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Through a very random string of website links, I somehow ended up on the website of non-profit organization, CASH Music. This group of incredible musicians and individuals believe that technology should never get in the way of promoting, distributing, or enjoying great music. To help bridge the gap for musicians that may not be as tech savvy as Zoe Keating, CASH Music recently released three INCREDIBLE downloads of free php code that musicians can use to make their websites a better experience for their fans.
If you don't have an official website to represent yourself/your band, these free code downloads are an EXCELLENT place to start, in my opinion. Even if you're official website is just one page, utilizing these codes will make that one page extremely engaging and interesting.
The code that they provide takes care of the most difficult and boring work involved with creating social applications for Twitter and Facebook. After about 6 hours of solid work, I was able to create mini-apps for my band as examples (screenshots included below). We are not using them yet, but plan to in the coming months. Below I'll give you a brief overview of each download, and how they can improve your online strategy for engaging fans.
"Tweet for a Track" App Code
View a demo and download the "Tweet for a Track" code here.
Twitter prides itself on being simple and easily customizable, and this application sings the same tune. With this application, fans that visit a website with this code implemented will be able to send a tweet, in exchange for a free download that you specify. You can customize what the tweet says, and what part of the tweet you want to be required (e.g. your username and a link back to your "Tweet for a track" page). A fan can also click a checkbox to automatically follow you on Twitter! Genius.
Upon clicking the "tweet" button, the fan is directed to Twitter, prompted to login, and asked to allow your application to access to his or her information (this is typical of all Twitter apps). Once they click allow, their tweet is automatically posted and they are redirected back to your site, where the free download link becomes visible and active.
This type of engagement is cool for both musicians and their fans. For musicians, they are engaging their fan base by encouraging them to get involved via Twitter, where musicians and the individual fan can then develop a closer relationship. Since they are also giving their fans something of value (free music), it will make these fans feel more valued, and may lead to an increase in loyalty, and maybe even a purchase of the entire album/EP/other tracks/concert tickets/merch/whatever else the musician offers.
It can also hook in new fans who may not have wanted to take the plunge and buy your music just yet. For fans, they are getting something valuable for free, and with little effort. At the same time, they are given opportunity to share it with their friends. When people truly enjoy something, they usually want to be able to enjoy it with other people. That is the entire basis for group-buying websites like Groupon (recently valued at 1 BILLION SMACKERS!), and true music fans behave the same way whenever they come across something new and cool.
"Facebook Like for a Track" Application Code
View a demo and download the "Facebook Connect for a Track" code here.
This application's demo was slightly more confusing the first time I saw it, but still very simple to understand after playing around with it for a bit. There are two actions that your fans must perform in order to unlock the download link that you specify. First, your fans must decide to "like" you on Facebook. To make it easier for them, the app code includes a small Facebook widget where the fan can click the "Like" button and instantly become your fan on Facebook. Once this occurs, a message appears that verifies this, and the user is instructed to click the "Connect to Facebook" link in order to finally unlock the free download link. I know I made it sound somewhat complicated, but it really is only one extra action that your fans must perform.
This application is great for musicians because it lets your fans know that you are on Facebook, gets them to "Like" that awesome fact, and then rewards them with a free song for "liking" you and your music. After connecting with Facebook, there is also a link that fans can click to share your "Facebook Connect for a Track" page with their friends on Facebook. You can customize all the content in that Facebook share window (your logo, description, etc) as well, to make sure your the updates don't cause confusion because of missing information.
Like the Twitter app, your fans get the same intrinsic rewards of displaying their musical tastes and sharing something cool with their friends, and the same extrinsic rewards of free music and the opportunity to connect with you on a more personal level.
"Flower" UI (User Interface) Tools
View a demo and download the "UI Tools" code here.
The Internet and the programming languages that govern it are evolving rapidly, and really cool ways to display your media to your fans have been (literally) popping up all over the place. This package of scripts includes some simple, cool code snippets that display your music, photos, videos, and other media related to your musical career:
- Moviebox – Automatically scans your page for all kinds of video links, and modifies them so that when you click on the video links, they display in those totally slick "lightbox" popup windows.
