text:
Last week, my laptop died a sudden spectacular death-by-drowning, as a full cup of coffee poured into its keyboard. It emitted a pop sound, and the screen and the power shut off.
What would your reaction be? Mine was to immediately unplug the power cord and remove the battery. Then I took it over to the sink and poured out the coffee. Remembering tales of people flushing keyboards with water, I ran some fresh water over the keys and then set to work. I removed the keyboard, the palm rest, a few of the inner cards, and let it sit without power for several hours. Apparently, not long enough.
Later that day, anxious to find out whether it was really dead or just comatose, I plugged it back in, crossed my fingers, and pressed the power button. The power light came on, I heard the fan start, and for a second or two, I was hopeful. But then... another pop, and it was dead. No further cleaning, drying, or care could resuscitate it over the next few days, so it's currently back at the IBM factory going through open-heart surgery, if not a total replacement.
Being prepared for disasters can make life easier if the event actually occurs
What can go wrong?
Obviously, if I didn't have a good backup of my data, such an event could have been catastrophic to my business. As it was, the loss of my laptop was merely an expensive hassle. Actual events such as this one can provide a good reality check for your disaster recovery strategies.
Many things can happen that have a similarly disasterous effect. Being prepared for disasters can make life easier if the event actually occurs. Let's take a quick look at some possible computer disasters:
- Coffee fries the laptop.
- A service technician copies sensitive data from your computer.
- Your laptop is stolen.
- Your data is erased by a malfunctioning airport X-ray machine.
- Your house burns down.
- Your PDA is stolen.
- A virus infects your files, and your recent backups.
Which of these disasters could make you go out of business? Or subject you to identity theft? Or to a lawsuit from your customers for leaking their information?
Many things can happen that have a similarly disasterous effect. Being prepared for disasters can make life easier if the event actually occurs
Several issues come into play here, and you need to consider all of them:
- Loss of use of your equipment.
- Compromise of sensitive data.
- Loss of data, including corrupt backups, deleted files, or important files you change accidentally.
- The overall risk of any of these events.
These are some of the considerations to be made when planning your disaster recovery strategy, and I'll get into more detail in future issues.
How do I back up my data?
There are several approaches to doing backups. It used to be that most places would get a tape-drive and put entire system backups on a schedule to run overnight. Tapes aren't always reliable, though, and it can be very difficult to retrieve individual files.
These days there are a lot more options. Writable CDs and DVDs provide a cheap way to create permanent backups, and create historical archives. USB thumb drives make for a simple way of instantly making a copy of important files. Large hard drives are cheap to buy, and when installed in an external drive enclosure or removable casing, become the most economical way to back up large sets of data.
If you have a Local Area Network (LAN), you can backup important files by simply copying them to other computers. If you're in an office environment, I highly recommend having a server, and concentrating your backup efforts onto the server instead of individual workstations.
The best backup system is one you don't have to think about at all. Ideally, your laptop or workstation should have no data that's not also stored somewhere else. We're all human afterall and the more work it is to do a backup, the less likely you are to have done one when you need it. So how did I do, when my laptop died?
The best backup system is one you don't have to think about at all. Ideally, your laptop or workstation should have no data that's not also stored somewhere else
Painful self-analysis
I probably rely on my laptop for a wider variety of data than most people. An important part of your backup strategy is identifying what data needs to be backed up, how often, and where. Here's a list of what was on my computer:
- Contact addresses
- Calendar/Schedule
- Password database
- Sensitive customer files
- Sensitive business data
- Finances
- Non-sensitive customer files
- Non-sensitive business documents
- Prototype databases for web application projects
- Prototype web applications under development
- The operating system and application software
- Configuration details about the machine itself
This list is probably a lot longer than yours, but it covers most of the different types of data used by the majority of small businesses, and may include a couple things you haven't thought about. So, how did I go with my disaster recovery strategy:
A perfect score. My email system uses IMAP, which keeps all mail on the server. Every single email in my mailbox is intact on the server, and immediately available from any other computer.
Contact addresses
Not so good. My contact addresses are currently stored in Evolution, my main email software. I periodically back up by synchronizing to my Palm, but I had been having problems with the synchronization, so I hadn't done that for a couple weeks. I could have lost the last two weeks of any changes to my address book.
Calendar and schedules
Ouch! My strategy was completely inadequate in this area. Evolution has great calendaring capabilities and I have several different calendars set up in Evolution, each for a particular type of work. My meeting calendar gets synchronized to my Palm PDA. My social and meeting calendars are merged to publish free/busy information so others can schedule meetings with me. I then keep several other calendars to block out time for different tasks: billing, taxes, security updates, client projects, and articles. In Evolution I can easily show or hide different calendars, and see when I'm available for a meeting. But the downside is, these calendars are all stored only on my desktop. Evolution does not yet support storing calendars on a server—though you can read remote calendars. Aside from the meeting calendar, the remainder of my tasks and work schedule would have been completely lost.
Password database
Okay. It's there, a backed up copy from my PDA. It's also encrypted, though the encryption is not as strong as other encryption methods. At least it'd take substantial effort to crack, and I can trust IBM, with its reputation, not to mess with it.
Sensitive customer and business files
Good. Not only are all my customer files in a server-based document repository, available for instant access from any other computer, but the copies on my laptop are on a strongly encrypted partition. My clients and I have nothing to worry about when the hard drive goes into the service depot: the encryption method used is the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which is the US Government standard for strong encryption and currently has no known flaws.
Super! My finances aren't even stored on this machine, even though it's my primary workstation. I use a web-based application, with an encrypted connection. My business finances never leave my server, and the server is backed up nightly.
Non-sensitive customer files, prototype web applications
Good. Again, all customer files are stored in a document repository, and I work on a local copy. Whenever I'm done for the day, I check these files back into the server. I could have lost a few paragraphs, written in a new proposal that morning; but in this case, there was no catastrophic loss.
Non-sensitive business documents
Poor. I had a lot of marketing material in my computer that was not backed up anywhere else. Chunks of text getting prepared for the web site, a couple of time and mileage tracking spreadsheets, a few other assorted files were not properly added to my document repository. The mileage tracking spreadsheet in particular would have been a tough loss.
Prototype databases
OK. If you're not a developer of some kind, you probably don't have any databases running on your laptop. I have three: MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle. It's one of the main reasons I got a new laptop this year—to get the performance I need to handle the types of development I'm doing. Databases often can't be backed up as files, especially when they're running. But there's nothing in the databases on my laptop beyond sample data, and the structure of each database is regularly exported to a file and added to my document repository. The document repository itself is a type of database that entails special backup procedures, but that's not on my laptop, so that's a story for another day.
Operating system and software
Just fine. Many people back up the entire hard drive, just because that's what they think is necessary. I never back up the operating system or installed programs. In the Linux world, it's almost always better to install the newest version of any software—catastrophic loss of a computer is just a great opportunity to upgrade. In the Windows world, you tend to need to periodically reinstall the entire operating system periodically anyway—especially the way recent spyware and viruses have infiltrated so many machines. Much better to start fresh and install the programs you need when you need them, either from new versions or directly from the installation CDs that you have in the bottom of that drawer.
System configuration
Total loss. On one hand, I try to keep the system configuration as close to the default as possible. But I had done a fair amount of custom configuration on this laptop to support things like the infrared port, the modem, and the wireless card, as these things don't always work reliably out of the box in Linux. I have notes around here somewhere, but didn't put them in a central place and some of the stacks of paper around here qualify as their own disaster needing recovery.
These types of events always serve as a wakeup call, highlighting areas for improvement
Result: needs improvement
While I had most of my critical data automatically backed up, there was a significant hassle involved in losing the data stored only on the laptop. In particular, I need to improve my contact, calendar, and a few less critical business documents. I also need better documentation of my system configuration. This would help me get this laptop back up, and running much more quickly.
Fortunately, I didn't lose a thing. I went down to my local electronics store and bought a little drive enclosure for a laptop hard drive, plugged it in and recovered everything on the drive, including the things I didn't have well backed up. All the same, these types of events always serve as a wakeup call, highlighting areas for improvement. Top of my list, based solely on the value of the data, is getting a better system in place for storing my contacts.
While I had most of my critical data automatically backed up, there was a significant hassle involved in losing the data stored only on the laptop
How would you fare if you lost your primary computer? If you don't feel confident in your current backup strategy, we at Freelock Computing would be happy to help you figure out a better plan. Next month I'll look at options for encrypting sensitive documents. It's easier than you may think.
I hope you took out the Harddisk
From: Phil Trickett
Url: www.trickett.info
Date: 2005-05-14
Subject: I hope you took out the Harddisk
Before washing the laptop under the tap!
Nice article.
Would be nice to see how you use your encrypted partitions, and a couple of other things mentioned in the article.
Good luck with the laptop!
Well, yea, washing your
Well, yea, washing your laptop under the tap pretty much leaves him with no chance... I know loosing data is a living hell, I have been through this and trust me, I never want to see it repeating. I even developed a phobia for it, if you search my bag you will understand.
First of all, I'm so sorry
First of all, I'm so sorry about your laptop. It happened to me before but luckily I was able to retrieve my laptop, Thank God because it has all my files and I don't have a backup. Never will I drink coffee beside my laptop.
Take out HD, copy it
From: Mik Yelrem
Url: Cox.net
Date: 2005-05-14
Subject: Take out HD, copy it
If your laptop dies from coffee, and the Hard Drive (HD) is not damaged, then you should be able to take out the HD, put it into one of those adapters that make it so that you can plug it into an IDE cable. Then connect it into your Desktop in an open IDE connector, then boot your Linux from a CD or Floppy (like Knoppix, your boot floppy for Linux, if you made one, or some way to bypass the possibility that the desktop will try to boot from the laptop HD). Then you can use dd to copy your whole hard drive to another drive. True, maybe you need to go buy another drive to copy to, but if you really want your configuration back in a form where it will work just as before, assuming no HD damage from the coffee, you have to copy the drive to another drive.
Another thing you can do is get a USB hard drive case with the USB circuitry in it, and put your laptop HD into that. Then you can plug that into a working computer and pretty much copy what you want into some disk space on the host computer.
Probably the best thing would have been to just take out the hard drive, then get the laptop fixed while using a different hard drive (used just to make sure the repair worked), or buy a new hard drive to be used for this repair. But keep the original HD that was in the laptop at your house. Then, when you get back the working laptop, just put in the original HD, and since it is going into the exact same type of computer, it should just work fine.
Sure it may cost some for the extra hard drive, if you have to get one, but you get your data and configuration all back just fine, and no worries about anyone else getting your data. At the repair shop perhaps all they will have to do is to put in some new components and just keep the old HD and it will work.
For data security people should buy a backup hard drive, and periodically copy the main drive to the backup drive. The Knoppix Hacks (O'Reilly) book describes how to do these things.
Using these techniques perhaps we can avoid shipping away our important data. It may cost more, but it may be well worth it. Then, even if coffee takes out the HD too, you still have everything up to the last backup date, and you can run from the backup hard drive.
airport x-ray
i am almost positive that my computer was bit by a malfunctioning airport x-ray machine. has this happened to anyone else?
is my data lost forever?
you didn't give us enough information
Please don't mention me
Please don't mention me again about loosing data, the last time I have through this it was a endless nightmare and I know I am not the only one saying this. Having an good backup strategy is a "must" for all of us.
if you have to get one, but
if you have to get one, but you get your data and configuration all back just fine, and no worries about anyone else getting your data. At the repair shop perhaps all they will have to do is to put in some new components and just keep the old HD and it will work.
eeepc 901
I must say I too have heard
I must say I too have heard the most bizarre stories of poor laptops being fried. I do agree that you can never be too careful. Incidents will take place and you should be prepared to bear the consequences. You should be equipped always with a contingency plan in your words 'a disaster recovery strategy'. Losing data can be a fright to the heart and disastrous to your business.


