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"Lights, Camera, Action!" for Health-Minded Local Students Appearing with Chicago Bears Players in NFL TV Promo
Students at Ridge Family Center for Learning, national winner of the Fuel Up to Play 60 Casting Call Challenge, were rewarded today for their exemplary efforts to eat healthy and get active, when Bears quarterback Jason Campbell, center/guard Roberto Garza and cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman made a special visit to the Elk Grove Village elementary school. The players talked about the importance of maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle, and joined the students for physical activity drills and nutrient-rich snacks including low-fat string cheese and fruit and low-fat yogurt smoothies. Highlights of the event were filmed for a 30-second national TV feature for NFL Play 60 and the Kinect for Xbox 360 video game console, which is scheduled to air on Sunday, November 25 on either CBS or FOX. Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program created in partnership with National Dairy Council and the National Football League that encourages students to eat healthy, be active and implement positive, healthy changes.
The Fuel Up to Play 60 program is provided by Midwest Dairy Council, an affiliate of the National Dairy Council, and the Chicago Bears in Illinois. The Casting Call Challenge, supported by Kinect for Xbox 360, invited students and educators from nearly 73,000 Fuel Up to Play 60 schools nationwide, to submit a 500-word essay describing how the program is inspiring fitness and better nutrition at their school, for a chance to win an appearance in an NFL TV promo, a Kinect for Xbox 360 gaming kiosk and a collection of games, valued at an estimated $2,800. Twenty-five runner-up schools also received a Kinect for Xbox 360 gaming kiosk and games. "We could not be more impressed by the Fuel Up to Play 60 Casting Call Challenge submissions that we received from across the country," said Lorna Riggs, a Health and Wellness Program Manager for Midwest Dairy Council. "It is truly inspiring to see how these kids are making a difference in their health and at their schools," she continued.
"Ridge Family Center for Learning won the grand prize based on its success making healthy changes in their school environment through healthy taste tests, a school menu makeover, after-school fit club, Fuel Up Family Night, and the Ridge Family Network and Bunny Broadcast' that regularly features healthy tips and recipes.""Since taking the Fuel Up to Play 60 pledge three years ago, we've revamped our cafeteria menu to offer nutrient-rich foods, resulting in a 20 percent increase in school lunch consumption, and implemented a variety of fitness activities that inspire kids to get excited about health and wellness," said Will Hogan, Fuel Up to Play 60 Program Advisor, 2011-2012 Illinois Program Advisor of the Year, and PE teacher at Ridge Family Center for Learning. "I'm so proud of the students for their hard work and determination in completing this Challenge, and we're all thrilled for the opportunity to meet Bears players, to appear in an NFL TV promo, and to add Kinect for Xbox 360 to our daily exercise!
"The Fuel Up to Play 60 Casting Call Challenge is one of a series of contests that youth can get involved in throughout the year. Each Challenge focuses on a different aspect of the program, and provides the opportunity for students to collaborate with their peers and showcase what they have learned about "fueling up" with nutrient-rich foods and getting at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. For more information, visit www.FuelUpToPlay60.com. All player appearances were scheduled with assistance from the NFL Players Association.
Midwest Dairy Council®, an affiliate of National Dairy Council, is the nutrition education division of Midwest Dairy Association. The Council is dedicated to dairy nutrition research and education through the investment of more than 9,500 dairy farm families across 10 Midwestern states, and is committed to child health and wellness through our collaborative program, Fuel Up to Play 60. For more information, visit www.midwestdairy.com. Follow us on Twitter and find us on Facebook at Midwest Dairy.
About Fuel Up to Play 60
Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council (NDC) and National Football League (NFL), with additional partnership support from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The program encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods (low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.Fuel Up to Play 60 is designed to engage and empower youth to take action for their own health by implementing long-term, positive changes for themselves and their schools. Customizable and non-prescriptive program components are grounded in research with youth, including tools and resources, in-school promotional materials, a website and student challenges. Fuel Up to Play 60 is further supported by several health and nutrition organizations: Action for Healthy Kids, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Medical Association and School Nutrition Association. Visit www.FuelUpToPlay60.com to learn more.
About NFL PLAY 60
Designed to help tackle childhood obesity, NFL PLAY 60 brings together the NFL?s long-standing commitment to health and fitness with partner organizations like the National Dairy Council. NFLPLAY 60 is also implemented locally, as part of the NFL's in-school, after-school and team-based programs. For more information, visit www.NFLRush.com. © 2012 NFL Properties LLC. All NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League.
About National Dairy Council
National Dairy Council® (NDC) is the nutrition research, education and communications arm of Dairy Management Inc. On behalf of U.S. dairy farmers, NDC provides science-based nutrition information to, and in collaboration with, a variety of stakeholders committed to fostering a healthier society, including health professionals, educators, school nutrition directors, academia, industry, consumers and media. Established in 1915, NDC is dedicated to educating the public on the health benefits of consuming milk and milk products throughout a person's lifespan. For more information, visit www.NationalDairyCouncil.org.


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Hook Games: Deepsea Sportfishing
(continued from page 3)
Sharks are bottom-dwellers, so we drifted slowly as the bait descended to the ocean floor. The strike came almost immediately. The reel clicked loudly as the shark stripped line off, and the mate rushed to get into position. In just a few seconds, most of the line had disappeared into the water, and the mate shouted at the captain to back up the boat before we ran out. Diesel engines roared to life as the shark led us out to sea.
Half an hour later, I lost the battle. Like many overeager anglers, I failed to keep slack out of the line, and the shark worked the hook free. Joining the fraternity of fishermen everywhere, all I had was a memory of the big one that got away.
Big game sportfishing is back. Popularized by literary legends Ernest Hemingway and Zane Grey in the first half of the century, the sport is enjoying a resurgence. Increased environmental awareness, new challenges in light tackle, lucrative tournaments and worldwide availability of quality charters have drawn many participants to the sea.
The thrill of landing a big fish must be experienced to be appreciated. The typical freshwater fly fisherman, for instance, stalks trout weighing a few pounds. Record marlin tip the scales at well over half a ton, and large sharks can weigh twice that. Because these fish are capable of snapping even the heaviest line with a single tug, it is no wonder so many of these magnificent creatures get away.
Offshore sportfishermen primarily target three types of fish: billfish, tunas and sharks. Secondary quarry include wahoo, mahi mahi, jacks and king mackerel.
In many parts of the world, sharks are not hunted for sport, but avoided, as they often devour more desirable game fish that are on the hook. Yet there is a growing fascination with these dangerous predators, which are actively pursued in Australia, California and the U.S. Northeast. The lure is simple: the shark is the biggest of all game fish, and the great white is the biggest shark, with specimens exceeding two tons. Other popular game sharks are tigers, makos and hammerheads.
Tunas are the "original" sportfish, and the earliest offshore fishing clubs were built around their pursuit. One reason for their popularity is the widespread availability of many species of large tuna in waters around the world. Another is that they are powerful fish, diving deep and giving an unrelenting fight. Unlike many large fish, they travel in schools, making multiple, simultaneous strikes commonplace. The biggest prize is the giant bluefin, occasionally breaking a thousand pounds, although much smaller yellowfin are very popular.
But for the serious sportfisherman, billfish are in a class by themselves. Due to their beauty, speed and acrobatic leaping ability, the various types of sailfish, spearfish and marlin are the backbone of major tournaments, and the most sought-after fish. The ultimate prize is the fourth species of billfish, the broadbill swordfish, whose rarity makes it just an elusive dream for most anglers.
Zane Grey, no slouch of a fisherman, described the broadbill in his 1927 short story, "Xiphias Gladius 418 Pounds," the title of which refers to the scientific name for the fish:
"...the 1920 season was not only the hardest ordeal we ever endured, but the most dangerous experience of any kind we ever had. Lassoing mountain lions, hunting the grizzly bear, and stalking the fierce tropical jaguar, former pastimes of ours, are hardly comparable to the pursuit of Xiphias gladius [broadbill swordfish]. It takes more time, patience, endurance, study, skill, nerve and strength, not to mention money, of any game known to me...."
Conventional sportfishing consists of three stages: the hooking, the fighting and the release, and it is easy for even an experienced angler to lose the fish, right up until the release. This challenge is the whole reason for the sport, in which not only the fisherman but the captain and crew must be in sync with the fish, ready to counter its dives, runs and jumps.
Overeagerness is responsible for many lost fish. Deep sea fishing reels have built-in alarms, a loud clicking noise triggered by the taking of bait or lures. The sound of the reel immediately raises the blood pressure of all on board, but patience is a must. Some game fish are very difficult to hook, even after they have taken the bait. Unless you are skilled, it is wise to leave the setting of the hook to the mate, and take over from there.
While stand-up fighting is becoming increasingly popular, the traditional method for large fish is to use a fighting chair, a chair set in the bow of the boat, which rotates, has footrests for exerting leverage, and a holder for the butt of the rod. After the strike, the angler jumps in the chair while the mate hooks the fish and brings the fisherman the rod. Then the action begins.
