Punto after drastic action

 

Nick Punto was, in his words, so "emotionally distraught" Sunday about his uncooperative elbow and potentially a third trip to the disabled list that he did what his father suggested. He sneaked down into the batting cage at Cincinnati and channeled all that frustration into one violent throw.
"If it explodes, at least you know," he explained Tuesday. "If you don't do that then you'll never know. I plan on playing another five years, but if it ended (with that throw), that'd be OK. It was one of those moments where I had to find out what was going on."
On Tuesday, he shared what he learned with the Cardinals.
Punto went through a battery of infield work a few hours before the Cardinals' game against the New York Mets to prove to the coaches and trainers that he was fit to remain on the active roster. He had already proven it to himself Sunday by surviving that throw and feeling a release of pain and discomfort. Punto said it's his opinion the aggressive throw broke up scar tissue inside the elbow.
"I felt like it released something," he said. "I truly believe it was some scar tissue locked up in there."
Punto sidestepped the disabled list the same day shortstop Ryan Theriot was hit with a two-game suspension and opted to appeal it. Had different decisions been made, both events would have left the Cardinals with only one fielder with shortstop experience this season. Theriot was suspended and fined for "inappropriate actions," according to an official release from Major League Baseball. The actions "included making contact with umpire Mike Muchlinski."
During the sixth inning Sunday, Theriot was ejected after vehemently arguing a call at second base, where he believed he had tapped the bag for a force out. Muchlinski felt otherwise.
It was the first ejection of Theriot's career, the Cardinals confirmed.
"I've never been suspended for anything in my life," Theriot said. "It stinks. It is what it is. We're going to appeal it and hopefully get it reduced."
No date has been set for his appeal, Theriot said.
Punto started the year on the disabled list because of abdominal surgery, and he returned there in May with a strain in his right elbow. This past weekend in Cincinnati, manager Tony La Russa said they saw a player hesitant to throw at full strength, and any limits on Punto's arm was also a limit on his usefulness as a utility infielder for the team.
"To remain on the roster, he's going to have to throw," La Russa explained before Punto's workout at shortstop and third during batting practice Tuesday. "He can run, he can swing, he can probably flip the ball from second base. But we need him to play short and third. He's concerned about letting it go. He's flipping it over there. You can't play that way."
With an angry throw Sunday Punto learned he doesn't have to.
McClellan's workload
The Cardinals purposefully pushed Kyle McClellan's first start of the second half to this series in New York to buy him as much rest as possible over the break. McClellan will have gone 12 days between starts, the longest for any non-injured Cardinals starter this season. As McClellan's innings inch toward 100 - he'll reach that with 21/3 innings tonight - the Cardinals are aware of the workload. While monitoring McClellan's work, the Cardinals are also out shopping for pitching.
"One guy we were going to get out of the first series and into the second one (was McClellan)," La Russa said. Asked if the Cardinals could consider a four-man rotation, off days allowing, the manager said: "We feel he's in a good place because of that and this. When we get down to the last six weeks and you have four guys and one really struggling, that's when you reconsider. We try to keep our arms fresh."
THIRD-ROUNDER SIGNED
Although the heft of the deal had been in place for a while, the Cardinals finalized and announced a contract with third-round pick C.J. McElroy on Tuesday. McElroy, 18, is an outfielder who chose baseball over a football scholarship at the University of Houston. According to Baseball America, he received a bonus of $510,000.
The Clear Creek (Texas) High School grad hit .488 and stole a school-record 33 bases. He'll begin his pro career with the Cardinals' affiliate in Jupiter, Fla. The Cardinals have signed three of their top five picks well before the Aug. 15 deadline, and they remain optimistic about signing Illinois prep outfielder Charlie Tilson (second round) and Oregon State pitcher Sam Gaviglio (fifth round).
EXTRA BASES
Mets All-Stars Jose Reyes (hamstring) and Carlos Beltran (flu) returned to the lineup Tuesday. Beltran had missed three consecutive games, and Reyes, who had a run as the most productive hitter in the National League this season, had been on the disabled list since July 3. "I would have taken the other lineup," La Russa deadpanned when notified both players were starting. ... To make room on the roster for Reyes, the Mets put catcher Josh Thole on the paternity list. Thole, a native of Breese, Ill., and his wife are expecting. The move left the Mets with one catcher on the active roster.

