NASCAR reinstates AJ Allmendinger

FILE - In this June 2, 2012, file photo, driver AJ Allmendinger looks on during qualifying for the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race in Dover, Del. Allmendinger has been reinstated by NASCAR on Tuesday, Sept. 18,2 012, after completing its "Road to Recovery" program. He was suspended in July for failing a random drug test a month earlier. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

FILE - In this June 2, 2012, file photo, driver AJ Allmendinger looks on during qualifying for the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race in Dover, Del. Allmendinger has been reinstated by NASCAR on Tuesday, Sept. 18,2 012, after completing its "Road to Recovery" program. He was suspended in July for failing a random drug test a month earlier. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) ? The first phase of his comeback complete, an optimistic AJ Allmendinger is ready to get on with his life.

He's hopeful that includes another job in racing.

Allmendinger on Tuesday was reinstated by NASCAR, which said he successfully completed its rehabilitation program after testing positive for a banned substance. The process took a little over two months, and Allmendinger said he learned a lot about himself while participating in the "Road to Recovery" program.

"I knew I didn't have a problem, I knew it was a one-time mistake," Allmendinger told The Associated Press. "I'm going to use the word "educated" because I feel like I was educated on a lot of things and a lot of things about myself. I just needed to get my priorities straight and my life straightened out.

"And learn to be happy as a person away from the race track," he added. "If you are not happy away from the race track, you aren't going to be happy at the race track. So much of what I was doing at the race track was dictating the person I was."

Allmendinger was suspended July 7 after failing a random drug test in June. His backup "B'' urine sample also later tested positive.

NASCAR has not revealed the substance, but he has said he tested positive for Adderall, a prescription drug typically used to treat attention deficit disorder. He does not have an ADD diagnosis or prescription, and said he took it a couple of days before the June 30 race at Kentucky Speedway because he was tired.

He was released by Penske Racing after his "B'' sample failed, and participating in NASCAR's program was his only hope at reinstatement.

Now that he's done it, he may find a home sooner than anyone expected back in July.

"The first thing is what options are out there for me? I don't know the answer to that," he said. "But I've learned this is life, and everything is an option."

Team owner Roger Penske had Allmendinger as his guest at the IndyCar season finale last weekend and said the 30-year-old driver is a viable candidate for rides in both NASCAR and IndyCar. Penske even said he'd consider hiring Allmendinger again.

Allmendinger said he was nervous to attend the race, in part because it was his first public appearance since the suspension and because he'd not been in the paddock since leaving Champ Car for NASCAR after the 2006 season. But he felt at ease as soon as he walked back into the track, and said he was welcomed by everyone from team owners to crew members to fans.

Allmendinger said there's been interest from IndyCar teams, but he's not sure what comes next.

"I don't have a specific answer, I just know that it will be something I want to do," he said. "But I also don't want this to be the end of NASCAR. I don't want to leave like that. I don't want to feel like I failed."

Allmendinger ran three seasons in Champ Car and won five races in 2006, right before he was lured to NASCAR by Red Bull Racing. But the team had no development program for him, and he struggled with the move to stock cars.

Red Bull let him go in less than two seasons, and Allmendinger had to fight every year for a ride and the track time to continue his development. The job of a lifetime finally came to him in late December, when Penske hired him to fill the seat that opened when Kurt Busch split with the organization.

It was the most prolific ride of Allmendinger's career, and both driver and team seemed thrilled with the pairing even as Allmendinger struggled at times in the No. 22 Dodge. He was 23rd in the Sprint Cup Series standings heading into Daytona, where he won the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race in January.

The July suspension came at a time when Penske was evaluating picking up the option on Allmendinger for 2013. Sam Hornish Jr. was flown in to replace Allmendinger and will finish the season in the car, but Joey Logano was hired to drive it next season.

The next step for Allmendinger may be up to owners like Penske.

"He could be an option for us, for sure," Penske said before the IndyCar finale at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday. "He's someone we would consider. This is a speed bump in his career, but he's certainly an option for people on the NASCAR side and the Indy side."

