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In Part 1 of Project Supra, we tackled our slipping clutch with a brand-new Centerforce unit, and so far the unit is working fine. The more miles we put on this clutch, the better it seems to get. This month we see how the Supra responds to a few upgrades, but first we need to replace our worn tires, get an alignment, change the spark plugs and get a compression check.
The car's wacky alignment wore out the front tire, so we ordered a fresh set of Bridgestone S-03 tires. We opted for tires one size wider than stock in both front and rear - a 245/40-17 and 265/40-17, respectively. The size increase shouldn't upset the handling except for a little extra grip in all four corners, and it should help with straight-line grip and reduce braking distances. The techs at Big O Tires in Redlands, Calif., mounted and balanced our Bridgestone tires and properly aligned the Supra.
The factory manual for the Mk IV Supra states that a compression test should show a variance of no more than 14 psi between all cylinders. Unfortunately, cylinder 4 was down 20 psi from the rest, while the other five were within 8 psi of each other. This doesn't signal a red flag now, but we'll probably do a cylinder head rebuild in the near future.
The final step before adding horsepower was to check the spark plugs. Sure enough, the stock Denso plugs were clearly worn out. We ordered a set of Denso Iridium I-22 spark plugs from Monarch Products through its Web site. Priced at $12 each, the change in spark plugs alone made the car run remarkably smoother, especially in the higher rpm range, without any misfires.
Armed with the proper running gear to get some affordable upgrades going, it was time to get busy at the dyno.
Advanced Engine Management Systems in Gardena, Calif., helped us by making arrangements with RD Dyno to use its Dynojet 248C dynamometer. A well-known manufacturer of high-end engine products ranging from adjustable fuel pressure regulators, intake systems and cam gears to its very popular and programmable engine management systems, AEM has been a major player in the import automotive market over the last several years.
After the car was strapped down, a fourth-gear pull registered 264.2 hp at 6250 rpm with a peak torque measurement of 234 lb-ft at 5000 rpm. Although it's a notoriously conservative dyno, AEM's Jason Siebels (whose Mk IV technical know-how got us through the day smoothly) felt it was still slightly lower than expected. His first impression was that the computer had registered a knock at some point in its life and has since kept the timing and fuel maps conservative. He unplugged the two fuel injection system fuses and waited a couple of minutes before plugging them back in. "This will reset the ECU so that it doesn't pull back so much timing," said Jason.
The fuses went back in, the car was fired up and as the wheels began to accelerate the rollers, a slightly different animal awoke, registering 275.5 hp at a much earlier 5700 rpm and a whopping 262.7 lb-ft of torque at 5000 rpm. With a gain of more than 30 lb-ft of torque in various parts of the rev range simply from resetting the ECU, the owner was pissed he hadn't thought about this sooner.
One of the best bang-for-the-buck upgrades is a decent intake system. For $210, the HKS intake system consists of a filter that features HKS's Super Lip funnel and Super Honeycomb frame, which helps to create a vacuum area on the back side of the lip. HKS claims its filters have the possibility of flowing as much air as the larger filters without taking up so much room, thanks to its relatively small size. HKS has also paid special attention to the absorption performance by using a high-adhesion moisture-type polyurethane filter. In the end, you get a filter with high filtration and limited drops in pressure. The filter was installed while the car was sitting on the dyno. The install was simple and replaced the factory air box. At 283.5 hp to the wheels, the peak number went up by 7.8 hp but the area under the curve told the true story-gains from 5800 to redline were significant, including a peak gain of more than 20 hp at a flattened 6600 rpm.
Next up was the exhaust system. In our Supra exhaust shootout a few months ago (Turbo, June 2003), the Thermal Research & Development system did extraordinarily well, increasing that stock Supra's peak power by 11.4 hp and 20.4 lb-ft of torque, with a peak gain of 28.1 hp at and 31.7 lb-ft at 4650 rpm-right in the middle of that second turbo's spool-up. Although it was a little louder than the average aftermarket exhaust for the Supra, the extra power was what we were after, and the 6-pound weight loss didn't hurt, either.
We procured a system for Project Supra, but this time we tested it with a turbo downpipe system from Stillen. By replacing the stock cats, which are the biggest bottleneck in the exhaust system, massive backpressure is eliminated for better flow. It's also 15 pounds lighter than the factory cats. It should be noted, however, that any cat-less downpipe is intended for racing purposes only, and shouldn't be used on a public road (but that didn't mean we couldn't test it on the dyno).
On the dyno, we weren't surprised by the new numbers. With the HKS filter, horsepower shot from 283.5 to 311.7, but with a much smoother curve to boot. The total weight loss over the factory exhaust was 21 pounds.
For just over $1,200 in mods plus a couple of hours worth of installation, the car netted substantial gains from 5000 rpm up-basically when the second turbo is at full bore, with power increases ranging from 10 to nearly 50 hp. Keep in mind this is using the 275-hp run as our actual baseline, otherwise our actual gains on this particular car, including pulling the fuses to reset the ecu, were more like 60 hp near redline. At least in the case of Project Supra, that was the change in power we saw from this morning to this afternoon.
Next time we'll shoot to unleash a few more ponies, so we bumped the spark a bit more to avoid any misfires the next time the car is tested. The HKS Twin Power DLI system incorporates both the CDI and transistor method ignition to provide optimum spark duration and maximum voltage output. According to HKS, this results in a smoother throttle response and powerband.
The CDI method (Capacity Discharge Ignition) provides maximum voltage by transferring all stored energy in the capacitor to the ignition coil so that the ignition current can build up quickly, thus making the Twin Power more effective in the higher revs where a normal spark would tend to diminish. The combination of the CDI and the transistor method incorporates two distinct systems into one high-performance unit, hence the designation of Twin Power. HKS reports the Twin Power produces a spark output that is typically 1.5 to 2.5 times stronger than that of the stock ignition system and consumes about 35 percent less power input than other ignition amplifiers. The DLI also has a CARB number, making it 50-state legal for public roads, and has an MSRP of $625.
The DLI unit was tested against the previous runs, but showed no changes in power, indicating that at least at this power level the stock ignition system with the Iridium spark plugs is holding up. Jason assured us that from his experience in testing these Supras, the DLI system will come in handy when we decide to turn up the boost.
Stay tuned, we'll be seeing just how much better this car does with a stand-alone engine management system and some other toys.


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The ex-CEO of Yahoo!, Bartz was scrutinized from her first speech in that role, and has publicly discussed getting talked over in meetings by men who later claimed credit for her stated ideas. She isn't known for holding back with her opinions or her shyness--her advice for women when men take credit for their already stated ideas is to say, "I just said that!" But on this commencement day at her alma mater, the forthright speaking was mixed with fondness.
One reason may be that Bartz missed her own graduation ceremony because she'd already started her first job, and another is motherhood. She gives mothers many shout-outs in the speech, poking gentle fun at how they like to sign their texts "Mom," which their kids don't understand, since they can already identify who's texting. Her use of humor is an artful tool here, helping to bridge the multiple audiences and generations that are always present at a graduation: She makes references to what the students are really doing on Thursday nights instead of studying and acknowledges the older generation's adjustments when college grads move back home.
But the best of the speech comes when Bartz addresses failure, a brave topic choice for a woman who has failed so publicly. She turns failure on its head here, suggesting that the graduates "embrace failure" and view it as an essential part of their careers:
Everybody has failures of many kinds but how do you take advantage of failure? I think the greatest strength that we have in the us and especially in Silicon Valley is that we actually view failure as a sign of experience. We view failure as a way of life and those people are willing to take on risks to the road to innovation. I have a saying that I have used at my companies. Fail. Fast. Forward. Take risks. Fail. You're not going to get hurt by that. Try and figure it out as quickly as possible that it is not the right thing. That's the fast part. And move forward. Fail. Fast. Forward.The speech drew plenty of attention in the hall where it was given, and beyond, as business observers took note. What can you learn from this speech?
- Refresh that tired commencement content: Instead of waxing eloquent on success, Bartz focuses on failure, and she tosses out the career ladder idea, urging grads to build "career pyramids" instead. Rethinking and reworking tired cliches can only help the audience, commencement speakers.
- Use humor to unite, not divide: Notice how Bartz uses humor when referring to herself as a mother or as a student--both an effort to build a bridge to the different age groups in her audience the very best way, by sharing what she has in common with them.
- Be honest: Another refreshing quality of this speech is Bartz's willingness to address failure head-on, instead of using the platform to reshape her image. It's a breath of fresh air that's also likely more useful to the grads than any number of platitudes.
You can see a partial transcript of this speech here, and watch the video below. What do you think of this famous speech?

subset: commoncrawl


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|Arkangelknight (talk)
|Date Created:
|Please feel free to edit constructively!
Third edition D&D is infamous for it's daily uses of abilities while fourth edition has split uses into "at-will", "encounter" and "daily." Where many 3rd edition fans may not like 4th edition as a whole, this aspect is very useful to characters who have many abilities such as spellcasters.
To do this merely cut the daily uses of an ability in half (round down) and that is the number of times per encounter the character can use it. If a character can use an ability more than four times per encounter, it becomes an at-will ability.
For spellcasters a single "spell level" is considered an ability. So a 4th-level Wizard that can cast four 1st-level spells per day would instead be able to cast up to two 1st-level spells per encounter.
Metagame analysis: For healing spells and creation spells this creates a problem. To fix this, require 10 minutes of rest to renew encounter uses.
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Variant Rules


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Snap! Raise was inspired by a simple idea: what if our youth coaches and educators had the freedom to focus fully on the work they loved, and the remaining barriers disappeared?
The average group leader spends 13.5 hours every week on unwanted administrative chores. This burden is tacked on top of a normal day job and time spent coaching, teaching, and mentoring students.
It is our mission to support youth coaches and educators in their goal to empower the leaders of tomorrow.
Snap! Raise was founded on two core beliefs:
- That group activities serve a vital role in the development of kids, teaching essential life skills like collaboration, work ethic, and leadership
- That youth coaches, educators, and program leaders are able to empower kids to pursue their fullest potential when unburdened by financial concerns and administrative chores
We are working to transform a system we were all once a part of.
Every member of the Snap! team is motivated by a commitment to give back to the communities we serve, and we are honored to be able to do just that.


