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On April 1, 2014, Aerospace Caucus co-chairs, Senators Patty Murray and Saxby Chambliss, hosted an event on the importance of defense research and development (R&D) on innovation. The event featured Dr. Arati Prabhakar the Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), who spoke to the innovations that have entered the commercial marketplace because of defense R&D investments.
|Far left: Sen. Murray (D-WA) discusses ATM technology with Rockwell Collins representative. Left: Sen. Chambliss (R-GA) shakes hands with UTC representative in front of a display model ejection seat.
The caucus event also featured industry R&D partners who had some of their innovative technologies on display. These displays included technologies such as satellite air traffic management, ejection seats and GPS equipment from aerospace and defense manufactures ATK, Harris Corp., Honeywell, Rockwell Collins and UTC.
AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey
"The tangible benefits we've obtained from healthy federal investment in R&D programs yield strong economic growth and significant technological advances," said AIA's President and CEO, Marion C. Blakey, as she opened the event. "Many of these technology innovations improve our everyday life through advances in cell phone and automobile capabilities, life saving medical science equipment and consumer electronics."
The spinoffs made possible through defense related R&D are also highlighted in AIA's latest report, Defense Research and Development: From the Warfighter to the American Consumer, Redefining Everyday Lives Through Innovation.
"We can't afford to sacrifice these investments, and we can't afford to lose our global leadership in innovation," said Senator Murray. "If we were a business the last place we would look to cut back is where our future economic growth will be coming from, which is exactly what R&D represents."
Senator Murray's recognition of the need for further investment in R&D spending was followed by calling for more budgetary certainty in federal spending to ensure national security capabilities, strengthen the economy, and "close the innovation deficit."
In the aerospace and defense marketplace it is innovation through R&D that has allowed the United States to stay ahead of its global competition and enabled it to respond to security threats around the world.
"The threats [we face as a nation] demand unconventional solutions," said Senator Chambliss acknowledging America's need to promote innovative ideas across borders, disciplines, institutions and ideologies. "We have to think, prepare, research, and build not just for the world we are in, but for the world that we will be in tomorrow and beyond."
Senator Chambliss went on to discuss the need to provide the Defense Department with a more streamlined acquisition process that provides for better partnerships between government and industry; citing DARPA as an agency who has lead the way in delivering innovative technologies through strong industry partnerships. These partnerships have helped lead the way for the future.
DARPA Director, Dr. Arati Prabhakar
"Through more than five decades of tumultuous geopolitical and technological change, [DARPA] delivered outsized impact by focusing on our mission of breakthrough technologies for national security," said DARPA's Director, Dr. Prabhakar, speaking to the imaginative processes that have enabled the agency to advance new technologies for defense applications.
How the agency is approaching today's national security problems also requires a rethink according to Dr. Prabhakar. The agency is looking to achieve far greater capabilities at lower cost by rethinking the next generation of defense systems, incorporating information at scale, looking to biology for technological and human understanding, and keeping an eye on the next horizon in defense technologies.


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GREENCASTLE — The Greencastle-Antrim School Board reorganized its leadership at its last meeting for the 2012 calendar year.
Brian Hissong was chosen to serve as the new president, while former president Eric Holtzman was chosen as the new vice president.
Hissong served as vice president in 2012.
The board's first meeting of 2013 will take place on Thursday, Jan. 3.
Location, ST | website.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Wrinkles are a natural, if not pesky, part of aging. Caused by sun exposure, face muscle contractions, and smoking, you don't have to suffer in silence. See what anti-aging products work, how to prevent more skin damage from occurring, and what you can do to get smoother skin.
©2005-2016 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.


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So, I did a search for this problem on here and found a few threads where people were asking for help, but didn't see any answers found.
The problem: While streaming AVI, MKV files from my computer through my PS3 to my Denon receiver, there are horrible audio popping/crackling sounds whenever bass is present. I know it's not the amp as this doesn't happen when watching regular dvd video or regular tv programs. It's happening to the point that I'm concerned I'm going to wreck my speakers. I've turned off the subwoofer to make sure that wasn't the problem, but it's still coming through the center channel.
Anyone have any ideas what's going on here?
I'm using:
PC with Windows 7 connected to PS3 via ethernet
PS3 Media connected to Denon 1713 amp via hdmi
Not sure what other info would help, but if I'm missing anything please advise.
My first post on here, so if I'm missing anything I apologize in advance.


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About the Book
In Made for Goodness, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner and international icon of peace and reconciliation, shares his vision on why we can find hope and joy in the world's darkest moments by realizing that we were made for goodness, that we are wired so that goodness will win in the end. Archbishop Tutu is a spiritual leader and symbol of love and forgiveness on the level of Gandi, Mother Teresa, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela, and Made for Goodness, written with his daughter Mpho, is one of the most personal and inspirational books he's ever written.
Coming Soon: Archbishop Desmond Tutu's The Children of God Storybook Bible, a daily devotional and heirloom-quality keepsake. This beautiful gift Bible will resonate with parents, grandparents, and educators eager to present the message of God's love, forgiveness, and reconciliation to young children.
We know all too well the cruelties, hurts, and hatreds that poison life on our planet. But my daughter and I have come together to write this book because we know that the catalogue of injuries that we can and do inflict on one another is not the whole story of humanity, not by a long measure. We are indeed made for something more. We are made for goodness.
—from Made for Goodness
Over the years the same questions get asked of Desmond Tutu, the archbishop, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and veteran of the moral movement that ended apartheid in South Africa: "How can you be so hopeful after witnessing so much evil?" "Why are you so sure goodness will triumph in the end?" This book is his answer.
Now, more than any other time in history, our world needs this message: that we are made for goodness and it is up to us to live up to our destiny.
We recognize Archbishop Tutu from the headlines as an inspirational figure who has witnessed some of the world's most sinister moments and chosen to be an ambassador of reconciliation amid political, diplomatic, and natural disasters. Now, we get a glimpse into his personal spirituality—and a better understanding of the man behind a lifetime of good works. In this intimate and personal sharing of his heart, written with his daughter, Episcopal priest Mpho Tutu, Tutu engages his reader with touching stories from his own life, as well as grisly memories from his work in the darkest corners of the world. There, amid the darkness, he calls us to hope, to joy, and to claim the goodness that we were made for. Tutu invites us to take on the disciplines of goodness, the practices that are key to finding fulfillment, meaning, and happiness for our lives.
Educator and Librarian Resources
Critical Praise
"As the authors so clearly and beautifully say in this book, 'anyone can choose to cultivate compassion.' Thank you Archbishop Tutu for helping us all come back home to our true nature, which is inherently good and whole, and touch the peace that is always there for us." — Thich Nhat Hanh, author of The Art of Power and Savor
"Desmond Tutu has walked the talk all his adult life. We can all be grateful that, together with his daughter Mpho, he has now shared his secrets for why he has so much hope and joy." — Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland
"With disarming narrative skill,...Tutu and his daughter...tell true stories in which both brutality and hopefulness turn out to be as intimate as they are global. If you are still open to being convinced that goodness changes everything, then this book is for you." — Barbara Brown Taylor, author of An Altar in the World
"I doubt there is anyone on this Earth with a deeper sense of God's presence and goodness than Archbishop Tutu. If you are thirsty for spiritual drink, come to the water of this beautiful book." — Thomas Cahill, author of How the Irish Saved Civilization and The Gifts of the Jews
"Even with the incredible trauma and cruelty he endured in South Africa, Archbishop Tutu still radiates love and happiness. This book is a great gift to the world and will help all of us celebrate our goodness and oneness." — Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman of the Virgin Group
"Desmond Tutu and his daughter Mpho Tutu have seen more evil than most of us can begin to imagine. . . . That is why their book is shocking: How can they say that all people 'are fundamentally good'? . . . It is a perfect book for Easter." — The Christian Century
"A crucially important book from the Nobel Peace Prize winner; a witness to our tumultuous times." — Library Journal
"Archbishop Desmond Tutu is the author of Made for Goodness - written with his daughter Mpho Tutu, also a priest in the Anglican communion - … [a] reflection on faith, forgiveness and reconciliation." — NPR.org
"By giving the audience glimpses into his prayer life and other spiritual disciplines,…Tutu offer[s] a series of poignant reflections that speak about [his] lifelong quests to choose righteousness in a world gone awry." — Sojourners
Product Details
- Imprint: HarperOne
- On Sale: 03/09/2010
- Trimsize: 5.5 in (w) x 8.25 in (h) x 0.81 in (d)
- Pages: 224
- List Price: 25.99 USD
- BISAC1: RELIGION / Spirituality
- BISAC2: RELIGION / Christian Life / Spiritual Growth
- BISAC3: RELIGION / Christianity / Anglican


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Please log in or register to manage your account
Model: 38610 Item: ACC38610
Recycled PRESSTEX® moisture-resistant cover keeps contents safe from spills. Double booster open and close round ring mechanism allows quick access to contents. Capacity Range [Min]: 0"; Capacity Range [Max]: 1"; Sheet Capacity: 175; Color(s): Yellow.
Printerbazaar is a one-stop destination for all your office supplies. From highly durable branded printers to a plethora of accessories, you can get your suitable product at a competitive cost.
At Printerbazaar, we are committed to make your shopping experience hassle-free by conveying the best information. We understand that office related purchasing decisions are vital and thus the right comparisons are necessary before buying.