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at New York Mets

The Mets posted an 11-2 rout of the Phillies on Saturday in the second installment of a three-game set and haven't logged a series win over their National League East rivals since taking two of three matchups last Sept. 24-26 at Citizens Bank Park.
Scott Hairston led the New York offense by going 3-for-5 with a three-run homer and five RBI, while Daniel Murphy also collected three hits, including a solo homer, and two runs batted in for the Mets, who ended a three-game slide and rebounded from Friday's 7-2 loss to the Phils in the series opener. Justin Turner and Ruben Tejada each finished with two hits and an RBI.
"We came out today, we played very, very well," Mets manager Terry Collins said on the club's website. "What we've got to do now is we've got to apply it tomorrow. This is just one game. And they're going to come out tomorrow and get after us.
"When you're talking about the middle of July, this is crunch time. This is when you gut it out."
Jon Niese started for Collins on Saturday and earned the win, allowing two runs -- one earned -- and six hits in seven innings. Niese struck out six batters and issued one walk before Bobby Parnell and Manny Acosta preserved the lopsided victory with a scoreless inning apiece.
New York is scheduled for a make-up game with Florida on Monday and will also host St. Louis for three games on this residency. Mets All-Star outfielder Carlos Beltran did not play Saturday due to flu symptoms and is day-to-day. He has reached base safely in his last 24 games, with an on-base percentage of .420 in that time period.
Mike Pelfrey gets the call for the Mets today and is just 2-5 with a 4.12 earned run average in his last 10 starts, with New York going 3-7 over that stretch. Pelfrey allowed two runs over six innings in a 4-2 loss at San Francisco the last time out on July 10.
Pelfrey fell to 5-8 in 19 starts this season to go along with a 4.55 ERA. He is 3-0 in seven home starts and 6-5 with a 5.01 ERA in 16 career starts against the Phillies, including an 0-1 mark and a 7.71 ERA in three meetings with the NL East foes this season.
Philadelphia still maintained its 3 1/2-game lead over Atlanta in the NL East standings after the Braves lost to Washington yesterday. Starter and 11-game winner Cole Hamels was saddled with the loss for giving up seven runs and eight hits in just 4 1/3 innings. Danys Baez did no better in relief by allowing four runs.
"You have to make pitches, and I wasn't able to make pitches," Hamels said. "It just kind of happens sometimes. When you don't hit your spots, you're going to get hit hard. Sometimes you can get away with it, but I didn't get away with it today."
The Phillies had scored 14 runs in each of Hamels' previous two starts. Jimmy Rollins and Raul Ibanez each recorded two hits for the Phils, who entered Saturday's matinee affair having won two straight, three of four and 21 of its past 29 contests. They will visit the Chicago Cubs tomorrow in the opener of a three-game series at Wrigley Field.
Kyle Kendrick gets the nod for Philly today and he's 4-4 with a 3.58 earned run average in 22 games, seven of which have been starts. Kendrick hasn't recorded a decision since beating Florida on June 15 and made a relief appearance in last Sunday's 14-1 pounding of Atlanta.
Kendrick allowed one hit and struck out a batter in an inning work. Before that performance, Kendrick gave up three runs -- one earned -- in five innings for the no-decision in a 7-6 loss at the Marlins. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 2.16 ERA in three relief stints against the Mets in 2011 and 3-5 with a 3.07 ERA in 12 career games (9 starts) in this series.
Philadelphia has won seven of 11 meetings with New York this season, including a 3-2 mark at Citi Field

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show Dogs they're that much better

   