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It's summer, which means packing! Also, it is a day that ends in y, which means talking about how dudes and ladies do something differently. Today, we discuss whether "men pack for Mars, women for Venus."
That's the claim made by Andrew Bender in his Forbes blog post of the same name. He talks to luggage designer Barbara Barry, who says,
Men say 'three shirts, two pair of pants, a couple pair of shoes and a jacket.' Women think outfits: 'I'm going to this occasion, and this is what it should look like.' They think about it a lot. They think about it when they're sleeping.
I sort of wish I thought about packing while I was sleeping, instead of what I actually think about, which is getting devoured by killer whales. I think the appropriate outfit for that occasion would be a large metal cage. But I digress. Bender's takeaway message is "men, indeed, tend to group types of clothing, and women are more likely to group outfits."
Like the sleep comment, this is giving ladies a lot of credit. I've been known to plan outfits for a trip if I have a lot of time — if I don't, though, I just throw a whole bunch of shirts and underwear into my suitcase and hope for the best. Perhaps men just allocate less time to packing, hence their garment-focused approach? Or maybe they don't need to pay as much attention to outfits, because their clothing is more interchangeable. To the extent that I do plan for different occasions when I pack, I'm often addressing right-bra-for-this-dress issues, which don't come up for most dudes. Still, I'm not entirely convinced Bender's theory is correct — if guys are really paying attention to each type of clothing, why the hell aren't they packing more underwear?
Men Pack For Mars, Women Pack For Venus [Forbes]
Image via Robyn Mackenzie/Shutterstock.com


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Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore
The Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore has been awarded TAG certification as a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) accepting facility. TAG certification is awarded to organizations that are LGBT-friendly in their employment policies, services and support to the LGBT community. Voters in the state of Maryland approved the same-sex marriage law in late 2012.
In order to become TAG certified, hotels must meet several qualifications including: the possession, or implementation of a non-discrimination policy; providing equal administration of personnel benefits; ongoing diversity training; and community support of the LGBT community, among other policies.
The Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore is proud to be TAG certified and we are prepared to inform same-sex couples about wedding benefits and other services at our downtown Baltimore hotel.
Maryland has joined eight other states that support same sex marriage, including Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Washington; plus, the District of Columbia, and two Native American tribal jurisdictions located in Oregon and Washington.
For more information about LGBT-friendly weddings at our Inner Harbor Baltimore hotel, contact our wedding specialist, Jay Day, at 410.347.9724, or at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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I have a server running Oracle 10.2.0.1.0 and ArcSDE 9.1 on SLES 9
Over the weekend the ArcSDE service stopped responding and this morning i rebooted the server.
Trying to manually start the database this morning i got the following error(s):
SQL> connect / as sysdba
Connected to an idle instance.
SQL> startup
ORA-01081: cannot start already-running ORACLE - shut it down first
SQL> shutdown
ORA-24324: service handle not initialized
ORA-24323: value not allowed
ORA-01092: ORACLE instance terminated. Disconnection forced
SQL> startup
ORA-01031: insufficient privileges
I am not an Oracle expert (obviously?). Any suggestions would be appreciated.


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A state takeover of the Wachusett Regional School District�s finances could be the solution to the district�s fiscal 2012 $1.2 million in overspending, school committee member Julianne Kelley reported to the board last night.
Ms. Kelley said she learned in conversations with state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education representative Christine Lynch that DESE and the state Department of Revenue could form a control committee for the district�s finances, and then allow them to borrow the funds to cover the shortfall. The departments would take over the district�s finances until they believed the district could function independently, Ms. Kelley said.
Superintendent Thomas Pandiscio said he believed the potential methods to deal with the deficit could leave it at about $160,000 after transfers from grants and revolving accounts, but that on Dec. 1, the DOR would still find the district with a deficit for the entire $1.2 million.
Mr. Pandiscio said DESE and DOR wanted to see the district�s audit report and its accounting for revolving accounts and grants before weighing in.
The school committee and administration scrambled in July and August to cover the $1.2 million in overspending after discovering the mistake, as well as a $1.5 million under-prediction for fiscal 2013. The discoveries resulted in the firing of business manager Peter Brennan.
The district�s transfers to cover the fiscal 2012 shortfall coming after July 15 will not be allowed by DOR, school committee Chairman Duncan Leith said, leaving the district�s 2012 books in a deficit.
The district expects its yearly audit to be completed soon. A request-for-proposals for a company to conduct a phased forensic audit is in progress with the district�s business and finance subcommittee.
The committee approved using $4,850 for a procedural audit by the Massachusetts Association of Business Officials, one members hope will uncover any procedures that need to be changed to prevent future overspending or shortfalls.
� Melissa McKeon


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Link building workshop with renowned link building experts Paul Reilly: MediaSkunkWorks, Irish Wonder: Blackhat, Nick Garner: Link 'factory owner'. You will get a roadmap on how to successfully build links in this difficult environment.
Contrary to the search engines' propaganda and uninformed popular belief, Cloaking or IP Delivery is anything but dead!
SEO is an ever changing beast and right now it is all about using public relations tactics as part of our SEO toolkit in order to help support our on-going crusade to improve clients rankings.
This presentation looks at how to go one step further and get the answers you need. From log-file analysis through to accessibility issues and site architecture, the goal of this session is to leave attendees with a list of useful tools and easy to implement tips.
Listen to the top SEO experts discuss the developments and changes to SEO for 2013 at the Barcelona Affiliate Conference. Learn how these changes will affect online gaming and how these changes can benefit your company..


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Today welcomed some interested news in the search world and particularly those with an Easterly looking view. The announcement that Johnny Zhu's CharmClick and Sri Sharma's Net Media Planet will form an exclusive deal to partner with Baidu, China's biggest search engine. I took the time to speak to them both to help State of Search readers understand what this new deal meant for European brands and how this exclusive partnership could help efforts targeting Chinese searchers.
Why Did This Deal Come About?
China poses an interesting quandary for many brands and SEO specialists a like. China is one of only a handful of countries where Google is not the major search engine, in fact, it's far from it with Baidu holding a massive 83% of the search market share. This means that the mutual capability of working from the same platform, whether you're targeting Spain, the USA or Denmark are lost when targeting Chinese searchers on Baidu. As Zhu said when we spoke "Baidu's interface is all in Chinese, this makes it very difficult for non-native speakers to navigate and use the platform. Because Baidu has thus far not provided many salespeople, reaching outwards to help companies work with the platform has not been one of their major priorities." Unlike that of Google who have armies of account managers to help get people started on their platform. The functionality is very different, and the platform is in Chinese, the barriers to entry are higher.
This is what today's deal aims at overcoming, allowing Sharma and his team at Net Media Planet (for the UK and Ireland) Zhu and his team at ClickCharm (for the rest of Europe) the ability to share their local market knowledge to help people target Chinese searchers through these exclusive deals that has made them a Baidu Service Provider.
As Zhu & Sharma have known each other for a long time, and the deal was struck in an effort to help develop Net Media Planet's international ambitions, by facilitating others in doing the same. Therefore Zhu, whose CharmClick hold European exclusivity has travelled to London to showcase and launch this proposition and today, expressed his excitement that this deal has moved ahead.
So Who Benefit From This Deal?
China has long been viewed seen as an area of great opportunity, with many brands vying to invest in its burgeoning population. And with an online population of number 564 million, 242 million of which are online shoppers, the scale of the market is incomprehensible to the West. Johnny and Sri stated that this was one of the main drivers for this deal, allowing this area of expansion for many Western brands to target search in Baidu with the help of their local market expertise. Both stated that it is great for those British/Irish brands that are and looking to take advantage of the market in China and expand Eastwards.
What's more, such is the online searching habits and consumer psyche "…whether it's offline or online, this could be a powerful opportunity to test the water", said Zhu. Zhu also said that through todays deal he's looking forward to sharing insights on China's unique online-shopping ecosystem and explaining how brands can gain a foothold in China's lucrative market.
What Industry Does This Apply To?
While not limiting themselves to one particular industry, when asked both Johnny and Sri believe that a very strong opportunity lies in the following industry:
* Fashion/retail – could be a big positive for this, with Western fashion being sought after in many areas of China, but ultimately difficult to find on Baidu.
* Education – it is widely viewed as a very ambitious thing for Chinese nationals to travel to the likes of US, UK, Canada and other similar countries to study. Therefore institutions looking to attract Chinese students could benefit from targeting them in search.
* Travel – Zhu said that of the countries in Europe, the UK is in the top 3 countries that Chinese nationals desire to travel to. The opportunity for travel companies to target informational searches surrounding this is unavoidable.
* There final was interestingly football clubs, with many major clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea making significant pushes to capitalise on the popularity of the sport across China.
How Do We Get Started?
"Many people are searching for UK brands in China, particularly fashion brands!" added Zhu. The intent certainly exists, but currently retailers are held back from this opportunity from not appearing competitively on Baidu. Take a brand like ASOS, or even Marks and Spencers, the Chinese struggle to remember how it's spelled, there may be several ways that locals typing this. Zhu gave the analogy that some people may be searching for 'GAP jeans', where gap is the brand name and 'jeans' is in Chinese; and this is just one of the possible combinations.
Difference between Google & Baidu
Zhu admitted that the Google and Baidu algorithms looks similar, but he indicated that there are a number of differences. Paid search is very similar, showing the ads on the right (or the left, should you wish), Baidu even allows you to add a logo to the listing (as can be seen in the Sony ad shown below). What's more, verified ads show a green logo but this status isn't easy to attain without the know how "in Baidu, all paid ads are reviewed manually, unlike in Google. There is definitely more people management required to getting campaigns live.", Zhu stated.
To learn more, I suggest you get in contact with Net Media Planet, or keep an eye out for Sharma and Zhu's keynote and the Internet Retailing Expo taking place in Birmingham on Wednesday 20th March.
Make sure you check back on State of Search on Wednesday where I will ensure that I upload the presentation from the keynote.


