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Title : Praia da Pipa , Brasil .. another day in a surfing paradise
Description : Praia da pipa another day in a surfing paradise !! surf camp pipa ,escola de surf e stand up praia da pipa hostel e surf camp , surf trip de 4x4 aulas de surf e stand up istrutores certificado para la federaçao internacional ISA www.surfpipa.com Praia da Pipa Welcome in the tropical paradise ! 6 km south of Tibau do Sul, Pipa's collection of beaches are the most exciting and well-known in Rio Grande do Norte and include some of the most spectacular in Brazil. It is cosmopolitan and international where many Brazilian accents & languages from around the world flow together. Tours through the forests, dunes and along the beaches are always a pleasure and the flavours provided by the town's gastronomy will satisfy even the most demanding of palates. Pipa's nightlife is always buzzing with many bars offering live music, the energy is contagious and resistance is futile. A little further south is Praia das Minas: 7km of deserted beaches featuring segregated areas for the protected turtles. The world over Pipa is famous for it's natural beauty. With the media numbering Pipa's beaches amongst the most beautiful Brazil has to offer, the area attracts both national and international visitors. Here, as in Porto de Galinhas, one encounters natural pools, utopian beaches and excellent surf breaks, like Fernando de Noronha the presence of dolphins is constant; the imposing coloured cliffs remind us of Arraial d'Ajuda (Bahia); the preserved areas of Atlantic Forest compare to those in Itacaré; and, Pipa's winds compete with those of Jericoacoara. Not least, the area boasts the dune fields of Natal and the dazzling Guaraíras Lagoon (ideal for fishing, boating and canoe trips and the stage for a truly golden sunset). If the nature does not charm you, the architecture, fashion, culture, art and pace of life certainly will. Pipa at night is an attraction on its own: stylish bars; restaurants with the best in regional, national and international gastronomy; cafés; art galleries; and, a rich and varied artisan tradition. The community is made up of fishermen and small-business owners alongside Brazilians and people from all around the world who have chosen this small slice of paradise in which to live all warm-hearted people dedicated year-round to helping you feel at home. Make your reservation in this magical place now, but be warned a few days will merely serve to wet your appetite for morePraia da Pipa your surfing vacation in Brazil. "Yeasayer-O.N.E.", sound recording administered by: Believe EMI
Tags : praia, da, pipa, surf praia da pipa, surf camp, surf pipa, surf brasil, hostel pipa, hostel praia da pipa, praia da pipa surfing, pousada praia da pipa, praia da pipa pousada, albergue praia da pipa, brazil surf camp, surfcamp brazil, surf camp brazil, surf hostel, aulas de surf praia da pipa, aula de surf, surf lesson, surf lesson praia da pipa, Tourism
Rating : 5.00
Duration : 00:05:54
Video submitted by surf pipa (27-06-2012)
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Celebrating Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO
13 December 2012
Marie Bashir has served the University of Sydney for more than 50 years, as a student in medicine and music, a lecturer, a professor, and as chancellor.
On Saturday 15 December, she concludes her term as Chancellor, during which she has overseen monumental steps forward in research, teaching and social inclusion.
"As our 17th chancellor for the past five-and-a-half years Professor Bashir has served the University with distinction, energy and warmth," said Dr Michael Spence, Vice-Chancellor of the University.
"Her involvement and genuine interest in every aspect of university life, especially our students, is legendary. She has always been a role model for others and she has the wonderful ability to make people feel at ease in her presence," he said.
The current Governor of NSW and one of Australia's most prominent academics and public figures, Professor Bashir began her lifelong involvement with the University of Sydney in the 1950s as a student of both medicine and music and a senior student at the Women's College. She later returned to the University as a lecturer and then a clinical professor of psychiatry.
Throughout her time in medicine and academia, she took special interest in children's services, adolescent health and depression, psychiatry and mental health services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, medical education and health issues in developing countries, education for health professionals, and telemedicine and new technologies for health service delivery.
At a special farewell reception on 11 December, Professor Bashir said: "As a student here, a graduate and a teacher within these hallowed halls - a term symbolic as well as realistic - it has been a truly an inspiration to serve as chancellor."
During her farewell reception, Professor Bashir unveiled a new portrait of her by acclaimed Chinese Australian artist Jiawei Shen, which will hang in the University's Great Hall. Read about Jiawei Shen's latest exhibition.
The ceremony was heralded by the Great Hall organ's new trumpet stop, named the Chancellor's Trumpet, which she inaugurated last week.
"We are indeed privileged to be able to count Marie Bashir as one of us," said Dr Spence. "We are sad to be losing her as Chancellor but happy in the knowledge that she will always be a deeply loved, distinguished member of the University of Sydney family."
Eariler in December, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy and Services) Professor Shane Houston and a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff from around the University presented the Chancellor with a special farewell gift - a Wiradjuri Cloak made from kangaroo skin. The cloak, traditionally used for ceremonial purposes, recognises Professor Bashir's contribution to the University, as well as her dedication and support in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
In her farewell speech, Professor Bashir made particular mention of her work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people during her time as Chancellor:
"There is the growth not only of the Koori Centre and the ever-increasing number of students of Indigenous background, but also retention rates supported by the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) program. The overall cultural life of this university continues to flourish," she said.
"I would also like to say I could never find words adequate to express our gratitude to the exceptional population of benefactors, whose generosity this year has exceeded all expectations.
"Friends and colleagues and family, I thank you all and can assure you that in every way that I am able I shall continue to serve my university throughout my life," she said.
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subset: commoncrawl


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An efficient, economical homogenization system
The PrioGENIZER™ homogenization device and the PrioCLIP™ homogenization container form an efficient tissue homogenization system. This economical solution allows simultaneous processing of up to eight samples, allowing for up to 480 samples to be homogenized per hour.
The system has been approved by the European Community Reference Laboratory for the homogenization of tissue samples for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) testing, using the Prionics®-Check PrioSTRIP™ and Prionics®-Check WESTERN tests.
PrioGENIZER™ homogenization device—a robust and compact instrument that enables homogenization of tissue samples. Samples are put in PrioCLIP™ homogenization containers and placed in a rack that can hold up to 8 containers per rack. The rack is then inserted into the homogenization device, where all 8 samples can be homogenized for up to 99 seconds at a maximum of 24,000 rpm. The tray in the PrioGENIZER™ device has the capacity to hold 6 racks. The tray can be easily removed and placed in the storage system until further processing of the homogenates is required. This user-friendly interface allows easy operation and setting of 9 individual programs.
Related PrioGENIZER™ accessories:
A durable, economical homogenization container designed exclusively for use with the PrioGENIZER™ device. The PrioCLIP™ container is user-friendly, with an ergonomic shape allowing single-handed manipulation of the lid. The mouth is wide, facilitating the convenient transfer of tissue samples and collection of homogenates.
Enlarge image ›
After homogenization, up to 48 samples (6 racks) can be transported from the PrioGENIZER™ device on a single tray.
Enlarge image ›
One rack holds 8 PrioCLIP™ homogenization containers, and a single tray can accommodate up to 6 racks.
Enlarge image ›
a trolley that provides convenient storage and transport of up to 6 trays (288 samples).
Enlarge image ›
PrioSCAN® reader—a one-button solution for the fast readout and interpretation of PrioSTRIP™ and PrioSTRIP™ SR results. Results are stored as a PDF file and can be conveniently exported to an Excel® spreadsheet or most laboratory information management systems. The automated process helps to ensure rapid and reproducible interpretation of results, even in high-throughput laboratory environments. An entire 96-sample plate can be analyzed in one run. The PrioSCAN® reader detects the blue lines on the strips of the PrioSTRIP® combs and translates the information into digital data. The data points can then be reviewed and interpreted with PrioSCAN® analysis software.
Sampling spoons—available in steel or plastic, these spoons have been primarily designed for the sampling of brain tissue. After removing the head from a cattle or sheep carcass, the applicable slaughterhouse personnel can use the spoon to remove a sample of the brain stem through the foramen magnum. The spoon was designed to meet the requirements of slaughterhouse operation, and incorporates sharp edges that facilitate easier removal of brain tissue through the spinal cord canal. The spoon's long handle also increases the distance between personnel and animal tissue, helping to reduce the chances of contact with tissue during the sample collection process.


