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January 2011
PUBLICATIONS and TOOLS
- Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 Fact Sheet and Editorial Perspective
- CDC Tool Highlights State Obesity Prevention Programs
- Obesity and Socioeconomic Status in Children and Adolescents: United States, 2005–2008
- Video Games Get Kids to Eat More Fruit, Vegetables
- Study Sheds New Light on Childhood Obesity Epidemic
- British Research: Overweight More Common in Girls than Boys
- Frustration Over School Gardens Takes Root
- More Students Opting out of Physical Education Classes
- Save the Children Breaks From Soda Tax Effort
Childhood Obesity Can Begin as Early as Age 9 Months, Researchers Find
Dec. 31, 2010, Los Angeles Times
By Eryn Brown
Everyone loves a roly-poly baby. Still, there is such a thing as an overweight infant, and obese babies – even those as young as 9 months old – are predisposed to being obese later in life, researchers say in the January-February issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.
Childhood obesity is a growing public health problem in the United States. It has been linked to psychological problems, asthma, cardiovascular troubles and a greater chance of developing diabetes.
Hoping to better understand the factors associated with being obese at a very early age – and possibly help parents and health advocates stave off its ill effects – lead author Brian G. Moss of Wayne State University and William H. Yeaton of the University of Michigan analyzed data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort, a nationally representative sample of American children born in 2001.
The data included height, weight and demographic characteristics of 8,900 9-month-old babies and 7,500 2-year-old toddlers. Obese children were defined as those who exceeded the 95th percentile for body-mass index (as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and those between the 85th and 95th percentile were considered "at risk."
Moss and Yeaton found that 32 percent of children were either obese or at risk of obesity by [9 months old]. That figure increased to 34 percent by the time the [children reached 2 years old].
"We weren't surprised by the prevalence rates we found in our study, but we were surprised the trend began at such a young age," Moss said in a statement.
Among the patterns that emerged:
- Boys were more at risk than girls (this contradicted earlier research).
- Latinos had the highest risk.
- Geographic location was not consistently associated with being obese or at risk.
- The family's socioeconomic status didn't seem to make a difference at 9 months of age. But by age 2, the kids in the bottom economic 20 percent were most likely to be obese or at risk, while those in the top 20 percent were least likely to be obese or at risk.
No one is suggesting that babies be put on a diet.
But knowing more about the demographic characteristics of very young children who are more likely to become obese could help health officials and parents prevent later health troubles by promoting healthier eating and lifestyle choices.
Original Source: http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-obese-babies-20101231,0,7619490.story
Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 Fact Sheet
and Editorial Perspective
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 represents a major step forward in our nation's effort to provide all children with healthy food in schools. Increasingly schools are playing a central role in children's health. Over 31 million children receive meals through the school lunch program and many children receive most, if not all, of their meals at school. With over seventeen million children living in food insecure households and one out of every three children in America now considered overweight or obese, schools often are on the front lines of our national challenge to combat childhood obesity and improve children's overall health. This legislation includes significant improvements that will help provide children with healthier and more nutritious food options, educate children about making healthy food choices, and teach children healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
Smarter Nutrition
Dec. 18, 2010, The Courier-Journal Editorial Board
… On Dec. 13, President Obama signed into law the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The law sets new childhood nutrition standards, expands the number of students in the free lunch program, gives the federal government more say in what food is and isn't sold in public schools, and aims to address both childhood obesity and childhood hunger — both of which are too prevalent in the United States. More than 17 million of the nation's children live in "food insecure" homes and depend on schools for their meals, and one in three American children are either overweight or obese.
The act was supported by the President's secretaries of Agriculture ("a great day for kids," said Tom Vilsack), Health and Human Services ("more kids will have access to healthy, balanced and nutritious school lunches," said Kathleen Sebelius) and Education ("the most significant step forward in the National School Lunch program in 30 years," said Arne Duncan). …
Sample menus show the marked difference between "before" and "after" school lunches: A cheese pizza with canned pineapple, tater tots and low-fat chocolate milk, for example, will be replaced with a slice of whole-wheat cheese pizza, baked sweet potato fries, grape tomatoes, applesauce, 1 percent milk and low-fat Ranch dip. …
U.S. Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn.: "As a physician, I know smart nutrition leads to healthy and productive lives. With 36.5 percent of our children in Tennessee being overweight, this act goes a long way in ensuring that kids in Tennessee and around the country will have the healthy nutrition they deserve."
In voicing his support for the act, Sen. Frist enunciated why it should be regarded as very good news for Kentucky's families and children, too.
More than 32 percent of Kentucky's population is considered obese. The new standards should be considered a first line of defense for the state's children against that fate, as well as its attendant health hazards. They also should be considered fortification against the wants of poverty and hunger, and the drains and impediments they impose, especially on our youngest citizens.
Original Source: http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20101218/OPINION01/312180016/Smarter%20nutrition
CDC Tool Highlights State Obesity Prevention Programs
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity (DNPAO) has developed a new tool to track obesity policy on the state level. The tool highlights current state activities related to CDC recommended strategies to prevent and control obesity and other chronic disease through healthful eating and physical activity.
Obesity and Socioeconomic Status in Children and Adolescents: United States, 2005–2008
December 2010, National Center for Health Statistics Data Brief
In 2007–2008 almost 17 percent of children and adolescents aged 2–19 years were obese. Childhood obesity often tracks to adulthood and, in the short run, childhood obesity can lead to psychosocial problems and cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and abnormal glucose tolerance or diabetes. Studies have suggested that obesity is greater in the low income population than in higher income individuals. This data brief presents the most recent national data on childhood obesity and its association with poverty income ratio (PIR) and education of household head. Results are presented by sex and race and ethnicity.
Video Games Get Kids to Eat More Fruit, Vegetables
Dec. 6, 2010, AFP
After labeled as a key cause of the rising rate of U.S. childhood obesity, video games got a reprieve in December as a new study showed they can be used to encourage kids to eat healthier foods.
The study, conducted in the United States, where nearly one in five 6- to 19-year-olds is obese, found that children who played certain "serious" video games … increased the amount of fruit and vegetables they ate per day by around one serving.
That is a useful step toward fighting childhood flab because "increased fruit and vegetable intakes have been associated with decreased risk of obesity," says the study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Baylor College of Medicine professor Tom Baranowski, who led the study, said the video games "Escape from Diab" and "Nanoswarm," which were designed to change diet and physical activity behaviors to reduce the risk of becoming obese and diabetic, "motivated players to substantially improve diet behaviors.
"Diab and Nanoswarm were designed as epic video game adventures, comparable to commercial quality video games. These games incorporate a broad diversity of behavior change procedures woven in and around engrossing stories," he said. Playing both games several times "had a meaningful effect on dietary fruit and vegetable intake," the study found.
But while that was good news, the bad news was that the children did not get more exercise and even with their increased intake of healthy foods, they still failed to eat the doctor-recommended minimum daily amount of fruit and vegetables. Health professionals recommend that children eat five servings a day of fruit or vegetables and get an hour of moderate to vigorous exercise.
"Serious video games hold promise, but their effectiveness and mechanisms of change among youth need to be more thoroughly investigated," said Baranowski.
The childhood obesity rate in the United States has tripled in 30 years, with experts blaming the rise on everything from a poor diet based on processed foods to kids spending too much time in front of the television or playing computer games when they could be outside exercising.
Obese children are more likely than their normal-weight counterparts to grow up to be obese adults, to suffer from a number of obesity-related conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and fatty liver disease, and to die prematurely of any cause, various studies have found.
Original Source:
Study Sheds New Light on Childhood Obesity Epidemic
Dec. 6, 2010, PRNewswire
Scientists may have discovered a new trend in childhood obesity, according to research published this month in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise , the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.
In comparing physical activity levels among American children, researchers discovered that the most overweight and obese ethnic groups are also some of the most active. This work adds to a growing understanding of the complex relationships among physical activity, nutrition, weight management, fitness, and health.
The study "Physical activity in U.S. youth: Effect of race/ethnicity, age, gender, and weight status," reports that of the three ethnic groups compared – Caucasian, black and Mexican-American – Caucasian children are overall the least active. Black children, on the other hand, are the most active. This finding is surprising, experts say, because the highest prevalence of obesity occurs in some of the more active groups – black and Mexican-American children.
"Contrary to our expectations, higher levels of physical activity were not associated with lower rates of obesity across the race and ethnic groups," said Britni Belcher, MPH, the lead author of the study.
The research team, representing the University of Southern California and National Institutes of Health, compared 3,106 American children, looking at age, race/ethnicity, body mass index, physical activity and dietary intake. Accelerometers measured participants' physical activity for four days, providing data on each child's levels of sedentary, moderate, vigorous, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Researchers suggest that general predisposition to obesity, socioeconomic status, and cultural differences in behavior may play a role in the study's findings.
"This paradox may be accounted for by the fact that non-Hispanic white youth may spend more time in activities not captured well by accelerometry, such as swimming or bicycling," said Donna Spruijt-Metz, PhD, associate professor at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine and senior author. "These differences could also be attributed to the higher socioeconomic status found in the non-Hispanic white youth because higher socioeconomic status has been related to lower risk of obesity."
The study also finds that children are less active after they hit puberty, as the 6-11 age group engaged in twice as much physical activity as children in the 12-15 and 16-19 age groups. Additionally, Spruijt-Metz and her colleagues find that males engage in more physical activity than females, irrespective of race or ethnic group. In fact, females of normal weight generally achieved less physical activity than their obese male counterparts.
Data from this study are from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study, a cross-sectional health interview survey. All analyses were conducted in SAS 9.1 (SAS Institute, Inc.) using specialized procedures. The conclusions outlined in this news release are those of the researchers only, and should not be construed as an official statement of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Original Source: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/study-sheds-new-light-on-childhood-obesity-epidemic-111379384.html
British Research: Overweight More Common in Girls than Boys
Dec. 7, 2010, TheMedGuru.com
By Neharika Sabharwal
A new study delving into the gender differences in childhood obesity found that young girls in Britain are more likely to be overweight than boys.
The researchers found that by age 7, around one in four girls have weight issues compared with just one in six boys.
Experts theorize that more sedentary lives in front of televisions and computers, less physical activity, and too much pampering from parents may be responsible for girls being heavier than their male counterparts.
"Girls and only children are more likely to become overweight between age 5 and age 7," said the study's lead author, Alice Sullivan. "It is not clear whether the increased risk for girls is due to them being over-fed compared to boys, or because they are involved in less physical activity – perhaps due to the over-protectiveness of parents – or some combination of the two."
"Similarly, we do not know whether only children are less active due to lack of siblings, or over-fed by indulgent parents. Either way, making parents aware of the increased risk to girls and only children may help to modify their behavior," Sullivan said.
[Conducted by the University of London's Institute of Education, the study traced the changes in children's weight from infancy to age 7].
The researchers analyzed the body weights of 11,000 children, born between 2000 and 2002, who were part of the Millennium Cohort Study.