It is simply impossible to overpower even a fair-sized game fish, inconceivable for a large one. Early attempts to stop the prey from running will result in a broken line. Considering that the heaviest line fished has a breaking strength of 130 pounds, far below the weight of many fish, and the fish can exceed 60 miles per hour, it is futile to try to stop one of these runs.
Fish tire quickly, and sportfishing is a matter of give and take. When the fish runs, you let it go. When it slows, you reel line back in as fast as humanly possible, trying to keep slack out of the line. Sometimes the fish will turn and come back at you. Other times it will instinctively dive deep, taking the line straight down from the rod. All the while the captain will maneuver the boat, circling or even backing up to assist the angler in managing the line.
It is easier for the fish to take line than for the fisherman to get it back, and for this reason the fight often involves cramping forearms and aching backs. The legs are used to push off the footrests and pull the rod up. As the fish tires, progress is achingly slow. The angler uses the rod as a lever, pulling it up to gain a few feet of line, then dropping it quickly and frantically reeling to recover those precious few feet. This action may need to be repeated hundreds of times.
The only fights that last minutes are those the fish wins. Hours are more typical for landing a big fish. My shark still had most of the line when I lost him after 30 minutes, and showed no signs of tiring.
"Our captain told us fights typically last about a minute per pound," said Robert Pedrero, a California entrepreneur who recently traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in pursuit of blue marlin. "I hooked an 80-pound sailfish, which took about an hour and a half to land, so he was right on the money." This rule of thumb does not apply to the biggest fish, which take hours, not days, to catch.
The reason billfish are the most popular is because of their beautiful coloration and stunning aerial maneuvers. They will jump vertically well clear of the water, flip, or bound in and out in consecutive horizontal leaps. Occasionally a billfish will reward its hunters with the truly impressive display of seemingly "walking" on its tail, erect with its bill to the sky. For this reason, a good camera should be brought whenever you charter.
While fish are unpredictable, the acrobatics generally begin well into the fight. Ernest Hemingway's poor fisherman, the protagonist of The Old Man and The Sea, had to fight his giant dream marlin through two full nights before he got a glimpse of it, but it was worth the wait:
"The line rose slowly and steadily and then the surface of the ocean bulged ahead of the boat and the fish came out unendingly and water poured from his sides. He was bright in the sun and his head and back were dark purple and in the sun the stripes on his sides showed wide and a light lavender. His sword was as long as a baseball bat and tapered like a rapier and he rose his full length from the water and then re-entered it, smoothly, like a diver, and the old man saw the great scythe-blade of his tail go under and the line commenced to race out."
It should be remembered that Hemingway's old man had no crew, no motor, no rod and no reel, just a length of line. The average charter angler can expect to be back in port the same day he or she set out.
"The lure that Hemingway created of catching a big billfish lives on," says Ellen Peel, executive director of The Billfish Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting the conservation of these most sought-after game fish.
Unfortunately, the excitement created by Hemingway and others led to destructive over-fishing of many of the world's most productive waters. Serious declines in numbers of billfish and tuna, particularly the swordfish, have threatened the survival of these species. According to Peel, "Years ago, you could catch 600- to 1000-pound swordfish, but there is now no place in the United States to reliably catch swords, and when they do it is usually well under a hundred pounds. Just for a recreational angler to catch one in the Atlantic is a rare event."
The Billfish Foundation and like-minded organizations began promoting catch and release or tag and release programs, where the tags are used by scientists to study fish migrations, and the results have been staggering. According to Peel, more than 90 percent of the billfish caught in the Atlantic are released, and in many states and countries release is mandatory.
A second development that promoted conservation was an improvement in taxidermy. No longer do most anglers return home with real skin mounts, which yellow with age. Taxidermists now create "release mounts," a fiberglass replica based on the size and weight of the fish, or a photo if available, allowing the catch to be released.
Even major tournaments have moved to a catch and release format, led by the world's most prestigious, the International Billfish Tournament of the Club Náutico de San Juan in Puerto Rico. The longest consecutively held tournament, it just completed its 43rd annual event. According to tournament director Luis Valldejuli, "We were the first to go to the release format. We also have a 100-point bonus for tagging." Prizes are awarded for boats, captains and anglers with the most releases.
Many anglers keep only their biggest fish in the hopes of breaking records, but even this is changing. The International Game Fish Association (IGFA), headquartered in Pompano Beach, Florida, is the keeper of all rules and records for fresh and saltwater game fish. The IGFA now certifies portable scales, so anglers can document record fish without bringing them to port. According to Jim Brown, the IGFA's assistant to the president, "We very much support the catch and release ethic. We allow the use of field scales and photos so record fish can be released."
One of the greatest appeals of sportfishing is the ease with which beginners can get involved. Typically, charter captains provide everything needed, from rods and reels to expertise. In major tourist destinations, would-be anglers can often arrange a charter on the spot by walking up to the docks, though it pays to make plans in advance.
Spur of the moment charter destinations include Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, where many records have been set; southern Florida, especially Key West, Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale; Cabo San Lucas, Cozumel and Cancún, Mexico; and tourist destinations throughout the Caribbean.
Charters are either full- or half-day, shared or private. In a private charter, you pay for the whole boat, and can go alone or with a party of your choice. Many boats limit the number of passengers to six, although you may negotiate exceptions, especially if you have non-fishermen aboard. Patrons of shared boats are usually unaccompanied anglers looking to defray the cost with other like-minded fisherman, and once on board, will take turns and rotate strikes.
A full day is typically eight to nine hours, while a half is usually four. In locations where the good fishing is far offshore, you may lose considerable fishing time traveling back and forth, so a half day may not be worthwhile.
David Ritchie, editor of Marlin Magazine, the leading sportfishing publication, says, "Rates are affected by how far you have to go out, because of fuel costs. In Palm Beach it might be five miles, in Cape May, New Jersey, 80. It varies widely, between $300 to $1,500 per day."
Within North America, if fishing is readily available just offshore, such as in Hawaii, Florida or Puerto Rico, private charters are typically $500 to $700 for a full day and $300 to $400 for a half. Split charters are often available only as half days, for $100 to $150 per person.
Both captain and crew, usually one or two mates, generally expect tips, and mates may depend on them. Ritchie suggests tipping "as you would in a restaurant, 15 to 20 percent of the charter fee, more if you set a record or win a tournament." When making special requests, consider tipping more. Scott Nichols, a former charter captain who now works on fishery management for the state of Florida, fishes the more challenging light tackle, which forces the crew to work harder.
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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Prostate Cancer
Burning Pain in the Scrotum
Could prostate cancer cause a burning pain in the scrotum?
Prostate cancer has few symptoms that are specific. Most symptoms associated with prostate cancer can be attributed to prostate enlargement which is commonly known as "benign prostate hyperplasia". This is not cancer. Prostatitis or bladder infection can cause symptoms of burning, but this is usually perceived at the urethral meatus (the opening at the tip of the penis). I would recommend that you be examined by a urologist to assess these symptoms. If you are 50 years or older (or 45 years if you are African-American or have a first degree male relative with a history of prostate cancer), then annual digital rectal exam and PSA (blood test) is recommended to screen for prostate cancer.
James F Donovan, Jr, MD
Professor of Surgery
Director of UC Urology
College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati


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Up until today, I would not have put this on the Pacers thread. But while driving today I heard Stephon Marbury on the radio defending Michael Vick and stupidly questioning why hunters and packing houses aren't held in the same contempt. This comes on the heals of Falcons Ray Buchanan pretty much parroting the same argument.
Question #1 - are these people just stupid? I can't imagine an agent or PR person not telling their client to stay completely away from this topic. The statements made by these two (and there have been others before them) completely baffle me considering the overwhelming public sentiment on the issue.
Question #2 - Why are the comments coming only from black athletes? Are white athletes (Michelle Tafoya's question to Manning aside) not being asked the question or are they just not commenting?
If I were one of the above athletes agents I would have had a freaking heart attack.


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Increase the impact of your donation with our Matching Gift Challenge - your donation will be matched 5 to 1!
If you happened to be at the Dave Matthews Band concerts in New Jersey this past weekend, you may have noticed hundreds of fans sporting "I Like it WILD" buttons, courtesy of The Wilderness Society.
On September 19 and 20, The Wilderness Society joined the Dave Matthews Band "Eco-village," at the concerts in Camden. There, we were part of a collection of environmental and social justice groups that reach out to fans at every Dave Matthews Band show.


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Everything was set Wednesday night for a perfect "trap" game for the Tar Heels. Not only were they on the road against a sell-out crowd in one of the more boisterous (to put it nicely) arenas you'll find, but it was Maryland's Senior Night and last ACC home game — ever. Plus, no one could blame the Tar Heels for looking ahead to their own Senior Night against Duke on Saturday.
But instead Roy's Boys put on one of their most dominant performances of the season. Not because of the box score (they only won by 11), not because Maryland is a great opponent (they aren't), and not because the Heels simply played really well (they've been doing that since the loss at Duke). As far as the eye-test goes, this one just felt different.