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New Mass Music Coming to a Church Near You
Parishes will learn settings ahead of full-scale missal implementation, bishops decide.
WASHINGTON (CNA/EWTN News) — Diocesan bishops will be allowed to gradually introduce the musical settings for Mass parts from the new Roman Missal beginning in September, Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans announced June 16.
"I ask you to encourage this as a means of preparing our people and helping them embrace the new translation," Archbishop Aymond told the bishops during their spring assembly near Seattle.
This announcement primarily affects the Gloria, the Holy, Holy, Holy and the Memorial Acclamations of the liturgy. The change will allow parish communities to learn the various parts of the new translation "in a timely fashion and an even pace."
The bishops' Committee on Divine Worship, which Archbishop Aymond chairs, made the decision in response to several bishops' requests to allow early preparation ahead of the full-scale implementation scheduled for Nov. 27, the First Sunday of Advent.
Some bishops suggested that the various acclamations could be more effectively introduced throughout the fall so that when the full missal is implemented the congregation will already be familiar with the sung prayers.
The new English translation of the Roman Missal, the official book of prayers and instructions for the celebration of the Eucharis, follows the original Latin more closely, while using richer and more accurate language. The new version involves the most significant changes to the liturgy since 1974.
Bishops in the U.S. have also made efforts to prepare for the upcoming implementation of the revised missal by offering workshops to priests and diocesan officials throughout the last year, as well as launching a website dedicated to the new translation.
The Catholic Church in England and Wales has also planned an early start. Catholics there will begin using the changed portions of the Mass in September.


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Playing this video requires the latest flash player from Adobe.
Download link (right click and 'save-as') for playing in VLC or other compatible player.
The amplitude mode is a ubiquitous phenomenon in systems with broken continuous symmetry and effective relativistic dynamics, and has been observed in magnets, charge density waves, cold atom systems, and superconductors. It is a simple analog of the Higgs boson of particle physics. I will discuss the properties of the amplitude mode and its somewhat surprising visibility in two-dimensional systems, recently confirmed in cold atom experiments. The behavior in the vicinity of a quantum critical point will be stressed, comparing theoretical, numerical, and experimental results.


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<b>Ⓣ This translation file can be installed like a Module.</b> Installing a module is easy: Create a subdirectory called
modules in your DataDir directory, and put the Perl file in there. It will be loaded automatically.
If you have a multilingual audience, you might want to take a look at Language Browser Preferences. In this case, the translation file does not go in to the
modules directory but into the same directory as the wiki script itself. Depending on the language preferences your users set up in their browser, a different translation file will be loaded.
You can find other translation files on the Translations page.


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Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual
Common Name: Chinese Silver grass, zebra grass, eulalia grass, Eulalia, Chinese fairy grass
Scientific Name: Miscanthus sinensis Anderss.
Miscanthus sinensis is a member of the Poaceae or Grass Family. It continues to be a popular ornamental in many areas of the United States as well as being used as a barrier plant along roadsides and agricultural fields. There are many ornamental varieties of this plant, including one that is used in Europe and Asia as a biofuel and for paper pulp. Miscanthus gets its name from the Greek word mischos meaning stalk and anthos meaning flowers, referring to the stalked spikelets. Miscanthus is being considered as a wildland fire hazard due to its large amount of dried biomass in the fall and winter. Burning plants can have flame lengths of thirty feet and have a high potential for spotting into receptive fuels.
Similar Species
There are no native species of miscanthus in the eastern United States. Big blue stem (Andropogon gerardii) is a possible look alike due to its large size. One distinguishing feature is that big blue stem has a three-pronged flower spike that resembles a turkey's foot. Sugarcane plumegrass (Saccharum giganteum) resembles miscanthus due to its large plume and arching leaves. Plume grass can be differentiated by its longer flower stalks (up to four meters) and shorter leaves (to five decimeters). Early growth of new plants could be confused with some native grasses. There are many varieties of Miscanthus sinensis as well as other large ornamental bunch grasses in the nursery trade. All of the horticultural varieties grow in similar habitats.
Miscanthus will grow on a variety of sites but prefers moist well-drained soil to reach its maximum growth potential. It is intolerant of shade although it will persist in sparsely forested areas and small openings. In many natural areas, this grass is prevalent on abandoned home sites where it was used as an ornamental. It has been documented invading shores of reservoirs, roadsides, and in forests and old fields following fires. The plant is extremely flammable and upon catching fire, burning fragments cause difficulty in fire control. Miscanthus will grow in relatively cold (Zone 5) as well as warm climates (Zone 9).
Management Recommendations
Mechanical Control
Hand Pulling: Hand pulling Miscanthus is largely ineffective due to the large root system and its ability to re-grow from root fragments. Individual plants or small patches can be effectively grubbed as long as all of the roots are removed. After removal, monitoring is necessary to ensure complete control.
Herbicidal Control
Spot Treatments: For herbicidal controls to be effective the plants must be actively growing. Glyphosate has been shown to be effective in controlling miscanthus. A 2% solution of glyphosate thoroughly mixed with water is effective in the fall or late spring. Treatments should cover the leaves of the plants to the point of runoff. Since glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide, it will affect any native plant it comes into contact with. The addition of a non-ionic surfactant at a concentration of 0.5% improves the effectiveness of foliar treatments. Read the herbicide label thoroughly prior to use.
Broadcast: Broadcast treatments are appropriate for large infestations such as fields or along roadsides. Apply glyphosate at a rate of 1.0-1.5 quarts per acre. Use a non-ionic surfactant according to manufacturer's instructions to improve effectiveness.
Anten, Niels; Hirose Tadaki. Interspecific differences in above-ground growth patterns result in spatial and temporal partitioning of light among species in a tall-grass meadow. Journal of Ecology. Aug. 1999; 87 (4): 583-597.
Gleason, H. A.; Cronquist, A. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. 2nd ed. The New York Botanical Garden; 1991.
Johnson, Kristine. National Park Service: Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Personal Communication. Nov. 21, 2002.
Kartesz, J.T. A Synonymized Checklist and Atlas with Biological Attributes for the Vascular Flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First Edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, NC. 1999.
Morisawa, TunyaLee. Weed Notes: Miscanthus sinensis. The Nature Conservancy. Nov. 2 2002. <http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/miscsine.html>
Nishiwak,-Aya; Sugawara,Kazuo; Ito,Iwao. The effect of cattle grazing on seed production in Miscanthus sinensis Anderss. Grassland-Science. 1996; 42 (1) 47-51.
Perry, Leonard. Miscanthus. University of Vermont. Oct. 20 2002. <http://pss.uvm.edu/pss123/grsmisca.html>
USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 <http://plants.usda.gov>. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. Nov. 8, 2002.
Radford, A. E.; Ahles, H. E.; Bell, C. R. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press; 1968.
Yamamoto,Y ; Yag, T; Saito,Y; Kirita,H. Changes in the species diversity, H', of Miscanthus-type grassland in relation to vegetational change by grazing. Grassland-Science. July, 1998; 44 (2) 122-126.
The Bugwood Network - The University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Questions and/or comments to: email@example.com