This has been a trying season for both the Binghamton Mets and Portland Sea Dogs. They sport the two worst records in the Eastern League.
Not surprisingly, Portland ranks last in pitching; Binghamton next-to-last.
But then you get a game like Tuesday's, when both teams were dealing early.
The Mets continued to pitch well and beat Portland 7-2, before 6,012 at Hadlock Field.
Tim Federowicz scored one run and singled the other in for Portland. Jeremy Hazelbaker tripled and doubled, but was stranded both times. The Sea Dogs were 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position.
Mets starter Brandon Moore (7-7) got the win, allowing six hits and one run over six innings. The bullpen gave up one more.
Moore now has only two wins since June 3, and both are against the Sea Dogs. In four starts against Portland, he's 3-0.
"He changed speeds well and he had a real good sinker," Mets Manager Wally Backman said. "He has two different breaking balls. When he throws them for strikes, he's pretty effective."
Michael Lee (1-5) got the start for the Sea Dogs, and the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits over three innings.
Lee had been sent to the bullpen two weeks ago, but returned to the rotation Tuesday, in place of injured Miguel Gonzalez (forearm inflammation).
Junichi Tazawa, on his comeback from Tommy John surgery, pitched four innings, allowing one run (double, sacrifice bunt, sacrifice fly).
Tazawa, hitting between 89 and 90 m.p.h, with his fastball, retired 10 batters at one point. He allowed a total of three hits and no walks, striking out two.
"In his first inning, he appeared to be a little over-excited, but he settled in nicely," Portland pitching coach Bob Kipper said. "You saw an improved fastball, an ability to pitch aggressively, down in the zone, on both halves of the plate."
Down 3-0, the Sea Dogs finally got one off Moore with back-to-back doubles by Federowicz and Oscar Tejeda in the sixth.
Portland reliever Kyle Fernandes gave up a single and double to begin the eighth. After a strikeout, intentional-walk and shallow fly out, it looked like Fernandes might escape.
But Brahiam Maldonado tripled to the right field corner, scoring three for a 6-1 lead, clinching the win.
Binghamton (39-58) moves one game ahead of Portland (37-58) in the standings. The teams finish their three-game series today at noon.

NOTES: Before the game, Mets minor league field coordinator Dickie Scott was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame. Scott, 49, was drafted out of Ellsworth High by the Yankees in 1981 and played pro ball for 10 years, reaching the majors briefly in 1989. Since 1990, Scott has been a scout, minor leaguer manager and farm director. Mets assistant to the general manager, J.P. Ricciardi, was also in attendance.
Chih-Hsien Chiang broke the Sea Dogs' career record for doubles with his 68th on Tuesday The Ryan Lavarnway Watch continues in Pawtucket. The former Sea Dogs catcher went 2 for 3 with a homer Tuesday, and is now batting .388 with 11 home runs in 32 Triple-A games. ...
A reminder that Congress Street inbound to St. John Street will be closed today because of work on the railway crossing.

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will open '12 in Detroit

BALTIMORE -- The Boston Red Sox are scheduled to open the 2012 season against the Tigers in Detroit, according to an early draft of the major league schedule distributed to all 30 clubs and the players' union, according to a major league source.
After three games in Detroit and three in Toronto, the Sox are scheduled to play their home opener Friday, April 13 against the Tampa Bay Rays, who are scheduled to play four games that weekend, including the Monday morning Patriots Day game.
The Texas Rangers are then in for two games, followed by the Yankees, the scheduled opponent on April 20, the 100th anniversary of the first game played at Fenway Park. That's fitting, given that an early incarnation of the Yankees, the New York Highlanders, provided the opposition in the first game. The Sox beat the Highlanders 7-6 in 11 innings. The Yankees are scheduled for two more games that weekend.