For the first time all year, the small ball experiment stopped resembling an experiment, and started looking like a serious force. The Tar Heels looked loose, played with confidence, and finally took care of a game in the "strictly business" manner that really good teams do.
Every time Maryland tried to make a run, even with their home fans behind them, UNC crushed it with no regard for human life like Donald Trump in a boardroom meeting. When Maryland took the lead midway through the first half, UNC ran off a 10 straight points before the break. When the Terps made a game of it in the second half, Bullock rained down threes in what was his most efficient game of the season (18 points on just 8 shots), which seems to be a phrase fans are hearing after every game these days.
The difference Wednesday night was that the Heels have clearly found their "identity" within this new smaller lineup.
But then again, what exactly is so small about it? Sure, the Tar Heels are starting four perimeter-oriented players, but if one is 6'7 (Bullock) and the other is 6'6 and could probably sneak into an NFL training camp (Hairston), then all the sudden the Heels don't seem to have much of a size problem.
Even Vegas seemed to take UNC's "small ball" label for granted. The casinos favored Carolina by only one point in College Park, no doubt because Mark Turgeon's squad sports a 7'1 potential lottery pick, and UNC essentially plays only one in the post. But see if Carolina's Bullock and Hairston cared. Not a single Terrapin out-rebounded either North Carolina native — not even the towering Alex Len. And the bigger Terps managed to out-rebound the Heels by only one measly board.
When fans and analysts alike think small ball, their first reaction is how bigger teams are going to exploit it. But of course, this totally forgets what those teams have to do to match-up with the quicker lineup. What was seen at Maryland last night was the outrageous level of disruption and problems Bullock and Hairston present other teams when they have the freedom to roam around the court.
The two North Carolina kids (not just Carolina students-athletes, but born and raised in NC) combined for 41 points, 20 rebounds, 6 steals, 3 assists and only 2 turnovers. And that doesn't include all the tipped rebounds, misdirected passes and defensive plays the over-sized wings created.
And of course, when the pressure is taken off the rest of Carolina's squad because of Hairston and Bullock's play, their teammates can maximize what they do best. In the Heels' last five games Dexter Strickland has 25 assists and only two turnovers. Just take a moment and let that set in.
And while Marcus Paige had maybe the most disastrous five minutes in the history of Carolina point guards on Wednesday night—four turnovers and a foul, forcing Roy to (gasp) call a timeout—he responded with possibly the biggest basket of the game. Paige drained an open three out of the huddle to push the lead back out to nine and break Maryland's run. And naturally, Marcus was wide open because of Reggie and PJ's movement.
This is where things get interesting, because, well, Carolina's small ball lineup is no longer interesting. It isn't novel, and there are no more kinks to work out. The Tar Heels know who they are, and what that allows them to do is to finally get serious.
But the thing about that… is now everyone else knows too. The secret is out. Local media flocked to Twitter after UNC's win in College Park to comment on the Heels as one of the more dangerous squads in the country — a few even joked about following them to the Final Four in Atlanta.
Can't wait to cover this UNC team in Atlanta.
— Joe Ovies (@joeovies) March 7, 2013
Maybe for once, Ovies wasn't joking.
You can follow Jordan on Twitter @BlackFalcon_net
Photos by TJ Root


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|April 10, 2002
Volume 4, Issue 15
|Midwifery Today E-News
"Apgar Scores"
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"Healthy Birth"
Get the full program online. The three-day conference will have components of Midwifery Today conferences as well as the presentation of several papers. Chinese doctors have been asked to arrange for midwives to be present as well as doctors, and it has been noted that we are interested in Chinese medicine. A hospital focused on the practice of Chinese medicine is located across the street from Shamin Island, where our venue is located.
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Quote of the Week
"Birth is an experience that demonstrates that life is not merely function and utility, but form and beauty."
- Christopher Largen
The Art of Midwifery
A well-established member of the tonic group of plants, stinging nettle is rich in trace minerals and vitamins. These attributes make nettle a strong support for the intense physical demands of pregnancy. It is especially nourishing to the adrenals and as such is invaluable where stress -- physical and emotional -- is a factor. Stinging nettle is rich in calcium and vitamins A, C, D and K. Nettle is an excellent ally for women who show signs of kidney distress in later stages of pregnancy or have recurrent bladder infections.
- Susan Perri, CCH,
Having a Baby Today: A newsletter designed to help you grow a healthy baby and have a happy, fulfilling birth.
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News Flashes
A prospective matched-case controlled study of high-risk pregnancies compared all women entering the hospital for labor induction who were categorized as high risk at 34 weeks gestation or greater with an amniotic fluid index of 5 cm or less, to high-risk women coming in for induction with an amniotic fluid index greater than 5. The women were matched for gestational age, race, parity, maternal age and pregnancy complication. Between the 79 women in the study group and 79 in the control group, there were no statistically significant differences in terms of thick meconium, variable decelerations, use of amnioinfusion, cesarean delivery for fetal distress, and low umbilical artery pH.
- Amer J Ob Gyn, Vol. 180 No. 6
Apgar Scores
An Apgar score of 0 to 3 at 5 minutes is associated with an increased risk of cerebral palsy in full-term infants, but this increase is only from 0.3% to 1%. Scores of 4 through 6 are intermediate and are not markers of high levels of risk of later neurologic dysfunction. Such scores are affected by physiologic immaturity, medication, the presence of congenital malformations and other factors. Because Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes correlate poorly with either cause or outcome, the scores alone should not be considered evidence of or a consequence of substantial asphyxia. Therefore, a low 5-minute Apgar score alone does not demonstrate that later development of cerebral palsy was caused by perinatal asphyxia.
Correlation of the Apgar score with future neurologic outcome increases when the score remains 0 to 3 at 10, 15 and 20 minutes but still does not indicate the cause of future disability. The term asphyxia in a clinical context should be reserved to describe a combination of damaging acidemia, hypoxia and metabolic acidosis. A neonate who has had asphyxia proximate to delivery that is severe enough to result in acute neurologic injury should demonstrate all of the following:
The Apgar score alone cannot establish hypoxia as the cause of cerebral palsy. A full-term infant with an Apgar score of 0 to 3 at 5 minutes whose 10-minute score improved to 4 or higher has a 99% chance of not having cerebral palsy at 7 years of age. Conversely, 75% of children with cerebral palsy had normal Apgar scores at birth.
Cerebral palsy is the only neurologic deficit clearly linked to perinatal asphyxia. Although mental retardation and epilepsy may accompany cerebral palsy, there is no evidence that they are caused by perinatal asphyxia unless cerebral palsy is also present, and even then a relationship is in doubt.
- American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement,
Routine procedures need study. Only about 10% of routine obstetrical procedures have been studied adequately, but there is a similar lack of research on routine procedures performed on the baby after birth. Most of these procedures have not been assessed scientifically. A case in point is the Apgar score; although it has been used religiously for over 25 years, several studies have shown it to be of limited value in identifying infants at risk of developing neurological handicap. The appropriateness of the Apgar score should be reexamined in the light of more recent knowledge about the causes of birth asphyxiation and the feasibility of the method in some cultures and settings. A modified score, based only on respiration and heart rate, may well be more useful.
- Marsden Wagner, MD,
Think About It
Check It Out!
Order the Breastfeeding Book and you'll learn about encouraging breastfeeding during the prenatal period, nursing the newborn, troubleshooing, weaning and more.
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Midwifery Today's Online Forums: Vitamin K
Following a midwife-attended birth I asked the parents if they wanted their baby to have eye ointment and/or vitamin K. They declined the eye ointment but said they would like the baby to have vit. K. Their midwife replied "Good, because I was going to strongly recommend it in this case." Her reasoning was that the baby was born OP. I've never heard of this as a reason to give the injection -- has anyone else?
Go to our forums to share your thoughts and experience.
Question of the Week: VBAC with Extended Scar
Q: Does anyone have information about or experience with successful VBACs with an extended uterine scar (8 in. vs. 4 in.)? A woman is interested in homebirth who was attempting an unassisted homebirth with her last baby. Upon SROM she found a foot presenting. She and her husband went to the hospital and the doctor on call did a c-section but had to extend the incision to get the baby out. He assured and reassured her that she had a perfectly good chance of delivering vaginally next time, given she has a care provider. I am now sending her to my backup physician for consultation (who happens to be the physician who did her c-section). I have not officially accepted her into my care yet. I am waiting to see what my backup physician says and gather more concrete info.
- Anonymous
Send your responses to:
Question of the Week Responses: Muscular Dystrophy
Q: A woman with muscular dystrophy is planning to get pregnant for the first time. She leads an active lifestyle. She attributes her good health to her daily swimming routine, which she plans to continue if she gets pregnant. An obstetrician has told her she will definitely have to have a cesarean section. She would like to have a waterbirth, preferably at home, but we really don't know how the pregnancy will affect her physical fitness and capabilities. We would love to know of other women's and midwives' experiences.