- Imagebox – After installing this script, simply add the "cui_imagebox" class to an image link to have it display in a lightbox pop-ups. You can even have entire photo slideshows open in the pop-up window, with navigation links at the bottom right. It looks totally professional!
- Anchor Enhancements – there are several little functions that add minor enhancements to links on your page. You can have a link open in a pop-up with a specific size, have text slide out from under a link, and other interesting effects.
- Soundplayer – The most useful tool in this package (in my opinion), this streaming music player is insanely simple and can be integrated into any design, anywhere. You add as many tracks to it as you like, order them how you like, display lyrics, and some other cool things.
For musicians that have a basic understanding of websites (HTML & CSS), this should not be that daunting of a task. The code provided has excellent comments that clearly explain what information is necessary, and where it should go to make the app work correctly.
If you don't have a basic understanding of how websites work, then this is not an easy thing to implement. I would ask a tech-savvy friend for a favor in this situation. Even pay somebody if you can afford it.
But it's really not that hard to figure out. If you don't have that friend, or love expressing your DIY spirit, then breaking the knowledge barrier for basic web development is relatively easy in this digital information age. There are millions of tutorials and articles about basic website development can be found with a simple Google Search. Utilize your time (the one resource you DO HAVE), get your hands dirty, and learn how to do it on your own. Honestly, if you think about it, learning how to create a web page is no different than sitting down and learning a musical instrument. Think of the HTML, CSS, and PHP code as the notation that you had to learn to start creating music. Instead your end product will be a cool website to display the music you worked so hard to create.
If you are so brave, on the CASH Music blog, they provide a tutorial on how to register your new applications on both Twitter and Facebook.
Also, check out this helpful video tutorial I found via @Musformation that shows you how to install the "Tweet for a track" app (it'll get you started):
To wrap up, I am wondering if it would be most beneficial to use BOTH the Twitter and Facebook applications at the same time. I think it could be a cool idea to turn it into a sort of game, where a fan could unlock three different free song downloads by posting a tweet about you, connecting with you on Facebook, and signing up for your mailing list (with a service like FanBridge that allows you to automatically e-mail your fans a free song upon signup). However, that could just confuse fans and turn them off.
What do you think? Would be wise to use BOTH Twitter and Facebook applications at the same time? At different times? Or how about just picking one, and sticking with it? Any music fans out there have an opinion?
Image credits:
#1 – Click here
#2 – Mine
#3 – Mine
#4 – Click here


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Oil prices dropped Wednesday, showing that the markets are unafraid the strait may be about to be shut.
How long will it take, and at what cost, to reopen the strait and keep it open?
"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it," or so says Matthew 7.
What of the other states that buy and sell the Gulf oil that moves through the strait?
If a conflict with Iran escalated beyond airstrikes to a naval struggle in the strait of Hormuz, more resources would be diverted.
In passing the strait of Ceylon, the ship which carried Xavier was overtaken with the most horrible tempest which was ever seen.
On the 23rd November, the fleet entered the strait of Magellan.
Coming out from the strait, they rounded the point of an island, and found themselves among small islands and islets.
Then he might have been any dangerous lunatic, ripe for a strait waistcoat.
The strait between eastern Canada and Newfoundland is an example.
mid-14c., "narrow, confined space or place," specifically of bodies of water from late 14c., noun use of adjective strait "narrow, strict" (late 13c.), from Old French estreit (French étroit) "tight, close, narrow" (also used as a noun), from Latin strictus, past participle of stringere "bind or draw tight" (see strain (v.)).
Sense of "difficulty, plight" (usually straits) first recorded 1540s. Strait and narrow "conventional way of life" is recorded from mid-14c. (see straight (adj.2)).
strait (strāt)
A narrow passage, such as the upper or lower opening of the pelvic canal.