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Triptrop May 14 2009
I really like the subway travel time heatmaps on Triptrop NYC.
Put in an address and you get a map of how far away everything is using the subway. 15 minutes, forty minutes, two hours -- all set up with nice little colors. That's pretty easy, I think. Triptrop can help you find a convenient place to live. It's also a nice way to tell your friend to stop inviting you to the purple part of the Bronx, or to prove that the G isn't actually that bad.
(via fake is the new real)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
And We're Off!
This post is written by Shelley Hendrix, Autism Speaks' Director of State Advocacy Relations. She currently resides in Baton Rouge, La. with her two children, Liam and Mairin. Liam was diagnosed with autism age the age of two in 1998. She began advocating on behalf of her son and other children with autism almost from day one.
It's easy to tell the first Monday back after the New Year in the Government Relations department at Autism Speaks. It's full of sparks as rockets start taking off in every possible angle in the race to introduce autism insurance reform legislation in the states. States spend all fall hammering out policy details, knitting coalitions and growing their grassroots advocates and then BANG! It's off to the races. This mad pace continues throughout the first half of the year in the scramble to see whose states will achieve the objective this spring legislative session.
Earlier this week, Oregon entered the fray as the first state of 2011 to introduce autism insurance reform legislation with both a House and Senate version of the bill. Oregon has a legislative session that only meets during odd years. The team of volunteers in 2009 worked very hard but we just didn't reach this objective. We know more now. We are armed with more data and more states have enacted legislation. Oregon's volunteer leaders have spent time cultivating that fresh ground and sowing the seeds necessary for success.
Their time is now.
When you look at our map of the United States you see a swath of green across the nation utilized to signify the 23 states that have passed this legislation in the heartland, along the Gulf Coast and up the Eastern Seabord. But the west coast has remained unphased. All children with autism need appropriate health care coverage.
How is it possible that our nation has an entire coast where no coverage exists for our children to access the treatment and therapy they need?
2011 is the year to resolve that injustice. And Oregon Autism Advocates, I hope you will get involved and change your children's destinies.
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle."
With Martin Luther King, Jr. day approaching on Monday, if you live in a state that has not yet turned green, listen to his words and let that motivate you. Do not give up. Do not sit quietly and depend on others to do this hard work for you. Roll up your sleeves, get busy and get it done. It is worth the struggle.
Yesterday, I spoke with a parent from a state whose law was recently implemented. Their child is severely affected by autism – and is a teenager. Their family had lost hope. With the advent of the child's new ABA therapy program, because they have access to this treatment, he is now learning independent skills. He is making small meals for himself. He is doing his laundry. He can perform chores around the house. He is contributing to the family unit and because he is more engaged it has changed the dynamic of the family's life and his.
These laws are changing lives.
They can change yours.
If you live in one of the 27 states that have not passed autism insurance reform and want to get involved to change that visit www.autismvotes.org and sign up today.
Good luck Oregon. We are rooting for you!
January 13, 2011 at 2:02 pm
Even though Florida is flagged as a green state and has passed some legislation, it's effects are very limited. The legislation excludes self-insured employers which is growing in size, so many Floridians are still unable to get coverage for their children. We need to pursue legislation that will provide some assistance to everyone, even through employers that are self-funded and not fully-insured. I wonder if this type of limitation exists in other States as well, or have we been successful in getting even limited coverage applied to all insurance benefits?
January 13, 2011 at 2:43 pm
Same w/ Pennsylvania…if the Co. is self insured and the employee has a child w/autism…..you're out of luck for the health insurance paying for any therapies….This loop-hole needs to be addressed as long as the company has the required number of employees (50+ employees).
January 13, 2011 at 5:38 pm
Same is true for the State of Texas….self-funded companies here in Texas do not have to abide state regulation for covering therapies for autism. That's great that we passed autism coverage regulation in Texas but we need to fix this huge loop hole with self-funded companies here in Texas too. It's so frustrating…
January 13, 2011 at 2:03 pm
While Pennsylvania has a lovely green color to it, there is an interesting hitch to the way things work here. I was diagnosed as being HFA in 2007 at age 44, and my teen-age daughter was officially diagnosed this past summer as being HFA, though she was being treated the past 3 years as being likely HFA with other issues. Our previous insurance coverages had a contracted rate of roughly $80/session, with us making a copay and the insurance making up the difference. That is typical across all insurance providers but one. We now have Health America, who has a contracted rate of $40/session, and with our $40 copay, they pay NOTHING!!! Talk about giving lip service to the law… we are left paying for our therapy totally out of pocket. So just because coverage is mandated does not mean that you really have covering.
January 17, 2011 at 10:36 am
As a mother of an autistic 4 year old, I am extremely alarmed to learn that the Republicans in the House of Representatives are busy readying legislation that would effectively end all autism insurance coverage. I live in Illinois, which with 22 other states has enacted laws requiring insurance coverage for autism treatment. Without this coverage, there is no way I could pay for the ABA treatment that my son's doctor says he needs. My son has made great progress with this treatment. However, the new congresspeople want to enact legislation allowing insurance companies to avoid state regulations by selling insurance across state lines. If this happens, no insurer will issue policies from states requiring autism coverage, and all autism coverage will effectively vanish. I do not know what I will do if this happens. My son needs his therapy, but I can't pay for it all out of pocket. What can be done to prevent this from happening?
February 15, 2011 at 9:38 am
As a grandmother to 2 grandchildren with autism, I can say that Illinois autism insurance law is one in name only. The children are insured under a self-funded policy, so ABA is not covered, nor any other services. The promise that Barack Obama made in his presidental bid about help for autism was just a smoke screen. My grandchildren need help, but I doubt if anything will change to make that happen.
April 19, 2011 at 10:01 am
good. Hope we continue throughout 2011!


