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'Useful Idiot' Google Tops Apple in Creativity
North Korea is the last place you would look for clues to the fortunes of Silicon Valley titans Google Inc. (GOOG) and Apple Inc. (AAPL) Maybe it's worth doing so.
Google Chairman Eric Schmidt is squarely in pinata mode after a widely publicized trip last month to a country that treats its people as if they were objects to be beaten for fun. Senator John McCain summed up one view of Schmidt and his delegation, calling them "useful idiots." Pundits complain Schmidt naively played into North Korea's propaganda machine.
About the same time that Schmidt was in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang talking up Internet freedom, another high- flying technology executive was in Asia. Tim Cook made the rounds in China, checking on Apple's factory floor and talking with China Mobile Ltd. about access to its 710 million wireless subscribers.
The contrast is worth noting. One executive was doing the obvious and honing a formula, while the other was being brave and trying something new. The former is Cook, the latter is Schmidt, whose goodwill tour did put China (SHCOMP) on the defensive and, more importantly, spurred a dialogue about North Korea's 24 million people.
China Message
Consider the genius of Schmidt joining former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson in Pyongyang. The Google chairman was the highest-profile businessman to visit since Kim Jong Un succeeded his father in 2011. To Schmidt, it's up to the public to make the Internet work. But first, North Korea's government needs to get things going, then get out of the way -- or risk being left even further behind.
Schmidt could easily be speaking of China there, and I suspect he was. Google pulled out of China in 2010, tired of doing the Communist Party's dirty work in censoring cyberspace. Headlines from Schmidt's jaunt had to have been seen in Beijing, and not at all welcomed. The last thing China's authoritarian regime wants is some U.S. Internet billionaire telling it, or its geopolitical satellites, what to do.
It's also true that Google can't ignore China's 564 million Internet users forever. The Google guys with their mantra of "don't be evil" aren't altruists, and Schmidt's North Korea trip, made by way of China, may be the company's first step toward getting back into Asia's biggest economy.
While Cook was looking out for shareholders, Schmidt's goodwill mission did something that neither the administration of Barack Obama nor George W. Bush could manage: make the outrage over North Korea about the pain of its people, not just nuclear weapons and missiles.
U.S. policy toward North Korea is little more than threats, sanctions and browbeating other nations into going along. This is where important U.S. business leaders can play a role. The news of the past two weeks -- another nuclear test may be afoot -- shows why Obama is more focused on brinkmanship than outreach. After decades of failure, new approaches are needed.
American soft power might be just the thing. As Obama's diplomats try to rein in the Kim Dynasty, other U.S. executives could follow Schmidt's lead and increase interaction. Can't goodwill missions and future investment deals go hand-in-hand?
Remember, too, that it wasn't diplomatic and military efforts that toppled governments during the Arab Spring, but information. Getting the Internet into North Korea, or liberalizing it in China, would do more for reform there than a U.S. carrier fleet. Isolating the Kims has achieved no more than sanctions have against the Castros in Cuba, aside from inflicting privation on the populace. At what point does the U.S. admit a policy doesn't work and find a new one?
Cultural Exchanges
No one is seriously advocating appeasement. Nor should corporate America be rewarding Kim with the opportunity to appear in propaganda photos with the likes of Facebook Inc.'s Mark Zuckerberg or JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s Jamie Dimon. But cultural exchanges might play a positive role in wooing the social-media-age Kim (thought to be 28 or 29), who is said to be in awe of U.S. basketball greats Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
Schmidt's 19-year-old daughter accompanied him to North Korea and demonstrated the soft-power effect by inspiring this New York Daily News headline: "Top Google Executive's Daughter, Sophie Schmidt, Recounts Secretive Trip to North Korea With Dad and Freelance Diplomats."
Her blog made the rounds with unvarnished observations of the people and things encountered along the way. (One example: "The best description we could come up with: it's like 'The Truman Show,' at country scale.") It gave cyber-legs to the human element that gets all too little attention.
This week, Google took a step in that direction, revising its Maps formula to add North Korea and offer a rare glimpse of the nation's vast prison camps. While cartographers have been detailing the Hermit Kingdom's interior for years, Google is bringing these views to the masses.
