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One of Facebook's most anticipated changes is the service's new ability to easily add framed content to a Facebook page—technically known as content presented within iFrames.
|The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in the SEMA block offers a nightly rate of only $159 for this all-suite hotel.
|Network with industry peers and celebrate the Specialty Equipment Industry on Friday, July 29, at the 2011 SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser.
Tickets for the 2011 SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser are now available online at www.sema.org/GalaTix.
Taking place Friday, July 29, at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach, California, the annual celebration provides attendees the opportunity to recognize the service of the outgoing volunteers on the SEMA Board of Directors and welcome those newly elected to the Board. The gala is also the setting for the formal introduction of the 2011 Hall of Fame Inductees: Gray Baskerville, Art Chrisman, Chris Economaki and John Towle.
Also held on the same day and location of the banquet is the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races, presented by eBay Motors. Challenge your colleagues to race for a good cause beginning at noon on July 29. Races are conducted throughout the day, with the finals taking place during a cocktail reception prior to the beginning of the banquet. Read more about the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races here.
Proceeds from the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races benefit the Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp charities.
The first in a series of SEMA Town Hall meetings was held February 4 in Scottsdale, Arizona. The meetings provide not only networking opportunities, but also a chance for member companies to provide feedback about where they would like the association to concentrate its efforts.
SEMA understands the value of getting out and meeting face-to-face with our members. So, starting in 2011, staff and key industry leaders have been working hand-in-hand to bring a series of Town Hall meetings to you. Throughout the first five months of this year, SEMA has visited Scottsdale, Arizona, and Fort Worth, Texas, hosting successful small gatherings of members in those regions. As we continue our tour to Charlotte, North Carolina, on June 3, we look forward to meeting you.
SEMA will be rounding up our local members and prospective members for an evening at the headquarters of Joe Gibbs Racing. Don't miss the exclusive opportunity to network with local industry leaders, members and SEMA staff to share the challenges and opportunities facing your business.
Agenda for Charlotte, North Carolina, Town Hall:
Tours of Joe Gibbs Racing facility:
5:00-5:30 pm
5:30-6:00 pm
Remember, you only need to bring yourself, a few business cards and a willingness to share your feedback with SEMA and its volunteers. Please know that this will be a business casual event; no suits and ties at this one! R.S.V.P. to this event by e-mailing your first and last name, company name, e-mail address, company category (e.g. service, media, etc.) and preferred tour time to Andrea "AJ" Carney, or call 909/978-6697 for further details.
|The industry's thoughts are with Linda Vaughn, Miss Hurst Golden Shifter, who is recovering from heart surgery she underwent in April.
|The 2010 SEMA Board of Directors.
Nineteen industry professionals are vying for a position on the 2011–2013 SEMA Board of Directors. The SEMA Board provides strategic direction to the association and plays a critical role in shaping the future of the automotive specialty-equipment industry. The voting process, which is entirely electronic this year, will open May 16 and be ongoing until voting closes June 14.
Election materials, including instructions for the online voting process, will be mailed to the primary contacts at eligible SEMA-member companies within the corresponding categories on May 16.
Each candidate has provided SEMA with a detailed biography including career experience, personal insights and a discussion of their primary goals in running for a seat on the SEMA Board. To learn more about each individual candidate, simply click through the following list of nominees.
Candidates for all SEMA Board categories include:
Chairman-Elect Category:
Doug Evans, Source Interlink Media
Nate Shelton, B&M Automotive Group
Manufacturers Category:
Joel Ayres, Takit LLC (Incumbent)
John Brueggeman, 3M
Jim Chick, Bestop Inc.
Raymond King, Federal Mogul
Tim Martin, K&N Engineering Inc.
Mike Spagnola, Street Scene Equipment (Incumbent)
Brock Weld, BMF Wheels
Steve Wolcott, ProMedia LLC
Jeep Worthan, Auto Meter (Incumbent)
Distributor/Retailer & Services Category:
Greg Adler, Transamerican Auto Parts
Donnie Eatherly, P&E Distributors Inc. (Incumbent)
J.R. Moore, Performance Warehouse
Famous Rhodes, eBay Motors
Brock Rude, JR Motorsports
Van Woodell, Weathers Auto Supply Inc. (Incumbent)
Manufacturer's Rep Category:
Jeff Bates, Bob Cook Sales (Incumbent)
Joel Rosenthal, Gantt-Thomas and Associates Inc.
For more information about the 2011–2013 SEMA Board of Directors election, contact Judi Ritchie at email@example.com or 909/978-6671.
|All SEMA members are invited to join the children of Childhelp in building pinewood dragsters for the upcoming Pinewood Drag Races.
Held in conjunction with the annual SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races, presented by eBay Motors, will return July 29, 2011, at 12:00 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach, California. The finals will take place during the cocktail reception shortly before the banquet begins.
This year, SEMA members can race either a car or a truck in two classes: Stock and Unlimited. Council members can either sponsor child-built cars and trucks in the Build it For Me (BIFM) Stock Class or they can build and enter their own SEMA-supplied stock car or truck. Stock-Class racing usually garners the most entries with a typical speed of 3.2 seconds on a 50-ft. track.
For hardcore speed enthusiasts, the Unlimited Class has only one rule—that one item from the stock kit be used. Cars in this class run sub-3 seconds and the current record holder is past SEMA Chairman and one-time YEN member Mitch Williams.
Come out and challenge your peers for the opportunity to win the coveted Council Cup. Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit two worthwhile children's charities—Childhelp and Victory Junction Gang Camp. The more cars or trucks fielded by each council member increase their chances of winning.
And if you're the hands-on type, SEMA invites you to help the children of Childhelp sand, paint and assemble the cars for the annual races. Each child will build two cars: one to keep and one reserved for sponsorship by a caring SEMA-member company or individual. The build day will take place at Childhelp Village West in Beaumont, California, Saturday, June 4. Members interested in participating are invited to contact email@example.com or visit the Pinewood Drag Races and SEMA Cares Facebook pages.
At last year's award ceremony, the child-built car winner from Childhelp traded smack talk with Williams for building a Stock car that ran consistent 2.99 heats all day and advancing to take the title in his class. Will anyone besides an 11-year-old challenge Williams this year? The SEMA Cares committee hopes you will and thanks you in advance for your support of these two great charities.
Click here to register for the upcoming SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races.
Winners of the 2010 Pinewood Drag Races
Build It for Me
Travis White and Janette Hale,
Paramount Restyling
Hot Rod Industry Alliance
Tricel Honeycomb
Justin Hoffend, Freeman
Joel Ayres, SEMA Cares Committee
Chris Kersting, SEMA
Council Cup Challenge
SEMA Businesswomen's Network
People's Choice
Travis White, Janette Hale, Paramount Restyling
Melanie White, Hellwig Products
Nicolas Hoffend, Freeman
Chuck Schwartz, ConvExx
Famous Rhodes, eBay Motors
Todd Ryden, MSD Ignition
Eric Hoffend, Freeman
Grand National Trophy
SEMA Businesswomen's Network
|A new Social Media Course designed to help industry professionals develop career-advancing skills was added to the SEMA Educational Institute's comprehensive online library.
|In addition to the printed version, the 2011 SEMA Membership Directory is also available online.
SEMA members now have two ways to obtain a free 2011 SEMA Membership Directory. The fastest way is to download our electronic (PDF) version by visiting the 2011 SEMA Membership Directory online.
Used by professionals to connect and network, the SEMA Membership Directory is where leading companies go to identify and establish partnerships with others in the industry. Updated annually, the guidebook includes detailed information on each member company. Easy-to-use listings make it simple to identify members in particular categories, by council affiliation or by reps serving certain locations. The SEMA Membership Directory is often referred to as the industry's "ultimate sourcebook."
SEMA members must be logged in to download a free copy. If you would prefer to obtain a printed copy of the directory, simply fill out our 2011 SEMA Membership Directory Order Form. Members can request one free printed copy per company. Additional copies are only $29 each. The non-member price per printed copy or download is $59.
For assistance logging in, call SEMA Customer Service at 909/610-2030 or e-mail email@example.com.
You can also access the online SEMA Membership Directory as part of the MySEMA Community. This directory is searchable by company name, product type and employee name. The searchable directory is located here.
By Joe Dysart
One of Facebook's most anticipated changes is the service's new ability to easily add framed content to a Facebook page—technically known as content presented within iFrames.
But for marketers, one of Facebook's most anticipated changes is the service's new ability to easily add framed content to a Facebook page—technically known as content presented within iFrames. Essentially, the new feature makes it much easier for web designers to be significantly more creative
on Facebook.
Moreover, web marketers say that the introduction of easy iFraming also makes it much easier for a business to crunch analytics, including tracking user activity on Facebook pages and thoroughly analyzing how sales and other sought-after conversions are unfolding on their Facebook pages.
All told, the makeover has stimulated marketers to update their best marketing practices for the service, as detailed below:
Understand Why Facebook is So Powerful: While social networking has been around for awhile (it was done on discussion forums long before Mark Zuckerberg got his first tricycle), Facebook was one of the services that made such networking so effortless, so fun and so multifaceted. For example, once people sign up for your "fan" or business page on Facebook, they immediately begin getting information about your firm in their news feed, can instantly share your offers to others in their social network, can effortlessly engage in discussions on your Facebook page, can give their opinions of your products or services and can shop on your Facebook page—all without even thinking about how to do these things. Small wonder that Facebook now has half a billion registered users and is still growing.
Executive Summary
Essentially, any content that appears within these specially designed iFrames is no longer subject to the limitations of Facebook's design language. Instead, the content can be easily designed with more robust web-design programs, such as DreamWeaver.
"I, for one, am thrilled with this long-awaited news," said Janet Driscoll Miller, CEO of SearchMojo, a web-marketing firm. "This is a huge timesaver when you're trying to program pages to match your corporate brand." (Users can check out what their content will look like within an iFrame)
Take Advantage of Facebook's New Integration With Google Analytics: "Not long ago, Facebook removed some features that allowed you to track your page views in Facebook via Google Analytics," Miller said. That's no longer a problem, she added, now that Google allows company web content to be displayed within the new iFrames model. Any content showcased within the frame can be completely tracked, sliced and diced with Google Analytics, a free program that has a great reputation for analyzing user behavior on websites.
Easily Track Sales and Other Conversions Sought on Your Facebook Presence: "Seriously, this one deserves about 15 exclamation points," Miller said. "iFrames makes tracking conversions from Facebook—and keeping ad respondents within the Facebook application—much easier."
Post a "Like" Button: A recent Facebook ability to "Like" a business confers an instant recommendation of your business to everyone within a Facebook user's circle, be it 12 people or 1,200 people. You can easily add a "Like" button to your Facebook page.
Consider Other Business-Friendly Social Plug-ins: These plug-ins include "Recommendations," which gives users personalized suggestions for pages on your site that they might like; "Comments," which allows visitors to comment on content on your Facebook site; "Like" box, which enables users to "like" your Facebook page and view its stream directly from your website; "Facepile," which shows profile pictures of a user's friends who have already signed up for your site; and "Live Stream," which allows users to exchange comments and engage in other shared activity in real time as they interact during a live event on your Facebook page.
Post Freely Under Your Business Name to Other Pages on Facebook: With the March 1 makeover, Facebook made it very easy for a business to make a post to the walls of other pages. Previously, business' messages were restricted to appearing on the Facebook news feeds of people who liked the business, friends of those people and, of course, on the wall of your own business Facebook page. Used judiciously, this new freedom to post to the walls of other Facebook pages could suddenly make promotion on Facebook a whole lot easier.
Post Often, Interestingly and With Plenty of Graphics: The only way to continually attract attention to your Facebook page is via constant updates to the page. Fortunately, you can post to Facebook a few times a week or, in some cases, every day, and other Facebook users won't consider you annoying. After all, those who "friend" you are clearly saying that they are interested in what you have to say. Just be sure it's interesting and includes images or video often. Graphics are the lifeblood of Facebook.
Engage, Don't Broadcast: If you've had a Facebook business page for any amount of time, you've probably already heard this, but it bears repeating: Businesses that use traditional methods to broadcast their brands on Facebook are generally met with a collective yawn and sometimes even negative retribution from users protective of the social network's culture. Quite simply, users expect a conversation from the businesses they befriend. And they expect it to be authentic.
Joe Dysart is an Internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan, New York. Contact: 631/256-6602
Now more than ever, online video content is becoming a key element to every company's marketing and communications strategy. YouTube alone gets more than 2 billion views a day. Whether your goal is to educate, entertain or market, video has growing implications for every company. But are you prepared to produce good-quality video content that is representative of your company and your brand? Where do you start? What equipment is essential?
The SEMA Education Institute (SEI) has assembled a panel of video production experts who will share their insight in a webinar on Thursday, May 12, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT). Join DC Chavez, Matt Martelli (Mad Media), Josh Martelli (Mad Media) and Eric Schumacher (powerTV Media) as they discuss:
SEMA members: click here for more information and to register.Non-members: click here for more information and to register.
Are you hunting for a new job? The "Positions Available" section in the SEMA Member Classifieds lists more than 50 job openings around the country. Here are some of the latest classifieds posted to the website.
Back in early March, during an interview about the Chevy Volt powertrain, a GM engineer let slip that work was under way on a plug-in version of the Cadillac SRX. While a spokesman for GM was quick to deny that such a program existed, the shooters at Brenda Priddy & Co. provide proof of the plug-in's existence as an early prototype has just hit the streets.
Priddy points to a few things on this mule that indicate this is no ordinary Cadillac. The first is the new fuel door that's been crudely installed, with spot welds, on the driver's side. Normally, the fuel door is on the passenger side of the SRX, and the prototype in these photos has a door on both sides. Priddy speculates that one is for fuel and the other is a temporary door for the charging port.
A look inside shows a significantly updated interior featuring a new center stack—similar to the one Priddy's team spied in the '12 XTS—along with what appears to be a large touchscreen. Priddy also reports that a new steering wheel, shifter and gauge pod are also easy to see.
Priddy also said it was worth noting that the engineer's laptop present in the car had one of GM's Hybrid badges on it, a finding she feels was probably not a coincidence.
On the outside of the SRX, a new grille insert is visible—a feature that Priddy says will likely spread to the entire SRX line once it's refreshed.
The technical details are slim at this point, however, the SRX should be sporting some adaptation of the Chevy Volt powertrain, according to Priddy and her team. When speaking about the Volt powertain during the March interview, the GM engineer was quoted as saying, "We've got another plug-in coming, the SRX, which is the same basic technology."
Look for more details to surface as the Los Angeles Auto Show approaches in November.
Photo Credit: Brian Williams/Brenda Priddy & Company
Legislation to extend the emissions inspection waiver for new vehicles has been approved by the Nevada Senate Natural Resources Committee. Under the bill, new cars will be exempt for the first three years after their initial registration. The bill also changes the state's emissions inspection program so that vehicles will only be required to undergo testing every two years. Current law requires annual emissions inspections for passenger vehicles and exempts new vehicles only for the first two years after initial registration. The bill will next be considered by the Senate Finance Committee.
For more information, click here. For details, contact Steve McDonald at email@example.com.
Legislation to provide for an expanded-use antique vehicle registration class that would allow antique vehicles and replicas to be driven without limitation during the warmer part of the year (April 1 through October 31) has been approved by the full Illinois House of Representatives. Under the bill, expanded-use antiques are limited to traveling to and from car shows, exhibitions, servicing or demonstration during the colder months (November 1 through March 31). Regular antique vehicle registration would still be available for a lower fee to hobbyists who would prefer only operating their vehicle on a limited-use basis throughout the year. The bill will next be considered by the Senate Transportation Committee.
For more information, click here. For details, contact Steve McDonald at email@example.com.
|Del Worsham
|Vincent Nobile
WORSHAM NABS THIRD WIN OF SEASON; NOBILE EARNS FIRST OF CAREER IN HOUSTON: Former Funny Car driver-turned Top Fuel pilot Del Worsham raced to his third win of the 2011 season at the recently completed O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals in Baytown, Texas. Worsham, who faced teammate and defending world champion Larry Dixon for the second consecutive time in the final round, drove his Al-Anabi Racing Dragster straight to the finish line and his third win in five races—posting one of the most impressive starts to a season in Top Fuel history. Worsham also became the first NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series driver this year to reach the 500-point mark in the point standings, and currently sits an impressive 95 points ahead of second-place driver Dixon.
"This is surreal," said Worsham. "The way the day unfolded, we had some close races, and it was amazing. It was great to race Larry in the final because he's the champion and we're all shooting for him. The final was a heck of a race. I've got to give all the credit to the Al-Anabi team. I am just a small part of it."
While the veteran Worsham raced to his 28th career victory, Pro Stock rookie Vincent Nobile was picking up his first. In one of the most exciting and closest finishes in NHRA history, Nobile drove his Mountain View Dodge Avenger past runner-up Rodger Brogdon, beating him on a holeshot with a reaction time of .007 on the starting line.
"It was close, I didn't even know who won at the stripe," said Nobile. "Then everyone was screaming in my ear that we won. It was incredible."
In Funny Car, Jeff Arend powered his DHL Funny Car past points leader Mike Neff to collect his first win of the season and move up to the fifth spot in the point standings, while three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Andrew Hines raced to his 24th career win when he held off hot-charging Michael Phillips in the final round. Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammates Eddie Krawiec and Hines are now one and two in the Pro Stock Motorcycle standings. For more results from the 24th annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Springs Nationals, visit www.NHRA.com.
