Synchro32 Supports AFS Texas Chapter

Synchro32 is proud to announce that we are the newest Platinum Level Sponsor of the AFS Texas Chapter!  Synchro32 is committed to the AFS and the Foundry Industry and we prove it all day everyday.

I had the pleasure of attending the most recent meeting of the AFS Texas chapter this last Friday evening in Lufkin.  Lufkin has a special place in my heart as I formerly worked at Texas Founcries - Lufkin Citation for twelve years.  Two of my dear friends and former coworkers were at the meeting and I got to break bread with them.  Charlie Cummings was the melting supervisor and Maren worked in the lab.  Maren was always busy with the methylene blue tests for clay content.  Charlie could sure make the furnaces and holders sing and get them relined in no time.  He was also instrumental in insuring that we had no "wet charges".  Nothing like a wet charge to get your attention.    Also, Lufkin Texas is home to a brand spanking new metalcasting operation and even though the first heat has not happened yet nor the first pour, Synchro32 is already installed there.  This is a forward looking progressive company, just like Synchro32, and they are gearing up for the future.

AFS Texas Chapter

Here are a few pics from Friday night's meeting.

Until next time, see you on down the road.  ShaneA

Remember That Resolution?

New Years 2011 Resolution

Well, it happened today to someone that I kinda know and happened to a good friend a while back.  This is serious stuff people.  This just isn't the Nigerian King smuggling money out of the country and wants your assistance (and your bank account number) nor the Powerball Lottery scam, nor the Unclaimed funds account of Siberia Russia.  Nope, this is serious and it needs your attention.  The internet is really a Wild West Web.

Here is the text of an email I received today, names withheld obviously...  Note how both her email account and Facebook account were breached - one has to wonder what else was breached.

Hey All:

By now many of you have received the e-mail from my old hotmail account lamenting about my trip to Wales and how I got mugged there.  Very fortunately for me, I was home snug in my bed when this sorry tale made its way to your e-mails.  I have never been to Wales (tho I do suppose it would be a good trip) and it has been a very long time since I even passed thru Wells, Texas.  Thanks for all the calls tho.  As some of you know, my Facebook account was compromised also…so if you see any off-color posts or such on there…it wasn’t me!!!  Hopefully, I will be up and running again in a few days.

I am so thankful that I have friends and family like you guys who would have been there to help me had I really been mugged in Wales!

All I can say is – I have the best family and friends!! 

When I received the first call this morning about my “distress email” I laughed it off and finished my breakfast.  Little did I know that I have friends who love me so much that without even stopping to think about the enormous fallibility of it all  they came to “my rescue.”  I love you for that! I love you for loving me so much!!

Please share this story with all of your address book.  If you get a “distress email” from friend or family, please first check with mutual acquaintances to see if the person “in distress” is really out of the country.  If there are no mutual acquaintances, check with their employer to see if they are off work.  I don’t want to deter anyone from helping out friends or family but just make sure that it is a legit.

If you responded to the first email, you know you will receive a second email to send funds.  In this case, my friend was instructed to send funds to Glenda Barnes at Western Union.  I am not familiar with Western Union but it seems like the thief would have to have an id that has my name on it.  Obviously, in this information age with social networking that would be easy enough to do… obviously the thief did have some proof because the money was picked up.

I am sorry this happened but it has a good outcome….my friend is getting her $2,000 back (thank goodness it was a credit card transaction). And…as I said before… I have the best family and friends!! 

Whatcha Doing Friday Night?

If you are in Texas, please consider stopping by the American Foundry Society, AFS, Texas Chapter meeting in Lufkin (deep East Texas - behind the Pine Curtain). 

Synchro32 is now a Platinum Sponsor of the AFS Texas Chapter and is proud to support the cause.

See:  AFS Texas Chapter Lufkin Meeting Feb 25th 2011

Until next time, see you on down the road - in Lufkin....

Planes, Trains & Baby Snakes....

Well,  Hello again everyone.....

So, February has almost passed us by, and here at Synchro towers (well, the support caves), its the usual bustle of yet another month thats whizzed past... with training trips, development work, and support at its usual level... something which I should take time out to thank the team for.... everyone is doing such a great job, it couldnt be done without you all, and your supreme effort & sacrifices... the same goes for our marketing dept, who, not only, have managed to produce yet more stunning work on the Synchro32 website, but also, have the rather large task of arranging our Gifa presence...and a great job thats turning out to be, so if your coming, make sure you stop by to say hello, as the entire team will be present..(just dont get close to a support troll....the drool gets everywhere...)

In personal news, the last of the Baby cornsnakes went off to pastures new over the weekend, so its all back to normal for me and the slithery ones.... thankfully, breeding season is still a way off, so I'll have chance to rest before we do it all over again...

Well, I think I've rambled on enough for now... take care everyone, and maybe we'll see you at Gifa 2011....


Lee

What goes around comes around'

Los Angeles Times / Business

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hiltzik-20110215,0,442445.column

*787 Dreamliner teaches Boeing costly lesson on outsourcing*

Response from Barbara Nolan

Synchro³²

'What goes around comes around'

When will we learn that cost is by no means the only factor to take into direct consideration. The financials continue to drive us beyond reasoning...the boeing 787 Dreamliner is such a stark example of what is wrong with chasing 'the most for less' I quote Boeings dream was to save money!

 Reading the article it is quite frightening to think the repercussions were not thought through with what appears to be a real lack of planning and foresight.

Quote “Boeing executives now admit that the company's aggressive outsourcing put it in partnership with suppliers that weren't up to the job. They say Boeing didn't recognize that sending so much work abroad would demand more intensive management from the home plant, not less.”

Cultural differences ethics and business practices play a major role, you have to understand the way a culture think. Boeing assumed working practices mirror their own...Oh dear; what a very expensive assumption.

If we as a company managed our business with such careless forethought we would not be here today.

Got to go...get back to doing the very best job I can for our clients and Synchro.

Barbara Nolan – Collins

Bloody Cold

Burr...  Arctic cold in Texas.  Things are grinding to a halt across the state today due to the impending snow/ice storm.  We've already had rolling blackouts this week due to increased electricity demand.  I was talking to a Texas based metalcaster today and they had to shut down their operations yesterday and for the remainder of the week due to the blackouts.  Electric arc furnaces don't like it when there is no power, cold metal isn't good.  Plus, lack of electricity creates a workplace hazard in the foundry.

Turns out that the electric shortfall was due to some generating plants going off line due to the freezing conditions.  My first thought was the ENRON - California electric shortfall when ENRON shut down numerous generating stations in order to raise prices and profits through the stratosphere.

Simon is currently stranded in Indiana due to the blizzard conditions.  He's having a dire time getting flights back to the UK.  The whole airline grid is gridlocked.  Just now, his flights in/out of Houston have been scrapped.  Continental airlines is suspending operations at the Houston George H Bush Intercontinental, IAH, airport at 3pm today and won't even resume until sometime tomorrow, depending on conditions.

As Synchro32 has support centers around the globe, even in the worst of conditions we can still provide the best support available in the metalcasting industry.

This morning I took Doc Holliday for his morning stroll.  It was a quick stroll today.

Until next time, see you on down the road...