subset: commoncrawl


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My organization, Birth Kalamazoo, is involved in a local contest for $7,500 in video services. We're not proposing a video to promote our own business, but rather a short film (applicable to everyone in the world) about meaningful, supported, safe and health birth. We have been in the lead, but suddenly an import car company is zipping into 3rd place, having gained 600+ votes overnight last night! If they do it again the next two nights, we may not be able to hold them off. They say they gained the votes by posting in national car forums... Wow, the car community sure must be powerful... Is the mama/birth community just as powerful? Can you please help us by voting for our project? There are just over 48 hours left in this contest (ends at 5p EST Thursday), so we really, really need your help.
It's SO SIMPLE TO VOTE! Help us rally the natural parenting world so we can offer up a film about birth, not cars. Vote here:
From a desktop/laptop:
From a mobile phone (scroll through to find Birth Kalamazoo, we are now at the top of the first page):
You can also share the memes on Facebook and ask your friends to vote! Here's our Facebook page, where you can just click "share" from our posts: www.facebook.com/birthkalamazoo
Here's a blog from Birth Your Business that discusses the project if you want to learn more:
I'll attach some of our memes so you can see the direction. Please, it's so simple to help! Please vote, it only takes a few seconds of your time. You can vote once every 24 hours and every vote makes a big, big difference.
Please join me in voting for Birth Kalamazoo to win $7500 in video service that will "show the world what meaningful, supported, evidence-based birth can look like."
Here I am with my 3rd born, 2nd HBAC.
Mom to Sam (3/2007), Bekah (4/2009)
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
, Jedidiah (4/2012)
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, and Caroline Grace (3/2014)
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Birth Matters! Help Birth Kalamazoo spread the word!
Mama to Butterfly, B(ee), Bug, and Laniecakes
Birth Kalamazoo helped me have two wonderful drug free VBACs after a traumatic first birth ending in c-section. I am only one of many they have helped. Please show your support for them and organizations like them by voting today!!
These votes are super easy, one click, and we can vote each day. I really hope Birth Kalamazoo can get a solid lead in this - I have known them (though I am not in MI) since they started, and they are doing an amazing job in supporting the normalcy of birth - we need their message to reach wider audiences!
Pretty please click and vote!
Thanks so much to everyone who is voting! Please continue to help, the contest runs through Thursday at 5 p.m. and you can vote once every 24 hours. Your support is making a difference!
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Ventus | Wireless for Business | Fully Managed M2M & Enterprise 4G LTE
Ventus offers over 20 years of experience as the industry leader in enterprise class networking and IT solutions. We are a global wireless and fixed-line connectivity, hardware, and software company delivering customer-centric innovation that leverages technology to produce market-driving solutions. Serving the world?s largest companies, our business divisions often overlap to meet a wide range of enterprise IT and networking needs.
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Chapter Home
WHO / ISUP classification
Reviewers: Sean Williamson, M.D. (see Reviewers page)
Revised: 2 June 2012, last major update June 2012
Copyright: (c) 2002-2012, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
Prior classification systems
● Ash (1940): classify as transitional cell carcinoma grades 1-4; grade 1 comparable to papilloma, grade 2 comparable to low grade; grade 3 (most) and 4 comparable to high grade
● Mostofi (1960): grade 1 called papilloma and not carcinoma
● World Health Organization / International Society of Urologic Pathologists consensus classification that is controversial for some lesions (low malignant potential)
● Major changes from prior systems are that papillary urothelial carcinomas must exhibit atypia and carcinoma in situ need not be full thickness
● WHO/ISUP grade correlates with tumor stage and recurrence
● Website tutorial (click here), has further discussion; free but requires registration
● Flat mucosa without overt increase in thickness (usually normal urothelium considered 3-7 cell layers, depending on degree of distension)
● Includes a spectrum of slight disorganization of cells and nuclear pleomorphism that formerly might be considered mild dysplasia
● Size of normal urothelial cells is 3x lymphocytes
● Flat or papillary
Flat lesions with atypia:
● Reactive
● Unknown significance
● Dysplasia (low-grade intra-urothelial neoplasia)
● CIS (high-grade intra-urothelial neoplasia)
Papillary urothelial neoplasms:
● Papilloma
● Inverted papilloma
● Papillary urothelial neoplasm of low malignant potential (PUNLMP)
● Low-grade papillary urothelial carcinoma
● High-grade papillary urothelial carcinoma
Invasive urothelial neoplasms:
● Lamina propria invasion
● Muscularis propria invasion (for bladder)
Low-grade neoplasms:
● Includes papilloma
● Inverted papilloma
● Papillary urothelial neoplasm of low malignant potential (PUNLMP)
● Low grade papillary urothelial neoplasms (urothelial carcinoma grades 1/3 and some grade 2/3)
End of Ureters > WHO / ISUP - general
This information is intended for physicians and related personnel, who understand that medical information is often imperfect, and must be interpreted in the context of a patient's clinical data using reasonable medical judgment. This website should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a licensed physician.