The investigators found that apart from gender, the number of siblings [in a family also affected weight]. It was noted that 7-year-olds without brothers and sisters were 25 percent more inclined to be overweight than those with one sibling.
Also, the odds of obesity in an only child rose by 30 percent compared to those with two siblings. The study also found that kids who were heavier by age 5 were 25 times more likely to have weight problems at age 7 as opposed to children of normal weight.
Another interesting aspect of the study was that kids whose parents were obese or inclined to smoke were also likely to be overweight.
The researchers stated, "The importance of parents', and especially mothers' BMI, suggests that overweight is a family problem, and health messages need to be targeted at mothers in particular.
"Childhood overweight appears to be primarily due to an obesogenic home environment rather than individual child level factors."
Original Source: http://www.themedguru.com/20101207/newsfeature/girls-more-likely-be-fatter-boys-7-years-study-86142584.html
Frustration Over School Gardens Takes Root
Jan. 2, 2011, The Washington Post
By Michael Birnbaum
Charlotte Schoeneman thought her daughter's Takoma Park school would welcome a parent proposal to start a vegetable garden; the city typically embraces all things green.
But she and other Montgomery County parents were rebuffed, told that one person's tomato is another one's maintenance nightmare. School officials cited allergies, pests and possible summertime neglect as reasons for concern.
The parents, who were inspired in part by first lady Michelle Obama's national campaign to fight childhood obesity, said they're puzzled by the school system's decision. In Washington, DC, which has the highest rate of adolescent obesity in the country, several public schools have gardens, and a recently passed law encourages more. Arlington County boasts about 25 (gardens).
"Vegetable gardens teach kids that there's more to a meal than just chicken nuggets on a plastic tray," Schoeneman said. Schoeneman said that she and other members of the Takoma Park Elementary School PTA have worked to improve food at the school, though their victories have been minor at best. The school's principal nixed a proposal to use school property for a garden, Schoeneman said, saying she was worried about attracting pests.
Schoeneman said she enjoys spending time with her second-grade daughter in their own Takoma Park vegetable garden, which attracts nary a rat.
"If you had a fruit tree, you could see the fruit growing on the tree," Schoeneman said. "If you had a little plot, you could have beans and some chard and some onions. You could watch those things growing on their own."
Montgomery County's handful of school vegetable gardens came about only because some schools went rogue and built them without central office permission. Parents whisper about them and try to shield them from publicity.
A February 2010 letter from Superintendent Jerry D. Weast to the school board outlined his concerns.
"Because vegetable gardens are a food source for pests, create liabilities for children with food allergies, and have other associated concerns, the Department of Facilities Management staff has not approved gardens designed to produce food," he wrote.
He suggested instead that the school system work with the Montgomery Department of Parks to build gardens on park property near school sites. Parents say that's not a meaningful option for teachers who want to make growing food part of the school day.
When the gardens are off school grounds, "it's kind of pointless, because it's not acting within the curriculum, and the teachers couldn't embrace it," said Kristen Dill, another Takoma Park Elementary parent. She has a degree in horticulture and grew up in Nebraska. But she's been stymied in the suburban wilds of Montgomery County.
"Elsewhere, there's so much energy right now" around vegetable gardens at schools, Dill said. In Montgomery, by contrast, "it feels like molasses," she said.
School officials said they are working to develop standardized plans for container gardens that schools could use as soon as this spring. The school system also has allowed some property near administrative buildings - not schools - to be used for community vegetable gardens. But many parents and community advocates say that's not enough.
"There are school systems around the country that are embracing this," said Gordon Clark, director of Montgomery Victory Gardens, a group pushing for community gardens. "Any school that wants to do it should have some support from the school system to do it any way they want."
Parents and teachers around Montgomery County, including at Takoma Park and Piney Branch elementary schools and Montgomery Blair High School, have tried unsuccessfully to start vegetable gardens.
Montgomery officials said there is no ban against vegetable gardens and cite the schools that have them to prove their point. But they said they have discouraged them until now due to concerns about pests such as rats and groundhogs, who might be attracted to the vegetables, and with student allergies to certain crops. Nevertheless, they're committed to the idea, they said.
"Any school in Montgomery County that wants a vegetable garden, there will be a way for them to have a vegetable garden," said Sean Gallagher, assistant director of the school system's Department of Facilities Management. Initially, he said, schools will have an approved template for a portable container garden. Later, "if a school has shown they can do really well with a container garden," they might be able to move on to more traditional raised beds. "We just want to give them the right guidance to be successful."
Many other local school systems have embraced gardens without such caveats. The first lady made headlines when she invited students from Bancroft Elementary School in the District to help plant the White House vegetable garden, and she made more headlines when she in turn visited Bancroft to help students plant theirs.
The DC Healthy Schools Act, passed in May, created a program that gives grants to DC schools to help them set up school gardens and encourages them to create compost piles as part of them. At least nine schools have vegetable gardens.
And in Arlington, the school system has encouraged gardens without exerting significant direct control. "There's no central policy of 'this is where your garden's going to be, this is what you're going to grow.' It's up to the school," said Frank Bellavia, a spokesman for the school system.
Bellavia said he had not heard of any issues with pests or allergies and that someone from the community typically maintains the gardens over the summer. Vegetables from the school gardens usually are donated to a food bank, he said.
Meanwhile, Montgomery parents have lowered their expectations. "I'm not really hoping for much," said Schoeneman. "I just keep plugging away, and maybe something good will happen as the tides turn."
Original Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/01/AR2011010102392.html
More Students Opting out of Physical Education Classes
Dec. 14, 2010, ABC News
By Sarah Netter
Once a mainstay of the school day, physical education classes have fallen by the wayside for many American students, despite a massive push by doctors, nutritionists and even the first lady to get children more active.
The message has come fast and furious: Childhood obesity is a national epidemic. But physical education advocates say more and more students are being allowed to opt out of gym class in favor of activities like marching band, ROTC, even an extra art class.
Students in some school districts are even allowed to complete their physical education requirements online; they promise to exercise on their own time and just click their way through to course completion.
"This is a serious issue," said Keith Ayoob, director of the nutrition clinic at the Rose F. Kennedy Center in the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. "If they don't get anything in school they're probably not going to get it."
Being obese and overweight is the No. 1 health problem in children, Ayoob said. And a study this year in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that obese children were twice as likely to die of disease by age 55. According to the "Shape of the Nation" report, released in June by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 22 states, or 43 percent, allow required physical education credits to be completed online. And only five states – Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Mexico and Vermont – require P.E. at every grade level.
"We've seen over time that children and students are becoming more sedentary and not just in school," said NASPE President Lynn Couturier. "Even after school, if they're going home a lot of them are choosing activities that are not physically active." Schools, Couturier said, are making cuts to recess and intramural sports, leaving interscholastic sports, where only skilled athletes make the team. That cycle, she said, denies opportunities for exercise to those who need it most.
NASPE, along with the American Heart Association, recommend that students get 30 minutes per day of physical education instruction for elementary school children and 45 minutes per day for middle- and high-school children.
But only Alabama follows the guidelines at each school level, the NASPE reported.
"In my experience kids should be getting physical activity every single day and they don't," Ayoob said.
Waivers for soccer practice, marching band and art
Though the state of Florida does mandate the 150 minutes of physical education for elementary school children, it requires one credit of physical education as a graduation requirement for high school students. And while waivers to opt out of high school P.E. have been around in Florida since the late 1980s, a state law gave elementary school parents the option to opt in 2008 and middle school parents to do the same last year.
Several other states have variations on physical education opt-outs. Nichole Wilder, physical education coordinator for the Florida Department of Education, said that 40 percent to 80 percent of middle school students have opted out of physical education in some districts since the waiver became available to them in 2009.
Waivers for middle school students can be granted if the child is required to enroll in remedial academic classes. Parents can also request that their child be excused because they participate in physical activity outside of school that's equal to their gym class – such as gymnastics or soccer – or if the child wants to take another course in place of physical education, whether it be art instruction or an extra math class.
Different waivers exist at the high school level, but playing on a team sport or participating in marching band can both go toward whittling away at the one-credit graduation requirement. Wilder admitted that it was essential that students stay physically active, but sometimes it's difficult to find a place for it during school hours.
"It comes [down] to the number of class periods that are available during the school day," she said. Couturier agreed, noting that there is increasing pressure for schools to perform well on standardized testing and comply with the No Child Left Behind Act, "which leaves less time for physical education and subjects that aren't core."
Still, NAPSE doesn't condone any version of an opt-out or waiver program for physical education.
"We like to think it's a valuable part of children's curriculum," she said. "If you sign up for math club you don't get out of taking math. If you sign up for the school play, you don't get out of English." But, according to Ayoob, even kids enrolled in gym class aren't getting out of it what they need.
"Gym is a term that's often used loosely," he said, pointing to 45-minute long physical education classes that take 20 minutes just to get the kids changed and organized. "Some of my kids get gym once a week, three times a week, maybe."
Original Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/students-opting-phys-ed-classes-obesity-epidemic/story?id=12393340&page=1
Save the Children Breaks From Soda Tax Effort
Dec. 14, 2010, The New York Times
By William Neuman
Over the last year, Save the Children emerged as a leader in the push to tax sweetened soft drinks as a way to combat childhood obesity. The nonprofit group supported soda tax campaigns in Mississippi, New Mexico, Washington State, Philadelphia and the District of Columbia.
At the same time, executives at Save the Children were seeking a major grant from Coca-Cola to help finance the health and education programs that the charity conducts here and abroad, including its work on childhood obesity.
The talks with Coke are still going on. But the soda tax work has been stopped. In October, Save the Children surprised activists around the country with an e-mail message announcing that it would no longer support efforts to tax soft drinks. In interviews this month, Carolyn Miles, chief operating officer of Save the Children, said there was no connection between the group's about-face on soda taxes and the discussions with Coke. A $5 million grant from PepsiCo also had no influence on the decision, she said. Both companies fiercely oppose soda taxes. Miles said that after Save the Children took a prominent role in several soda tax campaigns, executives reviewed the issue and decided it was too controversial to continue.
"We looked at it and said, 'Is this something we should be out there doing and does this fit with the way that Save the Children works?'" she said. "And the answer was no."
Miles said the talks with Coke were continuing and the grant under discussion was significantly larger than past donations from the soft drink giant. Coke has given the group about $400,000 since 1991, according to a company spokeswoman.
Save the Children has received much more money from Pepsi through the PepsiCo Foundation, which it has designated as a "corporate partner" in recognition of the $5 million grant for work in India and Bangladesh. PepsiCo awarded the grant in early 2009, before the charity began its soda tax advocacy.
Representatives of both Coca-Cola and Pepsi said they had not asked the charity to alter its position on soda taxes. But soda tax advocates say that soft drink makers are flexing their muscles in opposition to soda taxes. In the state of Washington, the American Beverage Association, a trade group that includes Coke and Pepsi, spent $16.5 million to win passage of a November ballot initiative that overturned a small tax on soft drinks enacted by the legislature to help plug a budget gap. The beverage association outspent supporters of the tax by more than 40 to 1, and the tax was repealed.
