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This year I had the unbelievable honor of being the Artist Guest of Honor at Gen Con in Indianapolis, Indiana. This is an especially significant honor for me since I got my professional start in the fantasy gaming industry by showing my work to art directors and editors at Gen Con back in 1994. A huge thanks goes out to Barbara Fisher and the rest of the Gen Con team for giving me such a special moment in my professional career.
My wife, Silvia, at our booth.
I had attended Gen Con almost every year when it was located in my hometown of Milwaukee. In 2003, Gen Con moved to Indianapolis, and I just never got around to going. What a lazy bum I am! So this year was my first trip to Gen Con Indy. I had no idea what to expect.
When I learned that I was going to be the Artist Guest of Honor, I reached out to past Guests of Honor like my buddies Tony DiTerlizzi, Jeff Easley and Tom Baxa to see if they had any suggestions. The advice they gave helped me in planning for such an amazing event. A huge thanks goes out to those guys.
You gotta love that hair!
Silvia and me at our booth.
I knew I'd have a large booth, so months prior to the show I began making preparations to fill out the space I had with prints, original art and books. I even had a computer screen at my booth that ran looping video featuring a slideshow of my artwork and a timelapse video of me creating a drawing. Apparently, the Gen Con planners had moved the location of the Artist Guest of Honor booth this year to a more prime location. That's an understatement, really. My booth was located practically in the middle of the main exhibit hall. Because of this, traffic at my booth was non-stop. Future Artist Guests of Honor will really appreciate this kind of exposure but will need to have an assistant with them. I was lucky enough to have my wonderful wife, Silvia, as a helper. I wouldn't have survived the weekend without her.
Goofing around with some costume contest winners.
On Friday, the second day of the convention, I did a painting demo to a sold-out crowd. It was heartening to see so many people show up just to see me paint and learn a few tips. At the end of my demo, I collected tickets from everyone in preparation for a lottery drawing to give away the painting that I worked on during the demo. Joel Mentor was the lucky winner of the painting, and he couldn't have been more excited.
From left to right: James Cole, me, Joel Mentor.
On Saturday, I was supposed to give another painting demo for a few VIGs (Very Important Gamers). Planning for that event got a little confusing, so timing didn't work out as planned. In the end, only one VIG member was available for the painting demo. But this ended up being a great thing for that member because he got to sit down with me for a one-on-one lesson and demonstration. Joseph and I had a great time. At the end of my demo/lesson, I handed Joseph my brush, relinquished my seat, and let him work on my painting. He was thrilled to do so, and he actually did an amazing job!
VIGer Joseph and me during my painting demo.
One of the "duties" as Artist Guest of Honor is to help judge the Art Show. This is both exciting and scary. I love seeing art and the artists that create the work. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings if I don't pick their work to win an award. So it is a very bittersweet assignment. That being said, two other artists joined me in judging the Art Show. The talented Wayne Reynolds and Chris Rahn are two artists whose work I admire, so it was great to walk around the Art Show with them and agree upon the winners. In fact, we were all in agreement most of the time with the artists we chose. This made the experience much easier and I didn't have to fight it out with Wayne Reynolds, which we all know he would have lost!
Me with artist Chris Rahn.
Congratulations to Emily Fiegenschuh in winning first place for her amazing painting for the cover of her book, The Explorer's Guide to Drawing Fantasy Creatures. Mark Poole took second place with his gorgeous painting, Snowblind. Scott Murphy received the Best in Show award for his painting, Goblin Engineer, which all of us judges fell in love with.
Me with the very tall and very talented John Esh.
Each of the judges had to agree on the artists chosen for the various prizes. However, we each received a Juror's Choice award that we could give to any one artist of our sole choosing. I was struck by the work of artist John Esh. I found myself returning to his work time and again when I walked around the show. I felt his work was consistent, well done and he had a unique voice with his art.
Meeting artists at any convention is always a highlight for me. I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones. I'd been away from Gen Con for so long that all of the artists I met there I had never met before. Some I have befriended through Facebook or other sites, but I never met them face-to-face. Jim Pavelec was one of those guys. Jim is such an amazingly talented artist whom I was excited to finally meet. A week after Gen Con, I would see Jim again at Chicago Comic Con. He's a super great guy!
Me with the extraordinarily gifted artist, Ralph Horsley.
Then I got to meet the extremely talented Ralph Horsley, who is a really nice guy. We were fans of each other, so we traded paintings. I'd wish I had more time to pour over his paintings because they are so wonderful to look at, but I know I'll be seeing him at other events.
I think artist Omar Rayyan is trying to eat my brain or he wants to make out with me.
Incredible artist Chris Seaman and me at his booth in the art show.
I also got to meet other amazing artists such as Omar Rayyan, Chris Seaman, Chris Rahn, Wayne Reynolds, Tyler Walpole, Vinod Rams, Mark Poole, Aaron Miller, and Dan Scott. All are very talented artists that create inspiring work to see in person.
That's Chris Figueroa in the scarecrow outfit. Scary!
Signing the arm of a fan.
Giving a free copy of my Thumb Wars book to a lucky little girl
And this recap wouldn't be complete if I didn't thank the many fans and admirers of my work that stopped by to visit me at Gen Con. I am always humbled that so many people enjoy my work. It makes me so happy to hear stories from people about how my art inspired them to create art or how my work has been a part of their gaming adventures over the years. I wasn't prepared for the response I received at Gen Con, it certainly made me feel great. Thank you all so much.
I hope to be back at Gen Con in 2012.


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Tiny Legends: Heroes
The Ranking
|Overall Rank: n/a
iOS (iPhone/iPad) Rank: n/a
2012 Games Rank: n/a
2012 iOS (iPhone/iPad) Rank: n/a
Score based on 1 review
*NOW FREE for a LIMITED TIME!*???the DARK LORD has RISEN, and only YOU can PUT HIM DOWN in the sequel to the worldwide smash-hit CRAZY KNIGHT!???A sinister shadow stretches over the land of Kromdor. The dark lord Necralis has imprisoned the continent's greatest champions and unleashed hordes of murderous monsters on a reign of terror. But into the darkness step brave new adventurers! Do you have the courage to lead them into a new age of heroes???? • Real-time 3D battles• Epic loot• Heart-stopping boss fights??? • Awesome graphics• Devastating skills• 6 different classes• 44 floors of nonstop action• Strategic team combat??? http://twitter.com/TRINITIgameshttp://facebook.com/TRINITIgames
Release Date: December 6, 2012
More Tiny Legends: Heroes
More from GameSpot

subset: commoncrawl


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Hundreds of thousands of people are in Washington, D.C. for today's second inauguration of President Barack Obama, including WITN's Lynnette Taylor.
Lynnette is on the Mall, about four blocks from the capitol to see today's ceremony.
She and her mother boarded a chartered bus some 12 hours before the inauguration in Durham for the trip to Washington.


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Last Chance to Enter!
Community Bank of Florida is still accepting nominations for the Oustanding Local Business Award- but only until this FRIDAY AT 5PM! If you own a business in the South Dade area, give back to the community and have a great story to tell, you need to enter now. You could win free advertising, $500 worth of supplies of your choice and much more. Visit our website homepage for the nomination form and further details.


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I still don't think I'm ready to apply right now. In cooking terms, I need to marinate a bit more. However, I've noticed that this line of thought has the danger of becoming the proverbial hamster wheel. The wonderful thing with genealogy is the constant learning that takes place. The more ancestors you acquire, the more history, laws, and other idiosyncrasies you have to learn. There is no way you will ever know it all. So at what point do you know enough to apply for BCG certification? For you, I don't know what the answer is. For me, the answer is practice.
It is slightly difficult to look at portfolios in the BCG booth at a conference. There is a lot of activity, people see you and stop to say hello, people you don't know start talking to you, you're pressed for time to get to the next lecture, and there is generally a lot of other distractions. Not really the best environment to read a case study, look at the transcription assignment, or study the kinship determination project (KDP). I did the best I could under the circumstances. While looking through all of the portfolio elements I took some notes. These notes were just general observations, nothing specific about any of the portfolios. What surprised me was a singular thought during this process. It was, "I can do this. I just need to practice."
I don't know about you, but I haven't written many (okay, um, zero) kinship determination projects. I've done slightly better with case studies, but then with zero KDP's that's not saying much. In looking at the portfolios, it would be foolhardy to turn in the first or even second attempt of any of the elements. So I just need to practice. While I practice I need to refer often to the BCG rubric, and the genealogical proof standard (GPS). This should set me up pretty good, both for the portfolio and my daily genealogical practice/research.
If you are interested in learning or hearing more talk about BCG portfolios there are a couple of options. First and foremost is the BCG website. Lately there have been some interesting threads on the Transitional Genealogist Forum as well. Today, Harold Henderson posted on his blog, Midwestern Microhistory, the first of a five part series discussing the BCG certification process that is well worth the read and should continue to be.
Have you thought about becoming certified? If so, what is stopping you from starting the clock? One of my pressing concerns is picking people or a case that is interesting enough, uses a nice variety of records, but is not so complex that it becomes too much to handle. Yet I don't want any of the elements to be too simple or boring. It's a fine line. I'm hoping a few of my ancestors will step forward and guide me along the way.