All information on this website is protected by copyright of PathologyOutlines.com, Inc. Information from third parties may also be protected by copyright. Please contact us at [email protected] with any questions (click here for other contact information).


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Fungal Diseases in Cats
Fungi are a large family that includes mushrooms. They live in soil and organic material. Many types of fungi spread via airborne spores. Fungus spores, which resist heat and can live for long periods without water, gain entrance to the body through the respiratory tract or a break in the skin.
Fungal diseases can be divided into two categories. The first are fungi that affect only the skin or mucous membranes, such as ringworm and thrush. In the second category, the fungus is widespread and involves the liver, lungs, brain, and other organs, in which case the disease is systemic.
Systemic diseases are caused by fungi that live in soil and organic material. Spores, which resist heat and can live for long periods without water, gain entrance through the respiratory system or through the skin at the site of a puncture. Systemic fungal diseases tend to occur in chronically ill or poorly nourished cats.
Fungal diseases are difficult to recognize and treat. X-rays, biopsies, fungal cultures, and serologic blood tests are used to make a diagnosis. Suspect a fungus when an unexplained infection fails to respond to a full course of antibiotics. Although many systemic fungal agents can both infect humans and cats, only Sporotrichosis has been shown to infect humans following direct exposure to infected cats.
This disease, caused by the yeastlike fungus Cryptococcus neoformans, is the most common systemic fungal infection of cats. It tends to occur in young adult animals. It is acquired by inhaling spores found in soil heavily contaminated by bird droppings, especially those of pigeons. The likelihood of infection is increased if the cat has an immune deficiency. However, not all cats who develop cryptococcosis are immune depressed.
Nasal cryptococcosis occurs in 50 percent of cases. Signs include sneezing, snuffling, a mucoid to bloody discharge from one or both nostrils, coughing, and obstructed breathing. Flesh-colored polyplike growths may protrude from the nose. The infection may extend to the brain and cause fatal meningitis with neurological signs such as circling and seizures. Ocular damage, including blindness, may also be noted.
Cutaneous cryptococcosis, which occurs in 25 percent of cases, frequently produces a firm swelling over the bridge of the nose. The face and neck are other common sites.
Neurologic cryptococcosis can show a variety of signs, depending on where the infection is located. These include blindness, seizures, and vestibular signs, such as incoordination or a head tilt. The diagnosis can be made by fungus culture or tissue biopsy. Often, the organisms can be identified in a smear from the nasal discharge. A cryptococcus latex agglutination test is available.
Treatment: Oral antifungal drugs of the imidazole group, such as ketoconazole, are effective when started early in the course of the disease. Fluconazole and itraconazole are newer drugs that are far better tolerated by cats. These drugs are slow acting. Treatment is prolonged. If those drugs are not successful, amphotercin B or flucytosine can be tried, but they are medications of last resort because they have many serious side effects.


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Household fixtures supplier GWA says underlying like-for-like sales in the first half of 2010/11 rose less than expected, due to poor weather, but trading earnings still were consistent with earlier guidance.
GWA said on Tuesday that underlying like-for-like sales rose four per cent in the half year to December 31, although revenue for the half rose by around 12 per cent, after an acquisition added to the company's activity.
The four per cent rise was "less than expected due to a decline in December as a result of poor weather conditions".
"Trading earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) for the half year is consistent with our previous guidance for an annual EBIT in the range of $105-108 million, excluding Gliderol (another recent acquisition)", GWA said in a trading update.
