of today's manufacturing companies, who consider themselves designers and producers of tangible products rather than providers of integrated solutions to customers' broader needs. Too often, manufacturers view their service operations as ancillary businesses separate from and by no means equal in strategic or operational importance to the "core" product business.1
That mindset is as risky as it is outdated.2 There has been a clear migration toward service offerings, a shift sparked by products rapidly becoming commodities and by growth in the number of customer "touchpoints" over the lifetime of a manufactured product. The shift applies to consumer goods as well as to industrial products, and to complex industrial machining centers and commercial refrigeration units as much as to vacuum cleaners. The sale transaction is essentially just one touchpoint on a continuum of potential interactions between producer and customer, and an early one at that. At its root, the basis of competition is shifting toward the ability to drive business performance through excellence in service and parts management.
Deloitte Research, in collaboration with the global manufacturing practices of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, launched a major multi-year research program in 2005, the Global Service and Parts Management Benchmark Study (see "About the Research."),3 designed to pinpoint the boundaries of best practice in service excellence and to understand more about the risks of ignoring the service side as well as the advantages of embracing it. The study conclusions reveal a wide gap between best-practice leaders – those we call "service champions" – and the rank-and-file manufacturers whose service performance is far from excellent. The findings do, however, point to a large untapped market for the manufacturers that can master the elements of superior service. This article describes how most manufacturers today approach the service factor, compares the drivers of profitability and growth on the service side, and makes a strong case for change in a wide range of manufacturing sectors.
The profitability imperative
Let there be no doubt about the impact of the service business. Our research found that the average profitability of the service operations we benchmarked is more than 75 percent higher than overall business unit profitability.4 The most profitable service businesses we benchmarked (the top 25 percent) are more than three times as profitable as the average business unit. Across the manufacturing companies that we studied, service revenues average more than a quarter of total revenues but deliver 46 percent of the profits. At many producers, there would be little or no profitability without the service business.5 (See Exhibit 1.)
These findings apply just to the current impact of service activities, with the future impact still more compelling. Our analysis suggests huge untapped profit potential in "non-captive" as well as "captive" markets.6 Yet most companies are not even close to tapping that potential. Although the fastest-growing service operations (the top 25 percent) are growing more than twice as fast as the average business unit, more than two-thirds of companies are seeing their service operations expand no faster than the overall business; in fact, their service growth rates often lag those of the whole company. The median benchmarked company derives only 40 percent of its after-sales service market and 75 percent of the after-sales spare parts market from servicing the installed base of its own products, which constitute its captive market. (Those numbers are much smaller for categories such as automotive original equipment manufacturers.) As for servicing non-captive customers, a market up to 10 times larger than the captive opportunity, only a few manufacturers have made significant inroads. Most are managing their potential high-growth "stars" as if they were slow-growth "cash cow" businesses.
A few leading manufacturers, such as aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce plc, understand the short-term and long-term value of their service activities. Rolls-Royce provides airlines with what it calls "Power By The Hour," selling its engines along with the services to maintain, repair, and overhaul them over many years. Service revenue already accounts for about 53 percent of Rolls-Royce's $11 billion-plus in annual revenues, well above the 26 percent average for all the companies benchmarked.7 The company's service revenues have increased by more than 60 percent over the last five years and almost tripled over the past decade, growing more than twice as fast as Rolls-Royce's overall business. This company does not need a reminder that service matters more than ever, a message that bears new emphasis for many other manufacturing companies. We can point to six reasons why:
- New basis of competition. The business models of many global manufacturers are under assault as customer demands change, home markets mature and low-cost rivals raise their games. In developed markets, products are becoming commodities as pricing pressures increase, particularly as a result of low-cost country sourcing. In emerging markets such as China and India, service and parts operations are facing fierce price wars as well as counterfeit parts, situations that damage long-term brand reputation as much as they hurt profits. Protecting the business through service excellence is one way of keeping out the competition while improving customer service and loyalty.
- Product proliferation. New products are introduced more frequently. If not properly managed, the combination of shorter sales cycles and long service life cycles is a recipe for escalating costs, parts obsolescence, lost customer focus and deteriorating customer service quality. Among the service operations benchmarked, the median inventory obsolescence rate stood at five percent and in many cases exceeded 10 percent.
- Quality backlash. Quality issues and problems with delivery of service and parts can exact a severe toll in warranty costs and brand damage. Analysts estimate that industrial equipment makers alone will invest a total of $1 billion over the next five years to overhaul warranty management and spare parts logistics.
- Continued outsourcing. Many large manufacturers are steadily outsourcing elements of their core operations, including parts production and assembly. In effect, they are relying more on the success of their customer-facing, service-oriented businesses, although those functions too often lack the capabilities needed to succeed.8
- Service resilience. In times of economic downturn, service and parts sales are often far more robust than the main business. For example, during the economic and financial crisis in Korea from 1997 to 1999, sales of new vehicles by Hyundai and Kia Motors dropped by nearly 36 percent, but the Hyundai Mobis spare parts sales business posted a 5.6 percent sales increase.9
- Increasing business complexity.Whether caused by expansion into new markets, mergers and acquisitions or product proliferation, the growing complexity of business makes the challenges even more daunting. Customers are likely to demand better-tailored and better-managed service solutions, often combined with risk-sharing agreements. Ensuring the right customer experience, which involves products, service, branding and price, delivered to the right place at the right time, will become even more difficult. But it will also become a requirement for success.
Understanding the challenges
While most companies are eager to improve their global service and parts businesses, our research shows that they continue to treat service functions as an afterthought.10 Three major problems are apparent: flawed strategy and business design, substandard operations planning and management, and poor execution in building the profitable customer interactions that sustain loyalty and satisfaction. Each challenge deserves closer scrutiny:
Flawed strategy and business design. Many senior executives simply don't understand the potential of their services and parts operations, often viewing them as cost centers rather than profitable growth businesses that can drive enterprise growth. At the heart of the problem is a lack of insight into the real opportunity. Only a fifth of the companies benchmarked, for example, said they had extensive visibility into service profitability. Just six percent had a clear idea of customer profitability and only six percent knew their key performance metrics on market share growth. (See Exhibit 2.) Without good visibility into the performance and potential of the service and parts business, executives are hard-pressed to understand the business and are poorly equipped to justify or prioritize major investments for improvement.
The problem goes deeper. Our benchmark survey found that many manufacturers have difficulty in developing a strategy and an efficient design for their service operations. While nearly 40 percent of executives said that continuous optimization of the overall supply chain design of the service business is of the highest importance over the next three years, fewer than one in 10 companies perform well in this area today. Similarly, few respondents said they have achieved high performance in balancing cost with customer service levels. Even worse, more than 30 percent of respondents said they are not doing well in building global tax efficiency into network modeling, and another 40 percent said they did not even know how they were doing in this area. Taking a holistic view of the business, including issues of tax and other regulatory and compliance issues, is of crucial importance to most companies struggling to get value out of their global investments.11
At the same time, only a few companies effectively include service management issues when making decisions about product innovation and product life cycle management. Ineffective organizational design further hampers service businesses, which tend to have low levels of investment in the people and competencies needed for good performance. Given the strategic importance, profitability and growth potential of the service function compared to the overall business, attracting and developing the right talent should be a priority for top management.
In contrast, the service champions operate on a different plane. Leading providers such as Siemens AG Medical Solutions make service central to their corporate strategy, designing the service business around customer requirements in order to create customer satisfaction, loyalty, and business performance.
Siemens' customers increasingly expect to pay for equipment uptime. To achieve this, Siemens harnesses sophisticated technology and advanced processes and workflows, combining online, real-time repair information, inventory management, pricing and invoicing with advanced logistics systems to give service technicians the right information and parts when and where they need them. For example, the company is using simple lockboxes to store parts near customers, reducing the travel time for high-cost and highly valued service technicians.12 The best way to assure high efficiency of field service engineers, they have learned, is to synchronize closely the arrival of a part at the drop-off point with the scheduled service job of the engineer at the client site.
Substandard operations planning and management. Inadequate planning, managing, and monitoring capabilities hamper the service operations of many of the companies benchmarked. Planning is a particular challenge. Among the companies responding, the median forecast accuracy for parts demand is less than 80 percent, and for a quarter of the respondents it is lower than 52 percent. It's even less encouraging that nearly 70 percent of the manufacturers surveyed are unable to report on the forecast accuracy for their service and parts activities, suggesting deep-rooted problems in managing demand, inventory, and capacity.
Many manufacturers are in effect leaving money on the table by running their service operations at less than their potential. In inventory management alone, we calculate that if the average $1 billion service business benchmarked were to add one annual inventory turn, it would liberate $53 million a year in working capital.
Asked to identify the major barriers to service excellence, close to half of the executives responding cited supplier responsiveness and over a third mentioned long lead times. (See Exhibit 3.) Inadequate information systems got their fair share of blame, as did limited supply chain visibility. Executives at many companies said they had no or very limited visibility into key operational metrics such as inventory at dealers or customers, demand and sales forecasts at all distribution levels, and global available-to-promise inventory to commit to customer orders.
Once again, the service leaders show what is possible. The experiences of leading manufacturers such as Caterpillar Inc. show that ongoing investment in and focus on improving the service and logistics operations can lead to outstanding customer service, resulting in greater customer loyalty and a foundation for profitable growth. (See Sidebar.)
Poor execution. The "last mile" to the customer is where battles for customer loyalty are won or lost. It is a tough journey. Customers keep raising the bar for service excellence by requesting shorter lead times, higher service levels, lower cost and better customer service support. Yet most manufacturers are still unable to provide customers with excellent and cost-effective service. Overall, our analysis of the benchmark results suggests that customers are likely to get exactly the items that they want, at the right time and place, less than 75 percent of the time. That is a dismal performance in a global economy where customers have more options and more information than ever before to tempt them to switch to competitors' offerings.
Service level agreements (SLAs) with customers are gaining ground across many industries, but companies are running into difficulties in fulfilling them. Because they often have limited access to critical customer data, companies are unable to assess, quantify and manage contractual risks accurately. They usually have limited knowledge about the critical capabilities needed to satisfy customers' real needs at an affordable cost. They are struggling to develop and manage a business model that they do not fully understand.
Not surprisingly, the median on-time customer response for SLAs is just 90 percent, and for many companies the number is far below that. Given the high cost of equipment downtime in industries such as semiconductor manufacturing, mining and medical devices, low service levels are a costly problem and are not likely to generate much in the way of customer loyalty.
For the service champions, though, delivering service excellence is central to their business models. At Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors Corporation, both part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, service guarantees such as extended warranties are an essential part of the value provided to car buyers. Capturing a larger share in servicing the over-24 million Hyundai and Kia cars operating worldwide forms a crucial part of the growth strategy of Hyundai Mobis. Hyundai and Kia sell their cars with warranties of up to 10 years/100,000 miles in key markets around the world.13 To do that cost-effectively, the cars must be of high quality and the service and parts operation must operate at the highest level of efficiency.
Hyundai Mobis supplies service parts to Hyundai and Kia vehicles worldwide, which involves stocking more than 890,000 parts for 137 vehicle types. The company has built a $55 million, 2.2 million square foot spare parts center in Asan, south of Seoul, to help do this more effectively and support its global distribution network.14 The center is piloting item-level radio frequency identification (RFID) tagging coupled with a central computer system using artificial intelligence for managing and optimizing the spare parts business. Customers can track the status of the shipment remotely at any time between order and delivery in real time.
Cat sees big growth in services
