Before we delve into this year’s most popular trade topic,Find detailed product information for Low price howo tipper
truck and other products. it’s important to point out that we’re now
just barely past the one-year anniversary of David Stern’s killing the
three-team deal that would have sent Gasol to the Rockets and Chris
Paul to the Lakers. A player’s value is bound to go up and down and
Gasol is unquestionably at low tide right now because of poor play,
knee injuries and an uncertain fit with the new-look Lakers, but how
laughable does that trade scenario look right now? The Lakers avoided
potential calamity by trading Andrew Bynum last summer, but the same can
be said for the Rockets and Hornets, who both can’t be complaining too
much about the vetoed deal. Houston wound up landing a far better
franchise player — 23-year-old James Harden beats 32-year-old Gasol by a
country mile — and the Hornets avoided the Lamar Odom headache, enjoy
cleaner books and have the makings of a nice core, assuming Eric Gordon
can ever get back on the court.
Recalling this bit of history
not only illustrates how far Gasol’s value has plummeted but it also
reaffirms the logic in the Lakers’ thinking. Moving big for small to
land a dynamic point guard was a sensible play with the Thunder and
Spurs standing in the way of a sixth ring for Kobe Bryant. Picking Bynum
over Gasol made sense in 2011, and picking Dwight Howard over Gasol in
2012 isn’t even up for debate. The calculus has changed: Once Steve
Nash is healthy, the dynamic point guard hole will be filled once
again. The question now is whether the Lakers are better off trying to
make things work with Gasol or moving him to address other problems: a
lack of athleticism on the wings, depth or a stretch forward who fits
better alongside Howard. Answering that question will be much easier
after seeing how Nash’s presence affects Gasol. The simplest answer is
there’s no real need to rush in advance of the Feb. 21 deadline, as
general manager Mitch Kupchak and Co. seemingly have concluded.
The
trickiest part is finding a trade partner. Gasol’s $19 million salary
this season and $19.3 million salary next season eliminate some teams
from the conversation right off the bat.Posts with indoor tracking
system on TRX Systems develops systems that locate and track personnel
indoors. Also, contenders with big salary commitments will find it
hard to make a trade work: High-salary players are needed to make a
Gasol trade legal for capped-out teams, but those players are likely to
be important to their clubs and thus difficult to deal. From there,
any team that might have sought Gasol as a No. 1 guy, like the Rockets
did just one year ago, would be foolish to value him in the same way
this year. Gasol can play better than his current averages of 12.6
points, 8.8 rebounds and 42 percent shooting. But he’s not getting any
younger and his contract length is stuck in purgatory: He’s not on the
books long enough to be considered a piece a team can build around, but
the presence of next year’s big salary limits his appeal as a trade
asset.
In a Lakers season marked by impatience, I’m glad that
Kupchak and the Busses were able to come to such a sensible conclusion
regarding Gasol’s fate. There is no ticking clock. There is no need for
a reactionary move. There is only a team desperate for some strategic
navel-gazing, as its health and coaching reboot are now creating
something of a fresh start.
The question of whether to trade
Gasol is complicated. The Lakers should deal Gasol in the sense that
all players should be moved for better ones; Kupchak should trade Kobe
Bryant if he were able to get Kevin Durant in return, or Nash were Paul
somehow attainable. The calculus would be different with Gasol in that
L.A. would most likely be looking to turn one star-caliber player into
an assortment of supporting parts, but the prerogative remains the
same: If you’re going to cut ties on a player this good, you better
make damn sure that your team is getting better in the process.
I
just don’t buy the notion that Gasol needs to be moved due to the
grave sin of positional overlap — not after he managed well enough
alongside Bynum, and especially not after Gasol outsmarted opponents in
working from the high post for Spain during the London Olympics.
Clearly, the early mid-range returns for Gasol haven’t been
spectacular, but this is a player with tremendous basketball IQ going
to work for a coach who has already proved willing to adapt his system
to the Lakers’ needs. There are some redundancies to work around and
some lineup issues to consider, but Gasol and Mike D’Antoni have miles
to go in their regular-season schedule and all of the resources
necessary to figure this out. That doesn’t mean they will or that Gasol
won’t be dealt at some point, but there’s enough reason for confidence
to abstain from making a significant, panic-driven change.
That’s why packaging Bargnani with pending free agent Jose Calderon does make some sense,We have a wide selection of dry cabinet
to choose from for your storage needs. even if doing so requires the
Raptors to take back some heavy contracts.Load the precious minerals
into your mining truck
and be careful not to drive too fast with your heavy foot. Calderon is
a useful player for Toronto at this stage in its rebuild, but this
could be GM Bryan Colangelo’s last chance to get something for a player
who will surely be gone after the season. Better to pull some value
from Calderon and Bargnani both than none at all, particularly
considering that the Raptors are unlikely to have much cap room until
2014 unless they make some fairly considerable cuts via trade. In that,
I see no problem with Toronto’s taking a chance on a potential Gasol
deal, if such an offer comes to pass, or any well-compensated gamble
provided that any contract it receives expires before 2014. What may
end up happening is that the Raps foot the bill for another team’s
mistake while also grabbing a prospect or pick for their trouble,
though it’s hard to pin down which players/teams might fill that
hypothetical scenario.
