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Mediation discussions continued Thursday in Oklahoma as opponents in the adoption of 4-year-old Veronica try to find a middle ground, but a judge told the Tulsa World newspaper that no settlement had been reached.
Matt and Melanie Capobianco of James Island and Dusten Brown were seen for the fourth consecutive day at a downtown Tulsa courthouse, where multiple sources told The Post and Courier that mediation was ongoing.
The sources refused to be named because of a gag order.
Those sources said the sides had nearly reached a deal at other times during the week. They expected one proposal allowing Brown to visit Veronica to be approved Thursday.
But the settlement judge in the case said that no agreement had been finalized, the Tulsa World reported around midday Thursday. The newspaper did not name the judge.
The parties in the dispute attended hours-long proceedings Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and again Thursday in a building where an appeals court holds hearings.
The details of the discussions were not known because of the gag order.
Steven Hager, a former mediator who now serves as the director of litigation for Oklahoma Indian Legal Services, told the Tulsa World that the process typically ends in a solution that both sides can accept but not be completely happy with.
Opponents in such a dispute usually must realize that they're unlikely to win outright, he said.
"This is not going to end well," Hager told the newspaper. "The hope is to find a compromise that ends it as gracefully and as least destructively as possible for the child."
Brown got custody in late 2011 under the Indian Child Welfare Act, but the U.S. Supreme Court later ruled that the federal law didn't apply to him because he hadn't been in Veronica's or her birth mother's lives. Both the child and Brown are members of the Cherokee Nation.
South Carolina courts then finalized the Capobiancos' adoption, but Brown's attorneys challenged the decree from being enforced in Oklahoma.
During a Cherokee County, Okla., court appearance Aug. 16, the two sides agreed to mediation in the custody dispute as Brown successfully fought for a stay of judgment from the Oklahoma Supreme Court that stopped any immediate change of custody.
Even after Brown refused to hand over his daughter and a warrant was issued for his arrest last month, the Capobiancos maintained in an interview with The Post and Courier that they wanted him to play a role in Veronica's future.
Reach Andrew Knapp at 937-5414 or twitter.com/offlede.


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Opinion: GOP's Underachievers
Columnist Kim Strassel on the GOP's failure to recruit and unify behind better Senate candidates. Plus, what Republicans need to do in 2014 to pick up more Senate seats. Photo Credit: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... welcome back to Opinion Journal I'd well I'm joined now by our Washington columnist Kim straw soul in Washington I don't care ... I'm well read and to sue ... I were to talk about how the GOP did in the Senate and a ... any number of words come to mind to describe the GOP performance debacle ... yes go ... they are or your favorite just the big ... day all white is a loyal and ... what exactly happened twenty three Democratic seats employee Republican Scott ... who don't ... want ... what happened why ... any well they lost history in which means that they were actually next shooting down at the end of the cycle of waste issue than some of their biggest dapper opportunities shot a steeply that this ... comes down to a lot of bad candidates ... an hour and are taking their cue or a new tool center in part to this that is there a little bland ones National Republican senatorial Committee ... of which did not necessarily exercise is much oversight and get my hands on these races in recruiting in getting good candidates ... and the other hand though is the dysfunctional relationship the NRF is continue to have with these grassroots groups ... like club for growth who've not been happy with the NRF these pics but on the other hand ... not necessarily a great job putting forward candidates who win states themselves looking to open for him because that that this is something I think people are having little trouble understanding senatorial campaign Committee is to suggest ... that impulse to such a good job recruitment ... what was their problem this is party politics are supposed to be able to exercise some discipline ... over your own party why were they so reluctant to be more involved ... this trade is that we are really two thousand ten then the rest the really miss the boat on his grassroots a feeling that was going on out there he has the backing is can a tea party Nutter is just came in a prime example was Charlie Crist in Florida ... what are Korea was reading everyone a marker Rubio to be the guy who cannot turn the cranks but they that Charlie Crist ... the blow of the finance was sulky to the end I see me into thinking they said whenever there's an open the primary ... we don't have to come and re reading for election we are not going to getting gains in the primary process we will not choose the level of or someone ... as result won't ... let alone Iraqi out there and some of these races and it really could lead to lowest common denominator candidates have you had any indication that either side of the senatorial Committee or the grassroots groups ... understand that they have that sort of have a come to Jesus meeting and sort this out ... I think that there is a growing awareness out there on the number he can have some some Proms in the NST is probably going to be more rested now about trying to recruit unity aimed at people ... I hope we don't try to get some buying from these outside groups ... and one of the problems that you have to be thinkers ... they get their ... promotion they get their ... money donations by going out there in and getting scalp sensitive going after some Republicans that they feel are older then waited a good party ... and so it is with me this is not necessarily lead to the primaries in and competitive elections ... they also have just basically a kind of ... we infer that this is still out there and stir up some of these races like dunno how necessary they're all coming along a new and very briefly him a ray of light they did very well have gone well below will be governorships why are they doing so well with governors and not ... in these other areas ... the weekend in state government should add that the sum of the best candidates really do raise the topic and they go through a competitive primary atrocities and and and they also are running on good strong safety is out there and I think that that show ... the Republicans can win the state obviously I didn't have to have a candidate knows how to send a message out there

subset: commoncrawl


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Seyfried faked asthma attack for better concert seats
The Mamma Mia! star attended a packed show with a few pals when she decided to fake duress in order to catch the security guard's sympathy. And the blonde beauty admits the stunt worked like a charm - the venue staff escorted her to the VIP section, which was far less crowded, so she could see the New Kids on the Block star up close.
She confesses, "I was into boy bands in general... I was really shy but I did actually fake an asthma attack to get to the front of the concert. Which is really not common for me.
"I got really claustrophobic and I was like packed in with all these girls, and there was a VIP area just feet away from me. So I screamed to my friends, that were three people back, 'Do you guys have my inhaler? I don't know where my inhaler is!' And then some security guard heard me, picked me up and put me in the VIP section of a Jordan Knight concert, thank you very much! I felt guilty but whatever."


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FERPA Online Library
|MS Word (25 KB)
September 7, 2004
Dear Parent:
This is in response to the complaint that you submitted to this Office on June 29, 2004. This Office administers the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which addresses issues that relate to students' education records.
You allege that the School District (District) violated your rights under FEPRA by improperly disclosing information from your e-mail request requesting that the District evaluate your son for a possible disability. You alleged that the District disclosed the information to its attorney, who then sent a letter to you regarding your request. In addition, you stated that you are currently involved in two separate due process hearings against the District concerning services for your daughter. The attorney's letter indicates that she is also representing the District in that matter.
Educational agencies and institutions subject to FERPA may not have a policy or practice of disclosing education records, or personally identifiable information from education records, without consent except as authorized by law. Specifically, FERPA provides that a school generally may not disclose personally identifiable information from a student's education records to a third party unless the student has provided prior written consent. 34 CFR § 99.30. The term "education records" is defined as those records that contain information directly related to a student and which are maintained by an educational agency or institution or by a party acting for the agency or institution. 34 CFR § 99.3 "Education records."
There are a number of exceptions to FERPA's prohibition on nonconsensual disclosure of education records. One exception permits institutions to disclose education records without consent to parties such as outside legal counsel, psychologists, or collection agents because they are providing the types of services that would allow them to obtain access to education records without consent as if they were in fact "other school officials" under FERPA. 34 CFR § 99.31(a)(1). In other words, these parties have a "legitimate educational interest" in the information or records. This would be the case whether or not the school has specifically identified a particular contractor or type of contractor in its criteria for determining who are school officials. That is, given the construction of the definition of "education records," we believe that FERPA was not intended to prevent schools from seeking outside assistance in performing certain tasks that it would otherwise have to provide for itself. So long as the task does not exceed the school's criteria for determining what is a legitimate educational interest, then disclosures of education records to an agent under contract with the school to provide certain services would not be outside the scope of FERPA.
The information you provided indicates that the District's disclosure of your education records was to an attorney who was representing the District at the time she received the education records. As discussed above, FERPA permits such disclosures. Accordingly, there is no basis on which to investigate your allegations that your rights under FERPA were violated.
I trust that the above information is helpful in explaining FERPA as it relates to your complaint.
LeRoy S. Rooker
Family Policy Compliance Office


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Nationwide Auto Insurance in Staten Island, New York From Lopinto Ins Agency Ltd
In a world that is filled with uncertainties, driving your vehicle without the right level of coverage can be life-altering. In order for you to overcome situations that result in your vehicle being compromised, you need the assistance of an insurer that has its members best interests in mind. With Nationwide, it is possible for you to regain control of your life and move forward with as little financial inconvenience as possible, because we work with you up front to understand your needs.
At Lopinto Ins Agency Ltd in Staten Island, we know that the best way to serve you is to provide you with a wide range of coverage options from an insurer that has an excellent reputation for protecting its members. With a track record that exemplifies excellence, Nationwide is an insurer you know you can depend on to get you through the tough times when all else fails.
Part of preparing for the future is preparing for the unexpected. Make sure you, your loved ones, and your vehicles are fully protected. You should have a good policy that provides you with protection that is customized to your needs and circumstances. If you are ready to upgrade your insurance and enhance your relationship with an insurer that genuinely cares, contact Sal Lo Pinto Jr at (718) 981-6223. You can also stop by our local office at 509 Forest Ave, Staten Island, New York, 10310-2502 to learn more about what we have to offer.
The Lopinto Ins Agency Ltd also offers products in Connecticut, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia. Please call for information on products in those states.


