It's Raining, It's Pouring, the Old Man is Snoring

I've been in Nacogdoches Texas the last few days following up on some business and also visiting my alma mater SFASU - Stephen F. Austin State University where I obtained my sheeps skin with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and minor in Psychology back last century in 1985. I also got my Masters in Business Administration from here in 2001. During my stay in Nacogdoches, the heavens opened up and there was a good ole East Texas downpour of sheets of rain. It was quite incredible and also scary.

The scary part is that around these parts, the massive oak and pine trees will come crashing down on houses, cars, and people without warning and without any wind. The ground becomes so saturated with water that the weight of the tree just shifting the ground a minute bit causes it to all come tumbling down.

Funny thing about my degree in computer science is that I never wanted to be a programmer or involved with computers. I grew up with my dad being an early computer programmer with Chevron GeoSciences and he would often get calls in the night that something had abended. Some delta deck of punched cards had failed. I was often amazed at the punch card machines - the way that the cards traveled all around the building on mini conveyors. He was an early programmer with a specialtiy primarily in PL/1 working on the 1st and 2nd generations of IBM computers - most notably the IBM 1401 autocoder. Thus, in college I shyed away from computers - I was going to be a shrink, a psychologist, that is until I took the course in Physiology of Psychology - how the brain works - the axons and dendrites and the sodium potassium pump amongst other things. I had a great professor, Dr. Heinz Gaylord, who had worked closely with NASA on developing the gold face plate for the Apollo 11 astronauts that would go "walking on the moon one day". Uh. Also, the thought of having to endure many more years of schooling for a PhD lost it's luster. I happened to take one course, BASIC, in Computer Science and realized I was good at it. Thus, the rest shall we say is history.

During a brief lull, I happend out to grab a few videos to share with the world.

http://tinyurl.com/ygwegz3

http://tinyurl.com/yje4mtb

http://tinyurl.com/yful9ox

http://tinyurl.com/ygmrsqc

http://tinyurl.com/yhtdjlw

http://tinyurl.com/yhmpp28


There are also some pictures of the radar screen as the storm was descending upon this little hamlet behind the pine curtain.

All is going well with Synchro32 and everyone is "all hands on deck" supporting our customer base and expanding it with new sales worldwide. Sychro32 has certainly become the undisputed world wide leading provider of metalcasting specific software. Simon will be making a sweep through North America in early November and it appears that Richy will be following up this trip with a repeat performance in early December. I am already in the process of working on the first two trips of the new year. My how time flies at Synchro32, soon it will be my two year anniversary. Seems like only yesterday that Chris Collins and I were chatting on the phone.





See you on down the road, and no, I haven't forgotten to finish the Colorado story...

do-gooder

A dear long-time friend of mine paid me a wonderful compliment that I thought I would share with the world. Thank you PCH - I really appreciate it.

This made me think of you, you do-gooder, you.

pch

It's from an email that is circulating the WWW-Wild West Web.

Dear Friends,

Being retired and all with little to nothing to do, I foolishly joined an animal rescue group and have been assigned to protect the African Antelope. Well, last week was my first real action, and fortunately my efforts were captured on the attached video. I hope you enjoy it. This type of work is rather tiring for a man of my age, but it is most rewarding. But even so, one rescue a day is all I can handle right now.

http://tinyurl.com/Save-the-Antelope

Yep, no doubt about it I'm a "do-gooder". I am doing my best to leave the world a better place - in everything I do. I help others, go the extra mile, when I'm out and about either walking the dog or camping, backpacking, hiking - I always pick up trash that I find - (a real pet peeve of mine - although I will not pick up spent baby diapers that have been rolled up and left in the parking lots - gross - got out of my truck one day and inadvertently stepped on one - beyond gross!). I once spent an inordinate amount of time and risked life and limb to pickup an errant coke can at the bottom of a deep ravine at a place known as Indian Head at Big Bend National park - an archeologicaly sensitive area.

Synchro32 is also a "do-gooder". As a company we support various philanthropic charities.

Synchro32 is also a "do-gooder"when it comes to the entire world-wide metalcasting industry.