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Dispelling the Myths of Creating a Winning Corporate Culture
By Joseph Gianni, President and CEO, 2logical
Few would deny the majestic power of a winning corporate culture. When the odds are stacked against the success of a mission critical corporate objective, a strong corporate culture can persevere through all kinds of challenges and setbacks—and make, well, even the impossible…possible.
Even in the most turbulent market conditions, a strong corporate culture can shorten the recovery time from minor or major setbacks by as much as tenfold, when compared to an organization lacking the "right stuff."
Despite its proven supremacy, developing a winning corporate culture is one of the developmental building blocks most often missing from training initiatives across all industries. While consultants churn out articles, books, and interviews about their success in lifting organizations from the crypt to the Promised Land by developing a strong corporate culture, far too many executive leadership teams fail to make the connection and thereby fail to make creating, building, and nurturing a winning corporate culture their No. 1 objective.
The fact remains, organizations that establish a winning corporate culture catapult to a leadership position in their respective industries over time—while those that don't create such a culture eventually fall behind. The most famous success stories from business history all owe their origin to leaders who incubated powerful corporate cultures: Sam Walton's creation of Wal-Mart, Jack Welch's legendary leadership of GE, the well-known culture at Apple Computers led by Steve Jobs, the incubator of ideas brought into reality by the Google team and co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and what Indra Nooyi did with culture to make PepsiCo a global leader in the snacks market. All of these are prime examples of corporate leaders who saw the value in cultivating their corporate cultures with the right ingredients for success.
The naïve often speculate that these companies rose to the top of the Fortune 500 because they had a sound business model, or because they had the right idea at the right time—but everyone knows that many strong business plans never find the footing they need to grow. Far too many of the right ideas at the right time never become reality, because of the stranglehold of a weak or dysfunctional corporate culture that destroys their promise.
Avoidance—and even outright denial—of the need to make corporate culture development a "Mission Critical Objective" lies in five common myths that destroy the impetus for any organized effort to create, build, and nurture a winning corporate culture. Often, even a cursory glimpse at these myths/limiting thoughts can dash any glimmer of hope an executive may have about attempting to achieve what far too many still view as the unachievable.
If executives from the list above dispelled these limiting thoughts and beliefs and germinated a winning corporate culture capable of making dreams a reality, why can't every talented team of corporate Titans dispel these same myths and engineer a winning culture in their own organizations?
Quite frankly, myths can only shape beliefs and direct a team's successes or failures if the leader fails to dispel these myths. The best practice for doing this, quite simply, is to examine each myth closely.
Let's look directly into the eyes of the most common myths and see what we discover.
Myth 1: A winning corporate culture just happens.
In reality, some kind of culture does "just happen" in every organization—but a great, powerhouse corporate culture does not happen by chance. I have never seen any leadership or executive team create a powerhouse corporate culture without taking the time to carefully engineer exactly how it will be built. It's never just happened in a sales team, a service team, or any other business team structure. For that matter, on a more personal organizational development level, I've never seen it happen in any family structure either; in fact, if left to chance, just the opposite usually occurs. In every case, a winning corporate culture is created by the conscious effort of the leaders. Without conscious and organized effort, delivered from the hands of inspired leadership, the culture that creates itself is almost always counterproductive to what is needed for corporate success.
Myth 2: A winning corporate culture cannot be defined.
A winning culture can and mustbe defined. To do so, we must understand the genesis of all corporate culture: the dominant beliefsof the people within the organization. Where do these dominant beliefs come from? Typically, they originate with the strongest willed person in the group or the strongest communicator. However, these people are not necessarily the leaders of the corporation! Far too often there are several strong-willed people whose negative and limiting beliefs become accepted as the foundation to the corporate culture. Conversely, if these same strong-willed people come from an enlightened, positive point of view, the dominant beliefs that lay the foundation of the corporate culture are vitalizing. Either way, a corporate culture is easily defined by whichever spring that feeds it.
Myth 3: A winning corporate culture cannot be created or built.
For close to 20 years, 2logical has helped "thought leaders" isolate and build the dominant beliefs that germinate a winning corporate culture, making this the ultimate foundation of an unstoppable workforce. These core beliefs center on three primary building blocks:
- Personal Responsibility: A culture defined by employees who are taught to accept 100 percent personal responsibility for the results they deliver. This dominant belief anchors a culture that tolerates little in the way of excuses and finding reasons why things can't be done, and, as a result, gives way to a team that focuses on continuously finding solutions.
- Self-Efficacy: A culture defined by employees who have earnest and unwavering professional self-efficacy—in other words, they believe in their ability to execute business strategy and drive results. This belief is a cultural pillar that is not simply important in today's business landscape—it is essential. Systematically developing the self-esteem and overall self-confidence of an entire workforce, across every department, is the secret to accomplishing this ideal. Self-efficacy incubates a culture of mentally healthy, happy, and Results-Capable workers.
- Self-Motivated, Self-Reliant, Personal Initiative: All of these traits of high character are byproducts of a culture defined by employees who have professional, as well as personal, goals—employees who understand the symbiotic relationship between personal and professional goals do not need to be pushed every day to reach their dreams, goals, and life aspirations. They simply push themselves.
Myth 4: Corporate culture has little bearing on performance.
The business archives are filled with stories from leaders who have attempted to execute corporate strategy without having a corporate culture that places and keeps their employees in the right "state of mind." All performance, good or bad, owes its origin to beliefs—and when the beliefs of the workforce are not anchored in the three core categories described above, a weak culture is all that remains. Such a culture has little hope of achieving corporate goals.
Myth 5: Developing a strong corporate culture is too expensive.
When you consider the cost directly associated with the countless goals and opportunities abandoned or never attempted because of a weak corporate culture, it's easy to see why investing to build a strong and healthy culture leads to both immediate and long-term success. The benefits derived from building a winning culture far outweigh the resources invested. These benefits often reveal themselves in a short period of time.
The fact is that a weak corporate culture can be costly to an organization in measurable ways: sales goals missed, poor employee morale, productivity figures that are well below expectations, employee turnover, accounts that go to competitors. Ask yourself: "What are we losing every day because our culture does not encourage our people to innovate, recreate, persevere, learn from mistakes—the special ingredients needed to ultimately meet and exceed goals?"
Your total losses will be far greater than the cost of teaching employees to accept personal responsibility for the results they are getting each day; bolstering their self-efficacy by helping them recognize their innate potential to master whatever is necessary to achieve success; and teaching them to harness this potential through the mastery of professional and personal goal setting.
Corporate Culture: The Bottom Line
How important is corporate culture to a company's long-term success? Based on the myths we've dispelled here, it's clear that corporate culture is critical. If these myths were true, then no company could ever be successful. How do some companies go from a gleam in their creators' eyes to rank among the most powerful and profitable companies in the world today? Look at all of the most successful corporations, and you'll see a common thread: a corporate culture that turns every employee into a capable and active participant in achieving organizational goals.
Joseph Gianni is president and CEO of 2logical. For more information, visit http://www.2logical.com.


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Winter 2007
Every frame counts
Kyle Cooper
Profile/Kyle Cooper
Whatever the genre – or budget – each element of Kyle Cooper's film titles is a painstakingly executed piece of design
Kyle Cooper was the wunderkind of contemporary film title designers, often described as the new Saul Bass and acclaimed for a body of work that included The Island of Dr Moreau, Donnie Brasco, and the legendarily caustic psycho-opener for Seven, made while he was at R/Greenberg Associates (R/GA) in LA. Then in 2003 he left the much-celebrated Imaginary Forces. Now Cooper has a new company, Prologue Films, and once again his work is appearing on screens around the world. This transition completes an arc begun with his arrival in Los Angeles in late 1993. Sent by Bob and Richard Greenberg with the mission of establishing a beachhead for their NY-based design studio, Cooper directed some 40 title projects at R/GA, and another 46 titles during his six years as partner at Imaginary Forces.
In so doing, Cooper has shown that film-making is not a dead end for graphic design, quite the opposite: the power of graphic design remains a force largely untapped by film-makers. It is a paradox that despite the explosion of digital-enabled film-making, the proliferation of motion design curricula, the ramping up of animation and post-production houses worldwide, and the greasing of production pipelines, so many films remain design impoverished. Still, few individuals have shown with such conviction that type, composition, editing, and sound can change everything about the start and end of a film and, when permitted, what happens in-between.
Starting over was an act of faith, 'Out on my own, I wasn't sure if anyone in Hollywood wanted to work with me,' he says, but it was also a personal resolution to 'get back to putting the work first, always, creatively and holistically.' In a subtle act of upstaging his former company, Cooper revisited the first scene of Henry V, from which he took the name Imaginary Forces, before christening his new venture Prologue Films. This word choice, prologue, makes clear his directorial sensibility: more than a film title, this work is about the first scene of a film. And as such, there is always a degree of risk getting a story started – especially when the story is not your own, belonging as it can to a director such as Mike Newell, or Terrence Malick, or David Fincher.
Evoking Psalm 27 as self-evident truth, he quotes, 'As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another' to explain Prologue's growth to a 30-strong cadre of creatives, including Danny Yount, Heebok Lee, and Kimberly Cooper, his wife. 'Were it not for her Prologue would still be in my garage!' he says. The company's worklist in both ads and movies has expanded to include everything from indie romantic comedies such as Wimbledon to monster mayhem like Godzilla: Final Wars, to comic book blockbusters such as Superman Returns and the Spider-Man sequels.
To talk with Cooper is to plunge into a river of design ideas swirling with eddies of feeling and intuition. In illustrating a point about simultaneity and emotional impressionism – by recalling a recent short but raucous trip to India – he paints a (self-)portrait of a hyper-modern traveller enveloped in visual sensations and details that are synthesised without logic or progression. One realises that years of assiduously making film sequences have altered him, changed his nervous system in some way, making him intensely aware of how his body reacts to sound or processes images from his memory and surroundings.
In a moment of typical candour, Cooper admits 'I am not afraid any more.' Although, he confides, at some level there is still this young person inside, controlling his pencil, processing emotions through his design work. Any deep anger or anxiety about what others may think has been displaced. Where once he rummaged through footage abandoned on the cutting room floor, hoping to salvage a shot, today he can shoot and 'know I got that shot, exactly as I set it up it in my head.' Twenty years in, Cooper has aplomb, and the history of film design may never be the same.
First published in Eye no. 66 vol. 17 2007
Eye is the world's most beautiful and collectable graphic design journal, published quarterly for professional designers, students and anyone interested in critical, informed writing about graphic design and visual culture. It is available from all good design bookshops and online at the Eye shop, where you can buy subscriptions and single issues.