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Window Feeder
Item# 39-288
This item is currently not available.
Additional Information
Watch Birds From the Comfort of Your Home
- Get a close-up view of birds as they feed
- Fill with seed, fruit, suet or mealworms
- Curved rim provides a comfortable perch for birds
- Three suction cups attach feeder securely to window
This feeder attaches to your window and provides a clear view of visiting birds. The deep dish holds a generous 1/2 lb. of seed; can also be filled with fruit, suet or mealworms.
Product Details
- Clear polycarbonate
- 8" W x 3-1/2" D x 6-3/4" H
- Lifetime warranty
- Dishwasher-safe
There are no special shipping restrictions or charges associated with this item. For detailed information about our delivery methods and charges, click here.
We're proud of the fact that this item is shipped to you directly from our warehouse in Vermont, by one of our 250 employee-owners. In-stock items are packed with care and shipped within the next business day to ensure prompt delivery to your home and garden!
$44.95 $24.89
$279.00 $249.89
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$105.00 $84.89
$29.95 $24.89
$29.95 $19.89


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SANTA CLARA -- Candlestick Park's natural grass is thin but shouldn't be a problem for Saturday's playoff game between the 49ers and Green Bay Packers, according to 49ers long snapper Brian Jennings.
Jennings saw the field conditions up close Monday during kicker Billy Cundiff's workout there.
"There's not a lot of grass on the field but the footing is good," said Jennings, who's called Candlestick his home field since joining the 49ers in 2000.
Candlestick got a new layer of natural grass last month, and Jennings believed the field may have been covered during recent rain storms.
"The grass is a little thin," Jennings said. "It shouldn't be a factor, it shouldn't be an issue."
Coach Jim Harbaugh said he's been informed by general manager Trent Baalke that the field should be OK.
Concerns over the field's condition arose after pictures emerged on Facebook of Cundiff's Monday workout. A poor surface accompanied the Washington Redskins' home loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in the wild-card round.
For more on the 49ers, see Cam Inman's Hot Read blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/CamInman.


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Goose decoys come in a wide variety, including different head positions, shells, full-body, floaters, and more. This season there are several new styles, along with a few time-tested models with slight upgrades. There are no light goose decoys in this month's Gear Guide, but there will be plenty in the January Snow Goose Gear Guide.
Higdon's new white-fronted goose decoys offer a convenient and durable decoy for specklebelly hunters.
Receive a free DU decal when you signup for our free monthly newsletter.
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President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act into law.
First duck stamp, designed by Pulitzer-prize winning editorial cartoonist, Jay N. "Ding" Darling, issued.
Prairie drought peaks.


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Celebrate and learn about Aging in Place
Published: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 6:56 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 6:56 a.m.
The Aging Projects' celebration of Aging in Place will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday at The Chariot, 715 N. Church St.
The reception will feature light refreshments, a meetand- greet with founders, providers and board members of Aging Projects Inc., a state of the union update on aging projects by Dr. Joanne Helppie, specializing in geriatric medicine and president of the group, and concluded with an awards presentation.
The celebration is open to everyone interested in successful aging in place in their own homes. Information and resources will be available from Aging Projects providers. Visit www.agingprojectsinc. org, or call 828-693-6566 for more information.
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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Let DCCA host your child's party!
Celebrate your child's next birthday at the DCCA. The DCCA will host a two-hour birthday party for up to 20 children. Birthday party activities include a visit to the DCCA galleries, a hands-on art project and time for cake and birthday celebration in the DCCA classroom. Weekday and weekend reservations are available.
Arrange for a birthday celebration, contact the Education Department at 302.656.6466 x 7101 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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All during World War II, the Cubelet Press published the letters Crockett servicemen and women mailed from every corner of the Earth. The house organ of C&H Sugar refinery became the conduit that kept the Sugar Town folks connected no matter where the war put them.
The publication had been reporting the community news to the people of Crockett since the mid-1930s. Townspeople looked forward to finding it in their mailboxes twice a month.
Birth, deaths, scores of baseball or football games, and the doings of the chess club all were recorded. When Alvera Panuzzi, who worked in the "small pack" area of the refinery, got engaged, the details appeared in the Nov. 8, 1938, Cubelet Press along with the news that Jack Heaney of the refinery carpenter shop bought a new Chevrolet.
The first letters from servicemen and women showed up in the issue of Jan. 8, 1942. Most of these were thank-you notes for the Christmas box that C&H sent to its employees who had left the plant for the service.
By summer of 1942 the Cubelet was devoting two to three pages to its feature called "C and H Men in the Nation's Fighting Forces."
Harry McKechnie wrote from somewhere in Africa in March 1943:
"I have covered several thousand miles in Africa already and haven't seen a clean spot yet except in U.S. Army posts. We have to be very careful of what we eat and where we eat it."
In July 1943 Faustino Pagni wrote from New Guinea: "Yes we have C and H sugar out here, in great quantities. You see C and H sugar all over the world. Haven't seen many boys from Crockett but I did see Tony Dare, better known as Beanhole. We had quite a time talking over the old days. Wish I could tell you some of the things we are doing here but the censor says no."
In 1944 the letters started coming from England, Italy and France.
"I landed at Salerno on the initial day of the Italian invasion. It was our first time in combat," Ronald Gray told the editors of the Cubelet.
"Hello, everyone at C and H. Here's a few lines to let you know that I am now in France. This France is quite a place but there's not much left of it," wrote Keith Bixler in October 1944.
Near the end of the war, Almun Triglia would write from Iwo Jima: "The Cubelet Press is reaching regularly and keeps me well posted on the whereabouts and doings of men in service. ... For obvious reasons there is little that I can say about the job that is being done on this rock but, believe me, the Japanese don't like it."
On Dec. 20, 1945, the Cubelet Press printed the names of all the men and women from C&H who served in World War II and starred the names of those six who had been killed in action or died in a prison camp. No more letters from servicemen were printed.
Days Gone By appears on Sundays. Contact Nilda Rego at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Contact the FX trading desk at firstname.lastname@example.com or 888.313.4029.
See the latest FX information and commentary.
Foreign exchange transactions can be highly risky, and losses may occur in short periods of time if there is an adverse movement of exchange rates. Exchange rates can be highly volatile and are impacted by numerous economic, political and social factors, as well as supply and demand and governmental intervention, control and adjustments. Investments in financial instruments carry significant risk, including the possible loss of the principal amount invested. Before entering any foreign exchange transaction, you should obtain advice from your own tax, financial, legal and other advisors, and only make investment decisions on the basis of your own objectives, experience and resources. Opinions expressed are our opinions as of the date of this content only. The material is based upon information which we consider reliable, but we do not represent that it is accurate or complete, and it should not be relied upon as such.
For general enquiries you can contact us in the following ways:
Silicon Valley Bank is registered in England and Wales at Alphabeta, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1BR, UK under No. FC029579. Silicon Valley Bank is authorised and regulated by the California Department of Business Oversight and the United States Federal Reserve Bank; authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority with number 577295; and subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority are available from us on request. Silicon Valley Bank is a subsidiary of SVB Financial Group, a Delaware corporation and is an affiliate of SVB Financial Group UK Limited. SVB Financial Group UK Ltd is registered in England and Wales at Alphabeta, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1BR, UK under No. 5572575 and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, with reference number 446159. SVB Financial Group and its subsidiary Silicon Valley Bank are members of the Federal Reserve System and Silicon Valley Bank is a member of the FDIC.
Silicon Valley Bank is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and by the Financial Ombudsman Service. In relation to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, please ensure that you review the important information on depositor preference that affects clients of Silicon Valley Bank in the UK.