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"Educational" and "exhausting" are two words that are often used to describe summer camp at the Nancy G. Held Equestrian Center.
"Totally worth it" are three words that are also usually uttered by campers and parents alike at the end of the two week program.
Those words were echoed at the end of July by the young women, aged 11 to 16, who converged on campus with their equine partners for summer camp. They also added words of their own, such as "awesome," "fun," and "memorable" when asked to describe their experiences.
Instead of lounging poolside or sleeping in until mid-afternoon, the young ladies found themselves rising early to care for their equine friends under the watchful eyes of Held Center Associate Director Danielle Menteer, stable manager Jana Armstrong, and counselors (and current Albion students) Brittany White '10 and Jules Wurzler '11. After breakfast for themselves, they arrived at the stable to feed their mounts and muck stalls before morning riding lessons began.
The first week long camp session focused on improving the riders' dressage and stadium jumping abilities. The conclusion of the week required each camper to perform a Training Level dressage test and jump a traditional stadium jumping course as a part of the end-of-week horse show. The second week's session focused on hunt seat equitation on the flat and over fences and culminated in a horse show where the young women rode in a traditional rail class, then rode an equitation over fences course.
Lectures and demonstrations during the week were interspersed between riding lessons and educated the campers about feeding and stable management, unmounted horse handling (including lunging), and show preparation and show ring etiquette. To give a real horse show feel to each end-of-week show, campers were taught how to braid various lengths and types of manes - including the execution of a traditional running braid by counselor Brittany White, who utilized the long locks of demonstration model Patty (pictured below left).
Not all of camp was work, however, as the evening hours allowed for activities such as swimming in the pool at Albion's Dow Aquatic Center, canoeing on the Kalamazoo River, miniature golfing at a course in nearby Jackson, and even seeing the new Harry Potter movie soon after its release in theaters.
"Camp is always a fun time during the summer," observed Held Center director, George Halkett. "It's nice to see the returning students come back at a higher level than they were the year before and the staff and counselors all have fun watching their progress through the week. No one ever leaves here without having mastered at least one new skill."
Information concerning camp at the Nancy Held Equestrian Center in July of 2010 will become available in the spring. For more information, please contact the equestrian center.


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Cameron plea over Afghan government
David Cameron has urged both of Afghanistan's presidential candidates to work towards the "prize" of a democratic unity government in time for the Nato summit in Wales next month.
The Prime Minister called Dr Ashraf Ghani and Dr Abdullah Abdullah yesterday and urged them to stick with a process outlined by US Secretary of State John Kerry.
The pair topped a first round of elections in April but, following claims of electoral fraud, a victor was not declared following a second round run-off in June.
PM David Cameron has urged Afghanistan's two presidential candidates to work towards a democratic unity government in time for next month's Nato summit
Following Mr Cameron's calls, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: "He emphasised the enormous prize at stake for the Afghan people - to secure their democratic future - and that he hoped that the process could be completed by the Nato summit.
"The Prime Minister said that the summit represented an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in Afghanistan over the last 10 years and to look at how Nato allies could work with the new government to support Afghanistan in the future.
"Both Dr Abdullah and Dr Ghani welcomed the Prime Minister's support and thanked him for the UK's ongoing commitment to Afghanistan."
The election drove into stalemate after Dr Abdullah refused to accept the outcome of a run-off which preliminary results suggested he lost by a million votes to rival Dr Ghani - alleging it was the result of massive electoral fraud.
While still Defence Secretary in July, Philip Hammond - now Foreign Secretary - suggested the stand-off could see British forces being withdrawn from Afghanistan by October, instead of the end of the year as planned.
Earlier this month, the feuding candidates agreed to resolve their election dispute and said they would set the inauguration before the end of August.
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This is my entry to Sig's MBP for mixed drinks. If you've had too much of some of the other drinks one night, you'll definitely need a good cup of coffee in the morning! :) MBP was started by Coffee of the Spice Cafe. Enjoy!
Just for kicks, I've decided to send this in to Jugalbandi's Click Metal for this month.


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2011 Softball
Coach Bruder earns win #100 at Bluffton
Bluffton splits a pair of one-run contests at Ohio Wesleyan
April 7, 2011
Game 1 Box Score I Game 2 Box Score
DELAWARE, Ohio - The Bluffton University softball team received a pair of outstanding performances in the circle as the Beavers split a couple one-run decisions on Thursday, April 7, 2011. Bluffton moved to 13-12 on the season while Ohio Wesleyan now stands 11-7 overall.
The Beavers threatened with three hits in the first two innings of game one, but came away empty as OWU kept the visitors off the scoreboard until the fifth frame. With one down in the fifth, Stevie Cuttitta (Columbiaville, MI/Clio) ripped a double to right center. Pinch runner Allison Radomski (Cincinnati/Cincinnati Christian) went to third on Shelby Wade's (Delaware/Buckeye Valley) fly ball to right before an infield single by Meagan Price (Toledo/Springfield) gave the visitors the only run in the contest.
Freshman Kayla Owens (Cincinnati/McAuley) improved to 5-7 on the season. She tossed 5.2 innings of shutout ball, allowing five hits and no free passes. Cuttitta picked up her second save of the season after keeping the shutout intact over the final 1.1 innings. She struck out one and gave up two hits.
Emily Manahan (Columbus/Bishop Watterson) and Meagan Price both tallied two safeties. Price had an RBI and Radomski scored the game winner.
The home team took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two thanks to a Bluffton miscue. Two innings later, three consecutive base hits allowed the Battling Bishops to go up 2-0 over the Beavers.
Bluffton finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth despite just one single in the inning. Price walked with one out and then she stole second. Following an Ashley Manusos (Spring Grove, Ill./McHenry Community East) base knock through the left side, the visitors pulled off a double steal which saw Price cross the dish.
Cuttitta worked around a leadoff triple by Ohio Wesleyan in the bottom of the sixth, but the Beavers went down one-two-three in the seventh as OWU held on to salvage a non-conference split with Bluffton.
The Beavers managed just four hits in the loss, compared to eight safeties by the Battling Bishops. Cuttitta dipped to 5-4 despite allowing two runs, just one earned, in six innings of work. She fanned six and did not allow a walk.
Bluffton jumps back into Heartland Conference play with a trip to Hanover College on Saturday, April 9, 2011. The first contest with the Panthers is slated for 1 p.m.


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Bucketheads status:
[x] In
[ ] Not in
Parmi | #1 draft pick | Jake King is **** | Big Bash League tipping champion of the universeCome and Paint Turtle
If only the 6ers played with the same intensity as M Waugh has been barracking for them.
how is this game still alive
Brad McNamara @bbuzzmc
Will say this once and then nothing else. Defamation laws quite clear in Aus.be careful.
great man, is kat
Great shot Stiffy Katich.
spikey spitballin' on the sixers team
MC Henriques
DLR Smith
BJ Haddin*+
steve smith
SBMAJ Mendis
DJ Thornel
SNJ O'Keefe
IA Moran
SP Narine
LW Feldman
don't ****ing behave like the nsw selectors, you morons. jesus christ
Last edited by Spikey; 16-12-2012 at 03:57 AM.
2 keepers, up to 6 all-rounders, plus 3 normal bowlers, 4 spinners maybe, zero batsmen.
we miss scott henry. in the other shield game we played about 3 keepers, a bunch of all-rounders and seamers, and scott henry
What a legend Haddin is. Best guy.
holy **** check out d. smith's recent matches list
Daniel Smith | Australia Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
(for historical reasons)
Code:Recent matches Bat & Bowl Team Opposition Ground Match Date Scorecard 4, 0c/0s Basnahira CD v Uthura Pallekele 21 Aug 2012 T20 11, 1c/0s Basnahira CD v Nagenahira Pallekele 17 Aug 2012 T20 0, 0c/1s Basnahira CD v Uva Next Colombo (RPS) 12 Aug 2012 T20 0, 1c/1s Basnahira CD v K Warriors Colombo (RPS) 11 Aug 2012 T20 2 Syd Thunder v Brisbane Brisbane 17 Jan 2012 T20 6 Syd Thunder v Scorchers Sydney 11 Jan 2012 T20 0 Syd Thunder v Syd Sixers Sydney 8 Jan 2012 T20 6 Syd Thunder v Hobart Hobart 1 Jan 2012 T20 3 Syd Thunder v Melb Reneg Sydney 30 Dec 2011 T20 6 Syd Thunder v Adelaide Sydney 23 Dec 2011 T20
Arrogant spikey and PEWS pre-game looking dumb now. Needed Warner magic!
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)