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It's been quite awhile since I've done any community posts, so I think I'm probably long past due! As such, I thought I'd take the opportunity today to introduce you to something new, something old, something festive and something to entertain you!
Something New: Swift Rejuvenation Forum
Have you ever wanted somewhere you could ask questions about resto healing? Receive feedback on something from your peers? Wanted to know if T6 is really the best looking druid set in the universe? Good News! Your wait is finally over! After having the cataclysm turn her feathers into leaves (who knew Deathwing could do that?!), Foofy of The Moonkin Repository fame, has decided that Resto Druids needed a place to do just that and has started the Swift Rejuvenation Forum for resto druids.
Communities like this will only ever be as strong as those who participate and contribute to conversations, so I strongly encourage everyone to pop over to check it out, say hello and partake in the conversation (or strike up your own!). I look forward to seeing you there!
Something Old: Dreambound Druid
Some of you may not be familiar with Kae of the Dreambound Druid, and some of you may have thought that she was finished blogging. Both of which is a downright shame! I devoutly held onto her blog in my feedreader, positive that I would come into the office one morning and find it flush with Kae's antics. Well, guess what?!?! It would seem that Kae's come out of hibernation (or has just once again found time in her very busy schedule…but hibernation sounds better!) and is posting again! This just tickles me pink!
But wait! This news just gets better. Not only is Kae posting again, I was delighted to see on of her famous stick figure strategy guides for Yor'shaj the Unsleeping. It just doesn't get any better than this, folks! So if you've never heard of Kae before, why haven't you clicked on those links?! If you have, I'm sure you are as thrilled as I am to see her up to her old shenanigans!
Something Festive: Furtive Father Winter
Akabecko of Red Cow Rise is hosting this year's Furtive Father Winter event. It's kind of like the WoW Blogosphere's secret santa. It promises to be a lot of fun, and it's not too late to participate if you'd like! The deadline to express interest in participating is December 15, and you can find all of the information about the event by clicking the link provided above, or clicking on the presents located in my side bar. I am participating in the event this year, I will get to be one of the participant's secret santa! Who knows what I'll do… 😉
Something to Entertain You: My Heroic Morchok Kill Video
Now, don't hold me to this, but it's my intent to get a healing guide done for this encounter over the weekend. After our time with the fight, I feel comfortable enough to walk through some pointers on the encounter. Until then, please enjoy the un-narrated version. Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions about it in the interim. 🙂


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The wine kiosks are dead, they've been taken off life support. As I predicted, the PLCB has used their trumped-up charges against the kiosks' hapless creator, the so-called "Simple Brands," as an exit strategy. They are leaving this debacle bruised, battered, smoking, and humiliated, the kiosks -- their bright, innovative idea to give the consumer what they want (that their own people told them was "deficient") -- rejected by Wegmans and Walmart as well as the state's consumers...and what does Joe Da CEO have to say about the whole thing, this 15-month circus of embarrassing failure?
"It certainly wasn't a failure."
"I still think there is merit to the program."
Can we run a drug screen on this man? Because he is not in touch with reality at all.
So where are we...the program was an abject failure (except at making the PLCB's top management look like the arrogant, clueless bureaucrats they are), the PLCB is going after "Simple Brands" for $1.2 million in charges (that the company's lawyer -- finally making comment -- called "malarkey," noting that the PLCB was overbilling for maintenance and hardware) through the Board of Claims (a system Conti admitted was glacially slow, noting that one case took 18 years to settle), and, oh yeah, "Simple Brands" is suing the PLCB for $81 million in damages.
And the PLCB (and AG Jack Wagner, and Senator Scarnati) want us to "take off the handcuffs" of the Liquor Code to let them realize their full potential as a government-owned-and-run monopoly business? Maybe we ought to get out some actual handcuffs.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Wine Kiosks DEAD; Conti says, "It certainly wasn't a failure."
Posted by Lew Bryson at 10:12 AM
Labels: Joe Conti, lawsuits, PLCB FAIL, Resign, Simple Brands, wine kiosks
2 comments:
"Maybe we ought to get out some actual handcuffs. "
Beautiful, and I think we should!
- September 21, 2011 at 2:34 PM
When is this charade going to end
- September 24, 2011 at 11:56 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Blendover Episode Eighty Four:
Caers Mane returns and we pick up our last conversation on inequality – this time with particular reference to the USA. We follow up on the murder of Australian Chris Lane in Duncan, OK, and then discuss why CVS will stop selling cigarettes. Later, we catch up on Pussy Riot, as the band conveniently hit the stage in the US while Sochi is on – & we discuss the latest Star Wars news.
Topics Discussed:
- Shout-Outs
- The Christopher Lane Murder in Duncan, OK
- CVS and Cigarettes
- Inequality
- Brain Forest
- Pussy Riot
- Star Wars
- Asobi Seksu
BlendoveR is a fun, hard-hitting podcast where rules are regularly thrown out the window in favor of honest, open commentating opinions. Presented by Greg Davies (cGt2099 from The-TrukstoP.com), and Terr Ciavarra (Media Nox from medianox.bandcamp.com), we stray on to any topic that presents itself or wanders off onto its own tangent.
The Christopher Lane Murder in Duncan, OK
One of Three Suspects in Chris Lane Murder Case Takes Plea Deal
CVS and Cigarettes
So Long, Cigs: Michelle Obama Praises CVS For Pulling Tobacco
Family Values? US Has The World's Least Flexible Workplaces
Brain Forest
Pussy Riot
Pussy Riot "freedom is something we have to fight for everyday"…
Pussy Riot to Colbert: Putin's Just a 'Shirtless Man on a Horse'
Pussy Riot wants Americans 'to keep their eyes open'
Those Two Pussy Riot Women? They're Not Actually in the Band Anymore
Star Wars
Star Wars Rebels to Launch This Summer with Disney Channel Movie
Gary Oldman in Talks for Star Wars: Episode VII?
Asobi Seksu
- "Twisted Logic" by Brain Forest from the album
If Only We Were More Attentive
- "Thursday" by Asobi Seksu from the album Citrus


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DeKALB – Monday was a good day for Dave Doeren, the newest Northern Illinois University head football coach introduced to the public at the Convocation Center.
It was a great day for Jeff Compher.
Compher, the NIU athletic director, started his coaching search by making a promise to the players that they would be the first to find out who the new coach was, a major difference from how they found out Jerry Kill was headed to Minnesota.
News of Kill's exit leaked hours before he informed the Huskies in a meeting Dec. 5 at the end of the team's season-ending banquet. Publicly, some players tried to put a good face on it.
The truth was that many were more than a little upset they found out first from media reports, family friends, text messages or Twitter rather than their coach.
Without saying it outright, Compher made it clear Monday that he didn't want a repeat of that.
"Earlier this morning, [Doeren] met with the team, because I told the team that they would learn who their new coach would be before the public would know," Compher said.
"They appreciated that."
After Monday's news conference, Compher re-emphasized the importance of letting the players know first.
"It was primary to me because the student-athletes, who they stand for and who they are, my relationship with them, is extremely important," Compher said. "I feel like I owed that to them because I told them that. I was not going to let this get out before I told them."
Players received a text message at about 11:30 p.m.Ā Sunday that they would meet their new coach before Monday morning's indoor practice in Lake Barrington.
True to his word, Compher introduced Doeren to the Huskies.
"It means everything," said quarterback Chandler Harnish, who found out about Kill leaving from a phone call from his brother. "The last thing we want to do is read on the blogs or a website that NIU hired a new coach. So they called us in really early, and I think that shows the amount of respect the administration has for the players and vice versa, and we're really happy about it."
And, oh, yeah, on paper Compher seems to have hired a pretty darn good football coach.
Doeren, who has been Wisconsin's defensive coordinator for the past five seasons, but he was the co-defensive coordinator from 2006-07, has been on a fast track to a head coach's job for years. He helped resurrect the Kansas football program, and his Wisconsin defense will play in the Rose Bowl. Those are the credentials of a winner.
In the process, Compher endeared himself to the players and, more importantly, to a community that hasn't always been on his side. His agreement to move a 2009 game with Wisconsin from Huskie Stadium in DeKalb to Soldier Field in Chicago, a deal that was an absolute and much-needed financial windfall for the athletic department, was roundly booed by local merchants and some season-ticket holders.
Monday, Compher got a round of applause before he talked about how he thought the Huskies needed a coach with "experience, credibility, a desire to be here at NIU."
On paper, Doeren appears to represent all of that, making Compher, again, true to his word. That alone makes for a pretty great day.
• John Sahly is the sports editor of the Daily Chronicle. Write to him at email@example.com.
Sahly: Huskies handle new coach hire with class
DeKALB – Monday was a good day for Dave Doeren, the newest Northern Illinois University head football coach introduced to the public at the Convocation Center.


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UMaine opens new facility to compost food waste from Orono campus
ORONO, Maine (AP) � The University of Maine is opening an advanced composting facility where food waste from all of the Orono campus's dining halls will be recycled.
The university is purchasing a 10-foot by 40-foot enclosed, automated composting unit called the EarthFlow 40, manufactured by Green Mountain Technologies of Washington state.
It has the potential to convert more than one ton of organic waste per day from campus dining facilities � from potato peels and lettuce leaves to meat scraps � into a rich soil additive that will be used in UMaine landscaping and on university crop fields.
The university's dining services and UMaine Cooperative Extension collaborated on the composting effort.