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Windows Slideshow: Microsoft Revised: Why the Software Giant Still Matters to CIOs
By Don Reisinger | Posted 08-28-2012
On the mobile front, Microsoft has been facing formidable competition from Apple's ubiquitous iPhones and iPads as well as popular smartphones from manufacturers such as Samsung featuring Google's Android platform. But in the wake of Apple's $1.05 billion patent win against Samsung, Microsoft has much to cheer about as its Windows Phone 8 gears up for a Q4 2012 launch. While some critics and analysts have derided the company in recent months for not keeping pace with search, mobile and cloud trends, all that may change in Q4 when the company launches its Windows 8 operating system, along with Windows Phone 8 and Office 2013. Here, CIO Insight examines 10 reasons why Microsoft remains relevant for today's enterprise, even as it faces stiff competition on all fronts.
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Polaris Industries Inc. is headquartered just outside of Minneapolis in Medina, Minnesota. Polaris engineering, manufacturing and distribution facilities are located in Wyoming, Minnesota; Roseau, Minnesota; Osceola, Wisconsin; Spirit Lake, Iowa; Milford, Iowa; Huntsville, Alabama; Vermillion, South Dakota, Spearfish, South Dakota and Wilmington, Ohio. International growth is an essential part of Polaris expansion worldwide and we have multiple office, manufacturing and distribution offices outside of North America.
Polaris Industries designs, manufactures and markets innovative, high-quality, high-performance motorized products for recreation and utility use.
Our product lines consist of our Polaris RANGER®, RZR® and Polaris GENERAL™ side-by-side off-road vehicles; our SPORTSMAN® and Polaris ACE® all-terrain-off-road vehicles; Victory® and Indian Motorcycle® midsize and heavyweight motorcycles; Slingshot® moto-roadsters; and Polaris RMK®, INDY®, Switchback® and RUSH® snowmobiles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with parts, garments and accessories sold under multiple recognizable brands, and has a growing presence in adjacent markets globally with products including military and commercial off-road vehicles, quadricycles, and electric vehicles.
Since 1998, we've added new management to complement Polaris' proven design and manufacturing expertise. More than half our top managers are new to the company, bringing new ideas and world-class experience in vital areas such as international business, marketing, retail merchandising and distribution.
We unveiled an action plan in 2001 to increase cost performance through ongoing quality initiatives. Quality enhancements included a new product development process, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for manufacturing and a new production part approval process to help us maintain the highest-quality supplier partnerships.
Our non-union workforce is compensated based on company performance, through generous profit-sharing and stock-option plans. All employees own Polaris stock. Their vested interest shows in our industry-leading sales per employee - productivity that's almost twice the industry average. Many employees also own Polaris machines and take our creed to heart: understand the riding experience, live the riding experience, work to make it better.
Roseau (near the Canadian border) is the birthplace of Polaris and the sport of snowmobiling. Research, development and manufacturing of ATVs and snowmobiles are located in the Roseau facility.
The 1954 birth of Polaris was the result of the dreams and aspirations of three exceptional men (Edgar Hetteen, David Johnson and Allan Hetteen) and the strength, faith and ingenuity of a small community. Polaris Roseau continues to promote innovative design and manufacturing techniques and industry leadership. Engineering product research, development, product testing, and manufacturing of snowmobiles and ATVs are the year-round activities of this facility.
A separate facility houses our state-of-the-art plastic injection molding facility. The molding facility supplies plastic parts for snowmobile and ATV production in Roseau and in Spirit Lake, Iowa.
Roseau Main Plant
301 5th Ave SW
Roseau, MN 56751
Just located west of Minneapolis, Medina is our corporate headquarters which includes sales, marketing, service and administration. The Medina facility, located in the Twin Cities, houses Sales, Marketing, Service, Technical Training, Dealer Support, Warranty, Finance and other administrative departments. Located on 35 wooded acres, this facility provides the perfect atmosphere for introducing employees, dealers, distributors, and customers to the Way Out experience.
Corporate Headquarters
2100 Highway 55
Medina, MN 55340
Wyoming, Minnesota is home to our new state-of-the-art engineering facility. The Polaris Product Development Center opened in Wyoming, Minnesota in April 2005, as a result of Polaris outgrowing current facilities and the need to upgrade them to support our growth goals and provide the high-quality Polaris products our customers want. High-quality products start with high-quality facilities and high-quality people.
The facility is located approximately 30 miles north of Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota and is 126,000 square feet.
The Product Development Center is responsible for research and development of Victory Motorcycles, All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV), RANGER Utility Vehicles, and Polaris Engines, which includes prototype fabrication and assembly, laboratories for structural testing, electrical development, materials engineering, and powertrain assembly and dynamometer testing.
One unique characteristic of the Facility is that it was built to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The new facility may be the first in Minnesota built using environmentally friendly standards created by the United States Green Building Council. LEED standards aim to reduce or eliminate negative environmental or human impacts in five areas: sustainable site planning; safeguarding water and water efficiency; energy efficiency and renewable energy; conservation of materials and resources; and, indoor environmental quality.
Wyoming Development Center
7290 East Viking Blvd
Wyoming, MN 55092
Our Spirit Lake facility manufactures select Indian Motorcycles and Victory Motorcycles. Polaris, Spirit Lake is located in the Northwest corner of Iowa. We are in the heart of the Iowa Great Lakes where recreation and fun are a way of life.
The Spirit Lake facility was established in 1994, and currently has 500 employees and 3 production lines. These lines are dedicated to the final production of RANGER and Victory products.
This facility has 225,000 Square Feet located on 23 acres of land and has a Welding Department, Liquid and Metal paint systems supporting our manufacturing operations.
Spirit Lake Plant
1900 Highway 71
Spirit Lake, IA 51360
Osceola houses multiple engineering and manufacturing functions. The Osceola facility was established in 1991. At that time, the facility was a metal stamping operation with 120 employees working out of one building. Today, the facility is considered a "Drive Train Center of Excellence" which includes Power Train Design and Engine Assembly for all product lines. It manufactures engines and supplies them to our final assembly sites. In addition to specializing in engines Osceola is home to GEM Product Development.
For more information on Osceola located in the scenic St. Croix River Valley, please visit the below link(s):
In January 2015, Polaris announced plans to build a new production facility in Huntsville, Ala. to provide additional capacity and flexibility as the company continues to experience rapid growth. Located Southwest of Huntsville City Center, the 910,000 square-foot facility will focus on Polaris RANGER off-road vehicle production and the Slingshot moto-roadster.
Polaris selected Huntsville because it offers a skilled workforce, existing utility infrastructure and a history of technology and innovation. Also, Huntsville offers strong local and state resources to support economic development. The 505-acre Huntsville site allows Polaris to be in close proximity to its key customer base in the Southeast U.S. thereby improving its logistics network.
Huntsville is designed to be a lean and flexible facility driving continuous improvement from the start. The new plant reduces complexity within the existing plant network and enables logistics optimization. The facility has multiple assembly lines providing flexibility to quickly replenish demand and support continued product innovations. Equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, the plant will support several core processes including vehicle assembly, metal fabrication, welding, chassis and body painting, and injection molding. At full capacity, the site will employ 1,700 people. The Huntsville plant began production in Q2 of 2016.
Polaris Industries Inc.
7049 Greenbrier Parkway N.W.
Madison, AL 35756
Phone 256.822.3200
Vermillion is our worldwide distribution center for parts and accessories to dealers around the world. The Vermillion Distribution Center was built in 1997 as a result of rapid growth of the Parts, Garments, and Accessories division of Polaris Industries, Inc. When the need for space exceeded the capacity of three separate warehouse buildings in Minnesota, the decision was made to consolidate into one large facility away from the Twin Cities area.
Some facts about Vermillion:
Vermillion South Dakota City Guides
Winnipeg is our Canadian sales office. In 1982, Polaris consolidated the Canadian divisions into one central office. To this day, Winnipeg is responsible for sales for the entire country of Canada.
Polaris Australia, headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria supports a dealer network of 70 with parts, wholegoods, sales, marketing and technical support. Agriculture is the primary market for Polaris in Australia and in 2016 the team were crowned as the market leader on the back of ATV, ACE and RANGER sales. Polaris' 6037 retail sales in 2016 was also the biggest year ever by any brand in the Australian off-road vehicle market making Polaris the first brand to ever exceed 6,000 sales in a single year in Australia.
Polaris Australia also boasts 4 company owned Motorcycle dealerships located in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. A network of 8 independent dealers cater for many of Australia's regional city's.
Polaris has a satellite office in New Zealand, headquartered in Auckland. A dealer network of 30 Off Road Vehicle dealers and 3 Motorcycle dealers support customers in the region.
In July 2002, Polaris Industries Inc. opened a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Polaris Britain, to handle the distribution of products and support in the United Kingdom. The office is located in Coleshill, Warwickshire, England and supports the territory of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Polaris Britain has an impressive office which includes a showroom, training room, warehouse, and a sales and marketing administration area.
Polaris' subsidiary opened its doors in August of 2007. Polaris Germany GmbH is located south of Frankfurt in Southwest Germany. The subsidiary takes over Europe's second largest ATV market and has a great dealer network base. The office boasts a great technical area for training along with offices and service areas.
Born in August 2008, Polaris Sales Spain is the most recent of Polaris' subsidiaries. Our offices, located near Barcelona at the northeast of Spain, give service to more than 45 dealers spread all over the Spanish territory and Andorra. Our offices include a Service training room, marketing, sales and administration area.