text:
Some teams got shifted around in the past week. What do you think of these rankings?
1 Sutter
3 Escondido
4 Kerman
5 Paso Robles
6 Bear River
7 North
8 Leigh
9 Rodriguez
10 Garces Memorial
11 Marshall (John) Senior
12 Madera
13 Kennedy (John F.)
14 Gilroy
15 El Camino Real Senior
Why do you have Bear River ranked 6th, when they have been
beaten twice by Oak Ridge, a team currently ranked @ 142?
Scores were 9-2 and 5-2. The Sacramento Bee has the following
rankings for the local teams (posted May 12th) which are more realistic:
(although Oak Ridge has also defeated the team immediately ahead of
it in the rankings also, 3-2 in the NorCal Classic).
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C6
1. Sheldon 25-1
2. Franklin 22-3
3. Elk Grove 23-2
4. Napa 23-4
5. Fairfield 21-6
6. Rio Linda 26-1
7. Woodcreek 21-7
8. Pleasant Grove 17-7
9. St. Francis 19-9
10. Oak Ridge 20-6-1
11. Rocklin 21-5
12. Pioneer 22-4
13. Bear River 25-2
14. Roseville 17-9
15. McClatchy 22-4-1
16. Del Campo 17-8
17. Galt 19-8
18. Woodland 20-7
19. Rosemont 16-11
20. Whitney 17-11
– Quwan Spears
Bear River also narrowly escaped defeat by Whitney late in the season
(3-2 with Whitney runner on 3rd, and an out made at the outfield fence to win)
And they squeeked by Colfax 6-5 who is 4th place in their league.
Guess Bear River has some good publicists...
Sheldon is head and shoulders above any team in California. There is no doubt they are number 1.
It's good to be proud of your team, but let's be realistic......... you might want to read the following article.......
Published 12:30 am PDT Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C6
It was more than business for Allie Crump. It was personal. As result, Elk Grove High School's standout senior earned sweet revenge against Sheldon, ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today, with the Herd's 4-3 victory in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs at the Sacramento Softball Complex on Tuesday.
Crump struck out 10, allowed three hits and ended the Huskies' quest for a mythical national championship.
Moreover, she made up for a 3-0 loss to Sheldon in last season's D-I section final. In that game, she surrendered a three-run walkoff home run to the Huskies' Jolene Henderson in the ninth inning.
"I was thinking about what happened last year," Crump said. "And as a team, we were ready for this game."
Elk Grove (26-2) will play Fairfield in a winners' bracket semifinal game today at 5 p.m.
Sheldon (28-2) beat Grace Davis of Modesto 10-0 in a losers' bracket game late Tuesday and advanced to today's elimination match against Napa at 5 p.m.
Crump held Sheldon without a hit after the second inning, and the Herd became the second team this season to pound Henderson, the Huskies' ace and 2007 All-Metro Player of the Year, for seven hits.
"They played us smart by going to their short game," Sheldon coach Mary Jo Truesdale said. "Moreover, they hit Jolene well."
The Herd grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run double by Shelby Wisdom. The Huskies bounced back with three in the second, including a two-run single by Kristen Gray. Alex Basquez, however, helped the Herd take the lead for good with a two-run single in the fourth.
Crump, though, was the story of the game. She shut down a Sheldon team that needed to go undefeated in the tournament to win the national title.
"That kid (Crump) had something to prove," Herd coach Jeff Alexander said. "That's why she is a **** of a competitor."
Y'all may want to come down south to play some real softball. Maybe play a few games in North San Diego, Orange, or Riverside County.
We have, and we still do. Grew up in So OC. Now we come south for the showcases.
And since that's over, what does that have to do with the schools we were talking about?
Some teams got shifted around in the past week. What do you think of these rankings?
1 Sutter
2 Monta Vista
3 Escondido
4 Kerman
5 Paso Robles
6 Bear River
7 North
8 Leigh
9 Rodriguez
10 Garces Memorial
11 Marshall (John) Senior
12 Madera
13 Kennedy (John F.)
14 Gilroy
15 El Camino Real Senior
ACTIVE is the leader in online event registrations from 5k running races and marathons to softball leagues and local events. ACTIVE also makes it easy to learn and prepare for all the things you love to do with expert resources, training plans and fitness calculators.


text:
Jamie Nolan approached this season just looking to have fun. The Leland standout helped the Chargers win a section title as a junior -- a dream come true, she says -- and really wanted to enjoy her final season at the school.
Leland didn't repeat as Central Coast Section champion this fall, losing to St. Francis in the Division I final, but Nolan had a season to remember.
She finished with 112 goals, 64 assists, 90 steals and 47 drawn ejections on a team that had only eight players. For this, she is the Mercury News girls water polo player of the year.
"I always knew she had talent," Leland coach Eric Rise said. "But she went to another level."
Nolan follows in the footsteps of her sister Kelsey, the Mercury News player of the year in 2009, and former teammate Samantha Murphy, the newspaper's player of the year last season.
Nolan spent more time on the defensive side in 2011, trying to set up Murphy, the team's top scorer. But with Murphy having moved on to UC Santa Barbara, Nolan's role changed.
"I knew I needed to pick it up and score," she said.
Nolan will play next season at the University of Michigan, where she and her sister will team together for the first time since Jamie was a freshman at Leland. Kelsey Nolan led Michigan to an 11th consecutive division championship last spring.
"I would have gone to Michigan with or without her there," said Jamie Nolan, who is considering an engineering major.
But her presence "just kind of opened my eyes to the East Coast," she added. "I looked at other East Coast schools, like the Ivies, but then when I went on my trip to Michigan, I knew that's where I wanted to be -- all the school spirit and the great academics, just everything about it."
Nolan, who also took recruiting trips to Brown and Princeton and considered Harvard, began her water polo journey in middle school -- again following her sister's footsteps. Soon, she knew the sport was her calling, too.
"I had been playing soccer, and then my sister got into water polo," Nolan said. "My mom signed me up, and I realized I am meant for the water. I am not coordinated on land."
Nolan's contributions this season took Leland on another run through the CCS playoffs as the Chargers defeated San Benito and Menlo-Atherton to reach the final. But in a rematch of last season's championship match, Leland lost to St. Francis 8-3.
"It was a tough loss," Nolan said. "But I was still proud of our team and what we accomplished in the year."
All-Mercury News
girls Water Polo
First team
Jamie Nolan, Leland, Sr.
Carla Tocchini, St. Ignatius, Sr.
Sami Strutner, St. Francis, Jr.
Caroline Anderson, Gunn, Jr.
Courtney Batcheller, St. Francis, Jr.
Katherine Moore, St. Francis, Jr.
Tegan Stanbach, St. Francis, Sr.
Caitlin Stuewe, Sacred Heart Prep, Jr.
Katie Peck, Leland, Sr.
Second team
Sierra Sheeper, Menlo-Atherton, Jr.
Cathleen Cantoni, Archbishop Mitty, Sr.
Alison Griffeth, Leland, Sr.
Francesca Puccinelli, St. Ignatius, Sr.
Keri Clifford, Harker, Sr.
Kira Tomlinson, Burlingame, Sr.
Bridgette Harper, Sacred Heart Prep, Sr.
Lesley Kerley, Presentation, Sr.
P.J. Bigley, Sacred Heart Prep, Sr.
Honorable mention
Kelly Moran, Sacred Heart Prep; Susan Providenza, St. Ignatius; Nicole Reynolds, Burlingame; Morgan McCracken, Sacred Heart Prep; Rachel Vaughn-Hulbert, Willow Glen; Anna Yu, Castilleja; Claudia Macedo, Valley Christian; Gabby Whetstone, Santa Teresa; Sabrina Sherrin, Archbishop Mitty; Jessica Heilman, Menlo-Atherton; Jenna Swartz, Menlo-Atherton; Eela Nagaraj, St. Francis; Tina Samson, Leland; Allison Larko, Los Gatos; Lauren Lesyna, Gunn; Diana Hatamian, Leland; Brittany Kirwan, St. Francis.


text:
Marvin Richard and Katherine Louise Pickett Boulware of 620 Country Club Drive, Hannibal, Mo., will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary Feb. 9, 2013.
The couple was married Feb. 9, 1963, at First Methodist Church in Palmyra with the Rev. Foster officiating.
Mrs. Boulware is the daughter of Frances Pickett of Oklahoma City, Okla., and the late Clarence Pickett.
Mr. Boulware is the son of Golda Boulware of Palmyra and the late Spencer Boulware.
They are parents of Douglas Richard Boulware of Sabetha, Kan. They have two grandsons, one stepgrandson, one great-granddaughter and one great-grandson.
Mr. Boulware is retired from the Hannibal Board of Public Works. Mrs. Boulware also is retired.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
- Destinations
- Hotels
- Vacations
- Tours & Activities
- Special Offers
- Cruise Vacations
September 30, 2011
This beautiful hotel has been fully renovated. 70 of the 103 rooms at the Regina Hotel Baglioni are done in an Art Deco style and the rest are in classic Italian style. Lots of rich polished woods are used and the bathrooms were larger than in a lot of hotels. The rainforest shower heads were a special treat! Grand Deluxe rooms had a comfortable seating area with flat screen TV as well as a large wardrobe and area to lay out a suite case. Bathrobes and slippers included. Executive suites offer a large sitting room/living area with table and chairs and couchette and 2 additional chairs. They also offer a desk and bar are. These are all in the Art Deco style with claw foot tubs and separate shower. The flat screen TV is hung on the wall. The Regina Suite has a large living area with a dining table and stand up bar with seating. It also offers an additional guest bath. It is decorated with black and white Hollywood prints throughout. The bedroom has a large closet and the shower has the claw foot tub and separate shower as well as two sinks. A dressing table is also included. This suite is styled with all 1930's original furniture and Murano glass. Truly a special experience! The Junior Suites have a lot of closet space with gold silk on the walls. The sleeping area is defined by columns but is not closed off. Sleeping area is adorned by a terra cotta, gold and cream color scheme.
A unique feature to this hotel is that a lot of rooms (2, 3 or 4) can be closed off to create a "family" suite or private grouping. There is also a roof top terrace available for entertaining. It offers seating for 12 loungers and a Jacuzzi for 6. Their function room is available for meetings and is quite popular. The Brunello Lounge is extremely stylish and is decorated in black and white with accents of gold and animal prints. There is a basic fitness room with a sauna. Spa services are available and a 10% discount is offered to guests.
I thought this hotel was wonderful and perfect for a deluxe client not looking for a "Four Seasons" experience. The staff was quite young but very friendly and helpful. This is another good 4.5 star choice.