Jon Gould, deputy director of the Children's Alliance, an advocacy group in Seattle, said Save the Children's decision to abandon the issue was "a significant loss, especially at a time when the American Beverage Association has just shown that their resources are unlimited." The alliance got $25,000 from Save the Children to help advocate for a soda tax.
Kelly D. Brownell, a soda tax advocate and director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, said that many food and beverage companies made donations to nonprofit groups fighting hunger but it was less common for them to finance work to address obesity.
"It would be a shame if there were a quid pro quo and the groups felt pressure to oppose something like a soda tax," Brownell said.
Public debate about soda taxes has intensified over the last year. Proponents say that if the tax were large enough, perhaps a penny an ounce or more, it could reduce consumption of sugary beverages, which are high in calories and can contribute to obesity. In addition, money raised by the tax could be spent on public health efforts to fight obesity.
The soda companies argue that it is unfair to blame their products for the obesity epidemic, which has complex causes. They say that policies should be focused instead on getting people to exercise more.
So far, tax proposals have gotten little traction. Last year, federal lawmakers considered a soft drink tax to help pay for health care reform, but that idea was dropped. Governors, state lawmakers and mayors have proposed taxes but made little headway.
Save the Children's involvement in the issue began in late 2009, when it got a $3.5 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to fight childhood obesity through a program it called the Campaign for Healthy Kids. Save the Children initially financed the work of local groups, some of which focused on improving school lunches and requiring health education in schools. But local activists in Mississippi, New Mexico and Washington State used the grants to push for a soda tax.
When politicians in Philadelphia and Washington proposed soda taxes this year, the Campaign for Healthy Kids got more directly involved, paying for lobbyists and polling. "We really took the lead on those and were publicly identified with those," said Andrew Hysell, an associate vice president for Save the Children and the director of the obesity campaign. None of the soda tax measures supported by Save the Children passed, although in Washington, the city council removed a sales tax exemption for carbonated beverages.
Save the Children's prominent role in Philadelphia and Washington led top executives of the charity to review the work. Miles said they concluded the advocacy was not part of the charity's mission.
"We made a decision that it was an issue that was controversial among our constituents and really was not core to the work we're doing in the U.S.," Miles said. She said that while the charity's constituents included corporate donors, concerns over fund-raising were not involved in the decision.
Hysell informed soda tax advocates of the change in October and the Campaign for Healthy Kids removed declarations of support for soda taxes from its website. Officials of the RWJF, who had encouraged Save the Children to advocate for soda taxes, are disappointed.
"They were obviously some of the strongest out there working on the issue, and we had such high hopes," said Dwayne Proctor, team director for childhood obesity at the Foundation. He said the two groups would continue to work together on other aspects of the obesity fight.
Original Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/15/business/15soda.html?_r=1
Community Programs Fill Gaps in Childhood Obesity Policy
Dec. 31, 2010, The Brooklyn Ink/Columbia Graduate School of Journalism
By Faaria Kherani
Over the past year, Mayor Bloomberg has implemented a variety of policies to combat childhood obesity, but New York City doctors, health educators, and the Health Department's own representatives are now saying the policies alone will not be enough to lower the childhood obesity rate.
"There's no one answer," says Health Department representative Cathy Nonas.
Nonas says the city's policies, which include providing healthier foods in schools, stipulating 120 minutes of exercise per week in school, and providing food stamps for farmer's markets, cannot inherently change children's behavior outside of school. Children are strongly influenced by their home and community environments, which are difficult for the city to reach. Nonas, many pediatricians, and families dealing with childhood obesity say the mayor's policies need to be supplemented by local initiatives.
And that seems to be happening, at least in an incipient way in Brooklyn and across New York City, where community organizations are filling policy gaps by stepping up to provide individualized health alternatives in low-income, immigrant communities.
According to the Health Department, 40 percent of kindergartners through eighth-graders – over 250,000 kids – in NYC are overweight or obese. Compared to the national child obesity rate of 30 percent, New York City is one of the leaders in the childhood obesity count.
Some new initiatives are easy to spot, like "Let's Move" in Brooklyn led by Michelle Obama to target childhood obesity. But there are countless initiatives happening every week that have the local resources to target specific neighborhoods and families. These initiatives include Lutheran Family Health Center's adult and child educational programs in Sunset Park, local distribution of information on healthy eating in different Brooklyn neighborhoods, and events held by a number of community gardens and food co-ops by neighborhood.
One community program was created by Health Plus, a not-for-profit health care plan. In 2008, it started a Teen Advisory Board program as a way to change behavior by getting children involved in their own health. These teens believe that it is more effective to listen to each other than to a wide-sweeping government policy. So far, the Teen Advisory Board has published pamphlets distributed throughout the community and invited guest speakers for educational meetings.
Health Educator Wendy Dominguez says the kids know how to reach other kids better than policies or teachers, because they know how a child's mind works. This is one area where policy is currently less effective.
The Board's participants come largely from the Sunset Park area, a neighborhood with a large Hispanic population. Studies have shown a distinct correlation among high rates of obesity, race, and income. Hispanics and African-Americans tend to be heavier than Caucasians and Asians.
Mayor Bloomberg has been doing his part by targeting low-income, immigrant neighborhoods through the school system. School vending machines no longer carry sodas and vegetable portions have been increased in lunches.
In November, Journey for Change, an organization that encourages children in the Greater New York area to become active in social change, asked kids to comment on its blog why they think one in three children are overweight or obese in New York City, and what they think of Mayor Bloomberg's policies.
"Today in the school 'salad' they served raw broccoli and tomatoes," wrote Rochelle. "I notice that many children throw it in the garbage because they did not think it was right to serve raw broccoli and call it salad." Many kids also asked for a variety of fruit throughout the week instead of the same one day after day. Some policy changes are unattractive to kids, who then throw out their lunch and go to McDonald's when school is out.
"I think it's hard to fundamentally change what kids eat in school, because then they go outside and could completely negate that," says Mary McCord, associate professor of pediatrics and public health at Columbia University. McCord works with children whose eating habits are too deeply ingrained to be completely overhauled in school. "A lot of kids I've worked with think that drinking soda is their birthright!"
Health Plus' Teen Advisory Board encourages teens to talk about health and how to make healthy eating choices seem attractive to kids. Participants use bold fonts, bright colors, and easy to understand language to write articles on a variety of topics including healthy eating and exercise. The articles are personal and funny, written by teens themselves, which is a far cry from the standard, bullet-point Health Department pamphlets previously distributed.
"They thought the old pamphlets were boring," says Dominguez. "They said, 'No one's going to read that!'"
Child participation in healthy living initiatives would also help solve problems like negative peer pressure, says one Chinese resident. When she first moved to the United States, her children hated fast food. But as time went by, her children wanted to fit in with their classmates, and now they eat McDonald's regularly.
"It's a social thing for them, to be able to go to McDonald's with their friends and hang out," she says. Dominguez says children need to take part in changing the way kids eat and exercise because ultimately children have the most persuasive power over one another.
"If they invest in it, they'll tell their friends, 'Hey, look what I'm doing!'" says Dominguez. McCord and Nonas say community initiatives have the power to make Bloomberg's policies work faster.
While Health Plus addresses teen participation in health education, other initiatives are working to supplement lack of exercise time in schools. According to McCord, the most effective way to combat childhood obesity is to make sure children get the 120 minutes of exercise per week that is mandated by New York State. This is not yet happening in many schools.
Last October, New Jersey Nets basketball player Daryl Dawkins greeted approximately 400 students from four schools in the Sunset Park area to talk about fitness and dietary habits at the third annual Shoot for Better Health event. Students were able to learn from someone they looked up to as a role model.
"It is essential that we aggressively prevent childhood obesity now, before these kids grow up with a disadvantage," said Principal Jack Spatola of P.S. 172 at the first Shoot for Better Health event in 2008. "Many of our students' parents don't understand and don't trust the healthcare system."
Many low-income families find health care and healthy food too expensive to rely on regularly. Kids often show up to school with quarter water – artificially flavored sugar water – and chips for an unhealthy breakfast that costs only two quarters. Rossman Fruit and Vegetable District on Third Avenue is one of the very few fresh food providers in Sunset Park. Many shoppers are surprised the store even exists in Sunset Park, and they are worried it won't last long. Its location across from a liquor store and adult video shop only increases the skepticism.
"I've been noticing a steady increase of Park Slope types as of late," said a regular shopper, "which more than likely means that Rossman's days as a reasonably-priced, unpretentious produce market are numbered." He is worried the prices will jump and he will be forced to search for cheaper fresh produce in other areas.
Nonas says the city is trying to increase access to affordable, healthy food by giving out "health bucks," which are food stamps that can be used at farmer's markets only. For every $5 of food stamps a family receives, they then get $2 of health bucks. Nonas says the Health Department has given out a quarter of a million dollars in health bucks this year. But the minute people run out of food stamps, it's back to cheap meals at McDonald's. Some families are also trading health bucks for normal food stamps so that they can buy more of their favorite foods. Children may be eating healthy in school, but they go home to an environment that endorses unhealthy behavior.
In an area like Sunset Park where the out-of-school environment promotes unhealthy behavior and Mayor Bloomberg's policies are not necessarily changing children's eating and living habits, community groups are necessary to supplement Bloomberg's policies. "You really need both," says Columbia University's Dr. Dodi Meyer of policy and community initiatives. "I think it's not either or, it's all of them working together."
Original Source: http://thebrooklynink.com/2010/12/31/22355-community-programs-fill-childhood-obesity-policy-gaps/
General Mills Reduces Sugar in Kids' Cereals
Dec. 9, 2010, Yahoo News
By Martinne Geller
General Mills is lowering the amount of sugar in its children's breakfast cereals to no more than 10 grams per serving from 11 grams a year ago, the latest move from a U.S. food maker to address childhood obesity.
The growing problem of obesity is leading to more children having adult health problems, such as diabetes or high cholesterol.
The step-down in sugar by General Mills, the maker of Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs and Trix cereals, is a move closer to its year-old goal to reduce to single-digit levels the number of grams of sugar per serving in all of its cereals advertised to children under 12.
General Mills, which also sells Progresso soup and Yoplait yogurt, said it must reduce sugar in tiny, incremental steps, lest consumers notice the difference and stop buying.
Consumers have a very keen idea of what these cereals ought to taste like and if you change the taste dramatically or suddenly, they'll walk away from the brand," said Jeff Harmening, president of General Mills' Big G cereal division, in an interview.
"We will not make changes if it reduces the taste of the product," he said.
As of Dec. 31, all shipments of the company's 11 cereals advertised to children will have 10 grams or less, General Mills said. Too much sugar not only contributes to obesity, but also is a key culprit in diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, according to the American Heart Association, which recommends that women eat no more than 25 grams of added processed sugar a day, and men no more than 37.5 grams.
Packaged food and beverage companies face mounting pressure to make their products healthier as recently passed U.S. health reform legislation shifts the nation's focus to ways to prevent disease, instead of simply treating it. Many companies have responded by cutting levels of sugar, sodium and fat in their products.
In 2007, General Mills committed to a ceiling of 12 grams of sugar per serving for cereals advertised to children younger than age 12, which also include Honey Nut Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. It said that for products with more sugar than that, such as Count Chocula, it would no longer advertise them to that audience.
Harmening declined to say where in the single-digit range the cereals would eventually end up, though he said he would feel victorious once they all reach 9 grams or lower.
General Mills' brands targeted to adults often have less sugar. For example, Fiber One, Cheerios and Corn Chex have 0, 1 and 3 grams of sugar per serving, respectively.
Original Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101209/us_nm/us_generalmills