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Do You Buy a Position or Assume It?
I've never figured out whether would-be airplane buyers just have short memories or if they something in their psyche predisposes them to accept the most outlandish claims at face value while simultaneously dismissing the grim truth. I am referring here to the quaint industry practice of "buying positions" for new aircraft. This subject comes up this week because I just got a letter from a would-be purchaser of an Eclipse 400.
"I recently placed a $100,000 deposit toward an Eclipse 400 in response to an e-mail solicitation from Eclipse Aviation," the reader wrote. "The agreement allows a full refund until November 2009. Five weeks ago, I requested a refund. I have been informed that there is a delay and was promised a refund in a few days. None came and repeated phone calls have been unanswered. Please warn your readers."
Well, hello? Although we've been on the Eclipse Aviation deathwatch since last year sometime, I suppose it's possible that the general buying public wouldn't have noticed what we noticed. (Delayed orders, certification issues, unhappy customers awaiting upgrades, not to mention dismissal of founding CEO Vern Raburn last July, all culminating in a bankruptcy filing earlier this month.)
My observation is that so enthralled are some buyers with being the first�or among the first�to own a new airplane, that they'll do almost anything to make it a reality. That includes handing over large checks to start-up companies in an industry where failures outnumber successes and where the fine print on refund policies is just so much useless boilerplate once the company becomes insolvent, which there is a very good chance it will be. When I see the buying frenzy that some of these position offers touch off, I am seized by an overwhelming urge to grab the nearest set of lapels and shake vigorously.
The larger issue is the idea of selling positions in the first place. (The cynics among the Eclipse crowd now refer to this as "assuming the position.") Why is it that the aircraft industry has this unique need to drag its customers into the risk pool of creating a new product? I wrote about this in the November 2008 issue of Aviation Consumer which you can read here.
The ostensible reason is that the only way a company can raise capital for a major certification project is to convince investors that there's actually a market for it. Pre-production position buys do this, according to the accepted wisdom.
Whether they do or they don't, I think the potential for abusing position buyers is overwhelming. Eclipse, in my view, had an absolutely Byzantine set of restrictions and conditions on its refund policy. At one point, it claimed 2,500 orders, but we could never determine if all of those orders included pre-production deposits. This does nothing but distort the perceived value of the positions to the point that trading them for profit (or not) becomes a business unto itself. Some Eclipse holders made tidy six-figure killings, but an undetermined number have been left holding an empty bag that used to contain $100,000.
At an aviation event in Florida last month, Vern Raburn sniffed about how "aviation eats its young" and how he was beset by naysayers who said the Eclipse concept would never fly. Well, it did fly, it's just that it crashed and burned after takeoff. Despite Raburn's protests, if there had been more skeptics and fewer starry-eyed, unquestioning believers, Eclipse would have still got its airplane built. But fewer depositers would be out their cash as a result.
Aviation journalists walk a fine line in such deliberations. On the one hand, readers want us to cheer every airplane and aviation-related product we see for the "good of the industry." For many readers, flying is a quiet refuge from the harshness of a cruel world. There's enough bad news out there without us crapping on the grand glory of the next great winged thing.
But when we pull our punches�and we most assuredly do that all too often�the casual reader may not be alert enough to read between the lines and may assign credibility and worthiness where little or none exists. In the end, the way to look at pre-production deposits is thus: If you can afford to stand in front of your fireplace and burn an amount of money equivalent to the deposit without missing it, by all means go for it.
If not, caveat emptor.


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LG RC7066A1Z official factory service, repair and workshop manual. This service and repair manual is used by the Certified LG Technicians. It will help you to troubleshoot and repair your Dryer! You will learn about: Product Safety Servicing Preca......
XSeller keywords: troubleshooting, reparaturanleitung, reparar
X The seller repairprotm offers you 1.0% on each sale!


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Suzuki GSX Rear Tail Light Lens - Smoked
DOT, SAE, and E-Mark Certified Rear Combo Lamp Unit Lens. Replaces the OEM Taillight lens only. No cutting, drilling or modification when installing these with your existing OEM Hardware.
Dimensions: OEM Direct Fitment
Lens: Smoke High Impact PVC Plastic
Replaces OEM Part # 35712-24F30
Fitment Information:
99-07 GSX1300R Hayabusa (Busa)
98-06 GSX 600 Katana
99-06 GSX 750 Katana
Install Notes: The installation difficulty will vary depending on your skill set. Remove the bikes Rear taillight lens and replace with ours using your existing screws and bolts. Reassemble, Ride and Enjoy! Do not over-torque the mounting screws, it should be snugged, hand-tight and not forcefully clamped down.


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Reviewed By Glenn K (Carrollton, TX) Reviewed for a 1996 Ford Explorer —12/14/2010 4:02 PM
The price I got relative to the market was very good. Hard to say about it from a value perspective since its only been a couple weeks since install. Overall the install was easy although not exactly as shown in the instructions. Still it took maybe an hour or less. Not sure about the performance so far. It does seem to have added HP to the motor but right now as I check the gas mileage it seems as though it has actually gone down since install. I am still watching this though to try to determine if I am correct. I have gone through about 3 tanks since install and the mileage on my explorer appears to have gone from around 16 city to about 13 city. I plan on researching to see if there was something I did wrong but so far based on visual inspection and install instructions that does not appear to be the case. Not sure why my mileage as gone down.


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Customers are advised that with effect from 6th November 2018 the following revised prices are in effect, due to a change in price from our supplier;
Avgas 100LL – £1.66/litre plus VAT
Avgas UL91 – £1.66/litre plus VAT
Jet A1 – £0.98/litre plus VAT
By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.


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Book Online spring of 2019!
Discounted Tee Times Available coming next spring! Book Online!
NuMark Golf Course is a 27 hole public course located in southeast Lincoln. The clubhouse overlooks the three par 36 courses with the Red to the north, White to the east, and Blue to the south. The original 18 holes were built in 1993, with another 9 holes opening in 2001.
NuMark has well-maintained rye grass fairways along with numerous ponds and bunkers. In recent years several hundred trees have been planted and relocated to add character and aesthetic value. No matter what skill level, this high quality, yet affordable golf course has a challenge awaiting all who play.


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Barbara Propp
May 8, 1938 – July 1, 2013
Barbara Propp of Oconomowoc passed away on July 1, 2013 at the age of 75 years. She was born on May 8, 1938 in Oconomowoc to Glenn and Virginia Leader. Barbara was married to John Propp on Oct. 24, 1959, in Oconomowoc.
Barbara was a member of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church. Her life was her church. She loved to go up north to her cottage. She raised a lot of children in Oconomowoc.
Barbara is survived by her loving children Richard (Cheryl) Propp and Tammy (Tod) Ninmann.
She is further survived by grandchildren R.J., Ryan, Bethany, and Shelley; mother- in-law, Vera Propp; special friends and caregivers Kathy Vogt and Marynell DeBoom, other relatives and friends. Barbara was preceded in death by her parents; husband, John; and father-in-law, Jack Propp.
Friends may visit on Thursday, July 11, 2013, from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church (28 S. Church St.
Oconomowoc, WI 53066) and again on Friday, July 12, 2013, from 10:00 a.m.
until the time of the funeral service at 11:00 a.m., all at the church. Final rest will be at Summit Cemetery. Memorials to Good Shepherd United Methodist Church or donor's choice.
Schmidt & Bartelt Notbohm - Kreutzmann Funeral and Cremation Services, Oconomowoc, is serving the family. For more information, call 262-567-4459 visit www.schmidtandbartelt.com.