Synchro32 is "doing good" by assisting metalcasters the world over with the industries leading metalcasting specific software that greatly assists all metalcasters with the tools needed to process orders, cost/estimate the production costs accurately, easily schedule their production optimally and identify-resolve bottle necks, ship-on-time, monitor production and scrap reducing PPM, and support their customers in the best way possible. A Synchro32 customer recently achieved a coveted quality certification. The Synchro32 software is an invaluable asset in assisting metalcaster in obtaining these quality certifications that are so essentially necessary in doing business today. All of this is possible through the Synchro32 software that is extremely affordably priced for any size of metalcaster, the support is legendary, and the software is fantastic being intuitive to use, constantly updated to meet the ever-changing demands of metalcasters, and is user friendly. Synchor32 is literally a metalcaster in a software box.

Why not arrange for a free - no obiligation - no pressure online remote demonstration today at http://tinyurl.com/synchro32-demonstration

Synchro32 - the "do-gooder" company.

Synchro32 - it's that good!

See you on down the road...

He Should Thank Me.

If you have been keeping up, you will remember last week when I returned from ICI that a tree crashed down - almost taking out a car. There had been a truck parking illegally, No Parking Anytime, in front of the telephone pole. I had asked him repeatedly not to park there as it blocks the view of an elderly widow lady when she is backing out of her driveway (I'm a good guy, I look out for my neighbors). So, the other night I'd gotten tired of him parking there - so I had him ticketed and towed. I don't think he was too happy as it was about $200+ to get his truck back.

Well, could have been a lot more money he would have to have spent repairing his truck . He should be thanking me.

Today, a lame telephone pole, that hadn't been removed yet - came crashing down. It's a telephone poll that had been "bent out of shape" during last years hurricane IKE. I imagine it would have done a lot more than $200 worth of damage to his truck. We've had a lot of rain in Texas lately, like a monsoon, so trees are getting uprooted from the ground being saturated, etc. In the last 24 hours alone, we have gotten almost 3" of rain.

Sorry the pictures are a little blurry, it was hosing.



Here is a pic of me and my little buddy Doc Holiday. The Min Pin who can. I got him a new toy recently that he really enjoys - although he is trying to bite the eyes off of it.

152

WOW! Believe it or not, CastExpo 2010 is rapidly approaching - and as usual, the entire Synchro32 team is gearing up for this. At Synchro32, everything we do we plan ahead for - because those without a plan are lost. I've always subscribed to two different methodologies of planning and quality (and these are my original thoughts)
The 5 P's - Piss poor planning promotes problems and
The 4 P's - Perfect planning prevents problems.

THERE ARE ONLY ONE-HUNDRED AND FIFTY TWO DAYS to the start of CastExpo 2010 in beautiful Orlando Florida - home of such attractions as Walt Disney World, Epcot, Universal Studios, etc. - and not too far from NASA at Kennedy Space Center I believe. In fact, I'm thinking about staying over after the show to partake in the local festivities as I have not been there since the 1960's - just before Walt Disney World had opened. Dad took us there, as there were reports that it was open - unfortunately we missed the opening by a few weeks and it was still under construction at the time. Mind you, this was long before DARPA invented the internet as we know it today. Never the less, we had a wonderful family vacation.

Being a personality type of ENFJ - Extroverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, and Judgemental - ENFJ's are planners by design. http://www.personalitypage.com/ENFJ.html

Anyway, at Synchro32 - we do everything possible to control and reduce costs. By doing this, Synchro32 can offer the hands-down worlds best metalcasting specific software at a fantastic low price. Synchro32 always "shops around" for the best hotel, air travel, etc.



In keeping with this philosophy, Synchro32 generally stays at hotels that offer a free breakfast and free internet. Not endorsing them or anything, but saving money on just these two items saves Synchro32 a lot of money over time. Additionally, the Synchro32 road warriors generally stay at these lodgings to reduce costs and to accumulate "perk points". It's a fringe benefit of the job of globe trotting around the world in doing Synchro32 installations and customer support and customer training.

I had been concerned about obtaining hotel rooms in Orlando - as this is at the tail end of Spring Break and by all indications, I talked with Rolph Peterson of Modern Casting at the recent Investment Casting Show in Indy, this upcoming CastExpo should be a blow out!

Thus, for our outstanding and loyal customers, I highly recommend making your hotel reservations now. If you were to stay at the:
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS
ORLANDO - INTERNATIONAL DRIVE
7276 INTERNATIONAL DRIVE
ORLANDO, FL 32819
UNITED STATES
001-407-5354100

Perhaps we can meet up with you our customer for breakfast or around the hot tub as we soak our bodies from a long day on the stand.