Allmendinger said Tuesday he was grateful for the support he's received from Penske the last two months.

"It was great to go to the IndyCar race and he's been amazing and such a great friend through this, and he's the guy I always wanted to please and my biggest regret is letting him down," Allmendinger said. "I was always afraid to ask him for advice before, and when you've got everything taken away from you, your guard gets let down.

"Now, I'll always turn to him."

Penske doesn't have an open seat in NASCAR, and it's not clear what will happen with his third IndyCar team. He's already picked up the 2013 options on Will Power and Helio Castroneves, but has told Ryan Briscoe he's free to look around while the team tries to secure sponsorship for that seat.

Allmendinger was the second Sprint Cup Series driver suspended under NASCAR's tightened drug policy implemented in 2009. Jeremy Mayfield was the first and he unsuccessfully sued to have the results overturned. Court documents showed that Mayfield tested positive for methamphetamine.

Allmendinger believes his situation is different.

"It was the biggest mistake of my life. Stupid mistake," he said. "But it's not going to happen again and the people who know me know it was a mistake."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-09-18-NASCAR-Allmendinger%20Reinstated/id-7db3a8b527ed44c09b2c5d31be10ffdb

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AP IMPACT: Varied license laws for older drivers

Chart shows crash fatality rates by age

Chart shows crash fatality rates by age

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Jerry Wiseman notices it's harder to turn and check his car's blind spots at age 69 than it was at 50. So the Illinois man and his wife took a refresher driving course, hunting tips to stay safe behind the wheel for many more years ? a good idea considering their state has arguably the nation's toughest older-driver laws.

More older drivers are on the road than ever before, and an Associated Press review found they face a hodgepodge of state licensing rules that reflect scientific uncertainty and public angst over a growing question: How can we tell if it's time to give up the keys?

Thirty states plus the District of Columbia have some sort of older-age requirement for driver's licenses, ranging from more vision testing to making seniors renew their licenses more frequently than younger people. At what age? That's literally all over the map. Maryland starts eye exams at 40. Shorter license renewals kick in anywhere from age 59 in Georgia to 85 in Texas.

The issue attracted new attention when a 100-year-old driver backed over a group of schoolchildren in Los Angeles late last month. That's a rarity, but with an imminent surge in senior drivers, the federal government is proposing that all states take steps to address what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calls "the real and growing problem of older driver safety."

Here's the conundrum: "Birthdays don't kill. Health conditions do," said Joseph Coughlin, head of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's AgeLab, which develops technologies to help older people stay active.

Healthy older drivers aren't necessarily less safe than younger ones, Coughlin points out. But many older people have health issues that can impair driving, from arthritis to dementia, from slower reflexes to the use of multiple medications. There's no easy screening tool that licensing authorities can use to spot people with subtle health risks. So some states use birthdays as a proxy for more scrutiny instead.

Senior driving is a more complicated issue than headline-grabbing tragedies might suggest. Older drivers don't crash as often as younger ones. But they also drive less. About 60 percent of seniors voluntarily cut back, avoiding nighttime driving or interstates or bad weather, said David Eby of the University of Michigan's Center for Advancing Safe Transportation throughout the Lifespan.

Measure by miles driven, however, and the crash rate of older drivers begins to climb in the 70s, with a sharper jump at age 80, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Only teens and 20-somethings do worse.

That rising risk reflects the challenge for families as they try to help older loved ones stay safe but still get around for as long as possible, which itself is important for health.

The good news: Fatal crashes involving seniors have dropped over the past decade, perhaps because cars and roads are safer or they're staying a bit healthier, said the Insurance Institute's Anne McCartt. Yet the oldest drivers, those 85 and up, still have the highest rate of deadly crashes per mile, even more than teens. And more often than not, they're the victims, largely because they're too frail to survive their injuries.