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This year's Bonaparte Lake Snow Drags promises to be bigger and better Feb. 8.
Launch mats, new professional starting lights and finish line sensors will produce some great times, if racers are careful.
"It's nice and hard-packed on the track right now," Bridget Sterling said. "The rest of the lake looks a little scary. It's not an issue of enough ice. We have two feet of ice."
What's missing is another layer of compressed snow to help with handling.
Right now, racers may find themselves speeding along at speeds up to 120 mph on a sheet of ice.
"This year's race may be a little bit more of a challenge," Sterling said. "It will probably be a race of skill more than speed. The track (past the launch pads) might be a little questionable as far as traction.
"If we get another dumping of snow on top of that and it freezes, we will be in really good shape," Sterling said.
Registration is 7:30-9:30 a.m. with racing at 10 a.m.
Okanogan High School boys basketball team continues to lead the state 1A ranks.
The Bulldogs (14-0) in the Associated Press poll last Thursday garnered 9 first-place votes and a total of 124 points.
Brewster (11-3) was No. 8 with 40 points.
In the girls 1A poll, Cashmere (15-0) is No. 1 with 123 points and six first-place votes.
Brewster (15-1) fell to No. 2 with 114 points and six first-place votes.
Okanogan (12-2) is No. 3 with 91 points.
In 1B, the route to state for our region undoubtedly will be through Wilbur-Creston (16-0). The Wildcats remain No. 3 in the state with 65 votes.
Pateros, which has one first-place vote, is No. 5 with 34 points.
Others receiving votes include No. 11 Entiat at 21 and No. 12 Republic with 16.
Sadie and Erik Bjornsen and Brian Gregg, all with roots in the Methow Valley and all on the U.S. Olympic ski team, are facing sticker shock.
Gregg's support plans to be in Sochi, in southern Russia, for the games, although it will cost them a pretty penny.
The cost is about $12,000 per person for four nights, an online San Jose Mercury News story said.
Before you can get a Russian visa, you must provide proof you have event tickets, spectator passes (an added level of security), hotel rooms and health insurance.
Sochi is a relatively new resort area, with limited motel rooms and located a short distance to the west of Chechnya, which is one of the reasons for security concerns.
Coverage of Erik Bjornsen and Brian Gregg making the Olympic team was in The Chronicle's Sunday edition.
Okanog-an's Kara Staggs, a freshman for North Idaho College in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, hit on 6-of-12 3-point attempts to score a game-high 18 points in a 63-59 victory over Snow College, Utah, on Saturday.
Staggs scored 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting (4-for-8 on 3-pointers) in an 85-53 win over Lower Columbia College in late December.
Staggs scored 12 points to go with 7 rebounds in NIC's 70-63 win in the championship game over Umpqua Community College in December at Lower Columbia College in Centralia.
I heard at a Republic basketball game from a rodeo rough stock rider that bullrider Shane Proctor, formerly of Coulee Dam and now living in North Carolina, underwent shoulder surgery.
Proctor finished third in the average at the National Finals Rodeo last month in Las Vegas, Nev. He was fourth in the season standings with $148,575.
The surgery, reported Jan. 20 in the Wall Street Journal, will keep Proctor off the back of a bull until mid-summer or later.
He won the first two rounds at the NFR before not getting a qualified ride his last four times out.
Proctor, 28, won the 2011 NFR bullriding world title.
Dina Lund of Okanogan took first in 6-dog and Linda Pierce of Omak finished second in 4-dog at the Boundary Sled Doc Classic last weekend at Jewel Lake, B.C.
The races were near Greenwood, B.C., which is between Midway and Grand Forks in British Columbia.
The mushers are heading to the Priest Lake Sled Dog Race this weekend in Idaho.
"I hear we may actually be getting some snow" at Priest Lake, Pierce said.
Al Camp is the sports editor for The Chronicle. Email him at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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The Anthropocene, an informal term used to signal the impact of collective human activity on biological, physical and chemical processes on the Earth system, is assessed using stratigraphic criteria. It is complex in time, space and process, and may be considered in terms of the scale, relative timing, duration and novelty of its various phenomena. The lithostratigraphic signal includes both direct components, such as urban constructions and man-made deposits, and indirect ones, such as sediment flux changes. Already widespread, these are producing a significant 'event layer', locally with considerable long-term preservation potential. Chemostratigraphic signals include new organic compounds, but are likely to be dominated by the effects of CO2 release, particularly via acidification in the marine realm, and man-made radionuclides. The sequence stratigraphic signal is negligible to date, but may become geologically significant over centennial/millennial time scales. The rapidly growing biostratigraphic signal includes geologically novel aspects (the scale of globally transferred species) and geologically will have permanent effects.
1. Introduction
The term Anthropocene [1,2] is the latest iteration of a concept to signal the impact of collective human activity on biological, physical and chemical processes at and around the Earth's surface. Earlier versions of this concept (e.g. [3]) were widely, if intermittently, discussed in both scientific and philosophical terms. However, they were not seriously considered as potential additions to the geological time scale; this was partly because of the extremely brief duration of human civilization—from a geological perspective—and partly because the effects of human modification of Earth's surface processes were widely viewed, by geoscientists, as small by comparison with those resulting from natural processes acting over relatively long geological time spans [4].
However, the Anthropocene, virtually from the time of its suggestion, had a considerably more positive reception, and has been widely (and is increasingly) used in the scientific literature (e.g. [5–7]). This reflects a widespread realization among Earth and environmental scientists that some types of anthropogenic changes may now be compared with those of 'the great forces of Nature' [8].
Nevertheless, the significance of the Anthropocene from a stratigraphic perspective has been little debated. If we consider that the degree of environmental change is significant enough to formally recognize a separate time stratigraphic unit, then what best defines the Anthropocene, and where and how might we recognize its boundary with the previous stratigraphic interval, the Holocene? In this paper, we explore the history of evolution of the geological time scale and the techniques used by geologists to distinguish and establish time stratigraphic units. We also debate the extent and pace of change in the Anthropocene relative to earlier event-defining boundaries in the geological past.
2. The geological time scale
The 4.56 Gyr of Earth's geological record [9,10] is subdivided into aeons that represent hundreds of millions or indeed billions of years, which are further hierarchically subdivided into eras, periods, epochs and ages that represent successively smaller units of time. These time (or geochronological) units traditionally have parallels in chronostratigraphic (or 'time–rock') units (eonothems, eras, systems, series, stages) that represent the rock record formed during those time units ([11]; though see discussion in [12]). This subdivision of the geological time scale is pragmatic. In the Phanerozoic aeon, representing the last 542 Myr characterized by an abundant macrofossil (e.g. shelly fauna) record, the time units at any of the hierarchical levels are not of the same duration, and nor are the equivalent chronostratigraphic units of similar thickness. Rather, the boundaries between the units are decided on fundamental changes in the Earth system, recorded in the rock record. The most widely known of these is the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary, associated with a mass extinction that included the dinosaurs at 65.5 Ma [13]. In defining boundaries, reference points are chosen at key levels within strata at specified localities (Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs) or 'golden spikes'), and these simultaneously mark the boundaries between both a time unit and its equivalent time–rock unit. For most Precambrian strata, macrofossils are absent and hence precise subdivision and correlation have so far proved difficult: in this instance, a Global Standard Stratigraphic Age (GSSA) is designated (e.g. the Archaean–Proterozoic Aeon boundary at 2500 Ma). The beginning of the (formally) current epoch, the Holocene, also used to be defined by a GSSA (10 000 radiocarbon years before present) until very recently, when this boundary was supplanted by a GSSP (located within an ice core from Greenland [14]) that records a date of 11 700 years before AD 2000 [10].
The nomenclature of the geological time scale has been evolving for 200 years, the most recent major addition being the Ediacaran Period, ratified in 2004 [15]. Initially, the boundaries between units (in the Phanerozoic) were based on changes in the fossil content reflecting extinction and evolutionary radiation events. Only in the latter part of the twentieth century were these biotic changes complemented by physical and chemical, including isotopic, data, and these in turn were linked with fundamental changes in the Earth system influenced by both extrinsic (e.g. bolide impacts, orbital effects such as Milankovitch cycles) and intrinsic (e.g. continental configuration, ocean circulation) factors (e.g. [10,16]).
The ages of rock units and the histories they represent are thus deduced virtually entirely from tangible evidence obtained from the rock record. Rocks are subdivided on a number of criteria, such as their physical character (lithostratigraphy), fossil content (biostratigraphy), chemical properties (chemostratigraphy), magnetic properties (magnetostratigraphy) and patterns within them related to sea-level change (sequence stratigraphy). The sum total of this evidence is used in the dating and correlation of rock successions, and in continued refinement of the geological time scale. Thus, if the Anthropocene is to take its place alongside other temporal divisions of the Phanerozoic, it should be expressed in the rock record with unequivocal and characteristic stratigraphic signals. We suggest that these are comparable with, although distinctively different from, those that apply to all time divisions after the Ediacaran, and summarize the evidence below.
3. Lithostratigraphy
Anthropogenic modification of sedimentary patterns comprises both modifications to natural sedimentary environments (such as the damming or straightening of rivers and coastal reclamation) and the creation of novel sedimentary environments and structures (such as the construction of cities and anthropogenic deposits); these are not entirely separate categories, but are to some extent inter-gradational. In detail, they are diachronous, reflecting the spread of human activity across the Earth (e.g. [17]). Additional related phenomena, especially those that are sequence stratigraphic, are discussed separately in §5 below.
(a) Modifications of sediment patterns
This category comprises changes to natural sediment patterns and pathways caused by human activity. These include the diversion and impoundment of sediment associated with the building of dams and the engineered modification of rivers and coastlines [18] that locally have led to a dramatic change, as in the desiccation of the Aral Sea [19]; the changes in terrestrial sediment dispersion caused by agricultural and urban development (including the effects of deforestation; e.g. [20]); and, offshore, the changes to sea-floor sediments and biota by bottom trawling (e.g. [21]).