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Every morning, I turn on the Today show as I'm getting ready for work. (Truth be told, when it's a dull segment I do switch over to Saved by the Bell on TBS.) And I always stop whatever I'm doing when I hear Willard Scott's voice and immediately park myself in front of the TV. In case you're not familiar with Willard's segment, he announces milestone birthdays and wedding anniversaries. And I mean serious milestones. You have to be at least 100 years old to get your birthday on air, and have to have been married for at least 75 years to get your wedding anniversary announced.
For the longest time, I thought chances were pretty slim for hearing Willard announce the name of someone in my family. But not anymore. My grandparents, Hazel and Eugene Henry (pictured), just celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary. And following behind them, albeit a distant second, are my parents, at 47 years. Both are shining examples of the marriage—and longevity—that I hope to one day have. So watch out, Willard! The Henrys are coming. —Anita K. Henry, group managing editor, Modern Bride

subset: commoncrawl


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By Karen Hill
The city of Cornelius is considering a large project that includes a library, a recreation center (possibly operated by the YMCA) and affordable senior housing in a three-story building to be constructed in the town center. For over 10 years, the community has been working on the right plan for a new library. This plan maximizes resources, provides much-needed community services, and presents taxpayers with an opportunity to greatly leverage their funds.
The construction costs of the library portion are estimated at $4.8 million. A levy would provide $2.4 million from Cornelius property taxes and a match of $2.4 million would be raised from foundations and grants. The nonprofit housing agency Bienestar, the city's partner in this project, will contribute development services and another $8 million for the senior housing portion. There is no cost for the housing to Cornelius taxpayers. The cost to an average homeowner for the $12.8 million project is estimated to be $52 per year.
Bienestar has already invested more than $100,000 to pre-plan and determine the project feasibility. This included a third-party housing market study, architectural drawings, contractor estimates, and voter polling. Interviews with major fundraisers indicated this project could potentially raise $2,180,000 from just 28 locally operating funders. Several have programs that will match private donations dollar for dollar.
What does the $52 a year buy? In the library, it provides weekly story times and books to help children learning to read. It provides a safe place for youth to study, meet with tutors and get assistance with homework resources. It provides free access to computers, software and equipment for small- and home-businesses and job seekers. It provides spaces for the community to gather for free cultural, educational and civic programs. It provides free print and electronic books for recreational reading, personal study and information needs.
Are libraries still useful? Yes, the Cornelius library saw a record number of users with over 118,000 items being checked out last year. At any given time, 25 percent of the collection is checked out (accounting for a few empty shelves previously asked about). More than 5,500 people came to one of the 221 library programs. Over 1,000 Cornelius children participated in the summer reading program. These and other folks find the library very useful.
How will future operations be funded? The new library is estimated to need additional part-time staff totaling 80 hours of work per week (2.0 full-time equivalent positions). In addition to staff, facility, and other operational expenses the total budget is expected to increase by about $190,000.
Library revenue comes from fines, grants and, primarily, Washington County Cooperative Library System (WCCLS) funds. WCCLS and member libraries are working on a new funding model to accommodate library expansions. Additional WCCLS funds, fines, grants and payments from a planned café and recreation center partners increase projected revenue to about $215,000. Because the housing on the second and third floors will be totally operated and paid for by an outside nonprofit agency, that agency will pay for two-thirds of the outside and grounds maintenance.
Under current conditions, it is possible that the new library will not cost Cornelius any more money than it does today.
community is faced with an amazing opportunity. This project benefits
so many people for so little money. Besides taking care of our youth and
elders, it strengthens our community, helps redevelop our downtown and
starts to rebuild our economy.
Get more facts online at the city of Cornelius web site, www.ci.cornelius.or.us/Karen Hill is director of the Cornelius Public Library.