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Saturday, March 16 • 2 p.m./4 p.m. CST
Sunday, March 17 • 12 p.m. CST
Cowgirl Diamond • Lake Charles, La.
The Texas A&M - Corpus Christi softball team will continue Southland Conference action this weekend when they trek to Lake Charles, La. to take on McNeese State in a three-game series. The Islanders will open conference road play on Saturday, March 16, in a doubleheader with the Cowgirls before wrapping the series on Sunday, March 17.
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi opened the conference schedule against HBU at Chapman Field last weekend. The Islanders edged the Huskies 4-3 in the first game after Lindsey Lyles cranked a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh. However, the Huskies came back to snare the next two games to go 2-1 on the weekend. The Islanders hosted former Southland Conference foe UTSA on Wednesday, dropping a 9-4 loss at Chapman Field.
The last time the Islanders and Cowgirls faced each other was last season in the opening round of the conference tournament. The Islanders fell to the Cowgirls 11-3. Prior to that, the Cowgirls took two from the Islanders at Chapman Field. Texas A&M - Christi dropped the first game 3-2 before falling 1-0 on senior day. Texas A&M – Corpus Christi is 16-13 all-time against the Cowgirls and Saturday's opening game will mark the 30th meeting between the two teams.
The Islanders will head into the weekend with a 6-18 record including a 1-2 record in SLC action, while McNeese State holds a 20-7 record and a 2-0 record in SLC play.
•The Islanders are young with just one senior and 15 on the roster. The squad returns three starters and 11 letterwinners from a team that finished with an 18-23 overall record (11-9 SLC) a year ago.
•Senior Meagan McKinney is powering the Islanders' bats with a .323 batting average. She is second on the team with 21 hits while leading the team with five doubles and two home runs to go along with a team-high 14 RBI.
•Mickayla Cochran has been consistent as the Islanders' leadoff batter. She is second behind McKinney with a .312 batting average and leads the team with 13 runs and 24 hits. She went 2-for-3 in back-to-back games in the CenturyLink Classic, hosted by Texas State.
•Lindsey Lyles has stepped up for the Islanders' bats in the dp slot. She leads the Islanders in conference play with a .556 batting average and sits in fourth overall with a .244 batting average and .426 on-base percentage.
•Junior Constance Brandenburg leads the Islanders in the circle with 69.1 innings pitched and 35 strikeouts.
•The Islanders outhit the Roadrunners 8-6 and are 5-2 when they outhit their opponents.
•Saturday's opening game will mark the 30th meeting between the two teams. The Islanders hold the 16-13 all-time series advantage over the Cowgirls.
•Head Coach Stephanie Hughes is in her second year with the Islanders and was named the 2013 SLC Preseason All-Conference Coach of the Year by College Sports Madness. Assistant Coach Briana Bishop and pitching Coach Sarah Pauly are also in their second year with the Islanders.
•After Sunday's series finale, the Islanders will return home to host Northwestern State in a three-game series at Chapman Field on March 23-24.
McNeese State heads into Saturday's game with a 20-7 record and are on a seven-game winning streak, including a two-game Southland Conference streak after sweeping Northwestern State at home. The Cowgirls have hosted their last four games and will continue an 11-game homestand Saturday.
Lauren Langner leads McNeese State with a .379 batting average and 33 hits while Emily Vincent is second on the team with a .359 batting average. Meagan Bond (9-2) leads the Cowgirls in the circle with a 1.17 ERA in 66.0 innings and has tallied a team-high 81 strikeouts. Jamie Allred (9-2) has a 1.35 ERA in 72.2 innings and has tallied 75 strikeouts.
Pitching coach and seven-year NPF veteran Sarah Pauly has a young group of pitchers this season after losing standout pitchers Greta Cecchetti, Jordan Trujillo and Vianca Pesina. Cecchetti was second in the Southland Conference last season with a 0.58 ERA and second in strikeouts with 82.
Junior Constance Brandenburg (4-7) has been the Islanders go to pitcher in the circle this season with a 4.64 ERA in 69.1 innings. Brandenburg has tallied a team-high 35 strikeouts in 18 appearances. The junior recorded a career-high nine strikeouts in a complete game strikeout, while allowing just one walk and four hits over Kansas.
Sophomore Bethany Slick (1-2) picked up her first career victory in the circle against Northern Colorado in her first career start. Slick has a 5.75 ERA in 24.1 innings and 10 appearances.
Ashley Elicerio (1-9) rounds out the pitchers with a 6.08 ERA in 53.0 innings and 14 appearances. Elicerio also has seen action at the plate and has tallied a .231 batting average in five games and has tallied three hits. She clinched her first career victory in the Islanders 7-3 victory over Southern. Elicerio recorded a career-high six strikeouts in seven innings and allowed just two hits.
Leadoff hitter Mickayla Cochran has been consistent for the Islanders this season. The sophomore is second on the team with a .312 batting average in all 24 starts. She has a team-high 24 hits and has recorded three doubles to go along with two home runs. Cochran also has a team-high 13 runs and has posted 32 putouts in center field. Cochran went 3-for-4 with three hits and two RBI in a 6-4 victory over Northern Colorado in the Miken Classic in Waco, Texas. She opened the CenturyLink Classic going 2-for-3 in back-to-back games against North Texas and Purdue. Cochran went 2-for-4 in the conference opener vs. HBU.
The 2013 team welcomes four newcomers, freshman Ashley Elicerio (P/UT), freshman Dani Tefft (OF), freshman Natalie Zarzabal (OF) and sophomore transfer from McLennan CC, Michelle Sorenson (C/UT).
Elicerio is a 5-7 pitcher and utility player. She played four years at Hendrickson High School and was tabbed Utility Player of the Year three consecutive years. She led the Hawks to a 17-9 record during her senior season after advancing the team to the regional quarterfinals.
Zarzabal, a right-handed outfielder, played at Steele High School in Cibolo, Texas. During her sophomore year she recorded a .409 batting average and followed it with a .365 batting average during her junior year. This season, Zarzabal tallied her first career home run against Northern Colorado in the Islanders 6-4 victory.
Tefft was a four-year starter at Kempner High School in Sugar Land, Texas. The left-hander led the team with a .434 batting average while helping her team win the 2011 Bi-District Championship and the 2011 District 23-5A Championship. This season, Tefft recorded two hits and two runs in five starts in left field at the Texas Classic. The freshman went 2-for-3 against HBU in game two of the doubleheader.
Sorenson has 61 putouts behind home plate this season and has caught 12 stolen bases. She posted a .358 batting average while appearing in 43 of 51 games during the 2010-11 season at McLennan CC. She helped her team win the Region V championship and earned second team all-conference honors.
The Islanders exploded for a season-high 12 hits on in a 6-4 victory over Northern Colorado in the Miken Classic in Waco, Texas. Mickayla Cochran went 3-for-4 with three hits and two RBI to lead the Islanders. The Islanders are 5-2 when they out-hit their opponents and 5-3 when they score first. The Islanders outhit UTSA 8-6 on Wednesday.
Co-captain junior Valerie Perez has been the vocal leader for the team this season along with McKinney. Perez has tallied 13 hits and four doubles this season in 21 games. She has also recorded 36 putouts at shortstop this season. The Islanders have won six games when Perez has been in the starting lineup and 0-4 when the junior hasn't started or been in the game.
Sophomore Hayley Galloway has battled back from off-season surgery to record a .246 batting average. She has made starts in 22 of the Islanders 23 games and has a team-high five sacrifice hits. Galloway has 15 hits and 42 putouts between second base and shortstop this season.
Following Sunday's game the Islanders will host Northwestern State in a three-game series at Chapman Field on March 23-24.


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Community College Staff Scholarship
UMUC offers transfer scholarships to eligible staff members of participating community colleges in the United States. Recipients may be awarded $1,000/year ($500 for fall, $500 for spring).
Which Colleges Participate?
Maryland Community College Alliance Partners
What Are the Application Criteria?
To be eligible, you
- Must have a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA from all previous institutions.
- Must be a new student to UMUC.
- Must be a full-time community college staff member from an Alliance school who is not receiving 100% tuition remission.
- Must be a citizen or U.S.-eligible non-citizen.
- Must pursue a first-time bachelor's, master's or doctorate degree.
- Must enroll in at least six UMUC credits per fall and spring semesters.
- Must maintain a 3.0 GPA at UMUC.
- Must submit verification of employment, such as your most recent pay stub or a letter from your community college's Human Resources department that states that you are currently employed at that institution.The scholarship is renewable for students who maintain a 3.0 GPA, enroll in at least 6 credits at UMUC per fall and spring semesters and maintain employment at an Alliance community college.
What Is the Application Deadline?
Apply Now!
Applications for the upcoming semester will be accepted as long as funds remain available.
How Do I Apply?
Complete admission application through MyUMUC.
Complete the Staff CC Transfer Scholarship Application.
Send all official transcripts from previous colleges attended. Official transcripts are sealed transcripts sent by the institution.
- Submit the scholarship application and official transcripts to:
College and University Partnerships
Attn: Scholarship Coordinator
University of Maryland University College
6865 Deerpath Road
Elkridge, MD 21075
A complete packet includes the Community College Scholarship application and official copies of transcript from previous colleges attended. Incomplete applications will not be processed.
When Am I Notified of the Scholarship Award Decision?
Scholarship applicants will be notified of the award decision via e-mail before the start of the semester for which they have applied.
Please note: Half of the award will post to your account 10 days prior to the start of the last registered class for the fall semester. The remaining half will be posted to your account 10 days prior to the spring semester. Students registered for Term II or mid-fall/spring classes will have their awards posted 10 days before the start of class.
Is the Scholarship Renewable?
Yes. The scholarship is automatically renewed if the scholarship guidelines and criteria are met.
Maintain 3.0 GPA
- Recipients must enroll in at least 6 UMUC credit hours each fall and spring semesters.
- Awards will post to your account 10 days before the start of the last registered class for the semester.
- Students must maintain employment at a participating Alliance community college.
- You do NOT need to submit a scholarship application for renewal.
Who Do I Contact for Additional Information?
College and University Partnerships
University of Maryland University College
6865 Deerpath Road
Elkridge, MD 21075
E-mail: email@example.com
Office Phone: 443-459-3500
Frequently Asked Questions
Contact Us
Colleges and University Partnerships
University of Maryland University College (UMUC)
6865 Deerpath Road
Elkridge, MD 21075
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Office Phone: 443-459-3500


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Shares of Netflix (NFLX), the world's largest subscription streaming service, surged to a record after projecting customer growth that topped analysts' estimates and saying it may charge new users more to share accounts.
Netflix shares rose 16 percent to $388.72 in Thursday's trading. The stock had the biggest gain in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index last year.
Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings is testing new pricing strategies that would increase revenue and profit, and investing in growth to keep the company ahead of competitors HBO, Amazon.com and Hulu. A price increase in Ireland suggests Netflix can follow suit at home without triggering a customer revolt like the one that cost it subscribers in 2011.
"Management appears more confident than at any time in their history," said Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles who has a sell rating on the stock. "It's either a sign that things are really great or that they're starting to believe their own hype."
Netflix forecast 2.25 million new domestic subscribers this quarter, according to a statement yesterday on its website. The Los Gatos-based company predicted first-quarter profit of $48 million, or 78 cents a share, compared with analysts' projections of 75 cents.
Hastings has resisted calls to raise prices by investors who cite the company's programming obligations, which now stand at $7.3 billion.
Now Netflix is considering tiered alternatives to its $7.99-a-month online subscription, including an $11.99 option for customers who share their accounts with friends and family. In December, the company offered some new customers a $6.99 starting plan that limited viewing to one screen at a time.
"Eventually, we hope to be able to offer new members a selection of three simple options to fit everyone's taste," Hastings said yesterday in a letter to investors.
The company may follow the model of a recent price increase in Ireland, where current users were told they would not see price increases for two years, he said.
"We're still researching and trying to figure out the best way to move forward," Hastings said in an interview. "Current subscribers will get to keep their current plan and price for a generous time period."
With Netflix's U.S. subscriber base topping that of Time Warner Inc.'s HBO, investors are trying to gauge how big the company can be. Total online subscribers grew to 44.4 million worldwide in the fourth quarter, including 41.4 million paid.
The company forecasts first-quarter domestic streaming revenue of $796 million, with an operating profit of $198 million. It predicts international streaming will generate a loss of $42 million on revenue of $267 million.
Fourth-quarter net income soared more than fivefold to $48.4 million, or 79 cents a share, Netflix said on its website, beating the 66-cent average of 31 analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Domestic subscribers, including free trials, rose to 33.4 million, compared with the 33.1 million average of 10 estimates compiled by Bloomberg. International losses shrank.
Fourth-quarter sales grew 24 percent to $1.18 billion from $945.2 million a year earlier, beating estimates of $1.17 billion. Net income totaled $7.9 million, or 13 cents, a year earlier. The company's international loss shrank to $57 million from $105 million a year earlier.
Netflix potentially faces higher costs after a U.S. appeals court this month overturned the Federal Communications Commission's so-called net neutrality rules.
If upheld, cable-TV and telephone providers could demand Netflix pay fees for faster Web service to customers' homes.
Internet service providers are unlikely to interfere with Netflix anytime soon, Hastings said Wednesday on a video conference call with analysts.
"If ISPs, especially major ISPs, were to contemplate blocking Netflix or other services, it would significantly fuel the fire for more regulation, which is not something they're interested in," Hastings said.
Domestic paid users rose 5.9 percent to 31.7 million from the third quarter. Outside the U.S., the total grew 20 percent to 9.72 million from the previous quarter.
Netflix also said it plans to raise $400 million in additional debt to finance international expansion and original programming over the next few years.