'SNAKE AND MONGOOSE' FEATURE FILM MOVING FORWARD: Rhino films and newly formed shingle, Storywise Productions, have acquired life-story rights from legendary drag racing rivals, Don "The Snake" Prudhomme and Tom "The Mongoose" McEwen and partnered with the NHRA to produce a motion picture about their years revolutionizing one of the world's most thrilling sports on and off the track.
The movie will tell the story of Snake and Mongoose's legendary rivalry, friendship, and accomplishments. It will show how the two men not only made drag racing history as champion drivers and owners, but also how they modernized the sport in 1970 by shrewdly enticing toy giant, Mattel Inc. to make its then-new Hot Wheels line the sport's first major corporate sponsor. When Mattel put logos on dragsters to make them 200-mph billboards for its toy line and put real-life drivers into its TV
commercials, Mattel became the first non-automotive sponsor in a racing sport, and the industry's first commercial tie-in was born. Principal photography is expected to start by Fall 2011, with an anticipated theatrical release target date in 2012 commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Snake and Mongoose's partnership with Mattel. For more information on this story, visit www.NHRA.com.
SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA SOUTHERN NATIONALS, ATLANTA DRAGWAY, May 13–15: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series returns to the South and the Atlanta area for its sixth stop of 2011. Defending event winners include Larry Dixon (Top Fuel); Robert Hight (Funny Car); Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock); and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
NHRA SUMMER NATIONALS, HEARTLAND PARK TOPEKA, May 20–22: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its seventh stop of the season during the start of the summer months. Defending event winners include Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel); Robert Hight (Funny Car); and Mike Edwards (Pro Stock).
NHRA SUPERNATIONALS, OLD BRIDGE TOWNSHIP RACEWAY PARK, June 2–5: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its eighth stop of the season at historic Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J. Defending event winners include Larry Dixon (Top Fuel); Bob Tasca (Funny Car); Mike Edwards (Pro Stock); and Michael Phillips (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
ONE FOR SCOTT: DHL Funny Car driver Jeff Arend on getting his first win of the season Sunday at Royal Purple Raceway. The same track where Scott Kalitta grabbed his first and only Funny Car win in 1989: "You never know what is going to happen in drag racing, and sometimes, it surprises you. To get this win and dedicate it to Scott, that was huge."
1978–1979, GLIDDEN UNBEATEN FOR CALENDAR YEAR: From July 16, 1978 in Englishtown to June 30, 1979 in Denver, Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden never lost a single round of racing, picking up nine national event wins in the process. To this day it stands as the most consecutive victories of any NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing class in NHRA history.
3: Of the four NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series classes, three of the classes have teammates in both the first and second position in the point standings, Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammates Eddie Krawiec and recent Houston winner Andrew Hines (pictured) sit one and two respectively in the two-wheel category.
…that iconic Pro Stock driver Warren Johnson will be the NHRA Legend honored next week when the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to Atlanta for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals. Not only will Johnson, the winningest driver in Pro Stock history, be competing in the event, but he also will be participating in special NHRA 60th Anniversary activities such as autograph sessions, meet-and-greets with fans, and the popular "Track Walk with a Legend" series Sunday morning before pre-race.
|Jeff "Ox" Kargola passed away due to injuries suffered when he crashed his dirt bike riding with friends and family in San Felipe.
The off-road, motocross and action sports community sent the following official statement on April 29 regarding Jeff "Ox" Kargola.
Today, while riding with friends and family outside of San Felipe, Jeff "Ox" Kargola crashed while riding his dirt bike. Kargola was attended to by medical personnel on-site and was transported via helicopter to the San Felipe hospital where he passed away due to his injuries.
He passed early this afternoon with his best friends Cameron Steele, Ryan Hagy, Chad Peebles, Ryan Cropley, Rich Niggemann, Mark Moss and Trigger Gumm. "Words can't express the emotions I am feeling. I love Jeff like a son, and he was riding with all of his best friends he grew up with in San Clemente," said Cameron Steele.
More information will be released soon on arrangements for Kargola.
Timothy White Named NHRA Director of Engineering
Timothy M. White was hired as director of engineering for the NHRA's recently established technical department in Indianapolis. White will serve as NHRA's technical expert for all racing electronics. Most recently, he was the lead engineer for Cummins Emissions Solutions Inc. and, prior to that, served as the electronic engineer for Penske Racing and their IndyCar program. White will work directly with race teams, manufacturers, SFI and other members of the NHRA Technical Department to develop new technology initiatives and manage the Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock Accident Data Recorder (ADR) programs.
|A portion of the proceeds from each XPLORE Jeep sold will benefit the National Park Foundation.
XPLORE Jeep Sales to Benefit National Park Foundation
The first XPLORE Adventure Series Jeep Wrangler was unveiled during the Moab Easter Jeep Safari in April. With dark matte green paint and full complement of ARB and Mopar equipment, this first Jeep will be auctioned in the fall with profits donated to the National Park Foundation. In addition, Jeep announced that a portion of the proceeds from each XPLORE Jeep sold will also go to the National Park Foundation.
Lingenfelter Track Day Announced
Lingenfelter Performance Engineering customers will enjoy a free day at the dragstrip to run their vehicles during the annual Lingenfelter Track Day on Sunday, July 17, at Muncie Dragway in Albany, Indiana. Last year, 40 vehicles registered to participate, and many enthusiasts attended to watch a variety of Lingenfelter cars and trucks take to the strip. The Lingenfelter LS9-powered '10 Camaro SS made its first 9-second quarter-mile pass during last year's event. Since then, the Camaro has been modified with the Pedders/Lingenfelter drag race shock absorber package featuring a new RPM-built faceplate transmission and LPE torque cut module.
EnerSys Named Exclusive Battery of Team BIGFOOT
EnerSys announced a partnership with BIGFOOT 4x4 Inc. making ODYSSEY batteries the exclusive battery of Team BIGFOOT. EnerSys will provide ODYSSEY batteries for the team's seven touring BIGFOOT monster trucks, as well as the team's fleet of transporters and support vehicles. In addition, all vehicles will display new, larger ODYSSEY battery logos throughout the 2011 season.
|Barry Lobeck
New Goodguys Award to Honor the Late Barry Lobeck
To celebrate the memory of Midwest Hot Rodding icon Barry Lobeck, who passed away January 6, 2011, Ginny Lobeck and the staff at Lobeck's V8 Hot Rod Parts in Cleveland will select a new award in his memory at the Goodguys 14th PPG Nationals, July 8–10 in Columbus, Ohio. Starting this year, the award will be selected annually at the Goodguys PPG Nationals marking a new tradition in Barry Lobeck's native Ohio. The award itself will be perpetual, allowing each recipient to hold on to it for a year. The winner's names will be engraved on the award before it is passed on to future recipients.
AMSOIL Named New Sponsor of Superior Speedway
AMSOIL Inc. announced its continued support of dirt-track racing in the Midwest as the new sponsor of Superior Speedway at the Head of the Lakes Fairgrounds. The sponsorship agreement offers naming rights to the facility, and Superior Speedway is now AMSOIL Speedway, for a minimum of three years.
Photo Courtesy Source Interlink Media Archives
Bill Stroppe's involvement with racing runs so deep that it would probably be easier to list the types of racing he didn't participate in than those he did. On-road, off-road, even in the water, the vehicles that Stroppe and his crew built were fast, competitive and usually groundbreaking in their design and execution.
This portrait of Stroppe with one of his NASCAR Mercurys is an outtake from a photo shoot done for a March 1963 article in Motor Trend magazine.
"We'll be seeing some very fast, loaded-for-bear Mercurys on the stock car trail this season," wrote Wayne Thoms. "The team will carry the banner of racing wizard and Mercury expert Bill Stroppe—just like old times."
Stroppe had been working with Lincoln/Mercury since the early '50s. He, with partner Clay Smith, built the hot-rod Lincolns that took the Mexican Carrera Panamericana road race by storm in 1952 and 1953. Stroppe's efforts on behalf of the factory went underground somewhat when the Automobile Manufacturer's Association banned OE participation in racing events in 1957. But by 1963, several manufacturers were getting back into racing—often using what Thoms referred to as an "indirect connection." Ford, for example, "contracted with Bill Stroppe, who has prepared a team of cars, signed drivers, and will be solely responsible for Mercury's destinies on the race courses."
Stroppe had great material to work with. Mercury's Marauder had a new fastback roofline that provided enough of an aerodynamic improvement to go hunting for 160 mph on the speedways. Underhood was a new engine, "427 cubic inches of high-performance V-8 that cranks out its rated 410 hp at 5,600 rpm," Thoms wrote. Stroppe had run some of the early 427s on his dyno, and while he was mum about actual power numbers, "confident smiles around the shop indicate that the factory's 410-hp rating is not only reasonable, it just might be conservative," said Thoms.
The talent Stroppe assembled for that racing season included big names, such as Troy Ruttman, Rodger Ward and Louis Unser. Yet it was relative newcomer Darel Dieringer who earned 15 top-10 finishes on the NASCAR circuit that year and gave Mercury its only stock car victory at the season's last race at Riverside.
Another racer on Stroppe's roster was Parnelli Jones, who had a big year in 1963. He won the Indy 500 and also raced a Marauder up Pikes Peak a couple of months later to win the stock car class and set a class record during qualifying.
Jones and Stroppe would continue their racing adventures for years to come. It was Stroppe, in fact, who got Jones into off-road racing, and he was Parnelli's co-driver in the Big Oly Bronco for back-to-back Baja 1000 wins in 1971 and 1972.
|Visit LTAA's website.
LTAA LRP Attendees Receive Advance Copy of 2011 SEMA Pickup Truck Report
Attend the LTAA Long-Range Planning (LRP) session and receive a copy of the 2011 SEMA Pickup Truck Report. The report will provide you valuable market information—weeks in advance of its release to the public! The LRP is Tuesday, May 10, and includes a tour of an F-150 truck plant in the morning, lunch at the hotel, followed by an afternoon of discussion, interaction and goal setting.
What: LTAA Long-Range Planning Session
When: Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Marriott Detroit Metro Airport Hotel
30559 Flynn Dr.
Romulus, MI 48174
A low, low rate of $109 per night is offered to LTAA attendees. Hotel reservations may be made online at Mariott Detroit Metro Airport Hotel. This link takes you directly to the hotel reservation page, with the "SEMA" rate code already in place. You may also call the Marriott directly at 800/228-9290. Be sure to mention you are part of the "SEMA/LTAA" meeting group to be included in the blocked, group rate.
Located at the Detroit Metro airport (DTW), the Marriott offers complimentary airport shuttle and parking. The F-150 truck plant tour is complimentary from SEMA and the Henry Ford Museum, and LTAA will provide lunch at the hotel after the tour. The entire day is available to any LTAA member. Please R.S.V.P. to Gina Ledesma at email@example.com, and indicate if you will attend the entire day, or just the afternoon planning session (for shuttle and lunch head count). If you have any questions, contact Jim Skelly at SEMA at 909/978-6690 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
LRP Offers Invaluable Networking Experience
"The LRPs that I have attended in the past I have found to be an excellent place to not only express your views, but also a place to gain a new perspective. There is a lot of knowledge in the room and you always learn something, not to mention meet great people. They are fun to attend and it feels good to contribute to the direction of LTAA and SEMA."
—Fred Snow, Hella Inc.
"Whether you are a retailer, jobber, WD or Manufacturer; by attending and contributing at an LTAA LRP meeting, you bring a voice of real-world experience, opinion, advice and problem-solving skills to contribute to the betterment of the council and the industry."
—Anne Johnson, Keystone Automotive
The LTAA Select Committee holds an annual Long-Range Planning meeting to determine the focus of the council's work for the coming year. The meeting is open to business owners and managers in the Light Truck Accessories industry so they can voice their opinions regarding what the LTAA leadership should be working on in the coming year. The LRP is a member's best opportunity to bring the issues that concern their business into the spotlight, so the Select Committee can work on what's important to its members.
What's the Value of Being an LTAA Member?
New Products Showcase – Put your product in front of one of the largest gathering of truck enthusiasts in the country at the Carlisle Truck Nationals.
Networking – LTAA mixer at the Carlisle All Truck Nationals, Annual Long-Range Planning meeting and access to LTAA members and light-truck industry professionals around the world.
Tools and resources for the retailer and installer – "Pickup Bed Dimensions Sheet," "Keyless Entry Wiring Pickup Points Reference Sheet," "Why Paints Don't Match" DVD and more.
Education – and LTAA-specific learning track on the new SEI from SEMA, coming soon!Are you on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter? LTAA Is!
Be sure to follow LTAA on all of your favorite social networking sites.
To find these sites, go to www.sema.org/ltaa and use the links in the top right-hand corner.
LTAA Column in SEMA Member News
Read LTAA's column featured in the May/June issue of SEMA Member News.
For more information about LTAA, contact Jim Skelly.
|Visit ARMO's website.
ARMO Seminars Receive Rave Reviews, Soon Available on Video
ARMO hosted two educational seminars at the 2011 Hotrod & Restoration Show in Indianapolis on Saturday, March 19. Both sessions were videotaped and will be available to ARMO members very shortly.
Longtime enthusiast and ARMO member Dick Dixon presented session one, "The Art of Selling." Dr. Dixon always finds a way to provide a new approach to things, no matter the subject. In spite of a very early 8:00 a.m. start time, audience participation and feedback indicated "The Art of Selling" was another winner.
Session two was a panel discussion on "Internet Marketing on a Budget." Three panelists included Robert Basha of Auction 123, Eric Saltrick of Steele Rubber Products and Tyler Tanaka of PostRelease. ARMO Chairperson Laura Bergan of American Collectors Insurance moderated the discussion. Audience participation and feedback for the panel presentation were also very positive.
Congratulations and thank you to Dr. Dick Dixon, our three panelists and to panel moderator Laura Bergan! Look for the videos to be available on the ARMO website very soon!
Are you on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter? ARMO Is!
Be sure to follow ARMO on all of your favorite social networking sites. To find these sites, go to www.sema.org/armo and use the links in the top right-hand corner.
ARMO Column in SEMA Member News
Read ARMO's column featured in the May/June issue of SEMA Member News.
For more information about ARMO, contact Jim Skelly.
|Visit HRIA's website
Join the SEMA Council Family
SEMA hosts 10 distinct councils and committees that serve to represent focused niches within the specialty-equipment industry. These groups are comprised of elected volunteers (Select Committee) who guide and direct council activities while representing the membership at large. Although each council acts independently and represents a different segment, they are all focused on the betterment of the industry as a whole.
The value councils provide SEMA and the industry is beyond refute. It is inspiring to witness a diverse collection of company representatives, many of which are direct competitors, come together and develop educational, training, youth awareness and networking events that are, at the core, designed to give back and promote business. An equally important council function is to ensure that SEMA—the association—sustains a pulse on the industry and maintains a presence with its members.
The question is often asked, "Why should my company join a council?" The answer is simple. SEMA councils open the door and provide you exposure to industry leaders, decision makers, trendsetters and a community of like-minded individuals who share your passion and desire to see business succeed and prosper. Once the door is open, it is your responsibility to take advantage of the benefits by becoming actively involved.
Learn more today.
Councils in Action
There were many reasons to celebrate March 17. Saint Patrick's Day and the NCAA Tournament to name a few, but just as important was the Hot Rod Industry Alliance's (HRIA) annual Education and Training Day that took place during the Hotrod and Restoration Show in Indianapolis.
Picture the scene: 40 companies, five classrooms, 500 or more attendees and one goal—education. Education Day is offered at no charge to attendees and made possible through the efforts of HRIA and participating manufacturers. The event runs from 8:00 a.m. and concludes after 6:30 p.m. With five sessions running every hour, this truly unique experience allows attendees to select the seminars that are of most interest and relevant to their business. Each session lasts an hour and covers subjects, such as air conditioning, suspension, brakes, rapid prototyping, instrumentation, performance, insurance and steering.
In addition to the premier education and training that take place, there exists a real community for individuals to share ideas and network with one another. The interaction between manufacturer and attendee and between peers serves to heighten the experience and develop a genuine camaraderie that embodies what SEMA is all about.
Learn more here.
Have You Registered a Patent or Trademark? Your Competition Has.
Protecting the intellectual property rights (IPR) of its members is a top SEMA priority. The process begins when companies register their patents, trademarks and copyrights with government agencies in the United States (and other countries). Registration is a key to establishing legal rights.
To assist its members, SEMA has created a webpage called Introduction to Intellectual Property Rights, explaining the different types of IP, including protecting new products (utility patents) and product designs (design patent), identifying the source of the product (trademarks) and protecting product brochures or website designs (copyright). It also contains information on how to register IP along with links to seminars, webinars and SEMA News articles.
With respect to enforcing IP rights at the SEMA Show, the association has developed an effective policy for pursuing infringement allegations. SEMA's IP enforcement policy is posted on the IPR webpage and is also published as part of the Exhibitor Services Manual. Questions may be directed to Stuart Gosswein (firstname.lastname@example.com).
Be sure to follow HRIA on all of your favorite social networking sites. To find these sites, go to www.sema.org/hria and use the links in the top right-hand corner.
HRIA Column in SEMA Member News
Read HRIA's column featured in the March/April issue of SEMA Member News.
For more information about HRIA and how to join, contact Zane Clark or call 909/978-6696.
|Visit MPMC's website.
Be sure to follow MPMC on all of your favorite social networking sites. To find these sites, go to www.sema.org/mpmc and use the links in the top right-hand corner.
Take a Friend to a Race Fan Page
The MPMC Motorsports Awareness campaign, highlighted by the Take a Friend to a Race program, now has its very own Fanpage on Facebook. If you're not a fan yet, you should be!
MPMC Column in SEMA Member News
Read MPMC's column featured in the May/June issue of SEMA Member News.
For information about MPMC, contact Jim Skelly.
|Visit MRC's website.
A Message From MRC Chair Wade Cobb
The MRC council has been chipping away at what our Long-Range Planning session of 2010 indentified as a need—benefits for our membership! MRC recently put a program together with TeleNotes, offering our members a business tool to elevate their company's ability to capture data and reporting. We are also continuing to work on travel programs, possibly offering an "MRC" rate at our industry events, such as PWA and the SEMA Show, with select lodging. We also recognized the need to reach out to our general members and non-members to determine what it is they need from MRC.