With Ersan Ilyasova, Drew Gooden and Luc
Richard Mbah a Moute already signed to long-term deals, paying both
Ellis and Jennings to stay makes even less sense. That core isn’t
advancing deep into the postseason regardless of how much talent the
Bucks have accumulated on rookie deals. What’s the justification in
shelling out? The fact that Jennings is on his rookie deal right now
reduces the urgency factor and makes it difficult and unlikely to find
return value for him by the trade deadline. Let’s assume the Bucks keep
winning at their current rate,This is my favourite sites to purchase
those special pieces of buy mosaic
materials from. putting themselves firmly in the playoffs. The
strategy should be to shop Ellis and deal him if blown away by a return
package, seeking young talent and picks or the ability to package him
with one of the other questionable contracts on their books. If there’s
no deal, playing out the stretch with Ellis and hoping for a good
first-round playoff matchup is a fine backup strategy. No real harm
done. If we assume the Bucks fall on hard times in advance of the
deadline, then the asking price for Ellis simply drops and you try to
cash out on him.
2012年12月19日 星期三
2012年11月26日 星期一
Cast iron heats up again
One of the hottest items on cooks’ holiday lists this year is one of the oldest types of cookware around: cast iron.
But today’s skillets aren’t necessarily the same as your grandmother’s. While you can find antique cookware — and there is a growing market for it — new cast iron is increasingly accessible, both to find (you no longer have to go to a hardware store or camping outlet to buy it) and to use straight off the shelf.
About 10 years ago, Lodge Manufacturing Co. introduced pre-seasoned cookware (and now seasons all of its cookware). It’s seasoned at the foundry using vegetable oil,We are pleased to offer the following list of professional mold maker and casters. perfect for any cook new to — and understandably intimidated by the thought of — cooking with and caring for the temperamental metal.
Sales have grown. The last five years have been the best in the company’s history, according to Mark Kelly, public relations and advertising manager for Lodge. Its most popular items are the 10 -inch and 12-inch skillets. The company, founded in 1896, is the sole remaining major manufacturer of cast-iron cookware in the U.S., though there is heavy competition from foreign manufacturers.Posts with indoor tracking system on TRX Systems develops systems that locate and track personnel indoors.
Why is cast iron so big? Well, it easily lends itself to almost any kind of cooking. Cast iron heats evenly, without hot spots, and retains that heat better and longer than other types of cookware. Properly cared for, cast iron can last years — centuries even. Plus,Find detailed product information for howo tractor and other products. it’s reasonably priced, especially compared with other cookware.
Cast iron is made by pouring the molten metal into individual sand molds. Once the cookware is cast, it needs to be “seasoned.” Because iron corrodes so easily, a fat — oil, lard or grease — is used to build a protective layer. Properly applied and heated, the oil hardens over time (polymerizes) to form a dense, slick layer on the surface of the iron. Cast iron is, if you will, the original non-stick pan.
“People are tired of Teflon and all that other stuff,” says David G. Smith. An avid collector and dealer of antique cast iron, he’s known as “the Pan Man” and is coauthor of two bibles on collectible cast iron.
He’s noticed a major resurgence in cast iron, particularly antique and other collectible types — old cookware from manufacturers such as Griswold, Wagner and Lodge. He asserts that antique cast iron was first sought after mostly by collectors: Many manufacturers varied the style and logo on pieces over time, making certain hard-to-find pieces and years highly valued — and expensive. Smith related a story about a bread pan that sold at a local auction house a couple of years ago for $87 and later went for more than $25,000 to a high-end collector.
Not all old cast iron is so expensive. According to Doris Mosier, who has been collecting and dealing in antique cast iron for more than 30 years, most of her new customers buy three things: a skillet, griddle and Dutch oven. Prices will vary depending on the style, age and quality of the piece. Mosier says a basic skillet will set you back about $50, a basic griddle $45 to $50, and a Dutch oven $85 and up, depending on the size.
Mosier and her husband, Bob, run the Griswold Cookware website, named after a particularly popular antique brand. She’s noticed the uptick too. Most of her customers are not hard-core collectors but those new to cast iron. Many are from outside the U.S. Antique cast iron claims only a sliver of total sales, but some connoisseurs believe that it’s superior to much of the cookware on the market today.
The difference is in the manufacturing process. Composition and quality of the iron can vary by manufacturer. And because the cookware is cast in sand molds, the pieces naturally have a slightly grainy surface. In the past, many manufacturers, including Lodge, would grind and polish each piece after it was cast, removing the top layer of iron, making for a smooth surface.The term 'hands free access control' means the token that identifies a user is read from within a pocket or handbag. Many cooks prefer this smooth surface, arguing that grinding actually opens the “pores” of the iron, allowing the seasoning to soak in for a better seal. They feel a rough surface doesn’t season as well.