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Today in History: February 16
Missionaries in the Oregon Territory
Wheat Farm, Walla Walla, Washington, Russell Lee, photographer, July 1941.
America from the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the FSA and OSI, ca. 1934-1945
Congregationalist missionary the Reverend Cushing Eells was born in Massachusetts on February 16, 1810. Eells founded Whitman College (external link), the oldest educational institution in Washington State, in Walla Walla, when the Washington Territorial Legislature granted a charter to the Whitman Seminary on December 20,1859. He named the school in honor of fellow missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, who were killed by Native Americans in 1847. The Whitmans were pioneers who helped open the Oregon Territory to U.S. settlement.
In 1836, the Whitmans founded a mission among the Cayuse Indians at Waiilatpu, seven miles west of present-day Walla Walla. In addition to evangelizing, the missionaries established schools and gristmills and introduced crop irrigation. However, their work advanced slowly jeopardizing funding. In 1842, in response to a letter ordering the Whitmans to leave Waiilatpu, Marcus Whitman journeyed East and convinced the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions to continue supporting the work of the mission. Returning the following year, he joined the "Great Migration of 1843"—approximately 1,000 settlers traveling to Oregon Territory. Without Whitman's aid the caravan might not have reached its goal.
With the sudden influx of settlers, tension between Native Americans and the pioneers escalated. Trouble erupted in 1847, when a measles epidemic killed a disproportionate number of Native American children. A practicing physician, Whitman was accused of using magic to eliminate Native Americans in order to make way for new immigrants. Marcus and Narcissa Whitman and twelve other settlers were killed by Cayuse warriors on November 29, 1847. Known as the Whitman Massacre, this event precipitated the Cayuse War—a conflict that lasted until 1850.
Senoras Pico, Valenzuela, de la Golsh, Ortega, Myers, and Acosta, Father Julian from Mission San Luis Rey... on the Pala Indian Reservation, June 4, 1939.
California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties Collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell
Between 1769 and 1823, Spanish Catholics established twenty-one missions among California Indians. Catholic missionaries competed for conversions among the Cayuse in the 1840s.
- Joseph Wilkinson Hines discusses early missions in present-day Oregon and Washington in Chapter VIII of his memoir, Touching Incidents in the Life and Labors of a Pioneer on the Pacific Coast Since 1853. A full text search in "California as I Saw It": First Person Narratives of California's Early Years, 1849-1900 on Walla Walla or Marcus Whitman will lead to more recollections of pioneer days in southeastern Washington.
- To learn about another northwestern tribe evangelized by Congregationalist missionaries see the Today in History feature on Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce camp.
- Search Taking the Long View: Panoramic Photographs, 1851-1991 and Touring Turn-of-the-Century America: Photographs from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1880-1920 to see more images, urban and rural, of Washington State.
- Visit the Web site of Whitman Mission National Historic Site, maintained by the National Park Service, to learn more about the Whitmans.
- Browse American Indians of the Pacific Northwest on Whitman, Cayuse, and Walla Walla for images and documents.
- Search Edward S. Curtis's The North American Indian by keywords Cayuse and Nez Perce for photographic images of these Native Americans.
- A keyword search on Nez Perce in History of the American West, 1860-1920: Photographs from the Collection of the Denver Public Library will also yield photographic images.
- A search on mission in American Landscape and Architectural Design, 1850-1920: a Study Collection from the Harvard Graduate School of Design yields images of seven California missions.


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Augusta takes the opportunity to show what the area has to offer businesses during Masters week. (April 7, 2011 / WRDW-TV)
News 12 at 6 o'clock / Thursday, April 7, 2011
AUGUSTA, Ga.---Many say the best deals in the business world are made on the golf course. The annual Red Carpet tour rolled through town on Thursday.
It is one section that is easy to miss at Augusta National. The Red Carpet tour sign is tucked away in an inconspicuous corner near the course.
"It is phenomenal. I'm like a kid in a candy store," said Tim Rash who is president of A-D Technologies about the course.
Business executives like Tim are brought to the course to tee up possible business deals.
"Other states have tried to copy us," said Chris Clark who is president of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. "But they end up loading people on planes and taking them to other countries. In Georgia...we are able to take them to a beautiful place like Augusta National."
Up to 50 different companies were represented. Clark said executives were in from 3 different countries and 11 states.
"We can't go out and publicize every company that is looking at Augusta," said Augusta mayor Deke Copenhaver. "But people should know we have some good deals in the works, and it is going to lead to jobs in the future."
Don't rule out people like Tim. He confirms he recently hired workers in Georgia.
"We just hired 30 new people," said Tim. "I felt like learning more about the state."
"When our guest come in here and they see those towering pines and the rolling hills," said Clark. "They get goosebumps."
The state says the tour has created more than 15,000 jobs. This was the 52nd annual Red Carpet Tour.


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If Miley Cyrus and Sinead O'Connor don't tour together, or record a duet, or simply brawl in a pay-per-view showdown, then there's a whole bunch of professional promoters out there who aren't doing their jobs.
O'Connor has written a fourth open letter to Cyrus on her blog, slamming the 20-year-old tongue-wagging, rump-shaking singer for "stigmatizing mental illness" and asking her to apologize for her actions, according to E! News.
For those following along at home, this all started last week, when O'Connor criticized Cyrus -- who modeled part of her new "Wrecking Ball" video on O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" video -- for supposedly allowing herself to be overly-sexualized during recent performances. She warned Cyrus to watch out for record company executives who don't really care about her and said she should get by on her talent instead of licking sledgehammers in videos and whatnot.
Cyrus responded on Twitter, alluding to O'Connor's two-year-old tweets in which she reflected on her mental illness. Then Cyrus compared her to Amanda Bynes, who is currently in rehab after spending many weeks in a mental health facility.
Naturally, O'Connor didn't like that and sent another open letter, saying Cyrus was "anti-female" and "(expletive) stupid," to which Cyrus tweeted "Sinead. I don't have time to write you an open letter cause I'm hosting & performing on SNL this week. So if you'd like to meet up and talk lemme know in your next letter. :)"
Of course, O'Connor wrote a third letter to the performer, telling Miley she has "no interest in meeting" her while ordering the singer to apologize to her, Bynes and others with mental health issues. "When you end up in the psych ward or rehab I'll be happy to visit you.. and would not lower myself to mock you," she wrote.
Well ... that's kind of nice of her.
Cyrus then went on the "Today" show on Monday, and was asked about the situation.
"I think she's an incredible artist, I think she's an awesome songwriter, and I was really inspired by her for my "Wrecking Ball" video, which was what started the whole thing," Cyrus told Matt Lauer. "I don't know how someone can start a fight with somebody who said, 'Hey, I really respect you. And I really love what you what you did.' 'You know what? You suck! I don't like you!' That was kind of crazy. But as I said, I'm a big fan of hers, so it doesn't really matter."
She did. She used the word "crazy." She really did.
O'Connor's most recent letter says Cyrus has caused people to urge O'Connor to kill herself.
"My problem with you stems from your response to my first letter," she continued. "Until you exposed me (and Amanda Bynes) to abuse on the grounds of my having sought help (extremely coherently) to save my life, when experiencing suicidal compulsion as a side effect of a medication called Tegretol, I had no problem with you whatsoever."
This is getting exhausting.
"I would very much like you please to apologize to myself and Amanda Bynes for having perpetuated abuse of both of us on the grounds that Amanda has had 'mental health issues' and that I experienced suicidal compulsion and was open about seeking help in order to save my life," she continued. "This should also involve an apology to all sufferers of mental health difficulties and all those who have had experience of suicidal feelings or who have been affected by suicide."
"As a result of what you did I have had numerous communications from people urging me to commit suicide," she wrote. "Not to mention I have been the subject of literally thousands of abusive articles and or comments left after articles, which state that I and therefore all perceived mentally ill people, should be bullied and be invalidated. Luckily I am a strong person. And I have four children whose lives would be destroyed if I were to buckle under the abuse you set me up for."
Wait ... didn't O'Connor start this?
To summarize the rest, she noted that Cyrus is probably unaware of the effects of her words, and O'Connor doesn't want to feud. Which, of course, is why she's done nothing for a week but write about how stupid Miley Cyrus is. Then, she ripped the media.
Wait ... what? What did we do?
Anyway, because my life must be barren, you can count on me to bring you the next update in this exciting drama as soon as it happens. Unless this drives me into retirement first.
Contact Tony Hicks at Facebook.com/BayAreaNewsGroup.TonyHicks or Twitter.com/insertfoot.