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CHARLESTON - The thought most high school baseball coaches wrestle with in the state semifinals is which pitcher to throw, the ace or the No. 2?
Magnolia's Dave Cisar chose No. 2, in this case Zach Willhoite on Friday against Notre Dame at Appalachian Power Park, and for a long time it looked like it might have been the wrong call.
When the Blue Eagles (31-4) rallied with two runs in the seventh to beat the Fighting Irish, 4-3, and advance to today's Class A title game against Charleston Catholic, Cisar had a big smile on his face and started talking about, well wrestling.
"I watch WWE at 8 o'clock and 11 o'clock every Monday night," he said. "There's a guy on there called 'The Miz.' The Miz has one word to say - ''awesome.'' I feel rather awesome right now the way we came back here and won this game."
It wasn't hard to fault Cisar, who has a history of trying to save his ace in Charleston, for starting Willhoite, who had pitched his best the last three weeks and was 6-0 with a 3.20 ERA on the season. But the knees began to shake a bit when trailing 2-1 in the third, Willhoite hit Spencer Harlow with a pitch in front of an RBI double by freshman Josh Baker, his second run-producing double of the game.
It was then that Cisar summoned Kyle Elliott, the club's ace, who went on to pitch 4 2/3 scoreless - and hitless - innings the rest of the way, keeping the top-ranked Blue Eagles close.
"Not to take anything away from Zach; he's pitched very, very well," Cisar said. "He didn't throw real well (Friday). But I'm going to tell you something. Maybe it wasn't that he didn't throw well. We played a pretty good baseball game here."
It's true.
Four Notre Dame pitchers held Magnolia to three hits game-long and struck out a trio of batters. It was the last two of 11 walks and one of the two hit batsmen that ultimately did them in.
The Blue Eagles, who had two players picked off bases and another caught stealing through the first three innings, scored only one run during that time on an error. They got it to 3-2 on an RBI infield single by Drew Keller in the fourth while Elliott was cruising.
"Elliott came in, settled us down, pitched a great game," Cisar said. "It seemed like all at once our defense got more alive, we picked it up a little bit emotionally, but still, we didn't get a clutch hit all day."
In the seventh, two walks and a hit batsman loaded the bases ahead of that seemingly long lost big hit - a ringing, two-run single by Tanner Hanna that proved to be the difference.
"You can't give the No. 1 team in the state (that many) baserunners," Notre Dame coach Patrick Marozzi said. "We were fortunate enough that those baserunners really didn't hurt us. They did but they didn't. We should have won the game, honestly. We couldn't throw strikes in the seventh."
It's true. Magnolia did little with those freebies through the first six innings.
"No. 1, we got picked off second base," Cisar said. "One of the 10 commandments of baseball is don't get picked off when you're not running. But sometimes you make a mistake. We learned a great deal from getting picked off second base.
"Then boom, Elliott, he's 21 out of 22 steals, he leaves a little too early, gets thrown out at second base. Everything we do is wrong. I'm kinda sitting there thinking, 'Hey maybe I should go sit in the corner of the dugout and let these guys go at it.' "
He didn't, of course, at one point pulling a classic Cisar move and pulling a batter with one strike in favor of another in hopes of getting a bunt down (which worked).
By the seventh, things turned around for Magnolia.
During one stretch, Irish pitchers had thrown 14 straight balls in the pivotal inning.
"We didn't win the hit game - we had three hits," Cisar said. "But the key is when you get that big hit. Tanner Hanna made a great swing right there on a 3-2 pitch, and boom.
"Sometimes games are won, and sometimes games are lost. We got three gifts in the last inning."
The Eagles could have had more, but back-to-back fielder's choices, one on a squeeze bunt, erased runners at the plate before Chris Petrucci was able to get the final out.
Elliott worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning, getting a trio of groundouts, to set off a celebration.
Interestingly, the last time Magnolia was in this spot (two years earlier), Cisar did the same thing by starting his then-No. 2 pitcher Elliott, a sophomore, and got into a 5-0 hole before calling on ace Justin Fox. In that case, it didn't work as the Blue Eagles fell 6-4 to Wyoming East.
In 2006, the only time Cisar has won a title in 40 years in baseball and more than 20 in football, he went the other way. Veteran Michael Blair won the opener and freshman Andrew Robinson beat Liberty Harrison, 10-1, in the title game.
Notre Dame had five hits Friday, none after the third. Marozzi knew that wouldn't be enough.
"No," he said. "They're the No. 1 team in the state for a reason. We tried to manufacture a couple more runs. We weren't able to do it. We were able to bunt guys when we wanted to when we had guys on base. We just couldn't drive them in."


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Horace H. "Pappy"?Hall, age 84 of Lakefield, died Sunday, April 8, 2012, at his home. Funeral Services were held Wednesday at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Okabena, with Pastor Stephen Weiss officiating. Burial, with full military honors, followed in Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, Lakefield.
Arrangements were handled by LaCanne Family Service in Windom. Condolences may be sent online to www.lacannefuneral home.com.
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Location, ST | website.com


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The first set is all hyped up, frantic energy with zero control. Everything is messy and disorganized, particularly Stash and AC/DC Bag. Bag just sounds wrong. During the jam in Mike's Song, it sounds like they make a conscious effort to slow things down and get control, but it gets away again during Hydrogen. The first set, to me, is unequivocally bad. I was hopeful for the second set, but it again starts out shaky, and by the time we're through Horn, the show has achieved full train-wreck status. Trey announces Paul & Silas, then sounds like he starts Rocky Top, and no one else seems to know how to get it started, so they just kind of stumble into it. Cavern is rough, and the Destiny Unbound is simply awful.
I Didn't Know was apparently a good call, since it gave them a chance to just not play for a little bit. Even IDK gets downright weird at the end (at one point, a woman somewhere even lets out a full-on horror movie blood-curdling scream). Fortunately, though, something about I Didn't Know lets them pretty much get whatever it was out of their system, because the remainder of the show is fairly OK, though nothing spectacular. Harry Hood is probably the one song that had some highlights, although I was relieved to hear Coil played cleanly (even though there is pretty much no Page solo).
Overall, though, yikes. Don't know what the deal with this show is. I debated raising it up to two stars since the last four songs are at least OK, but I decided I would have needed something special to rescue the first 3/4 of the gig from whatever it was that had taken over the band on this night. I gotta go one star on this.


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The Good Leads
Links for the informed adviser…
Huge day for econ and earnings – Philly Fed, Weekly Claims, earnings from MS, BAC and more! (MarketBeat)
The stock behind the technology that brought Tupac back to the stage is Digital Domain, and it's had quite a week. (TRB)
The 21 Most Controversial Stocks list includes SODA, BBY, GMCR and CRM. (Business Insider)
Whitney Tilson just held a call on his top positions (BRK-B, AIG, IRDM), some notes and a link to hear it: (ValueWalk)
Wait til you hear what Sallie Krawcheck's new gig is… (Registered Rep)
More advisors are now blogging. (Wired Advisor)
RIA Action: "In the first quarter, 17 mergers or acquisitions took place, involving a total $24 billion in invested assets…nine involved advisers' leaving a wirehouse to join a national acquiring firm." (Investment News)
Will the fiduciary standard raise the cost of advice on the middle class? Of course not, but this guy says maybe. (AdvisorOne)
Michael Lewis: You know what might work? A real boycott of the systemic six. But I don't feel like it. (Daily Beast)
Josh Brown is a contributor to the Financial Adviser blog. He is a vice president at Fusion Analytics, an investment advisory firm, and the author of the The Reformed Broker blog. His commentary here is for informational purposes and should not be construed as research or advice. Mr. Brown buys and sells investment instruments for his own and his clients' accounts, and will disclose if he holds a position in a company or industry he writes about.


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Facing Up : The federal budget deficit is out of control, posing a growing threat to both the pocketbook and the future of every American. Without swift and decisive action to fix it, we run the risk of becoming a nation in decline - with a faltering economy, reduced international influence, and lowered expectations for all. By avoiding the tough choices that must be made, today's politicians have turned their backs on future generations of Americans who will have to pay for our excess. In Facing Up, Peter G. Peterson, former United States Secretary of Commerce. tells the truth about the budget deficit - what caused it, why it's so difficult to do anything about it, and what we can do to prevent it from destroying the American dream. Updated with a new introduction and coverage of the most recent developments in health-care and welfare reform, the book offers a bold, authoritative, practical plan for bringing the deficit back under control.
|Negocios y Economia


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Due to the late ice-out, repair crews may not able to get to all Department of Natural Resources (DNR) boat launches in time for the May 11 fishing opener, particularly in northern Minnesota where many of the large lakes still have ice.
Each spring, Parks and Trails Division crews inspect and repair launch ramps and install docks.
"This work cannot be done until the ice is off the lake, and it can take a couple of weeks to get to every site in each work area," said Nancy Stewart, public water access program coordinator. "It may be wise for boaters to call ahead for the latest report on the water body and access they plan to use."
Meanwhile, most public water accesses at lakes in the metro area and south will be ready for boaters.
Stewart offers these suggestions for the opener:
* Be patient at the boat ramp and use extra care while launching and loading boats.
* Have hip boots or waders and a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket available to wear when entering the water to help guide boat and trailer, especially where docks are not yet available.
* If a person's traditional fishing opener lake is not ready, they should have a back-up plan.
* Operate boats carefully, because there could be free-floating ice sheets and debris on some lakes, creating unsafe boating conditions.
* Do not go on top of ice.
Location, ST | website.com


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The Student Health Center provides a full range of routine health care services to all registered students ranging from the evaluation and treatment of medical problems and injuries, to STD testing and preventative care.
Call our office at (920) 424-2424 to make an appointment.
New Patient Forms
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Fill out, sign and bring with you to your appointment.
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Unable to make your appointment?
As soon as you find out you will be unable to make your appointment, call the Student Health Center at (920) 424-2424 to cancel or reschedule.
Failure to cancel or reschedule an appointment within 24 hours will result in a no-show fee charged to your student account. See our No Show Policy for more details.
Same-day Appointments
Every effort will be made to see you as soon as possible on the same-day or the next business day for more immediate issues (like cold, upset stomach, etc.). Please call the Student Health Center at (920) 424-2424 to set up an appointment.
After-hours and Emergent Care
If you require medical attention on a weekend or when the Student Health Center is not open, you are encouraged to visit a local urgent care clinic.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
Affinity Health System
- Koeller Street Clinic (urgent care) (920) 223-7300
- Mercy Medical Center (emergency) (920) 223-2000
Aurora Health Care
- Aurora Health Center (urgent care) (920) 303-8700
- Aurora Medical Center (emergency) (920) 456-6000