In February, we conducted an online survey to 3,500 rep agencies associated with SEMA to find out more about reps and how MRC can maximize its efforts as a council to provide you with benefits. Thanks to all who took the time to respond; it's the only way we can build a better MRC. Just as any council or association, it's imperative to get the feedback from its members on what works or needs to be fixed. As we move on reviewing the data MRC has been able to obtain through the survey and the information from our LRP, the council will continue to put action plans in place to address the concerns.
In our most recent tele-conference, MRC has established the date and time for the MRC event to be held at the 2011 SEMA Show on Sunday, October 30, from 4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. The MRC Rep Conference task force headed by our own Thomas Jordan is in the midst of debating the topic and format to ensure we have the best possible event for you.
Looking to continue the efforts put forth by our members, MRC attended the MPMC Media Trade Conference held in Los Angeles this past January with the purpose of representing MRC to the manufacturers present. MRC Chair-Elect Chris Fairless and I had a MRC room all three days of the event, conducting meetings with members interested in utilizing reps and showing them the value of using rep agencies. We provided each exhibiting company with a MRC brochure and offered the MRC DVD for additional information. Both Chris and I were very pleased with the event, realizing this was a first for MRC and a great opportunity given to MRC by MPMC to explore the venue and take away ideas to build even better programs for coming events. We truly wish to thank Kyle Fickler and Vic Wood of MPMC for working with us during the MPMC Media Trade Conference.
We look forward to working with other industry segments to continue educating our fellow industry members on the benefits of utilizing a rep agency as their sales force. Your thoughts and comments are welcome any time. We need to hear your voice, so please speak out!Are you on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter? MRC is!
Be sure to follow MRC on all of your favorite social networking sites. To find these sites, go to www.sema.org/mrc and use the links in the top right-hand corner.MRC Column in SEMA Member News
Read MRC's column featured in the May/June issue of SEMA Member News.
For information about MRC, contact Zane Clark.
|Visit PRO's website.
What exactly do the council leaders do throughout their term? Very
simply, the Select Committee is elected by members of the council to
serve a two-year term. They participate in monthly conference calls and
meetings that are held at various trade events throughout the year.
Each Select Committee member volunteers for at least 20 hours
throughout the year, and some volunteer even more. Some share their
experience and vision, others provide creative solutions to challenges
our member companies are facing and others get their hands dirty and
get it done. Each Select Committee member is supported by their company
in their PRO efforts, and for that we say, "thank you," to those
The leaders of the PRO gathered earlier this year in Lima, Ohio, for its annual Long-Range Planning meeting. This meeting focused on bringing value to the PRO-member companies. The past 18 months have been extremely challenging for all of our companies, and the council is dedicated to utilizing SEMA's resources to further benefit each PRO member.
Guiding the group's effort was the council's mission statement to "address the challenges facing the restyling segment of the automotive aftermarket and to develop effective strategies for dealing with industry-specific issues." A handful of exciting objectives are being developed for the council over this year and next. If you are passionate and have an interest in being involved, there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer for a task force with a limited investment of time that provides a great way to network and share your ideas. Please reach out to the task force chair if you want to participate or have comments.
Education Task Force
Brian Champa (Check Corporation) and Bill North (Webasto Product North America) co-chair this task force and can be reached at email@example.com or email@example.com. The education task force is charged with developing successful programs for members to enhance their businesses. The Technical Skills & Training Conference (TSTC) recently launched, and the group is tasked with expanding the number of events each year to ensure that training and education become primary drivers for our industry.
NovemberFest Task Force
Mike Stanifer (Innovative Creations Inc.) chairs this group and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. The SEMA Show in Las Vegas provides the backdrop for critical networking functions. This group focuses on making PRO's awards reception the place to be and offering a fun forum to bring passionate members with common interests together.
Membership Task Force
Joey Johnston (Tops & Trends) chairs this group and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. The success of any council or initiative is dependent upon its members. This task force focuses on growth, promotion and retention. It is important that we mentor new members on council activities, events, meetings and benefits.
Are you on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter? PRO Is!
Be sure to follow PRO on all of your favorite social networking sites. To find these sites, go to www.sema.org/pro and use the links in the top right-hand corner.
PRO Column in SEMA Member News
Read PRO's column featured in the May/June issue of SEMA Member News.
For information about PRO, contact Zane Clark or call 909/978-6696.
|Visit SBN's website.
SEMA Businesswomen's Network Debuts Speed Networking Event Video
The SEMA Businesswomen's Network (SBN) has released its 2010 Speed Networking Breakfast, Powered by SBN event video. If you attended this sold-out event—or even if you missed it—you must check out the video so you can plan ahead to attend this year's event.
While the SBN Speed Networking Breakfast is not exclusively for women, it clearly focuses on recognizing women who significantly contribute to the aftermarket and performance industries.
With special thanks to James and Melissa Lawrence of PowerTV, who covered this event, we are able to share the highlights with our members. Captured on video are glimpses of the event, which includes an exclusive interview with SBN's 2010 Woman of the Year Award recipient Kellie Colf of Aftermarketer Club Inc., and Zan Martin of Martin & Company Advertising. Both discuss the significance of each award.
Also accepting an SBN Award was Wade Kawasaki of Exports International, who was awarded the 2010 Athena Award for his support of women in the automotive aftermarket industry. And presenting the Mentor of the Year Award to a deserving John Menzler of Comp Performance Group was Joe St. Lawrence of RTM Productions Inc.—Titanium Sponsor of the event.
SBN's annual breakfast event held during SEMA Show week is a great opportunity to network, learn and forge new relationships with others who share the same goals and interests of growing the automotive aftermarket industry and promoting the success of all.
Check out the following links to view video and photos from the 2010 SBN Annual Speed Networking Breakfast:
• www.sema.org/sbn
• www.sema.org/sbn/gallery/2010-breakfast
• www.facebook.com/semasbn
The SEMA Businesswomen's Network committee is a great resource of minds. All ladies in the specialty-equipment industry can join the SBN, so pass the word around to your colleagues and friends! We are encouraging all new and existing SBN members to log-in to the MySEMA portal to update their profile with a photo so we get to know each other's faces before the SEMA Show.
And don't forget to turn your notifications settings "ON" so you can stay in "the loop." Want to know more about the SBN? Interested in becoming a member?
Want to get involved in the industry but don't know how? We have an app for that! Go to www.SEMA.org, click on the Leadership tab, click on Council/Committee, click on SBN and join! Don't delay—get involved and join now. You are just a few clicks away! We look forward to "seeing" everyone!
Don't Be Out of the Loop—Stay in Touch
The very best way to stay in touch and to read the latest news, discussions and topics posted from SEMA and the SEMA Businesswomen's Network (SBN) is to make sure that your notification settings are turned on in your MySEMA account. Next to your photo on your MySEMA page, at the top right, is a link to the "Edit My Settings" page.
On the "settings" page, look for the "notifications" tab, where it will ask how you would like to receive your news. Check whichever method is most convenient, but either way, make sure you're in the loop by turning "on" your notifications. Visit http://my.sema.org to make sure you don't miss a thing!
Discover the SEMA Mentoring Program—Powered by the SBN
"I'll get by with a little help from my friends…" - Joe Cocker
Everyone needs help or expert advice from time to time, and SEMA's Mentoring Program is an excellent resource to get answers to all your questions. Whether you need to know more about SEMA, market information for a start-up company or advice on how to approach your boss about a new position, the SEMA Mentoring Program can help.
"Ask A Mentor" is perfect for one-time questions. You can expect multiple SEMA mentors to provide online guidance and answers to your industry-related questions.
Short-term Assistance/Guidance is for help with a specific project or task. A SEMA council/committee mentor with the expertise you seek will be paired up with you to provide guidance with your project.
Long-term Relationship is helpful for developing your professional career. In this program segment you will be paired with a SEMA council/committee mentor who will provide guidance and assistance for ongoing career development or a long-term project.
So whether you just need an answer to a question or you want to cultivate a mentoring friendship, the SEMA Mentoring Program—Powered by the SBN is available to help. After all, we can all use a little help from our friends.
Visit the SEMA Mentoring Program now.
Are you on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter? SBN is!
Be sure to follow SBN on all of your favorite social networking sites. To find these sites, go to www.sema.org/sbn and use the links in the top right-hand corner.
SBN Column in SEMA Member News
Read SBN's column featured in the May/June issue of SEMA Member News.
For information about SBN, contact Nathan Ridnouer.
|Visit SPC's website.
Participate in the automotive aftermarket at a whole new level by joining the SPC.
The purpose of SEMA councils is to help our member companies succeed and prosper. In the SPC, our mission is to provide market information, education and support to our members concerning new and emerging trends. Whether it's the latest business technology, forecasting sales, future marketing solutions or up and coming vehicle platforms, we give you and your company the chance to see what's on the horizon.
Then we'll help you understand and acquire the skills, tools and
technologies to lead the way. The SPC has the most diverse membership
of any SEMA council, and that will allow you to network with other
professionals from every facet of our industry and gain insights into
areas you may not have previously considered. Find out about the parts,
people, technologies, strategies, trends and, most important,
This is your chance to give something back to the industry, your profession and to grow personally along the way. Join the SPC today and become an active member of the specialty equipment and automotive market — Tracie Nuñez, Advanced Clutch Technology, SPC Chairman
Are you on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter? SPC is!
Be sure to follow SPC on all of your favorite social networking sites. To find these sites, go to www.sema.org/spc and use the links in the top right-hand corner.
SPC Column in SEMA Member News
Read SPC's column featured in the May/June issue of SEMA Member News.
For information about SPC, contact Nathan Ridnouer.
|Visit WTC's website
Have you ever wondered how to get more involved in the SEMA Wheel and Tire (WTC) Council?
What exactly do the council leaders do throughout their term? Very simply, the Select Committee is elected by members of the council to serve a two-year term. They participate in monthly conference calls and meetings that are held at various trade events throughout the year. Each Select Committee member volunteers for at least 20 hours throughout the year, and some volunteer even more. Some share their experience and vision, others provide creative solutions to challenges our member companies are facing and others get their hands dirty and get it done. Each Select Committee member is supported by their company in their WTC efforts, and for that we say "thank you" to those companies!
The leaders of the WTC gathered earlier this year at SEMA headquarters in Diamond Bar, California, for its annual Long-Range Planning meeting. This meeting focused on bringing value to the WTC-member companies. The past 18 months have been extremely challenging for all of our companies and the council is dedicated to utilizing SEMA's resources to further benefit each WTC member.
Guiding the group's effort was the council's mission statement to "identify common problems and opportunities relating to the wheel and tire industries that the council, as an interested body of companies, can address for the common good." A handful of exciting objectives are being developed for the council over this year and next. If you are passionate and have an interest in being involved, there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer for a task force with a limited investment of time that provides a great way to network and share your ideas. Please reach out to the task force chair if you want to participate or have comments.
Science and Technology Task Force
Tim Dietz (Standards Testing Laboratories Inc.) and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. This group focuses on aftermarket and OEM advances that affect our industry. From creating wheel standards to improved processes for tire-pressure monitoring systems and electronic stability control, the Science and Technology Task Force plays a pivotal role in the industry's advancement.
Education Task Force
Kelly Austin (Ultra Wheel Company) chairs this group and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. The education task force is charged with developing successful programs for members to enhance their businesses. The WTC Task Force is responsible for partnering with the SEMA Educational Institute to create and promote online learning resources.
Communication and Marketing Task Force
Doug Frymer (Law Offices of Douglas A. Frymer) chairs this group and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. This group focuses on membership outreach, growth and retention. It is imperative that councils effectively communicate services provided by WTC and SEMA to our members. Communication and services ensure that there is proper dialogue between leadership and membership.
SEMA Show Task Force
David Insull (American Tire Distributors) chairs this group and can be reached at email@example.com. The SEMA Show in Las Vegas provides the backdrop for critical networking functions. This group focuses on making WTC's awards reception an ideal place to get together, honor one another and network with all those who share a common passion.
There are so many other things the council leadership does throughout the year. You are the expert at what your business needs and this council wants to deliver. Feel free to get in touch with us or come to one of our WTC events. Our hope is that, if you haven't been a part of WTC yet, you will be in 2010 and beyond.
Are you on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter? WTC is!
Be sure to follow WTC on all of your favorite social networking sites. To find these sites, go to www.sema.org/wtc and use the links in the top right-hand corner.
WTC Column in SEMA Member News
Read WTC's column featured in the May/June issue of SEMA Member News.
For information about WTC and how to join, contact Zane Clark or call or 909/978-6696.
|Visit YEN's website
SEMA Loan Forgiveness Program
Since 2004, SEMA's Young Executives Network has been dedicated to aiding recent graduates in getting off to a successful start in their automotive specialty-equipment career.
"SEMA and YEN are believers in higher education," said Gregory Parker, chairman of the Young Executives Network. "However, with today's higher costs of getting an education, more and more students have to turn to student loans. The new YEN Loan Forgiveness Scholarship Award will now be able to help a previous or current student who has loans they are trying to pay off while working within our industry. Our inaugural scholarship winner, Jaclyn Kilani, worked hard to put herself through school and is now working for a SEMA-member company. We are just glad we are able to recognize and reward her for her hard work, and we look forward to doing the same for other industry peers as we move into the future."
Kilani, who recently graduated from California State University with a degree in graphic design, is the marketing director at Dannmar Equipment, a manufacturer of automotive repair products. Of the specialty-equipment industry, Kilani says, "I couldn't see myself anywhere else. It's an eclectic marketplace with a very unique audience, and I love the challenge of marketing a company in a non-traditional way. This award came at the perfect time, and it's a tremendous step toward my goal of becoming debt-free. I truly appreciate the privilege."
The SEMA Loan Forgiveness Program is dedicated to aiding recent graduates in getting off to a successful start in their specialty-equipment career. SEMA offers a minimum of $1,000 toward outstanding student loans for individuals who are employed by SEMA-member companies. Applications for the next program open in December 2010 at www.sema.org/scholarships.
Join YEN
you know that the SEMA Young Executives Network has more than 500
members networking in the industry and is the largest SEMA committee?
If you are employed by a SEMA-member company and are under the age of
39, then you can join the SEMA Young Executives Network for FREE. If
you are interested in becoming part of the team, please visit our
website at www.sema.org/yen.
YEN Member of the Month Spotlight
Did you know that YEN has a Member of the Month Spotlight on the SEMA website and that anyone can be nominated? To view previous selections or to make a nomination, visit www.sema.org/yen.
Are you on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter? YEN is!
Be sure to follow YEN on all of your favorite social networking sites. To find these sites, go to www.sema.org/yen and use the links in the top right-hand corner.
YEN Column in SEMA Member News
Read YEN's column featured in the May/June issue of SEMA Member News.
For information about YEN, contact Nathan Ridnouer.
Check out these Plymouth classics that made the trip to Vegas for the 2010 SEMA Show. The photos are a part of the vehicle gallery on www.enjoythedrive.com.More than 2,000 vehicles on display at the 2010 SEMA Show are featured in the gallery, which is searchable by keywords, such as vehicle model, vehicle year and exhibiting company's name.
For association-related travel, contact Manya Petropaki (firstname.lastname@example.com) at Travel Store USA, 949/930-9268.
SEMA's councils were created to help various market niches to identify and address unique challenges and opportunities and better utilize the association's resources. Each SEMA council represents a group of SEMA member companies that share a common business purpose or market segment. Each council directs their efforts toward achieving the group's goals.
Listed below are the councils and committees within SEMA. Click on each heading to learn more about the council or committee. For additional information on SEMA's councils and committees, contact Nathan Ridnouer at email@example.com.
SEMA-member companies have posted several new listings for job opportunities (view all here). Working for a SEMA-member company has many advantages. In addition to working for a company that supports and contributes to the success of the overall industry, being employed by a SEMA-member company enables employees to participate in webinars, access free market research, join SEMA committees and more.
The newest classified listings posted under Positions Available include:
SEMA members: Have a job opening that you need filled? Members are invited to post classified ads on www.sema.org/classifieds free of charge. Categories available are: Positions Available, Positions Wanted, Rep Opportunities, WD Opportunities, For Sale, Items Wanted, Business Opportunities and Internships. Visit the SEMA Classifieds site for details.
A love for cars, trucks and SUVs is the motivating force behind the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA). This trade association consists of a diverse group of manufacturers, distributors, retailers, publishing companies, auto restorers, street rod builders, restylers, car clubs, race teams and more. Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2015 SEMA. All rights reserved.