Caterpillar Inc. is a master of the service game, with an inventory of more than half a million spare part numbers and a huge worldwide installed base of earthmovers, engines, excavators, and other equipment that in some cases needs service for 40 years or more. Yet Cat can ship its customers exactly what they want within 24 hours, 99.7 percent of the time.19
Cat has done so well on the service front that it has extended its capabilities in service parts management and logistics to external customers. Forming Cat Logistics in 1987, the company set out to build a global growth business and to capture more of the available market for service parts management. Today, Cat Logistics counts among its customers blue-chip companies such as Ford, Saab, Toshiba and Honeywell. It employs more than 9,000 logistics professionals across 25 countries and six continents, managing more than 18 million stock-keeping units (SKUs) and shipping more than 160 million orders and 16 billion pounds of freight each year. The external opportunities are significant. Says Cat chairman and CEO Jim Owens: "Cat Logistics has been generating growth of 25 percent annually in revenues from external customers, and massive opportunities remain for creative third-party logistics providers in this $170 billion industry."20
Experiences at companies such as Caterpillar show that service excellence relies on processes and systems that create visibility across the supply and distribution network. As early as the 1970s, Cat built a global database for tracking inventory across its network, initially focusing on parts that originated from Caterpillar's central distribution centers. In 2002, the system was extended to include parts obtained locally to ensure global visibility into all parts in the distribution network. One outcome: since the late 1980s, the equipment maker has halved its service parts inventories while improving its already highly regarded customer service. For Caterpillar, top-notch customer service levels are the primary driver of repeat business. At the same time, these improvements are saving the company more than $460 million a year compared to the late 1980s.
Cat is not complacent about its wins to date. Knowing that its core competency is in supply chain management and logistics and not in software development, the company is developing its next-generation global service and parts management system in collaboration with SAP, Ford Motor Co., and Deloitte Consulting.
Using process and technology to reshape the service business
Our research suggests that manufacturing companies can make strategic and operational investments in processes and technologies to leapfrog the competition. This in turn leads to ongoing improvement in the operational and financial performance of their global service businesses. Those investments fall into two categories:
1. Collaborative processes can be applied across the service supply chain, from suppliers to customers. For most, if not all, applications, they are well-documented, proven and ready for implementation. Our analysis shows a strong correlation between the level of implementation of processes, such as collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment with customers, and the benefits achieved from implementation. (See Exhibit 4.) Across the service businesses benchmarked, the more extensive the level of implementation, the higher the benefits reported from adopting key processes.
For example, the North American operations of Volkswagen AG saw first-hand the benefits of implementing robust processes for service parts management. In 2004, the automaker was struggling with low customer order fill rates and with incorrectly located parts inventories spread across a broad distribution network.15 There were more than 160,000 part numbers, with supplies coming from Europe and South America. The parts operation was handling 12 million order line items a year and serving 1,000 dealers nationwide. To overhaul the service parts operations, VW's customer-focused team deployed a new business design as well as new processes and planning techniques (including lean warehouse management). They were able to reduce their structural cost, improve inventory management and productivity, and increase customer service levels. Order fill rates directly from customer-facing inventory soared from 76 percent to the targeted 94 percent and network fill rates using the entire parts network are now around 98 percent. The company also managed to take $25 million a year out of its North American parts inventory and warehousing costs.
In fact, without sufficient technology support, it will be increasingly difficult to manage and optimize the service business as customer requirements increase, products proliferate, and the service function itself grows more complex.
While VW knows the potential on the service side, the same cannot be said of many other manufacturers. According to our research, only one in seven of the service businesses benchmarked gives customers full visibility into their order status. Only seven percent have implemented extensive collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment with their customers and suppliers. In fact, nearly 70 percent of the service executives responding say they either have no implementation of vendor-managed inventory practices or they do not know the implementation status. Clearly, there are significant opportunities for improvement through better collaborative processes.
2. Information systems that help design, plan and manage service operations are maturing rapidly. A decade and more ago, and in some cases as recently as five years ago, the IT systems available were the weakest links for most service and parts businesses. But today they can support most of the requirements of the largest and most complex service operations. In fact, without sufficient technology support, it will be increasingly difficult to manage and optimize the service business as customer requirements increase, products proliferate, and the service function itself grows more complex.
Our study shows that many companies are neglecting to upgrade their IT infrastructure to allow them to differentiate performance in their service businesses.16 Service executives pointed to inadequate and inflexible IT systems as a major barrier to operational excellence. Only 11 percent of the companies benchmarked have implemented customer relationship management systems extensively, and just 10 percent have the software to streamline product data management. A mere six percent have IT tools for advanced planning and scheduling in their service operations.
Yet our analysis points to a strong correlation between IT systems implementation and benefits achieved. (See Exhibit 4.) Some leading companies are capitalizing on technology in innovative ways. At General Electric, RFID tools, which barely rate at all with most manufacturers, are used to tag power-generation parts and modules to make it easier to identify and assemble the equipment at customers' sites.17 Rolls-Royce also offers a powerful example. On a trans-Pacific flight, when a Rolls airplane engine was hit by lightning, the engine shut down and restarted appropriately. But instead of incurring an unscheduled inspection upon landing at a cost of about $1 million in maintenance and delays, the airline was able to schedule the inspection for a more convenient and less costly time.18 How? Rolls-Royce uses sensor and communications systems to access the data feeds from the engine monitors in flight. The maintenance problem was addressed in real time – literally on the fly.
The service issue must be included on the meeting agenda of the board of directors to reflect a sense of urgency and to ensure executive commitment.
Next steps: Putting the service business on the boardroom agenda
We believe that the service and parts business is the overlooked jewel in many corporate portfolios. Exhaustive research establishes that service operations typically generate higher profitability than "core" product manufacturing activities, and they typically offer a much stronger growth potential. Yet the service opportunity is still under-exploited in most of the companies benchmarked. Service is chiefly viewed as a secondary activity, and seldom receives the resources or the attention it deserves.
A decade ago, it might have been possible for managers to get by with that viewpoint. Today they cannot. The consequences will not necessarily be obvious next quarter or even next year, but global competition is too intense and too volatile, and the basis of competition is changing too quickly, for manufacturers to enjoy long-term success without incorporating the service business into their strategic planning. Three key steps are necessary:
- Senior managers should map out their companies' current service functions and pinpoint the synergies between the service business and their companywide strategy and operations in areas such as marketing, sales, customer service, product development, manufacturing, and distribution.
- Companies must benchmark thoroughly against the best operational and execution practices both within and outside their industry and conduct follow-on visits to selected best-practices businesses.
- Based on their overall corporate strategy and the operational benchmark assessment, companies need to develop their road map for "service transformation" by targeting key areas for improvement in strategy and business design, operational planning and management, and execution.
The service issue must be included on the meeting agenda of the board of directors to reflect a sense of urgency and to ensure executive commitment. Service champions such as Rolls-Royce, Siemens and Caterpillar are moving the service business to the boardroom agenda and making service excellence a litmus test for competitiveness. With profitability and growth levels on the service side often far exceeding those in the main business, it is clear that the service revolution in global manufacturing is well under way. For most manufacturers, it is now a matter of embracing the service revolution or risking being left behind.
About the research
Over the last few years we have conducted in-depth case studies and benchmarked to date more than 120 companies across the United States, Europe, and the Asia- Pacific region with combined revenues of more than US $1.5 trillion.
Participants to date in the ongoing Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Global Service and Parts Management Benchmark Study come from a diverse array of industries, with about six percent from the aerospace and defense sector, 32 percent from automotive and commercial vehicle businesses, 30 percent from the diversified manufacturing and industrial products industry, 21 percent from high technology and telecommunications, and 10 percent from life sciences. More than 60 percent have their corporate headquarters in Europe and 34 percent have head offices in North America.
The participating companies are all big players in their industries, with 77 percent reporting annual corporate revenues of more than $1 billion. Nearly two-thirds of the service and parts businesses benchmarked have global coverage while another 17 percent have regional or multi-national coverage.
The research was conducted by Deloitte Research, a part of Deloitte Services LP.
EndnotesView all endnotes
- In this study we use the terms "service business," "service operation," "service and parts business," "service and parts operation (SPO)," and other similar terms interchangeably unless otherwise indicated. For more details on this research, see Deloitte Research, The Service Revolution in Global Manufacturing Industries (New York: 2006).
- For more on the global trends in manufacturing, innovation and supply chain management, see Deloitte Research, Mastering Complexity in Global Manufacturing: Powering Profits and Growth through Value Chain Synchronization (New York and London: 2003); Deloitte Research, Mastering Innovation: Exploiting Ideas for Profitable Growth (New York: 2004); and Deloitte Research, Unlocking the Value of Globalization: Profiting through Continuous Optimization (New York and London: 2005).
- Service and parts management refers to the management of a service and parts operation after the initial sale of the main products and includes installation sales and services, spare parts distribution and sales, and post-sales services.
- Profitability is measured as earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) as a percentage of sales revenue.
- Profitability is measured as earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) as a percentage of sales over the last fiscal year. Revenue growth is measured as the average annual increase in sales revenue over the past three fiscal years. Other research suggests that "aftermarket service and parts account for 20 percent to 30 percent of revenues and about 40 percent of profits for most manufacturers." See Tim A. Minahan, "Unlocking Value and Profits in the Service Chain Service Parts Management," Aberdeen Group, September 2003.
- We refer to "captive" markets as those for servicing a company's own installed products. The "non-captive" market is defined as the market for servicing competitors' installed products.
- Source: Rolls-Royce, www.rolls-royce.com. See also Rolls-Royce, www.rolls-royce.com/civil_aerospace/overview/default.jsp and Deloitte Research, Making Customer Loyalty Real: Lessons from Leading Manufacturers (New York, 1999). For more on the aftersales service business in the commercial airline market, see Mark Dixon Bünger and Henry H. Harteveldt, "Overhauling Airline Maintenance," Forrester, October 13, 2004.
- See "Extinction of the predator-the global car industry," The Economist, September 10, 2005.
- See Hyundai Mobis Annual Report 2004.
- See Deloitte Consulting, Aftermarket, Afterthought: Getting More Value from Your Service Parts Supply Chain (New York, 2003).
- See Deloitte Research, Unlocking the Value of Globalization: Profiting from Continuous Optimization (New York, 2005).
- See presentation by Frank Elssner, Siemens AG Medical Solutions, "Uptime Services: Siemens Medical Solutions," Service Parts Management with SAP, Berlin, September 28-29, 2005. See also Siemens Annual Report 2005 and Jack Ewing and Diane Brady, "Siemens' New Boss," BusinessWeek, January 24, 2005.
- Estimate. See Hyundai Mobis Annual Report 2004.
- See "Mobis opens logistics center in Asan Center dedicated to enhanced after-sales service. W54.7 bil. spent to combine logistics functions," Hyundai Mobis, June 16, 2005. See www.mobis.co.kr.
- See Volkswagen AG Annual Report 2004.
- Research indicates that spending on service and parts management IT is 60 percent below main line business and that automation of service lifecycle management is important. According to one study of (mostly) North American companies, the 65 percent of businesses that have not automated to support service lifecycle management (SLM) are twice as likely to lose customers as are SLM leaders. See Marc McCluskey, Judy Bijesse, David O'Brien, and Lindsey Sodano, "Service Lifecycle Management (Part 2): Building a Roadmap for Investments," AMR Research, September 24, 2002. Another analysis suggests that "manufacturers' service supply networks are ten years behind their product supply networks in terms of process sophistication and use of packaged applications." See Brian Albright, "Industry Rises to Aftermarket Parts Challenges," Frontline Solutions, July 2004.
- Presentation by Joseph Salvo, Pervasive Decision Systems Laboratory, Information & Decision Technologies, General Electric Company, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Forum for Supply Chain Innovation, June 15, 2004.
- Source: Miles Cowdry, Director, Services, Rolls-Royce plc, at SAPPHIRE Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark, April, 2005. For more on Rolls-Royce's customer service capabilities, see Stanley Reed, Diane Brady, and Bruce Einhorn, "Rolls-Royce at Your Service: Careful Attention to Customers is Key to its Rebound in Commercial Jet Engines," BusinessWeek, November 14, 2005.
- See Michael Schmidt and Steve Aschkenase, "The Building Blocks of Service Excellence," Supply Chain Management Review, July/August 2004.
- See Caterpillar 2004 Annual Report.