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The Willard Lady Tigers played outstanding defense on Monday as they blew past the Diamond Lady Wildcats, 50-16, in the opening game of the Seneca Girls Basketball Tournament at Seneca High School. East Newton, meanwhile, downed McDonald County, 51-25, in another game at the tourney.
The Lady Tigers were too much to handle on Monday as their defense held the Lady Wildcats to no more than seven points in any quarter. They staked claim to a 28-7 lead at halftime and never looked back.
Despite 12 players scoring in the affair, no Lady Tigers finished in double figures. Chelsea Yates led the team with eight points while Shelby Barrett had four, Makenzie Parker seven, Jessica Fox two, Rachel Williamson three, Amber Percival seven, Jelyne Shaw two, Caitlyn Carpenter two, Carrie Stoll two, Raven Mammah three, Ali Perry six and Mariah Stewart four.
Cady Littlefield led the Lady Wildcats with six points while Asia Mahan had four, Hanna Million three, Kirsten Eden two and Shayla Jones one. The Lady Wildcats (9-9) made scored 12 of their points on free throws.
The Lady Patriots, meanwhile, jumped out to a 16-4 lead in the first quarter and never looked back as they built a 28-8 halftime lead.
Kourtney Brewster led East Newton with 14 points while Aubrey McDermott had four, Shelbey Thomlinson four, Ellie White four, Kortney Cambers three, Haley Heilig seven, Laura Hopper six, Whitney Thomlinson three and Sarah Harper six.
Preslea Reece paced McDonald County with seven points while Alisha Ballard finished with five, Baili Nelson two, Courtni Smith five and Kali Hodson four.
Location, ST | website.com


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Fort Frye
Age: 18
Article Photos
Photo courtesy of Pam Brooker
Fort Frye's Shon Smith (15) drives to the basket against Morgan during a game on Jan. 29.
Class: Senior
Grade-point average: 3.2
Sports: Golf and basketball
Question: Do you have any plans for after high school?
Answer: I'm gonna go play (basketball) somewhere. I'm not sure where though. Marietta, probably, but I'm waiting to see about West Liberty or anything like that. Hopefully West Lib. That would be pretty sweet.
Q: What are you going to major in?
A: Probably history. I love history. Maybe be a history teacher and come back here and coach or something.
Q: What are some of the most memorable moments in your high school athletic career?
A: For golf, probably winning sectionals individually because that was like my second year playing golf ever. I got lucky though. In basketball, probably last year winning the sectional championship and OVAC championship back-to-back. That was pretty sweet.
Q: Can you tell me about the coaching transition in basketball from coach Liedtke to coach Henniger?
A: Everything is pretty much the same. Some stuff has been switched up a little bit, but like I said everything is pretty much the same. (Coach Henniger) is just as disciplined as coach Liedtke was. He's not letting you get by with much.
Q: What are your expectations for the basketball team going into tournament play?
A: The tournament is way different than regular season play. Officials are gonna let more stuff go by. It's a completely different ballgame. You can't really prepare yourself for it, but we've got a lot of upperclassmen telling people what it's like. Pretty much just be stronger with the ball and I think we'll be alright.
Q: As a senior, are you feeling any pressure to go further into the tournament than last year?
A: I want to go far. It's my last chance. I had a lot of friends last year that played. I talk to them every day and they're just like "You're so lucky, you still get to play." I want to keep going.
- Jordan Holland


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About the Book
"A gorgeous, wise, riveting work of, among other things, cowboy noir…Honestly, I can't recall ever being this fond of a pair of psychopaths."
—David Wroblewski, New York Times bestselling author of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
"A masterful, hilarious picaresque that keeps company with the best of Charles Portis and Mark Twain…a relentlessly absorbing feat of novelistic art."
—Wells Tower, author of Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned
"The Sisters Brothers is dark, dark, and funny, both ha ha and strange…and you'll love the characters you meet along the way."
—Tom Franklin, New York Times bestselling author of Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
Patrick deWitt, a young writer whose "stop-you-in-your-tracks writing has snuck up on the world" (Los Angeles Times), brings us The Sisters Brothers, a darkly comic, outrageously inventive novel that offers readers a decidedly off-center view of the Wild, Wild West. Set against the back-drop of the great California Gold Rush, this odd and wonderful tour de force at once honors and reshapes the traditional western while chronicling the picaresque misadventures of two hired guns, the fabled Sisters brothers. The most original western since the Coen Brothers re-interpreted True Grit—you've never met anyone quite like The Sisters Brothers.
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize
Hermann Kermit Warm is going to die. The enigmatic and powerful man known only as the Commodore has ordered it, and his henchmen, Eli and Charlie Sisters, will make sure of it. Though Eli doesn't share his brother's appetite for whiskey and killing, he's never known anything else. But their prey isn't an easy mark, and on the road from Oregon City to Warm's gold-mining claim outside Sacramento, Eli begins to question what he does for a living–and whom he does it for.
With The Sisters Brothers, Patrick deWitt pays homage to the classic Western, transforming it into an unforgettable comic tour de force. Filled with a remarkable cast of characters–losers, cheaters, and ne'er-do-wells from all stripes of life–and told by a complex and compelling narrator, it is a violent, lustful odyssey through the underworld of the 1850s frontier that beautifully captures the humor, melancholy, and grit of the Old West and two brothers bound by blood, violence, and love.
Educator and Librarian Resources
Critical Praise
"Patrick deWitt's Booker-nominated tale of two hired guns during the Gold Rush, is 'weirdly funny, startlingly violent and steeped in sadness,' according to Ron Charles." — Washington Post
"[A]n odd gem...that has one of most engaging and thoughtful narrators I've come across in a long time....The novel belongs to the great tradition of subversive westerns...but deWitt has a deadpan comic voice and a sneaky philosophical bent that's all his own." — Tom Perrotta's Favorite Fiction of 2011 on Salon.com
"This bloody buddy tale of two hired guns during the Gold Rush is weirdly funny, startlingly violent and steeped in sadness — a reaffirmation of the endurance of the Western." — Notable Fiction of 2011, Washington Post
"DeWitt's THE SISTERS BROTHERS is a glorious picaresque Western; everything about this book is stylish, from its conceit to its cover design making it a truly worthy inclusion on the shortlist." — Daily Beast
"If Cormac McCarthy had a sense of humor, he might have concocted a story like Patrick DeWitt's bloody, darkly funny western THE SISTERS BROTHERS...[DeWitt has] a skillfully polished voice and a penchant for gleefully looking under bloody bandages." — Los Angeles Times
"Thrilling…a lushly voiced picaresque story…so richly told, so detailed, that what emerges is a weird circus of existence, all steel shanks and ponies, gut shots and medication poured into the eyeholes of the dying. At some level, this too is a kind of revenge story, marvelously blurry." — Esquire
"[T]here's something cinematic about Mr. deWitt's unadorned prose style, which at first made this reader do a double-take—can this be serious?—only to continue flicking the pages with pleasure." — Wall Street Journal
"By turns hilarious, graphic and meditative, The Sisters Brothers hooked me from page one all the way to 300 — and I could have stayed on for many more." — NPR.org
"Wandering his Western landscape with the cool confidence of a practiced pistoleer, deWitt's steady hand belies a hair trigger, a poet's heart and an acute sense of gallows humor…the reader is likely to reach the adventure's end in the same shape as Eli: wounded but bettered by the ride." — Time Out New York
"A feast of delights in short punchy chapters.... Deliciously original and rhapsodically funny, this is one novel that ropes you in on page one, and isn't about to ride off into the sunset any time soon." — Boston Globe
"Mesmerizing… The book seduces us to its characters, and draws us on the strength of deWitt's subtle, nothing-wasted prose. He writes with gorgeous precision about the grotesque: an amputation, a gouged eye, a con in a dive bar, a nauseating body count [without] macho brutishness." — Cleveland Plain Dealer
"DeWitt's exploitations of the picaresque form are striking, and he has a wonderful way of exercising his comic gifts without ever compromising the novel's gradual accumulation of darkness, disgust, and foreboding." — The Millions
"A gorgeous, wise, riveting work of, among other things, cowboy noir….Honestly, I can't recall ever being this fond of a pair of psychopaths." — David Wroblewski, bestselling author of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
"Like Tarantino, deWitt knows that attitude makes blood funny; like Twain, he understands a reader's willingness to forgive a good narrator's personal flaws." — Cleveland Plain Dealer
"[THE SISTERS BROTHERS] is full of surprises, among them…is the quirky beauty of the language Patrick deWitt has devised for his narrator.... THE SISTERS BROTHERS is deWitt's second novel…and is an inventive and ingenious character study. It will make you impatient for the third." — Dallas Morning News
"Original, entrancing and entertaining." — Denver Post
"Weirdly funny, startlingly violent and steeped in sadness… It's all rendered irresistible by Eli Sisters, who narrates with a mixture of melancholy and thoughtfulness." — Washington Post
"The brothers' punchily poetic banter and the book's bracing bursts of violence keep this campfire yarn pulled taut." — The Onion AV Club
"Funny and strange [and] oddly warm…you'll find yourself ashamedly pulling for the brothers Sisters like you did for Jules and Vinnie in Pulp Fiction." — Outside magazine
"Patrick deWitt's narrator--a hired killer with a bad conscience and a melancholy disposition--is a brilliant and memorable creation." — Tom Perrotta, bestselling author of Little Children
"A bright, brutal revision of the Western, The Sisters Brothers offers an unexpected meditation on life, and on the crucial difference between power and strength." — Gil Adamson, author of The Outlander
"At once dark and touching, The Sisters Brothers has something on every page to make you laugh. Patrick deWitt has given us a gift, reimagining the old west in a thoroughly original manner. Readers are all the better for it." — Charles Bock, New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Children
"…gritty, as well as deadpan and often very comic…DeWitt has chosen a narrative voice so sharp and distinctive…it's very narrowing of possibilities opens new doors in the imagination." — New York Times Book Review
"A masterful, hilarious picaresque that keeps company with the best of Charles Portis and Mark Twain, The Sisters Brothers is a relentlessly absorbing feat of novelistic art." — Wells Tower, author of Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned
Product Details
- Imprint: Ecco
- On Sale: 04/26/2011
- Trimsize: 6 in (w) x 9 in (h) x 1.09 in (d)
- Pages: 336
- List Price: 24.99 USD
- BISAC1: FICTION / General