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Forum:Money Borrowing
I dont have a clue but in GTA San Andreas, when you borrow money from the casino where do you go, what casino, i badly need money. Please Help!.it would be very good if someone could tell me! GSF4L 20:20, 20 July 2009 (UTC)
- Please ask in the Forums and not in talk pages. Money can only be borrowed to use in gambling in casinos. It can't be borrowed outside casinos.--Spaceeinstein 22:06, 20 July 2009 (UTC)
Only gambling can borrowing a money in any casinos. --Videogamer13 05:04, September 27, 2010 (UTC)


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Course Title:
Child Development Management
Course Description:
Child care management course covering director responsibilities in implementing and administering an early childhood program, staff selection and supervision and financially managing the program. This course is intended to meet the educational requirements for the foundational-level child care and Educational Administrator Credential as defined by the state of Florida, and can be used toward the advanced level of the credential. FA
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A MELBOURNE man was killed and four people injured when a car crashed into a tree off the Hume Highway yesterday afternoon.
Albury police Inspector Matt Tishler said a Toyota Corolla was travelling north when it left the road about 10 kilometres south of Holbrook at 5pm.
He said the car, carrying five young men believed to be from Victoria, crashed into a tree down an embankment.
Insp Tishler said the front-seat passenger was killed and the driver and three passengers were taken to Albury Base Hospital.
It is believed the dead man is from the Melbourne suburb of Nunawading.
The driver and two passengers have minor injuries and the fourth person chest injuries.
Insp Tishler said the cause of the crash had not yet been determined but no other cars were involved.
Passengers in two cars witnessed the crash.
It was the second fatal crash in NSW yesterday, after a woman front-seat passenger in a Nissan Skyline died after the vehicle left the road and hit a power pole on Sydney's northern beaches,.
The woman, thought to be in her 20s or 30s, died at the scene of the crash on Myoora Road at Terrey Hills, which happened at 6am.
The driver, a man, 33, was flown to the Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition.
A 30-year-old man from Cabramatta, who was in the back seat, was flown to Westmead Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Meanwhile, 10 people died in two accidents on Saturday.
A car which had been travelling the wrong way on a the Princes Freeway for at least 25 kilometres hit another vehicle travelling towards Melbourne at Lara, near Geelong, just after 1am.
Killed were the sole occupant of the car travelling the wrong way, a woman, 32, from Roxburgh Park, and four people from the other vehicle, two men, both 23, from Werribee, a woman, 24, from Hoppers Crossing and a Werribee woman, 23.
Two men from Werribee, were taken to Melbourne's The Alfred hospital, one in a critical condition.
Police received several calls from motorists reporting a car travelling on the wrong side of the freeway.
Just after midnight on Saturday, another five people were killed after a sedan was struck from behind when it broke down and drove onto the safe shoulder of the Pacific Motorway at Coomera on Queensland's Gold Coast.
The crash killed the 18-year-old driver of the second car as well as four in the broken down Holden Statesman, which caught fire, including a couple both 20, who leave a baby orphaned, and a man, 18 and his girlfriend, 17.
The sole survivor, Thomas Bayer, 16, crawled out the front windscreen of the Statesman moments before it burst into flames.


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i trolled on this board a bit, but i rampaged half the internet by now. To no avail suffice to say. So i figured i'll wrap this up now, for everybody trolled... (let's say this is comprehensive), which includes this board.
The reason, why Liv Tyler didn't exactly leave contact information is that it would have been too easy? It's like somebody says call me!, but i don't give You my number. It's contrapunctual (..idk. anyhow THIS line of though is how people manage to get to me. Who would even think along the lines people think?! - if it wasn't for me.)
Was anybody (at all) actually looking for me, because.. it somehow makes this impression, but nobody actually ..on the other hand ah.. not giving me any means to contact whoever precisely was somehow is somehow defying common sense. It's a bit like an elaborate prank. I seriously don't find this particularly funny actually. (I mean, what i gonna do?!) Think it through, i think i'm forcefully denied any option whatsoever. Having no option isn't even possible. No. it's certainly not fun. (it doesn't have to be '
fun outrightly, but it's the phrase. I mean, i got a Pippin here, who'll turn around every single letter.) So i am supposed to deal with Pippin.
This guy is called Thomas Frederick Watts - anybody having any interest in Pippin? You may contact him personally. Who got an overview of the situation and knows what is up with that guy. It would terribly easy, for some people to sort things out with Pippin. For me. I don't know all t.. obvious. I'm hardly in the picture.
So it would make a lot more sense, if somebody, who is would have geiven me any means to contact them and tell what the matter is and from there it would be easy to sort things out, but it defies common sense.
There seems to be something with Pippin.. ah.. i need a person who spent years pondering what exactly this is (because there should be some, aren't there?). Since that is so. I'm not the best person to deal with Pippin.
Why do You think i am even doing this?! Pippin.
Would You run rampage through the internet, if You don't have an unsolvable issue all of the sudden?!
In all likelihood there is something substantial that people want to tell Pippin. So who and what?!
I'm doing this since roughly three years now:
Can somebody pretty pretty please (obviously this is completely illusoric/utopic, but i'm saying this still, because it seems to be what this is all about (is it about this or not. if yes: DOES IT SOUND TO NERDY? it's a boolean. Is or is not?
Admin Edit: E-mail removed. This is / was his mail adress
he is called Thomas Frederick Watts (Dr, Ph D, MA or something probably by now) married to Susanne Spornberger now Watts. He isn't in the phone book. Should live in Vieanna (capital of Austria).
It's not possible to talk to that guy. You don't know that guy in person. What am i supposed to tell him? He isn't receptive in any way. (Especially not from me. He made up his mind already.) Pressed on it i'm trying since three years now to mostly [sort things out], but not what about precisely, which makes it tricky to say the least.
No i consider what i do here for example like .. hysterical. I mean it's completely inappropriate. Do i care?! I guess not.
I can't make any sense out of Pippin, which is more an issue than You might think (...). Maybe he assumes everybody can make sense out of him. idk. It seriously could be anything.
He is completely against me. Why would he listen to me? He got no reason not to ignore / turn around everything i would say.
Edited, Sep 3rd 2012 7:39am by TheLizard
Edited, Sep 3rd 2012 12:07pm by Kaolian


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Office Space to Rent near Llanrwst
We have a variety of serviced offices available to rent in Llanrwst. Each office space is offered at the best rates and suited to your individual needs and requirements.
We have a variety of serviced offices available to rent in Llanrwst. Each office space is offered at the best rates and suited to your individual needs and requirements.
This business centre has offices to suit all budgets, sizes and situations, from a single persons office to an entire commercial property to let. Conference room facilities available. Easy in - easy out licence agreement. It has ample and secure parking
Modern small business serviced office space available to let on flexible terms, ideal for small, new or established companies. The building has a 24 hour CCTV Security System in operation. The offices provide 24 hour access with superfast broadband, telephone system, air conditioning and central heating. There is a welcoming, professional staffed reception area, meeting area and a relaxing lounge area with kitchen / dining facilities. Shower with separate ladies and gents toilets. There is also opportunity for server share, virtual office options, IT and administrative support. A cleaner also attends to the offices and facilities.
A small business centre offering superior offices and suites from 80 to 700 sq. ft., with good on-site parking and 24hr security. Ideally situated in Mold's Bromfield Industrial Estate with easy access to A55 and motorway links. Services: Meeting rooms and a conference facility, staffed reception with a range of support services. Direct dial, ISDN and broadband available. 24hr CCTV with controlled access.
Below you can see the nearest areas to Llanrwst where you can find serviced offices:


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Like her fellow Rotarians the globe over, West Springfield Rotary Club member Stella Kalamarkis exemplifies the organization's motto, "service over self."
In fact, in her other role as entertainment chair for the upcoming West Side's Taste of The Valley—taking place at the West Springfield Town Common June 6-9—Kalamarkis says that nary a day goes by when she isn't answering an inquiry or listening to the music of an area act eager to make it to the Taste's meaty musical bill—and to the ears of the 40,000-plus people who attend it each year if Mother Nature plays nice. When it comes to at least one of the 13 lucky acts to land a coveted slot, however, Kalamarkis is quick to admit that a "Rotarian overlap" of sorts made it a no-brainer.
"The Taste is the Rotary's largest fundraiser, and two of the members of Scrap Iron Sun are Rotarians," she explains. "So they are really good, and willing to play for free, which are certainly things we are always looking for."
Another consideration is how well a band draws, and considering the fact that she has secured scene heavyweights Merrick Section (June 7, 5 p.m.), Brass Attack (June 8, noon), The Kings (June 8, 7 p.m.), Aquanett (June 8, 9 p.m.) and John Brandoli (June 9, 4 p.m.)—to name a choice few—Kalamarkis and company believe they have fulfilled their mission in spades.
"On top of that, we have what I would say is the biggest name in the history of the taste with Jonathan Edwards on Sunday, June 9 as well," Kalamarkis says. "If Mother Nature plays nice, this could easily be a record year for us."
For more information on how to become part of the potentially historic event—or to obtain more particulars on the veritable smorgasbord of edibles and audio—kindly point your browser to westsidetaste.com.
Note: A 5K Road race will also occur in conjunction with this event on Sunday, June 9 at 10 a.m. All proceeds from this run are earmarked for the One Fund Boston, a charitable organization established by Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino to raise funds for persons affected by the April 15 Boston Marathon bombing.
If West Side's Taste whets your appetite for more outdoor music opportunities, the nearby SummerWind (SSCSummerwind.org) Performing Arts Center has made it a breeze to find a whole bunch more.
The Windsor, Conn. amphitheater has announced several weekends of "relaxing, budget friendly/family oriented" sounds under the stars.
The 2013 series kicked off May 31 with Memphis Soul Spectacular and continues this Friday, June 7 with John Mayock & The Homesteaders. Cover kings Sex Pizza (June 14) and acoustic rockers Dana Pomfret and Tim McDonald (June 21) round out the month. The Valley's own Lonesome Brothers also hold court July 19.
"Thanks to the SummerWind's dedicated board and our sponsors, we've been able to add seven Friday after-work shows to our nine weekend performances this summer." notes the Arts Center's Executive Director, Michael Campbell. "These TGIF events give the after-work crowd great entertainment at only $5 with free parking."
Last but not least, since we've delved into matters in the Nutmeg State, the Crawler should note that the REACH Foundation's Benefit Motorcycle will conclude there (at the Sun Valley Resort in Stafford Springs, to be exact) on Sunday, June 9—giving way to a full-blown bash featuring Nashville notable Chris Cagle.
The concert comes in conjunction with radio station Country 92.5 FM, and all funds from the day-long affair benefit children in physical, social or financial need.
Tickets are $50 per rider in advance or $65 day of event. A concert-only option is also available for $30/$35. (All paid riders and passengers will receive entry into the ride, lunch and concert admission.) To purchase yours or obtain more info, call 888-98MUSIC or hit up Country925.com.•
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 394-4262 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The fight against unjust evictions just got fiercer as the national Occupy movement joins forces with community anti-foreclosure groups.
Since the real estate bubble burst, conditions for a national fight against foreclosures and evictions have seemed ideal. "Too big to fail" banks have refused to offer homeowners struggling with high mortgage payments any meaningful relief, despite receiving billions of dollars in public bailouts. More than one in five home mortgages in the country are "underwater" —with the mortgage greater than the market value of the home—resulting in about $700 billion in negative equity. Overall, more than 4 million homes were lost due to foreclosure between 2006 and 2011. In response, community organizations in cities throughout the country ramped up their work to keep families in their homes through local direct action.
Yet even though all of these elements were in place, no broad-scale movement to address the foreclosure crisis had captured the public spotlight.
That changed with the dramatic emergence of the Occupy movement this past fall. The movement provided an opportunity for a broader, coordinated approach to the foreclosure problem. Occupy set its sights firmly on abuses by the banking system and pointed to foreclosures as a main grievance. This winter, a national call to "Occupy Our Homes" and join in anti-foreclosure and anti-eviction efforts became a popular proposal for one of the movement's next steps.
In recent months, Occupy Our Homes has given community groups that have organized around housing issues for years a chance to link with a unified, national effort and to share knowledge gained from local fights. The Occupy movement, in turn, has benefited from joining forces with anti-foreclosure and anti-eviction organizers. While Occupiers' arguments about inequality and corporate greed may sometimes seem abstract, the foreclosure issue has allowed activists to make their complaints about the U.S. economy more concrete. It gives the Occupy movement an opportunity to stake out a specific realm in which change can take place.
Even more importantly, it makes clear the stake that ordinary Americans have in challenging the power of financial titans. By offering a chance for people to connect their personal troubles with larger social issues, Occupy Our Homes is creating an opening for the millions of Americans facing distress over their housing situations to join in collective action.
From Counseling to Advocacy
In Minneapolis, Jewish Community Action (JCA)—a social and economic justice group that works to build ties between Jewish and black communities—began in 2007 to focus on the flood of foreclosures. In areas including the city's Northside neighborhood, JCA volunteers and local residents have gone door-to-door to identify at-risk homeowners and connect them with foreclosure and tenants' rights counseling. Moreover, they have pushed banks both to renegotiate individual mortgages and to change their institutional practices in order to minimize foreclosures.
JCA is able to go beyond the steps that foreclosure counselors are willing to take. "What counselors won't do is engage in advocacy," says Vic Rosenthal, JCA's executive director. "We are in a position to generate a hundred phone calls or a hundred emails to a bank executive saying, 'This person is trying to stay in her home. We're calling on you to do a modification.' That's made a difference sometimes. We've been able to get some postponements of sheriff's sales and some loan modifications."
Rosenthal believes that pressure created by the Occupy movement has given greater leverage to organizations such as JCA. "It has made groups like us look much more reasonable," he says. "It's provided more space for us to push a little harder. And the banks seem to be thinking differently about the demands that we've been making for years."
Building a National Network
Other groups that have long been engaged in community organizing to fight foreclosures and evictions—including New York Communities for Change in New York City and the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment in Los Angeles—saw the burst of energy created by the Occupy movement as an occasion to link together. After a national conference call among organizers, the participants formed Occupy Our Homes, a loose-knit clearinghouse for information on local grassroots efforts. For a debut, they chose December 6 as a unified day of action. Activists in 25 cities joined in home occupations or solidarity marches on that date.
Since then, the network has maintained the OccupyOurHomes.org website and has worked to share strategies from different groups. The site includes powerful stories from individuals and families struggling to keep a roof over their heads. "These stories inspire people who might not otherwise have the knowledge that regular people can fight back against the banks and win," says Matt Browner Hamlin, one of the central organizers of the effort.
One such story involved U.S. Marine Corps veteran Bobby Hull, of Minneapolis. Hull and his family had been in their home since 1968 and were considered pillars of their community. "As with many other people, he got sick and then got behind on his payments," says Browner Hamlin. Hull did get together the money he owed, but at that point the bank would not negotiate with him. "When our national day of action rolled out on December 6, he decided to occupy his home and refuse to leave," Hamlin says. "The community rallied around him."
Hull and a local group called Neighborhoods Organizing for Change (NOC) held press conferences, circulated petitions, and made headlines with protests at Bank of America. Finally, in late February, the bank agreed to renegotiate his mortgage. Browner Hamlin explains, "A few weeks ago, Bobby was talking about how, even if he wins, he is not going to stop doing this organizing because it's so important. I think it's indicative of a pathway to victory: communities rallying together around homeowners and putting their feet down to say, 'We are not going to have another eviction in our neighborhood. We're not going to let that happen.'"
A Range of Tactics
In addition to telling stories of individual successes, OccupyOurHomes.org trains organizers via conference calls and provides resources to new participants looking to get involved. By providing a common hub for local struggles all over the country, it is able to share best practices from the anti-foreclosure and anti-eviction movement.
Local organizers operating under the umbrella of the Occupy movement have pursued a variety of tactics to address housing issues. In California, a collection of groups including Occupy Petaluma, Occupy Los Angeles, and Occupy Santa Cruz have advocated Foreclosure Prevention Zones (FPZs). Within these zones, activists organize, advocate for, and support those facing foreclosure and eviction. Homeowners in FPZs have held weekly vigils and conducted newspaper and radio interviews publicizing their plight. They have also pressured bank executives and local politicians to embrace the area's FPZ, giving these officials an opportunity to publicize their commitment to stop evictions and to negotiate with underwater homeowners. Petaluma Mayor David Glass has called the FPZ effort in his town "a model of mutual respect and cooperation that has delivered mileage."
Occupy Petaluma organizer Tim Nonn says that that Occupy and housing activists in California are also trying to give FPZs legal weight. They are fighting county-by-county to show that, owing to spotty paperwork, the lenders cannot prove they actually own the mortgages and, therefore, do not have the right to foreclose. "We're going to ask county recorders to get an injunction against foreclosures," Nonn explains. "We're working with county recorders and district attorneys across the state. We feel like we could have a de facto moratorium [on foreclosures] in a few months."
Miami-based Take Back the Land has embraced yet another approach. In addition to direct action to keep families in their homes, the South Florida activists—invoking the idea that housing is a human right—have reclaimed foreclosed and vacant properties and moved homeless families into them. "We're liberating that land for human beings and for our communities to use," says founder Max Rameau. He believes that foreclosed and abandoned properties should be put into community land trusts, which would be democratically controlled and would serve as a long-term source of affordable housing. Rameau cites populist land reform movements in South Africa and Brazil as inspirations for more radical occupations. With public housing being demolished in many parts of the United States, Take Back the Land's message is resonating, and the organization is expanding to cities such as Rochester, N.Y., and Madison, Wis.
Connecting to Policy
Although it is an informal network with few resources and no official staff, Occupy Our Homes has been remarkably successful at forging local anti-foreclosure and anti-eviction efforts into a national movement. Ultimately, the foreclosure crisis demands not only direct action in individual cases, but broader policy solutions as well. Several proposals are on the table.
Economist Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C., advocates a "Right to Rent" policy, through which underwater mortgages would be converted into leases. While banks would reclaim ownership of foreclosed homes, families could stay in their homes as renters, paying market-rate rent, for a substantial period of time—up to five years. Baker estimates those rents would be 40 to 80 percent lower than mortgage payments based on inflated housing prices.
In addition to keeping people in their homes, "Right to Rent" would keep neighborhoods from being blighted by vacant, boarded-up homes, and it would cost taxpayers nothing. Perhaps most important, since banks tend to avoid becoming landlords, it would give them significant incentive to renegotiate mortgages rather than foreclose.
"It's a really great bargaining chip," says Baker, "because it means that banks can't just move through a foreclosure and have a house free and clear."
It's similar to the strategy used by City Life/Vida Urbana in Boston, which works to keep people in their homes by fighting evictions rather than foreclosures.
Organizer Steve Meacham says they've kept over 100 families in their homes by using this strategy. "It's hard to take five people doing loan modifications and bring them together in one fight because their situations are so different...We engage people in making the same demand from their pre-foreclosure status right up through their eviction. That demand is, 'I want my house back at its real value.'"
This demonstrates what is likely the best tool for keeping struggling homeowners in their homes: principal reduction to bring the amount of a mortgage loan down to the home's current market value. Banks have been reluctant to implement principal reduction, because it means decreasing the value of an asset on their balance sheets and could cut into profits if it sets an example for people still paying on the full amount of their original mortgage loans. Yet some states' attorneys general, including California's Kamala Harris and Massachusetts' Martha Coakley, are pressuring the banks—and mortgage assistance agencies Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae—to reduce the principal on underwater mortgages.
Some finance experts are beginning to favor this approach as well, since it minimizes long-term damage to the economy. In November 2011, Amherst Securities senior managing director Laurie Goodman told New York Times columnist Joe Nocera that "the extent to which a home is underwater is the single best indicator of whether the homeowner will default. The only way to change the imbalance between the size of the mortgage and the value of the home is to reduce principal."
What Are Homes For?
In late February, Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairs Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) called upon Edward DeMarco, acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to write down mortgage principal and provide partial "debt forgiveness" for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae mortgage holders. Given that these two agencies own or guarantee more than half of the nation's mortgages, such a policy would have far-reaching implications, if implemented.
Responding to those who say that it's unrealistic to expect such action in Washington, Rep. Ellison contends that the boundaries of the possible could quickly shift with enough community pressure. "I can't tell you how many times we've seen someone say, 'Oh, it's not realistic. It's not going to happen,'" Ellison argues. "Then, somebody is able to muster a lot of community support, and all of a sudden people start getting reasonable."
"We think legislation is an important part," he adds, "but right now, we've got to create the political will that will drive that legislation. You can think of Congress as a sail attached to a mast, and the progressive movement as the wind. I don't care how big your sail is and how shiny it is, the boat's not going anywhere unless the wind is driving it."
To get involved with efforts to defend the rights of homeowners, check out Occupy Our Homes and the Home Defenders League.