The shape of a lamp once was determined by its power source. A candle required a holder that kept the candle upright, caught drippings and was not damaged if the candle burned too low. Most early candlesticks were made of metal,We recently added Stained glass mosaic Tile to our inventory. and many had drip pans and handles so the lit candle could be moved. Whale oil and kerosene needed a lamp that had a way to adjust the wick and burned oil in the font, a special ball-shaped container.
In the late 1890s, when electricity was available in many homes, some lamps were designed for a light bulb that could be positioned to direct light down toward the top of a table. But manufacturers also created electric lamps that looked like old-style "kerosene" lamps. They had new parts that included an on-off switch, a light cord and a plug. Even today some modern electric lamps look as if they were made before 1900.
The Fenton Art Glass Co. started making glass in 1907. It made dishes, bowls, lamps and other molded glass pieces. The L.G. Wright Co. of New Martinsville, W.Va., opened in 1937 and soon ordered and sold lamps made by Fenton and other glasshouses. L.G. Wright also bought old glass molds from several companies.
Today there often is confusion about who made a particular piece, about whether the piece is a copy made from an old mold and about the piece's age. Collectors search for Fenton pieces sold by Fenton, and for Fenton pieces made for and sold by L.G. Wright. The Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America is an active club still researching and collecting the glass. A peachblow L.G. Wright Fenton lamp decorated with painted roses sold a few years ago for $106.
But today’s skillets aren’t necessarily the same as your grandmother’s. While you can find antique cookware — and there is a growing market for it — new cast iron is increasingly accessible, both to find (you no longer have to go to a hardware store or camping outlet to buy it) and to use straight off the shelf.
About 10 years ago, Lodge Manufacturing Co. introduced pre-seasoned cookware (and now seasons all of its cookware). It’s seasoned at the foundry using vegetable oil,We are pleased to offer the following list of professional mold maker and casters. perfect for any cook new to — and understandably intimidated by the thought of — cooking with and caring for the temperamental metal.
Sales have grown. The last five years have been the best in the company’s history, according to Mark Kelly, public relations and advertising manager for Lodge. Its most popular items are the 10 -inch and 12-inch skillets. The company, founded in 1896, is the sole remaining major manufacturer of cast-iron cookware in the U.S., though there is heavy competition from foreign manufacturers.Posts with indoor tracking system on TRX Systems develops systems that locate and track personnel indoors.
Why is cast iron so big? Well, it easily lends itself to almost any kind of cooking. Cast iron heats evenly, without hot spots, and retains that heat better and longer than other types of cookware. Properly cared for, cast iron can last years — centuries even. Plus,Find detailed product information for howo tractor and other products. it’s reasonably priced, especially compared with other cookware.
Cast iron is made by pouring the molten metal into individual sand molds. Once the cookware is cast, it needs to be “seasoned.” Because iron corrodes so easily, a fat — oil, lard or grease — is used to build a protective layer. Properly applied and heated, the oil hardens over time (polymerizes) to form a dense, slick layer on the surface of the iron. Cast iron is, if you will, the original non-stick pan.
“People are tired of Teflon and all that other stuff,” says David G. Smith. An avid collector and dealer of antique cast iron, he’s known as “the Pan Man” and is coauthor of two bibles on collectible cast iron.
He’s noticed a major resurgence in cast iron, particularly antique and other collectible types — old cookware from manufacturers such as Griswold, Wagner and Lodge. He asserts that antique cast iron was first sought after mostly by collectors: Many manufacturers varied the style and logo on pieces over time, making certain hard-to-find pieces and years highly valued — and expensive. Smith related a story about a bread pan that sold at a local auction house a couple of years ago for $87 and later went for more than $25,000 to a high-end collector.
Not all old cast iron is so expensive. According to Doris Mosier, who has been collecting and dealing in antique cast iron for more than 30 years, most of her new customers buy three things: a skillet, griddle and Dutch oven. Prices will vary depending on the style, age and quality of the piece. Mosier says a basic skillet will set you back about $50, a basic griddle $45 to $50, and a Dutch oven $85 and up, depending on the size.
Mosier and her husband, Bob, run the Griswold Cookware website, named after a particularly popular antique brand. She’s noticed the uptick too. Most of her customers are not hard-core collectors but those new to cast iron. Many are from outside the U.S. Antique cast iron claims only a sliver of total sales, but some connoisseurs believe that it’s superior to much of the cookware on the market today.
The difference is in the manufacturing process. Composition and quality of the iron can vary by manufacturer. And because the cookware is cast in sand molds, the pieces naturally have a slightly grainy surface. In the past, many manufacturers, including Lodge, would grind and polish each piece after it was cast, removing the top layer of iron, making for a smooth surface.The term 'hands free access control' means the token that identifies a user is read from within a pocket or handbag. Many cooks prefer this smooth surface, arguing that grinding actually opens the “pores” of the iron, allowing the seasoning to soak in for a better seal. They feel a rough surface doesn’t season as well.