It is fine that Apple's Cook is taking care of his fiduciary responsibilities in north Asia. It's even better to see one of his peers trying to influence a region that needs something to dream about aside from cool smartphones.
(William Pesek is a Bloomberg View columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.)
To contact the writer of this article: William Pesek in Seoul at firstname.lastname@example.com.
To contact the editor responsible for this article: James Greiff at email@example.com.


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Bethel Park runner-up to NA in volleyball
Tigers need five games to dispatch Hawks
Bethel Park could not derail North Allegheny as the Tigers chugged their way to their seventh consecutive WPIAL title in boys' volleyball. But, the Black Hawks certainly delayed their arrival time to the trophy platform.
The Black Hawks went the distance. They forced the Tigers to five games before being railroaded, 3-2, in the Class AAA championship match played May 23 at Baldwin.
After splitting the first two games, 25-17 and 21-25, NA steamrolled past the Hawks in game three, 25-9. Somehow, however, BP recovered from the demoralizing defeat to take game four, 25-21.
"We have heart," said BP head coach Tom Allman, who is assisted by Brian Blanc and Zachary Smith. "We didn't play well in the third.
"We kind of got our heads down, but our assistant coach gave a nice speech in between the third and fourth match and got us fired up."
Despite the uplifting win in game four, BP lost the fifth game and settled for runner-up honors in the district. In the finale, NA breezed to a 7-1 advantage and finished off the Hawks, 15-8.
"It's always tough in a short set," explained Allman. "You can't make any errors.
"We gave it a shot," he added of the overall match. "We just couldn't stop their big hitters or get the block when we needed it."
That meant Tom Keisling had a huge night. The senior, who was recognized as the league's Most Valuable Player, tied a career high with 26 kills.
For the Tigers, who were seeded No. 1 in the tournament, it was their 10 WPIAL in 11 years. However, it was perhaps the most memorable in Keisling's varsity career.
"This title was definitely the best one," said Keisling said. "For us to get it in five, I'm just so proud of everyone. You never knew who was getting set, everyone was putting balls away. Everyone was passing well. It was just a great team effort."
Because of BP's effort throughout the tournament – the Hawks upended Norwin in the semifinals and beat Seneca Valley in the opener – eight seniors continue their careers. The class includes: middle hitter Bobby Huntington; outside hitter Camden Hay; setter, Vance Blanc; defensive specialists Ryan Petrossi, Aaron Glasser and Alexander Kiselica; liberio, Luke Hudson; and right hitter Grant Underwood.
The Hawks are qualified for the PIAA playoff. They will face State College, the District 1 champion, at 6 p.m. May 29 at Bishop Carroll High School in Ebensburg.
Should the Hawks triumph and North Allegheny beat Norwin, the teams would meet in a quarterfinal match set for June 1. Bethel Park is optimistic about its chances and embraces the opportunity to face NA again.
"We'll give it a go," said Allman. "Hopefully we'll see them again."
Also contributing to the team's success are: Brandon Thorsen, Danny Burke, David Uhlmann, Noah Blanc, Jacob Dixon, Brandon Hanson, Steven Eiben, Lenny Chorney, Nicholas Pilotta, Werner Hernandez and Nathan Harrold.

subset: commoncrawl


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In football, it's called the home field advantage...on the MontgomeryMotorsports Park strip, it was called a win for Jerry Rhodes of Gadsden,Alabama as he took the Aeromotive Nitro Coupe Challenge event at MMPSeptember 15-16.
Qualifying numbers and setups went out the window as the weather did aswitcheroo, leaving Aeromotive Nitro Coupe racers on Sunday with coolertemperatures and lower humidity than Saturday's qualifying sessions.
Consistency was the name of Rhodes' game on race day as he turned in 1/8mile times of 4.161 in the first round, 4.183 in the semis and 4.194 at170.84 miles per hour in the finals against Tennessee racer Jeff Balton.Balton ran a 4.69 at 117.23 mph in the finals as he failed to find thehandle on the MMP track.