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This deal has ended.
For a limited time, buy one of these select memory foam mattress toppers in any size from Kohls.com, and get another one for free! Plus, use code SMS9999 to take 20% off in your cart. A best bet are these 2 twin size Enhance Comfort Loft 3" Mattress Toppers for $139.99 each, totaling $280. They drop to $139.99 in your cart, then down to $119 via code SMS9999! This is $160 less than the regular price for both. On top of that, shipping is free. Discount will be applied to the least expensive mattress topper. Sales tax is charged in most states.No longer available


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The St. Johns Neighborhood Association has vowed to fight designs to put a Walgreen at the gateway to downtown St. Johns.
Summit Development Corporation, on behalf of the retail giant, has twice submitted plans to the Association in an effort to put a full sized Walgreen at the intersection of North Lombard Street and Richmond Avenue. In turn, twice the Association has deemed the store plans inappropriate for the space.
The Association met last month to discuss the development of the former Rose City Chevrolet lot and voice concerns to Summit Development's representative for Walgreen, Steve Collinson. Evidently Collinson did not attend, but a great many concerned neighbors did. At the crowded meeting Land Use Co-Chairs Lorelei Juntenen and Ryan Deibert, along with Chair Thomas Ebert, gave a PowerPoint presentation detailing Summit Development's plans for the lot and how at odds it is with the St. Johns/Lombard Plan the city council approved in 2004. The St. Johns/Lombard Plan is a "comprehensive area plan for the St. Johns town center and North Lombard main street areas." It addresses "many facets of livability such as land use, transportation, housing and recreation. The plan is guided by the citys and the regions plans and policies, which promote the efficient use of land through compact urban development. Both areas are envisioned as pedestrian friendly places that provide a mix of shopping, entertainment, housing, service, and employment opportunities."
Although the lot in question is zoned general commercial, appropriate for a Walgreen, the store layout has several conflicts with the St. Johns/Lombard Plan. If Summit Development files an application with the city to move forward with its plans for the property, the Association will have 21 days to make comments on the application and a chance to appeal if the application is approved despite their objections.
Some of the Association's concerns:
- Although the lot in question is zoned for a Walgreen, there are exceptions in the basic zoning Oregon code: "development is generally auto-accommodating; except where the site is adjacent to a transit street or in a pedestrian district." Both Lombard Street and Richmond Avenue are on very active public transportation routes, and Lombard Street employs a crosswalk with a pedestrian light.
- The St. Johns/Lombard plan is very specific about the downtown area maintaining its small city feel by keeping with historic styles and designing architecture with the goal of increasing pedestrian traffic. It also prohibits drive-through windows, which both plans submitted to the the Association have.
- The location, at the gateway to St. Johns town center, is known for its tricky intersection and large "welcome to the neighborhood" Cathedral bridge sign. Walgreen plans include a ground-level sign at that same intersection with LED lights.
So what's your opinion? The St. Johns Neighborhood Association would like to know!


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Chester Hall of Fame looking for nominations
CHESTER – The Chester Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for the next round of inductions in 2015.
The Hall of Fame takes nominations year-round.
Candidates for induction should be past or present Chester area residents who have had a significant, positive influence on the history and development of Chester.
They may have distinguished themselves in fields such as agriculture, business, education, athletics, philanthropy or any other appropriate area.
Those wishing to nominate a candidate do not have to be from Chester.
Nomination forms are available for print-out at the Hall of Fame website: ChesterWVaHallofFame.com, or contact Jim and Judy Pryor at 304-387-1548 or Chairman Jerry Smith at 330-727-4366 for forms or questions.
The nomination forms should be completed entirely with as much supporting information as possible on the candidate.
Completed forms may be mailed to: Chester Hall of Fame, P.O. Box 106, Chester, WV 26034.
The Hall of Fame wall is across from Chester City Council chambers in the Chester Municipal Building.


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This deal has ended.
Get this Samsonite 5-Piece Luggage Set for $79.99 at Tiger Direct after you send in this $40 mail-in rebate. Shipping is around $14, varying by zip code. This was the lowest price we found by $20. This set includes 22" and 26" upright roll-away bags, travel duffel, a tote and a toiletry kit. There is no sales tax (except FL, IL, NC, TX, GA, SD and ID).No longer available


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- 3 total posts
- 1 review
- 2 comments
Reviews by Jmiz
Old Man Utilizing the Cindy Crawford Meaningful Beauty Protocol - Sacramento, CA
A friend of mine was noticing my ruddy completion. She stated to me that it would clear up easily with some new products she ordered from watching an infomercial. I told her that men didn't utilize such products or people would have a different prospective of them. She asked me "do you really... READ MORE
Recent comments from Jmiz
It was about three weeks into the regimen that there was a noticible difference. After two months people thought I was much younger. READ COMMENT
I am a 60 year old man. My friend gave me some of her MB products to try. I use the serum on my face and many of the wrinkles have dissipated. The neck treatment has firmed up the skin. The eye lifting cream has helped to reduce the... READ COMMENT


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Drees Homes' Meadows of Aurora is a beautiful new home community offering single-family homes in a quiet cul-de-sac setting, surrounded by community green space and ponds. The community is conveniently located off East Mennonite Road, minutes away from Sunny Lake Park, the Aurora Premium Outlets, major interstates, schools and a variety of other great shopping and dining venues.
Priced from the $230,000s, Drees Homes at Meadows of Aurora include many popular features, such as first-floor owner's suites, ranch floor plans, great kitchen layouts, comfortable family rooms and sunrooms. The Drees Design Center in Brecksville is staffed with a design consultant, who can help buyers personalize their new homes.
Step Inside
The Chester offers an open floor plan with both elegant formal and casual informal living spaces. An inviting foyer leads to a formal living room/study. The elegant kitchen with a gigantic kitchen island overlooks the family room, breakfast room and large sunroom with a rear deck. The first floor owner's suite features a private bathroom. The second floor provides three additional bedrooms and a full bathroom. The home also includes a stunning finished basement.
The Community
The town of Aurora offers a variety of amenities, such as great shopping and restaurants, championship golf and parks. Its location provides easy access to anywhere in the greater Cleveland area.
The Builder
A family-owned company, Dress Homes has been the home building business for more than 85 years. This respected builder has earned three prestigious honors, including "Builder of the Year Award" and "National Housing Quality Award" from the National Association of Home Builders Research Center and Professional Builder magazine; and "America's Best Builder" by Builder magazine.
Address: 560 Surrey Drive, Aurora
Price: From the $230,000s
Square Footage: 1366 to 2785 square feet
Bedrooms: Three to five
Bathrooms: Two three full, one to two half
Telephone: (330) 635-7354
Website: www.dreeshomes.com


text: Today will be as cool and comfy as the underside of your pillow with temps in the 80s and dew points in the 50s. And it's those lower dew points that are the ticket. High pressure will scoot off tomorrow, making way for another system to make its way into Central PA. Temps will jump into the 90s for tomorrow through next Tuesday, kicking off another heat wave for us.


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Reviews For The Journey to Middle-Earth
Title: Chapter 6 Reviewer: Gandalfsflaminghat Signed
haha really funny
Date: Oct 16 2011 01:45 pm [Report This]
Title: Chapter 6 Reviewer: Karlmir Stonewain Signed
Sorry I've taken so long to read your final chapter. By all means, write a sequel. You can't leave Peter Jackson stranded in Middle Earth or Arwen left in our world.
As for similar stories of my own, you might want to check out Elven Ears and Lothlórien Autumn.
As for similar stories of my own, you might want to check out Elven Ears and Lothlórien Autumn.
Date: Dec 31 2010 09:05 am [Report This]
Title: Chapter 5 Reviewer: Karlmir Stonewain Signed
Good action scenes and now much better with proper line breaks. You might also mention Pippin's surprise that his counterpart is Mannish.
Author's Response: Yeah, I'll put that in.
Author's Response: Yeah, I'll put that in.
Date: Jun 21 2010 09:04 am [Report This]
Title: Chapter 2 Reviewer: Karlmir Stonewain Signed
You're off to a fine start here, Ethee. You might add line breaks between quotes and paragraphs, however. It makes for easier reading for older folks like me who have to rely on bifocals.
Date: Jun 20 2010 09:52 pm [Report This]


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MONTREAL, Oct. 9 (UPI) — Air pollution from motor vehicle traffic may put women at higher risk for breast cancer, Canadian researchers said.
Researchers at Montreal's Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, McGill University and Universite de Montreal found a link between post-menopausal breast cancer and exposure to nitrogen dioxide — a "marker" for traffic-related air pollution.
The study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, found the risk of breast cancer increased by about 25 percent with every increase of nitrogen dioxide of 5 parts per billion.
"Another way of saying this is that women living in the areas with the highest levels of pollution were almost twice as likely to develop breast cancer as those living in the least polluted areas," study co-author Dr. Mark Goldberg of the Research Institute said in a statement.
Goldberg and colleagues had created two air pollution "maps" showing levels of nitrogen dioxide — a by-product of vehicular traffic — in different parts of Montreal in 1996 and 10 years earlier in 1986. They then charted the home addresses of women diagnosed with breast cancer in a 1996-97 study onto the air pollution maps.
The incidence of breast cancer was clearly higher in areas with higher levels of air pollution, the study said.
Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.