The draft of the schedule is subject to revisions -- usually minor in nature -- and is expected to be finalized and released in September, the source said.
Unlike this season, when the Sox and Yankees met nine times by June 9, in the season's first 63 games, the Sox and Yankees will meet just once more before the All-Star break, also at Fenway July 6-8.
The Sox are not scheduled to make their first visit to Yankee Stadium until July 27-29, then return Aug. 17-19.
The teams are scheduled to meet in three-game series twice in September -- at Fenway Sept. 11-13, and then in Yankee Stadium Oct. 1-3, the final three days of the regular season.
National League East teams will be the principal rivals for the Sox in interleague play. The Sox are scheduled to play the Phillies in Philadelphia from May 18-20. They then have a six-game trip that will take them to Florida to play the Marlins from June 12-14 and to New York to play the Mets from June 15-17. The Marlins are scheduled to play in their new ballpark in Miami next season.
Unlike this season, the Sox will not play nine straight interleague games on the road, a source of complaint for manager Terry Francona, who was unable to use a DH for that entire stretch. David Ortiz made two starts at first base in that span and went hitless in 11 at-bats (13 plate appearances).
The interleague rivals at home are two NL East teams, the Washington Nationals (June 8-10) and Atlanta Braves (June 22-24), and one NL West team, the Colorado Rockies (June 19-20).
Like this season, the Sox are scheduled to make just two West Coast swings. The first is to Seattle and Oakland (in that order) June 28-July 4. The second is a nine-game swing to Anaheim, Oakland and Seattle from Aug. 28-Sept. 5. So the Sox will be on the West Coast for two major holidays, the Fourth of July in Oakland, and Labor Day (Sept. 3) in Seattle. They are scheduled to be home against Detroit on Memorial Day (May 28).

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deadline fallout

There's no question that he has enjoyed a remarkable comeback campaign; his .293/.389/.523 "triple-slash" rates are the fifth-, third- and fourth-best single-season numbers in his career. He has also maintained healthy 100-RBI and 93-run full-season paces for the upstart New York Mets, and has managed .318/.409/.589 rates and hit eight of his 14 home runs at pitching-friendly Citi Field. But this is a Mets team that averaged a lower team OPS and considerably fewer runs per game after Aug. 1 than before it in each of the past two seasons; the team had a .719 OPS and averaged 4.29 runs per game before Aug. 1 in 2009 and 10, but only .703/3.75 numbers after it. Getting out of the National League East, which sports five of the top 12 starting pitchers on our Player Rater, will also help. Among Beltran's potential destinations -- the projected impact of his addition to those teams' playoff chances are discussed in this Buster Olney blog -- the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers have all scored more runs than the Mets so far and the Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies are each within range, potentially providing the outfielder a counting-numbers (RBI/runs) boost. He's also a free agent at year's end, and one can only think he'd be plenty motivated if thrust into a pennant race.
Lucas Duda: He's already playing every day, having started 12 of the Mets' past 15 games at first base, but once the team gets Jose Reyes and David Wright back into the lineup, first base could again be cluttered, as Daniel Murphy is a candidate to return there. A Beltran deal would open up right field, a more natural spot for Duda. He was a .310/.398/.606 hitter in 108 games in Triple-A from 2010-11, and might provide some sneaky pop in NL-only leagues.

He's already playing every day, having started 12 of the Mets' past 15 games at first base, but once the team gets Jose Reyes and David Wright back into the lineup, first base could again be cluttered, as Daniel Murphy is a candidate to return there. A Beltran deal would open up right field, a more natural spot for Duda. He was a .310/.398/.606 hitter in 108 games in Triple-A from 2010-11, and might provide some sneaky pop in NL-only

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credits Marlins for beating him Capuano

The pitch that ultimately made Chris Capuano the losing pitcher in the Mets 4-1 loss Monday night had been located right where the southpaw wanted it.

Facing Florida’s Mike Stanton with two men on and two out in a scoreless game in the fourth inning, Capuano threw a first-pitch changeup down and away, making Stanton reach for the pitch across the plate.

When Stanton connected, he pulled the ball into the left-center gap, scoring both runners and giving the Marlins a 2-0 lead at the time and the only runs the team would need Monday night.

"I tip my hat," Capuano said of the at-bat.