Rockmart, Georgia racer Jimmy Blackman and his Southern Truck Partssponsored Firebird took the win in a tough Outlaw 10.5 field during theO'Reilly Super Chevy Show. Blackman roared to a 4.694 at 161.31 milesper hour in the finals to defeat Covington, Georgia racer DavidSheppard, who treed Blackman with a .004 light but couldn't matchBlackman's ET and speed.
O'Reilly Super Chevy fans got a thrill as Jessie Harris and her Queen ofDiamonds nailed another 300-mile per hour pass down the MMP strip. BobHall lived up to his "King of the Wheelstanders" title with fourblistering 1/4 mile runs on two wheels steering with the rear brakes ofhis Chevy Astrovan "Airborne Express."
The sportsman racer of the event had to be Allen Reno of Gardendale,Alabama. Reno won the Jeg's Bracket Two Battle, raced at 1/8 mile, andwas runner-up in the 1/4 mile DOT Street Wars. Reno faced former worldFootbrake champion Jared Pennington of Fultondale, AL in the finals ofBracket two and won with a sterling .014 reaction time and an 8.133 runon an 8.10 dial.
In the DOT Street Fight finals, Reno fell to Alexander City, Alabamaracer Gary Tapley, who won with a near perfect quarter mile of 12.921 onhis 12.92 dial. The Aeromotive Jr. Dragster Challenge title went toChase Mullinax of Buford, Georgia in a tough final over Brandon Thompsonof Douglasville, GA. Brandon ended the final on the starting line byturning on the reds.
In the ProCharger Bracket One Brawl, Douglasville, Georgia racer GaryThompson was the last man standing as he did in hometown hero ColeCousins of Millbrook in the finals. Thompson ran a n awesome 5.053 onhis 5.05 dial with a perfect .000 light. Cousins was also dead on his6.60 dial with a 6.605 and an .011 light, but his sterling .016 packagelost to Thompson's other-worldly .003 package.
The TREMEC True Street Challenge presented by Mr. Gasket was just thatas Phil Cooper's '66 Chevy II came out on top after a tough trip overlocal roads and three back to back passes. Runner-up honors went to aVolvo driven by Jerry Henslee.


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Hey Everyone!
I know it's been a while since I've blogged, Nick's been doing a great job! But I just HAD to share with you all the amazing experience I just had. I was able to be one of the first to have Breakfast in the Sky- our newest attraction at Morey's. Starting tomorrow, anyone can call and reserve a spot on the Giant Wheel to be whisked away on a breakfast experience unlike any other.
With the warm, golden glow of the morning sun reflected off of the deep blue Atlantic Ocean, Breakfast in the Sky is an experience taken to a new level- 160 feet above sea level, to be exact.
I was whisked away on a dream-like adventure, leisurely soaring high above Wildwood on the Great Wheel as the sun rose in the sky, while dining on culinary delights complete with fine china, white linen tablecloths, and wheel-side service.
All menu items were hand-crafted by Moreys' new Executive Chef Walter Jurusz and included dishes like a Shrimp and Lobster Omelet, freshly-made Belgian Waffle or Smoked Salmon Scrambled eggs.
I LOVED the scenic views from the top of the ferris wheel; you can see for miles! The morning is so peaceful, and I even was able to watch dolphins playing in the ocean.
I've included some details below for you, call any time to reserve your spot. Breakfast is known as the most important meal of the day, and trust me, this is one breakfast you don't want to skip.
Details for Breakfast in the Sky:
Advanced Reservation Required: Call (609) 846-1624 to reserve your table
Pricing: $75 per car with one or two guests. $35 per additional person, maximum of 4 people per car, Gratuity not included
Date/Time: Friday through Monday, starting July 23- August 23. Reservations are available from 8:30AM to 10AM
For more information, click HERE


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— More than 2 billion viewers are expected to set their alarms (or, for the less early morning-inclined, their DVRs) for 4 a.m. Friday to settle in with snacks watch the royal wedding unfold, just for fun.
But professional wedding planners are approaching Kate and Will's big day a little differently. They'll be scrutinizing the royal nuptials with as much attention as they would weddings they planned themselves — because they know that other brides and grooms will soon be asking them to fulfill their own royal dreams based on the noble couple's choices.