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Rep. McNamara fuels changes for vehicle valuations
After recently meeting with Rob Cote, who spearheaded the car talk revolt during the summer, State Representative Joseph McNamara pre-filed a bill to revise automobile valuations and the assessment of excise taxes, as he, along with many other Rhode Islanders, believe the current process is "unrealistic" and "out of control."
According to a press release the State House issued Thursday, nearly 4,000 appeals have been filed since 2010. Within the release, McNamara shared his plan to hold a meeting at the State House on Jan. 4 at 3 p.m. to discuss how the state uses the clean retail value of vehicles, the highest in the NADA bluebook, and how the book does not take into account the mileage or condition of an individual's vehicle. City officials; State Representatives; and Senators from Warwick, as well as members of the General Assembly; the League of Cities and Towns; and Governor Lincoln Chafee's administration, have been invited.
McNamara said he feels assessments should be more personalized and reflect the true value of what someone would receive if they were to sell the vehicle they are being taxed on. His new legislation would create a better appeal process, giving taxpayers an option to appear before the Vehicle Value Commission to present evidence as to why the assessed value on a vehicle may be too high, as well as ensure that a declining percent value is given to all vehicles based on the age of the vehicle or would allow for a set, nominal amount to be assessed on older cars.
While Cote said he is pleased about McNamara's efforts, he believes the legislation is not worded as "strongly" and as "specific" as he would have liked. Nevertheless, he thinks it's a step in the right direction.
"If it gets the conversation moving so be it," Cote said in a phone interview last week.
He said he would have included verbiage to address the fact that the Vehicle Valuation Committee is in violation of Title 44, which was passed in 1998, as the statute dictates a seven-member commission and there are only four current members. He views the commission as "handicapped" due to the lack of additional members, one of whom he said should be a member of the automobile industry.
In response, McNamara said in a phone interview, "The fact that they haven't been appointed is something the Governor has to deal with and that's why we're meeting with the Department of Administration."
Cote also said he would have discussed his issue that all public hearings that are held or called by the Vehicle Value Commission to begin after 7 p.m. so the general public can attend, as he said most people are still at work or just getting out of work at the time meetings are typically scheduled. McNamara said Cote will have the opportunity to mention that to the Commission in January.
Further, despite the fact that McNamara included his opposition of the Commission using clean retail value to access automobiles, Cote said he should have been more clear that the Commission violates Title 44 in this aspect. Cote also wished he added information about the need for a realistic appeal process that has continuity with the appeals process used for collection of sales taxes on automobiles.
Again, McNamara said Jan. 4 will provide the chance to make changes to the language of the pre-file.
"I look at this as an initial draft and there will be amendments before it's submitted, as well as other legislation that is introduced that will ensure our cities and towns have the capability to adjust their budgets because I would guess that statewide evaluations will significantly be reduced," he said. "The language we have is a starting point."
McNamara also said the Commission will most likely establish an appeal process that includes criteria such as mileage and condition of the vehicle, which will be factors for reduction of value.
"We want a process that is fair, transparent, efficient and most importantly doesn't have a whole, unfunded band aid," he said. "In other words, something we can do with existing staff and the existing budget. We also want to ensure that cities and towns will have time to adjust their rates to these newer values that I would expect would be lower."
Cote also said he wasn't thrilled that McNamara didn't ask State Representative Doreen Costa to co-sponsor or co-author his on the pre-file, as he said she has attended all of the council meetings at Warwick City Hall in regards to the excise tax. She also briefly met with McNamara and Cote more than a week ago.
"She has worked behind the scenes for months on the issue," said Cote. "I would have reached across party lines to set an example that when it comes to fair and equitable treatment of individuals who are the hardest hit, that party affiliation has no bearing on the resolution of the issue."
Yet, McNamara said he isn't trying to steal the spotlight on the matter. Rather, he praised Cote, the members if the car tax revolt, plus Costa, for speaking out.
"I give Rob a lot of credit, as well as the individuals who were vocal about this inequity in the law," he said. "It's an important issue, not only in Warwick but statewide. Automobile taxes are difficult enough but when valuations are inflated it really frustrates people. It adds insult to injury and we're looking to correct that."
McNamara also said he believes another piece of legislation will be put forth to allow the League of Cities and Towns to adjust their rates to new, lower valuations. He thinks it will be an involved process, but is confident changes will be made.
"My colleagues in the House and the Warwick delegation are looking forward to working with me on this issue, as well as representatives outside the Warwick area," he said. "The meeting will be very interesting and I think this is the beginning of the process. I hope to build some consensus so we can get legislation approved that addresses the inequity and the vehicle valuations."
Cote is in agreement. He said it doesn't matter who passed the legislation or if he receives accolades for his efforts, he just wants to see changes for the better.
"I could care less whose name is on it or who takes the political credit as long as it gets fixed," he said. "The only thing I ever wanted my name on was my children's birth certificates and my licenses."


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EAU CLAIRE, WIS. (WEAU) - A local teenage chef celebrity stopped at his alma mater on Monday to give a taste of his success and how others can achieve the same.
You may have seen 18-year old Joe Luginbill featured on WEAU or watched his videos on Youtube.
Fame rose fast for the 18-year old just months ago.
He was set for UW-Stout, but after gaining popularity from his homemade cooking videos he set a new path.
Monday Luginbill returned to North high school just a few months after graduating to pass on what he's learned.
He says he hopes his story can inspire students to believe in themselves and to live with no regret.
"What is your passion? What makes you happy? Because what's the point of doing something for your whole life if it's not something you're passionate about? If it's not something that gets the fire in your belly going and gets a smile on your face every morning because that's what you know you're going to go to work to do, " Luginbill said.
Right now Joe says he's working with people on a possible TV show next year, and planning out a cookbook for the future.