Just like that at-bat, Capuano applauded the Marlins for scoring the runs they needed against him in a start in which he felt he had good enough stuff to keep the Marlins off the scoreboard. Instead, despite even having no real qualms about his performance, Capuano ended up with the loss after allowing four runs in a season-high 7 2/3 innings Monday as he fell to 8-9.

"They did a pretty good job hitting the ball because I was pretty much putting the ball where I wanted to," Capuano said.

After retiring 11 of the first 12 batters, Capuano’s night turned for the worse with two outs in the fourth. After getting ahead 1-2 on Hanley Ramirez, he gave up a single to right field that marked the Marlins’ first hit of the game. A five-pitch walk to Gaby Sanchez followed before Stanton drove in the two runs.

"He got some balls up. A very good at-bat by Hanley, a single to right," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "As always, the two out base on balls can hurt."

Capuano, who has now lost back-to-back starts, said he wished he could have back his at-bat against Mike Cameron in the fourth that gave the Marlins a 3-0 lead.

With Stanton on second following the double, Capuano kept trying to get a fastball by Cameron, but left one over the inside part of the plate and Cameron singled to left to boost the Marlins' lead. The other run Capuano yielded came in the eighth inning on an RBI single by Logan Morrison.

While Capuano's mistakes were few and far between and he pitched effectively for the most part, with the Mets offense doing little at the plate, his effort ultimately resulted in a loss on Monday.

"I felt like I had pretty good stuff and we had a good gameplan there," Capuano said. "The fourth inning within a span of not very many pitches they put three runs up on the board pretty quick, so it can happen that quick.”

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comes full circle with save

Mets reliever Jason Isringhausen threw three scoreless innings against a team that no longer exists in a stadium that is now a parking lot to earn the first save of his career.
And while the Expos are now the Washington Nationals and the apple is all that remains of Shea Stadium, Isringhausen endures.
On Tuesday, he retired the Cardinals in order in the top of the ninth inning to earn save No. 294, his first with the Mets since those three innings 12 years ago, and his first anywhere since August 2008. The Mets beat the Cardinals, 4-2.
"I remember because Johnny [Franco] said, 'Hey, only 400 more to go,'" Isringhausen said of his first save. "And we're still working at it."
Tuesday's save was special for Isringhausen, who grew up an hour from St. Louis and played for the Cardinals from 2002-08. During that time, he racked up 217 saves and became the Cardinals' all-time leader in that category.
"I knew it was going to happen this way," said Isringhausen, who also said pitching against the Cardinals made him a little nervous. "As soon as they came into town, I knew I was going to have to pitch, probably all three games. That's just the way it goes. The baseball gods, that's just the way they do it."
Against his former teammates, Isringhausen got Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman to ground out before striking out David Freese swinging.
Berkman played for the Astros during all seven of Isringhausen's years with the Cardinals, and was far from thrilled to see his old National League Central foe on the mound.
"He owns me. I want to see him sitting in the bullpen. I don't want to see him on the mound," said Berkman, who is 3-for-21 against Isringhausen for his career. "But from just a [personal] standpoint, he's a good guy and it's always great to see when somebody's been hurt -- kind of down and out, if you will -- and then come back. Heck, he looked nasty to me tonight."
The save leaves Isringhausen six shy of the 300-save milestone, one of the reasons he decided to pitch this season after his comeback from a third Tommy John surgery in 2010 came to a halt at Cincinnati's Triple-A affiliate. He'll have a chance to get closer in the near future, as manager Terry Collins said after the game that Isringhausen will be his pitcher in the ninth inning going forward, with Bobby Parnell and Pedro Beato also in the mix.
"I'm thrilled to death," Collins said. "He starts out the year in extended spring -- we weren't sure he was going to be healthy enough to make the club -- and here he is, closing for us now during some big times. I was very happy for him. I think he brings some credibility to the bullpen when he comes in."