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LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Texas A&M - Corpus Christi softball team suffered a pair of losses to McNeese State in a Southland Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Cowgirl Diamond. The Islanders (6-20, 1-4 SLC) dropped the first game 4-2 before falling short 5-1 to the Cowgirls (22-7, 4-0 SLC) in the second game.
The Islanders and Cowgirls will wrap the conference series tomorrow at 12 p.m.
For the latest on Islanders Softball, like the team on Facebook (Islanders Softball), follow them on Twitter (@IslandersSball) and visit www.GoIslanders.com.
After falling behind early, the Islanders bounced back to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the third but a three-run fifth inning by the Cowgirls and some Islanders fielding miscues lifted the home team to a 4-2 victory in the first of three games.
The Islanders outhit the Cowgirls 6-5. Dani Tefft, Meagan McKinney, Lindsey Lyles, Valerie Perez, Natalie Zarzabal and Hayley Galloway all chipped in one a piece.
Mickayla Cochran led things off with a walk before landing on a second with a sacrifice bunt by Tefft. After a Laura Phillips walk and wild pitch put Islanders on the corners, the Cowgirls pulled out of the jam with a punch out to leave two Islanders stranded.
Perez started the top of the second frame with a single to left field and advanced to second on a Zarzabal bunt. After a Michelle Sorenson pop fly, Galloway reached on a fielder's choice, however the Cowgirls escaped leaving two Islanders on with a strikeout.
The Cowgirls jumped on board in the bottom of the second with one run on one hit. After a leadoff fielding error by the Islanders, the Cowgirls loaded the bases after a walk and an error by McKinney who was tripped up at first. However, the Islanders collected the second out of the inning with a 6-2 play at home on a Cowgirls' fielder's choice. With two outs, Victoria Rich hit a RBI single to shortstop to plate the first run of the game. The Islanders pulled out of the jam leaving three Cowgirls on with a ground out to McKinney at first.
The Islanders answered back in the top of the third with two runs on three hits. Tefft jumpstarted the inning with a leadoff bunt and moved to second on a McKinney single to right field. After Phillips' sacrifice bunt, Lyles stepped up to the plate and drilled a 2 RBI double to right field to plate Tefft and McKinney to push the Islanders ahead 2-1.
McNeese State capitalized on a few Islanders mishaps in the bottom of the fifth to score three-runs on one hit to gain the lead back, 4-2. After a leadoff fielding error by the Islanders and a wild pitch put a Cowgirl on second, a sacrifice bunt moved pinch runner Brittany Calbert to third. The Islanders picked up the next out with a play out at home on a Cowgirls' fielder's choice. Another fielder's choice loaded the bases on an Islander fielding error before Emily Vincent hit a 2 RBI double to right center to plate two runs. Katie Roux then reached on the third Islander error of the frame to score the third Cowgirl run of the inning.
Constance Brandenburg (4-8) took the loss for the Islanders in the circle. The junior allowed five hits and four runs, none of them earned, while striking out two and walking just one in six innings.
Jamie Allred (10-2) sealed the victory for the Cowgirls. She allowed six hits, two runs, while striking out six and walking two in seven innings.
Ashley Elicerio had a career day with seven strikeouts, but the Cowgirls tallied nine hits en route to a 5-1 victory in game two of the doubleheader at Cowgirl Diamond.
After a scoreless first and second inning, the Islanders' loaded the bases in the top of the third. With two outs, Galloway ripped a single to right field and Cochran followed with a walk before Tefft loaded the bases with a fielder's choice. However, a ground out by McKinney to second base capped the frame.
The Cowgirls got on board in the bottom of the third with three runs on three hits. McNeese State led the inning off with a single and a double before an Islanders fielding error plated the first run of the game. After Elicerio recorded her fifth punch out of the game, the Cowgirl's Taylor Goree hit a 6-3 RBI ground out to score the second Cowgirl. Stacey Conley followed with a RBI triple to give McNeese State a 3-0 lead. Galloway tallied the third out of the frame with a ground out.
Zarzabal recorded the second Islanders hit in the top of the fifth with a leadoff single to left field, but the Cowgirls retired the next three Islanders to end the inning.
Phillips put the Islanders on the board in the top of the sixth with a two-out solo homer to left center. It marked the junior's second career home run and first of the season.
McNeese State tacked on two more runs on the bottom of the sixth on three hits. After a leadoff double, the Islanders tallied two outs on a ground out and Elicerio's seventh punch out of the game. The Cowgirls followed with back-to-back singles to plate two runs to extend the lead to 5-1.
Elicerio (1-10) took the loss for the Islanders in the circle with a career-high seven strikeouts. The freshman allowed five runs, three earned, while allowing nine hits and two walks.
Megan Bond (10-2) picked up the victory for the Cowgirls. She allowed one run, three hits, one walk, while striking out 11 batters in seven innings.


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Read More About
Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill, a Colorado-based fast-casual restaurant concept, is marking its milestone fifth birthday Monday, January 28, 2013.
To celebrate five years of falafel, Garbanzo is holding five days of special birthday offers for its Colorado guests Saturday, January 26, through Wednesday January 30.
The concept is offering a unique promotion each day with a valid coupon, including:
· Saturday, January 26: Five free falafel
· Sunday, January 27: 5-cent Garbanzo Deal (side and drink add on)
· Monday, January 28: $5 entrees (excludes Kabobs and Salmon Platter)
· Tuesday, January 29: 5-cent soft drinks
· Wednesday, January 30: Five times the VIB card loyalty points
Guests can obtain birthday offers via the company's e-mail club or Facebook and Twitter pages beginning Thursday, January 24.
Along with commemorating its fifth birthday, Garbanzo is also recognizing its path to this landmark year and the expansion plans it has in place.
After opening its first location January 28, 2008, in Greenwood Village, Colorado, Garbanzo has since expanded to 15 Colorado-based, company-owned locations with two stores set to open in the D.C./Baltimore area in February and March 2013.
Garbanzo is also regularly welcoming new franchisees to the scene, with franchised locations already open in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and San Antonio, Texas, and many more on the docket in 2013.
New locations are expected in Orange County, California; northern New Jersey; and Edmond, Oklahoma, between March and May of this year. Franchisees continue to sign on, and the company anticipates doubling its current size by the beginning of 2014.
"It is sometimes hard to believe we are already celebrating our fifth birthday, but when I look back on all we have accomplished I am not surprised by how far we have come," says Alon Mor, Garbanzo founder, president, and CEO.
"In these past five years, we have opened in four major Colorado markets, announced countless franchisees to the Garbanzo family, opened our first franchised locations, and set the stage for a second company-owned market," he adds. "To say we are excited about what is to come in our next five years would be an understatement.
"Our past and future accomplishments are of course due to our dedicated 'Bean Team' and loyal guests," Mor continues. "Without them, none of this would be possible. And I thank them every day for helping us reach our nationwide potential."


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Stocks to Watch: Marvell, Smith & Wesson, BCD Semiconductor
By Anna Prior
Among the companies with shares expected to actively trade in Thursday's session are Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (MRVL) Smith & Wesson Holding (SWHC) and BCD Semiconductor Manufacturing (BCDS).
A federal jury in Pittsburgh found chip maker Marvell should pay nearly $1.17 billion for infringing patents held by Carnegie Mellon University. Marvell said Thursday it will seek to overturn the jury's patent-infringement findings and it hasn't yet determined the financial impact, if any, to the results of operations for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013. The company also said there should be no disruption to its business or to customers as a result of the verdict. Shares were down 1.5% to $7.29 premarket.
Gun maker Smith & Wesson said its board has authorized another $15 million of purchases, after announcing a $20 million stock-buyback effort to run through June 30 as part of its fiscal second-quarter report three weeks ago. The company said it spent that $20 million, and the additional $15 million in purchases will have the same June 30 deadline. The company's market cap is about $525 million. Shares rose 3% to $8.20 premarket.
Diodes (DIOD) agreed to purchase fellow chip maker BCD for roughly $151 million, expanding its analog-product portfolio and broadening its presence in China. Diodes plans to pay $8 in cash for each BCD American depositary share, representing just over double BCD's share price as of Wednesday's market close. BCD's shares surged 96% to $7.79 in premarket trading.
TeleCommunication Systems (TSYS), a computer-software company, said it has sold two of its U.S. patents to South Korea's IP Cube Partners Co. for a multi-seven-figure payment. Shares rose in premarket trading 5.4% to $2.75.
Steinway Musical Instruments (LVB) said it has terminated a preliminary agreement reached earlier this year to sell its band-instrument division to investors led by two of its board members following a review of the company's strategic alternatives.
Toyota Motor (TM, 7203.TO) has agreed to pay about $1.1 billion to install new safety equipment and reimburse owners of up to 16 million cars to settle a U.S. class-action suit stemming from 2009-10 recalls related to complaints of unintended acceleration in its vehicles.
For more MarketBeat and other streaming markets coverage from The Wall Street Journal, point your mobile browser to wsj.com/marketspulse.