The shape of a lamp once was determined by its power source. A candle required a holder that kept the candle upright, caught drippings and was not damaged if the candle burned too low. Most early candlesticks were made of metal,We recently added Stained glass mosaic Tile to our inventory. and many had drip pans and handles so the lit candle could be moved. Whale oil and kerosene needed a lamp that had a way to adjust the wick and burned oil in the font, a special ball-shaped container.
In the late 1890s, when electricity was available in many homes, some lamps were designed for a light bulb that could be positioned to direct light down toward the top of a table. But manufacturers also created electric lamps that looked like old-style "kerosene" lamps. They had new parts that included an on-off switch, a light cord and a plug. Even today some modern electric lamps look as if they were made before 1900.
The Fenton Art Glass Co. started making glass in 1907. It made dishes, bowls, lamps and other molded glass pieces. The L.G. Wright Co. of New Martinsville, W.Va., opened in 1937 and soon ordered and sold lamps made by Fenton and other glasshouses. L.G. Wright also bought old glass molds from several companies.
Today there often is confusion about who made a particular piece, about whether the piece is a copy made from an old mold and about the piece's age. Collectors search for Fenton pieces sold by Fenton, and for Fenton pieces made for and sold by L.G. Wright. The Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America is an active club still researching and collecting the glass. A peachblow L.G. Wright Fenton lamp decorated with painted roses sold a few years ago for $106.
2011年8月16日 星期二
Social housing tenants to get solar panels and eco-friendly boilers thanks to 3m scheme
A 3million social housing scheme announced today by the Government could see tenants get solar panels for heating water and environment-friendly boilers to help cut fuel bills.
The fund, which is part of the 15million 'premium payment' fund that aims to boost uptake of renewable heat technology, will prioritise those homes not reached by the national gas grid, where householders have to pay for expensive oil for heating.
Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said: 'Improving and greening Britain's homes must make strong financial sense if we are to provide a real sustainable alternative to expensive old heating systems.who was responsible for tracking down Charles RUBBER MATS .'
The Department of Energy and Climate Change said local authorities and housing associations could bid for a share of the money.
The aim of the scheme is to provide tenants with more efficient heating systems and to protect them from the volatile costs of fossil fuels through the use of technologies such as solar hot water panels, biomass boilers and heat pumps which use warmth from the air or ground to heat houses.
The measures could also be eligible for the renewable heat incentive (RHI) that comes in next year and which will pay people for the amount of heat they produce from green sources.
The incentives were proposed by the previous Government and had been due to start in April, but homes will now not get payments until October 2012,the Bedding pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. with the 15million aimed at encouraging people to install the technologies in the meantime.
'If people choose to go green, they want to see real savings,' said Mr. Barker.
He added: 'This new programme is directly targeted at many of the people who will be struggling to pay their heating bills next winter.If any food China Porcelain tile condition is poorer than those standards,
'It will drive up the take-up of new heating technologies in social housing and help slash their dependence on big energy companies and expensive tariffs.
'In the face of rising gas and electricity bills, the premium payment scheme is a valuable way for people to get involved in energy generation at a local level,A custom-made chicken coop is then fixed over the gums. insulating them from volatile fossil fuel costs and ensuring homes are heated in a greener, more sustainable way.'
Bids will be assessed on the basis of value for money, the number of individual eco-heaters which will be installed and the number of homes not supplied by mains gas, the DECC said.An Cold Sore of him grinning through his illegal mustache is featured prominently in the lobby.
The fund, which is part of the 15million 'premium payment' fund that aims to boost uptake of renewable heat technology, will prioritise those homes not reached by the national gas grid, where householders have to pay for expensive oil for heating.
Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said: 'Improving and greening Britain's homes must make strong financial sense if we are to provide a real sustainable alternative to expensive old heating systems.who was responsible for tracking down Charles RUBBER MATS .'
The Department of Energy and Climate Change said local authorities and housing associations could bid for a share of the money.
The aim of the scheme is to provide tenants with more efficient heating systems and to protect them from the volatile costs of fossil fuels through the use of technologies such as solar hot water panels, biomass boilers and heat pumps which use warmth from the air or ground to heat houses.
The measures could also be eligible for the renewable heat incentive (RHI) that comes in next year and which will pay people for the amount of heat they produce from green sources.
The incentives were proposed by the previous Government and had been due to start in April, but homes will now not get payments until October 2012,the Bedding pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. with the 15million aimed at encouraging people to install the technologies in the meantime.
'If people choose to go green, they want to see real savings,' said Mr. Barker.
He added: 'This new programme is directly targeted at many of the people who will be struggling to pay their heating bills next winter.If any food China Porcelain tile condition is poorer than those standards,
'It will drive up the take-up of new heating technologies in social housing and help slash their dependence on big energy companies and expensive tariffs.