And seniors are about to transform the nation's roadways. Today, nearly 34 million drivers are 65 or older. By 2030, federal estimates show there will be about 57 million ? making up about a quarter of all licensed drivers. The baby boomers in particular are expected to hang onto their licenses longer, and drive more miles, than previous generations.

Specialists say more seniors need to be planning ahead like Jerry Wiseman and his wife Sandy.

"Absolutely we want to be as good drivers as we can possibly be for as long as we can," said Wiseman, of Schaumburg, Ill.

At an AARP course, Wiseman learned exercises to improve his flexibility for checking those blind spots. He takes extra care with left-hand turns, which become riskier as the ability to judge speed and distance wanes with age. He knows to watch for other changes.

"We'll be ready when it's time for one of us to stop," he said.

___

Where you live determines what extra requirements, if any, older adults must meet to keep their driver's license.

Among the most strict rules: Illinois requires a road test to check driving skills with every license renewal starting at age 75 ? and starting at age 81, those renewals are required every two years instead of every four. At 87, Illinois drivers must renew annually.

In Washington, D.C., starting at age 70, drivers must bring a doctor's certification that they're still OK to drive every time they renew their license.

New Mexico requires annual renewals at 75.

Geographic variability makes little sense, said Jake Nelson, AAA's director of traffic safety advocacy and research. "Either I'm safe to drive or I'm not. Where I live shouldn't matter," he said.

Yet when Iowa drivers turn 70, they must renew their license every two years instead of every five. Neighboring Missouri lets the 70-year-olds renew every three years instead of every six.

Some states introduce age requirements after high-profile accidents. Massachusetts now requires drivers to start renewing licenses in person at age 75, with proof of an eye exam. The change came after an 88-year-old driver struck and killed a 4-year-old crossing a suburban Boston street in 2009.

This summer, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed a national guideline for older driver safety that, if finalized, would push states to become more consistent. Among the recommendations: Every state needs a program to improve older driver safety; doctors should be protected from lawsuits if they report a possibly unsafe driver; and driver's licenses should be renewed in person after a certain age, tailored to each state's crash data.

Still, many states say their main focus should be on inexperienced teen drivers and problems such as texting behind the wheel.

"Teens are risk takers. Our older drivers are risk avoiders," said Alabama state Rep. Jim McClendon. Alabama drivers renew licenses every four years, with no older age requirements.

New Hampshire last year stopped requiring road tests when 75-year-olds renewed their licenses. The law was repealed after an 86-year-old legislator called it discriminatory.

It's not the only state worrying about age discrimination.

"You don't want to go around and say, 'This person is 85. We've got to take them off the road.' That wouldn't be fair," said Assemblyman David Gantt of New York, where licenses last for eight years.

On the other side is the family of a Baltimore college student who died last year after being run over by an 83-year-old driver who turned into his bike lane. Maryland next month begins issuing licenses that last longer ? eight years instead of five ? despite an emotional appeal from the mother of Nathan Krasnopoler that that's too long for the oldest drivers.

"You should be looking at your drivers to be sure they're able to safely drive. There's plenty of research that as we age, things do change and we may not be aware of those changes," said Susan Cohen, who now is urging Maryland officials to study adding some form of competency screening, in addition to the required eye exams, to license renewals.

"Do we have to lose a 20-year-old with an incredible future ahead of him in order to determine that this particular driver shouldn't be driving?" she asked.

_____

Traffic challenges change for older drivers, who are less likely than younger ones to be in crashes involving alcohol or speeding. Instead, they have more trouble with intersections, making left turns, and changing lanes or merging, because of gradual declines in vision, reaction times and other abilities, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Scientists are hunting screening tests to check for such things as early warning signs of cognitive problems that might signal who's more at risk. But such screenings are a long way from the local license office. In a closely watched pilot project, California tried a three-step screening process to detect drivers who might need a road test before getting their licenses renewed ? but it didn't reduce crashes, sending researchers back to the drawing board.

Today, AAA's Nelson said in-person renewals are "the single most effective thing states can do to improve safety."