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Mets to hold onto Jose Reyes

The New York Mets now are certain they will not trade shortstop Jose Reyes before the July 31 deadline, league sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney on Wednesday.
The Mets likely would have quite a few suitors for the All-Star, but he has been playing so well in recent weeks that the team has decided to hold onto him despite his pending free agency, sources said.
Reyes leads the league in batting average (.355), hits (126) and triples (15). He also has 30 steals, despite missing 12 games with a hamstring injury.
He returned Tuesday from the disabled list and went 2-for-5 with a run scored in the Mets' 4-2 win over the Cardinals.
The 28-year-old has spent his entire nine-year career with the Mets.
The team faces a lawsuit by the trustee of victims of the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme. With a potentially huge judgment looming, the Mets have been in negotiations with hedge fund manager David Einhorn to buy a minority stake in the team and infuse much-needed cash into the baseball operation.
The financial uncertainty has led many to speculate that the Mets would not be able to afford Reyes, who could command a Carl Crawford-like deal (seven years, $142 million).
The team did clear some money off the books by trading closer Francisco Rodriguez to the Brewers, and outfielder Carlos Beltran is likely on the block as well.

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U2 Live at Soldier Field

That about sums up the dual nature of this Irish band that long ago conquered America with its Christian-oriented rock anthems that, in latter-day incarnations, comfortably fit inside clubland.
At its current juncture, U2 seems to have nothing to prove other than it can continue to fill sports venues and become the favorite mascot of every city it visits. In Chicago at Soldier Field Tuesday, that goal was met easily enough, thanks to striking visual elements and a stage design that was inclusive of its audience at the same time making sure people knew who the big stars were.

Related: 10 Best Album Covers

Tickets for this current tour throughout North America have been available for two years; last summer the band idled its 16-date summer tour following emergency spine surgery performed on Bono following an injury he sustained during May rehearsals in Munich.
The year-long delay allowed the band to update references and for its lead singer to take it easy from the usual nonstop stage stalking he’s known for in the past.
Familiar themes rippled through the show, from favorite causes (on “Walk On,” children lined the performing walkways holding illuminated boxes to celebrate Amnesty International’s 50th anniversary) to global luminaries (Mark Kelly, astronaut husband of wounded US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, introduced “Beautiful Day” from the international space station).
And for a band known for making bridges, to African aid and, more recently, Broadway, at times there was a reliance on the actual thing: two bridges that rotated left and right, allowing the band to break huddle and separate in what, at times, looked like door-to-door campaigning.
The video funnel that hovered above the action played real-time footage of the band onstage, but at times – especially during “Zooropa” when it enveloped the band like in a cocoon – the visual finesse did too good a job and removed the audience from the actual songs at hand.

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Drought and wildfire threaten America's cattle capital

The triple-digit temperatures, expected to result in the worst drought north-central Texas has ever experienced, follows spring wildfires, which scorched millions of acres that traditionally nourish the nation’s largest steer population – five million head of cattle.
Most Texas pasture and range lands – 86 percent – are currently “poor” or “very poor,” according to the US Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The same rating applied to 69 percent of Oklahoma and 40 percent of Kansas.
The hardships this year “don’t compare to any in recent years,” says Jason Miller, a county agriculture agent for the Texas AgriLife Extension Service (TALES). “The ranchers are just holding on.”