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26 July 2005
Breath and Bones by Susann Cokal
Breath and Bones by Susann Cokal
a guest review by Catherynne M. Valente
In this postmodern world of meta-narrative and fractured plotlines, books-within-books and fictional footnotes, it's rare to find a book that holds to convention which such white-knuckle ferocity as Susann Cokal's second novel, Breath and Bones.
I'd like to say it's brave, radical simplicity, a return to solid, un-pretentious literature, but I can't.
In the interests of disclosure, I should mention that I was once, very briefly, a student of Ms. Cokal's at Cal Poly SLO. I went into this book with solid expectations, and was astounded at every turn by the sheer audacity of the awfulness laid out in the pages of Breath and Bones.
The protagonist, with predictable "flaming red hair," "sapphire eyes," and "ruby lips" (all phrases which I humbly submit should be officially excised from the Allowable Novel Phrases as a Triumvirate of Evil) is Famke, a Danish beauty who dutifully follows the storyline we have come to expect from such women: she is raised in a convent where she discovers her first quotidian twinges of sexuality with the other girls, so that her story will have an edgy spark of lesbianism. However, with equal typicality, she finds that Sapphism essentially unsatisfying. (I mean, we all know that a penis is necessary for that "shimmering feeling Down There," don't we? I wish I were kidding. That's a direct quote, complete with Capitalization.) A good girl at heart, she is called "wild" by the nuns for no particular reason other than her good looks and a particularly melodramatic scene involving exploding soap (again, not kidding. In hindsight, I believe the exploding soap was actually foreshadowing) and forced into a life of one partner after the other in the exotic Old West--where she hits, the jacket promises, all the major landmarks: gold mines, Mormons, California spa towns, and brothels--after her heartless Pre-Raphaelite lover, Albert, leaves her with nothing after using her as a model for his masterpiece. Of course, his letter telling her he loves her and wants her back arrives just as she's left for America to look for him...does this sound familiar? It should--you can find it on Lifetime any day of the week.
This is a romance novel that thinks it's too good for the genre.
The problem is, Famke is a horrible woman, and despite the narrative's assurances that we must love her, the reader cannot identify with such a shallow, idiotic, and careless person. She is careless in the sense of Gatsby's Daisy Buchanan--in her selfish pursuit of the man who left her, she ruins the lives of countless people, even causes the death of a few, and actually vandalizes her lover's paintings in a very precious attempt to "improve" them. She has no ambition but to be a model for this man, and the endless pages of her masturbatory daydreaming about how wonderful it will be to take care of him and hold still for all eternity are truly nauseating. But everyone, everyone falls in love with her, because she is just the most beautiful thing that ever lived. They fall in love with her at first sight, and they search the world for her until they die. She doesn't even have to say a word. When she is reduced to prostitution, her john is happy just to look at her, and asks for no more. This is facile, flaccid storytelling that even fairy tales would decry. Breath and Bones is full of such precious and convenient scenes, scenes which verge on salacious material, but just cannot take the leap. In fact, the story opens with a group of people who have had her body embalmed so that they can all look at it as much as they like--there was the seed of a truly disturbing and fascinating story, there. It's too bad Cokal was more interested in creating this high-class Mary Sue without an ounce of Daisy Buchanan's strength of character.
Yet, while this cliched romance-novel set up is adhered to with loyalty verging on religion, it has an essentially conservative bent. Famke does not really enjoy sex and engages in it with anyone other than Albert only with reluctance. Her first orgasms are practically forced via 19th century vibrating machines. In by far the novel's most disgusting and disturbing turn, Famke cannot even cease referring to her genitals as "Down There" and sex as "that shimmering feeling Down There" when she has had sex with many men and the previously mentioned machine. This bizarre infantilization is part of what turns Breath and Bones into the exploits of a vapid fool traipsing about the Old West with all the entitlement of Paris Hilton, her obsession and bad behavior rewarded time and time again, simply because she is beautiful. Yet we are given no reason to assume this is satire, no knowing narrator to tell us we are walking through Vanity Fair, that we are meant to believe Famke is rotten--on the contrary, over and over she is shown in an almost saintly light, right down to her over-dramatic, martyred end, which, by the way, involves a very large explosion that packs all the subtlety of, well, any large explosion. Famke is the whole of this novel, and while Cokal may want us to believe her Danish lass a Becky Sharp, she falls far short of the mark, and leaves the story rudderless.
Breath and Bones is truly, shockingly bad. Nothing about it struck the right note, and much of it was nonsensical--for example, like any self-respecting romantic heroine, Famke is consumptive. Though she has TB from a very young age, an advanced enough case to vomit up blood quite frequently, she miraculously fails to infect her entire boat full of immigrants, anyone on Ellis Island, on successive trains, or in successive brothels. She has Hollywood TB, you see, where it simply makes you attractively weak and pale but isn't an infectious disease that ravaged half the world. Considering that Cokal's last novel, Mirabilis, concerned a miraculous, perpetually-lactating woman who never experienced nipple-chafe or back problems, I wonder if she has had any practical experience with human bodies at all. Even laying this, and the rest of the ridiculous plot, aside, the language of the novel was so simplistic as to give Potter and Co. a run for their broomsticks, replete with punishable clichés and punishing us with a grown woman's voice that sounds like a 13-year-old diarist bemoaning her True Love Lost. It falls prey to that most cloying of realist traps: the novel about someone Having Sex in Exotic Locales, or Exotic Sex in Repressive and Boring Locales, which sums up just about half of 20th century literature. Cokal does nothing to raise her above the throng.
I recall Cokal instructing us on one of the few days I spent in her class before shuffling my schedule, telling us that writing isn't fun, it's work, and if we're having fun, we're not professionals. I didn't care for the sentiment then, but now I think she was right. Her writing isn't fun, it's work, and working through 350 pages of brain-clawing cliche and the faux-wise ruminations of the lovechild of Miss Hilton and Betty Boop was just too much for this reviewer to stomach.
22 comments:
Honestly, I am half-inclined to look up this book at the library just to see about the exploding soap . . .ReplyDelete
Goodness. Not tempted to try that book. I think you'll be happy to learn, Catherynne, that even the protagonist's name is totally fake and bogus: Danish ladies aren't called Famke, since it's a Frisian Dutch name.ReplyDelete
Exploding soap...? Did she get that idea from FIGHT CLUB...?ReplyDelete
"Hollywood TB"... this reminds me of when MAD Magazine did a hilarious parody of the movie "Love Story", where the heroine gets "Old Movie Disease" -- and magically gains more and more make-up on her face the closer she comes to dying.
"In fact, the story opens with a group of people who have had her body embalmed so that they can all look at it as much as they like(...)"
Sounds like a bedtime book for Gunther Von Hagens, the mad scientist who "plastinates" corpses in real life. (Yeech!)
I looked at the "Reader Reviews" of MIRABILIS and BREATH AND BONES at Amazon.com ...
Isn't there something *fishy* about these reviews, all written in overblown sentences like
"Art, science, sex, and the unstoppable geography of love, feature in this story of absolute Dickensian proportions"
... or is just me? I wouldn't dream of screaming "PLANT!" but...
Oh well, who cares. I'll see BREATH AND BONES when the HBO 2-part miniseries comes...
Don't be shy, tell use what you *really* think of the book. :-PReplyDelete
OFF TOPIC: congrats on the World Fantasy nomination!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous7/31/2005 6:06 PM
Interesting ... I wonder what Cokal said about her work to produce this stream of bile? Hell hath no fury like a student writer scorned?ReplyDelete
I doubt that's the case. It didn't sound to me that Catherynne was in the class long enough to have much contact with Cokal at all, but I asked her to mention the connection anyway, just to be up front about it. Like the other guest reviewers, she seemed to choose the book out of a sincere expectation of enjoying it. It doesn't always happen, and the downside of being forced to write a review (I made it a condition on sending the book) is that sometimes you have to write honestly about a book you otherwise wouldn't have bothered to finish reading. Frankly, I'd almost always prefer a specific, well-written, but passionately negative review like this one over a blandly positive review. This review may have harsh things to say about the book, but it does so with energy, and energetic writing about books is, I think, valuable.ReplyDelete
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.ReplyDelete
"DoctorIf" is welcome to repost his/her/its previous comment without the puerile and slanderous ad hominem attack at the end.ReplyDelete
I was in Cokal's class for exactly one day, and she, in fact, presented an award to me at the university for excellence in writing. I have no grudge against her, she never scorned me, and in fact, based on her very high-level university placements, I expected her novels to be solid realism/magic realism and was really very surprised at the lack of quality in this one. I can only hope the previous one was better.ReplyDelete
I don't know what DoctorIf said, but believe it or not, it is possible to dislike a book for purely literary reasons.
I should amend that to say she presented the award--as in, was the MC at the ceremony. I'm not sure that she is at all familiar with my work, and I'm sure she has no idea that I review or that I've had novels out. Our contact was very limited, as I was only at the university at all for 6 months before my husband returned from Iraq and I launched on my odyssey in Japan. If our contact had been greater, I would not have volunteered to review her book. As it was, my thought was "Oh! I've met her! That book is probably pretty good! How fun!"ReplyDelete
'"DoctorIf" is welcome to repost his/her/its previous comment without the puerile and slanderous ad hominem attack at the end.'ReplyDelete
Wow, if you took your selection of reviewers, or if the reviewer took her approach to reviewing, as seriously as you do the policing of my comments, this actually might be a worthwhile blogspot.
And there was no slander involved, 'Catherynne Valente' _is_ a nom de plume. Ask her yourself. And, frankly, when a former student posts a truly vicious review, which claims that the entire book has absolutely no redeeming qualities, summing it up as being 'truly, shockingly bad' and 'laying this, and the rest of the ridiculous plot, aside, the language of the novel was so simplistic as to give Potter and Co. a run for their broomsticks, replete with punishable clichés,' what other conclusion would a sensible reader draw _besides_ that there is some personal animosity involved.
I've read hundreds of reviews (it's part of my job) of scholarly and literary works and this is simply the most lopsided, unprofessional, and disrespectful one I've ever come across.
So, to accuse me of making ad hominem attacks, when you proudly published an entire review that is nothing but, is absurd.
Besides, I thought you appreciated 'lively and energetic writing.'
Not to monopolize the floor, but I think it's worthwhile here to point out the difference here between a 'review' and an 'opinion.' A review is analytical and objective. The reviewer intentionally takes a dispassionate view of the material, pointing out its strengths and its weaknesses as accurately as possible. The purpose is to give potential readers a guide as to what the piece entails in order to help them make an informed decision about whether or not to purchase the book. Within those parameters, a review can be either positive or negative, but it is, above all, a detached, balanced, professional analysis of a piece by an unbiased reader. A general guideline for the reviewer is to ask him/herself "within the context of the goals of the author, to what extent does this piece succeed or fail?"ReplyDelete
Opinion, on the other hand, is subjective, communicated in judgemental terms, and reflects a highly personalized view of the piece. Opinions generally tell you much more about the presenter and his or her theoretical/creative stance than they do about the piece in question. Opinions generally follow the pattern of "I liked/disliked this work and these are my reasons."
I invite all of you to reread Ms. Valente's piece and decide which of these two models it adheres to most consistenly.
Catherynne's review is not a review of Susan Cokal, but of the book, and I think that is clear to any literate person who reads it.ReplyDelete
For a thoughtful and specific response to Catherynne's review, see Dan Green's post about it.ReplyDelete
- GWeatherford8/12/2005 12:10 AM
I must agree with DoctorIf. The book is in some senses a parody of the genre "Catherynne" disparages, and in my opinion it's quite an enjoyable romp. This reviewer is astonishingly vicious and quite unprofessional.ReplyDelete
- Dustin7/20/2006 8:37 PM
Anyone who uses a word like "meta-narrative" with a straight face, should clearly not be trusted to write a thoughtful review of any work.ReplyDelete
That being said, Catherynne clearly has not read the same book that I did. Or she missed the implications of what a picaresque novel truly is.
I find it odd that a writer of fantasy would not understand architypal concepts such as Famke's beauty, or miss that she never truly acts "horribly" and is without any sense of depth.
Famke does not begin a complex character, she becomes one (thus the point of the rogue's journey), as any literate person who manages to read to the end will understand. And her single-mindedness only serves to reflect this.
Further more, Famke's lack of a sexual vocabulary reflects a girl who grew up raised by Catholic nuns. It is completely within the realm of this character to never speak of more than "Down There."
The reviewer clearly missed the boat, when despite mentioning all of the men who pursue Famke for her beauty alone, and yet misses the disturbing commentary that Susann has woven into her prologue and the novel's conclusion. Or the reviewer is either too lazy to ponder the questions and conclusions Cokal dares us to ask.
- Katrine Louise8/02/2006 8:54 AM
Hmmm... I actually read the book and loved it. Its great storytelling, extraordinary characters (yes), and conventional storyline in such an extraordinary and intelligent way that I cannot believe that there was not a tiny bit of intention behind this kind of conventionality in the storyline and depiction of characters!! But I am European so maybe I missed something. No, honestly Catherynne, I think you missed something of the book that you referred to in the beginning of your review. I think the book is very postmodern, ironic and yes! "stealing" from traditional genres. For example, you are annoyed that Famke suffers from a "Hollywood" kind of TB. Yes, she does! and its great! How can you ask for reality here? Famke fits perfectly in to her genre!ReplyDelete
And I am pretty sure, that you are supposed to hate Famke and not love her..
If you tried to look at it from this angle with your "postmodern glasses" then perhaps you would get the same experience from the book that I got out of it.
And then a last comment: Postmodern era? Common... that is really too eighties... If you want to show of your literary skills (and it really seems like it with your introduction), then at least place contemporary literary in its proper category.
- Katrine Louise8/02/2006 1:06 PM
Very strange kind of censorship you have here?!!! But I gues that is the internet in the States. I thought it only happened in ChinaReplyDelete
I posted a comment critical of the review a couple of hours ago. And now its gone!!! Or did I miss it somewhere. i hope so... well maybe this comment will disappear too...
- Katrine Louise8/02/2006 1:08 PM
woops.. my mistake. I did miss it somewhereReplyDelete
.... Just above this comment... I take it back!!.. guess I got paranoid when I read the other comments...
- Anonymous4/13/2007 2:07 PM
Wow! I have never read such a vicious, over-the-top, pretentious review in my life! I just read the book for my book club and was searching for some background on it, when I ran across this review. Matthew Cheney: How is it possible that such an unprofessional, vile piece of garbage is kept on this site? It destroys all your credibility and I will never take this site seriously again. Have you no standards? The reviewer's extreme personal biases and inflated self-importance were the real cliches! It was a very entertaining, unique book and Cokal has a beautiful, facile writing style. The one thing I'm sure of is that I'll never read anything written by Catherynne Valente(even the spelling of her name is pretentious!) I'm too polite to tell you what I think of HER writing style and intellectual insight!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous4/13/2007 2:36 PM
I finished reading this book last week and was searching for reviews when I found this one.ReplyDelete
Ms. Cokal is an astonishingly talented writer and this review is mean-spirited drivel written by an insecure writer. I agree that Dan's review should be submitted in it's place. I hope others who have read breath and bones or enjoyed Susann's other work (Mirabelis was excellent) will share their positive views as well. Those of you who've read the Valente review but not the book should ditch the review and buy the book.