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Tyler Schmidt doesn't know it, but he's a trailblazer for the Salvation Army.
Schmidt, a senior at Roseville High School, was among the first to download the nation's first iPhone app recruiting Salvation Army volunteers. Facing 100,000 hours of bell ringing this holiday season and an aging pool of volunteers, the Minnesota Army last month launched the app to recruit a cooler, younger crowd.
Not only could Schmidt sign up from the comfort of his couch, he watched a video on his phone offering such vital teen tips as, "Don't bring your iPod and plug it into speakers."
"I think it's a good idea," said Schmidt on his first day of bell ringing outside Cub Foods. "I always thought you had to work for Salvation Army to do it."
The iPhone app reflects a major national strategy for the 130-year-old charity, which is fighting to reshape its public image from old folks in stodgy uniforms to hip young people in Santa hats.
It's not just bell ringers. The transformation is taking place in Army headquarters across the country, as well as in the volunteer ranks, on Web pages and in social media.
"Ten years ago if I were taking a photo for publication, it would be, 'Let's make sure we have an army officer in there ... and the shield,'" said Annette Bauer, spokesperson for the Salvation Army Northern Division.
"Now it's, 'Do we have anyone with a nose piercing? Or a tattoo?'"
Lost history
The Salvation Army was widely known to veterans and their families during World Wars I and II, when young "lassies" delivered coffee and doughnuts to soldiers near the front lines. But later generations didn't know what the organization did, said Major George Hood, its national community relations secretary.
As the "greatest generation" and their children pass away, it's critical to recruit a fresh wave of employees, volunteers and eventually donors.
"We lost several generations because we weren't talking to them," said Hood.
"The digital age is here and kids are willing to receive information. It doesn't cross their mind that we're a 150-year-old Victorian organization." And now that the dark blue uniforms are not required, "We've taken away the fear factor," he said.
Next Saturday is the Salvation Army's biggest youth-courting event of the year, the third annual Rock the Kettle concert. The free concert in Los Angeles last year drew 10,000 people. It features Owl City (Owatonna native Adam Young) and other popular musicians who will host their own online kettle campaigns. The concert will be streamed live on the Salvation Army's Facebook page. Supporters will be asked to text donations of $10 or more.
Armed with surveys of how and why 13- to 30-year-olds want to volunteer, Salvation Army groups nationwide have launched other programs. High school students are starting "red kettle clubs" to recruit bell ringers. "Echelon" groups of slightly older youth are getting involved in various volunteer projects. Young professional groups are taking shape, including one formed last year in Minnesota.
Jeff Peterka, one of its leaders, said he was invited to join by a Salvation Army committee member. Peterka had no preconceptions of the group; all he knew was they helped the homeless. So he checked it out, and was hooked.
"I see it as a small start-up," said Peterka, 25, an accountant from Minneapolis. "You want to start a business plan and grow. But we needed to find a niche. The one that struck us was teen homelessness."
So twice a month, he and a group of a dozen or so recent college grads head to a Salvation Army shelter for homeless teens and help them write résumés, learn business etiquette "and other things to help them find jobs," he said. As the group gels, more ideas will be in the works, he said.
Service credits -- and fun
Meanwhile, Minnesota teens such as Schmidt and his classmate Jane Becker, who rang bells with him last week, think they've discovered a great way for high schoolers to earn community service credits needed to graduate.
It helps that the teens aren't required to wear the navy blue uniforms of old -- just red aprons. Last week, they added red Santa hats. They're thinking of coming back, having a bit more fun with their "uniform" and bringing some friends.
Minnesota also has a new "Shield Crew," college students recruited to do random acts of kindness. Their first job was at the State Fair this year, said Bauer. They wear smiles on their faces and bright red T-shirts. But not just any T-shirt.
"It needs to be fitted and it needs to be prewashed," said Bauer with a smile.
Some other glitches come with the youth territory, she said. A group of volunteers were looking for a meeting place, and someone suggested a happy hour.
"That's not exactly Salvation Army," she said.
While it's relatively easy to change clothing rules for staff and volunteers, or to offer rock concerts along with Christian choirs, it's critical not to erode the core values of the organization, said Hood.
"You have to look at what are the sacred cows and what is expendable," he said. "We don't want to be so Victorian that people can no longer relate. But we have to protect who we are."
Even as the Army grapples with maintaining that balance, its leaders say there is no turning back.
"We're already making inroads," said Bauer. "People are talking differently about us. This is going to stick."
Jean Hopfensperger • 612-673-4511


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For instance, John and Reginald asked me whether I would expect a world of suffering, given my belief in an all-powerful, wholly good Being. John repeated this challenge in his blog:
Your mission, should you choose it, is to try to sufficiently explain why there is so much intense suffering in this world, if a good, omnipotent God exists. Is this the world you would expect prior to experiencing it, if that kind of God existed?
Presumably, by "sufficiently explain," John means "give an explanation that atheists will find persuasive." I'm not sure that this is even possible, so John's dice may be loaded. But I like to live dangerously.
If we begin with only the concept of God, and we try to deduce what kind of world, if any, this Being would create, would we expect anything like the world around us? Before I answer this question, let us first consider how atheists would answer it if they took the extraordinary step of applying their tests consistently (i.e. to both theism and atheism). Now the question becomes:
If God does not exist, is this the world we would expect prior to experiencing it?
The answer, of course, is "No." We would never expect a world like ours (a world which had a beginning) without some first cause. Indeed, I wouldn't expect any world at all without something to cause it. And this is why atheism is so unconvincing (unless we exempt atheism from the critical evaluations we apply to other positions). If God is involved, God can choose what kind of world to create. But if God is not involved, the atheist is left with sheer improbabilities, and improbabilities are some of atheism's chief adversaries. Suppose that God does not exist. What are the odds that a universe will form out of nothing, by nothing? I would say that the odds are effectively zero. But let's suppose that the "nothingness" somehow overcomes these odds and produces a universe. Would the universe that forms be suitable for life? The odds are overwhelmingly against this. The constants necessary for life have to be fine-tuned to an amazing degree (and that's a tremendous understatement). But let's suppose that "randomness" overcomes these odds and the universe ends up finely tuned for life. Would life form? Like it or not, the odds are against this as well, but let's grant the atheists a single-celled organism. Would this single-celled organism evolve into multi-celled organisms? Probably not, but let's grant it anyway. To speed things up a bit, would these multi-celled organisms eventually develop into conscious, autonomous agents, capable of reason, moral action, and intense suffering? The probabilities here are so astronomically against atheism that we must admit that, if God does not exist, we would never expect anything even remotely resembling our world.
A sophisticated atheist may regroup and say, "Ah, but the properties you ascribe to God lead us to expect a world different from ours, whereas atheism doesn't lead us to expect any particular world." But atheism does lead me to a particular expectation. It leads me to expect that there would be nothing at all. And, if something does form, I would expect a world that cannot support life.
It seems, then, that if we apply the "expectation" criterion to atheism, the atheist must forfeit his belief. After all, that was the point of the original challenge. If we wouldn't expect our world on the theist's hypothesis, then the theist should abandon his hypothesis. However, as we have seen, on the atheist's hypothesis, we certainly would expect our world. The atheist's belief can't pass the atheist's own test, which means that there's a double-standard here.
But let's return to John's challenge. Given my belief in God, would I expect a world like ours? True, I might not expect a world like ours in every detail, but I would expect a world somewhat like ours. I said this on the program, and John and Reginald both seemed to think I was being insincere. I offered what I call a "Two-World Theodicy," in which I argue that, proceeding philosophically, we can construct our world from scratch, beginning with the idea of an all-powerful, wholly good Being.
I shall present my Two-World Theodicy in a future post. For now, I will give a simpler response that will at least get us much farther than atheism will ever get us.
First, God could either create a world or not create a world. Since I think it's better to be creative, I would expect God to create a world. (We've now got a world, so we're already beyond what atheism can achieve.)
Second, God could either put living beings in this world, or leave it lifeless. I believe that life is better than non-life, so I would expect God to add some living beings. (Now we're way beyond atheism.)
Third, God could either populate this world with free beings (morally free, volitionally free, etc.), or he could create only beings that lack true freedom. I think freedom is extremely important, so I would expect God to create free beings.
Fourth, these beings will either obey God or disobey God. Based on what I know of every free being I've ever met (and here I'm appealing mildly to experience), it wouldn't surprise me to find that these free beings will disobey God.
Fifth, God could either remain with these disobedient beings, giving them a perfect world, or he could separate himself from them. Since I believe that God's goodness implies holiness and justice, I would expect God to separate himself from these creatures (to some extent).
Sixth, if God separates himself from our world, would I expect a perfect world of complete pleasure, or a world with both pain and pleasure? To be honest, I would expect a world of both pain and pleasure. Indeed, I would be absolutely shocked if God gave a perfect world to a bunch of rebellious creatures.
Seventh, would I expect God to intervene whenever something goes wrong? No, I wouldn't. Since the free beings had rejected a world in which God takes care of everything, I have no reason to think that God would overrule their rejection every time they get into trouble.
So, it seems that I might expect a world like ours after all. True, the issue is far more complex than I've made it here. But we've covered the major steps, and the most important point is that theism gets us much closer to our world than atheism can.
Now that I've offered at least some idea of why a theist might expect a world like ours, atheists will have many objections. But it seems only fair that before they object, they return the gesture. That is, John (or another atheist) should show that atheism can get us a world somewhat like our own. Once he has done that, we can focus on working out the difficulties in my position. Thus, I will modify John's original challenge so that it applies to his own position:
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to try to sufficiently explain why the world is as it is, if God does not exist. Is this the world you would expect prior to experiencing it, if atheism is true?