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This hunt will take place from January 1-31
Accepting application till December 14th
Open to PG and Mature Stores
If you have the following in your store please do not apply
-Sexual role play items or clothing
-To mature for kids to see
- NO CLUB OR MALLS (Unless your a shop in the mall or your main store is located in the mall)
THEME: What would you like to see in your fantasy bakery?
~~Rename this NC BMH-YOUR NAME - STORE NAME~~
Your Name :
Store owners name:
Name of your store:
Your Landmark :
Your slurl :
What is the maturity of your sim? (PG/MATURE)
What types of items does your store sell?
Any idea what you would like to make for this hunt?
If you are not in the Sour Pickles Hunt group please join below.
Sour Pickles Hunt Group Joiner:
If you don't have room for a group, here is the link for the board.
When completed, make sure it is in the correct format and send to Xandra Bressig.
BLOG: http://sourpickleshunts.blogspot.com/


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Select a topic or year
The solution's impact has been estimated to:
- recognize and repair more than 50 percent of network issues around delays before they even occur or affect service, leading to higher customer satisfaction and an annual savings of approximately US$2.3 million.
- give SBB better visibility into their rail system, reducing problem analysis efforts by about 33 hours each month — or about an hour a day.
- simplify the overall management of the rail system and drive higher efficiencies with a single-view map and customizable reporting tools; and
- provide a 2,000 minutes minimum reduction in delays per month.
The smarter rail solution enables SBB to monitor its more than 3,000-kilometer network of tracks and 800 rail stations all through one user interface. The solution combines data from railroad track switches, stations and cars gathered from sensors and video at train stations connected by a fiber-optic cable network with 50,000 fixed and 20,000 mobile connections.
"Trying to manage 7,000 kilometers of track is a particularly daunting task," said Martin Schaeren, Head of BU Service Management, Swiss Federal Railways. "But, by leveraging our Alcatel-Lucent and IBM solution, we're able to see our entire infrastructure clearly and respond to problems before they can affect our operations."
SBB's management system is capable of tracking all of the IT and physical assets — switches and sensors -- in one place to help ensure the punctuality of its passenger rail service and the safety of its riders while optimizing cargo movement and the maintenance of rolling equipment.
"Having one IT solution that can sense, monitor and trace the location and status of thousands of rail events in real-time is creating new levels of efficiencies for the Swiss rail, an organization already well esteemed for punctuality," said Jean-Philippe Poirault, President, Media, IT and Telecom Services, Alcatel-Lucent. "Alcatel-Lucent has worked in tandem with the IBM Tivoli Netcool and SBB teams to develop a solution that ensures service uptime and reliability."
IBM Tivoli Netcool and other Tivoli software helps detect and address network issues, performs routine diagnostics to identify irregularities that may signal a potential outage of services, and automatically takes steps to resolve them, such as scheduling and alerting Swiss rail staff to a maintenance call. Alcatel-Lucent's consulting and integration services including expertise in complex multivendor networking allows SBB to focus on its core business. The solution provides a drill-down map of the rail line across Switzerland to get real-time information about the status of operations at select locations.
"Railroads are a complex network of millions of moving parts. Using information as it is being monitored helps SBB anticipate, fix and avoid issues before cargo is delayed or passengers are late," said Keith Dierkx, director, IBM Global Rail Innovation Center. "SBB is using data to make the trains run on time, literally."
The railway made the shift to the new integrated system after an isolated power failure in 2005 triggered 18,000 alarms from its various monitoring systems, masking the root cause of the problem, leaving nearly 200,000 passengers stranded for hours, costing almost US$5 million.
About Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent is the trusted transformation partner of service providers, enterprises, strategic industries such as defense, energy, healthcare, transportation, and governments worldwide, providing solutions to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. A leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP and optics technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent leverages the technical and scientific expertise of Bell Labs, one of the largest innovation powerhouses in the communications industry. Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenues of Euro 15.2 billion in 2009 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com, and http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/blog.
About IBM Network Management and Smarter Rail
Over 1,000 companies have selected IBM Tivoli Netcool to manage their networks. IBM has more than 100 rail and metro clients and operates a Global Rail Innovation Center to bring together rail industry leaders in an effort to build smarter rail networks. Throughout IBM's 100 year history, the company has helped railroads around the world use information to better manage and optimize complex rail systems. The Optimization of Global Railways is one of 100 "Icons of Progress," significant company milestones during the last century. To see a video on some of the smarter rail technologies being developed, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltYl3NZBun4
For more information about IBM, visit http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet Join us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/peopleforasmarterplanet. To learn how smarter infrastructure is bridging the physical and digital worlds, check us out at http://spatiallyspeaking.tumblr.com. For photos and other announcements listed today, please see http://www.ibm.com/press/us/en/presskit/33813.wss
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Dukes Record First Atlantic Ten Conference Win
Derrick Colter sank two free throws with 2 seconds left as Duquesne edged Temple 84-83 Thursday night, snapping an 11-game losing streak and securing its first Atlantic 10 Conference win of the season.
Dalton Pepper missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Owls, who got a career-high 35 points from Khalif Wyatt, including 15 of 15 free throws.
Freshman Quevyn Winters scored a career-best 22 for the Dukes (8-16, 1-9), who trailed 54-46 with 14:51 remaining. Andre Marhold's dunk and layup then sparked a 9-0 run, pushing Duquesne in front 55-54.
The game was tied twice before the Dukes built a nine-point advantage, at 74-65, with 3:15 remaining.
Temple (16-8, 5-5) climbed back to lead 83-82 with 7 seconds left on Wyatt's three-point play, but Colter hit his foul shots to finish with 17 points.
Marhold had a season-high 15 points and a career-best 15 rebounds for the Dukes.


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I was fortunate to run in another great Pacific Coast Trail Runs (PCTR) event this weekend at Skyline Ridge! This time I participated in the 50k run. I ended up finishing first place in 3:58:11, my first sub four hour effort over 50k on a relatively tough course with continuous hills throughout (some steep) amounting to 5,190 feet of elevation gain. The weather started out partly cloudy with temps in mid 40's and finished bluebird with temps warming into the mid-upper 50s. Blustery 20-25 mph Northwest winds provided some additional challenges atop Russian Ridge. There were several points along this spectacular course where I felt very lucky to be a resident of the Bay Area!
Due to my relative inexperience, I didn't have any specific goals for the run other than giving a good, consistent effort. I also wanted to take all the steps (hydration, salt intake, solids) to avoid cramping, which haunted me from my one other experience running a 50k – the Cle Elum Ridge 50k in WA state last September. At the Cle Elum event, I started out too fast and was not diligent in hydration resulting in severe cramping in my calf beginning 15 miles into the race. This caused me to jog/hobble for the rest of the race, substantially curtailing my potential. I have never had cramping like that so it was something new for me – a learning experience I did want to repeat!
The Skyline Ridge course is divided into two sections: the first 23k is an out-and-back south from Skyline Ridge to Long Ridge and features 2,170 feet of elevation gain and spots where the runner can get into a rhythm in the forest. The final 37.5k involves two identical loops north of Skyline Ridge to Russian Ridge. Each of these loops entails 1,510 feet and numerous hills to negotiate on an exposed ridge.
The first 23k was really nice and I felt super comfortable running 7 minute pace because this is my usual "long run" training distance and pace. I came through the 23k aid station at 1:42 and after fortifying myself for a few minutes, I set out for the first of two 13.7k loops at 1:45:40. The first loop continued to feel good despite blustery 20-25 mph Northwest winds on Russian Ridge. I finished the first loop in 63 minutes, arriving at the aid station just after 1:49.
At this point I thought about the course record (3:55:05 by Chikara Omine in 2005) and my chances of improving it. I was briefly encouraged by the fact that I beat his 37k split time of 2:52:47, but as I left the aid station at 2:50:28, I quickly realized running up the first hill that a 64 minute final loop would be a very tall order for me. I simply didn't have the kind of finishing strength necessary to hammer out another 63 minute loop and I encountered difficultly with the hills over the final 8.5 miles. Also, due to a change in the finish location, the race directors told me an additional .3-.4k was added to the course (2-3 minutes by my estimate, so it may have still been close). I ended up doing the second loop in a little over 67 minutes, a noticeable slowdown from my earlier pace. Nonetheless, I am very pleased with the result and the fact that I did not cramp this time.
I was successful in staying on top of hydration and nutrition. I took in four gel shots over the course of the run, half of a Powerbar, and this new product – the Clif Shot Block Cramp Buster (7 blocks). I think the Clif Shot Block was pivotal because I was able to consume something solid (calories) and absorbable that my stomach did not object to. The Shot Block Cramp Buster was the source for the vast majority of my sodium intake and it was sufficient. I was intending to eat two Powerbars, but a half bar didn't even sit well. However, I did feel the half Powerbar was ultimately helpful.
It was great to chat with both familiar faces and new friends at the end of the race and munch on the great post-race food. Congratulations to the other runners who participated in this fabulous event. Without looking at the results for other performances, I can already comment that the men's 50k was definitely the finest field ever assembled for this event, including Jon Olsen (2nd – 4:08), Thomas Clarke (3rd – 4:11), Kevin Weil (4th – 4:15), Sean Lang, Ryan Commons, Scott Dunlap, and Mark Tanaka.
The effort today was a huge personal improvement from the inexperienced cramping debacle at Cle Elum. While I don't plan on racing 50k for a couple months, I know there is also much potential for me to improve at the distance, especially in the latter stages where both physical and mental strength are imperative. Thanks PCTR for another fun day in the hills!