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Process Equipment Incentives
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subset: commoncrawl


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"Vampire Diaries" Alum Confirmed to Play Savitar on "The Flash" S3
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Writers Kelly Sue DeConnick and Christopher Sebela spoke exclusively with CBR about their new "Ghost" ongoing series from Dark Horse Comics, featuring art by Ryan Sook.
DC Comics has revealed a closer look at its Vertigo imprint's upcoming publishing slate with seven upcoming titles with full synopses and creative teams, including "Hinterkind," "Dead Boy Detectives" & more.
Amanda Conner's variant cover for "Avengers Assemble" #17 offers a look at Earth's Mightiest Heroes as they continue their battle in writer Kelly Sue DeConnick's "The Enemy Within" crossover.
Meagan Damore gives Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matteo Buffagni's "Avengers Assemble" #16 4 stars, saying DeConnick tackles the issue "with her usual grace and style."
Upon returning from this year's HeroesCon in Charlotte, North Carolina, Brett reflects on how Captain Marvel's fans, members of the growing Carol Corps, reflect the future of comic books.
Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick hints at what to expect from the current "Enemy Within" crossover running between "Captain Marvel" and "Avengers Assemble" and pitting her characters against Carol Danvers' oldest enemy.
Doug Zawisza gives "Avengers: The Enemy Within" #1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Scott Hepburn 4 stars, saying the issue "has gravity and emotion aplenty, but not at the sacrifice of character moments or action."
Contrary to reports circulating online, Marvel has not cancelled its Kelly Sue DeConnick-scripted "Avengers Assemble" series.
James Hunt gives "Captain Marvel" #11 4 stars, saying the issue by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Christopher Sebela and Filipe Andrade "gives a distinctly irony-free approach to solo superheroics."
Archives: All | Comic Books | TV/Film | Video Games | Web Comics