The sum effect of anthropogenic soil, rock and sediment movement in the terrestrial realm has been estimated to exceed, currently, those from natural processes, perhaps by an order of magnitude [22,23]. In the marine realm, the area scraped and churned by bottom trawling, a practice described by the oceanographer Sylvia Earle as the equivalent of bulldozing the countryside to harvest squirrels, has been estimated at approximately 20×106 km2 and hence probably includes most of the continental shelf, which covers some 26×106 km2, or about 7 per cent of the surface area of the oceans [24]. This represents a novel form of bioturbation that in its physical effects most closely approximates to the scouring of high-latitude shallow sea floors by iceberg keels [25]. Similarly, the destruction of coral reefs through detonating explosives for coral 'mining' and illegal fishing is producing new sediment, albeit at the loss of important marine ecosystems [26].
(b) Novel strata
This category may be regarded as both lithostratigraphical and biostratigraphical, for it comprises the built environment (a kind of trace fossil system in the making) that humans have created, particularly in urban areas [27]. These are robust, largely made of modified geological materials (e.g. sand, gravel, limestone, mudstone, oil shale, coal and mineral spoil, and hard rock), together with more or less novel materials (plastics, metal alloys, glass). The built environment, in turn, commonly rests on the compacted materials of earlier settlement, and in any event will include substantial subsurface constructions (foundations, pilings, pipelines and so on) that collectively may be shown as a separate deposit on a geological map (as 'artificial deposits'—formerly 'made ground'—on maps of the British Geological Survey, for example, that complements the 'worked ground' of pits and quarries [28]) (see [27] for a detailed classification of artificial deposits). This layer is highly variable in thickness and composition, but may be several metres thick beneath towns and cities, and has a more patchy, though still extensive, distribution in populated rural areas. For example, in the 'Black Country' (the English West Midlands), a major centre of mining and industrialization in the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, anthropogenic deposits between 2 and 10 m thick cover an area of up to 90 km2 ([29,30], figure 1). Although largely terrestrial, anthropogenic deposits are also common along coastal zones and include constructions—associated with oil platforms, for instance—that extend into the sea floor, and material dumped offshore, such as coal mine waste from the Northumberland and Durham coalfields in the UK.
Related modifications of existing rock, which might be regarded as mechanically assisted bioturbation, comprise structures such as boreholes, wells, deep tunnels and mineshafts, which may extend for hundreds or thousands of metres underground, and which are commonly associated with significant anthropogenic stratal modification (such as the removal of mineral, including hydrocarbon and water, accumulations). These occur in both terrestrial and marine settings, and are found in considerable number: the British Geological Survey's (extensive, but incomplete) database contains nearly a million records of such structures in the UK (that hence average approx. 4 km−2), albeit their distribution is highly variable, with considerable concentrations in urban areas.
4. Chemostratigraphy
Increasingly, geologists use chemostratigraphic markers to define geological boundaries, the most famous of these being the iridium anomaly of the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary, thought to have resulted from the impact of an extraterrestrial bolide [31,32]. Perhaps the most widely used chemostratigraphic markers are carbon isotope excursions (the ratio of 13C to 12C) recognized in organic-rich and inorganic C-rich sediments, which reflect, among other factors, ocean productivity and massive carbon burial or release. Carbon isotope excursions are recognized throughout the Phanerozoic (and earlier), and are typically associated with biotic change, as, for example, in the Cambrian (e.g. [33]), the Late Ordovician (e.g. [34]) or at the Palaeocene–Eocene boundary [35]. They are often excellent stratigraphic markers for major geological boundaries. Other chemostratigraphic indicators include strontium ([36]: although this reflects long-term weathering changes likely to be of limited relevance to the Anthropocene) and osmium isotopes (reflecting shorter-term changes in terrestrial weathering intensity [37]).
Human perturbation of some global geochemical cycles is now on a sufficient scale to leave clear markers in contemporary sediments, both as regards their immediate effects and in terms of their effects on other systems—particularly biological impact. Furthermore, these perturbations are locally triggering significant feedbacks, both positive and negative, the magnitude of which may ultimately exceed that of the original perturbation.
The chemical perturbation of carbon is probably the most important, because of its potentially far-reaching, long-term and cascading consequences for the whole Earth system. Thus, against a context in which atmospheric CO2 concentrations have oscillated between approximately 180 and 260–280 ppm in glacial and interglacial phases of the Quaternary, respectively [38,39], the Holocene has seen a slow rise from approximately 260 to 280 ppm between the early part of this interglacial and about AD 1800. This has been attributed, controversially, to effects of early agriculture and inferred as a factor in the longevity of Holocene warmth [40,41]. The rapid subsequent rise in pCO2 levels, from approximately 280 ppm prior to the Industrial Revolution to approximately 390 ppm in 2010 (and rising at 2–3 ppm per annum) is projected to reach between approximately 550 and 950 ppm by 2100 [42]. Another expression of the perturbation of the carbon cycle is an approximate doubling of the levels of methane (a yet more potent, though shorter-lived greenhouse gas) relative to pre-industrial levels [42].
Other significant chemical perturbations include: a twofold increase in the amounts of reactive nitrogen at the Earth's surface and in the oceans, mainly as a consequence of the Haber process and the production of nitrogen-based fertilizers; increases in the amounts of particulate reactive iron (from fly ash), lead, soluble mercury and petroleum-based products as either spills or combustion residues; the introduction of a number of (largely novel) compounds associated with pesticides, flame retardants and other industrial products (43 and references therein; see also [44]); and radionuclides associated with fall-out from nuclear explosions.
Some direct signals of these changes may be observed within sediments. For instance, anthropogenic carbon emissions produce measurable changes in carbon isotope ratios within marine calcareous shells [45]; increases in lead deposition (dating back to Roman times) have been detected in ice cores and alluvial sediments; organic pollutants can produce characteristic spectroscopic signatures in sediments [46]; and anthropogenic nuclear fission products are now widely detectable in post-1945 strata worldwide [47].
However, it is through the indirect effects of these chemical changes that the stratigraphic signals will be most clearly expressed, although these will show various offsets in timing and scale with respect to the original perturbation. These include, for CO2 and CH4, a projected global mean surface temperature rise of between 1.1°C and 6.4°C relative to 1980–1999 [42] and a decrease of between 0.14 and 0.35 units in ocean pH (compared with currently elapsed amounts of approx. 0.6°C—though up to 3°C in some high-latitude regions—and 0.1 pH units, respectively). Biotic consequences are already detectable and threaten to become severe within decades [48,49], while temperature-related sea-level changes, which have barely commenced, may, when finally equilibrated (on multi-millennial time scales) amount to tens of metres [50], although constraints remain poor on the timing, rate and ultimate magnitude of these changes [51].
5. Sequence stratigraphy
The Earth's stratigraphic record is characterized by evidence of many global sea-level changes, associated with both period-scale (e.g. beginning of the Silurian and Jurassic) and epoch-level (e.g. beginning of the Oligocene and Holocene) boundaries. Episodes of global warming are typically associated with sea-level rise, which may mainly result from thermal expansion of sea water in times of low global ice volume (e.g. at the Palaeocene–Eocene boundary) or from ice melt in 'icehouse' times (e.g. end of the Ordovician [52]). Reflection of this as lithofacies changes occurs in both shallow- and deep-water settings, as both clastic and carbonate sedimentary systems respond variously to the sea-level change [53].
Consideration of past (Late Tertiary to Quaternary) sea-level changes indicates, empirically, 10–30 m of ultimate glacio-eustatic change per 1°C change [50]. If so, and given median Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) global temperature projections, maximum sea levels of the Anthropocene event might reach a few to several tens of metres above present levels, implying melting of a substantial part of the Earth's cryosphere. Such sea-level change lags behind climate change by millennia. In the Early Holocene, while temperatures rose rapidly to normal interglacial levels (a few decades in the case of the Northern Hemisphere; see [54] and references therein), the sea-level response of approximately 120 m rise took approximately 4000 years [55]; the rate of sea-level rise was non-uniform, but included 'jumps' of up to several metres [56]. Sea-level change thus far has been stratigraphically negligible (approx. 30 cm in the twentieth century), and may be stratigraphically slight by the end of this century (estimated at 0.5±0.4 m by [57]). However, in the long term, if global warming continues unabated, the rise might conceivably match or exceed the approximately 6 m above present-day levels of the last interglacial MIS 5e [58], p. 23.
6. Biostratigraphy
The diverse fossil biota preserved in rocks of the last half billion years means that, for Phanerozoic rocks, most day-to-day practical age-dating and stratigraphic correlation is done on the basis of fossils. Significant chronostratigraphic boundaries are typically associated with distinct faunal turnovers and enhanced extinction/evolutionary radiation events, linked with changes in atmospheric and ocean chemistry. These are in turn associated with drivers such as continental reconfiguration, cryosphere evolution, enhanced volcanism and changes in solar insolation (e.g. [16]), or more exotically by bolide impacts [59]. The Earth's biota thus, historically, has acted as a complex and sensitive recorder of the environmental process.
However, in practice, biostratigraphy does not aim at a consideration of the entirety of past life. Being utilitarian, it focuses on those groups that are most commonly and widely (geographically) found preserved in rock strata and that record enhanced rates of extinction and evolutionary radiation events. Throughout most of the Phanerozoic, there is focus on groups that show the most rapid rates of evolution (i.e. originations and extinctions) of recognizable morphotaxa; for instance, in the Jurassic, the finest biozonation is provided by the ammonites (e.g. [60]), and in the Silurian by the graptolites (e.g. [61]). Other bioevents can be exploited, such as local immigrations and emigrations of plant and animal species. This is particularly the case in the Quaternary, where individual interglacials may be 'fingerprinted' by particular patterns of immigration and emigration of trees or insects (e.g. [62,63]). Similar events may be exploited in earlier time intervals, such as the rapid abundance increase and migration to higher latitudes of the tropical dinoflagellate genus Apectodinium during the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum, producing a clear global marker for this event in marine strata [64].