text: American College of Surgeons Advocacy Participate Leadership and Advocacy Summit 2015 Leadership Summit Agenda Back to Participate Leadership and Advocacy Summit Leadership Summit Agenda Leadership Summit Presentations Advocacy Summit Agenda 2015 Leadership Summit Agenda April 18–19, 2015 J.W. Marriott Hotel Washington, DC All events will take place at the JW Marriott, Washington, DC, unless otherwise noted. Saturday, April 18 5:30–7:00 pm Welcome Reception Sunday, April 19 7:00 am–5:00 pm Registration 7:00–8:00 am Breakfast 8:00–8:15 am Welcome and Agenda for the Day Patricia L. Turner, MD, FACS, Director, Division of Member Services, American College of Surgeons (ACS) 8:15–9:15 am Leading with Influence Doug McKinley, Managing Partner, Xcellero Leadership, Naperville, IL 9:15–9:55 am Chapter Success Stories 9:55–10:00 am ACS Foundation Presentation Kenneth W. Sharp, MD, FACS, Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, TN 10:00–10:15 am Break 10:15–11:15 am What's Got You Here Won't Get You There… Ron Campbell, Director, Leadership Research Institute, San Diego, CA 11:15–11:30 am Q & A from morning presentations 11:30 am–11:40 am Goals for State/Regional Meetings Patricia L. Turner, MD, FACS 11:40–12:00 pm Break & Pick-up Boxed Lunches 12:00–1:30 pm State/Regional Meetings Over lunch Note: All attendees will participate in breakout sessions 1:30–2:00 pm Cultivating Surgical Leadership: The Next 100 Years! Introduction: Joseph Sakran, MD, MPH, Chair, Resident and Associate Society of ACS Vincente H. Gracias, MD, FACS, Interim Dean, Professor of Surgery and Chief of Acute Care Surgery, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, NJ 2:00–3:00 pm Resiliency: Overcoming Physician Burnout Andy Kindler, Managing Partner, Xcellero Leadership, Naperville, IL 3:00–3:15 pm Break 3:15–4:15 pm Understanding and Negotiating an Employment Agreement Michael Burke, JD, Kalogredis, Sansweet, Dearden and Burke, Ltd., Wayne, PA 4:15–4:30 pm Q&A for Afternoon Presentations 4:30–5:00 pm Presentation by David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS ACS Executive Director 5:00 pm Adjourn Jump to: Participate Leadership and Advocacy Summit Leadership Summit Agenda Leadership Summit Presentations Advocacy Summit Agenda Leadership and Advocacy Summit Read Next Leadership Summit Presentations