None of the company's operations had been affected by recent floods, but the floods were exepected to lead to lower sales in the first quarter of calendar 2011.
"However, the company expects to benefit as reconstruction and replacement programs gather pace," GWA said.
It would be in a better position to provide a guidance on the short and medium term impact of the floods on GWA's business when half year results are announced on February 15.
GWA said its Gliderol acquisition was progressing to plan and was expected to be complete at the end of January, as announced previously.
GWA was continuing talks with a potential buyer for the Sebel commercial seating business with a decision whether to sell it expected during the first half of calendar 2011.


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PARIS (AFP) Jan 28, 2005
A five-day conference on biodiversity wound up here Friday with appeals to set up a scientific panel which would draw global attention to a feared mass die-out of wildife.
The calls were made by 1,200 scientists and policymakers, who hope the panel will give a looming mass extinction the same headline-making impact as the UN's top scientific authority on global warming.
"Biodiversity is a vital and poorly appreciated resource for all of humankind that underpins the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals," the conference said in a statement.
"Biodiversity is being irreversibly destroyed by human activities at an unprecedented rate, and this demands urgent and significant action to conserve, sustainably use and equitably share the benefits of biodiversity."
A separate statement, issued by scientists at the conference, noted there remained enormous ignorance about the planet's species, some of which were being wiped out before they had even been identified.
"Strong actions must be taken now to inventory, understand and protect biodiversity... to ensure food security, human health and the quality of life," they said.
The panel proposal has been backed by French President Jacques Chirac, who says he will lobby for it at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), an offshoot of the landmark 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
In addition, Britain, current president of the Group of Eight, "has agreed to include it [the proposal] on the G8 agenda," French Research Minister Francois d'Aubert said.
The model is the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which sifts through the best research on global warming and issues a synthesis of this knowledge.
Its last such report was in 2001 and had enormous impact, focussing political minds to mounting evidence the Earth is warming much faster, and with potentially dangerous consequences on the climate system, than was thought possible.
Because the IPCC panel is neutral and science-based, its deliberations helped spur the conclusion of the Kyoto Protocol in late 2001 in the face of bitter US opposition. The next IPCC report is due in 2007.
"It's time for biodiversity scientists to get down from their ivory tower," said Patrick Blandin, a professor at the Museum of Natural History in Paris.
However, the two statements issued in Paris reflect some quiet discord among experts as to whether the proposed species panel should be a brand-new entity within the CBD or whether the treaty's existing mechanisms should be beefed up.
A working group has been set up to hammer this out, with the idea of putting the proposal to the CBD at its next conference in early 2006.
The Paris conference ranged from nuts-and-bolts work of identifying the world's millions of species to habitat degradation and factoring in environmental costs in the price of goods and services.
A foremost US scientist, Edward Wilson, said it would cost about three billion dollars to draw up an inventory of the world's species, and take 25 years to complete it.
Saving the 25 most-threatened "hotspots" that abound in species, such as the Amazonian forest, would cost 25 billion dollars, he said.
Some scientists believe that human interference is driving the world towards its biggest mass extinction in 65 million years, when the dinosaurs were wiped out by climate change inflicted by an asteroid impact.
Of the estimated 10-30 million species on Earth, only around 1.7 million have been identified and described. The vast majority of the unidentified species are organisms that live in the soil and deep ocean.
Each year, between 25,000 and 50,000 species die out, the vast majority of which have not even been identified, according to scientists' estimates.All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.


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Industry Resources
Industry Resources
Consumers today have hundreds of options for virtually every need in their lives, including food. You know your baked goods are palate pleasers, but how can you convince people who have never been to your bakery of that?
The best way is to start advertising where they already are: the Internet. The possibilities for digital advertising are virtually endless, but this page has a few online marketing strategies for bakeries to help you start using your site, social media, and paid options to their full potential.
What makes your website shine? It's how you lay it out and show off your baked goods. Think about this from a potential consumer's prospective. They're either coming to your site because they've already been to your bakery and want to see if you're offering anything new, they heard about you from a friend, or they're searching the web for bakeries in the area.