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Senators Urge NFL to Change Redskins' Name
Half of the U.S. Senate is calling on the National Football League to force a change in Washington's team name, upping the pressure on Commissioner Roger Goodell to address the controversy.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and 48 other lawmakers, including most of the Democratic caucus and the chamber's two independents, signed a letter calling on the NFL to "remove the racial slur from the name of one of its marquee franchises." Citing the recent move by the National Basketball Association to remove Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling over racist remarks, the lawmakers said now is the time for the NFL to take action and eliminate the Washington's use of "Redskins" as its mascot.
"The NFL can no longer ignore this and perpetuate the use of this name as anything but what it is: a racial slur. We urge the NFL to formally support and push for a name change for the Washington football team," the 49 lawmakers wrote. Sen. Bill Nelson (D., Fla.) sent a separate letter also calling for a name change.
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Not signing the letter were Virginia's two senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both of whom are Democrats. Also not signing: Sens. Joe Donnelly (D., Ind.), Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) and Mark Pryor (D., Ark.).
The NFL, in a response to the letter, said the intent of Washington's team name "has always been to present a strong, positive and respectful image."
"The name is not used by the team or the NFL in any other context, though we respect those that view it differently," league spokesman Brian McCarthy said.
The letters represent the latest push by lawmakers to change the Washington football team's name, which has been assailed by civil-rights organizations, Native American groups and even some media organizations, which have refused to use the mascot's name. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D., Wash.), who led the effort on Thursday's letters, has been an outspoken critic, while Mr. Reid has used the bully pulpit of the Senate floor to call for action.
How long, Mr. Reid wondered in an April 30 floor speech, will the NFL "continue to do nothing, zero, as one of its teams bears a name that inflicts so much pain on Native Americans?"
Lawmakers agitating for a name change have been emboldened by the NBA's swift reaction to comments from Mr. Sterling, the longtime owner of the Clippers franchise. In that case, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver moved to ban Mr. Sterling from the league for life.
Get more Washington news, first thing in the morning, by signing up for the Capital Journal Daybreak newsletter: on.wsj.com/CapitalJournalSignup


text:
LEGO Shop Home Themes Castle Forest Ambush
Forest Ambush
- Item: 70400
- Ages:5-12
- VIP Points: 0
- Pieces:90
- Retired product
Repel the Dragon soldier Forest Ambush with a falling tree function, flick missile, armored cart and treasure chest with treasure and gold!
Repel the Dragon soldier Forest Ambush!
Help the brave knights to repel the Forest Ambush! Take the chest of gold and treasure safely back to the castle on the armored cart. When the path through the forest is suddenly blocked by a fallen tree, fend off the Dragon soldier ambush! Draw your weapons, fend off the flick-missile attack and return the gold safely to the castle! Includes 4 minifigures with weapons and accessories: 2 King's Knights and 2 Dragon soldiers.
• Includes 4 minifigures with weapons and accessories: 2 King's Knights and 2 Dragon soldiers
• Features armored cart and a forest base
• Armored cart features turning wheels, flags and treasure chest with gold and treasure
• Forest base features flick missile and falling tree function
• Weapons include spear, crossbow, axe, sword and a spiked mace
• Accessories include 2 shields and a dog
• Chop down the tree and stage an ambush
• Fire the flick missile
• Protect the treasure
• Armored cart measures over 2" (6cm) high, 2" (6cm) long, and 1" (4cm) wide
• Forest base measures over 3" (8cm) high, 2" (7cm) wide, and 1" (5cm) deep
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text:
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic celebrates his 15th anniversary by blazing his way onto the next-generation consoles, with his first adventure set in the human world. Featuring interactive 3D environments and a large cast of returning and new characters, get ready for the reinvention of Sonic The Hedgehog, in his most intense, high velocity escapade to date.
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Who is the FBI's mole?On Monday's all-new episode of The Blacklist (10/9c, NBC), Red Reddington will succeed where the FBI has failed (again). While the feds are seeking out a blacklister called The Alchmeist -- for his use of science to change DNA -- Red (James Spader) is ready to clean house. Oscar snubs & surprisesCheck out this exclusive sneak peek of Monday's episode:Any guesses? Share your theories in the comments below! The Blacklist airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC.
View original Exclusive Blacklist Sneak Peek: Red Finds the Mole! at TVGuide.com
Other Links From TVGuide.com
Location, ST | website.com


text:
EXCLUSIVE: Deadpool Dons the Venom Symbiote in "Back In Black" #1 First Look
Comic Books
Showing results 53-92 of 169
After "Age of Ultron," which member of Agent Coulson's team would you most like to see join the Avengers for "Captain America: Civil War?"
In "The Frenemy of My Frenemy," things sure aren't looking good for Coulson and May as the show gears up for "Captain America: Civil War."
The in-development "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD" spinoff looks to star the former married couple of Bobbi Morse/Mockingbird and Lance Hunter.
In "Melinda," the women of S.H.I.E.L.D. take center stage and push the MCU into innovative new territory.
Hydra's continuing research and some new Inhuman mythology on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." paves the way for a seemingly inevitable Terrigen Bomb.
As Skye adjusts to her new abilities on "Agents of SHIELD," "One Door Closes" offers her a choice with complicated and potentially dangerous implications.
"Battlestar Galactica" veteran Edward James Olmos discusses usurping Agent Coulson's power as Robert Gonzales -- and Bobbi's betrayal.
In "Love in the Time of Hydra," Bobbi and Mac's revelation of "the Real S.H.I.E.L.D." made Coulson and May's faction look a little grayer.
Stars Elizabeth Henstridge & Iain De Caestecker discuss what lies ahead for their characters, and whether Fitzsimmons will team-up once again.
Though Mitchell won't make his Inhuman debut for a few episodes yet, a new photo teases the actor's look in the show.
On "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," the agency's list of super-powered individuals has taken center stage, with new threats, complications and implications.
Marvel's star-crossed secret agents Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood hint at what's ahead for their characters, and whether they'll survive the experience.
The two actors tease their upcoming relationship on the series and share their giddiness in introducing the Inhumans to Marvel's cinematic canon.
Jaimie Alexander makes her TV return next week on "Agents of SHIELD," and here are 13 new photos from the episode, "Who You Really Are."
Series insiders offer hints as to what the abundance of new plot twists are building toward in the remainder of the Marvel drama's second season.
As S.H.I.E.L.D.'s relationship with the U.S. government improves, Coulson meets some resistance from within his team.
Reveling in her action star status, Palicki talks about going toe-to-toe with Keanu, Bobbi Morse's "little secret," and that Wonder Woman costume's major drawback.
"Agent Carter" teases a visit to the Red Room, while "Agents of SHIELD" promises to dive deep into Skye/Daisy's new powers upon its return.
An avowed fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Battlestar Galactica" veteran Edward James Olmos is set to make his mark on Coulson and Co.
"SHIELD's" leading man digs into the back half of Season Two, including Skye's Inhuman lineage and what it means for the show's upcoming direction.
Meagan Damore analyzes the game changing events of "Agents of SHIELD" mid-season finale and what they mean for the series and the MCU at large.
EPs Maurissa Tancharoen & Jed Whedon tell CBR about "Agents of SHIELD's" midseason finale, and the turn of events that will affect the MCU as a whole.
As the Marvel drama approaches its mid-season finale, the true identity of the "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s" hacktivist-turned-agent could soon be revealed.
Brett Dalton discusses his turncoat character's evolution across season two, and his transition to a completely unpredictable free agent.
The "Guardians of the Galaxy" star says "if it made sense for the brand and for the story," he'd be up for a guest appearance on the ABC series.
Revisit Meagan Damore's "Agents of SHIELD" analysis in the wake of last night's reveal regarding Coulson's mysterious writing.
Coulson flashes back to the big mystery of Season 1, and the action drags as we wait for Hydra to step back into the fray.
"Friday Night Lights" actress Adrianne Palicki discusses her latest superhero role as Mockingbird and possibly crossing over with "The Avengers."
Henry Simmons discusses bringing Alphonso "Mac" Mackenzie to life and where he fits into Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." plans.
Are this season's six comics-based TV shows living up to their potential? Here's an evaluation of which ones are aiming for the honor roll.
Under siege from Hydra, the team splits up to save its reputation against Ward's unsavory brother in an episode that pushes characters forward.
In addition to the debut of Mockingbird, the last episode of "Agents of SHIELD" offered more clues about its second season and the overall direction of the MCU.
Ming-Na Wen discusses losing Agent May's scowl briefly in tonight's "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD" episode, and the joys of dancing.
The director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and head of Marvel TV discuss maintaining the perfect level of levity in an increasingly dark sophomore season.
What do you think of "Agents of SHIELD's" new, Hydra-fueled direction so far?
CSBG explores the first comic book appearances of "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD's" newest cast members.
As the second season zeroes in on Skye's origins, Chloe Bennet can't wait to share scenes with her TV dad, Kyle MacLachlan.
With the debut of Season 2 mere hours away, "Agents of SHIELD" EPs Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon answer your questions about the new episodes!
With "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." starting its second season next week, which of the show's new characters' debut are you most looking forward to?
The actor revisits his surprise at learning he was bringing Marvel's killer cyborg to the ABC series, and his hopes for a triumphant return in Season 2.
Archives: All | Comic Books | TV/Film | Video Games | Web Comics