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Quick View
Bellwether Farms
San AndreasThis nicely balanced raw farmstead sheep tomme is made in California, near the fault line for which it is named. Nutty with subtle hints of buttercups and moss. Read More
Quick View
Cellars at Jasper Hill
Moses SleeperAyrshire cow's milk is formed into discs a bit larger than your typical Camembert, then aged with care in the Cellars at Jasper Hill for the next six weeks. Once released, Moses usually has a classic white bloomy rind, with a smattering of exotic mauve- and dandelion-hued molds heightening its complexity. Read More


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Kick Drop: AAPE By A Bathing Ape x DC Shoes Radar Slim "Camo"
A Bathing Ape has been proving its dominance on streetwear for a minute now, and their latest collaboration with DC Shoes only propels that success.
Taking the Radar Slim model, AAPE (BAPE's latest fashion imprint) uses a camo and forest green suede base & mutes it out with matching laces. The time put into the overall design—something as simple as the logo placements, for example—make these a sure shot pick-up that transcends past SB life, straight into everyday wear.
Catch these in stores later this week, but only as a limited Hong Kong release.


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By JOHN SERFUSTINISun Advocate reporter
Karen Andrews came into the Carbon School District board meeting last Wednesday ready to address school board members concerning the "What Counts" process set up a couple of years ago to evaluate the district's operations in relation to students. Specifically she addressed the board on the school lunch program.
"When you set this up with the citizens, the biggest concern was school lunches," she said. "I had hoped through that to see the school lunch program improve, but it has not."
Andrews, a resident of Sunnyside, said she has substituted at Bruin Point Elementary a few times and said she thought was she saw served for lunch was "poor."
"Fast food is not a good meal to start our kids out with," she stated. "To me the meals are basically horrible."
She said even the attempt at doing something right is not working well in the elementary schools.
"I have heard the salad bars in the secondary schools are wonderful," she stated. "But the ones in the elementaries are very limited and poor."
She said that someone talked her into eating one of the meals one day and she regretted it.
"How can you ruin a ham and cheese sandwich?" she asked the board. "Well they did. The meat was all just gristle and fat. The processed meats that are being used have a lot of sodium in them."
She said the idea of using a fast food model to feed kids just makes her mad.
"I hope you take my comments seriously," she continued. "I think that we are currently feeding children into obesity and diabetes."
The board listened intently to Andrew's statements, but did not respond other than to thank her for her input. However, acting superintendent Patsy Bueno did respond.
"Part of this is that we have a very strict federal program we must follow," she stated. "But we will check on your concerns."
Bueno's comments relates to the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). It is a federally- assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It is supposed to provide nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946. The Child Nutrition Act of 1966 changed the program, extended it further and added new dimensions to it.
However over the years the program has come under constant criticism for what is served. And some of that stems from the times. Lunches served 50 years ago are much different from the lunches served today. Those who run the programs realized at one point in the 1980s that much of the food served to students was being thrown away and never eaten, because kids didn't like it. That is when the menus began to change and more "fast food" kinds of items began to appear on menus. But at about the same time salad bars also began to appear in school cafeterias.
Patti Rigby, Director of Child Nutrition for the district, explained in an interview Monday that the "fast food" marketing of school meals is a calculated effort to get kids to eat. "It's what they're eating, what they're driving downtown to buy," she stated. "Remember, if they don't eat, they get zero nutrition."
The district's meals, however, are planned to provide lower fat and higher nutrition than similar restaurant or retail foods. Fat, for example, can't provide more than 30 percent of the calories in school lunches each week. That means that some days the fat content may be higher and other days it will be lower to keep the weekly average below the limit.
The menus and the dietary information for each school are no secret, she said. Everything is on the nutrition section of the district website.
Also, there is no difference in the fruit and salad bar offerings at elementary and secondary schools. "It's the same food. We serve the same thing everywhere," Rigby said.