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The complex case of Sean Kirksey, the Camdenton middle school principal and his involvement with state testing proceedures is at an end.
The conclusion is a disappointment for some, particularly the students and parents who supported him throughout the process. One of the longest and most comprehensive public airings of a personnel matter in memory ended with the principal's resignation. That then is the end of this sad chapter.
A lot of good things occurred during the former principal's tenure at Camdenton. He was, and is, held by high regard by a lot of people in the district. That should serve him well as he continues his career elsewhere. We wish him well.
Now it is time for those on both sides of this issue to move forward as well. The testing controversy is over.
There will be changes for administrators but no change in the school's long history of excellence.
We suggest that this episode be put behind us and support for the school be put back at the top of everyone's agenda. It is a new school year, a clean slate as they say. Let us all take that mindset forward.
Location, ST | website.com


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Thursday, April 26, 2012
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- This weather may have some of you turning up the AC about now, but before you turn that thermostat way down, you might want to think about how much it will cost you.
Possibly the only thing worse than a slow-running AC is one that costs you a lot of money. That's why it's so important to keep your air conditioning unit in tip-top shape.
Each year, your AC unit goes without maintenance, it loses about 5 percent of its overall efficiency. And emergency repair, especially during a heat wave, can cost a ton.
You need to have it serviced any time the AC unit is not cooling properly or when the humidity in your home increases.
A typical service call ranges between $70 to $100.
And don't forget to change your filter frequently -- it will save you some money.
"Changing your filter on your furnace or air conditioner is one the simplest things you can do. Just remember to check it every month when you pay your utility bill. It's something that anyone can do themselves and it can save you up to 15 percent on your energy bill if you get them well maintained," said Angie Hicks of Angie's List.
Whenever hiring an AC company -- as with any company coming into your home to do work -- make sure the workers are properly licensed and insured.
And here is a tidbit to keep in mind: Each degree you dial below 78 degrees increases your energy by 8 percent. So if your monthly bill, is $100, you save $8 with each degree you can stand above 78.


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Saoirse Ronan, 16, might just be the most well-adjusted screen star in the history of Hollywood.
Maybe its because the Irish actress spends so little time there.
Home for Ronan for most of the year is either a film set somewhere, or rural Co. Carlow in Ireland (where it's probably hard to have an in-depth conversation about the rigors of filmmaking with bemused locals at the post office).
Although she's daily surrounded by some of the richest and most accomplished people in filmmaking, she still has her local Irish accent and the most level head possible for a person in her weird fly-around-the-world and make a new movie every six months situation.
This week Ronan stars in the title role in 'Hanna', a startlingly original new thriller directed by auteur British filmmaker Joe Wright which opens nationwide on Friday. Hanna features Ronan's most accomplished work to date, and it seems certain to raise her celebrity pay grade even higher.
If you're debating whether or not to see Hanna this weekend, and aren't sure you like the sound of its teenage girl kicks bad guy butt premise, let me assure it's nothing like you imagine – this PG-13 film is definitely not for kids.
How often, for example, does an action thriller manage to scare the pants off you? And when was the last one you saw one that had the power to make you literally jump out of your seat?
The great thing about Hanna is that although it's a genuinely tense thriller, it's eccentric English director is not content to just stop there, so he turns the film into a mad fairy tale too with unexpectedly successful results.
In most hands that decision would have spelled its doom, but in Wright's hands it Hanna takes flight.
For Ronan, who plays the title character, the emotion that she's experiencing about the film's reception is mostly one of relief that people get it. She had total faith in Wright's vision, but she wondered a bit about the public response.
Now that it's come and its positive she feels vindicated. That makes the job of promoting it so much easier (she's coming off a two week promotional tour when I talk to her by telephone from California).
"I'm in LA at the moment and it's grand," she tells the Irish Voice. "We're busy enough and the team here is putting me trough my paces." (The day before Ronan appeared on the Ellen show for the first time).
Asked to describe her character and the film, she puts it simply: "It's a coming of age story, you know. It's this girl who has been through a very strict regime her whole life and has been so disciplined by her father.
"Technically she's learned an awful lot of things from books but she's been so isolated, she doesn't really know life or the world. She was great to play; she's a great character for an actor because she's so fresh. It's kind of that she has a young child's mind and she's just fascinated by everything she sees and shocked by it. It's brilliant."
In the film Hanna lives with her father in isolation in northern Finland, where she has never come into contact with another living soul. It can't have been difficult for Ronan to put herself in her character's shoes, I joke, because it sounds a bit like growing up in Donegal.
"Exactly, and then you step out into the real world," Ronan says with a laugh. "It's like that in Carlow as well though.
"I've never been to Donegal and actually my mam and I were only talking about it. They want us to move up there – well, they want us to get a house up there because they love Donegal. I'm lucky because I get to travel away and stuff, but the film is basically about breaking away from the comforts of home and stepping out into the world."
To prepare for the role of a lethal teenage assassin was actually easier than many people might imagine, she says.
"Really all I had to do – and actually it was a tough thing to do – was clear my mind and almost wipe the memory of what's happened to me in the past few years and what I've been through and just start again. To feel like this is the first time I've seen everything. It would have been easier to draw from past experiences, but I couldn't do that with this role."
The thing about Hanna is that she's not a typical comic strip action hero in a miniskirt and a bustier. She's not a cartoon or an adolescent boy's fantasy. She's beautiful, yes, but she's troubled and strange.
"We both know and love freaks," says Ronan, "and I love that about Hanna. She's like a little alien. A lot of people over here are asking me, 'How did you identify with her and are there any similarities between you and Hanna?'
"There's none, but the journey that she's going through, although it's heightened and a bit surreal, it's the journey that every single teenager including you and I and my parents all went through. Discovering things, being in awkward situations. Hanna's a bit of a misfit and I think most people feel like that as teenagers anyway."


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Mass. Media Shield Law gets a new life; NH still without such protection for its journalists
Massachusetts is one of 10 states without a media shield law. The other nine are Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Mississippi, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming.
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Campbellsville High School had little trouble in disposing of Washington County 83-52 on Wednesday night in a Touchstone Energy Fifth Region All "A" Classic semi-final game at Caverna.
The Eagles, who were to play the Bardstown-Caverna winner in Saturday's title tilt, rode the 20-point effort of Jordan Percell to lead 45-26 at intermission.
Matthew Davis took over the reins in the third quarter and tallied 12 of his 16 total points as CHS' advantage increased to 68-34. Percell finished with 26 and, like Davis, did not play in the fourth frame.
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text:
- Nov 13:
- Twitter IPO makes San Francisco the sexy new face of Silicon Valley
- Nov 9:
- 2013: Quinn: Five reasons why Twitter isn't a one-day wonder
- Twitter's IPO could pave the way for other consumer Internet companies
- Nov 8:
- 2013: Twitter's IPO means 1,600 new millionaires -- and more good news for Silicon Valley
- Wolverton: Twitter tips for beginning and aspiring Twitterers
- Biz Break: Twitter declines as other Silicon Valley companies line up for IPOs
- Twitter stock calms down on second day of trading
- Nov 7:
- 2013: Twitter's soaring IPO sparks praise and skepticism -- and bodes well for Silicon Valley
- 2013: My, how time flew for Twitter
- 5 things you might not know about Twitter
- Fairfax lemonade entrepreneur, 9, rings stock exchange bell at Twitter IPO
- 2013: Quinn: Twitter needs to balance users, Wall Street
- Biz Break: What's next for Twitter after IPO?
- Outside Twitter's headquarters, a mix of happy employees and angry protesters
- 2013: Twitter shares soar 70 percent in Wall Street debut
- Why user burnout could threaten Twitter's prosperity
- Nov 6:
- User burnout could threaten Twitter's prosperity
- Nov 5:
- Twitter is powerful, but where are the profits?
- Why some experts think Twitter stock is a bargain
- Going public: How Twitter's IPO will work
- 2013: Twitter's IPO price 'more art than science'
- Twitter is not alone: 'It's a wild week in IPO land'
- Nov 4:
- Nearly half of Americans think Twitter is a bad investment, poll finds
- Twitter increases IPO price range, following Facebook's path
SAN FRANCISCO -- Twitter began the road to its much-anticipated IPO pledging not to follow in Facebook's footsteps. Now, as it nears the end of what has been a remarkably rapid and glitch-free process, the microblogging service will find out if it gambled correctly.
By pricing its shares at $26 on Wednesday, slightly above its earlier projection, but resisting the temptation to sell even more shares, Twitter and its investment bankers walked a careful tightrope: Set the price and the number of shares for sale high enough to pump $1.8 billion into the company coffers, but not so high as to scare off wary Wall Street.
The outcome will be closely watched by startups across Silicon Valley -- to say nothing of Realtors, landscapers and restaurateurs who hope the IPO will keep the good times rolling.
Facebook, infamously, on the eve of its 2012 IPO hiked both the per-share price and the number of shares it was selling. That tamped down demand when shares hit the public markets the following morning, shutting down the tech IPO market for two months.
Twitter did not increase the more than the 70 million shares it had planned. It did, however, hike its price range twice in the past week: From $17-$20 to $23-$25 on Monday, then a buck higher with Wednesday's final pricing.
Tim Keating, an IPO expert in Colorado, is among those who think $26 dollars a share is still too high for a company that's never made a profit and whose business model still baffles many.
At its new price point, Twitter's valuation is north of $14.4 billion, based on the number of shares the company says will be outstanding after the offering.
We just priced our IPO. pic.twitter.com/NWXaO4Myq0— Twitter (@twitter) November 6, 2013
That approaches a record for IPO valuation compared to revenues, said Keating, president of Keating Capital. Twitter's market capitalization would be 27 times the $534 million it bagged over the past four quarters; Keating says Palm set the mark with a market cap of 29 times earnings when it went public in March 2000, during the dot-com bubble.
"To be able to support that type of valuation, they need revenues of $2.7 billion in five years' time," Keating said of Twitter. With various experts projecting Twitter to hit $1 billion in revenue next year, it would have to grow significantly faster than the average Internet company to reach that five-year milestone, Keating said.
Many pundits seem to share his concerns: Even before Twitter priced its IPO, the mainstream and financial media were rife with headlines such as "Don't Chase Twitter's IPO" and "Buzz builds over risks and (possible) rewards."
Gartner analyst Brian Blau, on the other hand, pronounces himself unconcerned with Twitter's price hike.
"I still think they are taking the conservative, or call it a tempered, approach to their IPO," he said. "I really feel that Twitter will be fine post-IPO, as long as they can solve some of their user-retention issues and continue to drive the ad business forward."
Twitter primarily makes money by selling advertisers "promoted tweets" -- mini-ads inserted into the flood of 140-character messages that make up a user's Twitter feed.
How the stock fares in coming days and weeks is of concern well beyond the company's boardroom. When Facebook's hugely hyped stock offering failed to take off, many small investors felt burned, especially those not versed in the ways of Wall Street.
According to an Associated Press poll this week, nearly half of active investors say Twitter wouldn't be a good investment.
Then again, a new survey of several thousand users of the social network Knotch found overwhelming bullishness for Twitter heading into the IPO. Interestingly, those users tend to live far outside the tech belt, hailing from such states as Ohio, Arkansas and South Carolina, said Knotch CEO Anda Gansca.
Internet entrepreneur and blogger Jason Calacanis, who cut his teeth as a tech pundit during the dot-com boom, said there's little fear of mom-and-pop investors blowing their nest eggs on Twitter's debut.
"Retail investors really don't buy at the IPO any more," he said. "I think everybody understands gambling on individual stocks isn't a great idea."
Keating is much less sanguine.
"In conversation I've had with financial advisers, the conclusion is that this one isn't gonna be like Facebook, so I should pile in,'" he said. "I don't think there've been any lessons learned at all."
Contact Peter Delevett at 408-271-3638. Follow him at Twitter.com/mercwiretap.