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Back to: Harry Potter » The Master of Life
Also available as: Epub | pdf | mobi | lit | txt
The Master of Life
After the Battle
By Mr. Intel
Author Notes:
This is the first Harry Potter story I've written in almost a year. I've been working on and off on it for most of that time and the plot has changed quite a lot as it has progressed.
I've written several chapters already, but I'm going to hold off posting them until I'm sure the plot is secure enough that I don't have to go back and add or subtract bits. My goal is to post one
chapter each week. I look forward to seeing what you have to say about my story.
Chapter One – After the Battle
Harry awoke from his slumber twenty-two hours later. Sunlight was just beginning to penetrate the windows of Gryffindor tower, painting golden reds and deep purples along the wall over the door leading down to the common room. Dust motes floated lazily in the beams of light. Muffled bird song floated up from the trees on the grounds. It was all so peaceful; a sharp contrast to the tumult of the final battle and uncertainty of finding and destroying the final Horcruxes.
His thoughts shifted to his friends and how, in the end, he needed them. A lot. He remembered how they had insisted on accompanying him when he began his final quest and how he had tried to dissuade him. He thought about the intervening months on the run, tracking down the loose ends of Voldemort's life, and finding the Deathly Hallows. He remembered everyone that had fought and bled and died. Then he thought of Ginny.
He thought of how hard it was to say goodbye to her at Dumbledore's funeral, seeing her from under his Invisibility Cloak during the battle, and how when that rush of green light came at him from Voldemort, it was her face that carried him into the next life. And it was the thought of her along with the need to destroy Voldemort that brought him back again.
A steady rumbling from the bed next to him broke his reverie and he knew that he had one more mountain to climb – one more battle to fight. He groaned in pain as he slowly brought himself to a sitting position. Every muscle and joint fought against him. He wished he could just lie in bed for the next week, but some things could no longer wait.
He showered and dressed in school robes that had been placed at the foot of his bed by someone, probably Kreacher. Then, he descended the stairs.
She was already there, waiting for him. The common room was empty except for her. She faced the cold fireplace and stared unseeing into the black and gray ashes. Harry approached, grasping at what he might say to her, wishing he could say anything that would soothe the ache he had caused her. He just wanted to hold her again.
"Hi," he said lamely. She must have showered, too, because her hair was slightly damp at the tips and she smelled strongly of the same unidentified flower that always reminded him of her.
She turned to look at him, focusing on his eyes as if she didn't really believe he was there. "Harry."
There was pain in her voice, but something else, too. Harry opened his mouth. "I left you. I'm sorry."
She blinked and the corners of her mouth turned down. "It hurts," was all she managed to reply.
"I know. I'm sorry."
Her head tilted down and she sniffed. "I understand why you did it, Harry, but it still hurts."
"I needed something to come back to... someone to make me want to live."
Her head snapped back up. "You were dead. I saw Hagrid carrying you…" She seemed on the verge of tears and Harry started to panic. "It ripped my heart out and all I could think was I wanted to die and be with you."
His nerves calmed. She wanted to die for him and that meant she still felt something for him. "But I wasn't dead," he replied. "I came back and you're the reason why."
She smiled – just a little – and the tension broke like a thin bubble. She threw her arms around him and clung to him as if to make sure he wouldn't leave. Harry enveloped her and inhaled, never wanting to be apart from her again. He was home.
Some time later, Ron and Hermione emerged from their respective dormitories. It took Ron less than ten seconds to prod them about breakfast and Harry and Ginny reluctantly agreed. Harry wasn't ready to face anyone outside of his friends now that he was sure to be even more famous for defeating Voldemort for the last time. Hermione gave him an encouraging look, smiled at his proximity to Ginny and followed Ron out the portrait hole.
The Great Hall must have been cleared of debris and the wounded while Harry slept because the old house tables were back in their usual places. Teachers, Aurors, and Mediwitches were coming and going from the head table, taking handfuls of minutes each to eat and chat with their neighbours before bustling off to some other task. It seemed that Hogwarts wasn't just the epicentre for the end of the war; it was also the hub of the rebuilding effort. Students were there, too, eating from platters of breakfast in the centres of each table, but Harry noticed something odd about them.
Dennis Creevey was sitting by Terry Boot at the Ravenclaw table, each with plates full of food. Susan Bones and Eleanor Branstone were chatting with Astoria Greengrass at the Slytherin table and the younger witch let out a light-hearted laugh at something the others said. The Sorting Hat finally got what it wanted – house rivalry was impotent in the face of the sheer joy of winning the war. Of course, it didn't hurt that most of the Slytherins that were associated with Death Eaters were out of the castle.
Ron nudged Harry and pointed to a clump of red heads near the back of the Gryffindor table. Harry instantly sobered upon seeing that they were all there – all but Fred – and followed Ron up the nearest aisle.
"Harry!" It was Neville. He leapt to his feet and gave Harry a swift hug, slapping him on the back as he did. "You did it, Harry. You did it." He was beaming and Harry couldn't help return the smile.
"Thanks, Neville." He turned and the din conversation had disappeared. Everyone was staring at him. Then, as if they had been waiting for a signal, everyone began to clap. They stood together and applauded. Some whooped and some screamed that they loved him. He felt his face flush and made to duck behind Ron's larger frame, but was stopped by Ginny, who held his hand tightly.
"Let them," she mouthed and he nodded, feeling very hot.
Ginny led him to her family and pulled him next to her at the very end of the bench. The clapping subsided and the conversation resumed at its normal volume.
"'Lo, Harry," said George with a half-hearted wave. "We were just talking about the funeral."
Ginny rubbed her fingers over his knuckles and he shivered, wondering how he could go from hot to feeling a chill in so short a time.
"When do you...?" Harry trailed off and when Molly gave him a small smile, he cleared his throat and began again. "When will it be? I wouldn't miss being there. Fred was..."
"Fred knew what he was doing," Arthur filled in when Harry's voice faded again. "His death is still fresh and will be for some months, but we've got to keep focused on the positive." It was very much like Arthur to steer things in a more optimistic direction.
"There's going to be a mass for everyone that died during the final battle," said a new voice that Harry recognized as belonging to Angelina Johnson. She was sitting next to George. "But we're going to have our own service for Fred at the Burrow."
There was a disturbance in the hall outside the large oak doors. Everyone turned to see what it was, but they could only make out a knot of people and the distant sound of giggles.
George sniffed, bringing everyone's attention back to the table. "We'll bury him in the Weasley plot in St. Catchpole." He looked to Arthur for confirmation, even though it wasn't a question.
Arthur nodded. "There's room enough for the whole family," he said and added significantly, "when the time comes."
Harry felt useless as they continued to work out the details of laying to rest their son, brother, and friend. He caught Hermione's watery gaze and knew she felt the same. After working so long and so single-mindedly, it was going to be very hard to pick up the pieces of their lives and just live again. He felt Ginny shift next to him and realised with a start that unlike George, he wasn't going to be alone as he resumed his life. Then noticing the way Angelina was staring at the elder twin, perhaps George wouldn't always be alone.
On Saturday, the mass was held at Hogwarts. Unlike the funeral held for Dumbeldore, there were more people gathered than could be reasonably accommodated, so stands were erected in an arc in the space between the castle and the lake. Fifty-three caskets lay across a red carpet in the middle of the semi-circle, but Harry knew that a few of them were empty – they never found some of the bodies. The coffins were flanked by a raised platform where Kingsley Shacklebolt and Minerva McGonagall sat. They were joined by a handful of witches and wizards Harry presumed were family members from those who had died.
Everyone was in black and some of the witches wore black veils over their faces. One of the rows, about a third of the way up from ground level was entirely occupied by the Weasleys. Harry sat next to Ron and Ginny in the middle of their row and stared at the gleaming brown and gold coffins. Tonks and Lupin were among them.
As the proceedings began, Harry tuned the words out. He remembered learning about Boggarts and Patronuses from Remus in his third year and how to use happy memories to fight of their evil influences. Other memories flashed through his mind – Quidditch, and detention and Sirius. Then there was purple hair, tripping over umbrella stands, and being saved from his own stupidity on the Hogwarts Express.
Someone else was speaking, but Harry couldn't quite make out the words through his memories. He reckoned that was okay though, as it was his own private way of saying goodbye.
Ginny's cheeks were wet, but she wasn't crying. Her tears seemed to just slip slowly onto her lap as if the pain they all felt inside somehow became too much and poured out her eyes. Ron was sitting with his elbows on his knees staring blankly at his shoes. His fingers were in his hair, gripping it hard and Harry knew how he felt. He would probably be sitting the same way, but the pain was lifting away and the relief of it was paralyzing. He wished it would last forever, because that's how long it would take for it all to leave. Remus, Tonks, Fred, Dobby, Moody, Hedwig, Dumbledore, Sirius...
He caught something that McGonagall was saying. Later, when he would think back on this moment, he wouldn't remember which words she used, but he would remember knowing that they had died to uncover the world from a blanket of darkness and that it was Harry's and everyone's duty to remember their sacrifice by living in the light.
The Burrow was as dilapidated as ever when Harry Apparated in front of it two days after the mass. Bill, Charlie, and Percy were arranging chairs in the back paddock and every time Bill and Charlie levitated another one out of the stack, they would clash them together in a mock duel that reminded Harry of the day before the Quidditch World Cup Finals.
"Hi, Harry," said Ginny as she appeared in front of him, her dress covered by a flour-smattered apron that looked like it may have had a dragon underneath the white.
He moved to hug her but Ginny put her hands on his chest. "Don't. You'll get all floury."
There was a sound of smashing wood and Percy's scolding voice carried across the garden.
Harry's eyes darted to her front and he smirked. "It's worth it." His hands found her hips and he pulled himself closer. She gave in and in a few minutes he was much happier and very floury.
"Come on," she said, pulling Harry into the front door of the Burrow. "You can help me make the cakes."
"But I've never made a cake before," he protested, but followed anyway.
That didn't seem to faze Ginny, as she found a larger apron, this one featured a moving, stern-looking witch with the words, "What part of 'It's Not Ready Yet' don't you understand?" emblazoned on the top. It was obviously Mrs. Weasley's and the witch on the front reminded Harry of her as she crossed her arms and gave an impatient tap with her foot.
"It's easy," explained Ginny. "You just follow the recipe."
That was easy, because the recipe was floating above the bowl at eye level.
Harry watched her measure out some more flour and mix in the other dry ingredients. He didn't mind being designated to fetch eggs and milk, but when that cake was sent to the oven, Ginny pushed him toward the counter.
"Now it's your turn."
"But..." Harry tried again, but the stern look in her eyes caused his protest to die out. "All right."
She smiled. "Good. Now do just what the recipe calls for. I won't let you mess it up."
Harry sent her a lopsided smile and went to work. She was right; it was easier than he thought it would be. It was only a matter of minutes before he was scraping batter into another cake pan.
"That was the last one," she said proudly and shucked her apron.
"You've got flour on your nose." He pointed to the tip where a dot of white adorned it.
She brushed it off with the back of her hand and took a step forward. Her hands snaked around his back and began to untie his apron.
Harry's breath grew more shallow. "Where's your mum?"
His apron landed on hers near in a heap next to the counter. "In the garden, roasting the chickens."
Her arms resumed their position and she laid her cheek against his shoulder. He found his arms moving to hold her close, wishing her lips were more accessible.
She sniffed and he felt her chest hitch.
"What's wrong?" he asked, trying not to sound alarmed.
She squeezed him and let out a sigh. "I miss him."
Fred. Harry understood. Of all the losses, this one would take the longest to heal from. "What can I do?"
She pulled away and looked up into his eyes. Her eyelashes were moist but there were no tears. "Just hold me."
So he did.
The funeral was solemn, with Arthur presiding over the service. Everyone was asked to share one experience they'd had with Fred while he was alive. Harry told about the time he'd given Fred his Triwizard winnings and looked at Molly guiltily until he noticed the pride shining in her eyes. Ginny shared an experience she'd had when she was eight and Fred had charmed a Harry Potter doll to say things like "I love you, Ginny" and "Will you marry me?" In the end, Fred became the first recipient of her Bat-bogey Hex.
Harry was blushing almost as much as Ginny as she told it, but as she sat down and Ron began to speak, he could almost see a weight lift off her shoulders. She was smiling in a way that told him her heart was less encumbered than it had been. Fred wasn't being mourned any more. He was being remembered and the subtle change helped everyone on the path to healing.