IN PICTURES: Texas wildfires

July temperatures have topped 110 degrees in the heart of cattle country, from Texas to Kansas. Ranchers complain that not only did the wildfires destroy the hay population, they also burned summer crops such as wheat or cotton, that usually can be counted on to support rural economies when there are dips in the cattle market.
Agriculture losses from the drought will tally $1.5 billion this year, according to estimates from TALES.
From October to June, most of Texas reported the driest season on record. In Beaumont, for example, a total of 8.80 inches of rain have fallen so far in 2011; the city’s normal accumulation by now is about 31 inches.
In Aspermont and other Texas towns, municipal water towers are being opened to farmers, as a last-ditch measure. “That thing’s been busy all day, every day,” says Stonewall County Judge Ronnie Moorhead. “We’ve been hot and dry for so long.”
Desperate ranchers face premium prices to import hay from out of state. Some are accepting donations, and the Texas Department of Agriculture has set up a hotline to streamline the process. Last week, Republican Gov. Rick Perry directed the state’s Department of Transportation to waive permitting restrictions for transporting hay bales into and within the state.
Some ranchers are resigned. “There’s no hay here. If you don’t have old hay you’re not going to have hay production here,” says Holly McLaury, whose family operates a 1,400-acre ranch in Stonewall County, Texas. The wildfires scorched about 80 percent of her grazing land. Emergency helicopters fighting the fires drained her water tanks in just two days.
Most say the cattle are not yet starving, although it could happen by fall. Judge Moorhead says most ranchers in the area will have sold their livestock by then. Selling early has some advantages: heavier cattle fetch higher prices, plus it forestalls the suffering of starvation.
“Most of these are family operations that have been in the business generation after generation. They have a real feel for the animals,” he says. “They’re not going to hang onto [the cattle] to the point of cruelty.”
So far, cattle prices have remained stable, which has some ranchers cashing in. Producers Livestock Auction in San Angelo, for instance, reports that its cattle pens are twice as full this month as this time last year.
Most remain uncertain whether and when to sell, says Mr. Miller, because it depends on how much money they have in reserves and how the weather fares through the rest of the summer.
“[Ranchers] are at a point where they’re not sure what to do. It’s their livelihood. If they do sell off, they’re going to have to restock the ranches, so it’s a worry to sell out and then buy in at a higher price,” he says.
Ms. McLaury says she and her husband have not decided when to sell their cattle – though she admits regret for not selling “as soon as the fires quit burning.”
“We’re just scrambling,” she says. “It’s a toss-a-coin-in-the-air right now.”

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Groupon's new rival – offers deals with a twist

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NEW YORK – American Express is jumping into the daily deals arena

The card issuer on Monday launched a Facebook application that offers personalized coupons based on a cardholder's likes, interests and other profile information. The announcement marks a significant entrant into the daily deals market, which has exploded in the past year.
For those familiar with Groupon and LivingSocial — by far the two largest daily deal sites — a key advantage of the Amex application is that there's no need to spend money up front to get a deal.
Instead, cardholders simply click to add the deals they like to their Amex accounts. For example, if cardholders click on a deal to get $5 back for spending $20 at Whole Foods, they automatically get $5 credited to their Amex statement the next time they charge $20 at the market. Amex says credits should appear within three to five days after purchases are made, but may take up to two billing cycles.
In the Whole Foods example, cardholders would also earn Amex rewards points on the $15 that is ultimately charged to the card. There's no penalty if deals are never used.

RELATED: Coupon sites that could save you hundreds

With Groupon and LivingSocial, by contrast, consumers have to pay for deals up front. And there's no refund if the vouchers aren't redeemed before they expire. That's not an unusual problem; an estimated 20 percent of daily deals go unused, according to Yipit.com, which tracks the industry.
It's not clear how personalized the Amex deals will be in the beginning, since the Facebook application is launching with offers from only about 100 national retailers. Amex says it plans to quickly start adding deals from local merchants in coming weeks.
The Amex application offers key perks for merchants, too.
Since all deals are redeemed on Amex cards, retailers can easily track how effectively specific offers drive up sales. For example, a store owner could see the total sales that resulted from a particular coupon, including the number of coupons that were redeemed and the average amount shoppers spent with the deal.
"They can see what deals work for them and which don't," said Luke Gebb, vice president of global marketing at Amex.
And unlike Groupon and LivingSocial, merchants don't have to hand over a cut of their sales to American Express. The card issuer says it may start charging merchants in the future as the application gains a bigger following. For now the company will make money only from the interchange fees Amex collects from merchants whenever customers swipe their cards.
American Express also points out that the application removes the hassle of an actual coupon, meaning less confusion at the register for the retailer and shopper.
Users can opt to share their Amex deals with their friends on Facebook, but Amex notes that the application does not share any account information with Facebook. To start seeing offers, American Express cardholders go to the company's page on Facebook and click on the "Link, Like, Love" link to enter their card information.
Notably, Amex isn't the only major company looking to tap into the growing demand for online deals.
Facebook this year began testing its own daily deals program in five U.S. cities. Google in April rolled out a pilot daily deals program in Portland, Oregon, and online retail giant Amazon in May launched MyHabit.com, which dangles a luxury item at 60 percent off each day.
Meanwhile, Groupon, which was launched less than three years ago, now boasts 35 million subscribers in the U.S. The Chicago-based site last year rejected a $6 billion takeover offer from Google. Last month the site filed for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission saying it hopes to raise at least $750 million.