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Online: Customer Profitability Analysis
An area of increasing interest is the role strategic financial managers can play in building customer profitability. While organizations recognize that exceeding customer expectations is necessary, long-term viability requires that those expectations are exceeded profitably. This two-module program will explain key concepts and issues related to understanding the determinants of customer profitability; how an analysis of customer profitability can be carried out; how to use customer profitability information to build a more profitable customer base; and how to convert unprofitable customers into profitable ones.
Target Audience: Managers, entrepreneurs, accounting professionals
Skill Set: Business Management, Innovation, Organizaion, Planning
This program contains 3 module(s).
2 CPE Credit(s)
Category: Finance
Please log in to view course prices


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I just recently installed Windows 7 on my Dell Inspiron. I later found out that my Dell Photo Printer 720 is not compatible with Windows 7 but I was wondering if there is a driver or a way around that. I really like my Photo Printer and would much rather prefer to keep it than have to buy a new one.
Other forum members have gotten their Dell 720 printer to install using the Vista drivers in the compatibility mode. Try using the instructions located at...
720 Color Inkjet Printer owners thread (W7)
Then tell me what happens.
What is a Dell Service Tag and how do I locate it?
Original poster, If you have solved your problem, can you please mark the correct thread(s) with your solution. Thanks
Welcome to Dell Community!
Microsoft MVP - Windows Expert-Consumer April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2015
This worked great, thank you!
GREAT JOB! Glad you got it working. Thanks for posting back.
Take care,


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Do you drink? Girl's father asked Santa. Santa says: first tell me whether it's a question or invitation?
Santa teaching grammar to Banta:
If more than one mouse is mice then more than one spouse is spice!!!!
Teacher Questions Santa: Which animal flies in the air, but gives birth to young ones on land?
Santa (excited for the first time because he knows the answer)
Santa: AIR HOSTESS!!!!
Banta asks Santa:
What comes first the chicken or the egg?
Santa Answer: Stupid! Whatever you will order first will come first.
Teacher Asked her students to write an essay on "Cricket Match"
All were busy writing their essay except our intelligent Santa. He wrote:
Due to rain No Match.