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SANTA CLARA -- Wide receiver Michael Crabtree "can't wait" to play Sunday against a Seattle Seahawks team he watched "take off at the end" for a 29-3 rout of the 49ers three months ago.
"Now it's different. New day, new game," Crabtree said Friday.
After missing the first 11 games while recovering from Achilles surgery, Crabtree debuted last Sunday against the St. Louis Rams and experienced no adverse effects from a 42-snap workload.
"Of course there's going to be a little soreness when I haven't played in a year," Crabtree said. "But it was good to feel sore and feel I did something."
Crabtree's return to the lineup should give the 49ers a different look against the Seahawks. But coach Jim Harbaugh isn't expecting the Seahawks to alter a scheme that's remained consistent during their success. But Harbaugh added: "You never know what changes there'll be in scheme from week to week."
Tight end Vernon Davis is anticipating changes, noting: "They're definitely going to have to make changes. We've got Crabtree back and have pretty much all our weapons. It's going to be exciting and interesting to see the changes they make to stop us. They can't leave us one-on-one the whole time."
Davis had just three receptions for 20 yards, and Anquan Boldin had only a 7-yard catch in the Sept. 15 loss at Seattle.
Crabtree had four receptions and no touchdowns in each of last season's games with the Seahawks, but he made a 41-yard catch that keyed a Dec. 24, 2011, win at Seattle.
"I can't wait to go out there and do what I can do," Crabtree said. "This week is a big week for us. With that (11-1) record, you're supposed to be the top team in the NFL. We'll see on Sunday. It gets you hyped. Now it's about me calming down. This is my second game. I can't wait to go and play."
Asked about a potential matchup with Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, Crabtree said this game is "not about one person or two people."
Blakeman didn't go unnoticed in his past two 49ers games. Last season, he and his crew allowed 79 seconds to improperly run off the clock in the 49ers' 24-24 tie with the St. Louis Rams. In 2010, Blakeman ejected defensive tackle Justin Smith for making contact with umpire Garth DeFelice in a 34-7 loss at San Diego. Although Blakeman deemed Smith's act "intentional," the league did not fine Smith for his actions.
The 49ers and Seahawks combined for 22 penalties and 205 penalty yards in their Sept. 15 meeting.
Staley, however, said the 49ers-Seahawks rivalry has "gotten worse" in recent seasons for a "variety" of reasons. "I don't have a magic answer why it's intense, but it is," Staley said.
For more on the 49ers, see Cam Inman's Hot Read blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers.
Seattle (11-1) at 49ers (8-4), 1:25 p.m. FOX


text:
From the Archives: ISP Done Right and Wrong
by Byron on Jun. 02, 2013 at 12:52 PM
Venge in Monterey
Another popular post from our archives and in search, is Mark V's rant on integrated seat posts.
» Read More »
In the past few years there have been a number of different frame designs on the market that eschew a traditional,…


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National Enquirer features 'Adam Lanza mom's last bender' in NH
SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: NANCY LANZA, the mother of SANDY HOOK madman ADAM LANZA went on last boozy bar hop in a New Hampshire resort town only days before her death.
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text: FC's fall collection of women's bags is fierce, on point and utterly sophisticated that'll be sure to get you noticed. Classic styles like shoulder totes, flap-style bags and continental wallets get revamped with luxe animal textures and bold, unexpected hues like cobalt and lemon for a right-out-of-a-magazine feel, while of-the-moment, uber-popular bucket silhouettes and slouchy clutches add trendy appeal to your everyday look. With sleek wallets, work-fabulous satchels, polished weekenders and more, you'll be good to go from Monday meetings to Sunday brunch and then some.


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Anyone willing to share the location of a channel or something that gives a somewhat easy paddle out?
Printable View
Anyone willing to share the location of a channel or something that gives a somewhat easy paddle out?
what makes a channel? ..........A jetty? A pier? An erosion groin? Google maps is your friend
long period swell should be a pretty easy paddle out everywhere, no?
Channel 7 on your television.
paddle, paddle, paddle! Harder the paddle out...lesser the crowd.
no such thing as a hard paddle out in NJ
There will probably be a lot of water moving around. Find a a good rip to get you moving out to the lineup. There is usually a good rip next to the jetties, on S to SE swell paddle on the North side of the jetty and opposite for NE swells. This is for NJ. Just watch the current so you don't get pulled into the jetty and be careful not to get caught inside by a cleanup set and pushed back into it. If you don't feel comfortable that close to a jetty then just find another rip.
excellente. i'm from rhode island we just jump off **** into the break
Central Pier (Tennessee Ave) in AC was always a super-easy wave to get at...a short walk along a skeevy drainage pipe got you halfway out....time the sets right and and you're out in a couple of paddles.
however, old friends up there tell me AC just underwent some kind of massive beach restoration and nothing is breaking right, so i have no idea if that's still the case.
swim lessons


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7 Signs He's a Player
"Make your space a place where you can focus on your experience. Get your phone out of the room. Close down the computer. Turn down the lights. Make sure your space is tidy and you have water."
"Take a bath with the intention of washing off all the gunk you've accumulated that day. If you want to wake up the senses, use cut-up fruit like lemons and limes as bath sponges."
Pick-Up Lines He Uses On You


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BERKELEY -- A developer has proposed an upscale 355-unit apartment project downtown with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, community rooms with Wi-Fi, a fitness center and rooftop gardens.
HSR Berkeley Investments, managed by Los Angeles-based Hill Street Realty, is calling the $200 million project The Residences at Berkeley Plaza.
The developer already bought the buildings for the project bordered by Shattuck Avenue, Kittredge Street, Harold Way and Allston Way for $20 million. If approved the project would be the first of three 180-foot buildings allowed downtown under the 2010 voter-approved Measure R.
The Shattuck Hotel, also on that block, is separately owned and not part of the project.
Despite its promise to rejuvenate downtown, the project has sparked concerns. Preservationists question plans to demolish historic structures adjacent to the Shattuck Hotel to make way for the apartments, particularly the old Hinks department store building which now contains the Shattuck Cinemas. Developers plan to close the movie theater.
Steven Finacom, Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association board member, said the facade of the cinema building should be protected.
"There are these big beautiful windows all along Kittredge and around the corner onto Harold Way," which were painted over by the theater, he said.
Preservationists also question the project's impact on nearby historic buildings.
The concerns don't dampen project consultant Mark Rhoades' enthusiasm. Rhoades is also a former city of Berkeley planner.
"No one's saying that there won't be some kind of impact," Rhoades said. "There will be an environmental impact report to work out."
Environmental Impact Reports mandate community input and can require project revisions.
Berkeley Planning Director Eric Angstadt estimates the revision and approval process could take two years.
"They've told us what they want to do and now we'll say what they can do," he said.
While he welcomes the project's high environmental standards and plans for open space, Councilman Jesse Arreguin, who represents downtown, said he has shared concerns with developers about the need for family housing.
"One of the issues I had raised with developers is if we want a broader mix of people living in the building, you've got to have larger units, multiple bedrooms," Arreguin said. "We need a downtown for everyone, not just people who make six figures."
As mandated by city statutes, 10 percent of the apartments will be available to very low-income earners. Arreguin said he'd like more affordable units, but Rhoades noted that 35 units constitute as many apartments as some stand-alone affordable projects.
The project calls for a 12,000-square-foot plaza with cafe seating on the ground floor, lush landscaping and public art. The plaza will be accessible to hotel patrons and will be "open to the public generally speaking," Rhoades said.
New apartment dwellers will infuse downtown with vitality and fill city coffers with tax dollars, Rhoades said. In addition to about 700 new tenants the project would bring to downtown, the city recently approved two other apartment buildings downtown, totaling about 300 units.