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Apple of Eden 1
this wiki
|Apple of Eden 1
|Current location
|Historical information
|Time period
|Created by
|Date constructed
|Notable wielders
Apple of Eden #1 was one of the Pieces of Eden, a piece of ancient and technologically advanced equipment created by the Isu to control humankind. It was the first among several other Apples of Eden.
- Isu (? – ?)[1]
- Suger of Saint-Denis (11th – 12th century)[2]
- Arno Dorian (1794)[2]
- Al Mualim (1794 – c. 1799)[2]
- Napoleon Bonaparte (c. 1799 – ?)[3]
- Harry Houdini (? – 1926)[4]
- Templars (1926 – ?)[4][5]
Until 1794, the artifact was stored within the Head of Saint Denis, locked inside the Saint-Denis Temple. Constructed by the First Civilization, the artifact was capable of augmenting the Head of Saint Denis' power to project illusions and imbue weapons with mystical power.[2]
In August 1794, Napoleon Bonaparte employed a group of tomb raiders led by Philippe Rose to find the Temple and the artifact stored within. Arno Dorian was able to open the temple ahead of the raiders and retrieve the Head of Saint Denis, using its power to repel the raiders and make his escape.[2]
Unwilling to let the artifact fall into Napoleon's hands, Arno removed the Apple from the lantern and passed it to a member of the French Brotherhood of Assassins, with instructions to bring it to Al Mualim in Cairo. In 1798, Napoleon led an expedition to Egypt,[2] and returned home after acquiring the artifact.[6]
The next known owner of the Apple was Harry Houdini, a Hungarian-American magician and escapologist. He used the Apple to execute stunts that, even to this day, are considered impossible. While Houdini officially died from peritonitis from a ruptured appendix, Clay Kaczmarek's Glyphs suggested that Houdini had been killed by Templar agents who wished to take possession of his Apple.[4]
The Apple was later used in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, to cause the "Phantom on the Hill" effect. This effect created the illusion of a second gunman on the grassy knoll of Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. The goal of this illusion was to make it more difficult to persecute Lee Harvey Oswald – a Templar sleeper agent – later on, and to disguise the true intentions of the Templar-executed assassination from later investigation.[5]
- ↑ Assassin's Creed II
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Assassin's Creed: Unity – Dead Kings
- ↑ Assassin's Creed II – Glyph #2 "Sixty-four Squares"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Assassin's Creed II - Glyph #3 "Descendants"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Assassin's Creed II – Glyph #9 "Hat-trick"
- ↑ YouTube: The Assassin's Den - ft. Jeffrey Yohalem (Dead Kings discussion and more)


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The Aloha Warriors stepped onto their new shining green, blue and gold turf field Monday, August 18, but it's a little squishier than the district would like it to be.
The district's contract with FieldTurf USA calls for a hardness level between 90 and 150. The higher the number, the harder the field, said Dick Steinbrugge, Beaverton School District executive director of facilities.
The field, which was estimated to be available for practices on August 4, was averaging a hardness level of 75, which delayed the opening as contractors spent days watering the synthetic turf.
"The sand and crushed rubber between the fibers needed to settle more and compact more," Steinbrugge said. Water helps speed the process.
With the rating still hovering around 75, the district talked with its turf consultant and others knowledgeable with the material and decided to open the field on Sunday.
Steinbrugge said it's not a safety concern. "It's pretty close (to 90)," he said. "The issue, as I understand it, is does the field feel different?"
A really low rating would feel like paying on a trampoline, he said.
Steinbrugge said they don't know for sure why the turf is softer than expected. The district didn't have that issue when FieldTurf installed synthetic turf at Southridge and Westview in 2012.
"We're not 100 percent sure why, but it has to do with the sand/rubber ratio," he said.
The greater safety concern would be from a hard field, Steinbrugge said. A rating of 200 would cause concerns for concussions. The district pays for additional cushioning under its turf fields.
Watch a time lapse of the field under construction.
The field is the first bond project to be completed. The $1 million artificial turf replaced aging turf that had become a safety issue for players, according to the district.
Beaverton voters approved a $680 million bond in May to pay for 27 projects including a new high school, middle school and elementary. It will rebuild Vose, Hazeldale and William Walker elementary schools as well as the Arts and Communication Magnet Academy. It will renovate Five Oaks Middle School, Raleigh Hills K-8 and others. It will improve security across the district and fund needed repairs at nearly every school. It will also pay to improve technology across the district, both infrastructure and computer devices.
-- Wendy Owen