Aimee Monihan, a planner for Tropical Occasions, Mountain Occasions and Santa Teresa Beach Weddings has not only reexamined Prince Charles and Princess Diana's 1981 ceremony and other royal weddings, but has also followed all this year's pre-wedding coverage. "I'm watching all the shows this week that highlight what has gone into the plans thus far," she said. "I have my TiVo ready to record all the coverage from TLC, The Style Channel, E!, BBC, and all the major U.S. networks. I want to know what each and every one has to say and be prepared for any bride who may reference any one of them."
In addition to the specifics that won't be revealed until tomorrow, many planners are focusing on bigger trends expected to ripple from these nuptials viewed 'round the world. "The royal wedding brings back elements of tradition and timelessness that can sometimes be forgotten with the modern-day bride," said Nilo G. of Kapture, an event and wedding production company in Southern California. One Kapture client booked for next year has made it clear she wants her Victorian garden-themed wedding to incorporate details from Will and Kate's big day. Kapture has already consulted with top vendors in the area, but will also be closely monitoring the nuptials as they occur, not only for future brides and grooms, but current clients as well.
"We have a couple getting married this weekend who has already told us they'll be watching the royal wedding right before their own wedding!" Nilo G. said.
She plans to not only DVR the event, but also read online coverage to create an inspiration board based on it. But she'll encourage brides and grooms to incorporate their own style, not just play copycat. "A lot of people are going to want to keep things really classic — lots of lace, scrollwork, the floral arrangements — but we'll find a way for them to put their own spin on it," she explained.
Jes Gordon, an event designer who takes pride in her eclecticism, will scrutinize the royal ceremony as it occurs — not only to take note of the details, but also to find ways that William and Kate have expressed themselves within the royal traditions.
"I think there are going to be contemporary aspects in this wedding," Gordon predicted, citing the bride-to-be's unusual sapphire engagement ring as an example of the young couple's distinctive style.
Gordon, who will appear on Bravo's new show "Rocco's Dinner Party" as design mentor, sees the "how" behind it all as the biggest draw for future brides and grooms. "We're in a world of DIY; we're not just obsessed with details, but we're obsessed with how it happened," she said. "How did they choose the centerpieces? The menu? Will Kate do her own makeup?"
But not all planners will be staring at their TVs at 4 a.m., obsessively taking notes. Celebrity party maestro Colin Cowie will be tuned in — but not from his couch.
"I'll be watching the ceremony while sipping champagne on a friend's boat off the coast of Indonesia," he said. "No official 'team' will be scrutinizing, but … there's sure to be some critiquing going on. Ideas will never be replicated, but they will certainly influence my designs going forward."


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Telescoping Ramp Gangways
The gangways also feature heavy-duty 1/2-inch bumpers, and a grip-strut walking surface for better traction. The cost-effective gangways feature rugged materials of construction, including steel, aluminum and fiberglass, to withstand any extreme environments. Aluminum gangways feature stronger galvanized back box sections and back uprights for maximum stability. Meanwhile, custom designed safety cages provide the perfect security for any application. Operators can choose from a variety of mounting options, including slide-track mounting, pivot mounting and blush-mount brackets. Optional features include manual or electrically operated hydraulic lift packages for larger units, side-mount brackets, as well as welded stops or safety chains that prevent from traveling beyond a predetermined position. Units can be custom designed for a specific application, while custom designed safety cages are available as well.
- 1/2-inch bumpers
- grip-strut walking surface


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The Science of the Perfect Golf Shot
These little balls of paper so harmless they're legal year-round. But what's going on under there?
Silver fulminate is an incredibly reactive explosive. The slightest impact or heat sets it off. Because of that instability, it's rarely used as a commercial explosive compound. You don't want to set off a stick of dynamite by bumping it the wrong way.
There is one use for it, though. You'll find about 80 micrograms of it in every snap 'n' pop, along with a bunch of tiny bits of gravel. The gravel gives the silver fulminate the friction it needs to ignite.
Sparklers are a familiar sight on Independence Day. Essentially, they're made from iron filings and aluminum powder stuck to a metal rod, with a starchy water solution that acts as a glue. Once the sparkler is lit, the metals rapidly oxidize with the help of an oxidizing agent, barium nitrate, which is how they give off sparks. The sparkler burns out when it reaches the end of its fuel.