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Hanya Untuk Uang, Pria ini Rela Diburu Seperti Hewan

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Seorang pria di negara bagian Utah, Amerika Serikat, siap menjadi buruan layaknya seekor hewan dan rela mati karenanya. Semuanya ini dilakukannya untuk mengeruk sejumlah uang yang akan diberikannya kepada keluarganya.

Pria nekat ini, Mork Encino, memasang iklan dirinya di situs huntme4sport.com yang menampilkan fotonya tengah bersembunyi seperti kijang. Dilansir dari laman Daily Mail, Rabu, 13 Juli 2011, bujang 28 tahun ini memasang tarif sebesar US$10.000 atau sekitar Rp85 juta untuk memburu dirinya.

Encino menyebut dirinya sebagai buruan profesional yang dapat berlari seperti babi hutan dan bersembunyi seperti kijang. Jika ingin dia diburu sambil telanjang, maka dikenakan tarif tambahan sebesar US$2.000 (Rp17 juta).

"Saya mencari lelaki sejati yang mengaku olahragawan dan bosan dengan permainan yang itu-itu saja. Saya adalah peranakan baru dengan kulit tebal dan sembunyi dengan halus," ujar Encino.

Perburuan ini bukan main-main. Para pelanggannya diperbolehkan menggunakan peluru tajam dan menembaknya sampai mati. Encino mengatakan, jika dia terbunuh, dia ingin agar uangnya diserahkan ke keluarganya.

"Saya lebih cepat dari kalkun liar, lebih pintar dari babi hutan dan rela berkorban demi keuangan keluarga saya. Jika saya tertangkap dan terbunuh, maka anda akan mendapatkan kebanggaan di antara para pemburu," kata Encino.

Encino adalah seorang pengangguran yang saat ini tinggal bersama orang tuanya. Dia diancam diusir jika tidak juga mendapat pekerjaan. Sebelumnya dia pernah bekerja sebagai pekerja bangunan, pramusaji, tukang kebun dan tukang bersih-bersih,

Belum jelas apakah tawarannya ini telah melalui proses hukum atau tidak. Para ahli hukum mengatakan jika memang dilakukan, maka usahanya ini dianggap sebagai salah satu upaya bunuh diri ataupun pembunuhan.

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Full Metal Alchemist

Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange. In those days we really believed that to be the world's one and only truth."
In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical "auto-mail" limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his brother and himself... the legendary Philosopher's Stone.

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Social Media Marketing - Is There a Line Between Personal and Professional?

I'm a big proponent of social media marketing and I believe it will continue to play a large role in marketing as we continue move through the next decade. However, with that being said I also know that companies fear social media in general.
They fear handing over their brand to their consumers as well as how employees will use social media and how it will affect their brand both directly and indirectly. This is a warranted fear as we've seen in the past year. I can certainly understand where they are coming from and I would like know your opinion since it's something I've been debating for a while now.
Has the line between professionalism and personal been blurred when it comes to social media? While I agree that transparency and authenticity is important in the success of social media marketing at what point can that transparency and authenticity hurt a business? I'm not just talking about large corporate businesses here, but I'm also talking about entrepreneurs.
What are your thoughts? Can being too personal harm your business or marketing efforts? Should there be guidelines and if so how should they be defined so that they protect the brand represented without losing personality?

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internet masa kinil

internet ini bagus..

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