- Anonymous
A: A woman who came to me for care had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis over 10 years ago, and she had a daughter who was around 4 years old. I hadn't known her during her pregnancy, but she shared some of the story. It was an incredibly empowering and healing experience. I don't believe she had particular complications during pregnancy, though like many pregnant women, she chose to rest more and worked at her job less. She gave birth in a hospital but totally naturally. Her support people at the hospital encouraged her to simply trust her body and allow herself to experience how powerful her body could be. And she did! I believe they may have partially used gravity to help in the second stage, with her hanging her arms over the shoulders of two support people. I don't know if other measures were used. Four years later, she still completely glowed upon sharing the story, and has a very healthy, strong, vibrant, spunky daughter. The woman's health, including her MS, appeared to be unaffected by the pregnancy and birth.
-Kira Bernstein
A: I am a 33-year-old mom with cerebral palsy from birth. When I got pregnant for the first time, I decided to try a homebirth because I knew if doctors saw me coming, they would certainly talk me into a section as a "necessity." I needed the chance to try with people who believed I could. That birth was miraculous, with no problems at all. Four years later I birthed a 10-pound baby boy in my living room with much praise and shouting! I've decided the next one needs to be a waterbirth!
Give the lady a well-educated, well-supported chance to birth in all the glory her body was created to birth. Feel free to ask me more specifics about my births, should you need them.
A: I'm getting sick of all of the lame excuses for cesareans. Here are some recent examples from my practice:
Our VBAC rate last year was about zero thanks to the recent VBAC article that came out (was it NEJM or JAMA?) that made the papers, although it was not new information. Uterine rupture is most often due to meddlesome obstetrics with prostaglandins for induction or nonjudicious use of Pitocin.
Basically if anything seems weird or out of the ordinary, the maternal fetal medicine specialists in my area and the OBs are all too happy to jump onto the cesarean bandwagon. It's quick, easy, pays more, it's scheduled, and all of the other conveniences that make natural childbirth a little too unpredictable for some people. Folks, the tide is moving toward elective cesarean on demand, and it's time to get more politically active about stopping it!
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I am proud to announce that I attended my first homebirth (high time, at 57 years old). What do you bring to the home -- oxygen? vacuum machine? laryngoscope and tubes?
What would you tell a young woman who gave birth fast and easy twice but bled during her second labour while at home? She gave birth normally and everything else went smoothly after that except for the rush to the clinic and from the staff as she nearly gave birth in the car! Would you take any special step for her?
- Francoise Bardes,
Paxil [Issue 4:13] is the only SSRI that has actually been researched on pregnant women. Although I have not read the study, the drug reps say it is safe. Michael Hale lists it as a category "B" drug during pregnancy ("Medications in Mother's Milk"). We have a large practice and usually have 3 or 4 women on some form of SSRI. We have had no problems from Effexor, Paxil, Zoloft. The newer drugs are listed by Hale as category "B" drugs.
It is important to recognize why women are on Paxil. If they are depressed and go off it, they may have significant problems during their pregnancies. Our experience shows these women to have more problems sleeping, more problems with pregnancy discomforts generally, often having heart palpitations or anxiety attacks, and at a much higher risk for postpartum depression. If women are on Paxil for anxiety reduction, then taking them off often leads to high blood pressure, sleep disorders, crying spells and other pregnancy problems. We now suggest that women do not go off their SSRIs so long as they are "new generation." We have had fewer problems with women doing this than with women going off them. The babies have all been fine. There has been no noticeable differences in births or birth outcomes.
Alternately, in the women who have stopped taking them, we have noticed a higher rate of postpartum depression, fear and epidurals. Fear, anxiety and depression seem to have an impact on pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
- Jennesse Oakhurst
I am a rather new labor/delivery RN working in a conservative metropolitan hospital. Every day I go home feeling angry and defeated, not necessarily by the families I work with, but because of the environment I am trying to practice in. Are there any chat rooms or groups out there amongst hospital-based RNs that I could get involved in for support?
- Kari
Lately I've had very little time for mothering mothers, which is what I had planned to spend most of my time doing when I became a midwife. There was a problem getting reimbursement because I lost my malpractice coverage, which wasn't my fault, and I'm lucky because I did get another policy eventually. Then there was a problem being reimbursed because of something my backup doctor said, so I had to make other arrangements for backup. Now I'm being audited for CEUs, and they want them for two overlapping years in two licensing periods. Does this make sense? I have the CEUs, but as a nurse for many years I'm well aware that many folks wait till the last minute to get all their CEUs, and if I'd done that I'd be in violation of this audit. When I called to clarify this I was told no one else had raised the question! I feel I'm being picked on, and some of the hoops I've had to jump through are not quite right.
- Anonymous
Could you please tell me what a nocebo is [Issue 4:14]?
- Debi
Editor: "Nocebo" comes from Latin, meaning "I will harm," as opposed to "placebo." which means "I will please." Nocebo in the field of birth is the harmful effect/s of negative expectations as especially manifested in technology-ridden birth.
The study of breastfeeding mothers and the effects of pacifier use [Issue 4:14] should also include weight measurement and growth chart (long-term) for the two different groups to be able to make any conclusion. I have found the study as it is presented to be incomplete. Our goal is to increase breastfeeding with lots of support and minimal intervention. The main goal must be that we help our babies reach their maximum potential by feeding them on demand. I do not believe that we should offer them pacifier to control the frequency and duration of breastfeeding.
- Irma R.M.
[Editor's note: The brief was included to explain how pacifier use interferes with breastfeeding. We absolutely did not intend to present it as an alternative to breastfeeding! Midwifery Today always has been a strong and outspoken advocate of breastfeeding on demand.
Re: scar tissue on the cervix from cryosurgery, conization or LEEP [Issue 4:12]. I just had my first client with previous cryosurgery, a 32-year-old primip who went 1-2 weeks overdue (unsure of her dates). In the last month of her pregnancy I instructed her to deposit 3 500-mg capsules of evening primrose oil in her vagina every night before bed. She had mild menstrual-type cramping on and off for the last month, especially the first night she used the EPO. When she didn't go into labor at term, I checked her cervix and she was 100% effaced, head at 0 station, but I couldn't find an os. I checked to make sure the cervix wasn't too posterior for me to feel, but it wasn't there. The only thing I felt was a hard knot, which I surmised was the cryosurgery scar tissue where I thought her cervix was (lateral, it turned out). When I removed my gloved hand, the glove was covered in bloody show, so I knew I was in contact with her cervix.
About five days later she went into labor, and I went to her home to check her. I felt the same thing I had noticed at my office five days before, so I told her I was going to try to dilate her cervix. It was extremely painful, but I dug at the hard knot and I felt a little hole start. I put two fingers in the cervix and manually opened it to 3 cm. An hour later she was 7 cm and I never had to stretch it again. She proceeded to have a very efficient labor, birthing an 8-pound baby boy.
- Dotti Kirkpatrick, RM
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Midwifery Today: Each One Teach One!


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Regular preventive maintenance by an authorized Piaget service center is the best way to protect your Piaget asset. Piaget ensures that its worldwide team of highly qualified professionals are constantly at your disposal. Only our watchmakers and jewelers are equipped with the apparatus, documentation, specific tools and original components that have been specifically designed for our creations. Our craftsmen regularly attend training courses to ensure that they remain at the peak of their profession. The lifespan of a Piaget creation is virtually limitless, provided that regular maintenance is carried out on it. For watches, the frequency is every three years, alternating between maintenance and complete services to rectify the natural wear of certain components and the deterioration of oils. A check for your jewelry is recommended every three to five years.
The maintenance service is the ideal opportunity to bring your watch in for a periodic inspection to maintain its technical qualities. It also enables us to assess the current state of your watch. Our watchmakers make a thorough diagnosis and complete various checks on the movement. They also test the watch's resistance to magnetic fields and water for a quartz watch whose seals and battery have been changed. The metal case and bracelet are then carefully cleaned. We recommend that you service your watch every three years, alternating between a maintenance service and a complete service. This requires between one and a half to two hours of work, followed by over 48 hours of testing. If any check gives a negative result, a complete service is required. After this service, you will be issued with a 12-month service guarantee covering the work and parts replaced.
This service will give your watch a new lease of life. During a complete service, our craftsmen carefully disassemble the watch and its movement. All of the movement components (of which there are over one hundred in a mechanical watch) are cleaned. Worn parts, seals and batteries in quartz watches are replaced. The movement is then adjusted and its functions rigorously tested. We recommend that you service your watch every three years, alternating between a maintenance and a complete service. A complete service generally requires approx. one day of work followed by up to 500 hours of testing, depending on the model. In the end, you will take renewed pleasure in your watch, which will be as good as new.