Heroes Lost: 4 of the Worst Wildfire-Firefighter Losses in U.S. History


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The federal government has unveiled proposed rules under health care reform that will have broad implications for states, health insurance companies, small businesses and uninsured Americans within the next 12 months.
In a conference call with reporters last week, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius spelled out the long-awaited "essential health benefits" that insurers must include in their individual plans when state health insurance exchanges open Jan. 1, 2014. Insurers have been anxiously awaiting the definitions in order to finalize the policies they'll offer when open enrollment begins next October.
The rules specify that 10 categories of benefits be included in all individual and small-group policies but leave it to each state to set its own benefit minimums. The categories include: ambulatory services; emergency services; hospitalization; laboratory services; maternity and newborn care; mental health and substance abuse services; pediatric services; prescription drugs; preventive and wellness care and chronic disease management; and rehabilitative and "habilitative" services for conditions such as autism and cerebral palsy.
The rules also prohibit insurers from denying coverage due to a preexisting condition or charging higher premiums due to occupation, current or past health problems, or gender. Studies show that women often pay more for health insurance than men.
The feds have provided more guidance to employer-based wellness programs, giving employers greater leeway to offer larger rewards to employees who quit smoking or adopt healthier lifestyles. And the rules protect employees from unfair underwriting practices that could reduce their benefits because of health issues.
In addition, Sebelius extended until Dec. 14 the deadline for states to inform HHS whether they plan to set up their own state health exchanges, which are designed to offer individuals and small businesses easy-to-shop-for health insurance at subsidized rates. To date, roughly 17 states have committed to set up their own exchanges. Those that don't can choose to partner with the federal government or allow the feds to establish and operate the state's exchange, which is required under health care reform.
About half of the nation's 30 million uninsured are expected to purchase health insurance through the exchanges, while the remainder would be covered under the federal-state Medicaid program for low-income Americans.
Recent reports from states that have opposed the Affordable Care Act indicate that some may be reassessing their options now that the law's sponsor-in-chief, President Barack Obama, has been re-elected.
Want to become involved? You have 30 to 60 days to comment on the proposals before they become final.
Follow me on Twitter: @omnisaurus.
Subscribe to Bankrate newsletters today!


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TWO men were taken to hospital with serious injuries after being cut out of their car following a serious crash on the A64 near York last night, with police now seeking "a vital witness".
The collision, involving a Ford Mondeo and a van, happened at the Towthorpe Moor Lane crossroads near the Hazelbush Cafe, close to Stockton-on-the-Forest, at about 5.10pm, with police, fire crews, paramedics and the air ambulance called to the scene.
North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service said two men suffered serious injuries, with a 60-year-old man from York who was driving the Mondeo being taken to Leeds General Infirmary and a 62-year-old man, also from York, being airlifted to James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough. North Yorkshire Police said they were both in a stable condition today.
A third man, who is 82 and also from York, was treated at York Hospital but later released, with the driver of the Ford Transit escaping unhurt. The road remained close until late last night, with barriers preventing vehicles turning onto the route at Hopgrove roundabout.
Traffic Sergeant Andy Morton of North Yorkshire Police's roads policing group appealed for the driver of a silver car which crossed the A64 from the Stockton-on-the-Forest side of the road to Towthorpe Moor Lane around the time of the crash to contact officers, saying: "They may have vital information which could help this investigation.
"I am also keen to jear from anybody who witnessed the collision or saw either of the vehicles before the incident."
Anybody with information about the crash should phone Traffic Constable John Kendall at North Yorkshire Police on 101, or email email@example.com.


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What is the name of the company on your bag of seed? Who makes the crop protectant chemicals you primarily use? What company's name is on the side of your tractor and combine?
There is a more than 50 percent chance your answer will be one of the top four companies in that particular business. Concentration of agricultural input suppliers is increasing, but there is a very legitimate reason for that.
Some members of the media would point to a particularly large agricultural input supplier and be critical of how large and dictatorial it was about the use of its technology. While farmers have reasons for either using or not using a particular brand of product, the fact that large companies are very successful in what they do can be attributed to a specific reason.