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China market: Huada aims to become largest MCU vendor locally
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This Digitimes Research Special Report provides a 2015 forecast for the global tablet market and analyzes the strategies of key market players such as Google, Apple, Intel, and Microsoft.
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Slumping Nets fire coach Avery Johnson
By The Associated Press
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In the past two decades, more than 20 therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) targeting a range of antigens (and working through a variety of mechanisms) have been approved for treatment of serious diseases. First to be approved were murine antibodies, followed by humanized molecules with superior efficacy, safety, and tolerance. Most of the licensed MAbs have been made by the hybridoma method and expressed in cell culture.2, 3 This review describes the next generation of MAbs, taking next generation antibodies into account, and suggests considering international regulatory guidelines for qualifying and characterizing monoclonal-antibody-producing source cells at different phases of development. In addition, in vivo and in vitro manufacture of MAbs is outlined. Adhering to the guidelines ensures a finished product of consistent pharmaceutical quality.
MAbs recognize and bind to receptors (antigens) of specific targets. These potential targets are proteins, which, unlike other cellular macromolecules (nucleic acids, polysaccharides, or lipids), have immunogenic properties. Drug development attempts to identify antibodies that affect protein–protein interactions by competing with endogenous molecules for binding sites.4 To rationally design potent therapeutic antibodies, the target's function should be well understood in the context of the immunopathologic pathway of the disease. It should also play a key role either as soluble factor (e.g., growth factor or cytokine) or as cell type implicated in tissue damage.
After being isolated and purified, target proteins are subjected to antibody screening procedures: Purified protein is used for the immunization of animals. From the natural antibody repertoire, antibody molecules with high specificity and affinity for the target are selected and their potencies defined in bioassays. The selected antibodies may work via interfering, blocking, or stimulating effects as required.5
Because murine antibodies are immunogenic in humans, researchers have tried to limit the human antimouse immune reaction. One strategy has been to transfer mouse hybridoma technology to human cells. Ethical concerns associated with the immunization of human subjects, along with the lack of a suitable human myeloma cell line, have slowed the development of this approach. Nevertheless, it should be noted that human antibody-producing cells can be immortalized by infection with viruses. The small DNA Epstein-Barr herpes virus has been used to infect and immortalize human B cells. But current methods allow only inefficient immortalization rates and low antibody yields.8 Additionally, since immortalization involves the transfer of viral genes into the parent cell line, there is a risk of generating infectious viruses.
Humanized MAbs can alternatively be constructed using transgenic mice carrying human immunoglobulin genes, thereby minimizing the immunogenicity of resulting antibodies.9,10,11 Although such animals express human antibodies, their production still requires standard hybridoma methods (immunization, B-cell isolation, and hybridoma formation).
Also, in mouse cell lines (used both for production purposes and as fusion partners for the preparation of hybridomas), recombinant DNA technologies facilitate the grafting of murine-antigen-recognizing DNA regions to human immunoglobulin genes integrated with mammalian expression vectors. This approach allows the stable expression of humanized antibodies in a range of cell lines such as Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells.12
Once a clone has been identified, manufacturers should establish a seed-lot system to ensure a consistent supply of product with reproducible quality. This is achieved by means of creating a GMP-compliant source cell bank system, consisting of a master cell bank (MCB) and a working cell bank (WCB).13,14,15,16


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Teen faces 8 new charges after November escape
Published: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 2:52 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 2:52 p.m.
A Tuscaloosa County teenager who escaped from the Mount Meigs juvenile detention center last month is facing eight new criminal charges.
Brandon Evans, 16, is charged with first-degree assault, first-degree escape, first-degree conspiracy to escape, first-degree theft and two counts of second-degree theft — all felonies. He faces two misdemeanor charges of third-degree assault.
Evans is accused of escaping from the detention center on Nov. 17. Law enforcement in Tuscaloosa County issued warnings to the public to look out for Evans, saying that he was considered armed and dangerous.
Evans was captured four days later in Madison County.
According to court documents filed in Montgomery County District Court late Tuesday, Evans struck a guard in the face several times and slammed a cell door on his hand, causing his thumb to be severed.
He then pushed a female worker to the ground, punched her in the head several times and stole her purse, credit cards, checkbook and the 1998 Nissan Quest the teens drove through a fence to escape the property. The woman suffered injuries to her neck, back and shoulder.
Evans and two other escapees are accused of choking another female employee, dragging her into a cell and stealing her wallet, according to the court documents. She suffered from bruising and back pain.
Evans is charged as an adult in each case.
The others, both 16, are back in custody at Mount Meigs and are still being treated as juvenile offenders, said Department of Youth Services Deputy Director Allen Peaton.
Evans remained in the Montgomery County Detention Facility Wednesday with bail set at $252,000.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Taylor Swift will likely avoid Carrie Underwood at the Grammys as if her rival's last name was Mayer.
Or Gyllenhaal ... or Kennedy ... or Lautner ... or Jonas ... or Styles ... or ...
You get the idea.
A source told Us Weekly the singers are bitter enemies who plan to avoid each other at Sunday's Grammy Awards. According to the insider, Grammy execs were ordered to keep Swift, 23, and Underwood, 29, "from crossing paths" at the Feb. 10 show "since they hate each other."
Actually, it would be a much better show if they did just the opposite.
A friend of Swift's told the Us, "Taylor feels Carrie is always rude to her, so she steers clear of her."
A Grammy rep said "No requests were received from either artist."
The feud could have intensified at the Country Music Association Awards in November, when co-hosts Underwood and Brad Paisley mocked Swift's relationship with Conor Kennedy.
"The greatest trade of the year had to be the Kennedy family. They somehow traded Arnold Schwarzenegger for Taylor Swift," Paisley said about Swift dating the 65-year-old bodybuilder's nephew through marriage. "I mean, what they got for that . . ."
Underwood interrupted him, pointing out that the pair had just broken up.
"What? Why don't I ever hear about these things? I'm the last one to know," Paisley said. "Are they ever gonna get back together?"
"Never, never, never," Underwood replied, referencing Swift's No. 1 hit single "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. "Never ever."
That's actually pretty funny.
Swift is set to open the Grammys show at L.A.'s Staples Center Sunday.
Contact Tony Hicks at email@example.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BayAreaNewsGroup.TonyHicks, or on Twitter at twitter.com/insertfoot.


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POSITION: Goaltender
CATCHES: Left
BIRTHPLACE: Syracuse, NY, USA
DRAFTED: DET: 2003-64 overall
|Entering his sixth professional season….Played his first full season with Detroit in 2009-10…Nominated for the 2010 Calder Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year…Made his NHL debut in 2005-06, playing in three games with the Red Wings from 11/28-12/4...Re-signed by Detroit to a three-year deal 7/21/08.
2009-10: Appeared in 63 games for Detroit and started 61…Finished with a 37-15-10 record (37 wins tied for eighth NHL)…Finished fifth in the NHL with a 2.26 goals-against average…His .924 save percentage ranked fourth in the NHL…Nominated for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year…Recorded his first career shutout on 12/17 vs. Tampa Bay…Finished the season with three shutouts…Made a career high 51 saves 1/7 at Los Angeles (2-1 win)…Became just the fourth goaltender in Red Wings history to win 30-or-more games in his rookie season (Sawchuk, Crozier, Hall)…Started 25 consecutive games from 1/29 through 4/4, the longest streak by a Detroit goaltender since Tim Cheveldae (29) in 1991-92 and longest by a rookie Detroit goaltender since Connie Dion (26) in 1943-44…Named the NHL's Second Star of the Week from 3/22-3/28 posting a 4-0-0 record, 1.22 GAA, .958 SV% and one shutout…Named by Detroit's coaching staff as the 'Carhartt Hardest Working Player of the Month' for the month of March posting a 12-2-1 record, 2.24 GAA, .923 SV% and one shutout…Named the NHL's Second Star of the month for March…Named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for the month of March…Started all 12 postseason games for Detroit…Finished with a 5-7 record in the postseason, a 2.75 GAA, .915 SV% and one shutout.
2008-09: Appeared in one game for the Red Wings, stopping 24 shots in a loss at Minnesota 2/21…Recalled on 5/8 and was a Black Ace during the 2009 playoffs…Played in 45 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, posting a 21-18-4 record with a 2.54 GAA, a .916 SV%, and four shutouts…Appeared in 10 games during the 2009 Calder Cup playoffs, sporting a 4-6-0 record with a 2.41 GAA and .900 SV%...Grand Rapids Griffins' recipient of the AHL's Man of the Year award.
2007-08: Played in four games for Detroit in February…Posted a 0-2-0 record with a 2.13 GAA and .926 SV%...Recalled on 4/12 and was a Black Ace during the 2008 NHL playoffs….Played 54 games in Grand Rapids, earning a 21-28-2 record with a 2.83 GAA, .907 SV%, and two shutouts…Named AHL Goaltender of the Month (Dec.)….AHL PlanetUSA All-Star Team…Grand Rapids Griffins' recipient of the AHL's Man of the Year award.
2006-07: Appeared in 49 games with the Griffins…Posted a 21-21-3 record with a 2.70 GAA and .911 SV%, matching a franchise record six shutouts…Played in seven playoff games, earning a 3-4 record…Finished fifth among AHL goaltenders in save percentage (.927) and fourth in goals-against average (1.93) in the 2007 Calder Cup playoffs.
2005-06: Played in four games with the Red Wings…Made his NHL debut 11/28 vs. Los Angeles, stopping a penalty shot among a total of 22 to earn his first career victory…Became only NHL netminder to face a penalty shot in each of his first two career games…Posted a 1-2 record with a 2.99 GAA and .904 SV%....Made his AHL debut…Played in 38 games for the Griffins, sporting a 27-6-2 record….Registered a personal 12-game winning streak (2/25-3/31)….Recorded a 2.58 GAA, .910 SV%, and two shutouts…Appeared in 13 games during the AHL playoffs….Posted a 5-7 record with a 3.46 GAA and .885 SV%....Named to AHL All-Rookie Team, becoming the first Griffin player to do so…AHL PlanetUSA All-Star Team…AHL Goaltender of the Month (March).
2004-05: Appeared in 39 games for the University of Maine…Posted a 19-13-7 record with a 1.92 GAA, six shutouts, and .924 save percentage….Named University of Maine MVP…Hockey East all-conference honorable mention.
2003-04: Played in 23 games with the Maine Black Bears…Posted a 14-4-3 record, setting a school record with six shutouts…Set NCAA record for save percentage (.956) and goals-against average (1.19)…Made 63 saves in 2-1 triple-overtime win over Massachusetts in Hockey East championship…Named Hockey East First-Team All-Star…NCAA East Second-Team All-American…Hockey East Championship Tournament MVP.
Jimmy and his wife, Rachel, live in Maine during the off-season…Jimmy's hockey hero growing up: Mike Richter…Favorite food: chicken…Favorite sport besides hockey: golf...Dream golf foursome: Jack Nickalus, Gary Player, Tiger Woods.