Regardless of how they find your site, your goal should be to convince them to come to your bakery and make a purchase. Here's how:
Most visitors come to your site for basic information like your location, hours, and offerings, so make it as easy as possible for them to find those things. The best way is to include them at the bottom of every page, as well as creating a very basic navigation system for everything else.
Delicious-looking photos can sometimes be all it takes to make someone come to your bakery, and are much more compelling than text. Because of this, be sure to include some images photos of your bread, pastries, and other baked goods.
The most important thing to remember when choosing photos is that they need to be real examples of your food. It should go without saying, but never use stock photos. You may think you're saving time, but if the photos on your site look nothing like what you sell, customers will feel misled. Even a few quick photos shot on a smartphone are better than photos that aren't authentic.
In addition to photos, add descriptions of your baked goods to your site. This is important on the off-chance that your photos don't load well for certain users, and will also help search engines understand your site.
Even the most advanced search engines, like Google, can't process images like human eyes. So even if you include a hundred photos of specialty cupcakes, Google won't be able to figure out that your site is a great result for someone who searches for "cupcakes."
Be sure to include information on where and how people can buy your baked goods. Do they have to visit your physical store? Can they order online? Can they place an order in advance for an event?
Make the purchasing process as clear as possible, and always include a map and phone number in case of confusion.
As unique as your bakery may be, the fact is that there are many other bakeries out there with similar options. When your potential customers are browsing their choices online, you need to show them what sets you apart.
What specialties do you offer? Are your recipes part of a family tradition? Do you have an interesting backstory? You don't have to write a novel-length explanation, but you should make an effort to show visitors exactly why they should choose you over your competitors.
Of course, when writing your copy and including your images, you should be sure to do search engine optimization, or SEO. This will help Google and other major search engines find your site rapidly, and will assist in moving your page rankings up.
If you aren't sure which keywords are best suited for your business, think about how you would search for a bakery. What keywords would you input in the search engine? Are there any long-tail keywords (those that include phrases or geographic locations) that might be worth optimizing on a page or two? Do some research first, then include those keywords for the best chances of ranking well.
After you have a well-put-together website, you should look at other ways to get the word out about your bakery. Social media is one of the fastest-growing methods of introducing new buyers to your baked goods, and as an added bonus, it's absolutely free.
But what should you post to engage with current customers and attract new ones? Here are a few ideas for some of the more popular platforms:
Much like on your website, food images are some of the best ways to attract attention. But unlike your site, these images don't always necessarily have to be your own.
Although you should never take credit for someone else's work, sharing photos of unique designs and ideas can be a great way to get people talking. For example, if you come across a particularly interesting wedding cake and share it with a caption like, "Would you want this cake for your wedding?" you could easily generate conversation, and possibly even inspire a purchase.
With Pinterest, you can create as many different boards as you like with photos in different categories. To start, you can make boards that showcase your own creations, and sort them by category.
From there, you can create "inspiration" boards and Pin photos of interesting and unique ideas from other bakers. If you use tags relevant to the category or event that the food was made for, you may even gain followers who are looking for inspiration for similar events.
Who doesn't love to see a baker in action? Upload videos regularly of the processes you use to decorate wedding cakes, or bake pastries to a golden crisp. The videos don't have to be long, but should be enough to give your followers a behind-the-scenes look at your business.
When someone leaves a comment on your wall or photo, be sure to respond! Regardless of whether the comment is positive or negative, you should acknowledge what you appreciate their input.
While positive comments are easy to respond to, the negative ones are what can really set you apart on social media. By responding politely and professionally, you show that you are dedicated to customer service and want to make your customers happy. When other followers see this, they'll likely be impressed.
It's worth mentioning that bakeries can boost their online presences through paid advertising, such as Google Adwords or advertisements on Facebook. These are tried-and-true methods of getting noticed, especially if you have a tremendous amount of competition in your region or want to make a sudden and impactful splash in the market.