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Looking your best typically starts with selecting a great ensemble that helps boost your confidence, and applying the perfect makeup to enhance your natural beauty. The fabulous Lauren Conrad recently discussed the best way to highlight your complexion on her website, The Beauty Department, and the steps are sure to help you glow all over.
To highlight like a boss, you'll need a few specific cosmetics, including an illuminating lotion, a powder brush, foundation and a makeup sponge. When you have all of the necessary items, start by applying a small dollop of the lotion onto the palm of your hand.
Next, use your brush to grab tons of the foundation and then mix it together with the illuminating lotion already in the palm of your hand. From here, LC recommends you "imagine and visualize a figure 8 on its side like an infinity sign or a masquerade mask around your eyes." Use this technique to apply the mixture around your eyes in the pattern two times. Then blend the products in using your fingers.
Lastly, put a bit more foundation in the palm of your hand and then use the sponge to apply it all over your face – but remember to avoid the highlighter area around your eyes.


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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Five rhesus monkeys from a California research lab are being retired to an Oklahoma sanctuary because of a $200,000 donation from animal activist Bob Barker.
The unidentified research lab, the Mindy's Memory sanctuary in Newcastle, Okla., and the animal advocacy group Stop Animal Exploitation Now worked out details that will allow the animals to spend the rest of their lives at the primate sanctuary.
The organizations said Tuesday that the monkeys will be moved after the lab staff socializes the animals.
Mindy's Memory, founded in 1992, is already home to about 100 retired research monkeys, as well as several potbellied pigs and a few dogs, cats and other animals.
(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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CHICAGO — Film critic Roger Ebert says he has cancer again and is scaling back his movie reviews while undergoing radiation.
In a blog post, the 70-year-old said he'll take a "leave of presence."
The veteran critic has previously battled cancer in his thyroid and salivary glands and lost the ability to speak and eat after surgery.
In a lengthy essay posted late Tuesday, Ebert says the latest cancer was discovered after a "painful fracture" that made it difficult for him to walk. The Pulitzer Prize winner was hospitalized late last year with a hip fracture.
Ebert writes he's "not going away." Instead, he'll write select movie reviews while leaving the rest of the work to a team of writers.
He also plans to spend time writing about his own health challenges.


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Baby & Toddler Furniture Sets
Outfit your daycare or nursery with affordable and durable furniture that will grow with your children. Learn more about your options below.
Changing Tables
Sam's Club offers changing tables that are made of strong polyethylene that cleans up fast and inhibits taking on odors or enabling bacteria to grow. Each comes with safety straps that keeps baby safely on the table. Fold them down easily with one hand while keeping wriggly babes in arms. Part of any daycare center's must-have infant furniture.
Changing Table Accessories
When you're buying baby furniture like changing tables, don't forget the extras like changing station liners and paper rolls for protecting surfaces. Sam's Club changing table liners are lined with plastic to prevent surfaces from getting wet. Our paper rolls are easy to pull out to replace and you're your changing table clean. They'll help minimize your work to keep your changing stations fresh and ready for the next diapering.
High Chairs
With high backs for extra safety and comfort, plus sturdy wood construction in multiple finishes, Sam's Club highchairs are built to keep infants and toddlers safe, snug and comfortable when bellied up to the table.
Booster Seats
The cornerstone of any toddler furniture you need for your preschool, daycare center or community center, Sam's Club wooden booster seats are shaped to keep toddlers comfortable and upright, with seat that offer kids the ability to climb in and out on their own.
Infant Carrier Stands
Our sturdy infant carriers feature safety features such as seat belts, non-slip rubber feet that grip the floor, plus quality wood construction and multiple wood finishes. When babies arrive in their carriers, you'll have a comfortable and safe, freestanding place to keep them within easy reach.
Shop Sam's Club online today for all your baby and toddler furniture needs. Find brand-name products at great low prices.


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Fremantle is a global creative powerhouse. Our scale, diversity and connectivity are our competitive advantage, allowing us to build world-class partnerships, create great value and deliver irresistible entertainment that is core to the ever-changing world of our audience.
We are the place creatives want to call home
We connect the best creative talent and create timeless shows. Irresistible entertainment – from every corner of the world, for every corner of the world.
Our experience makes the experience
Great ideas can come from anywhere – which is why we'll go anywhere to find stories that haven't been told and to tell them like no-one else can.
We are all in the creative department
Wherever you work, whatever your responsibilities, whatever your ambitions, we will nurture and champion the creative in you. If you want to join the global Fremantle family, get in touch with us right here, right now.


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Despite promising statistics indicating recent declines in youth substance use, more than a quarter of high school girls currently smoke cigarettes and binge drink, almost half drink alcohol regularly, and one in five uses marijuana. Another 4 percent use cocaine and inhalants.
A three-year study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University suggests why these high rates of use among girls persist. The study, which has profound implications for parents, teachers, health care professionals, policy makers and parish priests, found sharp differences in the world of substance abuse and addiction between girls and young women and boys and young men—and a costly failure of most prevention and treatment programs to take account of those differences.
Girls and young women use—or do not use—cigarettes, alcohol and illegal and prescription drugs for different reasons than do boys and young men. They obtain drugs from different people and in different places. And they get hooked faster and suffer swifter and harsher consequences. The conditions and situations that raise the risk of substance abuse for girls vary, and certain protective factors—notably parental engagement and religion—are likelier to reduce the risk for girls than for boys.
The failure to recognize and act on these dissimilarities may account for the fact that girls are closing the gender gap that historically showed them less likely than boys to abuse substances. Today, high school girls are about equally likely as high school boys to drink and smoke, use inhalants and cocaine, and even more likely to abuse stimulants, tranquillizers and painkillers. In 12th grade, boys are 13 percent likelier than girls to smoke; in ninth grade, boys are only 2 percent likelier to puff away.
Equally troubling, girls are smoking, drinking and using marijuana at younger ages. Asked if they first smoked cigarettes before age 13, almost a quarter of ninth-grade girls answered yes, compared with 18 percent of 12th graders. Responding to the same question about drinking, 35 percent of ninth graders said yes, compared with 18 percent of 12th graders. And when asked about marijuana, 9 percent of ninth graders had smoked it before age 13, compared with only 5 percent of 12th graders.
Girls are more likely than boys to be depressed, have eating disorders or be sexually or physically abused, all of which increase the risk of substance abuse. Girls are likelier than boys to use alcohol and drugs to lose weight, relieve stress, improve their mood, increase confidence, decrease boredom and reduce inhibitions. Girls often cite the pressure to have sex as one of the reasons why they drink to reduce inhibitions. Yet they seem unaware of the grim reality that drinking, especially to excess, increases the chance that they will be victims of date rape or rape.
Considering their far greater interest in being slim, girls displayed remarkable ignorance about alcohol's impact on their weight. Only 56 percent knew that alcohol is high in calories and contributes to weight gain. A stunning 6 percent thought that drinking helped lose weight; not surprisingly, these girls drank more than the girls who thought alcohol had no impact on their weight.
Girls tend to be offered drugs by a female acquaintance, a young female relative or a boyfriend, whereas boys are likelier to get theirs from a male acquaintance, a young male relative, a parent or stranger. Girls receive offers to smoke, drink or use drugs in private settings like friends' homes; boys receive them in public settings like parks or on the street.
Key transitions increase risk. Girls experiencing early puberty are at higher risk of substance abuse; by and large puberty is a more difficult emotional and developmental experience for girls. Among teens who move frequently from one home or neighborhood to another, girls are at greater risk than boys of substance use.
In an unprecedented survey, CASA researchers questioned four groups of girls: one at the end of elementary school and then a few months into middle school; three others at comparable periods in the transition from middle to high school, high school to college and college to post-college life. Girls making the move from high school to college show the largest increases in smoking, drinking and marijuana use. The move from elementary to middle school marks the steepest rise in girls' belief that smoking and drinking are ways to be rebellious and disobey adults. The move from middle to high school saw the sharpest increase in the belief that drinking alcohol was "cool." On the healthy side, the move out of college saw a drop in drinking and marijuana use (but not in smoking).
One especially interesting finding from the survey deserves further study—and promptly: the coffee connection to substance abuse for girls and young women. Girls who drink coffee are more than four times likelier to smoke and more than twice as likely to drink. High school and college seniors who drink coffee began smoking and drinking at an earlier age. The statistical correlations are so significant that it behooves researchers to explore similarities between the impact of caffeine on the brain and the impact of nicotine, alcohol and illegal drugs, which scientists have found to affect dopamine levels in the brain through similar pathways. Marketers of drinks with high concentrations of caffeine understand its impact: Mountain Dew, with its slogan "feel the rush"; Dr. Pepper, the "friendly pepper upper"; and the drinks sold under the brand names Surge, Jolt and Red Bull.
Girls and young women not only get hooked faster; they get hooked using lesser amounts of cigarettes, alcohol and drugs like cocaine than boys and young men. Girls and young women have greater difficulty quitting smoking. Of particular concern here is the desire of many young girls to be "one of the boys" and go drink for drink with them. But because women have less body water than comparably sized men and because they metabolize alcohol less efficiently, on average one drink has the same impact on a woman that two have on a man.
Girls and young women suffer the consequences of substance abuse and addiction faster and more severely than boys and young men. Girls and young women who abuse substances are likelier to attempt suicide. They are more vulnerable to alcohol-related problems like liver and heart disease, brain damage and psychological pathologies. They are more susceptible to brain damage from Ecstasy, hospitalization from nonmedical use of pain medications and addiction to cocaine.
Some consequences are unique to women. Smoking in early adolescence and even moderate alcohol consumption increase the risk of breast cancer. Smoking or drinking raises the likelihood of menstrual disorders and infertility. Smoking and use of oral contraceptives raise the chances of heart disease.
Parental engagement and religious involvement, while important for both boys and girls, have a greater salutary impact on girls. Moreover, bad relationships with parents are more harmful to girls. Girls CASA surveyed tended to be more religious than boys and hold more favorable attitudes toward religion. The more frequently these girls attended religious services, the less likely they were to smoke, drink or use drugs. This finding is consistent with earlier CASA surveys. The importance of religion to girls declines from elementary school to college, particularly during the high school years.
The findings from this CASA study cry out for an education of parents and the public and a fundamental overhaul of prevention and treatment programs. One-size-fits-all unisex programs—largely developed without regard to gender, often with males in mind—fail to influence millions of girls and young women. Policy makers and researchers must stop acting like Rex Harrison in "My Fair Lady"singing, "Why can't a woman be more like a man!" Emblematic of this attitude is a study released early this year that found that a drink a day might be beneficial to the heart. That study involved more than 30,000 individuals—all men.
For decades, the for-profit marketers, including the tobacco and alcohol industries, have recognized the importance of shaping campaigns to influence girls and young women. The 1925Lucky Strikecigarette advertising campaign, "Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet," was associated with a 200 percent increase in market share.Capricigarette ads claim, "There's no slimmer way to smoke" and callCapricigarettes "the slimmest slim in town." And we are all familiar with Phillip Morris's diabolically seductive brand name,Virginia Slims. The alcohol industry's move into alcopops—sweetened alcoholic beverages—appeals to the tastes of girls and young women.
The time has come for parents, schools, physicians, clergy, treatment providers and the entire public health community to recognize the different motivations and vulnerabilities of girls and young women. Parents are the first line of prevention. CASA's survey found that most girls who have conversations with their parents about substance use say that the conversations made them less likely to smoke, drink or use drugs.
The clergy also have a significant role, since religion and spirituality play a particularly protective role for girls and young women. Priests and parish leaders should explore ways to stem the slippage in religious involvement of young girls as they go through high school and college. Health professionals—notably pediatricians, family physicians, obstetricians/gynecologists and even dentists, who often can detect signs of substance abuse or an eating disorder during a routine checkup—should be alert to signs of trouble, routinely screen young female patients for substance use and encourage those in need of help to seek treatment.
The women of America have paid a fearful price in premature death and destroyed lives for our failure to take account of their unique needs. More than 4.4 million women are alcoholics or use alcohol; more than two million use illegal drugs; more than 31 million smoke cigarettes. A 25-percent reduction—a modest estimate if we had programs aimed at the factors that influence girls and young women—might have saved 1.1 million women from becoming alcoholics, 500,000 from drug abuse and eight million from smoking.
When parents, priests and the public health community act on those differences as aggressively as the tobacco and alcohol marketers have, we will begin to see dramatic declines in substance abuse among girls and young women.