The Earth today is undergoing what is generally agreed to be an interval of ongoing and accelerating biological change. The anthropogenic drivers of this change are due to several inter-related phenomena, partly linked to the global physical and chemical changes described above. Among these are:
— human consumption of other species, mostly organized and mechanized on land via farming, and mostly still a form of hunting–gathering, albeit highly mechanized, at sea. On land, this has converted natural biodiversity patterns into one highly skewed in favour of the relatively small number of taxa that we artificially maintain at very high levels for food. At sea, some favoured prey species, mostly fish near the top of the food chain, have been severely reduced by over-fishing (e.g. [65]), locally beyond tipping points as taxa reach population abundances too low to easily recover (e.g. Atlantic cod fisheries off the Grand Banks, Newfoundland), and other taxa usurp their place in the trophic web. Other species are squeezed out, particularly on land, but also with changes in benthic marine communities from the effects of, for instance, bottom trawling. Trawling alters the structure of the benthic communities, in particular by reducing or removing larger [66] and sedentary [67] taxa, with possible longer-term biotic effects (e.g. via changes in recruitment patterns).
— the effects of chemical perturbations, most notably the effects of increased CO2 (and CH4) levels. These have begun to increase ambient global temperatures, particularly at high latitudes, and measurably affect biological communities (e.g. [68]), particularly at sea, where species tend to have narrower temperature tolerances [69]. The acidification effects of enhanced CO2, already noticeable, will probably be profound in coming decades [70–73]. Near-coast sea-floor oxygenation has been locally reduced by N and P emissions to produce (mostly seasonal) 'dead zones' [74], while more generally marine oxygen and nutrient stresses will increase in a warmer world with more highly stratified oceans, with consequences for biota [75].
The question is how this change may compare—and how in measurable terms it may be compared with—the records of past biodiversity change preserved within strata. The rapidity and geologically brief duration of modern change hinders analysis, not least in simple problems of stratigraphic integrity. For instance, nearly all marine sediments are mixed through bioturbation to depths of centimetres to decimetres, effectively homogenizing signals that in deep-sea environments typically represent many centuries (e.g. [76]); thus disentangling the nineteenth/twentieth-century signal from earlier ones needs either the more rare high-resolution records (e.g. more rapidly accumulated strata) or the use of, say, plankton traps. Nevertheless, the following phenomena are among those that are producing signals in sediments forming today, of the kind that may be compared with the deep-time stratigraphic record.
(a) Extinction events
Only about 10 per cent of species have been documented taxonomically, hampering attempts to estimate the current degree of biodiversity loss [77] that, nevertheless, may be considerable [78]. Comparison of the scale of present extinction with past extinction events is also rendered difficult by the different methodologies applied by biologists and palaeontologists. The assessment of extinction today focuses on individual species, and the various means of assessing them as endangered, 'critically endangered' and 'extinct', depending on sightings (or the lack of them) by appropriate specialists (e.g. the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List at http://www.iucnredlist.org/). Most focus has been on organisms (e.g. birds, mammals) for which the approximate size of the species pool is well established, but these are not typically groups that form key biostratigraphic indicators in the fossil record. Nevertheless, analysis of individual groups, such as Australian mammals, shows alarming rates of extinction or endangerment (e.g. [79]). Syntheses of global change should be facilitated in coming years by the newly created Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), a body created to parallel the work of the IPCC for biodiversity.
In contrast, the major extinction events of the past are typically assessed at higher taxonomic levels—e.g. at family level [80] with extrapolation to indicate levels of species loss. Furthermore, and in marked contrast to the present, past extinction events are largely constrained from the marine record, which is much better preserved than that from terrestrial environments. Finally, the temporal scale between present and past is vastly different. Nevertheless, within individual fossil groups, species-level patterns of extinctions and appearances are recorded in great detail (as, for example, with the graptolites in the Lower Palaeozoic [61]; or Mesozoic–Cenozoic calcareous nanoplankton [81]), typically by making the recording of presence/absence data at multiple levels within selected stratal successions. It is, therefore, possible to analyse the rates of extinction (and recovery) between individual fossil groups, and this fossil record of extinction may therefore be useful for estimating the path of future biodiversity loss (see also [77]).
(b) Assemblage changes and migrations
Clearer stratigraphic signals result from changes in proportions of taxa and communities that arise directly or indirectly from human forcing. While such changes may be associated with increased extinction risk among the 'losing' species, here we focus on the relative balance of component taxa within assemblages
On land, the scale and rate of change in communities consequent upon the spread of agriculture and industry have been demonstrated, the terrestrial biosphere making the transition from mostly wild to mostly settled early in the twentieth century [82]. Hence, natural communities are variably replaced (commonly by agricultural crops), modified and fragmented. Stratigraphically, these changes are most easily expressed via changes in pollen spectra, with pollen representing natural vegetation cover being replaced by pollen representing disturbed ground and crop plants, the latter of systematically decreasing diversity as a handful of high-yielding varieties of rice, wheat, maize and so on have come to dominate human food supply [83]. This change is most akin to the kind of climatically driven vegetation change seen in Quaternary glacial–interglacial terrestrial successions, but includes novel aspects such as extensive forest loss at low and mid-latitudes at a time of warming.
In the oceans, the scale and extent of change are more poorly constrained than that on land, because of the relative difficulty of exploration of this environment for humans. However, significant change has been detected [75], particularly at high latitudes [84]. Consideration of changes in dominant and or habitat-forming organisms such as reef corals, kelp and mangroves, all currently in decline [75], probably comprise the best parallels with biostratigraphic changes based on common taxa observed in deep time. Thus, around the West Antarctic Peninsula, recent declines in sea ice have led to phytoplankton decreases, which in turn have led to increases in salp populations at the expense of krill, with changes at higher trophic levels likely as a result [84]. A more general trend (as on land) is a drastic reduction of top predators, such as sharks, affecting the food web lower down [85].
In the fossil record, temperature-related changes are expressed at individual locations as stratigraphic appearances and disappearances of taxa, as in, for example, the forest successions shown in terrestrial glacial–interglacial alternations, and plankton successions at the onset of the Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum [86]. These local changes represent migrations, as the taxa moved to stay within their temperature tolerances as climate changed. Quaternary migrations were overall a successful tactic, as Pleistocene extinction rates were low (e.g. [63]). However, given likely warming trends exceeding previous Quaternary limits, and substantial barriers to migration posed by markedly anthropogenically fragmented habitats, considerably higher extinction rates are projected [49]. Furthermore, during the Quaternary, the continued existence of plants and animals that now inhabit high-latitude and mountain habitats was conditioned in previous interglacials by the occurrence of refugia (e.g. [87]). Today, humans have destroyed or severely modified these refugial areas. Thus, as climate deteriorates once more—as it probably will once Earth systems have readjusted—the continued survival of many taxa will be compromised.
(c) Invasive species
A geologically novel biotic change is the extent and rate of transfer of animals and plants from one region to another, both on land and in the sea. While species migration has been extensively documented in the deep-time record, major changes on land have been typically associated with environmental change (e.g. during the glacial–interglacial transitions of the Quaternary), wherever sufficient geographical continuity exists, or where new geographical connections between previously isolated landmasses have been made, the classic example being the great American interchange of 3 Ma [88]. However, the current simultaneous mass cross-transfer of species between each major and minor landmass, the Antarctic being the exception, is geologically unprecedented. This is a large-scale phenomenon, extending well beyond classic examples such as the grey squirrel in Britain and the rabbit in Australia. In North America, north of Mexico, over 50 000 species are considered invasive and are regarded as causing environmental damage on the scale of 120 billion US dollars per year [89]. While, in Europe, nearly 11 000 invasive species have been identified (DAISIE website, accessed July 2010, http://www.europe-aliens.org/). Among these are taxa that are easily fossilizable and now abundant in their new territories. For instance, the freshwater mollusc Corbicula fluminea, originally southeast Asian, now extends in abundance throughout European waters (to the extent that it can render river gravels unusable as aggregate), while the marine littoral bivalve Brachidontes phoronis now commonly displaces the Mediterranean mytilid Mytilaster minimus (http://www.europe-aliens.org/). Some invaders are causes of mass extinctions by predation or displacement (Nile perch and cichlid fish; Hawaiian land snails), while others are palaeontologically invisible but may have profound impact (the chytrid fungus currently affecting amphibian populations worldwide).
Eradication efforts are likely to be partially successful, at best, and offset by continued invasions. Thus, this substantial modification of the world's biota will have permanent repercussions in that, even as the invasive taxa themselves eventually become extinct, many will probably give rise to descendent species.
7. Discussion
The various types of anthropogenic change may be considered in terms of different parameters.
(a) Scale
Firstly, there is the scale of change engendered to date, relative to long-term natural processes. Here, for instance, the change in terrestrial land cover has been substantial, with natural vegetation and soils being replaced by agricultural and urban land over 39 per cent of the ice-free land surface, with an almost equivalent amount of land being 'embedded' within such transformed areas [82], while most shallow marine sea floors have been impacted by bottom trawling. This is even now a considerable perturbation, and one that, where preserved (largely on subsiding coastal areas, deltas and low-lying floodplains), will result in a lithologically unique event bed that, in the case of urban areas, may reach several metres in thickness.
(b) Duration