If you haven't explored paid online advertising before, it's worth your investment to work with a web development company that can guide you through the process. You'll get returns faster that way, since there will be less of a learning curve.
We hope you found these marketing strategies for bakeries useful, but if you're still not sure how to get started, feel free to contact us! Our talented team of Internet marketing professionals is more than happy to help you develop a strategy for growing your business.
Find out how WebpageFX can create an effective Internet marketing strategy for your website. Call 888.449.3239 or contact us online today for a free evaluation.


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Familiar face, different place
Geoff Jenkins experienced the emotional farewell at Miller Park, the stomach-churning uncertainty of the free agent process, the introductory press conference in Philadelphia, the Phillies winter caravan, the long plane ride from Arizona to Florida and the stiff, somewhat awkward introduction to new teammates, coaches, trainers and clubhouse attendants.
After all those things, it was a simple thing that drove home the realization that he was no longer a member of the Brewers.
The shoes.
"For me, it was the red cleats," said Jenkins, 33. "It was like, 'Whoa.' That was the big eye-opener for me."
Jenkins put on the red cleats Wednesday night when he played at Miller Park for the first time as a visitor. After enjoying lunch with Brewers ace Ben Sheets, he entered the ballpark early, greeted team employees and dropped by the Milwaukee training room for a 30-minute visit before eventually watching his former club take a spine-tingling 5-4 victory behind two homers from Prince Fielder and a resounding save by embattled reliever Derrick Turnbow.
"I made a lot of friends here, on and off the field," Jenkins said. "It's fun to see everybody."
In one way, it was business as usual. Jenkins prepared to play a baseball game -- something he has done for much of his life.
In another way, though, it was weird.
"You try to take it as another day, but it's not just another day. It's different," Jenkins said. "It's not like you played some place for a couple of years. When you play somewhere for a decade, that's a long time in your life. All I had known was the Brewers."
A first-round draft pick in 1995, Jenkins played in 1,234 games for the Brewers, which ranks sixth in franchise history. He hit .277 with 212 homers (second behind Robin Yount) and 704 RBI.
A popular player who toiled on teams that mostly hovered between mediocre and horrible, Jenkins ended his affiliation with Milwaukee when the Brewers declined to exercise his $9 million contract option for 2008.
In his final game last fall, Jenkins received a rousing ovation. He got another one when he was introduced on Wednesday.
"I think I went about my business the right way," said Jenkins, who signed a two-year, $13 million deal with the Phillies. "I hustled and did everything I needed to do as a baseball player. I think people respected that."
Brewers manager Ned Yost agreed.
"He had a great career here," Yost said. "He's a really good player. I think he'll get a great ovation because he did nothing but play his heart out in this city for 10 years. Fans understand players who give full effort, and it doesn't matter if you're in another uniform or not."
Though the Brewers were the only organization he knew, Jenkins quickly became comfortable in his new surroundings.
"The transition has been great," he said. "(Manager) Charlie (Manual) is great. I knew Pat Burrell and some of the other guys already, but once you're in spring training and you spend 10 hours a day together.
Jenkins, one of the better defensive outfielders in Brewers history, made a diving catch to rob Rickie Weeks of a hit in the second inning. He went 0 for 3 with a walk at the plate.
"In two days, I'll start cheering for him," Sheets said, wryly.
At one point during lunch, a fan approached Sheets and said "Hey Brett, how are you enjoying retirement?"
"I'm not Brett," Sheets said, pointing at Jenkins, who was mistaken for Brett Favre early in his career. "He is."
The confused fan walked away as the players laughed.
"I loved it," Jenkins said. "And he was dead-set that it was Sheeter. Now that I'm gone, I guess I'll pass that on to Sheets. I passed the torch."
albersbr | April 24, 2008 at 10:55 a.m. (report)
I won't miss him swinging at 3 pitches in the dirt with runners on second and third and only one out.
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brewerfan13 | April 24, 2008 at 8:18 a.m. (report)
Aww I miss Jenkins!! I didn't know whether to cheer or not when he caught Rickie's ball! :) I'm so glad to see the fans in Milwaukee are such a class act - giving Jenks a warm welcome back.
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