When everyone was done speaking, George stood and pointed his wand at a large box in the centre of the garden. "For Fred!" The box sprung open and a dozen fireworks shot into the sky, exploding with bright colours that danced and fell around them like fairy dust. The show lasted for the better part of an hour as they all sat back and celebrated Fred's life.
After the fireworks, they ate outside under the twinkling stars. Harry was squashed between Ron and Ginny and across from Bill and Charlie. Hermione sat next to Ron. Harry was trying hard not to touch Ginny more than was necessary and it seemed that Ginny was having just as hard of a time, so it took Harry a second to realise that Ron and Hermione were having a heated conversation.
"I can't wait any more," said Hermione. "They've been there too long already. The longer their memory stays modified, the harder it will be to undo it."
Other Weasleys were turning to watch the spectacle. "Hermione," replied Ron. "It's not that I don't want you to go, it's that I don't want you to go alone."
Hermione seemed to battle something inside her and she took a measured breath. "Ron, they can't see you yet. Not until I remove their fake memories."
"I'll eat lunch at a pub while you find them. I don't have to be there when you..." He made a swishing motion with his hands. "Whatever it is."
Harry repressed a smirk.
"It's not that simple," Hermione replied. She lowered her voice. "Besides, I'd rather take some time with them. I need..." Her voice cracked. "Oh, Ron, I just need to explain things to them. I need time..."
Ron's mouth clamped shut. "Fine," he ground out. "Go see your parents. Bring them back and then I'll meet them."
Hermione's shoulders slumped. "Thank you."
Harry pushed around his mashed potatoes and the rest of the family resumed their conversations. He caught Ginny's eye and she shrugged. He looked around the table and noticed that Molly had a particular gleam in her eye as she stared at her youngest son.
The next day, a crowd of loud, demanding, and very pushy witches and wizards carried a bespectacled wizard to a dais in the centre of Diagon Alley. Harry had just popped into The Leaky Cauldron to visit with Ron and George about letting a new flat when he was pulled unceremoniously from the bar and carried bodily through the magical brick wall that separated Muggle and Magical London. Ron and George shrugged helplessly as they watched Harry disappear around the corner.
The air crackled with boisterous energy and Harry realised that it was futile to try to escape – there as simply too many of them and they didn't want to hurt him. From the shouting wizards carrying him, it seemed they wanted him to make a speech. Voldemort had been defeated, the funerals were over, and the entire Wizarding world was celebrating. They had their hero and they wouldn't take 'no' as an answer to their ravenous demand to see and hear the one who they thought had brought it all about.
As Harry was forced onto the makeshift wooden platform and had the Sonorous Spell cast on his vocal cords, he decided then and there that he would never be made into a public spectacle again. Too many years of having his life made bare to casual scrutiny had taken its toll. Not even years of duelling dark wizards had prepared him for this.
The crowd's incoherent noise solidified into a chant of, "Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry...." He didn't know what to say and wished more than since he was cornered by Dudley's gang in primary school that he could just disappear.
"Mister Potter!"
Harry was walking quickly away from the crowd after delivering his speech, ignoring everyone in the hopes that by not making eye contact, he would be left alone. He just wanted to get back to Ginny.
The voice sounded familiar, but the dull roar of the now diminishing crowd made it hard to tell exactly who it was. Harry turned the corner at Flourish and Blott's and made a bee-line for The Leaky Cauldron.
He turned, purely out of habit and saw through the corner of his eye a wand being raised. Reacting on instinct, Harry fired a spell at the man before he had even turned fully around. By the time he recognized who it was, Kingsley Shacklebolt was teetering on his frozen legs.
"Sorry," Harry said and quickly undid the Petrification Spell. "I didn't realise it was you."
Kingsley smiled and waved off his apology. "Don't worry about it. You have a second?"
"Good. There's something I want to discuss with you."
Harry had visions of being cornered by previous Ministers of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour and his predecessor, Cornelius Fudge. He decided that his list of things to avoid now included politicians as well as Death Eaters and large crowds.
Kingsley steered him into the Wizarding pub and with a nod at Tom, they walked into a private room near the back.
"Sit, sit," said Kingsley kindly.
Harry warily obliged.
"As you may be aware, I've been asked to be Minister while Thicknesse is being evaluated for the effects of the Imperius Curse."
Harry nodded.
"The appointment is temporary," he said, placing his hands on the back of the chair opposite Harry.
"How temporary?"
"It might be less than two weeks. There's already talk from some of the department heads about forming a coalition to get someone else in the top spot."
"What's the hurry?" Harry asked, confused. "It's only been a few days, why are they so keen to give you the sack?"
Kingsley chuckled. "I won't be getting the sack, as I don't formally have the job. I'll go back to heading the D.M.L.E." He pulled the chair out and sat down, wiping a large hand over his shiny head. "The person they're trying to get to replace me isn't too far from the previous administration."
"You mean. . ." Harry said, feeling his blood start to boil. All that effort and they were going to be back at square one?
"Oh, there won't be any questioning of blood status or any of that rot," explained Kingsley. "But if my information is correct, the International Statute for Secrecy will look like a wet napkin compared with what they have planned."
"They want to isolate us even more?"
"Yes. You-Know-Who – "
"Say the name," said Harry forcefully. "He's dead, you know."
There was another deep chuckle from Kingsley. "Old habit, sorry. Voldemort's ideas struck a chord with a lot of people and – "
"Please don't tell me there are witches and wizards who actually liked being rounded up for questioning about their family history?"
"No, but the people who were doing the questioning liked the power they had and are looking for new ways to exploit it."
"I thought we chucked them all out?"
"I'm working on that, but I can't do much in two weeks, especially because they are so well funded."
Harry's eyebrows rose. He'd heard of someone greasing the Ministry skids with Galleons before. "Malfoy?"
"Probably. That's actually one of the reasons I asked you here." He folded his hands and leaned back, regarding Harry with a studied gaze. "Draco's going on trial for accessory to Albus Dumbledore's murder."
Harry rocked back in his chair, his mouth hanging open. "But it was Snape. . ."
"Because of Voldemort's taking of the Ministry, there was never a trial."
He couldn't believe it. "Draco didn't cast the Killing Curse, and he certainly didn't push him off the tower. . ."
"But he did disarm him, as you said yourself, and that makes him accessory."
"Well I won't pretend that he doesn't deserve to be punished for that, or for the stupid ways he tried to kill Dumbledore before then. He almost killed Ron. . . and Katie Bell."
Shacklebolt nodded. "And he's been charged for those incidents as well. As you can guess, your testimony will be incredibly valuable in each case."
Harry didn't know what to say. On the one hand, Malfoy had been a rival for almost the entire time they'd been at school and some of the things he'd done had been downright criminal. On the other hand, Malfoy didn't follow the rest of the Slytherins to Voldemort's side and even helped him when he was captive to Bellatrix Lestrange.
"You may not have a choice in the matter. If the Wizengamot decides your testimony is necessary, you'll have to appear or be put into Azkaban for contempt."
Harry snorted and jerked his thumb at the wall. "I'd like to see you try it. That lot out there would tear Azkaban down brick by brick to get me out." He shook his head. "They're completely mental."
Kingsley chuckled and seemed to be considering something.
Harry cleared his throat. "You said that was only one of the things you came to see me about."
"Yeah. Listen. . ." He folded his hands on the table. "I'd like you to consider applying for the Auror Academy this year."
It had been a spur of the moment decision for Harry back in fifth year, to tell McGonagall that's what he'd wanted to be. Now, he wasn't so sure. Hadn't he had enough trouble in his life without dealing with Dark Wizards on a day to day basis? "I haven't taken my N.E.W.T.'s and I haven't even finished seventh year at Hogwarts."
Kingsley retrieved a folded piece of parchment from his robe pocket and passed it to Harry.
It had the seal of the Hogwarts School Governors on it. He broke the seal and read the page. A low whistle echoed in the room as he got to the bottom. "It says I've been awarded N.E.W.T.'s in Defence, Transfiguration, and Charms." He re-read a section quickly and quoted, "'For my role in defeating the darkest wizard in a century'."
"Nice touch, eh?"
Harry's brow furrowed. "But what about Potions? Don't I need a N.E.W.T. in Potions too?"
Kingsley pulled something else out of his robe and plunked it down on the table.
"Able Avery's Advanced Potions: Pass Your N.E.W.T. in Two Weeks," read Harry. "That's ludicrous; I can't take the Potions exam in two weeks! I don't even know if I want to be an Auror any more."
"The Wizarding world needs you, Potter. You did pretty well back there, getting the jump on me with that Petrificus Totalis, and you did everyone a favour by getting rid of Voldemort, but we still need you."
Harry weighed his options. "I just don't know. It seems like I deserve a break after all that." He remembered what Dumbledore wanted to do when he left Hogwarts but couldn't because his mother died. "How about I get back to you on this?" He shrunk the book, pocked it with the letter and stood to leave.
Kingsley stood as well, scraping his chair on the wooden floor in the process. "The Ministry may not make it without good people like you inside."
"What can I do as a trainee Auror, anyway?"
It seemed like Kingsley had no answer to that, and stuck out his hand instead. "I'll see you in a couple of days in Courtroom ten."
"Goodbye," said Harry and he turned and left.
The trial was as tense and demanding as Harry had expected it to be. Malfoy glowered and sulked the whole time, even when Harry took the witness stand and testified in his behalf. When the verdict was handed down and Malfoy was pronounced guilty of attempted murder of Ron, Katie, and Dumbledore, Harry held his breath for the worst. When they passed sentence and Malfoy was remanded to the custody of his mother for a two year house arrest, a fraction of surprise broke his recalcitrant façade, before being immediately replaced with disbelief. There were shouted accusations of corruption from many in the gallery, but Harry knew that no money had been exchanged for votes this time. Kingsley had met with each member of the Wizengamot to personally ensure a fair trial.
Malfoy's wand was handed to Kingsley to be locked up until its owner was free again. Malfoy himself was escorted to a processing cell where he'd be magically tagged and marked as a prisoner and where, Harry was sure, his mother was already waiting for him.
His eyes scanned the courtroom as the assembled witches and wizards began to file out into the hallway or gossip in knots along the carved benches. Along the back row stood the Weasleys. Fiery red hair dotted the top of each of them and his eyes snapped to the shortest of the lot. Across the courtroom, Ginny smiled and Harry knew what he'd be doing for the rest of the day, assuming no interference from fans, foes, or ministry workers with idealistic motivations.
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Technology is at the center of business change – and provides opportunities to improve performance, manage risk and drive innovation. Getting the technology right can be the start, or the end point, of a transformation.
Every organization's needs are different.
To succeed, you need innovative insight,business perspective and change expertise to unlock the potential to drive growth, save costs today and invest in tomorrow. We are inspired to ask better questions and work with you to create innovative answers.
The key is our global connectivity and culture of collaboration: with our clients, with expert consultants – not just in the technology field but from risk, cybersecurity, people and organizational change – and with alliances such as IBM, Microsoft and SAP.
We help you see the big business picture, with technology as a key part and driver of it. This ongoing collaboration enables you to design better outcomes and deliver long-lasting results.
What is the most efficient path for unifying diverse IT and program management activities?
We helped a large financial services company work better by developing a three-year strategic road map over a portfolio of more than 200 projects and a method to prioritize and align projects more effectively with the company's business strategy.Contact us
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We helped a global equipment company work better by designing a series of functional, technical and compliance programs, and helping it transform engineering systems to meet long-term cost, operational and after-market efficiencies.Contact us
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We helped a chemical company work better by helping simplify and standardize processes across business units and geographies, and assisting in embedding internal controls across all work streams.Contact us
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Thank you for visiting our website, which we'll be updating with more information as our Big Day approaches. You can come here to find everything you'll need to know about all the festivities, so check back often for the latest updates.
We feel so blessed to have found each other, and even more so to have the love and support of so many at this time in our lives. Take a look around and enjoy the photos, video and tidbits that we've included about us, our families and the wedding party.
We're so happy to have you as part of this moment and look forward to seeing you on July 10th.