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Hi there,
First of all, thanks Shagrath for a fantastic piece of software. I've already "sold" it to a bunch of guys at work with PS3s, and they universally love it. Such an impressive piece of software! I particularly love the subtitles feature, as my girlfriend likes having them.
Anyway, my only issue is that PSM doesn't seem to "stay up" -- either running it while logged into my Windows box or as a service. By "not staying up", I mean that if I run PMS, I can connect from the PS3, play movies, etc. with no problems. However, if I leave PSM idle, the media server in PS3 is no longer there, and I have to stop and start PMS for the PS3 so see it again.
Ways of reproducing this:
- Shutting down the PS3 and turning it on again later
- Playing a game or doing anything else on the PS3
Both the above result in the media server on the PS3 just disappearing, and a scan won't find it. Only stopping and starting PMS will get things working again.
I am running PMS on Windows Server 2008.
Thanks very much, and if anyone has had this, and managed to get it sorted, I'd appreciate a hint!


text:
How Should We Get In Touch?
We would love to learn more about your requirements and send you our sample pack.
Please complete this simple form and we will get back to you straight away or please call us on 01263 519749 from the UK or 800-310-1439 from the US. We would love to hear from you.


text:
Recipe spotlight: Jicamama Salad
Published: Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 12:17 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 12:17 p.m.
Jicamama Salad
1 medium-sized Jicama, peeled and diced
2 small red apples, unpeeled and diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 cup raspberry-walnut vinaigrette
Curly leaf lettuce
Toss together Jicama, apples and celery with vinaigrette and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, tossing occasionally to ensure an even marinade.
When ready to serve, clean lettuce thoroughly, tear and place on individual salad plates and spoon marinated salad on top.
Makes six to eight servings.
— Recipe submitted by Charlette Poché of Houma.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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$34.00$0.68 / ml
Bio Actives. French Clay. Tropical Spirulina
A deep cleansing and purifying clay mask formulated with French Clay to draw out impurities, remove excess sebum and eliminate dead skin cells. It also contains Spirulina, a tropical seaweed rich in essential fatty acids that helps to encourage cell renewal. It will reduce pore size and leave the skin smooth, toned and decongested.
No Petrochemicals, Sulfates, Parabens, Synthetic Fragrance, Synthetic Colors, TEA, DEA, Glycols, Silicones, PEGS Et AL
Dermatologist Tested and Approved. REN is against animal testing.
Clean Skincare
Avoid eye contact. If eye contact occurs rinse well with warm water.
|Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Water (Lavender), Kaolin (French Clay), Cetearyl Alcohol (Source Palm Oil), Cetearyl Glucoside, Spirulina (Arthrospina Platensis) Powder, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate (Source Amino Acids), Phenoxyethanol (Source Aromatic Ether), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil (Lavender), Callitris Introtropica (Blue Cypress) Wood Oil (Blue Cypress), Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil (Bergamot), Limonene, Linalool, Lactic Acid (Source Wheat)
Apply a generous amount to clean skin. Allow to dry until the mask can be removed by gently rubbing the skin with fingertips. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®by PowerReviews
Reviewed by 2 customers
(6 of 6 customers found this review helpful)
Great Mask for Combo/Oily Skin
By Anna
from Spring Valley, NY
describe yourself Brand Buyer
- Balances Skin
- Draws Out Impurities
- Gentle
- Helps with acne
- Improves Skin Texture
- Leaves Clean Feel
- Leaves Skin Soft
- Pricey
- Small Bottle For Price
Best Uses
- Acne-Prone Skin
- Combination Skin
- Oily Skin
Comments about REN Invisible Pores Detox Mask, 1.7 oz:
I bought this during a sale because this stuff is very pricey. You get a small bottle, but I was impressed with the packaging. The mask is in a plastic bag within the container to keep air out which is great.
On to the product - at first it seems like your average clay mask. It tingles slightly which is pleasant. Maybe this was my imagination but I think I felt the mask drawing stuff out of my pores. Once the mask was completely dry (15 minutes) I gently rubbed to get it off per the instructions. I couldn't get all of the mask off this way though so I did wash my face with warm water to get the rest off.
The mask left my skin smooth and soft, and I do feel like it got a lot of gunk out that a cleanser wouldn't be able to get to. This mask is gentle enough to use twice a week or more, but it somehow manages to be powerful too. I have noticed a real difference in the texture of my skin. I noticed a difference in the size of my pores too - especially on my nose.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
(6 of 6 customers found this review helpful)
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
- You may also flag this review
(11 of 11 customers found this review helpful)
Gets rid of deep pimples..overnight
By Becks.
from Columbus, Ohio
describe yourself Brand Buyer
- Balances Skin
- Gentle
- Improves Skin Texture
- Leaves Clean Feel
- Not Greasy
- Messy
Best Uses
- All Skin Types
- Combination Skin
- Oily Skin
- Sensitive Skin
Comments about REN Invisible Pores Detox Mask, 1.7 oz:
I used this mask as an overnight spot acne mayday remedy, and was surprised and delighted by how well it worked. I was getting one of those hormone enduced, under the skin, painful pimples, and this drew all the fluid out of it without having to break the skin. It was like nothing even happened. Amazing.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
(11 of 11 customers found this review helpful)
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
- You may also flag this review


text:
Battle of Belmond
Saturday, September 18, 2010
River DGC, Belmond, IA
A part of the 2010 North Iowa Tour!
WAK PAK Disc Golf will be selling Discs!
8:00 to 9:30 AM (in the shelter house)
9:45 AM Players Meeting
10:00 AM Tee Off
Limited to first 60 paid entries
Open – $30 (cash payout)
Advanced – $20 (WAK PAK vouchers)
Intermediate – $15 (WAK PAK vouchers)
Women – $10 (WAK PAK vouchers)
Juniors (12 – 16 years old) – $10 (WAK PAK vouchers)
Ace Fund (Optional) – $2
* $1 N.I.T. Fee is included in Entry Fee
* Ace Fund will carry forward to next N.I.T. Tournament if no Aces
* Ace Fund is currently at $106
* Ace Fund will be capped at $100, and then start a new Fund for 2nd Ace
3 Rounds of 12 Holes (3 Temp Holes)
1 hour Lunch Break after 1st Round
30 minute Break after 2nd Round
Multiple CTP Prizes!
Trophies for 1st Place in all Divisions!
Check back often as more information gets added.
If you have any questions or need more info contact Rob Peil @ 641-430-5997 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Mail Preregistrations to:
Rob Peil
PO Box 85
Coulter, IA 50431