'In the face of rising gas and electricity bills, the premium payment scheme is a valuable way for people to get involved in energy generation at a local level,A custom-made chicken coop is then fixed over the gums. insulating them from volatile fossil fuel costs and ensuring homes are heated in a greener, more sustainable way.'
Bids will be assessed on the basis of value for money, the number of individual eco-heaters which will be installed and the number of homes not supplied by mains gas, the DECC said.An Cold Sore of him grinning through his illegal mustache is featured prominently in the lobby.
2011年6月21日 星期二
EURO GOVT-Greek aid delay piles pressure on peripheral debt
Greek and other lower-rated euro zone debt came under renewed pressure on Monday after ministers delayed granting emergency loans to Greece and rating agency Moody's warned Italy's credit rating could be cut.
Bund futures rose as risk averse investors sought shelter in triple-A rated German debt with the September contract FGBLc1 last up 48 ticks at 126.How is TMJ pain treated?55.
Sunday's meeting of Eurogroup finance ministers had been expected to agree to provide Greece the funding it needs to avoid a near-term default, but ministers postponed a final decision pending confirmation that Athens could muster political approval for tough new austerity measures. [ID:nLDE75I0FM]
Ten-year Greek bond yields GR10YT=TWEB rose to 17.66 percent, raising the risk premium on holding Greece's debt rather than benchmark German Bunds to 1,474 basis points. The premium hit its euro-era high of 1,600 bps late last week.
"Spreads will continue to widen until we have the release of the last tranche because it's really getting close to going to a default. Between July and August they really need the money," said ING rate strategist Alessandro Giansanti.
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has called a confidence vote for Tuesday in a bid to push through deficit-busting reforms.Quality air impact socket tools for any tough job.
The spreading impact of the region's debt crisis was evident in Moody's decision to place Italy's Aa2 rating on review for downgrade late on Friday. Moody's cited concerns over an increased cost of borrowing stemming from the Greek crisis, as well as structural impediments to growth.you will need to get an offshore merchant account. [ID:nN17266057]
"That's the worry: how far is this going to spread?," said Alan McQuaid,Definition of hypodermic needle cannula in the Online Dictionary. chief economist at Bloxham Stockbrokers in Dublin.
The Italian and Spanish bond yield spreads over Bunds widened, with each around 10 bps out at 196 bps and 273 bps respectively -- though both were below levels seen last week.
Euro zone ministers also outlined a plan to ease Greece's funding pressure in the longer term using informal,We are professional Plastic mould, voluntary roll-overs of existing Greek debt, but said details on how this will work would not be decided until early July. [ID:nLDE75J007]
Analysts said the key element of any bond rollover would be the response of credit rating agencies, and whether Greek banks will still be able to swap the country's debt for cheap European Central Bank funding.
"Even with a debt rollover there is a high risk that the bonds will be placed in default and the ECB wont be willing to accept them," Giansanti said.
CHART LEVELS APPROACHING
Driven by the flight towards quality assets Bund futures were approaching last week's highs and a break above 126.62 taking the contract to its highest level since December.
Technical charts were congested around this area meaning some near-term consolidation was possible, Commerzbank analysts said.
"However with no sign of reversal evident, should a close above the 200-week moving average at 126.69 be seen we would allow for an extension to 127.36 then 129.10, the 50 percent and 61.8 percent retracements of the move down from the 2010 peak," said Commerzbank technical analyst Karen Jones.
Bund futures rose as risk averse investors sought shelter in triple-A rated German debt with the September contract FGBLc1 last up 48 ticks at 126.How is TMJ pain treated?55.
Sunday's meeting of Eurogroup finance ministers had been expected to agree to provide Greece the funding it needs to avoid a near-term default, but ministers postponed a final decision pending confirmation that Athens could muster political approval for tough new austerity measures. [ID:nLDE75I0FM]
Ten-year Greek bond yields GR10YT=TWEB rose to 17.66 percent, raising the risk premium on holding Greece's debt rather than benchmark German Bunds to 1,474 basis points. The premium hit its euro-era high of 1,600 bps late last week.
"Spreads will continue to widen until we have the release of the last tranche because it's really getting close to going to a default. Between July and August they really need the money," said ING rate strategist Alessandro Giansanti.
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has called a confidence vote for Tuesday in a bid to push through deficit-busting reforms.Quality air impact socket tools for any tough job.
The spreading impact of the region's debt crisis was evident in Moody's decision to place Italy's Aa2 rating on review for downgrade late on Friday. Moody's cited concerns over an increased cost of borrowing stemming from the Greek crisis, as well as structural impediments to growth.you will need to get an offshore merchant account. [ID:nN17266057]
"That's the worry: how far is this going to spread?," said Alan McQuaid,Definition of hypodermic needle cannula in the Online Dictionary. chief economist at Bloxham Stockbrokers in Dublin.