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More news...
Cantium Developments is active in both the development and investment arena's; the company has acquired a solid reputation for delivery across a range of project types, from active management through to large scale refurbishment, and new build.
Cantium has a particular expertise for being able to identify and manage complex planning play opportunities, with notable recent successful outcomes at:
Chief Executive Chris Boulter believes that "the deployment of innovative solutions to complex but highly rewarding planning led opportunities is unquestionably forming a significant element of our business. Our success is such that we are now being approached by a variety of land owning entities who are seeking to tap in to our demonstrable capability…"
© D2 Interactive 2011


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The new situation can also be used to paint Republican candidate Mitt Romney as a potential warmonger. In the words of the New York Times:
It is also far from clear that Mr. Obama's opponent, Mitt Romney, would go through with the negotiation should he win election. Mr. Romney has repeatedly criticized the president as showing weakness on Iran and failing to stand firmly with Israel against the Iranian nuclear threat.
Moreover, the prospect of one-on-one negotiations could put Mr. Romney in an awkward spot, since he has opposed allowing Iran to enrich uranium to any level — a concession that experts say will probably figure in any deal on the nuclear program.
One key issue is the difference between the U.S. and Israeli positions. The Obama administration says that Iran can have all the fixings of a bomb as long as it doesn't build one, or that Tehran must be stopped short of having everything in place. The problem with the first option, of course, is that Iran could secretly or quickly assemble bombs (including those that might be delivered by terrorists). The second option is tougher to enforce, less likely to be negotiated, and more likely to bring military action.
As the Times rightly points out:
[For Romney] [t]he danger of opposing such a diplomatic initiative is that it could make him look as if he is willing to risk another American war in the Middle East without exhausting alternatives.
The story continues:
"It would be unconscionable to go to war if we haven't had such discussions," said R. Nicholas Burns, who led negotiations with Iran as under secretary of state in the George W. Bush administration.
So in other words, the U.S. government is under pressure to talk as long as Iran wants, even if Iran is moving ahead on its nuclear program at every moment during the long, drawn-out, and inconclusive chatting.
There is, of course, no solution. Sanctions — as a new Congressional Research Service study points out — aren't stopping Iran from building nuclear weapons and long-range missiles able to deliver them onto targets. Diplomacy won't work, except possibly for the fig leaf of having Iran own all the pieces for those weapons and simply promising not to assemble them. War is unattractive for the United States — and despite all you've heard, for Israel, too. Does a scenario of the next U.S. president launching a major, long-term military operation against Iran seem likely — whether or not you'd like to see that happen — especially immediately after the end of two controversial, costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?
What's most likely is that Iran will get nuclear weapons.
And that makes it more important that whoever is conducting the containment and conflict strategy better be tough and credible to Tehran. The irony is that this Iranian ploy might well result in reelecting the man least likely to do that.


text: http://serverfault.com – I'm trying to configure a Juniper SSG5 for VPN. So far I'd say I'm lost lost lost. The server (just one for now) is a dedicated host at a hosting company. I have a block of 8 public IPs (/29), the SSG5 has it's own IP (separate subnet from my 8 public IPs), and routes requests for the public IP's to the server. There are two interfaces defined on the SSG5. The first, ethernet0/0, is for the SSG5's public IP, set as zone Untrust, interface mode Route, type Layer 3. The second, ethernet0/1, is for my block of 8 public IP's, set as zone Trust, interface mode Route, type Layer 3. I have policy (HowTos)


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Advertising Age is reporting:
Continued audience erosion, combined with the effects of the writers strike, helped drive the average cost for a 30-second commercial in prime time down 4.1% to $130,089 during the 2007-2008 season, according to an analysis performed by independent media agency TargetCast TCM. The drop marks the second consecutive seasonal decline in pricing for 30-second TV ads and represents a noticeable widening over last season's 0.7% drop.
"The major reason average unit costs are down is because of audience erosion -- call it what you will, normal audience erosion. Because there's [media] fragmentation, fewer scripted shows and the cable networks in the summertime have ratings that shoot up because they run their good programs," said Gary Carr, senior VP-director of broadcast services at TargetCast tcm. Factor in the effects of the writers strike and issuance of "make-good" ads given after ratings guarantees fell short of what was stipulated in agreements, and "it is not surprising that broadcast pricing ebbed once again," he added.
According to TargetCast, the average price of a 30-second ad fell the most on CBS. It dropped about 10.8%, falling to $116,729 from $130,896. At NBC, the average cost fell about 6.2% to $102,928 from $109,764. At Fox, the average cost fell 2.3% to $194,969 from $199,637. Only ABC was able to muster a price increase. According to TargetCast, the average price of a 30-second spot on the Walt Disney network rose 1.1% to $133,774 from $132,368.


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Written Answers. - Telecommunication Services.
Tuesday, 12 December 2000
Dáil Eireann Debate
114. Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the steps she will take to ensure that the cost of bandwidth here is made more competitive in view of the fact that costs in Seattle, USA are one-twentieth of those in Ireland which places Irish companies at a serious disadvantage when trying to compete on a global basis. [29650/00]
Minister for Public Enterprise (Mrs. O'Rourke): The provision of telecommunications and broadband services is a matter in the first [193] instance for the companies who now operate in a fully liberalised market. The communications market was liberalised in December of 1998 because it is my belief that through increased levels of competition that the cost of these services to the end user will come down. There are now over 60 licensed communications operators with the ODTR. My responsibility is for public policy in the sector within which these companies operate. The widest possible availability of competitive services has traditionally been an important objective of Irish telecommunications policy.
In recent years I have put in place a number of initiatives which seek to address gaps in communications infrastructure and competitiveness in Ireland, both nationally and internationally.
In 1999 the Government entered a contract with global crossing, worth more than £77 million, to build high capacity, seamless, telecommunications infrastructure between Ireland and 36 cities in Europe and the US. As a result of this contract, the levels of international bandwidth available in and out of the country have been greatly increased and now priced at internationally very competitive rates. This bandwidth has been available on the Irish market from August this year and contracts were signed to sell the capacity to six companies thus promoting competition in international bandwith.
Under the National Development Plan, 1994-1999, £21 million was made available to support the roll-out of broadband to the regions. This figure has been significantly increased under the National Development Plan, 2000-2006, to £147 million. The allocation of this funding is the responsibility of my Department. Funding under this communications and E-commerce measure of the NDP will be utilised to leverage and accelerate investment in competitive advanced broadband infrastructure and services which will enhance the potential for the development of electronic commerce facilities and enable the electronic provision of public services, including education services, virtual libraries, welfare and health services.
The first call for proposals under the measure was executed this year and the proposals are currently being ranked. I anticipate that I will sign contracts to the value of £77 million by the end of the year. The resulting increase in the competition in the supply of services will result in a downward pressure on prices.
A large number of project submissions from both the Border, midlands, west and south and east regions have been received. The submissions are currently being assessed and evaluated at arm's length by independent consultants under the competition criteria. It is anticipated that contracts on selected projects will be signed before the end of the year and work on further extensions to broadband networks will start early next year.
|Last Updated: 11/09/2010 00:24:35
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This page will discuss the overall objectives and flow of the cataloging work you'll be doing. There are also links to helpful cataloging resources.
In a very basic sense the catalog is a list of what the library owns. This list includes all sorts of formats (books, scores, sound recordings, videos, etc.) The thing that makes a library catalog more than a simple list is its organization & structure. The organization and structure of catalogs (and cataloging codes) is an evolutionary process; we'll not do a course in cataloging history here (bet you're glad about that!) but there are two things you should be familiar with...
One very influential statement of the objectives of a catalog are Cutter's Objectives. Cutter's objectives are still a powerful influence on the structure and purpose of catalogs. The other is the International Standard Bibliographic Description (aka ISBD). The ISBD is not a cataloging code, but rather, it specifies a standard order for the descriptive elements of a bibliograhic record. The ISBD also set forth a system of punctuation to be used in displaying those descriptive elements. This standard helps contribute to uniformity in cataloging, which makes it easier to use records from all over the world. The two ideas that you should take from the ISBD are: Areas of description and prescribed punctuation.
You should keep these overall objectives and standards in mind as you deal with the minutia of the task-- you know, the trees and the forest!
The process of cataloging involves using rules and standards to create/edit bibliographic records. These records consist of a description of the item in hand, subject heading(s) and access points. Another vital function of cataloging (or bibliographic control) is creating and maintaining the authority structure of the catalog.
Ending Punctuation for Variable Fields
Note order for Score, Sound Recording and Book records
These charts will give you a general (graphic) idea of the cataloging process.
OCLC to NOTIS
Bibliographic record Verification in OCLC
The bibliographic record in NOTIS