text:
SAN JOSE -- If the Sharks do play the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs, San Jose is going to have to play better than they have so far this season if it expects to advance. And Thursday night's game would be a good place to start.
Coach Todd McLellan didn't use those words, but that was his message after the Sharks' morning skate.
"As far as the games go between us, they have been the better team," McLellan said. They have been the better team statistically in a lot of categories and when we went back and reviewed the four games, it was a little bit sobering. We have work to do. I think that's a big challenge for our team."
The Sharks are 1-2-1 going into the final regular season game between the teams. The Kings, of course, eliminated San Jose from the 2013 playoffs in seven games, but McLellan didn't want to focus on what is lining up as another series match-up this spring.
"Who plays who after this game later in the playoffs, I don't know what's going to happen. I can think that far ahead," he said. "But we have to get our house in order. Without a doubt, they've been the better team in the first four games and we have to fix that."
McLellan said that would involve both solving the heavy forecheck style of play the Kings use and improving his own team's ability to hem Los Angeles in its own zone.
There were some indications McLellan plans to shuffle his lines as Tommy Wingels was wearing a top-six jersey during the optional morning skate and Matt Nieto was wearing the teal jersey generally reserved for third and fourth line players.
Wingels could find himself in a second-line spot alongside Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau while Nietos move onto a third line with Tyler Kennedy and James Sheppard. That would leave a fourth line of Marty Havlat, Andrew Desjardins and Mike Brown while the top unit stayed the same.
McLellan acknowledged there could be movement, but declined to go into specifics.
"Because I don't know what we're going to do for sure yet," he said. "We'll see when we get out there and see what their lines look like as well. This'll be their third game in four nights so they may make some changes, too."
Antti Niemi is expected to get the start in goal for the Sharks.


text:
Deploying Oracle RAC DB 11gR2 on LDoms Virtualization
By sunabl on Aug 11, 2011
This blog provides a "cookbook" procedure to configure and install Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC) Database 188.8.131.52 on Solaris 10 and Logical Domains on Sun CMT servers (also using ZFS). If you are not familiar with LDom, review this document called "Beginners Guide to Oracle VM Server for SPARC: Understanding and Deploying Logical Domains".[Read More]


text:
14 February 2007
Taking Stock
I've been thinking recently about the nature of blogging, this weblog, my life, etc., because a little voice (one of many) in the back of my head keeps asking, "Why do you still do this?!" When I began back in August 2003, I didn't really have another outlet for ideas and thoughts and random musings. Oh, occasionally something would get published here or there, but not much. I kept a journal off and on, but never with much fervor. And then I started reading weird fiction of all sorts again and wanted to talk with other people about it and chart the progress (or regress) of my reactions to it, and a blog was the perfect way to do so.
I looked back through the archives recently, reading around more or less randomly, skimming a lot. Sometimes it was enlightening, because I discovered things I'd utterly forgotten reading or seeing or thinking. Often, it was embarrassing, because I've always had the attitude that posts here should be experimental, that I don't feel any compunction to be consistent in my thoughts or ideas, that I will try not to be afraid to offer incomplete thoughts or ideas that might prove within a few days or hours or minutes to be utterly stupid. I couldn't keep going with this site if I didn't feel that freedom, because I'd develop a fear of saying anything. (I've sort of reached that point with my Strange Horizons columns, frankly. It's a more formal setting, and I tend to try to make that writing at least slightly more considered than the average post here. I think most of those columns are, for me, good work, but I need to find a way to rejuvenate my approach to them, to take more risks and try new forms, because otherwise I'll just play it safe, and that's pointless.)
People who are not bloggers have said to me that they're amazed that I manage to write as much as I do here, and yet I usually feel exactly the opposite -- I would love to be able to put up a post every day, for instance. Even if I had the time, though, I don't think I could do it, because ideas don't come that quickly to me, and I don't really feel the need to spout off an opinion about random news or events. I'm barely comfortable with the amount of spouting off that I already do! Writing that gets shared with an audience requires a certain amount of arrogance, a willingness to ask people to spend time reading your words. It requires confidence, too, because you have to have a sense of your own authority. I wrote so many things for so long without any sort of audience that now that I have a few people who, for whatever reason, read the words I send out into the world, oddly enough, I find my confidence disappears much more quickly.
When I began The Mumpsimus, I wrote almost exclusively about science fiction and fantasy. I'd never had the opportunity to be a part of the SF world before as anything other than a reader. I was just about as naive as it's possible to be. I kept writing about SF as much as I could, but I have eclectic interests, and once I decided to keep the blog going, I knew I would have to let some of those other interests expose themselves as well. This is ultimately what I most enjoyed about the blog -- talking about SF, but not only SF. Finding connections, links to other things. Pretending borders didn't exist, just to see what would happen. Experimenting. It was fun, even when I said really ridiculous things and people told me so.
Then I gained other avenues for publication. I started reviewing for various places, and so did less reviewing here. That inevitably caused the substance and perhaps tone of the blog to change. Then life kept getting busier and busier. That affected things, too. I promised myself that I wouldn't keep the blog going unless I wanted to, and that I wouldn't give in to the pressure the form creates to put up lots of content. I still try only to post when I feel the urge, and to post only what I feel like posting, not what I feel obliged to. That's the only way to keep an endeavor like this going, at least for me. I certainly feel guilty now and then when things are dormant for a while, but what would be the point in putting up content just for the sake of putting up content? We've all got more than enough to read, don't we?
(You could be excused for wondering what the point of this post is, then. For me, it's just a way of airing some ideas, concerns, and guilts so that you'll know where I'm coming from right now, because that way I'll feel less guilt about the inconsistencies here and less apprehension about continuing the blog. A crisis of confidence, really, and this is just my way of working through it.)
Much has changed over the course of this blog's life, and one of those things is the amount of time I spend discussing science fiction and fantasy, which was the original purpose for The Mumpsimus. There are lots of reasons for this -- for instance, I didn't want to write about any stories eligible for Best American Fantasy, because I'm always wary of any sort of conflict of interest or inappropriateness. But my reading habits change frequently, and for a while now I've been reading a lot of things other than SF. I find my interests tend to be cyclical, though, and are now returning to SF, particularly science fiction, so I expect there will be more of that here for a little while, because once again my interest in the language, history, and potential of SF is growing. We'll see...
And so perhaps all I wanted to say here, really, is: Thanks for bearing with me. I'm still having fun, and I hope that occasionally some of what I post here is entertaining or somehow valuable for you. I still don't really know what this blog is exactly for, or about, or what -- and that's a good thing, because the only sure death-knell for this blog would be if I felt it no longer had the flexibility to be whatever I needed it to be. That I can say with confidence.
2 comments:
- Jessica2/17/2007 10:59 AM
I'm not sure whether you're still checking comments on this post, but just in case...ReplyDelete
I don't have time to check this blog everyday (my time has been juggled so much, I'm surprised my neighbors haven't introduced themselves just to complain about the half-exposed, mangled bits of irrigation piping that has decorated my front yard since last summer...) Still, I do look up this blog as regularly as time allows because of the eclectic nature of your posts. I never realized this was created specficially as an outlet for sf/f discussion, which is what I primarily read when my reading time is limited (as now); I just enjoyed the far-reaching exposure to books, writing conferences, and links. And, being a writer with effectively no time to write creatively (1/2 hour in the last six days), I'm grateful for the link to what's going on, the literary discussions, thoughts, & excerpts, all of which serve to keep me motivated to carve out that 1/2hour whereever I can. Thank you.
- Anonymous3/02/2007 3:56 AM
I haven't read back through all of the archives, but what I've read from your recent posts makes me glad you're still using this outlet. I enjoy your thoughtfulness and the interesting tangents you go on.ReplyDelete


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Man charged with possessing sea turtle
Published: Monday, September 2, 2013 at 6:32 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, September 2, 2013 at 6:32 a.m.
A Hillsborough County man is charged with illegally possessing a sea turtle and authorities say he is a suspect in an incident on Casey Key, in which a man was photographed taking eggs from a nest.
According to a report on www.TampaBay.com:
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office deputies said they found Kim Raymond Feaste, 21, with a sea turtle in a Tampa apartment. Possession of a sea turtle is a third-degree felony and punishable by up to a $5,000 fine and five years in prison.
Authorities are investigating whether he is also the man suspected of taking sea turtle eggs Aug. 13 from a nest on Casey Key.
Read the full story here: www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/wesley-chapel-man-accused-of-illegally-possessing-sea-turtle/2139544
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Yesterday I was discussing with a fellow DBA about ways to check
the status of existing and/or past RMAN jobs. Good backup scripts
usually write their output to some sort of log file so, checking
the output is usually a straight-forward task. However, backup
jobs can be scheduled in many different ways (crontab, Grid
Control, Scheduled Tasks, etc) and finding the log file may be
tricky if you don't know the environment well.
Furthermore, log files may also have already been overwritten by the next backup or simply just deleted. An alternative way of accessing that information, thus, may come handy.
Fortunately, RMAN keeps the backup metadata around …[Read more...]