The Italian and Spanish bond yield spreads over Bunds widened, with each around 10 bps out at 196 bps and 273 bps respectively -- though both were below levels seen last week.
Euro zone ministers also outlined a plan to ease Greece's funding pressure in the longer term using informal,We are professional Plastic mould, voluntary roll-overs of existing Greek debt, but said details on how this will work would not be decided until early July. [ID:nLDE75J007]
Analysts said the key element of any bond rollover would be the response of credit rating agencies, and whether Greek banks will still be able to swap the country's debt for cheap European Central Bank funding.
"Even with a debt rollover there is a high risk that the bonds will be placed in default and the ECB wont be willing to accept them," Giansanti said.
CHART LEVELS APPROACHING
Driven by the flight towards quality assets Bund futures were approaching last week's highs and a break above 126.62 taking the contract to its highest level since December.
Technical charts were congested around this area meaning some near-term consolidation was possible, Commerzbank analysts said.
"However with no sign of reversal evident, should a close above the 200-week moving average at 126.69 be seen we would allow for an extension to 127.36 then 129.10, the 50 percent and 61.8 percent retracements of the move down from the 2010 peak," said Commerzbank technical analyst Karen Jones.
2011年4月20日 星期三
How it’s done at Red River Farms
Unlike most other equine breeds, the Thoroughbred industry requires live cover.
Making sure breeding is safe and efficient requires diligence on the part of all
handlers involved. Stallions obviously play an integral role and it takes time and
experience to properly prepare a stallion for his duty.
Close to nature
Adcock is the first to admit he keeps his stallions in a different manner from
many Thoroughbred farms, but the system works exceptionally well for Red River.
Unlike the majority of Thoroughbred breeding operations where stallions are housed
together in one complex, Red River’s stallions each have their own paddock and
stall, with the ability to stay outside as much as they like.
Paddocks range in size from one to 11⁄2 acres and each has plenty of good grazing.
Within each paddock is a wooden stall, (ranging in size from 12x12 feet to 12x16
feet), which has an automatic waterer, hay manger, and feed bin. Stalls have
rubber mats to provide safe footing, but bedding is unnecessary as the horses
rarely stay inside longer than it takes to eat and drink. The back door to their
stalls is always open to the paddock.
“My stallions have the ability to stay outside 24 hours a day,” said Adcock,
whose farm will stand ten stallions for the 2010 season. “Giving them the option
lets you know what the horses really want, and they want to be outside.”
The stallion paddocks are not isolated from the rest of the farm’s equine
population. For safety, there are alleyways between all paddock fencing so horses
cannot reach each other over the fence, but mares are pastured as close as ten to
30 feet away.
“All the stallions can see mares from their paddocks,” Adcock said. “They are
exposed to lots of activity; these horses see mares coming and going all the time.
Obviously, they pay attention and they’re active, but they’re not running up and
down the fence or trying to climb it. You’d be surprised how much activity
stallions will have out there on their own, especially when there are horses all
around.”
Due to round-the-clock turnout, stallions get plenty of exercise. They are not
blanketed during the cold months, but thanks to Louisiana’s relatively mild
winters, they do not get especially “woolly.”
Stallions are fed Purina crimped oats and Omolene 300, a 16% protein sweet feed.
Adcock avoids ¬supplements unless absolutely necessary and said no stallions
received any supplements last season. During breeding season, they will be fed
straight alfalfa, but through the rest of the year they will receive alfalfa/grass
mix hay so they do not put on excess weight when the grass comes in.
Adcock has routinely handled nearly three dozen stallions since he graduated
college in 1981 and got into the horse business. Keeping stallions this way has
worked exceptionally well—for both the horses and handlers.
“They don’t have libido problems or mental issues and they don’t have pent-up
energy,” he said. “When I go catch them to show or breed, they are well behaved.
”
Breeding season
Red River Farms stays busy during breeding season, and the farm consistently
breeds 350 to 400 mares per year.
Adcock, who handles each stallion himself, has developed a safe, efficient method
for breeding. Mares are prepped and led directly into the stallion’s paddock for
breeding.
“We bring the mare to the stallion so he’s in his own environment,” Adcock
said. “Their whole world revolves around the confines of their own paddock and
stall. The stallion knows what the story is when you bring in a mare, and the time
in the pen is very short. It’s a quick turnaround; it actually takes longer to
get the mare ready than it does to breed her.”
Holding stalls located convenient to the stallion area are used for mares that
ship in for breeding, while resident farm mares are simply walked over to the
stallion’s paddock. Each mare has her tail wrapped and is washed in preparation
for breeding.
Although the farm regularly uses a teaser to check for mares in heat, when it is
time to breed, Adcock uses the stallion to tease the mare. This lets the stallion
get ready and be washed before he goes to mount the mare. A twitch on the mare’s
nose and an ankle hobble ensure that she will stand. Two handlers hold the mare, a
third holds the tail, and Adcock handles the stallion.