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My lighting was super off because the lips look way darker in person!
What I used on the eyes:
Lime Crime Eyeshadow Helper
Makeup Geek eyeshadow "Pretentious" all over lid, slightly above the crease, and under the eye
MUG "Mocha" shadow in crease
MUG "Bleached Blonde" to blend "Pretentious"
MUG "Bling" as a highlight
Avon Glimmersticks Liqui-glide Eyeliner in "Black"
MUG "Corrupt" shadow to set liner
I just thought the color "Pretentious" looked like such a fall color, it's a cool toned bronze color, and I thought mixed with the natural plum lip, it would be perfect for an easy fall look. Do you have a favorite fall color combo??
And I just got this Avon Glimmersticks Liqui-glide eyeliner and I really like it so far. It really does feel wet when it goes on, but it glides on like one of the Urban Decay 24/7 pencils. And it does not transfer. I have the biggest issue, because of my eye shape, with eyeliners transferring onto my lid and it drives me bonkers. That hasn't happened yet with this liner. I'll do a full review on it once I give it a bit longer of a trial but so far so good!
That's all I have for today, just a really quick post, but as always, thank you so much for your support!


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As the river of blood flowed down the highway, all Larry Miles could think was "this is it." But as Miles prepared to let go, a woman stepped in and saved his life.
Now he wants to thank the woman -- who identified herself as Debbie -- for her actions.
Miles and a friend were cruising on their motorcycles along Route 30 in Winslow Township, New Jersey on Aug. 8 around 11 a.m. when a car turning out of a Wawa parking lot pulled out in front of him.
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Miles was traveling about 35 miles per hour when the collision happened. His friend, uninjured in the crash, rushed over to him as someone called 911.
"I was sitting there when I saw my upper thigh was cut open and I was bleeding out all over," Miles said.
The crash severed Miles' femoral artery -- the most important artery in the leg. Anywhere from five to eight minutes after the artery is cut, a person can die from blood loss, according to Dr. John Chovanes, a surgeon at Cooper University Hospital's Trauma Center in Camden.
Miles' friend was trying to comfort him as they waited for paramedics to arrive. Less than a minute later, as Miles was making peace with himself, someone approached them.
"This woman just walked up and said 'My name's Debbie, I'm a nurse,'" Miles said.
Debbie acted fast and made a tourniquet with a t-shirt and a stick to try and get the bleeding under control.
"She was just trying to soothe me and keep me calm," Miles said. "She kind of took control until the paramedics got there."
Eight minutes later, first responders arrived on the scene and Miles was air lifted to Cooper Trauma Center in Camden.
Miles said the last thing he remembers is Debbie kissing him on the forehead and telling him he'll be all right.
It is unlikely Miles would have survived the crash if it wasn't for Debbie's quick actions, Cooper University Hospital's Chovanes said.
"You have to know what you're doing to apply a tourniquet properly," Chovanes said. "If [Debbie] didn't stop and have the courage to get involved in the right way, [Miles] would have been dead."
Miles survived surgery to repair the artery, and after another surgery tomorrow to repair his calf, he is supposed to make a full recovery.
But that isn't enough for Miles. He wants to thank the mystery woman who saved his life. The Winslow Township Police Department report only names an "unidentified female." Miles was told by the police by the time he arrived at the hospital, nurse Debbie was nowhere to be found.
"I just want to find this woman who saved my life," Miles said. "I just want to make sure I thank her."