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The Future of Cinelerra
It would be remiss if I did not at least mention the current buzz around Linux video editing tool Cinelerra. An article appeared on Linux.com a couple of days ago, outlining a new direction for the software that began life as Broadcast2000.
I'm not going to do a Cinelerra history lesson here, go and read the Linux.com article. What is more interesting is the desire to build a new Cinelerra (Cin3), completely divorced from the original Heroine Warrior sponsor.
I've actually been following the Cin3 discussion on the Cinelerra mailing list for some time now. At this stage discussion seems to be centered around what the new name for the software will be and what GUI toolkit to use. There's a long way to go before Cin3 – or Verite as it may now be known – becomes a stable usable product.
And that's where the problem lies. Cin3 may be another 2 or 3 years away from being production ready. What happens in the meantime? How much effort will be expended on developing and maintaining the existing Cinelerra 2? While such a long lead time may be needed for a community driven application of this complexity, it does open the opportunity for other projects, both commercial and Open Source, to carve out a large video editing market share on the Linux platform.
Already Blender incorporates a reasonably full featured video sequence editor. I wonder about the viability of spinning that off as a standalone piece of software. What if MainConcept did indeed decide to open source their now defunct MainActor editing tool? Perhaps Adobe, or Sony, or Pinnacle will take the plunge and release a Linux version of their video editors. If the Linux desktop continues to rise in popularity, these scenarios are distinct possibilities.
Already Cinelerra suffers from an image problem, allegedly being too complex to learn and generally unstable. Let's hope the Cinelerra community team can forge ahead quickly to create an easy to use, but powerful, open source non-linear video editor.


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When one's computer goes wacky, a solution is to find "reset," click on it, and return to the spot on the calendar before the gizmo lost its faculties.
Snow makes no noise. However, a "click" can be heard in the High Country upon its arrival - "reset" for an ecosystem gone wacky.
Only recently have the hillsides west of me in Fort Collins, slopes black from flames in July, been whitened.
It was in keeping with an acutely warm fall and near-record temperatures nationally and globally. Usually on the Front Range the fire season has a beginning and end. But that's not the case this year. Fire season without end?
Fires raged near Wetmore into November, and in Rocky Mountain National Park into December.
It's been a horrid drought in the foothills. Our reservoirs and ponds stare skyward, brown bags under their eyes. Fall colors came early - not in celebration, but of thirst.
I was in the San Luis Valley in midsummer. Thirteen thousand-foot Mount Blanca, which typically has snowfields most of the year, had long since renounced its name. Mount Moreno? Mount Tostada?
Hell, yes, the climate is changing.
That's not me talking, and not some pesky climatologist whom the average American takes pains to ignore. No, this was the CEO of Exxon Mobile, Rex Tillerson. Yes, he said in June, climate change is real. What did he suggest we do about it? He said we should get used to it.
In a related story: Shell stopped drilling operations in the Chukchi Sea off the Alaska coast when a massive sheet of ice flowed in the drillers' direction - sort of like the iceberg seeking out the Titanic.
Of course, the climate is changing. Ignore the facts if you will.
The pine beetles appreciate this. Sustained deep freezes in the High Country once controlled them. That was then.When the Rockies were ablaze this summer from Idaho to New Mexico, drought conditions were only one factor. The other was ponderosas and lodgepoles left dead by those tiny jaws.
When things get warm, Colorado is splendiferous. But the summer of 2012 was a bummer.
As a child and teen, I clung to that season like a lover. Last year many of us experienced an alienation of affection. Days when the Front Range was not obstructed by smoke were few. Longs Peak squinted out to the plains as if wishing to vacation in Cleveland. This was not right. This was reality. Was it the new normal?
I was never a fan of snow. It made cars slide and newspapers wet. It covered tennis courts and ballfields. Gradually I have changed my opinion. If it's going to be cold, it might as well be white.
Now I embrace snow without reservation. And let's hear it for cold.
Snow, snow, snow. Come not in inches but in feet, so many feet that skiers' boots drag in the drifts below the lifts. Close Independence Pass until Independence Day.
Let us have so much winter that we are truly cabin-crazy by March. While we pace, let us think about our planet and what sustains us. No, it's not fossil fuels. It's the benevolence of seasons, of streams and air currents, of life itself.
May the next spring reset us to that spot where streams gush, where reservoirs swell, where nature works as intended and we understand how and why.
Or maybe we'll just return to ignoring the natural world with impunity - ignoring it, that is, until all goes up in smoke.
Longtime newspaperman John Young is an instructor at Front Range Community College. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Hi everyone.
I've encountered my first real issue with PS3 Media Server today, actually I've experienced it before, however never really considered it a problem with the program, but rather the video file. Today, I realize that it's happening with every source file I use, rather than just some, though.
The issue is, when I'm streaming video through PS3 Media Server (specifically .mkv video files), the audio which plays through the speakers sometimes makes a clicking sound when the sound is low in volume. For example, in movies or TV shows when there is no talking, and just some sort of string instrument playing in the background to add suspense or dramatic effect, this is when it will make the clicking sound. When credits are playing during movies, it also tends to always have a clicking sound which interrupts to audio. You can still hear the music, but it is cut in and out by the clicking. Also, when there is very little audio, the audio cuts out completely. An example of this is when there is no background music, and no one is talking, but you would generally still hear the slight sounds in the background made by the actors, or scenery. This is when it the audio is gone completely, until the next audible sound comes out which is generally a loud one.
For what it's worth; I'm using MEncoder and TsMuxer for video, and MPlayer Audio, FFMpeg Audio, and Audio High Fidelity for audio. Number of channels is set to 2 channels stereo, with an AC3 Audio Bitrate of 384. I have not attempted to change any of these settings. In my MEncoder settings, I have "A/V sync alternative method" enabled, along with Enhanced multicore support.
Any help is appreciated.


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XL Series Tow Bar Mounting Brackets - Malibu '97-'01
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10 Celeb Beauty Trends You Should Try
Nothing's hotter than a radiant, healthy glow. With her rosy cheeks and matching lipgloss, the actress was the picture of lit-from-within, princessy-perfection at an Oz The Great and Powerful screening.
The actress showed up to the Miu Miu show in a crisp pony, strong brows, and scarlet lips. Ladies, take notes -- this is how you smolder.
Spring Fragrances You'll Love


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Despite being more than 20 years old and starring in more than 20 games, Kirby has been a tertiary character in Nintendo's stable of heroes. He doesn't command the star treatment like Mario or Link. The pink puffball also lacks the weight of older protagonists such as Donkey Kong or Samus.
And his games have been great, but they've always run into hurdles, coming out at the end of console cycles or at times when enthusiasm for a system has died out. On top of that, Kirby has been thrown into a plethora of side projects like golf titles and minigame collections that have diluted his brand. If the curious ignore those and stick to the main series, they'll discover satisfying side-scrolling games that are endlessly creative.
In "Kirby: Triple Deluxe" (yes, I know it sounds like a McDonald's menu item.), the puffball once again has to rescue the denizens of Dream Land after a giant bean stalk rips apart the world and turns it into a place called Floralia. To make matters worse, a creature called Taranza has captured Kirby's longtime nemesis, Dream Land's King Dedede, so our hero has to rescue him, too.
The pink puffball must use his unique skill set to traverse six worlds. These powers include a floating jump that lets him fly and the ability to suck up foes and spit them out. But his best trait is the ability to absorb the powers of those he swallows. If he eats an archer, he gains a bow and arrow. If he devours a ninja, he can toss out kunais, hang on walls, power slam foes and wield a katana. Lastly, Kirby can go into a Hypernova mode, where his ability to suck up foes and objects goes into overdrive.
Nintendo beautifully blends these elements together in a game that offers a lot of nods to the series' history. The core gameplay can be incredibly deep and it encourages players to experiment with the powers to unlock secrets and grab collectibles.
If you haven't played a "Kirby" game yet, "Triple Deluxe" is a great opportunity to jump in.
But while Nintendo found success with "Kirby," the company stumbles with "Mario Golf: World Tour." It's essentially "Hot Shots Golf" with the charm of Mario characters. Players can pick from two modes. Quick Round lets players hit the links as one of the characters from the Mushroom Kingdom or as a Mii. They can compete solo or online for the best scores. It's fairly straightforward.
Meanwhile, the meat of the title is in the Castle Club mode where players and their Miis take on several courses. They explore a huge castle and its grounds, getting tips and advice. But most importantly, there's a shop where they spend coins earned from golfing to buy equipment that improves their stats.
That creates a role-playing element that provides depth for the game, but, overall, there is simply not enough to make this golfing game stand out.
Contact Gieson Cacho at 510-735-7076 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/gcacho.
'Kirby: Triple Deluxe'
* * *
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Rating: Everyone
'Mario Golf: World Tour'
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Rating: Everyone