(*** IMPORTANT: Synchro32 is NOT endorsing any particular hotel and we have no financial ties or receive any considerations as such) The hotel listed above is NOT an official sponsoring hotel of CastExpo 2010. Please see http://www.castexpo.com/Housing.asp for a list of housing options for CastExpo as provided by CastExpo ***)

Be sure to visit the CastExpo 2010 website at www.castexpo.com

Synchro32 will be in booth #2010.

5' 3" Tall, Bullet Proof, and Invincible

A friend of mine recently sent me these pics from his brothers wedding I was in way back in August of 1993 - last century. I was thirty years old then - five feet three inches tall, bullet proof, and invincible. At forty-six now, I'm still five foot three inches tall, bullet proof and invincible... (I'm the short one in the pics...)

Synchro32, the worlds leading provider of affordable business and production management software, especially for the metalcasting industry, is 10 feet tall, bullet proof, and invincible. Call or email today for a free no obligation - no pressure - no commitment - online demonstration today! Demonstrations are customized to each specific metalcasters need and is not some "canned" demonstration. Synchro32 is literally a metalcaster in a software box!

Viva Synchro32 and ICI 2009 (It's That Good!)

Welcome to the World of Synchro32, the global preferred provider of metal casting specific ERP/MRP software - at the Investment Casting Institute Expo in Indianapolis Indiana USA October 2009. Synchro32 - literally an investment caster in a software box! Software for metalcasters - from the front gate - through the shipping dock and everywhere in between! Production control, quality, scheduling, costing/estimating, and of course shop floor data collection - the whole gamut. Synchro32 knows metalcasting! Synchro32 is a proud member of the ICI.















































































WOW! Last Years ICI, Investment Casting Institute 2008 in Dallas - the international edition was a resounding success for Synchro32 with many sales as a result and of course extremely satisfied customers. 2009 ICI in Indy was going to be a hard act to follow-up as it was not the international show. The ICI has been very good to the Synchro32 team - as many investment casters have come to understand that Synchro32 is synonymous with software for the metal casting industry. I didn't have high expectations for 2009 - global recession, a much smaller show, etc. Boy, was my crystal ball wrong! The Synchro32 team almost pulled off a first by inking a contract at the show! The investment caster I was talking to had heard about Synchro32 from a friend of his and was most impressed. Richard Raine and I make a hell of a team on the show floor - but it's not just us at the show - it's the entire Sychro32 team behind us - legendary support, development, and everything else that goes into greasing the wheels of a successful organization. In fact, the person I was speaking with doted on Synchro32 as everyone he had talked to said how outstanding the global support is! Support is more than just help desk functions, it also involves the sales teams and the development team and the reporting team and the back office functions of running a company - administration/payroll and of course the all important marketing and sales. It takes a lot of hard work to grease the skids and keep the locomotive running. There will be a lot of new contracts signed this month for installation before the end of the year and many more in the coming months. Synchro32 is that good.

What makes Synchro32 so good - well, besides the support and development efforts - the software is extremely affordable for all sizes of metal casters, includes all modules up front - including the stunning SFDC - Shop Floor Data Collection - and there is no pick and choose or "different packages". Additionally, customers do not have to wait a year or more for new releases - enhancements are constantly being pushed out to our customers so that they can immediately take advantage of new features to grown and run their metal casting operations. We met with one group on Tuesday morning in a special off-site meeting for a full demonstration - that ended up lasting three hours - and they were literally blown away - especially with two of their hot buttons - costing/estimating and scheduling. They were literally floored by the power and simplicity of both modules. Synchro32 doesn't do financials, doesn't do payroll, and certainly doesn't do HR. Synchro32 links to popular software packages for the ancillary functions. As a global company, Synchro32 would be faced with the daunting challenge, and spending all of our time on it, doing these important ancillary functions that are different in each region of the world. Sychro32 knows metalcasting - and only metalcasting - and we can prove it!

A customer that Synchro32 signed up last year as a result of the 2009 ICI show came by the booth - it always gives me a warm feeling when they say what a great choice / decision they made and that they are extremely happy. That goes a long ways for keeping the entire team motivated. Several other of our customers stopped by also - singing the praises of Synchro32 and checking out the new SFDC-Shop Floor Data Collection module. As a result of the demand for SFDC by the existing Synchro32 customer base, we setup several more installations and training visits during the show. It's that good!