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Wartime bookfest: Lit lovers soldier on
The ninth annual Virginia Festival of the Book was a more somber celebration of the word than usual. On Wednesday, March 19, with President George W. Bush's deadline to Saddam Hussein ticking away, the literati explained why books and the humanities are important even with lives at stake and bombs set to fall on Baghdad.
The nation's Code Orange alert manifested itself in a way not seen before at book festival events: police officers at City Hall and the Saturday night Carr's Hill reception, and security guards checking bags of the faithful coming to Culbreth Theater to see John Grisham.
NPR personalities Neal Conan and Scott Simon couldn't make it because they were covering the war. Reassuringly, the majority of authors did venture to Charlottesville despite the uncertainties of what war would bring.
The Lee Smith luncheon on March 20 was packed, but plenty of seats were available at her free reading that night with George Singleton. Was it the rain or the war?
By March 21, the sun was shining and spring was officially here. Day Two of war didn't seem quite so gloomy, and festival-goers could choose to go to events that might heighten their understanding of human nature and war or those that could help them forget.
Here are a very few scenes from the nearly 250 events sponsored by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities that beckoned 150 authors to explain why books are important, even in the midst of the inhumanity of war.
An attack averted at the festival's opening ceremony: When a wasp sneaks in to land in the locks of Virginia Foundation for the Humanities president Rob Vaughan, Hook editor Hawes Spencer comes to the rescue by flicking the marauder across the room.
Line to remember after a glowing introduction: "I could sit there and listen all day," Virginia poet laureate George Garrett's response to festival organizer Kevin McFadden's flattering intro.
How to liven up a reading: Waltons' creator Earl Hamner calls upon local actresses Mariflo Stevens and Boomie Pederson to portray the recipe-making Baldwin sisters in a scene from The Homecoming.
Hamner as acting coach: His advice to Stevens and Pederson– "Remember, you're Baptists, and you're drunk."
Almost like a scene from The Waltons : In tribute to the troops in Iraq, Hamner calls upon the audience to sing the hymn In the Garden, probably a festival first.
Little known fact about Lee Smith: She was once a go-go dancer, reveals David Baldacci in his introduction of Smith at the sold-out festival luncheon.
"The voice of the poor white trash": How a Frenchman characterizes Smith's fiction.
Proedz, pre miscue yus, and mearj: Spellings of "prose," "promiscuous," and "marriage" in a well-intentioned, yet distracting, aid for the hearing impaired at the Smith luncheon.
On the way to see Julian Bond... War protestors march down West Main Street in the rain before the "Wednesday in Mississippi" panel that included Bond and Holly Cowan Shulman, whose mother was an organizer of the little-known Civil Rights project that sent middle class black and white women from the north into the heart of segregated Mississippi.
Casualty of war fear: Headliner author Jill McCorkle decides not to leave her family in Boston and journey down for her March 20 reading with Lee Smith and George Singleton.
Best writer you've never heard of: Singleton, who's described as "a big hearted evil genius who writes as if he's the love child of Alice Munro and Strom Thurmond."
Another festival first: Perhaps in a hurry to get home and see the war, no one in the subdued Culbreth audience has questions for Smith and Singleton after their readings.
Panel to scare anyone who has a loved one in the armed forces: "We've left people behind in every war," says Amy Waters Yarsinske, author of No One Left Behind, the story of Michael Scott Speicher, an American pilot shot down in the first Persian Gulf war who still may be alive.
Fusing literature and lager: Author Eric Kraft whips out a bottle of Leroy Lager, "the acme of fictional beers," that features poems on the label by notables such as E. Dickinson from Amherst, Mass., at the "Wiseguys" reading March 21.
One way to decide which poems get into the latest edition of the Norton Anthology of Modern and Contemporary Poetry : By how much the reprint rights are, as editor Jahan Ramazani found out when he had to cut $40,000 worth of poems.
What poet laureates are wearing this year: Rita Dove sports alternating red and teal fingernail polish to enliven an otherwise somber black suit at her March 21 poetry reading.
Author who finally fills up Culbreth Theater: John Grisham.
Biggest buyer of A Time to Kill's 5,000 print run: Grisham, who bought 1,000 copies of the first edition, now worth $4,000 each, and sold them out of the trunk of his car.
Author who gives Grisham a migraine: William Faulkner, and "in Mississippi, it's a state law you have to read Faulkner," he says.
Movie Grisham calls a "train wreck": The Chamber.
What to buy if you really want to lose some money: A magazine, as Grisham found out when he bought the Oxford American.
How does Grisham develop his characters? "The critics say I do not," says the self-deprecating writer.
How Grisham learned to type so fast: His 10th grade teacher had polio, and "We had to type 60 words per minute or we'd get hit with a crutch."
What Grisham does not encourage his children to do: Write... or become lawyers.
Fact learned by Mary Motley Kalergis when writing a book about interracial marriage: "Black men don't like skinny women," says the author of Love in Black and White.
Most ironic presence: Two police officers sat in the back of City Council Chambers for the packed "Patriotism and the right of free speech during wartime" panel March 22.
What Robert O'Neil, head of the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, regrets about protest during the Vietnamese war: "The way that we disparaged our troops they didn't enlist; they were drafted. That we were so unsympathetic."
What free speech panel members agree on: Post 9/11, it's a whole new ballgame as far as the First Amendment.Read more on: Virginia Festival of the Book


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X-Ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM) is an x-ray imaging and computational process that produces precise and accurate 3D movies of skeletal movement.
Recent Changes and Downloads
For Brown XROMM Short Course 2012
At Brown University we have developed three main approaches to XROMM:
1) Marker-based XROMM workflow (Brainerd et al., 2010)
2) Scientific Rotoscoping workflow, i.e. manual markerless XROMM (Gatesy et al., 2010)
3) Autoscoper software i.e. automated markerless XROMM) (Miranda et al., 2011)
We have also developed the X-ray Motion Analysis Portal (XMA Portal) for storing, viewing and managing X-ray movie data and associated metadata.
This wiki contains instructions and user manuals, contributed by many users. See www.xromm.org for general information about XROMM.
Brainerd, E.L., D.B. Baier, S.M. Gatesy, T.L. Hedrick, K.A. Metzger, S.L. Gilbert, and J.J. Crisco. (2010) X-ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM): precision, accuracy and applications in comparative biomechanics research. Journal of Experimental Zoology, 313A: 262-279.
Gatesy S.M., Baier D.B., Jenkins F.A., Dial K.P. (2010) Scientific rotoscoping: a morphology-based method of 3-D motion analysis and visualization. Journal of Experimental Zoology, 313A:244--261.
Miranda, D.L., Schwartz, J.B., Loomis, A.C., Brainerd, E.L., Fleming, B.C., Crisco, J.J. (2011) Static and Dynamic Error of a Biplanar Videoradiography System Using Marker-Based and Markerless Tracking Techniques. Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 133 (12): 1-8.


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Supreme Court Rules Unions Can't Take Extra Fees Without Consent
SEIU, other unions must provide opt-in clause to spend members' money on political activities
The United States Supreme Court this week finally recognized the right of workers who are forced to pay agency fees to a union as a condition of employment to forgo paying for union activity they disagree with.
Perhaps most importantly, the decision in the SEIU v. Knox case portends an end to the system that requires dissenters to opt out of union political activity.
A long line of Supreme Court decisions have allowed provisions that favor unions that have a stranglehold in businesses in states that force every worker to pay dues to belong to the union, or be forced to pay fees to the union.
"Agency fees" are supposed to cover the cost of non-political union activity such as collective bargaining and grievance procedures. These are known as chargeable expenses. Over time and without much analysis, the Supreme Court has allowed a process by which the unions calculate what the chargeable expenses are and send a Hudson notice to members and those who wish to can "opt out" of paying non-chargeable, i.e. political, costs.
Knox concerned the Service Employee International Union's charging of a "special assessment" to fight a ballot initiative in California. This assessment was on top of the normal dues or agency fee charged by the SEIU. The union did not provide a second Hudson notice with this special assessment.
The Supreme Court recognized that "compulsory fees constitute a form of compelled speech and association that imposes a significant impingement on First Amendment rights." The court noted that an opt-out system favors the union over the non-member:
[R]equiring objecting non-members to opt out of paying the non-chargeable portion of union dues — as opposed to exempting them from making such payments unless they opt in — represents a remarkable boon for unions. Courts "do not presume acquiescence in the loss of fundamental rights." . . . Once it is recognized, as our cases have, that a non-member cannot be forced to fund a union's political or ideological activities, what is the justification for putting the burden on the non-member to opt out of making such a payment? Shouldn't the default rule comport with the probable preferences of most non-members? And isn't it likely that most employees who choose not to join the union that represents their bargaining unit prefer not to pay the full amount of union dues? An opt-out system creates a risk that the fees paid by non-members will be used to further political and ideological ends with which they do not agree.
The Supreme Court recognized that its prior cases had not considered this question carefully:
Although the difference between opt-out and opt-in schemes is important, our prior cases have given surprisingly little attention to this distinction. Indeed, acceptance of the opt-out approach appears to have come about more as a historical accident than through the careful application of First Amendment principles.
The Supreme Court did not have to answer this broad question since Knox concerned only special assessments and not general agency fees. It did, however, hold that special assessments require an opt-in procedure.
The logic of this holding seems likely to apply to general agency fees in the near future and a long-standing "remarkable boon for unions" seems destined for the dust bin of history.
See also:
Michigan Capitol Confidential Coverage of the SEIU