He admits that the only downfall to not using an actual shed is that all breedings
take place outside, no matter the weather.
“If it’s raining and isn’t going to quit anytime soon, we all get wet,” Adcock
said with a laugh. “But I’ve never seen a stallion turn his nose up at breeding
in the rain and it doesn’t stop mares from getting pregnant.”
Another benefit of this breeding arrangement is that foals are not banned from
accompanying the mare, as happens with many breeding sheds.
“We don’t lock the foal up somewhere,” Adcock said. “Nothing good can happen
if you leave a foal screaming in the van and upsetting the mare. If a mare has a
foal at side, the foal comes right along to the paddock. Our stallions are exposed
to foals and I’ve never had a problem.”
Manners important
Perhaps the main reason things runs so smoothly is that Adcock spends time with
every new stallion, teaching him what is expected.
“I’m very comfortable saying my horses are very well behaved,” he said. “We
put a chain over their noses, but you could breed all these stallions with a lead
rope. You won’t see any of them running up on their hind legs to attack the mare.
I don’t have any stallions that try to savage a mare or any stallions I have to
muzzle. I honestly think letting them be outside, exposing them to mares, and
teaching them manners in the beginning plays a big part in it.”
Whenever a stallion joins the Red River roster—whether fresh off the racetrack,
never been used for breeding, or moving from another stallion operation—his
introduction to mares will be as a teaser for about the first 45 days.
All mares, both barren and those with foals at side, come into the barns twice
daily to be fed. During this time, Adcock will walk the new stallion from stall to
stall to visit and tease them. No mares are kept under lights, so teasing of
barren mares begins in late January, and most are ready to breed by the end of
March.
“Most of these stallions I’ve started out myself,” said Adcock, whose farm has
stood as many as 15 stallions at one time. “My stallions have manners and it’s
not drastic to teach them. You just have to teach them correctly from the start
and you usually don’t have a problem. I just have a chain over the nose, nothing
severe.
“You can’t afford to have an ill-behaved stallion. I want him to keep his feet
on the ground and not rear up. I don’t tolerate pawing, rearing, or biting. It’s
like playing a ballgame: You have to practice before you play. You have to teach a
stallion what’s correct and what’s not; you iron out all the problems before you
start.”
Adcock will tease with a stallion for 30 to 45 days, even after breeding season
has started if that particular horse needs it. Once a stallion knows the routine,
nothing changes with his routine when breeding season rolls around. The farm does
have two designated teasers, so when Adcock is confident about the behavior of his
breeding stallions, the teasers take over the task of checking mares for heat.
He emphasized that no stallion is “too good” to be used as a teaser to learn
manners in the beginning.
“I’m the one holding the stallion for breeding, so I want him to stand and
behave until it’s time to do his job,” Adcock said. “Leestown was, by far, the
best horse I’ve ever touched and I teased him to start out. He was so well-
behaved, you could have held him with a hay twine [for breeding]. Private Vow is
the same way, and I teased him up to the first week in March. He will walk up and
stand five feet away from the mare while we put the twitch on and hobble her. Once
I take a step forward, he knows he can mount her.”
Making sure breeding is safe and efficient requires diligence on the part of all
handlers involved. Stallions obviously play an integral role and it takes time and
experience to properly prepare a stallion for his duty.
Close to nature
Adcock is the first to admit he keeps his stallions in a different manner from
many Thoroughbred farms, but the system works exceptionally well for Red River.
Unlike the majority of Thoroughbred breeding operations where stallions are housed
together in one complex, Red River’s stallions each have their own paddock and
stall, with the ability to stay outside as much as they like.
Paddocks range in size from one to 11⁄2 acres and each has plenty of good grazing.
Within each paddock is a wooden stall, (ranging in size from 12x12 feet to 12x16
feet), which has an automatic waterer, hay manger, and feed bin. Stalls have
rubber mats to provide safe footing, but bedding is unnecessary as the horses
rarely stay inside longer than it takes to eat and drink. The back door to their
stalls is always open to the paddock.
“My stallions have the ability to stay outside 24 hours a day,” said Adcock,
whose farm will stand ten stallions for the 2010 season. “Giving them the option
lets you know what the horses really want, and they want to be outside.”
The stallion paddocks are not isolated from the rest of the farm’s equine
population. For safety, there are alleyways between all paddock fencing so horses
cannot reach each other over the fence, but mares are pastured as close as ten to
30 feet away.
“All the stallions can see mares from their paddocks,” Adcock said. “They are
exposed to lots of activity; these horses see mares coming and going all the time.
Obviously, they pay attention and they’re active, but they’re not running up and
down the fence or trying to climb it. You’d be surprised how much activity
stallions will have out there on their own, especially when there are horses all
around.”
Due to round-the-clock turnout, stallions get plenty of exercise. They are not
blanketed during the cold months, but thanks to Louisiana’s relatively mild
winters, they do not get especially “woolly.”