That reason will become quite obvious when you think about the reason you purchase particular inputs. Why do you buy the seed or chemicals that you do? Other than the fact that your father bought a particular color of farm equipment, why do you go back to that dealership and spend money on their equipment? Why do you buy the types of herbicides that you us in your fields?
Quality demands a higher price
The reason you buy what you do is because the products are good, they offer value, they get the job done, and you are generally happy with the outcome.
The reason for the quality is the investment the company has made in research and development to bring the product to the market. The more that is spent on research the better the product performance and the more you are going to want to buy it.
Subsequently, the more money that is spent on research, according to USDA's Economics Research Service (ERS), the more successful the company and the better the chance it will become one of a small handful of companies that dominate the market.
In fact, ERS says in the areas of crop seed/biotechnology, agricultural chemical, animal health, animal breeding, and farm machinery industries four firms shared over 50% of the total global market share.
In its report on the rising concentration in agricultural input industries, ERS says growth of those companies comes either from expanding sales faster or acquiring other companies that have the technology desired by the larger company.
Market Share Expanding
Different industries have different ways for their leading members to expand and grow, says ERS:
- In the crop seed and animal breeding sectors, the emergence of biotechnology was a major driver of consolidation. Companies acquired relevant technological capacities. The top four have 53.9% share of global sales, up from 21.1% in 1994.
- In the animal breeding sector, vertical integration in the poultry and livestock industries enabled some large firms to acquire capacity in animal breeding as part of their integrated structure. The top four firms have 55.9% share of global market sales, but no comparison with past data.
- In the farm machinery industry, many of the major mergers and acquisitions can be traced to large financial losses sustained by some leading firms during periods when the farm sector was in prolonged recession. Farmers delayed purchases and those companies in trouble were purchased. In 1994 the top four held 28.1% share of global sales, but that is now 50.1%
- The agricultural chemical sector has been heavily affected by changes in government regulations governing the health, safety, and environmental impacts of new and existing pesticide formulations: larger firms appear better able to address these stricter regulatory requirements. The four largest had 28.5% of global sales in 1994, but 53% today.
- Consolidation in the animal health sector appears to be largely a byproduct of mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical industry, as most of the leading animal health companies are subsidiaries of large pharmaceutical companies. Those firms had 32.4% of the global market in 1994, but that has climbed to 50.6% today.
ERS says the crop biotech market has six companies that are dominators: Syngenta, Bayer, Dow, DuPont, and Monsanto--are also market leaders in agricultural chemicals. A sixth firm, BASF, is making significant investments in crop biotechnology research but so far reports few crop seed or trait sales. Their market dominance has resulted in a significant investment in purchasing smaller companies, which have applied technology that had been developed through university research. There were 27 of those smaller companies in 1985, and 20 of them were acquired by one of the top six firms.
But there is a problem
The downside to this evolution is the fact that fewer companies are supplying the majority of inputs to farmers, and fewer companies involved in research and development. Eight companies in the seed biotechnology business accounted for 76 percent of all research spending in 2010.
Five companies supplying crop protectants accounted for 74 percent of research dollars in 2010. That was the case with four farm equipment companies that spent 57 percent of research dollars. The resulting increase in market power means farmers may pay higher prices for purchased inputs, says ERS. And one of the tools used by the companies to do that is strong legal protection over intellectual property.
Those higher dollars charged for inputs are used for more research and development. Such privately-financed R & D has substantially replaced publicly-financed research that once occurred at many universities and was more available to the broader market. The shortfall of federal and state dollars to fund university research has withered many programs.
Popular agricultural inputs demand a high price, but farmers are willing to pay that price in return for a product with value and performance. However, those popular inputs are made by few companies who dominate their respective industries. Higher prices help pay for investments in research and development, which brings more products to the marketplace, filling a void left by reductions in publicly-funded research that was spread among many companies. However, with fewer companies able to afford expensive research programs, there will be less competition among input suppliers.
Source: FarmGate blog


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TPWD Print-Friendly Page: http://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/print.phtml?req=20101217aMedia Contact: TPWD News, email@example.com, 512-389-8030 [TH]
TPWD Website: http://tpwd.texas.gov
TPWD News Release — Dec. 17, 2010
The wild mountain sheep have become a keystone species helping to drive cross-border wildlife conservation in Northern Mexico and Far West Texas, but their future wasn't always so bright.