Special thanks must go out to Leland Martin and the entire ICI team for putting on another stellar show. The Synchro32 team is already gearing up for the CASTEXPO 2010 in Orlando in March and of course the 2010 ICI show in Michigan a year from now. Synchro32 already has our booth inked in also! Leland and the ICI team - keep up the outstanding work!

Another neat thing about these expos is that I get to catch up with the many friends I have met at the past expos. Expos are like a circuit, (that's how the US circuit courts got their name - they traveled around) and I see many of the same exhibitors and attendees at each show. I have become good friends with many of the suppliers and vendors and look forward to catching up with them. I'm a people person and just love to get out on the show floor and introduce everyone to Synchro32 and "press the flesh" - shaking hands. If there were babies, I'd kiss them too! As Synchro32 is a truly global company, I like to talk to the people from all corners of the globe. This show in Indy had investment casters from Brasil, Venezuela, the UK, New Zealand, Australia - and the list goes on and on...

Here are some pics from the show. Richard will have more and better pictures to post to his BLOG. And, I'll let him fill you in on the details of the posh dinner we had.

See you on down the road...

Almost a Disaster

Hello, just back from the incredibly successful ICI - Investment Casting Institute 2009 Expo. I'll post another blog with some pictures from the show and a commentary.

I got home today, after an incredibly early start - waking up at 3am for a 5am flight after three full days of the Investment Casting show/expo and meeting with customers and potential customers. Richy and I were really "knackered" this morning - fortunately I cam on home. As Synchro never sleeps, Richy was off to customer locations for installations and training. . The reason I like to take "first am flights" is that these days, there is so much uncertainty in air travel - over booking, flight delays, ground delays, weather, etc. - that I always like to have "alternatives". I met a girl in Houston at the airport on Sunday who had been waiting over a day to get home. She had started in Vegas, was changing planes in Houston - going to Indiana - and the flight had been canceled on Friday. She spent Friday and Saturday nights in the airport, the airline wouldn't pay for her a room for some reason, and all of the flights were over booked - no room to get her on. She finally got out on Sunday - the flight I was on. She also got airsick at the back of the plane right as we were landing - got up and went to the restroom - much to the displeasure of the flight attendant. The flight attendant actually had the plane stopped on the tarmac until she came out of the restroom. I understand the back of the plane was a royal mess. (fortunately I was up front on the 1st row - no, not 1st class - one of them tiny jets with a seat on one side and two on the other - with virtually no overhead storage.) Embraer RJ145 (made in Brasil)

Anyway, I had gone to lunch when I got back in town and when I came back, all hell had broken loose as a huge tree limb across the street from me, on my neighbors property, came crashing down and almost took out a car that was illegally parked in the first place. It must have just happened as I was the first to call the emergency services as there were live electrical lines on the ground. Like Gilligans Island - no lights, no phone, no internet - not a single luxurary. And of course, it was quite warm and humid today. I'd been after the home owner for several years to take down the tree as it was mostly dead. The limb must have been 40' long and about 3' around. It took out a huge pecan tree limb on my property. The limb was so big that it knocked out all the wiring on both sides of the street. Had the police, fire department, city work crews, AT&T, and Oncor energy on site. Cable company got the line repaired, but there is much work left to be done as when the tree limb went, it pretty much pulled down several telephone/electric poles. The car that was right under the limb that was being held up by a single electric line was in serious danger of being crushed. The girl that came to get her car later was none to pleased as she had been given a ticket for illegally parking and her car was towed. She's lucky that she had a car intact to be towed. Anyway, power is back on and everything is up and running at home. Here are some pictures from today's events. Unfortunately, the dead tree is still standing and if it comes crashing down, it will take out a large portion of my house. Actually, the house has another tree that is in very poor shape with a huge honey bee nest in it. We have been blessed with much rain lately, I understand about 4" since I've been in Indy, and the tree limb had gotten water logged. This was not as bad as it was when IKE the hurricane rolled through last October when it was a spaghetti mess of downed lines, down poles, etc. Trees are sure nice and they provide nice shade, but dang they can be a pain.