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Little Red Riding Wolf Tour + Giveaway: Jessica Aspen
Thanks for having me as your guest today, Carmel. As you might be able to tell from my title, I'm fascinated with wolves too, especially werewolves. Which is why, when I considered which fairy tale to twist, I couldn't back away from twisting Little Red Riding Wolf. The idea of Red as a wolf intrigued me, and of course it meant I got to create an entire town of werewolves. Such fun!
The original fairytale puts all the power into the hands (paws) of the men. Granny is devoured and Red is saved by the huntsman, but I like strong heroines, so Little Red Riding Wolf became a story of a young woman on the cusp of change. And what is the catalyst of that change? Sexy human ranger Evan Brewster. That's right, instead of a huntsman coming in at the last minute and saving the day, Evan is the love interest. And boy does it get hot between he and Red. Evan doesn't know Red is a werewolf and she doesn't plan on telling him, just playing with him. Wolves are so naughty.
But don't think that I left out an antagonist. Nope, that falls to Red's brother Seth. Seth really hates Evan and he believes his sister Red is endangering the entire pack by seducing the ranger. Take one pissed off alpha werewolf, add in a human violating his territory and his sister, and you have a wolf ready to kill.
Seth's the bad boy of this book, but my editor insisted he deserved some payback so in the next book, Snow and the Seventh Wolf, Seth is the tortured alpha hero, instead of the villain. What goes around comes around, even if it's trouble in love. But for now you can read about him wrecking havoc in Red's love life. Somebody's got to be the bad guy, or the Big Bad Wolf.
What do you love about wolves or werewolves? How about fairy tales? Have you ever read an adult fairy tale? What did you like about it? Leave a comment and let me know, I'll be checking in and look forward to discussing wolves, sexy forest rangers, and the Big Bad.
She rolled his name through her mind, resisted the desire to taste the flavor of it on her tongue. Maybe if she wasn't touching him she could do this…carry on a normal conversation. She struggled for something to say, something that would cover this incredible desire to fuck a complete stranger.
"Welcome to Radon," she managed to get out. "How do you like it so far?" Inane. Moronic. But it was out now. She hoped he couldn't see the shaking that had started at his touch, or smell the moisture between her legs. Lucky he was only human.
Calm down, Red! You can do this. You have to do this.
"It's been interesting. It's a pretty tight-knit little town." His smile had warmed, become friendly. And interested.
She knew what that appraising look meant. She'd received it from all the available males her parents had invited to their house in an effort to entice her to settle down. But that look from the bachelor wolves had never made her feel like this. Feel like her whole body was tuned in to his. Like she should get on all fours and push her ass in the air, spread her legs, and beg.
Her palms were damp. She caught him checking her out and was glad her hoodie was zipped up tight and covered her chest. Her nipples had tightened so fast, so hard, they almost hurt.
"Town's been a little tough on you, huh?" she asked. Poor guy, he couldn't have known what coming to this area would be like. They hadn't had a ranger in the area who wasn't pack in her lifetime. The county was up in arms.
"You could say that." He shot her a conspiratorial smile that warmed his eyes to molten chocolate. She had a sudden vivid picture of a sheepskin rug and him lying naked in front of a fire, her lips and tongue tracing the contoured lines of muscles illuminated by the flames.
She dragged her mind back and forced it to focus on the present. Focus on the words coming out from between his sexy lips.
"You're the friendliest person I've run into in this town. Where have you been hiding?"
Wrong question ranger. The question was who had been hiding him from her? Now her mother keeping her home from work to make jam had begun to make sense. Maybe her mother would never think she was an adult. Although maybe her mother was right, given her lusty thoughts, maybe she should be sequestered.
"I normally work at the general store in town. I must have just missed you." Yeah right. Did that sound as lame to him as it had to her? She lifted her chin. Her mother had been making up excuses to keep her at the family's house all week. Despite being sent off to the boonies she had met the hot new guy in town.
Her mother's plan had backfired.
"Is that Burdock's? It's the only general store I've seen." One long hand reached up, pushed his thatch of hair back off his face in an unconscious slow sensual movement. The hair fell forward back into place as soon as he released it, dark and thick.
"Yeah, I guess you've been in there."
"Yeah. Is the black haired dude with the bad-ass attitude who mans the counter related?" His eyes crinkled up at the corners when he smiled. An urge to spread her thighs slid through her. In an effort to control it, she clenched them tight.
What had he asked?
"Seth," she said, relieved she knew what to say. "He's one of my brothers. He's none too happy that you're here."
"Why is that?"
"Let's just say that we're a typical small town. Outsiders aren't really welcome."
"You know, you're the first woman I've met under thirty all week. I was beginning to wonder where they all were."
Dangerous territory here. She'd better be careful of what she said. Obviously the alphas had the few available females under lock and key.
"We have a surplus of men in this town. You probably just missed the women." She shouldn't be talking to him. He made her so nervous, she just knew she would slip and let something out. Something that would alert him that all was not as it seemed in small town Radon, Colorado.
"Well it's been nice chatting, but I have to get going."
She smiled and started to move off down the path again, but he stepped in front of her, blocked her.
The back of her neck prickled.
She supposed he was eager to talk to the only friendly face in town, but she wished he would back off. She was having enough trouble controlling herself as it was. Her heightened senses told her to take action. Now.
He'd moved too close. His spicy male scent filled her nostrils, caressed her skin. Made her want to bury her face in the crook of his neck and inhale, suck him in like oxygen before going underwater.
"Where are you off to?"
"My grandmother lives up the mountain. I'm just going to check on her and stay a while."
His face lost its easy smile, grew concerned. "You're hiking up the mountain by yourself? A woman like you shouldn't be out here alone." She bristled at his statement. Just like her brother! What was it with men and their bossy attitudes?
"A woman like me? Slow down buster! I've been hiking this mountain since I could walk. You're out here alone, why not me?"
"But I'm a trained outdoorsman. You hardly look prepared in those shorts if the weather changes. What do you have in that pack?" He moved closer to her, and she backed up, suppressing the desire to bare her teeth. With relief she channeled her newfound sexuality into anger instead. This she understood.
Human or not, he was beginning to get her back up, just like any other male.
"I'll be at Grandma's before dark. And it's an incredible day. No storm in sight. See ya." She edged around him and moved back onto the path, determined to put him and temptation, behind her.
"Wait, I'll go with you. There are signs of hunters in the area, you shouldn't be hiking alone." He picked up his oversize pack with ease. Then scrambled, trying to buckle the waist straps and keep up with her at the same time. She stepped up the pace.
She could feel him close behind, knew he was eye level with her ass. Knew he watched her backside swish with each step.
Her tingling nerves began to send messages again. With him nipping at her ankles, she felt like prey.
"No, thanks. You won't be able to keep up." She moved faster, pumped her legs in a rapid rhythm on the familiar trail.
His legs might be longer than hers, but she had Were stamina and a light pack. No way he could keep up with her for long.
"Hey, I've been through hell in the military. If I could keep up in basic, then I can keep up with you little girl."
She laughed, flashed a catch-ya-later look over her shoulder, and put on a hair more speed. He'd find out soon enough that she might be little, but she had more oomph in this little package than most. And he could just watch her swish her tail until she was out of sight.
Leave a comment with your e-mail address answering one of Jessica's questions to be entered to win an eBook copy of Little Red Riding Wolf by Jessica Aspen!
Tired with being the runt of the litter, feisty Red jumps on the opportunity to take on the sexy new forest ranger, but when Evan uncovers evidence of wolves, things get out of control. Can Red keep her were-wolf identity secret and still save Evan from her brother's thirst for blood?
Fraternizing with humans is taboo, but when feisty werewolf Red runs into hunky new forest ranger Evan Brewster, she jumps on the opportunity to let loose her desires. Evan is stoked when he meets the petite red haired hottie, and combined with his new discovery of wolves in Colorado, thinks his career and life are made. Then Red pushes him away, her hostile brother threatens his life, and things begin to spiral out of control. Caught between her sexy lover and her pack can Red trust Evan with her secrets, or must she sacrifice her human lover and her heart?
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18 Comments
Hi! Thanks for this chance and nice post too. I love wolves and werewolves tales too! Adult Fairy Tales, yes I read Anne Rice trilogy (retelling of the Sleeping Beauty) something I shouldn't have read at this time because I was too young! But it was awesome! Anyway yours sounds really interesting : Hunky new forest ranger Evan Brewster? Well I want to know more 😛
I love reading adult fairy tales because they are so much naughtier than the regular ones! I have read several different adult versions of Little Red Riding Hood and I'd love to read this one too! I love the twist that Little Red is the wolf! Thanks for the chance to win!
ehaney578 at aol dot com
I love werewolves and shifters in general – the series I like best are the Mercy Thompson series and the Kate Daniels series. The shifters are usually tough, sexy, and fiercely loyal – all great qualities!
I also have read adult fairy tales – they have more character development and the authors can bring a whole new perspective to the old story. For instance, I really enjoyed Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire and the Sleeping Beauty trilogy by Anne Rice!
leannessf at gmail dot com
I have read Grim's Circle by Shiloh Walker and loved the premise of fairy tales with a darker and sexier side to them. I like reading about wolves/werewolves because the folklore surrounding those creatures makes the stories very interesting. sdylion(at)gmail(dot)com
I love werewolves! So sexy and protective!I love fairy tales too, one of my favourites was always Beauty and The Beast, I've read a couple of adult fairy tales but not a lot! I love the idea of the story being twisted or seeing it placed into modern times!
suzi1811 @ fsmail.net
I love the animal side of weres & vamps, the alpha side peeking through =) and i´ve read some adult fairy tales, everything gets better with a bit of smut with the fluff LOL
Thanks for the giveaway & Happy Friday!
fr_larsson at hotmail dot com
Thanks Proserpine, I'm glad you find it interesting. It's a fun read and I had a blast writing it!
The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy is on the wild side. Mine is more of a romance, I hope you enjoy it!
Werewolves definitely walk on the dark side, I loved twisting my tales with shifters and wolves especially. All three of the books in this series have werewolves and it made it very fun to write.
Beauty and the Beast is a classic, and it would lead naturally into the werewolf twisted fairy tale. I chose three tales with colors for a theme, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and Goldilocks. I'll be twisting Beauty and the Beast in a longer tale this year. Maybe it will be out in 2014. 🙂
I've always loved wolves for some reason. I was always drawn to them as a kid. Red Riding Hood has always been one of my favorite fairy tales so I'm excited to read this one. Thanks so much for sharing!
thanks for the great post and congrats to Linda on the new release! I like "adult" fairy tales b/c its fun to see how the stories can be expanded and explored without worrying about crossing any lines. I especially like paranormal tales b/c the skies the limit and it's fun to see how creative authors can be.
Sounds like a good book!! amzpar[at]gmail[dot]com
I love that wolves are monogamous and werewolves keep a lot of the characteristics of the wolf, as well as being strong and sexy in the human forms. I've always enjoyed fairy tales and I've read some adult ones. The ones I've read were fun because there was romance involved, they were more adult and of course, there was a happily ever after.
Barbed1951 at aol dot com
Loving all of the above. Fairy Tales for grown-ups are fantastic reading. I love how a favorite tale can take on new meaning.
I love this cover and title. The book sounds fantastic. Thank you for the chance to win.
bkwalkerbooks at comcast dot net
Sounds great!
gokarter418 (at) aol (dot) com


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When started for the first time omniNames needs to be told which port it should listen on. This is specified with the -start option. Subsequentley omniNames will always determine its port from the log file which it writes.
When omniNames starts up successfully it writes the stringified object reference for its root context on standard error.
This manual page was written by Floris Bruynooghe <firstname.lastname@example.com>, for the Debian project (but may be used by others).


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Sunday wrapup
I can't tell you how surprised I was to find no emails in my box asking why Jim Leyland would rest Ivan Rodriguez, Magglio Ordonez and Placido Polanco all on the same day just days after the All-Star break. There's been feedback on that usually every time he does it. Maybe winning the first three games of the series placated Tigers fans, maybe everyone read my pregame notebook on it, or maybe Sunday's internet traffic wasn't very heavy. But I'll explain anyway …
Leyland gave the days off to prevent injuries. It's no secret that Pudge has been banged up, and Leyland is still working to keep Polanco's back and Ordonez's knee from becoming major issues again. So really, the better question is why Leyland would rest all three on the same day. First, Leyland had days off for Carlos Guillen Saturday and Curtis Granderson Friday, so at some point he was going to have to rest mutiple regulars. By resting the three on Sunday, he essentially uses Monday's off day to give them back-to-back days of rest. It's a trick Alan Trammell liked to use, too.
Other items of interest:
- Chris Shelton said he was trying to make an aggressive play when he attempted to tag up from second base in the fifth inning. Leyland, who has long touted aggressiveness from his baserunning, said nothing except that they ran the bases poorly as a team today. That says plenty about the play.
- Shelton's baserunning aside, he and Craig Monroe were among the few Tigers hitters who were working the count on Scott Elarton, which is pretty disappointing on a 90-some degree day. The Tigers were retired in order on six pitches in both the third and fourth innings, which is tough to take even on a pleasant day. It's a reminder that this is still a free-swinging lineup.
- So if the Tigers lineup is already free-swinging, predominantly right-handed and loves to hit fastballs, what exactly would Alfonso Soriano bring to this team?
- Not sure if you read any of the comments from White Sox players and Ozzie Guillen, but their comments about the upcoming series even before Chicago's loss Sunday sounded like a team that was not looking at themselves as the club with the upper hand in the series. They stopped short of calling this a must-win series, but not by much. There sounds like a fear of falling more than a half-dozen games behind the Tigers. Of course, it could all be a mental ploy.
6 Comments
I just figured he was doing the back-to-back trick with 3 of our main guys. And I'm really starting to wonder if Brandon Inge ever got taught the fundementals of hitting? I honestly never criticize players because they do stuff I can't but even I know when to work a count, and I'm 18.
I was just wondering if anyone else out there stuggles with listening to Rod Allen on the FSN telecasts? I think if I hear stellar, nice player, scuffling, or partner one more time….To me the man shows no creativity, or interesting insights. I am really tired of the way he makes ever opposing player sound like he is the greatest ever…Maybe it is just me if so I'll shut up and turn the sound down…
jvguru, turn the sound down! I think the combo of Rod and Mario is contemporary and even. I've listened to several other commentary duos in opposing Tigers' markets…believe me, Rod is a dream come true compared to these guys and he is actually quite knowledgeable about the game. He and Mario are quick to point out our (Tiger's) flaw and celebrate out competition, but they are also some of our loudest cheerleaders. They never waiver. As far as the repetitive use of words, well over 162 games how many different ways can YOU say "good" "bad" "player" etc…? Keep up the good work Rod and Mario. I, and my family, will be watching AND listening.
Rod and Mario are a LOT better'n most. If you have the Big League ticket, and get to hear the announcers from around the league, at least these two point out flaws, congratulate the opposing teams on their good play, and are generally forthright. The White Sox announcers are enough to make one want to STOP watching baseball.
I know Shelton is young, and in a position to improve, but what does everybody else think of Todd Helton in a Tiger uniform? I would LOVE to see it. Good fielder, lefty, some power…..he would be a good fit, I think.
Mario and Rod make me want Josh Lewin and Gibby back and that's saying a lot because I hated Josh.
Helton would be an interesting choice and way better than any thought of Soriano. I could handle Abreu but would suggest trading Monroe if that's how things end up.
How long is Marcus Thames signed for? Dave Dombrowski's kids go to my school (it's K-12 with 4 campuses) and I've seriously thought about looking up his number in the directory and calling him to tell him to lock him up for at least 3 or 4 years.
Shelton's play is probably the worst baserunning mistake that I've seen all season. I don't think Granderson could have made it to 3rd on that play and we all know how much faster he is than Shelton.