That's because workers in the driver's license office can be trained to look for signs of confusion or trouble walking as people come in ? two big clues that they may have trouble behind the wheel ? and refer those drivers for a road test or a medical exam to see if there's really a problem.

Virginia, for example, lets even the oldest drivers hold a license for eight years, but starting at 80 they must renew in person and pass an eye test. California has five-year renewals, and starting at 70 they must be in-person with both a written test and eye check.

Those eye tests can make a difference. In senior-filled Florida, 80-year-olds renew their licenses every six years instead of every eight, with a vision check each time. A study found highway deaths among Florida's older drivers dropped 17 percent after the vision test was mandated in 2003.

How long between renewals is best? There's no scientific consensus, but Nelson recommends every four to six years.

Another big key: Programs that make it easy for doctors, police and family members to alert licensing officials to possibly unsafe drivers of any age, so the experts can investigate. But in states that don't allow confidential reporting, families in particular hesitate in fear of backlash if upset relatives learn who turned them in.

Utah adopted confidential reporting in 2008 "to encourage more people to report problematic drivers without the risk of retaliation of repercussion," said Chris Caras of Utah's Department of Public Safety.

Nor should the question be only whether someone should drive or not: Iowa is leading a growing number of states that customize license restrictions to allow people to stay on the road under certain conditions. People with early-stage Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, for instance, may qualify for a one-year license; people with other health conditions may be allowed to drive only during the day or within a few miles of home.

In California, older drivers who fail a regular road test sometimes get a re-test on familiar neighborhood roads to qualify for a restricted license. State traffic researchers expect demand for that option to grow, and are preparing to study if that tailored testing really assures safety.

Meanwhile, how can people tell how they do on the road?

?The University of Michigan developed an online self-test to help drivers detect safety changes: http://um-saferdriving.org/.

?AAA and AARP offer websites with similar tools and links to driving courses: http://seniordriving.aaa.com/ and http://www.aarp.org/home-garden/transportation/driver_safety/

But ultimately, "the only way you can assess any driver at any age is to sit in the seat next to them and watch them drive," said Coughlin.

___

Contributing to this story were AP reporters Ben Nuckols in Washington; Henry Ray in Atlanta; Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas; John Rogers in Los Angeles; Carla K. Johnson in Chicago; Jessica Gresko in Washington; Barry Massey in Santa Fe, N.M.; Grant Schulte in Lincoln, Neb.; Shannon Young in Boston; Phillip Rawls in Montgomery, Ala.; Norma Love in Concord; Michael Virtanen in Albany, N.Y.; Michael Felberbaum in Richmond, Va.; Bill Kaczor in Tallahassee, Fla.; and Lynn DeBruin in Salt Lake City.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-09-17-Aging%20America-Older%20Drivers/id-16c4411fa7a549a6896594586beb8858

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Getting and Using The ?Runners High? With Self-Hypnosis ...

Over the years, I have read a lot of information, opinion as well as some utter nonsense about something referred to as the ?runners high?. Popular running blogs, and non-academics in the running community refer to this ?runners high? as a sort of euphoria type of state that results in the body being flooded by endorphins and feel-good chemicals when we engage in running.

I certainly experience this, particularly after a long run, though according to the research and actual evidence, there is speculation about what it is and how it happens. There is very little evidence to suggest it happens as a result of increased endorphins in the brain, and we really need more research and well-designed studies to be more sure of what is happening physically within us to cause this.

The fact of the matter though, is that the vast majority of runners, especially when certain levels of fitness have been achieved do report that they enjoy a general sense of well-being after they have been running and way back in 1979 Mandell wrote in the Psychiatry Annals about such a thing as the ?runners high? existing.

Mandell (1979) wrote at a purely theoretical level based upon personal experience and considered neurochemical literature illustrating effects of various drugs on the central nervous system, drawing parallels to what goes on in the brain when we exercise. Mandell also suggested the role of serotonin was more important and this has since been confirmed a study conducted by Chauloff (1997) which showed the importance of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, norepinephrine as well as serotonin (feel-good chemicals known to effect mood) as they were much more present following exercise.