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News 12 This Morning / Friday, Oct. 12, 2012
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- A new high school in Augusta is almost ready to open its doors. It's the career-focused magnet school, payed for by your SPLOST dollars.
The freshmen accepted into the school have been attending school in the old Lamar Milledge Elementary building since August, patiently waiting for the new building to be complete.
Lizzie Newman is a freshman at the Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School, or just TCM for short.
"Everybody's anxious around here because we want to go in and get the feel of high school," Newman said.
She says she loves her new school, but she'll love it a whole lot more when she's in the brand new building.
"I'm excited! I want to see what it looks like," she said.
The final phase of construction is almost complete, and the building is starting to take the shape of a high school.
Doug Pinkston, project manager for the Richmond County Board of Education, says, "We're winding down, should finish up the major part of the construction this month and then start moving furniture in which would take about a month to do that."
The students say they can't wait to see the new specialized classrooms, designed with them in mind.
Ashley Jones, another student at TCM, says, "There's supposed to be a real bank in there!"
That's right, there will be a banking room, complete with a teller desk. It will be utilized as part of the business course.
"Once the kids get in here and see the programs that are being offered here, they'll realize what an innovative school this is for this area," Pinkston said.
"We want to get a hold of our new equipment!" Newman said.
Equipment like the state-of-the-art kitchen that is fully stocked with commercial restaurant equipment for the students taking culinary classes.
"It's all high tech. We have some wireless hotspots in the building," Pinkston said.
Students say, once they are able to see the building for themselves, it will all feel real.
"Once we get out to the new magnet school, it'll feel like high school," Jones said.
We are told the school board will be deciding the new move-in date at the board meeting this upcoming Tuesday. We are told it will most likely be postponed until December.


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On October 16, 1978, at age 58, he succeeded Pope John Paul I, fulfilling a prophecy made to him decades earlier by Padre Pio that he would one day be pope. There was also another part to the prediction. The monk also predicted that Wojtyła's reign would be short and end in blood, a prophecy that almost came true on May 13, 1981, when he was shot and nearly killed by Mehmet Ali Agca, a Turkish Muslim gunman, as he entered St. Peter's Square to address a general audience. But far from having a short reign, John Paul II became one of the longest-reigning popes in history.
Documents released in 2005 prove that the assassination was ordered by the Soviet Union. Two days after Christmas in 1983, John Paul went to the prison and met with his would-be assassin. The two spoke privately for a time, and the conversation between the two men remains secret to this day.
The documents state that KGB operatives in conjunction with the East German State Police (Stasi) handed off the assassination to Bulgarian operatives in Rome. The Bulgarians subsequently subcontracted the assassination to radical Turkish groups.
Like his predecessor, John Paul II opted to simplify his office to make it a less regal institution. He chose not to use the Royal Plural, referring to himself as "I" instead of "We." John Paul also opted for a simple inauguration ceremony instead of the formal papal coronation, and he has not worn the Papal Tiara during his term in office. This was done to emphasize the servant role that is expressed in the title Servus Servorum Dei (Servant of the Servants of God).
Source: http://www.wikipedia.org contributed to this report


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UPDATE: "The Flash" Hasn't Cast Savitar, Says Berlanti
TV, Comic Books
Showing results 36-75 of 204
"Agent Carter" showrunners Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters join forces with Kris Anka to launch a bold new era for Carol Danvers and... Alpha Flight?
Costume designer and cosplayer Kay Pike transforms herself into Captain Marvel, Thanos, Frieza and other characters using only body paint.
Carol Danvers is due to get her own premium format figure, based on the modern design from the Kelly Sue DeConnick run.
CBR has an exclusive look at the cartoonist's variant covers for "A-Force," "Astonishing Ant-Man," "Captain Marvel" & "Squirrel Girl."
Carol Danvers returns to the stars in this preview for her new series by Tara Butters, Michele Fazekas and Kris Anka.
In March, Marvel Comics will highlight its women with a series of "Women of Power" variant covers from creative talent like Emanuela Lupacchino.
Melissa Rosenberg talks switching out Carol Danvers for Trish Walker in Marvel's latest Netflix series.
The blockbuster female Marvel hero gets her own prose novel from Shannon and Dean Hale, expanding Carol's presence with young readers.
Kevin Feige weighs in on MMA fighter Ronda Rousey's desire to play Carol Danvers in Marvel Studios' "Captain Marvel" film.
Marvel Studos president Kevin Feige and producer Jeremy Latcham reveal when we'll know which actor will punch holes in the sky as Captain Marvel.
Kevin Feige and Jeremy Latcham shared how Captain Marvel and "a ton of new people" appeared in early drafts of "Avengers: Age of Ultron."
Tara Butters, Michele Fazekas and Kris Anka shared some of their plans for Marvel Comics' All-new All-Different mission for Carol Danvers.
Undefeated UFC women's bantamweight champion and burgeoning movie star Ronda Rousey expressed interest in playing a Marvel superhero on screen.
Tara Butters & Michele Fazekas spoke with CBR TV at Comic-Con about Season 2 twists, the Darkforce, and writing the new "Captain Marvel" ongoing.
In "Avengers: Ultron Revolution," Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel, Black Panther and the Inhumans will join the Marvel Animated Universe.
An insert found in the Body Issue of ESPN The Magazine will feature artist interviews and new images of heroes like Daredevil and Captain Marvel.
Sam Wilson, Captain Marvel, Iron Patriot and others arrive in "Marvel Heroes," "Contest of Champions," "Spider-Man Unlimited" and more!
Axel Alonso talks Marvel's big announcements, including Miles Morales taking over "Spider-Man" and the "Agent Carter" showrunners joining "Captain Marvel."
Writers Tara Butters & Michele Fazekas and artist Kris Anka relaunch "Captain Marvel" with a new #1 following "Secret Wars."
After four years on the title, "Captain Marvel" writer Kelly Sue DeConnick announces her run will end following "Secret Wars."
The company has announced a Shazam! series, beginning with Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr. and Sivana.
Put on your uniform and strap in for the high-flying, action packed new "Secret Wars" series by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Kelly Thompson & David Lopez.
Fast Company selects Kelly Sue DeConnick for its 2015 list! "Bad Blood" wins Bram Stoker Award! Mark Waid and Fiona Staples talk "Archie"! Plus more!
In their latest spotlight on "bad" superhero fights, CSBG looks at how Iron Man managed to take down Captain Marvel at the peak of her powers.
Mackie offers a few thoughts on "Cap 3," Munn teases Psylocke's possible "X-Men: Apocalypse" look and Joss Whedon suggests more than one "Infinity War" villain.
Although Joss Whedon shot FX footage of Carol Danvers in flight, it was decided squeezing her into the film would be a "disservice" to the character.
Joss Whedon has revealed there are more Marvel heroes to be had in the "Avengers" sequel, and we've singled out the likely and unlikely candidates.
Noted Shazam superfan Evan Shaner explains what he loves most about Captain Marvel and why he's always up to reteam with his "Flash Gordon" collaborators.
Kelly Sue DeConnick, Warren Ellis and David Lopez's "Captain Marvel" #13 is "a magnificent read that just so happens to sneak in as new-reader friendly."
Before Marvel's full April solicitations hit, here's a peek at the cosmic books that will bring "Black Vortex" to a close, plus "Rocket Raccoon" #10.
Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick discussed her plans for "Captain Marvel" #10, a celebration of Carol Danvers' 100th solo appearance, and beyond.
Newspaper says it "erred" in publishing Gary Varvel's immigration cartoon! A look at Digital Manga's failed Tezuka Kickstarter! Kelly Sue DeConnick talks Captain Marvel!
With the lead for Marvel Studios' "Captain Marvel" film not yet announced, CBR wants to know who you'd like to see bring Carol Danvers to life.
If Marvel Studios bucks popular opinion and doesn't hire Katee Sackhoff, Kelly Thompson has ten options that might make "Captain Marvel" soar.
From Ant-Man to Shazam, we've uncovered the origin stories and starting points for the characters featured in eight upcoming superhero films.
Brett White takes on all the Cap Trolls and explains why people need to accept that Billy is Shazam and Carol is Captain Marvel.
"Vikings'" Katheryn Winnick praises her "Captain Marvel" supporters; Michael James Shaw debuts as "Hellblazer" character and more.
Organizers apologize for Saturday "hiccup"! Kelly Sue DeConnick on her vision for "Captain Marvel"! Talking horror with Mignola, Snyder and more!
Now that Kevin Feige has teased that the Avengers' roster will be altered after the sequel, here are our candidates for Earth's Next Mightiest.
Axel Alonso discusses how Marvel's new movie announcements -- especially "Black Panther" and "Captain Marvel" -- relate to publishing, plus "Deathlok" & more.
Archives: All | Comic Books | TV/Film | Video Games | Web Comics