There is also the duration of the different types of anthropogenic perturbation to consider. Landscape modification will only persist as long as human land management persists; there will be a lag time, probably of a few centuries (for dams to cease being sediment traps, rivers to free themselves of embankments and so on). After this, sedimentary processes will revert to approximately natural: there would be a geologically rapid return to natural sedimentation. Nevertheless, given the scale of the perturbation, the 'event layer', where preserved, may locally form a considerable deposit. It will exceed in thickness and facies complexity the modest and discontinuous unit that might be expected from simple consideration of the geologically almost infinitesimally small time-span of industrial human civilization. It will thus be more extensive and more distinctive as regards lithofacies than the preserved remains of any previous Quaternary interglacial phase. From a more contemporary and anthropocentric perspective—given that stratigraphy is a human construct intended for practical ends—this event layer, at least on land, also represents the habitat of most humans living today in urban conurbations.
In contrast, part of the biotic change associated with biodiversity loss and species translocations will be effectively permanent. Future evolution in any part of the world will take place from the species remaining on Earth, both surviving and translocated. Thus, the pattern of future evolutionary change—that is, future biostratigraphy—will be altered proportionately to the scale of the perturbation. Even if species do not become extinct, dropping instead to very low numbers (as is the case for many organisms now classified as 'endangered' upon the IUCN Red List), the ensuing restructuring of the ecosystem will probably be a barrier to simple reversion to the status quo once anthropogenic pressure is removed. For example, there has been little recovery yet in the cod population off Newfoundland, following their crash through over-fishing, other animals having (to date) taken their place in the food web [90]. Thus, biodiversity recovers, but into a new pattern as different taxa fill niches. The striking disparity between Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic fossil assemblages reflects such restructuring following the extinction events that mark the boundaries between these eras. (Another component of modern biotic change, by contrast—the agricultural monocultures that are widespread today—are only maintained through continuous human intervention, and will last only as long as anthropogenic pressure persists.)
Chemical perturbations seem to be of intermediate duration. Most notably, the pulse of CO2 injected into the atmosphere–ocean system (including acidification effects, though not including feedbacks) can be modelled [91]. This pulse will eventually be neutralized by silicate weathering, a new equilibrium being reached after some tens of millennia. Such modelling is consistent with the duration of previous carbon-release events such as in the Early Toarcian (ca 182 Ma) and at the Palaeocene–Eocene boundary (ca 55.8 Ma) [92,93]. Direct biotic consequences will follow a similar course in part: as temperatures and pH eventually change back towards present levels, the 'species migration' part of the resulting biostratigraphic signal will diminish or disappear (i.e. surviving taxa will migrate back), while the 'species extinction' part will comprise permanent biostratigraphic change.
(c) Relative timing
Anthropogenic perturbations have varied in time and space. Thus, modification of terrestrial landscapes and biota (as regards large-mammal populations) essentially began at the beginning of the Holocene, and was diachronous across the Earth, following the spread of agriculture. Global-scale effects to the marine realm, in contrast, are more recent phenomena, from the Industrial Revolution onwards. Biotic effects of CO2-forced warming and acidification are in their early stages, and are thus delayed by comparison with biotic change resulting from habitat loss and invasive species. In contrast, warming-related sea-level change to date has been minimal; at some 0.3 m rise, this is simply too small to be deciphered in any far-future sedimentary record; the course of future sea-level rise resulting from present/near-future warming is likely to be more pronounced, though its rate, scale and mode through the centuries and millennia to come remain uncertain [51].
(d) Novel phenomena
A feature of the Anthropocene is entirely new phenomena (counting only those geological phenomena with reasonable potential for preservation in the geological record) that are unprecedented in the 4.5 Gyr history of this planet. In this category are the manufactured constructions (in effect, sophisticated and human-designed trace fossils) and anthropogenic deposits within the lithostratigraphic event layer; the removal of top predators other than humans and (in its scale) the invasive species phenomenon on land and in the sea; and, arguably, the rate of change to the carbon and nitrogen cycles.
8. Built-in future change and human feedbacks
Further considerations are the extent to which the course, scale and effects of anthropogenic change can be sensibly predicted and causally linked, and the nature of the lag time between current disturbance and future effects. Thus, current CO2 levels are approximately 390 ppm, up by 30 per cent from pre-industrial levels. The warming to date has been 0.6°C, and that which is 'built-in', and is predicted to take place even if no further increase takes place, is 0.3–0.9°C over the next century ([94]; but see [95]). The future rate and scale of anthropogenic CO2 increase are not predictable with any precision, but levels are unlikely to be below 560 ppm by 2100 [42], not counting modification by natural feedbacks (e.g. changes in mass fluxes between atmosphere and terrestrial/ocean reservoirs).
Some of the further effects are more or less directly predictable. Change in ocean pH will directly track pCO2 levels, so that decreases in aragonite and calcite saturation state can be modelled with some robustness [71]. Thus, even with pCO2 levels rising along the lower part of the range of predicted trajectories, most ocean water will be below aragonite saturation levels by 2100. The biotic response is more complex, as different calcium carbonate-secreting organisms have different physiological responses to such stresses [96], but ongoing experiments may go some way to constraining these uncertainties.
The effect on temperature may be more complex. There is considerable consensus that warming will take place, but the precise course and time scale of that warming will probably be determined by multiple feedbacks, such as a possible slowdown in global warming over the last few years, attributable to increases in stratospheric water vapour effects [97]. When examined at very high levels of resolution, global warming events in deep time, such as that which occurred during the Toarcian, show a complex course at a millennial level that includes both reversals and rapid increases [98]. The course of Anthropocene climate is likely to be no less complex.
The course of the Anthropocene will be modified by human feedbacks, too, as society attempts to mitigate and to adapt to global change. Mitigation efforts need to be collective to be effective: for instance, conservation policies aimed at reducing biodiversity loss, or carbon reductions as a brake on climate change. Even if implemented, such actions will probably leave their own geological footprint, as (say) alternative energy sources are constructed, or large-scale carbon sequestration is initiated. Adaptation will be to local effects, but may leave a considerable stratigraphic signal (e.g. building sea defences or translocating infrastructure) and perhaps involve increased energy use and carbon emissions. Thus, an evolving web of feedbacks, involving combinations of local and global human reactions in various realms including that of finance [99], will further influence, and be another geologically unique feature of, this time interval.
9. A lower boundary to the Anthropocene
The degree of environmental change wrought by humans may be considered sufficient for a formal chronostratigraphic definition of the Anthropocene epoch. While human effects may be detected in deposits thousands of years old (e.g. [41]), major, unequivocal global change is of more recent date (e.g. [100], figure 1 [101]). It is the scale and rate of change that are relevant here, rather than the agent of change (in this case, humans).
The boundary may be defined by a GSSP, or it may be defined numerically with a GSSA for its inception, which is then ratified by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). Potential GSSPs and ages should allow stratigraphic resolution to the annual level. One may consider using the rise of pCO2 levels above background levels as a marker, roughly at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the West (following Crutzen [1]), or the stable carbon isotope changes reflecting the influx of anthropogenic carbon [45]. However, although abrupt on centennial/millennial time scales, these changes are too gradual to provide useful markers at an annual or a decadal level (while the CO2 record in ice cores, also, is offset from that of the enclosing ice layers by the time taken to isolate the air bubbles from the atmosphere during compaction of the snow). From a practical viewpoint, a globally identifiable level is provided by the global spread of radioactive isotopes from the atomic bomb tests of the 1950s [102], but this event is considerably later than the onset of increased levels of anthropogenic atmospheric gases resulting from industrial processes. Any candidate boundary based on the deposit (i.e. future rock) record, such as the base of furnace slag, colliery waste and so on in, say, the Ironbridge Gorge, Coalbrookdale, regarded as the cradle of the Industrial Revolution, will be diachronous as industrialization spread throughout western Europe, the Americas and latterly to the Far East. In the case of the Anthropocene though, it is clear from the preceding discussion that—for current practical purposes—a GSSP may not be immediately necessary. At the level of resolution sought, and at this temporal distance, simply selecting a numerical age, such as the beginning of 1800 in the Christian Gregorian calendar, may be an equally effective practical measure. This would allow (for the present and near future) simple and unambiguous correlation of the stratigraphical and historical records and give consistent utility and meaning to this as-yet informal (but increasingly used) term. Nevertheless, the choice of a date should not necessarily reflect a western perspective: the 1st of June 1800 equates to the 9th of Muharram, 1215, in the Islamic calendar (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Da'wah and Guidance at http://prayer.al-islam.com/convert.asp?l=eng).
10. Summary remarks
It seems clear that the Anthropocene is an event that, despite its brief duration to date, is significant on the scale of Earth history. However, providing a clearer and more quantitative description of it will be a necessary prerequisite to consideration of formalization. This will mean providing a better integrated 'total' Earth history (with due attention to episodes of relative stasis as well as of rapid change), which can be translated into 'modern' terms that the wider scientific community can deal with. Conversely, summary data on modern processes must be translated into stratigraphic terms (i.e. what would their product be, if preserved in strata) for effective comparison to be made. The former process will be facilitated by initiatives such as the time scale creator [103] in which past physical, chemical and biological phenomena are plotted on to a uniform geological time scale, while the latter will be enabled by the kind of integrations of data achieved by the IPCC and now by the IPBES. There remains much work to do.
We thank Paul Crutzen, Will Steffen and Erle Ellis for fruitful discussion; Asih Williams for advice on converting Gregorian to Islamic dates; and Stewart Molyneux and Mark Woods for their detailed and careful reviews. Colin Waters, John Powell, Robert Knox and Phil Stone publish with the permission of the Executive Director, British Geological Survey (NERC).
One contribution of 13 to a Theme Issue 'The Anthropocene: a new epoch of geological time?'.
- This journal is © 2011 The Royal Society