So although there is discussion to be had about the real chemical production in the brain when running, we can be sure that it happens to make us feel good and also that if it keeps on feeling good, we are going to be more inclined to persist with our running. Heck, when we enjoy something and it makes us feel good, we are going to carry on and do more of it, right?

This process today then, brings to an end this mini-series of running processes from the papers I have been reading in recent weeks as I put my next book together.

The evidence may not be of much interest to you, or really that much use, but I hope the process that follows is one that you?ll use for great effect as I certainly have been doing. Once I had read the paper by Mandell (1979) I also read the personal account and seeming cognitive strategy that was chartered within it and having read about how exercise and our thoughts can influence feeling, it made a lot of logical sense to use our self-hypnosis skills to develop and purposefully engineer our very own ?runners high?.

Mandell?s account even stated that these cognitions were said when charting the runners high subjective experience:

?The running literature says that if you run six miles a day for two months, you are addicted forever.?

Our aim is not to get you addicted of course, but this is the kind of suggestion that the researcher said whilst engaging in the ?runners high?.

Simply follow these steps for Getting and Using The Runners High With Self-Hypnosis:

Make sure you are in a place where you?ll be undisturbed for the duration of this session. Ensuring you are in a comfortable, seated, receptive posture and position yourself with your feet flat on the floor with your arms and legs not touching each other, then begin.

Step One: Induce hypnosis. You can do so by any means you desire or know of. You can use the process in my self-hypnosis book, use the free audio at this website to practice or have a look at the following articles as and when you need them; they are basic processes to help you simply open the door of your mind:

Heavy Arm Self-Hypnosis Induction Method?

Using Eye Fixation for Self-Hypnosis

The Betty Erickson Self-Hypnosis Method Video Clip

Using Magnetic Hands for Self-Hypnosis

Once you have induced hypnosis, move on to step two

Step Two: Imagine being out on a long run. See the sights, hear the sounds. Be in a typical place that you run regularly and engage with it.

Be well into the run. That is, imagine that you have been running for a while and your exertion levels have been impressive.

Notice your breathing rate, notice if you are sweating, notice your body temperature and really feel how you are.

Tell yourself that with every step you run, you go deeper into hypnosis. Then continue on your imagined run, tuning in to your physical self, noticing how you feel when you have exerted yourself on a good run and once you have that, move on to the next step.

Step Three: Notice the way that your running exertion has affected your brain. Imagine that deep inside your brain, it is responding to the exertions and releasing and producing those feel-good chemicals.

Imagine deep inside your brain the running exercise is causing it to produce serotonin and other feel-good chemicals, and use your imagination, in whatever way is right for you, and imagine how they are being spread from your brain and through your body.

If you need to encourage more production of those chemicals, you can increase the volume or the depth of the movement as you imagine it spreading from the base of your brain and throughout your body.

Maybe imagine the good feelings as a colour, maybe imagine them as light, maybe you just follow the actual physical sensation, maybe you imagine it as a sound resonating and moving? Represent the good feelings generated by your brain in whatever way best suits you.

Spread the good feeling around and go deeper into hypnosis as you do that.

When you realise that those good feelings are building and developing notably, then move on to the next step.

Step Four: Engage with the surroundings of your run again. This time in much more detail, almost as if your senses have come to life and are sharpened, like everything is fresh and new and exciting.

Notice how the colours are brighter and more vivid, spot more of the details of all that is around you. Notice and tune in to the sounds being even more harmonious, clearer and sharper and enjoy the feelings developing within you as your senses enliven.

As you do this, imagine that your body is flooded with a deep rooted sense of contentment that spreads from the base of your brain, the seat of your mind and works it?s way into your physical body and even nourishes your soul ? whatever that means to you and who you are, let it uplift.

Imagine it as a warmth, not in temperature terms, but as a contented warmth and soothing sense that spreads through your body, glowing and easing, almost as if it is in your blood working throughout everything that is you.