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The labrum is the cup-shaped rim of cartilage that lines and reinforces the ball and socket joint of the shoulder, which is comprised of the glenoid - the shallow shoulder socket - and the head, or ball, of the upper arm bone known as the humerus. The labrum is the attachment site for the ligaments and supports the ball and socket joint along with the rotator cuff tendons and muscles. It contributes to shoulder stability and, when torn, can lead to partial or complete shoulder dislocation.
Anatomy of the shoulder, featuring the humerus (upper arm bone) and the labrum,
which rims the glenoid (shoulder socket). [Illustration by Robert O'Conor]
The two most common types of labral injuries are SLAP (Superior Labrum from Anterior to Posterior) tears and Bankart tears. "SLAP tears occur at the front of the upper arm where the biceps tendon connects to the shoulder," says Dr. Stephen Fealy, an orthopedic surgeon in the Sports Medicine Institute. "Athletes most prone to this injury include baseball pitchers and volleyball players who engage in high-energy, quick-snap motions over the top of the shoulder."
Bankart tears, on the other hand, typically occur with shoulder dislocation in younger patients; the head of the humerus either shifts toward the front of the body, leading to "anterior instability," or the back of the body, called "posterior instability."
Both types of tears are usually accompanied by aching pain and difficulty performing normal shoulder movements. With Bankart tears in particular, patients may feel apprehension that the shoulder may slip out of place or dislocate in certain positions. Patients with SLAP tears may experience pain at the front of the shoulder near the biceps tendon.
Unfortunately, labral tears are hard to prevent, especially in athletes, because the force of the overhead motion contributes to the injury. Although athletes are most prone to labral tears, people who experience a traumatic event - such as falling down a flight of stairs - are also at risk, particularly older adults whose cartilage becomes more brittle with age.
"Surgeons should try to be as conservative as possible when treating a torn shoulder labrum," says Dr. Fealy. Surgeons will usually conduct a physical exam and MRI or X-ray, if necessary, to determine the severity of the injury and the treatment needs.
SLAP tears are usually treated with rest, anti-inflammatory medications and, in some cases, an in-office cortisone injection. This is followed by gradual stretching of the shoulder, initially with a physical therapist, for six weeks to two months.
If the injury is a minor Bankart tear with a dislocation, the physician (or even the coach or patient themselves) can usually pop the shoulder back into place - a process called reduction - followed by physical therapy to strengthen the muscles.
"If physical therapy fails and the athlete still can't complete overhead motions, or the shoulder continues to dislocate, surgical treatment might be required to reattach the torn ligaments and labrum to the bone," says Dr. Fealy. Arthroscopic procedures, in which the doctor operates through a small incision, are usually preferred because they are less invasive than open surgery.
In general, non-surgical treatment is usually most appropriate for older patients who do not engage in regular physical activity, while younger athletes who regularly participate in higher impact sports can expect recurrence and may want to consider arthroscopic surgery.
Patients who undergo arthroscopic repair can expect shorter recovery times and less pain. Those undergoing open surgery should expect more pain, longer recovery, and in some cases incomplete shoulder rotation.
Regardless of treatment type, almost all athletes are advised to wear a sling for the first four weeks post-surgery to protect the shoulder as it heals. Following surgery, athletes may require six months to one year for full recovery, with overhead throwing athletes taking the longest.
"If fixed properly, most athletes should be able to return to at least 80 percent of their pre-injury level of play," says Dr. Fealy.
Posted: 11/23/2010


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PITTSBURGH — Jason Heyward singled twice and scored two runs as the playoff-bound Atlanta Braves beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 in their regular-season finale on Wednesday.
Chipper Jones added a pinch-hit single in his final regular-season at-bat for Atlanta, which hosts St. Louis in the wild-card playoff on Friday.
Luis Avilan (1-0) won on a day the Braves used eight pitchers to hold Pittsburgh to four hits. Ben Sheets started and pitched one scoreless inning in his last major league appearance.
A.J. Burnett (16-10) gave up four runs in 5 2-3 innings for Pittsburgh. The Pirates finished 79-83, extending their record streak of losing seasons to 20.
A regular-season finale that looked like it might be important a month ago had a decidedly spring training feel after the Pirates collapsed down the stretch and the Braves secured the top wild-card spot.
A large number of Atlanta fans showed up to bid the retirement-bound Jones farewell, though it appeared their only glimpse of the third baseman would come when he handed the lineup card to umpires. The 40-year-old planned on sitting out a second straight game to get some rest before the playoffs, but was inserted as a pinch hitter leading off the sixth.
The switch-hitting Jones didn't waste any time. Standing in as a left-hander against Burnett, Jones slapped the first pitch he saw to right field for a single for the 2,726th and final hit of his career. Jones stuck around to eventually score on a single by Brian McCann that put Atlanta up 3-0.
That was more than enough to send the Braves into the postseason on an up note and send Sheets out a winner in his final game.
The four-time All-Star was in the midst of an admirable comeback from a series of arm injuries this summer — going 4-4 with a 3.54 ERA — before heading to the disabled list in August with right shoulder issues.
He announced earlier this week he had no plans on sticking around for the postseason, but eagerly accepted a chance to walk into retirement on his own terms after the Braves opted to rest scheduled starter Tim Hudson.
Sheets had little trouble during his one inning of work, striking out Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen, the final pitch of his career a 96 mph fastball McCutchen couldn't get his bat on.
Burnett has been one of the few constants for the Pirates this season, giving the pitching staff a certified ace after being acquired in an offseason trade with the New York Yankees. He won eight straight decisions in the spring but tailed over the final two months and couldn't avoid his fifth loss in his six starts.
Though McCutchen whiffed against Sheets, the All-Star centerfielder singled in the fourth and exited after popping out to end the seventh. He finished with a career-best .327 batting average and his 194 hits are tops in the National League.
It was of small consolation, however, to a team that was 62-46 on Aug. 8 only to go 17-37 over the season's final six weeks to fall under .500 yet again. McCutchen finished second to San Francisco's Buster Posey for the NL batting title.
NOTES: The Pirates drew 2,091, 918 to PNC Park this season, the second-highest total in team history. The average attendance of 26,149 was up from 23,956 in 2011 ... The Braves will start RHP Kris Medlen (10-1, 1.57 ERA) Friday against Kyle Lohse (16-3, 2.86) ... The Pirates open the 2013 season at home on April 1 against the Chicago Cubs.


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Hey all,
Revan New illustrates the life of the AFOL. If you look around this detailed scene you see lots of details, including a great build area, photos from other hobbies of his, and IMO the coolest detail, renditions of actual MOCs he's built, including this castle he built last year.
Be sure to check out other MOCs in his stream, including this dragon with awesome flame effect.