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Lewis found a hero in the charismatic A's General Manager Billy Beane, a young, attractive and glib former number one draft pick who never lived up to his potential as the number two overall selection in the 1980 draft, but has emerged as one of the most innovative and successful general managers in the game. 'Moneyball' gleefully chronicles how Beane is able to consistently out-smart the baseball establishment by going against conventional wisdom, which Lewis portrays as little more than superstitions and old wives tales. He surrounds himself with young educated Ivy Leaguers, who, according to Beane, have not been corrupted by major league baseball groupthink, relying instead on quantification and statistical analysis in selecting players, as opposed to scouts who judge talent based on experience and, in many cases, instinct.
The key to understanding the A's philosophy under Beane is that the team didn't have the resources to recover from signing a player to a large contract who wasn't performing. A way to reduce the risk as much as possible is to exploit undervalued assets that other teams didn't value as much as the A's, such as placing more value on on-base percentage than batting average, drafting college players who are more developed players than high school players, especially in the case of pitchers, and the use of statistics to eliminate chance as much as possible.
Lewis, who had published several other best selling books on Wall Street, politics and the Silicon Valley, is an exceptional reporter and basically spun the tale of Billy the Kid getting the best of a staid baseball establishment with its analytical theories seemingly rooted fifty years behind the times. While Lewis does not highlight certain aspects of the A's success which detract from his thesis, namely that two of the A's best players at the time, Eric Chavez and Miguel Tejada, definitely do not fit into the 'Moneyball' model, he is still able to deliver a rather convincing and honest argument to explain the A's division titles.
The group that bore the brunt of Lewis' criticisms in 'Moneyball' were the old-time scouts, who traditionally have scoured the country searching for talent, with major league scouting directors and general managers relying on "projections" and, most importantly, (pay attention if you happen to read 'Scout's Honor') their assessment of a player's "makeup".
Needless to say, 'Moneyball' did not win a lot of friends and supporters within the baseball establishment, especially among the scouts that he mocked. A few teams, most notably the Minnesota Twins and the Atlanta Braves, have had vastly different approaches than the A's, and have achieved equal amounts of success with the accompanying payroll constraints in developing home-grown talent.
Finally this year, a champion emerged to take on all of the 'Moneyball' proponents and argue that there is a different and "braver" way to build a baseball team, which is not dominated by statistics or college players, and that organization/team (according to Shanks) is the Atlanta Braves.
The Braves are an organization that implements a vastly different approach to developing players. In short, they have been able to build one of the better minor league systems by relying on drafting high school players largely on the recommendation of their scouts and the skill of their minor league personnel in developing them into major leaguers. In doing so, this has enabled the Atlanta Braves, a team no longer capable of affording the New York Yankee-like payrolls of their past, to compete by using younger and cheaper players, who are bound to major league teams for six years before they are able to file for free agency.
Shanks, who runs a website on the Atlanta Braves prospects, BravesCenter.com, a sister site of Madfriars.com, had hosted a weekly television show on the Braves and was once the play-by-play man for the Rome Braves, the low Class A affiliate of the team. He obviously possesses a great love for the Braves organization and combines it with an encyclopedic knowledge of the players and organization for the past twenty years.
Despite a book jacket and the accompanying publicity that advertises it as a counter to 'Moneyball', 'Scout's Honor' consists of nothing more than one unrelated profile after another, mixed in with a smattering of history on the Braves. Shanks seems to have an idea of the theme he wants to convey to the reader – that the Braves are in the business of finding and developing talent based on the knowledge and skill of their staff – but, unlike Lewis, he is unable to explain why their scouts have as much success as they do.
With the exception of an excellent piece on how former Braves' star second baseman Glenn Hubbard turned current Brave second baseman Marcus Giles into a major league player, Shanks is unable, or unwilling, to answer how the Braves are able to turn prospects into major league players. Instead, he relies on unrelated anecdotes as a substitute for argument, structure and evidence, being much more interested in portraying the Braves scouts as quasi Jedi Knights, magically searching the sandlots in search of those elusive players with "makeup" that those smarty pants college boys and their fancy pants computers can't quantify.
"Makeup" is Shanks' all-encompassing term, which, most importantly to 'Scout's Honor', is unquantifiable. Loosely, it's a combination of being both competitive and a good person all within a team concept. How these scouts are able to discern that in a few random meetings is beyond me, despite Shank's repeating the word on seemingly every other page of his nearly four hundred page book.
In Shanks' world, the Braves succeed by doing things which you can't quantify, having instincts and knowledge that only comes with experience, as opposed to education, and knowing the value of a firm handshake over a high on-base percentage (yes, that statement actually appears on the book jacket). It gets tiring. Run-of-the-mill organizational players are given as much space as established major league players, every scout is lionized for his aversion to ever selecting a college player and all analysis that does not begin and end with the word "makeup" is rendered meaningless.
What made 'Moneyball' such a fascinating read, and what is lacking in 'Scout's Honor', is that Lewis took the reader inside the world of the Oakland A's and was able to demonstrate, using selective profiles of various A's staff and players to build a thesis on, how the A's win by using the same techniques that makes a trader successful on Wall Street; recognizing undervalued assets to beat the competition. All that 'Scout's Honor' consists of are all the profiles of the people that have helped the Braves win. In other words, the book reads like this: "these people can see things you can't and here is a profile of a guy who once played for the Richmond Braves".
Additionally, Shanks seems determined to fit his theories on "makeup" into every situation, regardless of the facts of each individual case. For example, Chipper Jones was one of the top prospects in the nation in 1990, a big, athletic switch-hitting shortstop. Jones was at the top of everyone's draft board; however, to simply state that the Braves selected him with the overall number two pick in the draft detracts from Shanks' theory that somehow the Braves are magically able to see into a prospect's character. In his chapter "A Chipper or a Van Poppel", Shanks attempts to build his "makeup" argument by stating that the Braves put as much weight on Jones getting into a fight defending his pitcher at a game as they did with his considerable talent. This is nonsense. To state that the Braves placed equal value on his ability to throw a punch as they did on his ability to hit a fastball strains credibility, even for a Jedi Knight.
Further evidence of Shanks attempting to fit in his "makeup" theory at all times can be seen in the brief chapter on 'Moneyball', which is the reason most people picked up the book in the first place. After first totally misstating the point of 'Moneyball', Shanks then moves forward to assert that the Red Sox weren't really that much a team built on a devotion to statistical analysis, but really one on "makeup".
True, players such as Manny Ramirez, the MVP of the World Series and one of the best players on the team, are really character guys. Please. He highlights the acquisition of Doug Mientkiewicz as one of the players that put the team over the top, which is one of the first times I've read anything about Mientkiewicz' value associated with the Red Sox other than he took the game winning baseball home with him. Shanks, in his desire to set up a straw-man argument, makes other obvious errors in his analysis of 'Moneyball' which seem influenced by an intense dislike of Billy Beane to not fully understanding the theory of undervalued assets.
So is the A's system better than the Braves? Is it preferable to take high school players over college guys and how do you balance scouting versus sabermetrics? We don't find the answer in 'Scout's Honor'. I'd guess that it is best to build teams the way most do in baseball, by blending both "scouting" and "stats", but we'll never know that from this book. The sad part about reading 'Scout's Honor' is that somewhere in there may be the book that its jacket advertises: how someone builds a baseball team in a manner totally opposite from 'Moneyball'.
You just have to let me know when you find it.
John Conniff is a writer for OaklandClubhouse.com sister-site MadFriars.com, a Scout.com site dedicated to the San Diego Padres. The views in this article are strictly the author's own views and are not necessarily the views of OaklandClubhouse.com or Scout.com.