Get a real sense of this and move on to the next step.

Step Five: Imagine and allow all/any thoughts to simply bubble up through the mind and out of the head to be dissipated and enjoy some moments of mental calmness as you run effortlessly and enjoyably with a peaceful mind.

Imagine a connection with your surroundings, enjoy feeling connected to the environment of your run and if you want to have any thoughts simply affirm to yourself that ?running feels good? or ?I enjoy running?.

Continue that sense of warmth spreading through you, develop that connection with the surroundings and bring it all together and just exist within all of that for a while.

Continue with this step for a healthy period of time and really connect and engage with the good feeling and associate that good feeling (even if it is just an imagined good feeling for now) with the run and the process of running.

Once you think you have spent enough time on this step and you have really associated running with that good feeling, then move on to the next step.

Step Six: Tell yourself that each time you practice this, it works better and better for you and that when you practice this process during your runs, it becomes increasingly more noticeable and beneficial and that it helps you remain motivated to run and that you enjoy your running experience even more.

Spend a bit of time bringing those thoughts together and then move on to the final step.

Step Seven: Take a couple of deeper, energising breaths. Wiggle your fingers and toes and open your eyes.

Practice this using self-hypnosis a couple of times, then with some mental rehearsal under your belt, start using this process during your runs to develop and build your own ?runners high? which will serve to enhance your enjoyment of your runs and keep you running!

References:

Chauloff, F. (1997) The serotonin hypnothesis. In: Morgan, W. P. ed. Physical activity and mental health. Washington: Taylor and Francis: 179-198.

Dishman, R. K. (1997) The norepinephrine hypnothesis. In: Morgan, W. P. ed. Physical activity and mental health. Washington: Taylor and Francis: 199-212.

Mandell, A. J, (1979) The second second wind. Psychiat Annals; 9, 57-69.

Source: http://hypnosisforrunning.com/getting-and-using-the-runners-high-with-self-hypnosis/

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Arab-Muslim to join 'Green Lantern' comic series

This image provided by DC Comics via Bender/Helper Impact shows interior panels of the November 2012 issue of the latest Green Lantern series featuring the character Simon Baz, DC Comics most prominent Arab-American superhero and the first to wear a Green Lantern ring. The character and creator share Lebanese ancestry and hail from the Detroit area, which boasts one of the largest and oldest Arab communities in the United States. (AP Photo/DC Comics via Bender/Helper Impact)

This image provided by DC Comics via Bender/Helper Impact shows interior panels of the November 2012 issue of the latest Green Lantern series featuring the character Simon Baz, DC Comics most prominent Arab-American superhero and the first to wear a Green Lantern ring. The character and creator share Lebanese ancestry and hail from the Detroit area, which boasts one of the largest and oldest Arab communities in the United States. (AP Photo/DC Comics via Bender/Helper Impact)

This image provided by DC Comics via Bender/Helper Impact shows the November 2012 cover of the latest Green Lantern series featuring the character Simon Baz, DC Comics most prominent Arab-American superhero and the first to wear a Green Lantern ring. The character and creator share Lebanese ancestry and hail from the Detroit area, which boasts one of the largest and oldest Arab communities in the United States. (AP Photo/DC Comics via Bender/Helper Impact)

DETROIT (AP) ? When DC Comics decided to blow up its fabled universe and create a brave, diverse future, Geoff Johns drew from the past for a new character: his own background as an Arab-American.

The company's chief creative officer and writer of the relaunched "Green Lantern" series dreamed up Simon Baz, DC's most prominent Arab-American superhero and the first to wear a Green Lantern ring. The character and creator share Lebanese ancestry and hail from the Detroit area, which boasts one of the largest and oldest Arab communities in the United States.

"I thought a lot about it ? I thought back to what was familiar to me," Johns, 39, told The Associated Press by phone last week from Los Angeles, where he now lives. "This is such a personal story."