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Author: batsnumbereleven
Story: Just One Condition
Part: Just One Condition
Rating: Everyone
Setting: Pre-HBP
Status: Completed
Reviews: 20
Words: 4,990
Updated: January 31, 2005, 10:58am
Just One Condition
Harry sighed as he watched Ginny laugh with Neville. The time had come for him to act. Neville moved away to talk to Dean and Seamus, who had just called him over. Harry took the opportunity to catch Ginny's eye and asked her to join him in front of the fire for a few moments.
"So, what did you want, Harry?" Ginny asked him as she sat down.
Harry paused for a moment, to gather his courage.
"Ginny, what are you planning for the Hogsmeade visit tomorrow? I thought perhaps you might go with me?" Harry said, not sure if he was asking or pleading.
Ginny stared at Harry briefly, and then answered with a slight edge to her tone, "Harry, are you asking me just to get away from Ron and Hermione's bickering, or are you asking me out on a date? You do know it's Valentine's Day tomorrow, don't you?"
Harry felt his face go red.
"W…w…well," he stuttered, "it isn't just Ron and Hermione. I hadn't thought of it as being a date though. I don't have much experience of what to do on a date…last year was-"
Ginny cut him off. "Okay, okay, I don't want to know what you and Cho got up to last year!" she interrupted.
"No, that's my point," Harry replied, "We didn't get up to anything. I hadn't a clue what I was expected to do on a date, and to be truthful, I still don't. We ended up in Madame Puddifoot's, and Cho proceeded to tell me all about Cedric, which wasn't what I wanted to hear. Then when I mentioned that I needed to meet Hermione, to do that Quibbler article, she went off on one, and stormed off. It was only later, when Hermione explained that Cho was jealous, that I had any idea what that was about!"
Ginny sat for a moment thinking, then spoke, "Right. In that case, you are taking me to Hogsmeade tomorrow and it is a date."
Harry tried to interrupt, but Ginny wouldn't let him.
"Look, everyone will assume that it's a date anyway, since you won't be going with Ron and Hermione. We might as well get that straight up front. We'll go to all the places that we would anyway, then we'll go to the Three Broomsticks and have lunch and sit and talk together."
Harry looked relieved.
"But," added Ginny "there's one condition".
"What's that?"
"I get a kiss at the end of the day."
Harry sat there for a moment, slightly bemused, but the more he thought about it, the more he looked forward to kissing Ginny. Ron might have a problem with this though, as he had a tendency to deliberately intimidate Ginny's boyfriends.
"Okay, that seems like a fair deal. I think I'm going to have to book a bed in the hospital wing afterwards though, for when Ron finds out."
Ginny looked furious. "If that prat tries anything, he's history. In fact, let's get this over with right now," she spat, standing and dragging Harry over to where Ron and Hermione were sitting, arguing about Ron copying Hermione's Charms homework.
"Can you two hold your argument for a moment?" Ginny interrupted them.
Hermione cut herself off, in the middle of what appeared to be an extended tirade, and cast them an appraising glance.
"Sure," said Ron, a look of relief in his eye for the interruption. "What can I do for my best mate and my little sister?"
Ginny cast him a glare at the words "little sister", and Ron sat back, somewhat startled.
"Hey, don't you start on me, too," he pleaded, "I've had enough of an ear battering already".
"Ron! If you don't start-" Hermione started, but was prevented from saying any more when Harry raised his hand to cut her off.
"You can continue your argument as soon as we're finished, I promise. In fact, you can argue all day tomorrow if you like."
"What do you mean?" Ron interjected. "It's Hogsmeade tomorrow. You are coming to Hogsmeade, aren't you, Harry?"
"Yes, Ron, I am going to Hogsmeade, but I'm going with Ginny, not with you and Hermione; that's my point."
Ron looked shocked at this. "But I thought that we were best mates? Why don't we go together, all four of us?" he suggested, getting out of his seat.
Hermione pulled him back into his seat, earning a glare from Ron in the process.
"That's okay, Ron, I'm sure we'll manage; after all, you see Harry here in the castle all day. It's not like you suddenly aren't friends anymore!"
Ron looked as though he was going to argue the point further, but subsided somewhat, saying, "Well, we'll all have to meet up in the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer later on, then. I'm sure me and Hermione will have finished arguing by then."
"Umm, I'm not sure if that's in the plan," said Harry, turning to Ginny with a questioning look.
"What plan?" demanded Ron
The silence that followed merely saw Ron getting redder in the face, while Hermione tried to calm him down enough so she could explain what she had already deduced.
Ginny's eyes were streaming with silent tears of laughter. She slowly brought her laughter under control, and whispered to Harry, "That was brilliant. I was just going to tell him outright, but this is even better: we get Hermione to drop the bombshell for us."
"Well, it was just the way that it worked out," replied Harry, "I know you were intending to deliver the message yourself, but the opportunity was just too good to miss."
Ginny was very satisfied that Harry had taken the initiative in the conversation with Ron, while leaving Ron to make his own deductions.
"What!" Ron's bellow was unmistakable. "No way!"
"Ron! Sit down." Hermione's slightly agitated voice could be heard clearly in the silence that followed Ron's outburst.
"No chance," came the response, "there's no way that Harry's taking Ginny to Hogsmeade on a date."
The shocked silence in the room gradually started to return to the normal hubbub as the Gryffindors digested this latest item of gossip. Harry could clearly hear Lavender and Parvati chattering about how long this "state of affairs" had been going on. Ginny turned immediately to confront Ron, her brown eyes flashing dangerously. "I've told you before," she announced firmly, "who I date is none of your business. Keep your meddling hands out of my affairs. If Harry wants to take me to Hogsmeade for Valentine's Day then that's our decision to make, not yours!"
"Harry doesn't even like you that way, do you Harry?" asked Ron, turning to his best friend for support.
This was the point when Harry had an epiphany. He did like Ginny that way, but now he knew exactly what to do to solve at least two problems: finding out whether Ginny felt the same way, and getting Ron to accept that Ginny was growing up.
Harry took action.
"Ron," he said, "can you just shut up for a minute please?"
Ron was so surprised that he did exactly that, although the goldfish effect hadn't been part of the request. His reaction was only magnified as Harry turned to Ginny, leaned down slightly, and kissed her gently on the lips.
Neither Harry nor Ginny heard the cheer that erupted from the Gryffindor common room. They were too busy lingering longer over their kiss that Harry had expected and Ginny had hoped.
As they gently parted, eyes locked, and with a degree of wonder on their faces, they returned to the look of shock on Ron's face.
"You bastard, Harry," were the last words Harry heard before he felt the impact of Ron's fist on his jaw.
* * *
As Harry came to, he could make out the familiar surroundings of the hospital wing.
"Oh no, not again," he thought to himself, "what did I do this time?"
A quick assessment revealed that his jaw and the back of his head ached (and fortunately nothing else), and as he opened his eyes to see a shock of red hair, he had a sudden recollection of exactly what had happened.
Fortunately, it was Ginny that sat by his bedside, rather than Ron. She smiled as she saw him stir, causing him to smile in return.
"Told you I'd need a bed in the hospital wing," Harry said with a grimace.
Ginny didn't reply straightaway, but leaned over Harry and grinned.
"I hope you don't mind, but I just wanted to do this again," she said as she bent down and kissed him gently as he lay in the hospital bed.
"No, I have no objection to that at all," he said with a smirk, "as long as Ron's not around to witness it, that is," he added as an afterthought.
Ginny's face clouded over at the reminder, but then a mischievous smile appeared instead.
"That prat," she replied firmly, "has been dealt with. In fact, I'm glad you didn't wake up facing the other way."
Harry turned his head to see Ron in the next bed along, apparently under the influence of a sedative.
"That doesn't look like the after-effects of a Bat Bogey Hex, Ginny," he said, grinning. "What did you do to him?"
"I didn't," Ginny responded. "I was as stunned as you were that Ron would actually hit you," said Ginny. "Well okay, perhaps not literally as stunned," she amended as Harry raised his eyebrows in question. "I thought he would be all threat and bluster. I didn't think he would actually resort to physical violence!"
"That still doesn't explain why he's in the hospital wing as well," Harry noted, urging Ginny to continue with her story.
"Well, even though I stood there copying Ron's goldfish impression, you'll recall that the rest of the room was watching as well. Some of them acted on impulse and by the time your head hit the floor, Ron had been hit by at least three stunners, not to mention some slightly more painful curses to…umm…his…umm…nether regions, shall we say?"
Harry winced in sympathy.
"It's a very sensitive part of the anatomy," he said with a grin. "Hopefully Madam Pomfrey will be able to sort him out, though that might prove somewhat embarrassing for him."
"That'll be between him and me, Mister Potter," admonished Madame Pomfrey as she walked around the corner towards Harry. "Now, if you've nothing more than a headache and sore jaw, then you may leave. Please do not wake Mister Weasley. He's under sedation for a reason," she added.
Ginny giggled at this but was quietened by a stern look from Madam Pomfrey.
"I hope that you were not party to your brother's injuries, Miss Weasley. I still haven't had an explanation of how and why they were received."
As they stepped outside the doors of the Hospital Wing, Ginny turned to Harry, "Are you really okay?" she asked him. "I was worried that Ron had hurt you really badly."
"Well, apart from a headache and a developing fear of tall red-headed teenagers," Harry joked, "then yes, I'm fine."
"It's a good job I'm not tall then, isn't it?" Ginny retorted. "Are you still okay to go to Hogsmeade tomorrow, Harry? I know it was what you wanted in the first place, but if you aren't feeling up to it, I will understand."
"Hey, I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
"Well, just so you know, that condition still stands," Ginny pointed out.
Harry looked closely at Ginny, considering his words carefully.
"Then I'm definitely looking forward to tomorrow. Though there's nothing wrong with a little sneak preview, of course," he said as he pulled her gently into his arms.
"Not in the school corridors, please, Mister Potter, Miss Weasley," came a familiar voice from behind Harry. "I think I'm beginning to understand what might have happened this evening." Professor McGonagall continued, "Please see me in my office tomorrow morning after breakfast to discuss this matter further. In the meantime, you should get back to your common room."
With that warning ringing in their ears, Harry and Ginny returned to the Gryffindor common room and almost immediately to their beds although Harry paused briefly to explain to the few Gryffindors that were still awake, that he was fine, but Ron was still in the hospital wing.
* * *
Breakfast the following morning was an excitable affair with all the students abuzz with the anticipation of the Hogsmeade visit. With it being Valentine's Day, there was an awful lot of post being delivered.
Harry was a little anxious this morning with the prospect of an interrogation by Professor McGonagall after the morning meal, but also because he didn't know how Ginny would react this morning. Also on his mind, was the fact that he hadn't armed himself with the traditional card to present to Ginny when she arrived at breakfast.
Harry was still lost in thought when Ginny slid into a spot between Harry and Seamus at the Gryffindor table. "Morning Harry," she said, making herself comfortable, "how's your head this morning?"
"It's not too bad. Still a bit sore, but I'll get over it," Harry replied, the butterflies in his stomach starting to make him lose his appetite. "Umm, Happy Valentine's Day, Ginny," he continued, "I'm afraid that I haven't…."
"That's not important, Harry," Ginny replied, turning to face him. "I'm more worried about what McGonagall has in store for us after breakfast."
That thought didn't help Harry's nervousness either, but there was one thing he had to ask before the day went any further.
"Ginny," he started, "about yesterday..."
"Yes, Harry," Ginny replied with a hint of mischief in her eyes, "what about yesterday?"
"Well," Harry continued, "you don't regret anything do you?"
Ginny sniggered.
"Yes, Harry," she replied confidently. "I do regret something; something very important."
Harry's heart fell at this. What could he have done to make Ginny regret kissing him?
"Harry, you look a little pale," said Hermione, sitting down on the other side of the table. "Are you sure you're okay? I thought Madam Pomfrey said you were fine."
"Eh? What? Oh hullo, Hermione," Harry said, as he was startled from his reflections. He quickly summoned the courage to ask Ginny the question that he was now dreading the answer to. "What do you regret, Ginny?"
With a look of comprehension, which turned to a look of horror, Hermione realised what Harry was asking. Meanwhile, Ginny had taken in Harry's shaken expression and the look on Hermione's face, and decided to put them both out of their misery.
"I regret not getting to my wand quickly enough to curse Ron, too," she said.
The look of relief on Harry's face was almost comical.
"Ginny, it's not fair to wind Harry up like that after all he went through yesterday," Hermione chided. "I saw the look on both your faces after Harry kissed you last night, and I know that you're going to be great as a couple."
"A couple?" Harry asked.