To carry out a complete service in the best possible conditions, the same watchmaker is in charge of all operations carried out on any given movement. All work is completed by hand and requires the expertise and years of experience that only watchmakers trained by Piaget can provide. All of the components required for a service are stored at our service centers throughout the world, which alone are authorized to use original Piaget parts. If a part is missing, our Manufacture can fabricate a new one as required. The watchmaker first conducts a magnetic check, before opening the case-back and removing the movement. A diagnosis is then made and an estimate is established if the client so wishes. The case and strap, which sometimes contain over 100 parts, are fully disassembled.
The watchmaker completely disassembles the movement by hand, part by part. This involves around one hundred parts for the simplest models and up to two hundred for the most complicated. Each part is cleaned in a series of special baths to remove all residual traces of lubricant. The watchmaker then checks the condition of all of the components that make up the movement. Any that are worn or no longer comply with Piaget's high quality criteria are systematically replaced. The battery in quartz watches is also replaced. The watchmaker then reassembles the movement by hand and adjusts and checks its various functions. He then lubricates the movement: this is a complex operation that involves several special oils in strictly controlled amounts. To finish, he checks the operation of the movement and makes any final adjustments that may be required.
Our experienced craftsmen clean all the parts of the case and bracelet. They then hand-polish the case, bracelet and clasp. These operations are particularly delicate as each component often features an array of surface finishes. Equally intricate and sensitive are satin-finishing, engine-turning (guillochage), and diamond-polishing or lapping, which require partial protection of the various surfaces and often involve complete disassembly of the bracelet. For white-gold watches, our master craftsmen plate the surfaces with rhodium: a fine layer of rhodium is deposited on the gold to enhance its radiance and highlight the diamonds. A visual appraisal of the gem-setting is then performed by our jewelers.
Once the watchmaker has reassembled the bracelet and case, and installed the dial and hands on the movement, he then cases up the watch and makes any necessary adjustments. Before closing the case, all the seals are replaced, as well as any case-back screws that no longer comply with Piaget's quality criteria. Once again, the watch's water-resistance is tested and a complete check of its functions and performance is carried out. Finally, wearing the watch is simulated on a device that reproduces the movements of the wrist to ensure that the movement is functioning correctly and that the adjustments are accurate. A final overall check is made at the end of the service. You will receive your watch with a twelve-month guarantee that covers the operations carried out and the parts that have been replaced. You will enjoy the sensation of having a watch that is as good as new.
The restoration service is intended for vintage or damaged models. It enables Piaget creations that you hold particularly dear to be restored as closely as possible to their original conditions. We therefore guarantee all purchasers of a Piaget model that we will always look for a customized solution to repair their possessions and ensure the long-term durability of their assets. At Piaget, we continue to preserve artisanal traditions: we still use time-honored tools and pay particular attention to our heritage so that we are always in a position to consider our clients' requests. Only master watchmakers, jewelers and finishing experts approved by Piaget are entitled to carry out these delicate restoration operations that sometimes require several days of work.
An in-depth diagnosis is made by an expert, who specifies the operations that must be carried out in order to make a watch operational and restore our creations as faithfully as possible to their esthetic prime. Restoration work is carried out on vintage pieces and on those that have suffered accidental damage. In most cases, repair is possible. We carefully retain parts used in our watches and movements in stock for many years. If a part is not available, our Manufacture is able to tailor-make it in most cases thanks to our extensive experience, the considerable expertise of our craftsmen, and our comprehensive archives.
We strive to retain the original qualities of the objects entrusted to us for restoration. Movements are restored using the criteria applied at the time at which the watch was created. This is why an antique movement cannot generally provide the same performance as a contemporary movement. The restoration service includes in-depth study, historic research, delicate operations and occasionally the exceptional manufacture of certain parts. This explains why it can take several months before we are able to return your item to you. Upon completion of this service, you will benefit from a twelve-month guarantee that covers the intervention carried out and the parts replaced. You can thus enjoy the sensation of having a creation that is almost as good as new.
Piaget offers a variety of services for its jewelry that can modify, refresh, or restore your cherished items. Our skilled master jewelers, gemologists, gem-setters, engravers and polishers are attentive to your wishes. They contribute their expertise and experience to personalize your jewelry by adding engravings, to change the fastening mechanism of an ear clip, to resize a ring or to rhodium-plate and polish your jewelry. We also provide a restoration service for vintage or damaged items. Upon completion of these services, you will benefit from a twelve-month guarantee that covers the intervention carried out and the parts replaced. You can thus enjoy the sensation of having a creation that is almost as good as new.
Engraving and polishing jewelry are just two of the many services available. Engraving a piece of jewelry is a way of personalizing it or immortalizing an important event in your life, such as a wedding, birthday or anniversary. Polishing will restore the brilliance of your jewelry to close to its original condition. It is carried out entirely by hand by highly experienced polishers, who use various artisanal techniques in precise order. Depending on how your item of jewelry is worn, we recommend having it polished every three to five years. White-gold jewelry is rhodium-plated after polishing. Precious stones and their settings are carefully checked individually by hand.
Sizing involves adjusting the size of certain pieces of jewelry, depending on your requirements or wishes. The size of your Piaget jewelry can be adjusted by our jewelers, providing the model lends itself to resizing. If required, our gem-setters will add diamonds to retain the integrity of the original design. This service also includes polishing and rhodium-plating for white-gold jewelry. All of these operations are carried out by hand. Finally, a rigorous inspection is made of the stones and their settings. Most Piaget earrings are designed so that the fastening system can be modified at any time during their existence. Our jewelers can thus replace studs with clips, or vice versa, according to your wishes.


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Environmental Quality Advisory Council Seeks High School Student as Member
March 16, 2010
News Highlights
More Information
The Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) seeks a high school student to serve on the council from July 2010 through June 2011. As an EQAC member, the student will help make decisions and recommendations that impact the county's environmental policies. Membership is a great opportunity for growth and hands-on education.
High school sophomores and juniors in good standing may apply; home-schooled students also are encouraged to apply. Applications must be postmarked by April 30.
EQAC's chief function is to make recommendations to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for improving the county's efforts in environmental protection and enhancement; these efforts serve to support the board's environmental improvement plan. During monthly meetings, many issues are examined, such as hazardous materials, water and air quality, land use, noise, solid waste, ecological resources, deer management, visual pollution and light pollution. In addition, EQAC holds a public hearing each year to obtain residents' input on issues of environmental concern. The council also submits an "Annual Report on the Environment" to the board.
Applications are available from the science department chair, guidance counselor or principal of each public, private or parochial school in Fairfax County. Interested students also may contact Noel Kaplan, Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning, at 703-324-1369, TTY 711, or by e-mail. Information about EQAC and the student member position is available online.
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director, Office of Public Affairs
703-324-3189, TTY 711, Media Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
To request this information in an alternate format, call 703-324-3187, TTY 711


text: Stocking elk proves to be an expensive undertaking By John McCoy December 31, 2011 Story Share If West Virginia wildlife officials ever decide to stock elk in the state's southwestern counties, they'd be well advised to learn from their counterparts in Missouri.Folks in the Show Me State are upset because a stocking project that was supposed to cost $411,185 is apparently costing much more than that.The Missouri State Auditor says the agency has spent $1.23 million to stock just 39 of the 150 elk called for in the project. Missouri Department of Conservation officials say the auditor counted expenses that weren't part of the project.When government officials start going back and forth like that, the cold hard truth is tough to pin down.According to an account by the non-profit Missouri News Horizon media service, state Auditor Tom Schweich criticized wildlife officials for failing to factor employee's salaries, habitat restoration and ongoing monitoring costs into their estimates.Department officials contend they've spent just $363,000 of their projected budget for the project. They argue that the salaries and habitat improvements cited by the auditor benefited all wildlife, not just elk, and therefore should not be included in the project cost.As an outsider with no particular ax to grind, it appears that the auditor might be going a bit hard on the agency. It wouldn't be the first time that a state auditor came down hard on a resource agency. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources officials regularly get raked over the coals for perceived shortcomings in deer-management efforts.I must add, however, that Missouri Department of Conservation officials obviously haven't stayed within the elk project's budget. Using the agency's own figures, $363,000 has been spent to stock 39 animals. Good luck stocking 111 more with the remaining $48,185 earmarked for the project. Part of the Missouri controversy springs from the way the Department of Conservation gets its money. In addition to revenue from hunting- and fishing-license sales and from federal excise taxes paid on hunting and fishing equipment, the Missouri agency gets one eighth of one percent of the state's annual sales tax collections.Sales tax revenue accounts for 58 percent of the agency's annual income. Taxpayers feel they have a right to complain when the agency overspends, and they do.West Virginia's wildlife officials enjoy a good deal more independence because their agency derives almost all of its funding from license sales and federal excise-tax rebates. Because the DNR receives only a tiny fraction of its money from the state's general fund, agency administrators tend to listen more closely to license-buying hunters and anglers than they do to taxpayers as a whole.That said, if Mountain State wildlife officials ever overspent on an elk-stocking project as badly as Missouri officials appear to have overspent on theirs, they'd be in every bit as much hot water as their Show Me State counterparts.West Virginians don't have much money. They must live within their means, and for the most part they do. They have a hard time understanding when government officials badly underestimate the cost of a project, especially an expensive, high profile one like an elk-stocking initiative.To my knowledge, West Virginia officials at this time have absolutely no plans to stock elk within the state.Circumstances change. Public or political pressure might someday persuade DNR officials to purchase elk from some other state and release them into the southwestern coalfields. If or when that happens, I'm sure the good folks at the Missouri Department of Conservation would be happy to render the following advice: Stick to the budget. Even if the public wants what you're providing, they'll still count the nickels. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Deer in 8 WV counties found dead from EHD 2 Richwood mayor on leave amid investigation of purchases 3 New company planning $73M synthetic fuel plant in Greenbrier County 4 St. Albans rallies to beat Riverside, 21-17 5 WVU law professor announces run for Congress Outdoors notes -- Dec. 31 Previous Story The Wild Side: Border strategies affect wildlife Next Story


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"The Hunger Games" (2012)
It's evident from the nationwide pre-sale ticket records set by "The Hunger Games" (2012) that the thirst for teen fantasy films is unquenched. With a rabid fan base in place from Suzanne Collins' best-selling young adult trilogy of books, director Gary Ross looks to continue the commercially successful trend set by the "Harry Potter" and "Twilight" franchises in converting popularity from the page to the screen. Having not read the books and being in our early 30s, we wondered if we would be able to fully appreciate this endeavor.