In the late 1800s there were perhaps up to 1,500 sheep in the rugged mountains of Trans-Pecos Texas. However, due mainly to unregulated hunting and diseases from domestic and exotic livestock, Texas bighorn numbers dwindled to about 500 in 1903 and by the 1960s they were gone.
Today bighorns are coming back, thanks to decades of work by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, wildlife conservation groups, private landowners and others. TPWD biologists this September observed 1,115 sheep in Texas, up from 822 in 2006 and 352 in 2002. This steady climb back from the brink is due in part to relocation of wild sheep into areas where bighorns had once been extirpated.
The Bofecillos Mountains of Big Bend Ranch State Park are next on the list of priority areas of historic bighorn range in Texas where sheep have not yet been restored. Establishing sheep in the park will increase numbers and diversity of the bighorn population in Texas, help restore the park's native wildlife ecology and provide an outstanding new visitor wildlife viewing opportunity. In years to come, public hunting in the park may also be possible, although that is not the primary restoration goal.
"This puts an animal in its rightful place," said Ruben Cantu, TPWD Wildlife Division regional director in San Angelo. "Its home is mountain ranges in West Texas. This is a desert mountain icon, an important component of the ecosystem."
Big Bend Ranch bighorn restoration is a collaborative effort between TPWD's Wildlife and State Parks Divisions.
"It's huge; this is a bellwether species," said Mike Hill, TPWD state parks regional director in Fort Davis, who said bighorn restoration at the park has been years in the making. "More and more people are discovering Big Bend Ranch State Park as an adventure travel destination, but this shows how state parks have an important conservation mission too."
A coalition of partners is helping. In fact, bighorn sheep are the focus of a recently signed binational agreement between TPWD, Texas Bighorn Society, Wild Sheep Foundation and the Mexican-based global cement company CEMEX, which is conducting habitat and wildlife restoration supported by scientific research across the Rio Grande in Mexico.
"The parties to this agreement recognize that the Big Bend region of Texas and northern Coahuila and Chihuahua, Mexico, form an important zone of biological diversity that transcends political boundaries," reads the conservation agreement. It goes on to say the region "is at risk because of potential adverse impacts by humans," and that "binational restoration and management of desert bighorn sheep will provide a flagship species initiative that will benefit natural communities and help restore and conserve the region's biological diversity."
Across the river from Big Bend Ranch State Park, Big Bend National Park, and Black Gap Wildlife Management Area, several Mexican federal protected areas form a vast land area under varying degrees of conservation management. These areas are not regulated like U.S. parks, and include small towns and ranches. But within one of them, the Maderas Del Carmen protected area, is CEMEX's El Carmen conservation project.
CEMEX has under direct ownership and through agreements with landowners close to 400,000 acres of desert and mountains dedicated to wildlife habitat conservation. This includes an 11,000-acre bighorn breeding facility protected by a high, predator-proof fence. Into this criadero, CEMEX has brought bighorns from Sonora and in recent years has begun to move sheep out of the criadero into the wild. In December, biologists estimated more than 200 bighorns in the criadero, and more than 40 in the wild.
At Big Bend Ranch State Park, the department and its partners are taking various steps to prepare for the reintroduction of bighorn sheep, including control of exotic species and construction of "water guzzlers" to catch rainwater for sheep to drink.
Water guzzler construction, captive rearing facilities and other Texas efforts have been paid for or built with volunteer labor donated by the Texas Bighorn Society. Since its founding in the early 1980s, the group has provided materials, volunteer labor and funds for bighorn restoration worth several million dollars.
"Our mission is to restore bighorn sheep to all of their native range in Texas," said Robert Joseph of Lubbock, Texas Bighorn Society president. "Why do we care? They're a magnificent species. If they're viable in a habitat, it seems for the most part every other animal there is doing well too. Some biologists call them a keystone species. If you've got the proper habitat for sheep, you've got the snakes and the horny toads and javelinas and everything all the way to the top of the mountain in good shape."