"What else did you think, Harry, after a kiss like that?" Ginny said softly. "Anyhow, now that we're a couple," Ginny continued, "that means I'm allowed to pull your leg about last night. But more importantly, it means I get to do this whenever I feel like it," she added, and pulled Harry's face down to her own for a long, slow kiss, which Harry quickly responded to.
"Not at the table, children," Hermione snickered as they broke apart.
With all the owls flying in and out throughout breakfast, it was quite a chaotic meal, and to top things off, an unknown owl flew in and dropped an envelope at Hermione's seat.
Hermione looked up in surprise, but was soon the subject of the attention of most of the table, who had automatically assumed that whatever had arrived, must have been a Valentine's card.
They were right.
Hermione opened the envelope to release a card that immediately expanded to a size of four feet square, knocking over several breakfast bowls and covering the nearest students in various breakfast foods. Hermione just sat there, too shocked to notice the chaos that was going on around her.
"Who would've sent it to her?" came a voice from the Slytherin table. "After all, it's not like there's anyone who'd fancy a know- it-all like her."
Hermione still sat there staring at the mammoth card that had appeared before her.
"What does it say, Hermione?" Ginny prompted.
Hermione tentatively opened the card, being careful to avoid any further destruction to the breakfast table.
"It just says 'All my love,'" Hermione replied, still somewhat disconcerted.
"Umm, Hermione, does it say who it's from?" asked Harry, not totally sure whether he wanted to know the answer, but since the question was begging to be asked, he thought he'd be the one to go with the obvious.
"It's from Ron."
Harry and Ginny looked at each other, with lots of questions in their eyes.
"I'm so stupid."
This, coming from Hermione, was a shocker. Probably about on par with Malfoy admitting a love for Muggleborns or Percy suggesting that they "wing it", rather than go by the book. The number of questions that Harry and Ginny had now increased exponentially.
"Elucidate, Hermione," Ginny suggested.
"Eh?" Harry asked.
"It means 'explain' or 'clarify,' Harry," Hermione advised, clearly having conquered her 'stupid' moment, "and this complicates things."
"I think we were looking for a fuller explanation than that, Hermione," joked Harry
"Let me ask you this in another way, Hermione," said Ginny, gently, "what are your feelings for Ron?"
"Oh, he's the most wonderful, insufferable, brilliant, irritating, handsome, lazy, hunky, hopeless, funny, frustrating, loveable prat in the whole school," she replied, without missing a beat.
"So tell him, Hermione," Ginny insisted. "He's obviously got feelings for you that are enough for him to send you a card that tells the whole school that he loves you, even though I didn't think that he had the slightest inclination to do anything quite as romantic as this!"
"That's not the problem," Hermione worried. "The problem is that, well, it's what I did to him yesterday. I don't know if he'll ever be able to forgive me. It was totally excessive. He'll hate me forever."
Seeing that dragging this out of Hermione was taking an age, and mindful that they were due in McGonagall's office straight after breakfast, Harry made an executive decision.
"Right, well you can tell us all about it on the way to McGonagall's office, otherwise we're going to end up with an even worse punishment for last night. On top of that, the whole school will know what you did that was so unforgivable!"
"Ohmygod!" Hermione exclaimed, suddenly realising that she was discussing her feelings for Ron in front of the entire school. "I don't believe this!" she proclaimed as she rushed out of the Great Hall.
* * *
The summons to Professor McGonagall's office had proved less harrowing than Harry and Ginny had anticipated. Professor McGonagall had visited Ron in the hospital wing, who had refused to cast blame on anyone for his injuries. As a result, the only punishment forthcoming was for Ron, for punching Harry in the first place. Who had informed the Gryffindor Head of House of this was a mystery to Harry.
A brief visit to the infirmary revealed an extremely apologetic Ron, who had apparently taken all the blame, and was distraught that he had assaulted Harry. This was swiftly followed by a request for about half of Honeydukes stock to be picked up for him, since Ron wasn't going anywhere other than the hospital wing, according to Madam Pomfrey.
* * *
Harry and Ginny toured a few of the shops and chatted companionably as they went, picking up some of the items Ron had requested. By lunchtime they had progressed as far as the Three Broomsticks.
As it was still fairly early, the Three Broomsticks wasn't all that busy, so it wasn't long before their order arrived. Just as they were starting to eat though, a huge rumbling noise echoed from somewhere above them, causing the pub to go quiet. A few students started shouting questions about what was making the noise, but Harry couldn't think of any particular reason for it.
Across the room, Harry could see Malfoy straining to hear something, and he gestured to Ginny to listen carefully as well. All they could hear was a soft creaking noise, but Malfoy had apparently decided that this creaking sound was his cue to leave, so Harry was immediately aware that something was afoot.
Suddenly, one of the load-bearing columns of the pub gave way, allowing the roof to cave in. A number of students had been immediately below where the roof had collapsed, and Harry feared for their safety. Students began streaming out of the pub, only to be met with resistance from somebody outside, trapping them.
Figuring that where the roof had already collapsed there was the least danger of any more ceiling caving in, Harry motioned for Ginny to follow him.
"Somebody check to see if it's safe to leave through the kitchen," Harry yelled across to anybody that might be listening.
Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecombe peeled away from the group by the front door and headed back towards the kitchens, while Harry and Ginny made their way across to where the roof had caved in. A couple of third year Hufflepuffs were trying to move a heavy piece of concrete that lay on top of the rubble, and was preventing anyone who might be trapped underneath from escaping.
Harry recognised Owen Cauldwell and Kevin Whitby, though he hadn't come across them more than once or twice before.
"Here," Harry said, "let us help you with that. I don't think you'll manage it by yourselves."
Harry looked down and was sickened to see a number of limbs protruding from the rubble. "How did they get in that position?" he wondered, before feeling even sicker at the thought of the damage beneath.
"Do you know who's under there?" he asked the two Hufflepuffs.
Neither of them knew for certain, but Owen thought that Madam Rosmerta might have been caught under the rubble, since she was nowhere to be seen.
Harry and Ginny added their physical strength to Owen and Kevin's, and moved the large block so that they could dig into the rubble.
In the meantime, Cho and Marietta returned and reported that there were people out the back preventing exit, as well as at the front.
"Damn!" Harry cursed. "Fine way to spend your first date, eh Ginny," he said, turning to his new-found girlfriend with a grimace.
Cho looked at him with sympathy.
"Harry, I know this probably isn't the most convenient time to say this but, best of luck to the two of you," Cho said. "Now, with that said, everyone is waiting for you to tell them what the heck we do now!"
"Me?" Harry asked, "Why me?"
"Because you've already taken charge, you're the only one with any experience in crisis situations, and pretty much everyone else is panicking"
Ginny touched his arm. "She's right, Harry. You're the only one who people will respond to right now."
Harry looked across at the doorway, where students were still scrambling to get out, and just as quickly, scrambling to get back in again, as they heard and saw curses hurled in their direction by the attackers.
"Okay," he agreed, "but I'm going to need some help with this."
Ginny, Cho, Marietta, and the two young Hufflepuffs nodded.
"Right then. Cho, you're in charge of these two." Harry indicated Owen and Kevin. "See if you can get down to any of these poor guys under the rubble."
Harry turned to Marietta. "I need you to maintain a lookout from the kitchen to give us warning if we start getting visitors from that entrance. At the moment, there's no problem with the front entrance, since there are about 50 students blocking it."
Harry considered this further, and looked with disdain at the scrum of students trying to get out the front of the Three Broomsticks. Harry scanned the room for someone who might actually be of use. Spying Neville, he called him over and asked him to go with Marietta. Neville quickly agreed, and he and Marietta headed off towards the kitchens to keep watch.
Harry shouted for quiet and for the students to stop panicking. Most of them did, and turned to him to see what he had to say. He split them up into two groups. One group was to maintain a watch on the attackers from the front door and provide advance warning of any attempted entry to the building. The second group was assigned to help Cho dig bodies out of the rubble.
Harry thought it odd that the wards that Dumbledore and the rest of the staff normally set on Hogsmeade to alert them of any threat, hadn't been set off, but for now he had other things to worry about.
His first stop was the main kitchen to check if the Floo network was up and running. Unfortunately, the pinch of Floo powder that he was able to find was not enough to trigger a connection.
The upper story was only attic-sized and had largely caved in; the cellar provided no clues, either. It appeared as though the only way out was through the conventional entrances.
Harry returned to the main bar and looked over to Cho's group, who had finished digging bodies out of the rubble to find that there were three students and, as Owen had thought, Madam Rosmerta. They were busy cleaning wounds, and checking for broken bones, but none of the patients had regained consciousness. Cho had the small team well organized and had arranged for warm water and towels.
Ginny arrived and sat with Harry.
"I think you should come and talk to Neville. He's got some interesting information and some speculation for you, too."
Harry and Ginny made their way back to the kitchen door, where Neville and Marietta were standing watch. Ginny had reported back that they were constantly testing whether or not the doors were being watched, to maintain the appearance that the students were still looking for an escape route through the back.
"Harry, the folks out there don't seem to have enough numbers to maintain fire on both exits and be able to make an effort to get inside the building as well," Neville began, "and I don't think they're Death Eaters, either."
Harry looked out through the window at the group of attackers keeping their wands trained on the back door. None of them looked familiar to Harry, but they weren't wearing Death Eater robes and masks.
"So if they aren't Death Eaters, who are they?" Harry questioned
"Well, I think I recognise a couple of them out there as part of the Durmstrang delegation to the Tri-wizard tournament," Neville suggested. "Malfoy's out there, too, and although he's ordering them about like he usually does, this isn't the sort of gathering that he could put together – someone else must be in charge."
"So, who do you think it is then?" Harry asked, suddenly lightening up a little. If it was only some ex-Durmstrang students, it might be that he could fight his way through to get help from Hogwarts.
"I'm not sure," Neville admitted, "but it might be Karkaroff. This might be an attempt to get back in You-Know-Who's good graces."
Harry considered this and thought it possible. He knew that Karkaroff had fled when the Dark Mark burned on his arm. Harry had hoped that he was one less Death Eater to deal with, but apparently not. Life was like that for Harry, so he ventured back to the main bar and took a closer look at the attackers.
Goyle. Check.
Crabbe. Check.
Flint. Check. Damn him, couldn't he stay away from Hogwarts? Weren't eight years enough?
Karkaroff. Check. Bugger. Perhaps battling his way through wasn't such a good idea, after all.
A cheer from the excavating groups told Harry that at least there was some good news. Cho brought Harry the news that Madam Rosmerta had regained consciousness, and was asking for him. Harry made his was through the throng of scared students to her side.
"Sorry, Harry," Madam Rosmerta apologised, "but I'm in no condition to help. You need to get the students out of here."
"Go down into the cellar," she told him, "The bricks in the far wall are loose. You should be able to pull them out so that you can all get through to the cellar of Madam Puddifoot's next door. From there you should be able to call Dumbledore through the Floo and get him to send help. Get as many students as possible to Floo to the other end of Hogsmeade and out of the way."
Harry winced visibly at the name of the teashop but otherwise looked relieved that there was a way out. He started the two third year Hufflepuffs moving the bricks in the cellar, and Cho and Ginny organised the students' escape to the next shop with little effort; between them, ensuring that the injured were transported safely and carefully, did not take much time.
As they supervised the evacuation of the final students through the Floo in Madam Puddifoot's, Harry turned to Ginny with a satisfied but tired smile. "I'm sorry that our fist date had to go like this. It's not exactly been a bundle of laughs, has it?"
Ginny just smiled and said, "Never mind, we'll have to go somewhere safer, for our next first date, but for now, I believe you owe me a kiss as your part of the deal."
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text:
BOSTON (AP) -- Carey Price stopped 29 shots to help Montreal beat the Boston Bruins 3-1 in Game 7 on Wednesday night and put the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference finals.
Montreal will play the New York Rangers for a spot in the Stanley Cup finals.
Dale Weise, Max Pacioretty and Daniel Briere scored for the Canadiens, who advanced to the conference finals for just the second time since winning the most recent of their NHL-record 24 Stanley Cup titles in 1993.
Jarome Iginla scored for Boston. Tuukka Rask made 15 saves for the Bruins, who had the NHL's best record in the regular season.