"The Hunger Games" succeeds in making an implausible world believable, a minimum requirement for any science fiction film. All of the fundamentals of the genre are included. From futuristic technologies to neo-mythological creatures, the movie sets the stage with imaginative fashion and invented jargon.
The film takes place in a nation known as Panem after the breakdown of North American society following an unknown apocalyptic event. This new civilization is organized into 12 poorer districts and a wealthy capitol who were antagonists in a war won by the capitol. The districts now exist in a prison of police guards and wire fences and their sole purpose is to provide raw materials to support the opulence of the capitol. As a result, starvation is rampant throughout the districts.
Additional war reparations are paid to the capitol annually in the form of tributes for a televised competition. Tributes are children between the ages of 12 and 18 (one boy and one girl from each district) and the competition is to the death with only one competitor surviving. These tributes are chosen by lottery.
The story follows 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence ("Winter's Bone" 2010, "X-Men: First Class" 2011) as she volunteers in place of her younger sister to act as the tribute from coal-rich district 12 (formerly Appalachia) in the 74th Hunger Games. Also selected from district 12 is Peeta Mellark, played by Josh Hutcherson ("Bridge to Terabithia" 2007), a baker's son whom Katniss knows from school and once gave her bread when her family was starving. One of the more interesting aspects of the movie was the love triangle involving these two along with Katniss' childhood friend, Gale Hawthorne, as the crush Peeta has on Katniss is only reciprocated artificially for increased chances of survival.
The overall impact of the 99 percent of the citizenry suffering for the good of the 1 percent is lost in the beautiful cinematography. The breathtaking pageantry is likely to get Oscar consideration for Best Costume Design.
Katniss and Peeta are taken to the capitol where their drunken mentor Haymitch Abernathy, played by Woody Harrelson, instructs them in the ways of the games. It turns out that the games are as much a competition of influence and favor as they are a physical contest. The movie thankfully spent a good amount of time setting up the premise with dialogue before delving into the non-stop action sequences.
Unfortunately, even though this was a well thought-out movie, a couple of things were remiss. The stark contrast between the capitol with its abundance of colorful riches and the districts mired in destitution is lessened by the fact that no one in the districts looks like they're starving, a major oversight. Lawrence, with her buxom good looks, does not look like she has missed a meal in her life.
If the underlying theme of the books was a sarcastic social parallel to our own American culture, it was lost in commercial pursuits. The character development was woefully inadequate and perhaps intentionally so. If you are going to show dead children in a PG-13 movie, then you had better sanitize it by creating an emotional disconnect with the audience. This is accomplished by having most of the deaths occur off-screen. While true to the book, the abundance of tributes, each with a singular skill set, seemed to cater more to merchandising action figures than to the enrichment of the plot.
Knowing ahead of time that this will be a three-part series (four if you count the likelihood that the final installment will be split in two), the movie intentionally includes loose ends. We felt lost when it came to the question: Why? Why these poor children are even out there in the first place? Why would the capitol hold these games? How can executing the children of the districts help to control them? If anything it would seem to foment an inevitable revolution, which is foreshadowed in this first film.
We guess we will have to read the books to fully enjoy the next two movies and Lawrence will have to lose some weight if only to look haunted enough. Our advice is if you are looking for some casual entertainment and willing to suspend disbelief then go enjoy this film. If you are looking for Lawrence in a slice of more biting social commentary rent "Winter's Bone."
Rating: $4.59 out of $9.50 -- Worth the rental new release price.
In 101 words
Looking for some quality entertainment on television? Transport yourself to the civil unrest of 1966 with "Mad Men" season five, which recently premiered on AMC after a 17-month hiatus. Viewers can live vicariously through the anti-hero Don Draper on his roller coaster of womanizing, excessive drinking and swearing. This season is setting up to depict the civil inequality of a class-conscious America. Perhaps using the past to make us aware of the present.
The creative force behind "Mad Men" is Matthew Weiner ("The Sopranos" 1999-2007), a genius fully in control of his craft. Watch for new episodes on Sunday nights.


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Columbus, Ohio -- Big Lots Inc. reported Tuesday a loss of $6 million for the third quarter, compared with net income of $4.2 million in the year-ago period. Results, however, topped analysts' earnings expectations.
Revenue slipped 0.4% to $1.13 billion, missing Wall Street's forecast of $1.3 billion.
The retailer also announced that its CEO Steven Fishman will retire as chairman and CEO after 40 years in retail. Big Lots has launched a search for his successor; Fishman will stay until a new CEO is appointed.


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'A sports industry analyst said that a sale could be impossible anytime soon, with an expected player strike looming over the NHL next season. "I don't know that the Sabres are salable at this point," said Marc Ganis of Sportscorp Ltd. in Chicago. "People are hunkering down for a long strike." In addition, the lease deal for the HSBC Arena effectively ties the team to Buffalo, he said, reducing its sale potential.'
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BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
March 11, 2009
Checking the Numbers
Pedro's Tank
When Pedro Martinez toed his home rubber to kick off the 1999 All-Star Game, fans across the globe knew they were in for a special performance. The game's best pitcher had breezed through the offense-heavy junior circuit in the first half, compiling a 2.10 ERA, 184/24 K:BB, and a Rafael Belliard-esque .213/.254/.292 opponent's line. On national television against some of the best hitters in the game, Pedro did not disappoint, fanning five of the six hitters he faced, and making each look foolish in the process. That image of Martinez is ingrained in our minds: a dominant and diminutive Dominican capable of shutting down and intimidating anyone who stepped into the box.
Ten years removed from that moment, the owner of arguably the two best-pitched seasons in major league history and a surefire Hall of Fame pitcher lacks employment, and has resorted to using the World Baseball Classic as an audition. After a disappointing 2008 season, does he have anything left in the tank?
Over the last few seasons, Pedro has fallen well short of expectations, a fact that he fully acknowledges. After consecutive seasons of 31-plus games started and 217 innings pitched in 2004-05, Martinez has averaged just 16 games started and 90 IP over the past three years, exhibiting a tendency for injuries that only exacerbates the inevitable performance decline of a pitcher in his mid-30s. Interestingly, despite extended trips to the disabled list due to rotator cuff and hamstring issues, as well as a slew of other injuries that hampered his performance on the field, Pedro's overall strikeout rate since 2006 has not suffered as substantially as some might expect. Here are some of his seasonal averages:
Seasons GS IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 NRA DERA 2004-05 32 217.0 9.0 2.2 0.9 3.35 3.49 2006-08 16 90.0 8.5 2.8 1.3 5.03 5.57
Overall averages can be quite deceiving, however, because they hide year-to-year shifts. Pedro's 2006-08 strikeout rate may be 8.5 per nine innings, but the average is largely comprised of a 9.3 K/9 in 2006 and a career-worst 7.2 K/9 last season. Combine the relatively low strikeout rate with a 3.6 BB/9 mark that happened to be his highest since 1993, and it becomes a little easier to understand what went wrong last season. The underlying cause for these rate changes can be found in plate discipline metrics, which show a particularly disturbing trend since his last award-worthy season in 2005:
Season O-Swing O-Cont Z-Swing Z-Cont 2005 23.3 46.9 64.8 83.1 2006 24.9 52.4 66.7 83.7 2007 27.8 44.8 68.8 82.4 2008 27.3 67.5 59.8 85.4 League Averages: O-Swing=24.4%, O-Cont=59.9%, Z-Swing=66.3%, Z-Cont=88.1%
Ignore the 2007 season for a moment (Pedro made just five starts), and instead compare the years before and after. Pedro induced swings out of the zone at a higher clip last season, yet the contact on these swings soared to heights he had never before seen. Likewise, hitters proved more efficient on pitches thrown in the zone, as their zone contact rate increased despite a lower percentage of swings. All of this signals that Pedro had lost much of his ability to fool hitters, which led to fewer whiffs, more balls in play, and a heavier reliance on his defense, which went well for Martinez given the abilities of the Mets' defenders throughout his tenure.