Baz's story begins in a standalone "zero issue" available Wednesday that's part of a companywide effort to fill in the gaps or tell the origins of a character or team. Johns has no plans for Baz to fade into the background ? the character in February is bound for the Justice League of America, one of DC's premier super team books, to fight alongside Green Arrow, Catwoman and Hawkman.

Johns said he took economic as well as ethnic cues for the character from his native Detroit area, with Baz resorting to stealing cars after being laid off from his automotive engineering job. He steals the wrong car, which inadvertently steers him into a terrorism probe and, eventually, an unexpected call to join the universe's galactic police force.

The olive-skinned, burly Baz hails from Dearborn, the hometown of Henry Ford and the capital of Arab America. His story begins at 10 years old, when he and the rest of his Muslim family watch their television in horror as airplanes fly into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Events unfold from there as U.S. Arabs and Muslims find themselves falling under intense suspicion and ostracism in the days, months and years following the attacks.

"Obviously, it's affecting everybody," said Johns, who grew up in nearby suburbs in a Lebanese Christian household and got into comics when he discovered his uncle's old collection in his Arabic grandmother's attic. "One of the things I really wanted to show was its effect on Simon and his family in a very negative way."

Baz is not the first Arab or Muslim character to grace ? or menace, as has historically been the case ? the comic world. Marvel Comics has Dust, a young Afghan woman whose mutant ability to manipulate sand and dust has been part of the popular X-Men books. DC Comics in late 2010 introduced Nightrunner, a young Muslim hero of Algerian descent reared in Paris. He is part of the global network of crime fighters set up by Batman alter-ego Bruce Wayne.

Frank Miller, whose dark and moody take on Batman in "The Dark Knight Returns" in 1986 energized the character, took a different tack in his recent book, "Holy Terror," which tells the story of The Fixer and his efforts to stamp out Islamic terrorists. The graphic novel initially took root as a look at Batman's efforts to fight terrorism, which grew out of Miller's experiences of being in New York on 9/11.

A broader mission to bring Islamic heroes and principles to the comic world comes from Naif Al-Mutawa, creator of "The 99." The U.S. educated psychologist from Kuwait has been gaining followers across the globe since the 2006 debut of the comic book that spawned a TV series. "The 99" is named after the number of qualities the Quran attributes to God: strength, courage, wisdom and mercy among them.

The series gained a wide audience in 2010, when it worked with DC on a six-issue crossover that teamed the "The 99" with The Justice League of America.

Johns, who also has written stories starring Superman, The Flash and Teen Titans, said going diverse only works if there's a good story, and he believes he found that with Baz. But don't mistake him for a hero in the beginning: Baz disappoints both devout Muslims ? his forearm tattoo that reads "courage" in Arabic is considered "haram," or religiously forbidden ? and broader society by turning to a life of crime.

"He's not a perfect character. He's obviously made some mistakes in his life, but that makes him more compelling and relatable," he said. "Hopefully (it's) a compelling character regardless of culture or ethnic background. ... But I think it's great to have an Arab American superhero. This was opportunity and a chance to really go for it."

Of course, Johns hopes Green Lantern fans accept Baz, who joins other humans who have been "chosen," including Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner. The overall relaunch has been good for DC, which has seen a solid gain in sales and critical reception ? as well as some expected grumbling ? since coming out with the "New 52" last year.

Johns also sees the debut of Baz as a chance to reconnect with people in his home state: He's scheduled to visit Dearborn this weekend for events related to the release that include a signing Saturday at a comic book store and a free presentation Sunday on his career and characters at the Arab American National Museum. He worked with museum staff to make sure he got certain details right about his character and the Arab-Muslim community.

"It doesn't completely define the character but it shapes the character," he said. "My biggest hope is that people embrace it and understand what we're trying to do."

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Associated Press Writer Matt Moore contributed to this report from Philadelphia.

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Follow Jeff Karoub on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffkaroub

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Online:

DC Comics: http://www.dccomics.com/

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-09-04-Muslim%20Superhero/id-14061ac1f26a4fd6bc9d28c9586066cd

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