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Happy Halloween!
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This is an instant download digital file that contains the stencil in svg format.
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The Colorful Cookie Stencil Studio designs can be used in many ways. They are great for airbrushing, scraping royal icing over the top, tracing the design onto cookies for piping, or dusting the shape with powdered sugar or sugar sprinkles. These stencils can be used with many mediums on many different surfaces depending on the stencil material you are cutting; crafts, furniture, face painting, cocoa duster on latte and coffee inspired art, and so many more creative uses!
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Amarantus BioSciences Updates Shareholders on Timing of Michael J. Fox Foundation Grant Data Release
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Amarantus BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB: AMBS), a biotechnology company developing new disease-modifying treatments and diagnostics for Parkinson's disease and Traumatic Brain Injury centered on its proprietary anti-apoptosis therapeutic protein MANF, today updated shareholders on the timing of the final data set from its grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation being released to the marketplace. The Company expects to have the data set available in December. Upon completion of the data analysis correlate of the positive behavioural animal data for MANF previously reported with histology data confirming re-innervation of the striatum due to MANF delivery to the substantia nigra, the Michael J. Fox Foundation will consider funding additional studies to advance MANF as a disease-modifying treatment for Parkinson's disease.
About Amarantus BioSciences, Inc.
Amarantus BioSciences, Inc. is a development-stage biotechnology company founded in January 2008. The Company has a focus on developing certain biologics surrounding the intellectual property and proprietary technologies it owns to treat and/or diagnose Parkinson's disease, Traumatic Brain Injury and other human diseases. The Company owns the intellectual property rights to a therapeutic protein known as Mesencephalic-Astrocyte-derived Neurotrophic Factor ("MANF") and is developing MANF-based products as treatments for brain disorders. The Company also is a Founding Member of the Coalition for Concussion Treatment (#C4CT), a movement initiated in collaboration with Brewer Sports International seeking to raise awareness of new treatments in development for concussions and nervous-system disorders. For further information please visit www.Amarantus.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the possible benefits of MANF therapeutic applications and/or advantages presented by Amarantus' PhenoGuard technology, as well as statements about expectations, plans and prospects of the development of Amarantus' new product candidates. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risks that the anticipated benefits of the therapeutic drug candidates or discovery platforms, as well as the risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the development of Amarantus' new product candidates, including those identified under "Risk Factors" in Amarantus' most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in other filings Amarantus periodically makes with the SEC. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements Amarantus does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this presentation.
Amarantus BioSciences, Inc.
Gerald E. Commissiong
SOURCE Amarantus BioSciences, Inc.


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[email protected]
April 06, 2011
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Jude Law and Catherine Zeta-Jones both play psychiatrists in the thriller Side Effects, and co-star Channing Tatum says they were naturals—always analyzing him when the cameras were off. "I think they do it when I'm hanging out with them, and that's what's scary," Tatum told VF Daily at the Cinema Society premiere of the film on Thursday evening. "I just want to be, like, cool around them," he added, laughing.
Zeta-Jones denied that, and says she could never actually be a therapist. "I don't think I'd be able to leave things at the office! I'm the kind of person that would be thinking about them for days after," she told us. "I think as a doctor, not just a psychiatrist, that it must be really hard to leave your work at the office and not take it into your life."
Rooney Mara, whose character is very dark, prepared for the role by watching online video of those with mental-health issues: "I talked to a few different doctors, and we went to Bellevue, and [screenwriter] Scott [Burns] sent me all these YouTube video diaries of people suffering from depression, and that was really helpful," she said. "And then I read a bunch of different books that they told me to read, and watched films." All this homework, she conceded, was very intense. And really sad.
The twisty-turny thriller itself deals with melancholy, and there was indeed a tinge of sadness under the celebratory mood, with the realization that this would be director Soderbergh's last big studio premiere. He recently confirmed—after earlier announcements—that he is leaving the movie business for good, and that Side Effects will be his last film.
Soderbergh held court at the back of the Stone Rose Lounge with stars like Matt Damon and Mara, in front of the tall windows overlooking Central Park. Those involved in Side Effects and in previous Soderbergh projects expressed their regret at the news: screenwriter Burns, who has worked with the director for 10 years, called it "bittersweet." "We really like this movie, and we feel like, you know, if this is the last movie we make, we feel pretty good about the work that we did together," he told VF Daily at the party, hosted by Michael Kors.
The movie was actress Vinessa Shaw's second project with Soderbergh. "I'm upset," she said. "I think we're going to miss a great filmmaker. It'll be a big hole in Hollywood, now that he's leaving."
"I'm just devastated," echoed Zeta-Jones. "Because any actress or actor who has never worked with him, it's a real shame, because it's a treat. It's how filmmaking should be, from top to bottom."
Mara takes him at his word that he won't make another movie, but is also interested to see what Soderbergh will do in the future. "I think Steven is a very thoughtful person, and I don't think he says things that he doesn't mean, and I don't think he says things lightly, so I think he's put a lot of thought into his decision," Mara told us. "I'm excited to see what he does in the next phase of his life. I think he's talented in so many different ways, and I'm excited to see what he does."
Channing Tatum says he's learned a lot from Soderbergh over the three films they've done together. "It's sad that he's not going to make any more, because I want to learn more. But I'm glad that he's going to go on and do something that he really loves, and wants to do," he said.
The movie's producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who has done five movies with Soderbergh, holds out very slight hope that the director could be enticed back to film, particularly if the medium adapts to support his vision of what narrative should be. But it won't be easy: "I think it's a great shame if he doesn't come back," he says. "I know there will be several people trying to lure him back, but I suspect it'll take a while—if anyone is ever going to succeed."


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CARSON, Calif. – In 1994, a shaggy-haired 21-year-old completed his final year of soccer at UCLA and two years later was playing for the Tampa Bay Mutiny in MLS' inaugural campaign.
Now a shaggy-haired 36-year-old, Frankie Hejduk returns to where it all started, perhaps to close out a career with the LA Galaxy – his third MLS Club – that has seen him play in Germany, Switzerland, and in two World Cups with the US national team.
"[I'm] going back to my roots, where it all began," Hejduk told MLSSoccer.com. "What a great opportunity to get to play in front of my friends and family."
After being selected in the second phase of the first-ever MLS Re-Entry Draft, Hejduk and the Galaxy quickly came to terms. Hejduk spent the last eight seasons with the Columbus Crew and now will add some depth to LA's defense and another veteran presence on the field and in the locker room.
Those are two roles he said he's more than comfortable with.
[inline_node:325707]"With all the games we're going to have, with the Champions League and US Open Cup and MLS games with a couple of added teams, it's going to bring added depth to a team that's going to need depth," Hejduk said.
The Galaxy will compete in the CONCACAF Champions League, which will add six games to their calendar, as well as the US Open Cup. The MLS season, meanwhile, will run 34 games, so the Galaxy could have well over 40 competitive matches to play in 2011.
"I've been a part of that," said Hejduk, who experienced a tortuous 2010 schedule with the Crew. "I kind of know what it's about, so I can help out there in that respect."
The veteran adds more than speed and a non-stop engine on the right side of the defense; he also brings 15 years of professional experience along with being part of two World Cup squads, including a Bruce Arena-led US team that reached the World Cup quarterfinals in 2002.
Having another battle-tested 30-something-year-old on the team is not a bad thing, Hejduk said.
"Experience – you can't buy that, you can't teach that. It's something that's gained, so were going to bring that side to the team. The more experience a team can have, the better," Hejduk said. "With this team, especially, there is an incredible mix of not only incredible experience but a bunch of top-talent youth as well. It's going to mix really well."