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Justin M wrote:Wow, this is incredible. You just keep getting better and better.
jdubbs wrote:Even if this didn't hinge open it would still be a great castle. I have been back to look at this a lot. Great moc.
Ferretclaw wrote:So cool! I love how it folds out and all the rooms on the inside. Very nice looking all in all too.
Tower of Iron Will wrote::twitch: You got some skills, man. For me, this is the style to aspire to...the interior layout is deceptively simple at first glance, but fits so nicely given the space limits. Love it!
Quickblade22 wrote:I really like the look of this. Playability is always something I look for in a MOC and the 32 x 32 design is perfect for working on that feature. I like how you made multiple hinge sections of the castle and having the castle come off the base is awesome because it allows you to make more landscape for it. Speaking of which, I'd like to see someone try to make modular landscape . The added little details are what really adds to the fun for both the viewer and the builder. One thing to keep in mind when going bigger is that it's hard to make interiors that justify the space. This is something that does me in every time. You have to go to a different level in your mind on what is acceptable for a minifig compared to what a real person would be comfortable with (if that makes any sense). Good job kid!!
THE_BRICK_TIME_Team wrote:Hello,
a very smart and visual design. I love it, how the castle can be played from the inner.
Great job.
Kind regards,
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No Brainers: Eli Manning
1. Vince Young, Titans
Recommended here as a sneaky spot starter last week, Young came through in his hometown with a useful fantasy stat line against Houston. He posted 116 passing yards and a touchdown but really earned his keep with 74 yards rushing. Young has looked under control and poised since assuming the starting gig. His confidence is growing each week. I like his chances again versus the Cardinals in Week 12. Arizona ranks 27th in the NFL against the pass. In addition to being a viable spot starter, Young is worth consideration as a backup if you're planning for the playoffs. Tennessee's schedule during Weeks 14-16 isn't too shabby. If you've been trusting Jay Culter or another struggling QB as your starter, you owe it to yourself to give Young a look.
Availability: Owned in ~29% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Young is an excellent spot starter or a backup QB for fantasy teams with playoff aspirations.
2. Alex Smith, 49ers
Smith has thrown multiple touchdown passes in three of the five games in which he's seen action this season. With a matchup at home next week against the Jaguars, Smith is an enticing plug-and-play option for fantasy owners. Jacksonville ranks 25th in the NFL in pass defense—this despite facing some exceedingly mediocre QBs over the last five weeks (Bulger, Young, Cassel, Sanchez and Fitzpatrick). Another multi-TD game for Smith seems likely. Looking further ahead, Smith has an excellent schedule to close out the year so consider adding him as a backup.
Availability: Owned in ~40% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Smith is a useful option for fantasy owners this week against the Jaguars.
3. Josh Freeman, Buccaneers
Freeman has started three NFL games and thrown at least one touchdown in every contest. He's also been good for a few scambles each week. Give him a look this week if your regular QB got hurt last week or faces an awful matchup. Freeman should turn in an above average stat line against the Falcons. Atlanta has allowed multiple QB touchdowns in five of their last six games. They rank 29th in the NFL against the pass.
Availability: Owned in ~16% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Freeman is a viable spot starter this week against the Falcons.
No Brainers: Jason Snelling, Jamaal Charles, Bernard Scott and Justin Forsett
1. Rock Cartwright, Redskins
The injury bug has bitten the Washington backfield hard in recent weeks. After losing Clinton Portis to a concussion a couple games ago, backup Ladell Betts tore his ACL and MCL Sunday against the Cowboys. Third stringer Rock Cartwright will assume the starting role as long as Portis remains on the sideline. It wouldn't be surprising to see the team bring in a veteran free agent like Edgerrin James to replace Betts. Consider Cartwright a low-end RB2 for fantasy purposes this week against the Eagles. His ability to catch passes makes him even more valuable in PPR leagues.
Availability: Owned in ~1% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Cartwright should be the top RB pickup in most leagues this week.
2. Fred Jackson, Bills
Bills starting RB Marshawn Lynch suffered a shoulder injury Sunday against the Jaguars. Although the injury does not appear to be significant, Lynch's status for this week's game is unknown. Backup Fred Jackson entered the game and chipped in 35 yards on the ground and 20 through the air. If Jackson gets the start this week against Miami, he'd be a useful fantasy option. Starting RBs have posted 100 yards or a touchdown in four straight games against the Dolphins.
Availability: Owned in ~60% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Jackson should be added in all leagues until Lynch's status becomes clearer.
3. Mike Bell, Saints
Bell poached another two touchdowns from Pierre Thomas on Sunday. It's worth noting that both scores came during garbage time. Bell cannot be relied upon as a starter for fantasy purposes unless you're in an ultra deep league. However, the Forecast lists him as an important free agent option because as the playoff picture stabalizes, the Saints may be inclined to give Bell more touches in an effort to keep Reggie Bush and Thomas healthy for the postseason. Bell remains a vital handcuff for Thomas owners.
Availability: Owned in ~65% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Bell worth owning as a handcuff to Thomas.
4. Sammy Morris, Patriots
Morris is lurking on the waiver wire in close to 70% of fantasy leagues. Starter Laurence Maroney has been holding down the fort since Morris got injured but he lost a fumble for the second time in as many games. Maroney is also averaging less than four yards per carry. When Morris returns, he'll likely split carries and may get the goal line work. Maroney has scored a touchdown in five consecutive games, which tells you how valuable the Patriots backfield can be. Now is the time to lock up Morris because New England's schedule couldn't get any better to close out the season—at least from a rushing perspective.
Availability: Owned in ~33% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Morris is an excellent grab-and-stash acquisition in all leagues.
5. Chris Jennings, Browns
Jennings has taken over the backup RB duties in Cleveland. While starter Jamal Lewis continues to handle the lions share of the carries, Jennings has been chipping in 8-12 touches per week. With Lewis set to retire following the season, don't be surprised if the team gives Jennings larger slice of the pie in the coming weeks. The Browns face KC and OAK in Weeks 15-16 so Jennings has a chance to post a useful fantasy stat line before the 2009 season wraps up.
Availability: Owned in ~1% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Jennings is worth adding in dynasty and deep keeper formats.
6. Lex Hilliard, Dolphins and Kahil Bell, Bears
In Week 11, Hilliard and Bell emerged as the primary backups and change of pace backs on their respective teams. If you're in the playoff hunt and wish to invest in a little insurance prior to the postseason for Ricky Williams or Matt Forte, Hilliard and Bell are worth a look. Otherwise leave them on your waiver wire.
Availability: Owned in ~1% of leagues respectively.
Forecast guidance: Hilliard and Bell merit consideration as handcuffs to Ricky Williams and Matt Forte.
No Brainers: Terrell Owens, Michael Crabtree, Mario Manningham and Jeremy Maclin
1. Robert Meachem, Saints
Meachem has just three total receptions in the last two games but guess how many went for touchdowns? All three. With a game this week against the Patriots, this is an excellent opportunity to see what Meachem can do for your fantasy squad. The Monday night tilt against New England promises to be a high-scoring affair, which should give Meachem a chance to get in some more red-zone work.
Availability: Owned in ~46% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Meachem is roster-worthy in all leagues.
2. Chris Chambers, Chiefs
Welcome to Extreme Makeover: Wide Receiver Edition. The change in venue from San Diego to Kansas City had resulted in a complete turnaround for Chris Chambers. Chambers has posted two quality fantasy performances in his three starts with the Chiefs. His 61-yard overtime catch and run was the difference maker in Sunday's upset of the Steelers—and proves Chambers still has explosiveness. Top wideout Dwayne Bowe will miss three more games due to suspension, which makes Chambers the top wideout in KC. Consider him a decent third WR or flex play going forward.
Availability: Owned in ~56% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Chambers merits roster consideration in all leagues.
3. Brandon Gibson, Rams
Gibson was targeted by QB Marc Bulger 17 times on Sunday—tied with Wes Welker for the most of any wideout in Week 11. St. Louis has been seeking a replacement for Laurent Robinson since Robinson tore up his knee back in Week 3. They may have found it in Gibson, who has 12 receptions for 164 yards in his last two games combined. QB Marc Bulger suffered a leg injury and will miss at least a few games. It remains to be seen how the QB change to Kyle Boller will shake out, but St. Louis has a favorable upcoming schedule with games against the Seahawks, Bears, Titans, Texans and Cardinals. Gibson has the potential to close out the season as an impact player.
Availability: Owned in ~6% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Gibson is worth a look in all leagues, especially PPR leagues.
4. Mohammad Massaquoi, Browns
Massaquoi is the top receiver on the Browns. Most weeks that doesn't mean much. When Cleveland faced the Lions on Sunday, however, Massaquoi came up big. He recorded five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. Can he continue to post useful fantasy numbers? Given what we know about QB Brady Quinn and the Browns offense, it seems unlikely but Massoquoi can still be stashed in deep leagues and certainly keeper and dynasty leagues. He also has a good matchup in Week 15 against the Chiefs in which he could come in handy.
Availability: Owned in ~18% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Massaquoi is worth a roster spot in deep leagues.
5. Jordy Nelson and James Jones, Packers
The Packers have gotten contributions from Nelson and Jones throughout the season but neither player has been consistent enough for fantasy purposes. With a Thanksgiving Day game against the lowly Lions defense up next, this is a good time to deploy Nelson or Jones in your fantasy lineup. Both players should contribute on Thursday in a game in which the Packers should score at least 35 points.
Availability: Owned in ~3% and 14% of leagues respectively.
Forecast guidance: Take a flier on Nelson or Jones this week if you're desperate for WR help.
6. Malcom Floyd, Chargers
So far Floyd hasn't lived up to the hype created when Chris Chambers was traded. He has just nine combined receptions in the last three games. But fantasy owners who have nothing to lose this week or who just like to live dangerously should consider rolling the dice with Floyd. The Chargers face the Chiefs this week. Floyd has scored each of his last three games against Kansas City.
Availability: Owned in ~32% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Floyd is worth considering as a one week plug-and-play option.
No Brainers: Heath Miller and Visanthe Shiancoe
1. Jermichael Finley, Packers
Finley returned from a knee injury last week and promptly made an impact, recording a career high seven receptions for 54 yards. With Detroit on tap this week, he's the must-grab TE if you need help at the position. QB Aaron Rodgers threw his way 10 times on Sunday. Detroit has been vulnerable to opposing TEs all season. With any luck, Finley will have scored his first touchdown by the time the button has popped on your Thanksgiving turkey.
Availability: Owned in ~36% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Finley is highly startable this week against the Lions.
2. Kevin Boss, Giants
Identified here last week, Boss came through with not one but two touchdowns Sunday against the Falcons. He also posted five receptions and 76 yards—both season highs. Boss now has four touchdowns in his last three games. If your TE position hasn't lived up to expectations, Boss is a guy you can rely on for a contribution each week. New York's rushing game is struggling, which means more looks for Boss—particularly in the red zone.
Availability: Owned in ~57% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Boss has been tearing it up of late and is worth a look in all leagues.
3. Zach Miller, Raiders
Miller's fantasy value has been languishing all season because of the poor play of QB JaMarcus Russell. With Russell now on the bench, Miller has a chance to shine. He caught five passes for 65 yards and a touchdown on Sunday against the Bengals in Bruce Gradkowski's first start of the season. Expect continued contributions from Miller in the weeks ahead.
Availability: Owned in ~50% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Miller is a servicable TE option in all leagues.
No Brainers: Nate Kaeding, Robbie Gould and Lawrence Tynes
1. Jay Feely, Jets
The Patriots defense snuffed out New York's offense this week, picking off QB Mark Sanchez four times. As a result, Feely didn't have many scoring opportunities. That should change this week when the Jets face Carolina. The Panthers rank 25th in the NFL in scoring defense. Prior to Sunday's loss to New England, Feely had scored eight or more points in five straight games. Look for him to turn in a useful fantasy stat line in Week 12. In fact, Feely's schedule lines up nicely for consistent production throughout the remainder of the year (CAR, BUF, TB, ATL and IND).
Availability: Owned in ~55% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: Feely is a worthy starting kicker in leagues with 12 or more teams.
No Brainers: San Diego Chargers (vs. KC) and New England Patriots
1. Tennessee Titans
The Titans defense was sluggish to start the year but since the bye week, they've been a fantasy force. Prior to Monday night's game against the Texans, Tennessee had recorded eight turnovers, nine sacks and three defensive touchdowns in their previous three games. They added four on MNF. Next week the Titans will face a Cardinals offense that is not immune to mistakes and QB sacks. They're currently available in over half of all fantasy leagues, which is far too many.
Availability: Owned in ~47% of leagues.
Forecast guidance: The Titans should be owned in all leagues.


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Sculptural Shapes: Floor Lamp, Brass Boat & Vintage Rulers
Whether it's a lamp, a random object, or a traditional sculpture, these curvy elements break up straight lines and add interest to a room.
• Brooklyn, NY: Mid Century Pendant Light - $120
• Chicago, IL: Tristan Floor Lamp - $40
• Baltimore, MD: Industrial Sculpture - $45
• Brooklyn, NY: Articulated Rulers - $50
• Queens, NY: Metal Sailboat Sculpture - $20
Shoppers, check out the Classifieds for many more listings. Sellers, gather up your goods and list them in our Classifieds to turn them into a little extra spending cash.
Go To: Classifieds Main Page
Apartment Therapy is not the seller of these items. This is an edited selection of our favorite offerings from our Classifieds. For more information, see How it Works. Happy Scavenging!