Pedro did not make any significant changes in his pitch repertoire between these two seasons, and he held the fort in the velocity department as well. Unfortunately, there is no Pitch-f/x data with which to compare his 2008 numbers, but the 41 percent ground-ball frequency last season, coming on the heels of a steady decline from 42 percent to 31 percent since 2002, suggests that his movement may have fluctuated. He has a reputation for being able to dial up velocity when the situation merits more liveliness on the fastball, but Pedro's velocity remained very consistent last season, and as we discussed last week, the ability to add or subtract miles per hour from a fastball really means nothing in regards to overall production.
Despite reaping the benefits of solid defense and keeping much of his pitch data in check, Pedro's batting average on balls in play increased from .273 in 2006 to last season's mark of .327, a jump of 56 points thanks to a higher rate of line drives allowed. The standard statistical reaction to a discrepancy this vast is to suggest regression to the mean in the coming season, but if Pedro has lost part or most of his ability to fool hitters, regression may only rear its' head slightly, if at all, especially given his health history and that he's no longer a spring chicken.
PECOTA recognizes these factors, and only sees things getting worse, projecting Pedro for just a 6.1 K/9 and 4.7 EqERA in 110 innings of work. Pedro's recent track record makes him more of a liability than an asset, a perpetually injured player spitting in the face of his personal "best shape of my life" claims. Even with the substantial decline in controllable skills and performance metrics, Pedro's weighted mean projection calls for 1.9 WARP, almost the definition of a league-average pitcher, and equivalent to the weighted mean projections for both Jarrod Washburn and Freddy Garcia. Of course, this value is only expected to be present in a rather minimal amount of playing time, and teams in this economy are shying away from risky investments, unless the contracts feature low base salaries with lots of room for incentives, or non-roster invitations.
Pedro Martinez has always been a very proud person, so it should come as no surprise that in spite of declining abilities and health issues, he has repeatedly expressed an unwillingness to sign either of these types of contracts. Early in the offseason, he reportedly turned down a one-year, $7 million offer from an unnamed American League club that was perhaps convinced his veteran savvy and potential upside would be a worthwhile investment, but based on his weighted mean of 1.9 WARP, an appropriate salary for Martinez would be closer to $3.7 million, about half the money offered in the deal he apparently chose not to sign. Pedro has been linked to the Marlins and Pirates, both of whom have expressed limited interest, and he's currently engaged in a one-sided game of hard-to-get with the Mets, who already have enough fifth starters in camp.
The most interesting idea has been put forth by the Cardinals, who are pondering whether or not he could be an effective closer, a role Pedro seemed wary of but willing to consider. Closers have a reputation for being flamethrowers and strikeout machines, and while Trevor Hoffman has certainly succeeded with a Moyer-ball, his strikeout rates remain impressive, even coming in at 9.1 per nine innings last season. Pedro has lost velocity over the past four years, and he has also experienced a decline in whiffs per nine, meaning that adjustments would need to be made in order to avoid becoming a Dan Kolb type of closer.
Health permitting (an issue which looms much larger than the space those two words occupy), Pedro could fill out the back end of a rotation for any team still considering its options for fifth starters, as long as the expectations are along the same lines as those bestowed upon John Smoltz and Brad Penny, pitchers who are likely to contribute, but whose availability will not make or break a club's season. Where could Pedro land? Operating under the assumption that he wants to stay in the senior circuit, which teams currently need a fifth starter? Pedro would have been a better signing for the Braves than Tom Glavine, but Glavine is already in Atlanta's fold. The Rockies, with Greg Smith, Jason Marquis, and Jorge de la Rosa rounding out their rotation, could certainly benefit from a splash of Pedro, but color me skeptical that Martinez would be willing to pitch in Denver. The Marlins could platoon Pedro with Chris Volstad in the fifth spot, but the team does not seem to eager to make him an offer.
After probing the remaining National League teams, it seems that the one most in need of Pedro's services would be the Houston Astros, who will be relying on perhaps the worst starting pitcher in baseball in Brandon Backe, and also counting on the oft-injured Mike Hampton and Brian Moehler. Considering his projected performance, there are simply not many teams that would be vastly improving their rosters by adding Martinez, and if the former All-Star is only going to provide a marginal level of production over either prospects or freely available talent, why bother?
Then again, not all teams share this philosophy, and Pedro's celebrity status may very well come into play. Based on his work ethic, and on his proven ability to adjust in terms of repertoire and strategy as he's grown older, I'm comfortable with the assessment that Pedro Martinez is not exactly running on empty, but rather on a quarter-gallon in a vehicle with a faulty transmission. Some team is going to decide to take a chance and bring him aboard, but Martinez will likely need to get past his ego and accept a smaller role and an incentive-laden deal. When he does sign, the 13-year-old inside me who witnessed the dominance in that 1999 All-Star Game will be pulling for a career renaissance, but at this point, Pedro Martinez is a fifth starter with just a little bit left to contribute, whose past success may garner present and future opportunities even if the actual production fails to justify the playing time.
Eric Seidman is an author of Baseball Prospectus.
10 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
Though it's the AL, he'd be a godsend for the Angels, who without Ervin Santana to start the year, will have Shane Loux and Dustin Moseley making up 40% of their rotation.
Mar 11, 2009 10:44 AM
Why not finish up where it all began? Chavez Ravine would be perfect.
Mar 11, 2009 16:26 PM
I can see the Dodgers signing him but realistically he isn't that big of an upgrade over Estes/Schmidt/Stults.
Mar 11, 2009 16:43 PM
Eric, true, but a couple of points:
Mar 11, 2009 18:12 PM
All I can say is that you are MUCH higher on him than I am. As I said, the 13-yr old inside of me who saw his dominant seasons would love to see it again, but I just cannot see him doing any more damage than the Schmidt/Estes/Stults combo... and Manny took care of tickets... I can't see hordes of fans flocking to go watch Pedro pitch anymore as he hasn't really been marquee in a few years.
Mar 11, 2009 19:14 PM
The Mets led MLB in home attendance last year, but I still found an average attendance of 53,295 fans at Pedro's games and just 49,530 fans at the other 73 home games, suggesting that Pedro on the mound might have been worth an extra 3,765 fans in the ballpark. It's a small sample of eight games, but what data we have suggests that, despite your perception that he's no longer a big draw, having Pedro Martinez as a starting pitcher possibly does improve paid attendance.
Mar 12, 2009 09:30 AM
Richard Bergstrom
If the WBC leads to a slew of pitching fatigue and injuries similar to its inaugaral season, it's possible some NL team has room for him by the All-Star break.
Mar 11, 2009 17:54 PM
Randy Brown
I am actually very curious to see whether the Pedro-as-closer experiment would work. In fact, I'm rooting for that scenario to play out. If he only has to go for 3 outs at a time, he may be able to pitch north of 90, and I think he would be very effective pitching at that velocity.
Mar 11, 2009 20:46 PM
Richard Bergstrom
How has Pedro's velocity, movement and pitch selection, particularly on pitches out of the zone, changed over the last few years?
Mar 12, 2009 08:27 AM
I mentioned in the article that there is no Pitch F/X data with which to compare this season... the dataset didn't emerge until last year, in incomplete form, and Petey only made 5 starts anyways, way too small of a sample.
Mar 12, 2009 09:11 AM
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About two weeks ago, shortly after the announcement that the DOJ would be filing a lawsuit against various publishers and Apple, I wrote:
Publishers don't want Amazon to lower prices because they fear that doing so will "devalue" the industry. They also think, as I do, that Amazon's ability to do so stands a real chance of putting competitors out of business, and without competitors, they fear they'll have to jump when Amazon says jump.
What they don't seem to be doing is innovating their way out of this mess.
If you, dear publisher, don't want to see books devalued, add value to your books. Negotiate terms with Apple and Barnes and Noble that are consumer friendly. Give me an incentive to want to pay more for ebooks.
If Amazon offers DRM-laden ebooks for $7.99, and I can't do anything interesting with those books, that $7.99 price-point is only intriguing to me if iBooks or Nook books are priced at $9.99, or higher, are still DRM-laden, and I still can't do anything interesting with them.
On the other hand, if I can pay Apple, or Barnes and Noble, $14.99 for a book that is $7.99 on Amazon, but it is DRM-free, has generous social-lending options, I'm provided an option to resell those books once I'm done reading them (at the original price, earning discounts on future purchases), and it appears as though extra care has been taken with typesetting, guess what?
I'm paying $14.99 instead of $7.99.
Since then, it has become more and more clear that 1) we're about to see ebook competition ramp up to a new level and 2) Amazon is going to be a popular target.