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- Apr 10:
- Five steps to great style
Jesse Porter found his sense of style in a bow tie.
Porter, the 29-year-old operations manager for Hercules-based Gelateria Naia, always considered himself a T-shirt and jeans guy. He thought "fashion" was a word best reserved for guys who got manicures. He was content in loose denim and comfy kicks.
But a few years ago, several forces converged to change the way Porter dressed and how he defined the F word. His friend and fellow Cal grad Benjamin Azevedo launched New Orleans Bow Ties, a handcrafted bow tie business, and, to show support for the Livermore native, Porter began wearing the bright silk bow ties with dark Levis and bright, slim-fitting Benetton button-downs.
Once he got noticed, bow ties became a hobby -- and dressing well became a passion.
"I loved the tactile experience of touching the fabrics and learning how to tie them," says Porter, of Pinole. "The handmade side totally spoke to what I do, sourcing local ingredients for our gelato. And the love I was getting on Instagram when I posted photos of myself in bow ties was so cool."
Porter's experience is indicative of a style renaissance among men. No longer bound by the tired metrosexual label of the 1990s, men are free to embrace fashion. From the streets of Oakland, where suits are replacing baggy jeans and Jordans, to the halls of Silicon Valley, where techies are laying their hoodies to rest, men are stepping up their style.
And they have plenty of inspiration. From the dapper suits on AMC's "Mad Men" to the impeccably dressed stars of hip hop and the NBA, today's fashionisto favors artisanal, well-tailored clothing that fits the way it's supposed to. No pleats. No excess material. Designers have taken notice. Dockers, longtime perpetrators of ill-fitting khakis that add 10 pounds, have introduced a line of slim-fitting "Alpha" khakis that come in several colors and cost less than $50. Online, customizable menswear sites offer handmade, one-of-a-kind suits for less than the price of a mass-produced one from J. Crew.
The shift from schlub to stud has been happening for about a decade, but it has accelerated in the past five years because of the Internet and social media, says GQ magazine senior editor Will Welch.
"There are so many opportunities to go online and nerd-out about clothes now, and so many knowledgeable sources online that make it feel OK to get into this stuff," he says. "It used to be seen as macho for straight men not to think about their clothes for a single second. Put on whatever the wife bought you and go. Now, if a friend compliments your jacket and asks where you got it and you can say you bought it at a store in Alabama and it's based on a railroad worker's jacket from the early 1900s, that's macho."
That's what resonates with Mark Larkin of Pleasant Hill. The 49-year-old investment broker covets his collection of vintage Joo Kay accessories, including belts and vests, as much as the four Harleys he's built over the years and the 1973 Ford F100 truck he's currently salvaging.
"I love the idea that this was made by someone in Alabama and you can't find it anymore," says Larkin, of his Joo Kay brown suede vest. On a recent Friday, he was sporting it with selvage denim, a blue pinstriped shirt, boldly striped socks and brown Allen Edmonds. "I like the quality and uniqueness."
His style is clean-cut meets Americana, a reflection of his preppy roots and love of vintage bikes.
"I don't like to stand out too much," Larkin says. "But why not dress well and have your own sense of style instead of the usual T-shirt and jeans?"
Indeed, American style has risen from those low expectations, Welch says. These days, you're not going to turn any heads by showing up to dinner in a T-shirt, even with tattoos showing.
"What's cool, surprising and rebellious now is to put on a sharply tailored suit just because you want to," he says. "That's what turns heads now."
Yaphet Santana, of Oakland, loves his suits. The 25-year-old theater arts student at San Francisco State prefers them in charcoals and blues with bow ties in colors that pop, like lime or purple. On casual Friday, you might find him in a fitted polo, red suede loafers sans socks, as is becoming the trend among preppy business types, and slim-fitting slacks.
His motto? "Baggy equals tacky," Santana says.
A well-tailored pant is among Kourosh Karimkhany's top priorities when it comes to looking his best. So is convenience. That's why the slim, 43-year-old Pacifica business exec, who favors skinny jeans and cords with bold-colored jackets and shirts, uses menswear websites like Bonobos and J. Hilburn. They specialize in high quality custom dress shirts, slacks and jackets. He says the companies have played a large part in making over Silicon Valley, from engineers on up the chain of command.
"You just punch in your measurements and click," says Karimkhany, the head of advertising for Hipmunk, a travel website based in San Francisco.
His other secret style weapon is his wife of 10 years, Stylenik blogger Kristen Philipkoski. Although she doesn't pick out her husband's clothes, Philipkoski's eclectic fashion sense inspires Karimkhany to step up his own game.
"If it weren't for her I probably wouldn't wear bright colors, like reds and yellows," he says. "I'd probably still be wearing the old business development blue."


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About the Book
With Matchless, Gregory Maguire has reinvented the Hans Christian Andersen classic The Little Match Girl for a new time and new audiences. Originally asked by National Public Radio to write an original story with a Christmas theme, the New York Times bestselling author of Wicked and A Lion Among Men was once again inspired by the fairy tales we all loved in childhood—and he composed a poignant and enchanting tale of transcendence. A lovely and beautifully illustrated gift, Matchless places Andersen's pitiful waif in the august company of Maguire's previously re-imagined Snow White (Mirror, Mirror), Cinderella (Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister), and, of course, the Wicked Witch and other denizens of Oz. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
The beloved New York Times bestselling author of Wicked reimagines Andersen's "The Little Match Girl" for modern readers, putting a new twist on a timeless classic.
In Matchless, Gregory Maguire adds a different dimension to the story, exquisitely intertwining the match girl's tale with that of Frederik, a young boy who builds a city out of trash, and whose yearnings are the catalyst for a better future for himself and his family. Maguire uses his storytelling magic to rekindle Andersen's original intentions, suggesting transcendence, the permanence of spirit, and the continuity that links the living and the dead.
Educator and Librarian Resources
Critical Praise
An Indie Next List Notable — IndieBound
"The little match girl's story is now getting its due thanks to novelist Gregory Maguire of 'Wicked' fame…. Matchless glows with aching beauty." — Huntsville Times
"Maguire's story has the weight and solidity of a treasured folk tale, something to be handed down and retold." — Ellen Trachtenberg, author of The Best Children's Literature: A Parent's Guide
Product Details
- Imprint: William Morrow Paperbacks
- On Sale: 09/28/2010
- Trimsize: 5 in (w) x 7.5 in (h) x 0.311 in (d)
- Pages: 112
- List Price: 12.99 USD
- BISAC1: FICTION / General


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Man shoots bear in Asheville
Published: Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at 10:03 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at 10:03 a.m.
ASHEVILLE (AP) — North Carolina Wildlife officials are investigating the shooting of a bear by an Asheville man.
The man was working in his driveway Monday afternoon when a neighbor called to say a bear was headed toward his home. The man and his daughter went inside.
Wildlife officer Shawn Martin says the man came back out and shot the bear.
Martin says the bear was a female about a year and a half old, weighing about 150 pounds.
Some neighbors have complained about the shooting.
Martin says no charges have been filed but the investigation is continuing. He says the man could be charged with killing a bear out of season. That's a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of a $4,000 fine and a loss of hunting privileges for two years.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Reviewed by Lisa Zamosky
WebMD Health News
Smokers and the Affordable Care Act: Q&A
Aug. 27, 2013 -- The Affordable Care Act has ended some age-old health insurance practices such as denying people with pre-existing conditions. But it does allow insurance companies to charge people who use tobacco 50% more for their premiums.
Supporters say the higher premiums make sense because smokers and other tobacco users have higher health care costs. Critics say the higher rate is more likely to make people lie about their tobacco use or go without coverage than it is to encourage them to quit their habit. Smokers without insurance also put their partners and children at risk.
Here's what smokers and others need to know.
What does the Affordable Care Act allow insurers to charge tobacco users?
Companies can charge tobacco users up to 50% more. States, though, can mandate a lower percentage or no surcharge.
What is ''tobacco use,'' and how is a smoker or tobacco user defined?
Tobacco use is the use of any tobacco product, including cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, snuff, and pipe tobacco, four or more times a week within the past 6 months. (Religious or ceremonial use of tobacco is allowed, such as by Alaska natives or Native Americans). It's an honor system.
Will every state charge the maximum?
Seven states and Washington, D.C., will not charge smokers higher insurance premiums. The states are: California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Connecticut voted against the higher premiums only for the small group Marketplace, not the individual Marketplace. The other states outlawed higher premiums for both individuals and small business policies.
Three states -- Arkansas, Colorado, and Kentucky -- will allow companies to charge tobacco users less than 50%.
The remaining states are expected to allow the full 50% additional charge.
The highest possible premiums, though, won't be effective for the first year because of a limitation in the software systems. That is being fixed.
Tobacco users in a small business plan don't have to pay the higher premium if they enroll in a quit-smoking program; tobacco users in an individual plan may get a break on the premium if they enroll in a program. The law, however, does not require companies to offer the break in the individual Marketplace.