Stallions are fed Purina crimped oats and Omolene 300, a 16% protein sweet feed.
Adcock avoids ¬supplements unless absolutely necessary and said no stallions
received any supplements last season. During breeding season, they will be fed
straight alfalfa, but through the rest of the year they will receive alfalfa/grass
mix hay so they do not put on excess weight when the grass comes in.
Adcock has routinely handled nearly three dozen stallions since he graduated
college in 1981 and got into the horse business. Keeping stallions this way has
worked exceptionally well—for both the horses and handlers.
“They don’t have libido problems or mental issues and they don’t have pent-up
energy,” he said. “When I go catch them to show or breed, they are well behaved.
”
Breeding season
Red River Farms stays busy during breeding season, and the farm consistently
breeds 350 to 400 mares per year.
Adcock, who handles each stallion himself, has developed a safe, efficient method
for breeding. Mares are prepped and led directly into the stallion’s paddock for
breeding.
“We bring the mare to the stallion so he’s in his own environment,” Adcock
said. “Their whole world revolves around the confines of their own paddock and
stall. The stallion knows what the story is when you bring in a mare, and the time
in the pen is very short. It’s a quick turnaround; it actually takes longer to
get the mare ready than it does to breed her.”
Holding stalls located convenient to the stallion area are used for mares that
ship in for breeding, while resident farm mares are simply walked over to the
stallion’s paddock. Each mare has her tail wrapped and is washed in preparation
for breeding.
Although the farm regularly uses a teaser to check for mares in heat, when it is
time to breed, Adcock uses the stallion to tease the mare. This lets the stallion
get ready and be washed before he goes to mount the mare. A twitch on the mare’s
nose and an ankle hobble ensure that she will stand. Two handlers hold the mare, a
third holds the tail, and Adcock handles the stallion.
He admits that the only downfall to not using an actual shed is that all breedings
take place outside, no matter the weather.
“If it’s raining and isn’t going to quit anytime soon, we all get wet,” Adcock
said with a laugh. “But I’ve never seen a stallion turn his nose up at breeding
in the rain and it doesn’t stop mares from getting pregnant.”
Another benefit of this breeding arrangement is that foals are not banned from
accompanying the mare, as happens with many breeding sheds.
“We don’t lock the foal up somewhere,” Adcock said. “Nothing good can happen
if you leave a foal screaming in the van and upsetting the mare. If a mare has a
foal at side, the foal comes right along to the paddock. Our stallions are exposed
to foals and I’ve never had a problem.”
Manners important
Perhaps the main reason things runs so smoothly is that Adcock spends time with
every new stallion, teaching him what is expected.
“I’m very comfortable saying my horses are very well behaved,” he said. “We
put a chain over their noses, but you could breed all these stallions with a lead
rope. You won’t see any of them running up on their hind legs to attack the mare.
I don’t have any stallions that try to savage a mare or any stallions I have to
muzzle. I honestly think letting them be outside, exposing them to mares, and
teaching them manners in the beginning plays a big part in it.”
Whenever a stallion joins the Red River roster—whether fresh off the racetrack,
never been used for breeding, or moving from another stallion operation—his
introduction to mares will be as a teaser for about the first 45 days.
All mares, both barren and those with foals at side, come into the barns twice
daily to be fed. During this time, Adcock will walk the new stallion from stall to
stall to visit and tease them. No mares are kept under lights, so teasing of
barren mares begins in late January, and most are ready to breed by the end of
March.
“Most of these stallions I’ve started out myself,” said Adcock, whose farm has
stood as many as 15 stallions at one time. “My stallions have manners and it’s
not drastic to teach them. You just have to teach them correctly from the start
and you usually don’t have a problem. I just have a chain over the nose, nothing
severe.
“You can’t afford to have an ill-behaved stallion. I want him to keep his feet
on the ground and not rear up. I don’t tolerate pawing, rearing, or biting. It’s
like playing a ballgame: You have to practice before you play. You have to teach a
stallion what’s correct and what’s not; you iron out all the problems before you
start.”
Adcock will tease with a stallion for 30 to 45 days, even after breeding season
has started if that particular horse needs it. Once a stallion knows the routine,
nothing changes with his routine when breeding season rolls around. The farm does
have two designated teasers, so when Adcock is confident about the behavior of his
breeding stallions, the teasers take over the task of checking mares for heat.
He emphasized that no stallion is “too good” to be used as a teaser to learn
manners in the beginning.
“I’m the one holding the stallion for breeding, so I want him to stand and
behave until it’s time to do his job,” Adcock said. “Leestown was, by far, the
best horse I’ve ever touched and I teased him to start out. He was so well-
behaved, you could have held him with a hay twine [for breeding]. Private Vow is
the same way, and I teased him up to the first week in March. He will walk up and
stand five feet away from the mare while we put the twitch on and hobble her. Once
I take a step forward, he knows he can mount her.”
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