Hunting provides most of the money to restore bighorns and their habitat. Every year the Wild Sheep Foundation and Dallas Safari Club auction permits to hunt wild bighorn sheep in Texas, which sell for $70,000 to $115,000 per permit. Money raised goes to support research and habitat management for Texas bighorn restoration.
The last two years Texas has issued 16 sheep hunting permits annually. Permits depend on annual population surveys and are issued for state and private lands where harvestable rams are observed. A harvestable ram is an older, 7-to-12 year old male that has "done his thing" and is deemed surplus to the population. Through this system, TPWD typically receives 20-to-25 percent of sheep permits for public hunts on the Black Gap, Elephant Mt. and Sierra Diablo WMAs, with private landowners receiving the remaining permits.
TPWD also offers a chance for anyone to hunt bighorns through the Texas Grand Slam in the agency's Big Time Texas Hunts program, which sells $10 entries for random drawings to award "dream hunts." The grand slam winner gets guided hunts for all four of the state's top big game animals, including bighorn sheep.
Besides its importance for natural and cultural resource conservation, Big Bend Ranch State Park is a premier adventure travel destination. In recent years, the park has opened more than 200 miles of new or newly accessible jeep roads and hike and bike trails, plus 50 new backcountry campsites in remote scenic areas, opening up large new areas of the 360,000-acre park that visitors could not access easily before. Among other attractions, Texas's largest state park is becoming international known for mountain biking.
In October, the International Mountain Biking Association designated the Fresno-Sauceda Loop Trail at Big Bend Ranch an "Epic" ride. IMBA has designated fewer than 50 Epic rides in the U.S. and Canada. The Big Bend Ranch ride is the only mountain-bike ride designated as Epic in Texas, and one of only two in the southwestern U.S.
Big Bend Ranch has an array of brochures, web pages and YouTube videos covering mountain biking, camping, backcountry driving and more. Downloadable brochures include "Big Bend Ranch Biking Guide — The Other Side of Nowhere" and "Roads to Nowhere — A guide to unmaintained 4x4 high clearance roads in Big Bend Ranch State Park." The new video "Mountain Biking Big Bend Ranch State Park" on TPWD's official YouTube channel follows an Austin newspaper reporter experiencing part of the "Epic ride" trail. The park's downloadable "El Solitario" quarterly newsletter offers detailed articles, photos and practical tips for enjoying the park.
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Jackson getting noticed at Pirates' camp
BRADENTON, Fla. -- When people talk about the Pirates coaches' knack for straightening out wayward pitchers -- which has become a popular topic -- the subjects usually are big leaguers with a past, such as Francisco Liriano, Mark Melancon and this spring's main project, Edinson Volquez.
However, chronic Minor Leaguers can also use an occasional cure.
Take Jay Jackson, who has started 107 games in the Minors and pitched in a total of 153, winning 38 of them while putting up an ERA of 4.42 in 672 innings -- all without a sniff of big league air.
The 26-year-old righty hasn't quite pitched his way onto the Bucs' staff -- far from it, with how competitive camp has been. But he has at least pitched his way into notice. Jackson made his second start in Monday's game against the Orioles, and in two innings held them to the first run he has given up in a total of six innings.
"It's just the command of the fastball, getting it down in the zone," Jackson said of the key behind his sharpness. "I have a tendency to leave balls up, so 'down' is what I've been working on (with the coaches), and it's been amazing.
"They got me just throwing naturally, getting my arm slot down to where it needs to be. Staying back more feels more comfortable. I'm keeping the ball down in the zone and getting outs, so it's a really good thing."
Jackson got his first start on Wednesday, stepping in when Jeff Locke was scratched with a sore right side. Monday's start also came on Locke's turn. Jackson, however, is hardly the only candidate to step in more permanently if the left-hander is not available at the start of the season. He is not even a leading candidate.
"If you're in camp, you have a chance," was manager Clint Hurdle's lone comment on that.
"I feel that as long as they keep giving me the ball, I can get a chance and will try to take advantage of it," said Jackson, signed in December as a Minor League free agent after having spent the 2013 season in the Marlins' organization. "I'm feeling really comfortable and relaxed, and that's helping a lot,"
Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog Change for a Nickel. He can also be found on Twitter @Tom_Singer. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.