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After more than a decade as president of HBO Sports, embattled Ross Greenburg, a Brown University graduate who started at the network as a production assistant in 1978, is finally moving on. Under his unwatchful eye, HBO boxing lost anywhere from 40% to 60% of its late 1990s audience and resembled the corporate equivalent of the Minotaur lost in its own labyrinth.
How strange did things become while Greenburg—along with his cohort, Kery Davis—ran the show? HBO boxing is perhaps the only business model in the world where supply and demand is irrelevant. Even a lemonade stand will go belly-up if no one wants to buy a cup from little Susie on the sidewalk. For years, the HBO boxing philosophy could be boiled down to a simple if flabbergasting formula: throw extraordinary sums of money to fighters who cannot sell tickets, produce viewers, or perform consistently in the ring. No matter what cheerleading media members say, fans have spoken clearly about Chad Dawson, Andre Berto, and other fighters whose snouts were entrenched in the Greenburg-Davis trough. Simply put, they were of little interest to subscribers.
When HBO boasted about drawing 1.5 million households for Victor Ortiz-Andre Berto, you knew things were SNAFU. Four or five times as many people watch the Yule Log than saw Ortiz-Berto, but why quibble? What is significant about Ortiz-Berto is that these two fighters combined for 15 HBO appearances prior to facing off against each other. Yet their showdown—on a free preview weekend, no less—produced numbers similar to those of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in his first HBO appearance against anonymous Sebastian Zbik. Chavez and Zbik, however, did not need 15 infomercials on HBO to earn viewers. In the end, under these bizarre circumstances, nothing mattered but what two HBO suits told you or what internet authorities jabbered on about in an echo chamber apparently designed in 2007.
If you think it is a coincidence that HBO ratings started to drop dramatically when Greenburg and Davis took over, you are probably a member of a Fantasy League boxing team or sleep with an Excel spreadsheet printout of your P-4-P list by your side. Less than a year after Greenburg took over as president, HBO subscribers were treated to a double-header featuring Hector Camacho Sr. and Hector Camacho Jr.—one of the most embarrassing shows ever produced by a premium network.
Yes, there were terrible mismatches under previous HBO Sports president Seth Abraham—including George Foreman-Jimmy Ellis, Riddick Bowe-Jesse Ferguson, Terry Norris-Bret Lally, and some early Gerry Cooney blowouts—but most of these set-ups featured bona fide attractions, and HBO was rewarded with knockout ratings.
In 1989, Abraham explained the importance of stars to HBO in an interview with KO Magazine: "There are basically three types of boxing fans. There's the boxing fan, who will watch any fight. He'll watch Mitch Green and Mike Tyson in a street fight at Dapper Dan's if he knows the time of the fight. Then there is the sports fan, the guy who will come to a Tyson fight but not a Michael Nunn fight. The third audience is made up of people like my mother, who won't watch any fight. They are not fight fans, period….We must appeal not just to Audience One, but also Audience Two. There are good fighters out there who simply can't reach that second group of fan." Ross Greenburg, on the other hand, focused much of his energy on fighters who had difficulty connecting with just about anybody. He also made certain these HBO prodigal sons were often in mismatches.
Unfortunately, not many can see the difference between letting an established attraction fight a C-level opponent and letting a complete ratings/gate bust do the same….repeatedly. And Ross Greenburg was one of those who could not catch on to this fact. "Sugar Ray Leonard fought Bruce Finch in 1982," Greenburg told Thomas Hauser in 2008. "It was a crappy fight, and Al Haymon didn't have either guy." Greenburg was referring to charges of favoritism regarding Al Haymon, but the fact that he failed to see the difference between Leonard being a bona fide crossover superstar and a Haymon client like Andre Berto—who once drew 972 paying fans to hometown title defense—says more than enough. Sugar Ray Leonard could abuse poor Bruce Finch because Leonard captured the imagination of the public and drew astronomical ratings no matter who he fought.
Over the years, Greenburg also fostered odd relationships with neophyte promotional firms and shadowy advisers, handing out dates like a capo de tutti capi handed out favors—or worse. Not long after assuming his role as head of boxing, Greenburg made his first misstep, one that was a harbinger of things to come. Incredibly, Greenburg handed Lou DiBella 15 blank dates over a three-year period as part of a severance package when DiBella left HBO in 2001. How any network can give blank dates to a man who had never promoted a fight in his life and who did not have a single fighter under contract is beyond comprehension.
Lou DiBella, in fact, was the first Golden Boy Promotions—an attempt to cut out traditional promoters in order to smooth the way for HBO to make fights with an ease alien to nearly all pursuits in boxing. In 2002 Greenburg gave Golden Boy Promotions a monthly show on HBO Latino. When "Boxeo De Oro" was canceled, Greenburg gave blank dates to Golden Boy as compensation. A second exclusive output deal with Golden Boy outraged many in the industry for several reasons, not the least of which was the fact that GBP had already failed miserably during its first free reign. Things between Golden Boy and HBO looked awfully cozy, with Richard Schaefer, CEO of GBP, even going so far as to refer to HBO as his "partner." And HBO reciprocated in outlandish ways, like paying for delayed rights to execrable Golden Boy pay-per-views, including the Shane Mosley-Sergio Mora debacle.
In addition, Greenburg admittedly was bent on pursuing certain key demographics, namely African-American viewers. But this aim was another wild goose chase, since the presumption that African-American viewers want to see Chad Dawson perform Swan Lake in the ring (or Andre Berto play whack-a-mole with Freddy Hernandez and full-time policemen) is asinine. Everyone wants to see exciting, competitive fights, not just Mexicans, or Caucasians, or Puerto Ricans. Period. Who on earth was HBO hoping to lure with Chad Dawson? After all, Dawson once drew fewer than 800,000 households to watch a title defense on HBO, and he drew fewer than 3,000 fans combined for two fights against Antonio Tarver.
Things really began to go south in 2007, when the lowest ratings ever for a fight—Joe Calzaghe-Mikkel Kessler, which drew about 1.6 million households—revealed that HBO was at rock bottom. Soon both Boxing After Dark and World Championship Boxing were polluted by c-level fighters like Ray Austin, Norberto Bravo, Stefy Bull, Michael Trabant, Gary Lockett, Cosme Rivera, Willy Blaine, Brian Minto, Harry Yorgey, and Freddy Hernandez. For every good fight HBO put on, there were two or three others that belonged on Fox Sports or Rotten.com. Reason gave way to madness, quality control disappeared almost entirely, and the fact that ratings continued to slip was not viewed as an indicator of larger trends. One blunder followed another—including the loss of Manny Pacquiao to rival Showtime—until Greenburg finally announced his resignation yesterday.
"That's who I am," Greenburg told Richard Sandomir of the New York Times regarding his documentaries and sports shows. "I create programming that makes people laugh and cry."
He might as well have been talking about boxing on HBO under his tenure.
Follow The Cruelest Sport on Twitter & Facebook and follow a website that is 100% incendiary, harsh, acerbic, snarky, enraged, negative, critical, whatever.
Follow The Cruelest Sport on Twitter & Facebook and follow a website that is 100% incendiary, harsh, acerbic, snarky, enraged, negative, critical, whatever.


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PC Treasures SlipIt! 17" Notebook Bag
Web exclusive! Guard your notebook against bumps, scratches and even the weather with this stylish, form-fitting and compact laptop bag.
Tell a Friend
Keep your notebook free of scratches and scuffs with the durable SlipIt! computer bag. Also offering room for your mouse and cords, this is the one computer accessory you can't go without. Plus, the bag is available in multiple colors — choose your favorite to bring out the fashionista in you!
- Durable Lycra® spandex exterior resists weather
- Protective neoprene middle layer wraps your computer in lush velvet
- Carrying handles are wrapped completely around notebook for support
- Handy front pocket easily stores cords, a mouse or CDs
- Compatible with 17" notebooks
- Featured in pink
- Imported
This item cannot be gift boxed.
This item should only be returned to the warehouse from which it was originally shipped.
Use the pre-addressed return shipping label attached to the packing slip included with your shipment. In the event that you have misplaced your packing slip, this product should be sent to the address below:
PC Treasures
ATTN: Returns
1795 LaPeer Road
Oxford, MI 48371
Additional information
Shipping & Delivery Details
Returning a purchase
Customer Service


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Matrix, which employs 6,300 IT professionals, is the leading information technology company in Israel. Matrix executes some of the largest IT projects in Israel. Matrix develops and implements leading technologies , software solutions and products, it provides infrastructure and consulting services, outsourcing, offshore, training and assimilation. It represents, and markets the world's leading software vendors. Among its customers matrix counts hundreds of the leading Israeli organizations and companies in the fields of industry, retail, banking and finances, telecom, defense, health, and the government/public sector.
Matrix's uniqueness is in its business vision and in its ability to adjust technologies and solutions to the customers needs; due to combining the IT horizontal services that give a solution to fully managing and implementing an IT project, services of the sectors that supply the knowledge and the experience in the content world of the sectors and the business vision and the centers of excellence that give the experience and specialization of the applicative and the technical solutions.
Matrix is rated as the company that is best to work at within the field of software and integration, according to the BDI and Alljobs polls.
Matrix is traded at the Tel Aviv stock exchange in the TA-100 index and is also traded in the prestigious index of the big dividend-distributing companies – Tel-Div 20. The research companies (IDC and STKI) have been ranking Matrix in first place in the IT services field in Israel.
Magic Software Enterprises (NASDAQ: MGIC) empowers customers and partners around the globe with smarter technology that provides a multi-channel user experience of enterprise logic and data.
Our future-proof platforms provide a productive environment for streamlined development and deployment, and effective integration of core business applications, supporting scalable deployment on multiple channels, including on-premise, Web (HTML5), rich Internet,mobile, and SaaS. Using a fresh metadata-driven approach and forward-looking expertise, we deliver products and services that can be deployed with minimal effort, while making the best use of existing assets.
We draw on 30 years of experience, millions of installations worldwide, and strategic alliances with global IT leaders, including IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce.com, and SAP, to enable our customers to seamlessly adopt new technologies and maximize business opportunities.
With a presence in more than 50 countries, including 14 regional offices, we collaborate closely with our customers and thousands ofbusiness partners to accelerate their business performance.
Sapiens is a global provider of innovative software solutions for the financial services industry, with focus on insurance. We offer core end-to-end software solutions for the Life & Pension, Non-life General Insurance / Property & Casualty, and Reinsurance markets.
Software: Award winning packaged solutions for all insurance key business challenges
Delivery: 30 years of field-proven project delivery of core system solutions
Global: 700+ insurance and technology domain experts provide bandwidth of global professional services
Technology: Modern technology, SOA based architecture
" Insurance Software Solutions for All Lines of Business"


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"Princess" Movie Night At Paynesville Thursday Evening, May 26
Thursday, May 26 at 6 p.m., the Paynesville branch of Great River Regional Library will present Family Movie Night featuring an animated, feature-length retelling of the tale of Rapunzel.
Princesses in ball gowns and tiaras are welcome (as are Kings, Queens, Princes, and Court Jesters).
Movie treats will be provided. Attendance is limited to 25, and preregistration is required: Call the Paynesville Library (320.243.7343) or stop in during open hours, or register online. Please register all family members who wish to attend.