Apple's been relatively quiet except for a public statement detailing their take on the DOJ lawsuit:
The [Department of Justice]'s accusation of collusion against Apple is simply not true," Apple told several news outlets. "The launch of the iBookstore in 2010 fostered innovation and competition, breaking Amazon's monopolistic grip on the publishing industry. Since then customers have benefited from eBooks that are more interactive and engaging. Just as we've allowed developers to set prices on the App Store, publishers set prices on the iBookstore.
Maybe you don't agree that Amazon's grip was "monopolistic" but it's undeniable that Amazon went from a 90% share of the market to a 60% share of the market in the time since Apple's agency contracts went into effect. That's 30% of the market that opened up for competitors.
More to the point, though, this is Apple pointing the finger at Amazon, and signaling to publishers that it's willing to fight for them. Both Apple and Barnes & Noble will likely play the "we're not Amazon" card over the next several months.
Some publishers settled out of the lawsuit while maintaining they did nothing wrong, others are sticking it out and maintaining they did nothing wrong. The truth of the matter remains to be seen, but what we are seeing is some movement towards the idea that the best attack may be a move toward a DRM-free world.
TOR/Forge is stripping DRM from its entire collection starting in early July:
Our authors and readers have been asking for this for a long time," said president and publisher Tom Doherty. "They're a technically sophisticated bunch, and DRM is a constant annoyance to them. It prevents them from using legitimately-purchased e-books in perfectly legal ways, like moving them from one kind of e-reader to another.
That's a big deal. TOR isn't just "any old" publisher. They're not a bit player. They're an imprint of The Macmillan Group, a publishing powerhouse. TOR is one of the largest publishers of Science Fiction and Fantasy novels in the world. This announcement may be the publishing industry's equivalent to Steve Jobs's infamous "thoughts on DRM" and I suspect it's a test run for the larger Macmillan content ecosystem.
The timing is not a coincidence.
This morning, Barnes & Noble and Microsoft announced that B&N would spin off their Nook ereader, with an assist from Microsoft:
Barnes & Noble is breaking itself apart, by spinning off its fast-growing digital unit from its slow-growth bookstore business. And it's doing so with help from Microsoft.
Redmond will put $300 million into the new business at a $1.7 billion valuation, and will get 17.6 percent of the new company. That will leave Barnes & Noble with a stake in the new unit worth about $1.4 billion.
This isn't quite as big a shocker as Apple's "Microsoft moment" in the late 90s, but given Barnes & Noble's connection to Android via the Nook, it's up there.
It also signals that Barnes & Noble is taking the threat of an empowered Amazon very, very seriously. It seems inevitable that we'll be seeing a Barnes & Noble platform in the very near future, built around an API for developers. I don't think B&N can compete without one.
Amazon recognizes the potential of all this scrutiny as well and is forging ahead with their own strategy: If you can't beat 'em -- buy 'em!
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Ian Fleming Publications Ltd today announced that Amazon Publishing has acquired a ten-year license for North American rights to the entire list of James Bond books by Ian Fleming in print and ebook. Along with the iconic series, Fleming's two works of non-fiction, consisting of a collection of travel writings called Thrilling Cities (1963) and an expose of the illegal precious stones trade entitled The Diamond Smugglers (1957), are also included in the agreement. Jonny Geller, Managing Director at Curtis Brown, negotiated the agreement. All of the titles will be reissued by Amazon Publishing's Thomas & Mercer imprint beginning in summer 2012.
More and more, we'll see Amazon working to entice authors over to its publishing platform and buying up the rights for existing books in an effort to avoid the hassle of working through the old school publishing industry.
Target is getting into the game, as well. According to The Verge, Target will officially "phase out all Kindle products this spring..."
It's worth noting that Target's statement also notes that its continued support of other e-readers and accessories — including, specifically mentioned here, Barnes & Noble's Nook.
I can think of two possibilities, here:
- Amazon already sells the Kindle Fire at a loss. If Target buys Kindle Fires from Amazon to resell, Amazon probably isn't selling them to Target for much at all below the $199 retail price, which means Target probably isn't making very much money at all selling Kindle Fires. (The same is likely true of the $79 Kindle, which also sells at a loss.)
- Amazon has been pretty aggressive with its price matching strategy, even going so far as to offer an app that will compare prices against Amazon's online prices. This could simply be a case of bad blood.
The plot thickens…


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The Regnum Christi Movement offers its members some guidelines of a gospel-based spirituality as an ideal of Christian life. The spiritual path that Regnum Christi members walk mainly consists in knowing, loving, imitating, and proclaiming Christ. This is the path and these are the goals.
Below, we offer some resources that can help nurture the spiritual life of Movement members and of any Christian.
Daily Prayer 2012-10-11
Listen to podcast version here.
Father James Swanson, LC Listen to podcast
version here.
Luke 11:5-13 And he said to
them, "Suppose one of you has a friend to
whom he goes at midnight and says, ´Friend, lend
me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine
has arrived at my house from a journey and
I have nothing to offer him,´ and he says in
reply from within, ´Do not bother me; the door
has already been locked and my children and I
are already in bed. I cannot get up to give
you anything.´ I tell you, if he does not
get up to give him the loaves because of their
friendship, he will get up to give him whatever
he needs because of his persistence. "And I tell
you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will
find; knock and the door will be opened to
you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one
who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the
door will be opened. What father among you would
hand his son a snake when he asks for
a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks
for an egg? If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children, how
much more will the Father in heaven give the
holy Spirit to those who ask him?"
Introductory Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you are the master of the universe, and
yet you wish to listen to me and guide
me. You know all things past, present and future, and
yet you respect my freedom to choose you. Holy
Trinity, you are completely happy and fulfilled on your
own, and yet you have generously brought us into
existence. You are our fulfillment. Thank you for the gift
of yourself. I offer the littleness of myself in
return, knowing you are pleased with what I have to
Petition: Lord, through this meditation, grant me the
grace of a greater dependence on you.
1. God Wants
Us to Ask: Sometimes we think that since God
knows all things, we need not ask him for anything.
We need only wait until God will give us
what we need. Nothing could be further from the
truth. In this passage, Jesus doesn't say not to worry;
instead he says that our Heavenly Father will gladly
and lovingly provide whatever we need, provided we ask
for it. One reason why God has arranged things this
way is because if our needs were automatically provided
for, a great number of us would not even
realize there is a God, or we would easily forget
him. There are affluent societies in which the people's
material needs are taken care of easily. Does such
a situation remind the people of God, his power, or
his love? When we ask God to provide for
our needs, we implicitly recognize his existence and authority
in our lives. God wants us to do this.
2. Petitions
in Prayer Increase My Faith: But there are
even more important reasons God wants us to ask. It
is in asking that our faith grows. The more
I ask, the more I come into a personal relationship
with God. If I never had to turn to
him for my needs, I would never realize how much
he wants to be a part of my life.
But when I have to ask, especially if I have
to put some time and effort into it, then,
when my needs are satisfied, it will be very
clear that God did it. It will be clear that
it wasn't me, or luck, or anything else, but
God. Don't be afraid to ask. Develop your faith by
doing so.
3. When I Don't Ask for What I
Need, I Treat God as My Servant: When we
expect God to give us all we need without asking,
are we not placing the whole burden of our
salvation on him and nothing on ourselves? Are we
not in a sense being lazy? "You know what I
need, Lord. Just give it to me, take care
of it, while I focus on my own interests." Not
only is this laziness, it is pride, treating God
like a servant whose role is to provide whatever I
need. We forget he is God. Certainly God is
generous and loving, willing to give us everything that
is good for us; but he is still God, and
he deserves our respect, adoration, and especially our gratitude.
Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, so often I expect
you to take care of me without my having
to ask. Help me to live my dependence on you
through the practice of asking you for my needs.
Increase my faith through my prayer so that I see
my real dependence on you and how much you
do for me.
Resolution: What do I most need
today? I will ask God for it early and often.
The daily meditation is a service of Regnum Christi that offers people a Gospel reflection through e-mail. You can view the weekly meditation on this link or listen the podcast version here.
If you would like to subscribe or send a gift subscription, please fill out this form.


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Giants mulling surgery for Casilla's knee
SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Friday that surgery is a "strong possibility" for right-hander Santiago Casilla, who's sidelined by an injured right knee.
Bochy added that if Casilla undergoes surgery to ease the discomfort caused by a cyst in his knee, the setup man probably will be sidelined for four weeks.
The Giants also are considering scenarios for Casilla to undergo treatment that wouldn't involve surgery. In these cases, Bochy said, he might be sidelined for only slightly more than two weeks. But surgery might cure his ailment for good.
The 32-year-old Casilla, who signed a three-year, $15 million contract extension during the offseason, was 3-2 with a 1.89 ERA, one save and a .167 opponents' batting average in 21 games before he was moved to the 15-day disabled list Tuesday.
Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Judicial Externships (Before Graduation)
Students are alerted by email to opportunities to work for local federal, state, and administrative law judges during the summer and school year. The Office of Career and Professional Development will also assist you with externships applications outside of San Diego for the summer.
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