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STOCKTON - David Charles Cortopassi, the son of a prominent Stockton philanthropist, was jailed on $1 million bail after sheriff's deputies said he made criminal threats and caused a "volatile disturbance" at his father's home.
At 8:23 a.m. Tuesday, deputies responded to the 11200 block of North Alpine Road on a report that David Cortopassi was causing a scene.
Cortopassi was extremely irate with security personnel at the residence for keeping him away from his 76-year-old father, who was in fear for his safety, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office reported.
Cortopassi, 48, is the son of Dino Cortopassi.
Employees of Talon Security Services told deputies that David Cortopassi threatened numerous times to shoot the security guards Tuesday if they did not allow him inside.
The guards took the threats seriously based on the man's history and accounts from his father, a Sheriff's Office report says. Security guards also were concerned about his erratic and bizarre behavior, officials said.
The Sheriff's Office said no direct threat was made against David Cortopassi's father, whom they did not name in their report.
"However, he greatly feared for his safety, which led him to justify placing 24 hour security to protect his life and property," the report says.
David Cortopassi resisted arrest when deputies tried to apprehend him, according to the sheriff's report. "He was acting very erratic and volatile," it says.
Cortopassi was booked into the County Jail on suspicion of a felony of making criminal threats and two misdemeanor violations of elder abuse and resisting a peace officer.
He is being held in lieu of $1 million bail and is scheduled for arraignment Wednesday in Stockton.
Location, ST | website.com


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OAKLAND -- A's manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday that he spoke to disgruntled pitcher Tommy Milone and said the left-hander hasn't softened his stance about wanting to be traded if Oakland can't find a spot for him on the major league roster.
"I don't think there's any softening to it," Melvin said. "I think he just wants to pitch in the big leagues. He'd much rather do it (with Oakland), but when you've had the type of success he's had and you're pitching in the minor leagues, that's not somewhere he wants to be."
Melvin said Milone, who is with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats playing in El Paso, Texas, called him Monday night about his situation. He effectively confirmed that the trade request had been made.
"I'm pretty sure he didn't expect it to get the play that it has," Melvin said. "But to an extent, you know what, he's looking out for his big league career and he's pitched really well for us. You don't blame him for wanting to be in the big leagues.
"It doesn't mean he doesn't want to be here," the manager continued. "He does want to be here. He's well thought of and respected by his teammates and he respects the situation going on here, but he wants to be in the big leagues. I don't blame him for that."
The A's optioned Milone after an 11-start stretch in which he was 6-0 with a 2.62 ERA to make room on the roster for Jason Hammel, who was acquired along with Jeff Samardzija from the Chicago Cubs on July 4. Hammel is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in his first two starts with Oakland.
The A's are under no obligation to trade Milone despite his request.


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We hope that our web site serves as a convenient source of information for the UWF community, existing and potential strategic partners and contractors. Procurement and Contracts is located in Building 20W, Room 159.
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Enterprise/National Car Rental Contract and general information can be found at: http://uwf.edu/GoShopping/ContractSummarySheet_EnterpriseProgSummary.pdf


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Knitter's Review
September 2, 2004
Four years ago this week I sent out the first issue of Knitter's Review to a few dozen adventurous knitters. Today, some 200 issues later, we're nearing the 20,000 subscriber mark, and our forums have almost 30,000 members.
I am humbled by our remarkable growth, and I am excited to continue the fifth year of our journey together.
Although the love of knitting remains as strong as ever, we have seen some changes over the past four years, especially in the realm of technology. Today nearly every major knitting store and organization has an online presence, as do many knitters. And another form of technology is being harnessed for knitters: interactive DVDs.
This week, we face technology head-on with a review of a new interactive DVD entitled
The Art of Knitting
In the Boutique: Birthday Celebration
In honor of our birthday, I'd like to extend a special treat to you all:
free shipping on orders over $30
this month. (Offer valid for U.S. shipping only.) Enjoy, and thanks for your support!
In the Forums: Scratchy Substitutes?
For people who constantly complain that wools are too scratchy against their skin,
what yarns would you recommend
Forgot your forum username or password?
Fall Retreat Update
The third-annual Knitter's Review Retreat will take place November 5-7 in Syria, Virginia. Although the weekend spots are now booked, we do have a waiting list for anybody interested, and there's still room for Saturday visitors, so
learn more and register to join us
September Drawing
Fall is the time students hit the books. There's no reason we can't too! That's why at the end of this month one subscriber will win a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com. Simply stay subscribed and you could be picked.
As always, I thank you for your readership and your support. Happy knitting, and I'll see you in the forums.
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Participate in our
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© Copyright 2000-2004 by Clara H. Parkes. All rights reserved.
Feel free to share this, in its entirety, with others.
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All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce is required.


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Doctors say there are some issues that must be considered before a person chooses this less invasive weight loss surgery.
Three months ago, 31-year-old Heather Waddell made that decision. She has since lost 43 pounds.
"It has been amazing," said Waddell. "I'm able to do things with my kids I couldn't do."
Waddell says her children were her main motivation.
"They like to do things I couldn't do and now I can. So, in three months it's made a big difference," Waddell said.
The operation can last anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour, or an hour and 15 minutes.
Dr. Kevin Ward, a general surgeon at Rush Hospital, is one of only two doctors in Meridian who perform this type of surgery. It drastically reduces the size of the stomach to the point that it can hold only about one ounce of food initially, and later up to 2-4 ounces.
The surgery is generally recommended for people who are 100 pounds or more overweight, with additional health problems,
Dr. Ward says the lap band procedure is not a 'quick fix.'
"We do ask our patients to go to a medical doctor for at least three months to be weighed and to be under a supervised diet, before being considered for surgery," Ward said.
Even after the surgery, lap band patients are advised to continue on a healthy diet and required to do regular exercise.
Although the lap band initiates weight loss, Dr. Ward says there are some safeguards.
"It turns out that the body almost has a set point for weight, and you will no be able to drop below a certain point, even if you stick to the diet and exercise like you're supposed to," Ward said.
For more information about the lap band procedure, or the regular information sessions about it that are offered, call Rush Hospital at 601-703-4950.


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Walking around A New Beginning Animal Rescue in rural Belview, a group of animal enthusiasts were working diligently doing whatever they could.
"We're here to help however we can," said Kathie Peltier of Ham Lake. "We came out to show our support for what Chuck (Schmidt) is doing and also to help him by providing some needed supplies to continue his work."
She hopes others also respond.
Peltier said she heard about Schmidt on the "On the Road Again" program Jason Davis does on TV, adding she felt compelled from that moment to do what she could to help.
Peltier said she recently had a booth at a craft fair and donated her proceeds to the local rescue.
Word got out when Peltier began talking about the project she was doing, and others also got involved. In the end, two vehicles from the metro area arrived at the rural Belview home with loads of food and other items Schmidt can use to care for the dogs and cats.
Peltier said the group also attended the recent zoning permit hearing for Schmidt ex-pressing their support for what he does. The planning and zoning commission approved the conditional use permit for the animal rescue, and this past Tuesday the Redwood County Board also approved the permit, which allows Schmidt to have no more than 50 domesticated animals.
"This is not a drop off," stressed Peltier. "Chuck is doing the best he can."
A project started at the animal rescue erected some kennels, but there is still a lot of work to do, including putting gravel in the kennels and building dog houses for the animals.
The plan is to get the dogs in the new kennels and then to tear down, older existing kennel areas to then build a fenced off area behind the buildings that could be used to exercise the animals.
"We need volunteers to help get all of that done," Peltier said, adding even if a local group of a few people could get together for one day they could really make a difference in accomplishing all that needs to be done at the rescue.
A Facebook Page has been set up to provide updates, and pictures of some of the animals have been posted. They are up for adoption. Find more at www.facebook.com/anewbeginningrescue.
Location, ST | website.com