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Nina Munk is the author of The Idealist: Jeffrey Sachs and the Quest To End Poverty, her new book on Columbia Professor Jeffrey Sachs. Sachs is the renowned author of The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities For Our Time (foreword by Bono).
Sachs is the man with a plan to end poverty and it has made him a celebrity. He starred in the MTV movie The Diary of Angelina Jolie and Dr. Jeffrey Sachs in Africa. (Jolie and Sachs are pictured together in the photo at the left.) In the movie Jolie calls Sachs "one of the smartest people in the world," but he apparently couldn't figure out how to get billing over Jolie in the title. Sachs describes himself in part as follows in his Columbia bio:
Jeffrey D. Sachs is the Director of The Earth Institute, Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development, and Professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University. He is Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Millennium Development Goals, having held the same position under former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He is Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
Message: He's an important and influential guy. Sachs has rounded up a lot of money to establish Millennium Villages demonstrating his theories of economic development in sub-Saharan Africa.
Munk first profiled Sachs for Vanity Fair in the 2007 article "Jeffrey Sachs's $200 billion dream." She proceed to spend some six years visiting Sachs's villages to see how things worked out. She says she has spent much more time in the villages than Sachs himself, who has taken to attacking Munk personally for the findings on offer in her book.
Sachs has characterized Munk as cynical. She is a non-believer. Munk's findings, however, are not entirely negative. She observes in a Vanity Fair interview that the money can and has been put to some good uses.
Nevertheless, Munk also exposes the comic consequences of liberal fantasy at work and play in poorest Africa. See, for example, James Traub's Wall Street Journal review and Margaret Wente's Globe and Mail column. Also of interest is Howard French's Pacific Standard article "The Not-So-Great Professor: Jeffrey Sachs' Incredible Failure to Eradicate Poverty in Africa."
Munk herself talks about the book on C-SPAN Book TV in remarks posted here. Munk's remarks are prefaced and elicited by the skillful prodding by Barron's columnist Gene Epstein, followed by questions and answers from the audience. (Epstein quotes from a then forthcoming review of the book in Barron's by NYU economist/development expert William Easterly; I'd love to add the link to this post if it is available.) I want to emphasize that the fast-moving 47-minute C-SPAN video is worth your time all the way to the end, but if you have any interest in the issues raised, you will find all of the linked items of interest.


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Talking books help blinded veterans
(NewsUSA) - In December 1967, a young soldier lay in a hospital bed after sustaining severe eye injuries from a land mine in Vietnam. Tom Miller, now executive director of the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) in Washington, D.C., was blind, and his mind raced over all of the things he'd never be able to enjoy again. "I've spent the past 44-plus years erasing that list, or finding new things I can do."
Miller says he owes many thanks to the talking-book program of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), part of the Library of Congress. "The program is a godsend," he says.
Veterans -- and any U.S. resident or citizen living abroad -- are eligible to become NLS readers if they are blind, have low vision or have an illness or disability that prevents them from handling a book or printed material.
According to a 2011 report by the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research, 16 percent of the wounded soldiers evacuated from Iraq and Afghanistan battle zones suffered eye injuries -- the highest rate of eye injuries since the Civil War. In response -- and in support -- NLS works with BVA rehabilitation staff, military hospitals and rehab centers to offer digital talking-book players to eligible members. The players are designed for easy use by those who can no longer read printed materials. NLS director Karen Keninger says the hospital program is the most effective way to guarantee that blinded and disabled veterans who need access to books will have it.
Audiobooks and players are delivered to NLS readers by mail at no charge through more than 100 cooperating state and local libraries. NLS readers have access to bestsellers, biographies, self-help books, magazines and more. Plus, those with access to the Internet can download audiobooks and magazines using the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD), the NLS online delivery system.
NLS allows Miller to devour 60 to 75 titles a month. Miller recalls how much he enjoyed his first talking book: "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote. In rehab, he ran back and forth to his room between classes to finish the book.
People who lose their sight may think their life is over, but it's not, Miller says. NLS provides one way blind and visually impaired individuals can stay engaged with the world. "You have access to so many different titles, and you're only a phone call away from cooperative libraries," he says. "It reopens an aspect of your life you thought was lost forever."
Sign up for the talking-book program at www.loc.gov/nls or call 1-888-NLS-READ.


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Rachel D'Avino dedicated her life to helping children
BETHLEHEM -- Rachel D'Avino dedicated her life to helping children, her younger sister told a crowd at her funeral Friday at the Church of the Nativity here.
She was also the sort of older sister you looked up to, Sarah D'Avino said between sniffles. She was a selfless and determined young woman who excelled at everything and always gave her all.
D'Avino, 29, was killed during last week's rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. A behavioral therapist who had just begun work at Sandy Hook less than a week earlier, D'Avino died while protecting children from the carnage.
Mourners packed the small, rustic Catholic church and a big-screen television was set up in another room to stream the hour-long Mass for those who did not fit inside the worship hall.
The somber mood was echoed by a constant rain battering the church's great skylight overhead.
The slain woman's godmother read a passage from Jeremiah: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more."
D'Avino was recalled as a woman on the rise. She was pursuing her doctorate at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford, with a goal of specializing in helping autistic children. Her boyfriend, Anthony Cerritelli, was planning to propose on Christmas Eve.
But her sister stressed how much D'Avino had already done in her abbreviated life.
"She had already accomplished so much," Sarah D'Avino said.
As the service ended, the choir sang "Amazing Grace." Then, suddenly, the sun broke through the clouds outside, bathing the mourners in light as they left the church.
Said one, "That's Rachel."


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Wolves 0 Everton 0
Molineux bade farewell to the Barclays Premier League with a goalless draw as Wolves avoided an unwanted place in the record books.
One more home defeat would have made it 14 for the season and 10 in a row, equalling records both held by Sunderland, but Terry Connor's side battled hard to deny an Everton side fighting for seventh place.
The visitors certainly had the better of the chances and twice had the ball in the back of the net, but Nikica Jelavic and Denis Stracqualursi were both denied by offside flags.
Despite the scoreline, it was an open game with chances for both sides, and arguably the best of the first-half opportunities came in only the fifth minute when Marouane Fellaini's flicked header landed at the feet of Tim Cahill 10 yards out but he shot straight at Dorus De Vries.
Jelavic had scored six goals in his last four league games and he had his first sight of goal in the 14th minute when he was found by Phil Jagielka's long diagonal pass, but Richard Stearman stayed with the striker and did very well to block his shot.
Kevin Doyle and James McFadden both snatched at chances while Leon Osman wanted a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Michael Kightly, but referee Lee Mason was unmoved.
It would have been a very memorable day for Tony Hibbert had he netted his first goal for Everton after more than 300 games, and his fierce volley would certainly have tested De Vries had Stephen Ward not got his body in the way.
Wolves had their best opening in the 26th minute when Stephen Hunt's free-kick was header just over by Christophe Berra, but Everton, and Steven Pienaar in particular, were starting to take a grip on the game.
The midfielder might have done better than fire over when well placed, while his clever ball found Jelavic but he was flagged offside as he shot past De Vries in what looked a marginal decision.
The hosts were living dangerously, and Ronald Zubar would have been very grateful to see his header from Hibbert's cross drop just past the post, while at the other end an isolated Steven Fletcher blazed over the bar.
Wolves threatened right at the start of the second half as Hunt and Fletcher combined to play in Stearman on the left of the area but the ball had just too much pace on it and the defender could not control his cutback.
Hibbert had been a real thorn in Wolves' side down the right and another pinpoint cross should really have been buried by Fellaini instead of placed over the bar.
De Vries was then forced into his first real save of the match from a Jelavic free-kick 25 yards out, the keeper plunging to his left.
Boss David Moyes sent on Stracqualursi for McFadden and he was into the action immediately with a shot that was well blocked by Ward, while Sylvan Ebanks-Blake replaced Fletcher for Wolves.
The Scot, who is likely to be a target for Premier League clubs in the summer, received a very warm reception from the home fans.
There was a real lack of intensity about the game but a burst from Karl Henry provided a shooting opportunity for Kightly, who pulled his effort well wide.
Jelavic had been pretty quiet but he certainly should have tested De Vries in the 72nd minute when he beat the defence to a long ball only to pull his shot wide of the far post.
The visitors had the ball in the net for a second time moments later as Jelavic's cross was turned in by Stracqualursi at the far post but again it was ruled out for offside, although it was Fellaini, who had also lunged for the ball, who was the culprit.
Everton continued to press but the Wolves defence held firm to earn their first home point since December.


text: I just completed my very first Bamboo rod build from scratch, from flaming the bamboo culm, splitting, straighten, rough planning, hand planning, ferrules, cork handle, varnish dip and wrapping guides. What a blast it was building this rod, most enjoyable part was casting it for the first time. The tapper is a Martha Marie (Paul Young) 7' 6" 5wt 2/2 and does it cast beautiful. Never built a bamboo or graphite fly rod nor had any desire to build one until now and I am hooked, the hands on and process of building a bamboo rod from start to finish is what fascinates me. I was fortunate a good friend showed me the step-by-step process of making bamboo rods; he has over 40 plus years building them. I have started on my second rod; Perfectionist tapper (Paul Young) 7? 6? 4wt 2/2, can't wait to zing the fly line through the guides.