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There was a time when Christian charities would raise money by showing films of their good works in church basements.
Then Russ Reid, a marketing man who specialized in religious groups, came up with a bold plan for World Vision, a client that sought to feed the world's poor: Buy an hour of TV time and hire a camera crew to roam the world with a warmhearted celebrity, introducing viewers to impoverished children.
Even if the grand effort flopped, there would be a saving grace, he jokingly told a dubious charity executive: "You'll have the most expensive church film ever made."
Reid's 1971 brainstorm succeeded beyond his expectations. With help from Reid's productions, World Vision grew from a modest organization with 60 workers to a billion-dollar network with 45,000 employees in nearly 100 countries. The charity's infomercials, with their poignant images of starving children and urgent requests to "just pick up the phone," became TV fixtures and were widely imitated.
Reid, a pioneer in promoting faith-based charities with the Madison Avenue techniques they had long shunned, died Dec. 7 at his home in Sierra Madre. He was 82.
He had Parkinson's disease and died of pneumonia, his family said.
While Reid retired in 2001, the agency he founded still bears his name. Based in Pasadena, it has raised funds for groups such as Boys Town, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the National Coalition Against Pornography, and Habitat for Humanity. It represents some 85 rescue missions across North America, according to Tom Harrison, its chairman.
Reid's perception of charities was simple, Harrison said: "These guys know how to do their work but not how to tell their story."
To many of them, aggressive marketing was unseemly.
In a 1987 talk to the Assn. of Gospel Rescue Missions, Reid recalled a pastor on a conference stage being worried about how to introduce him moments later.
"Would it be possible for me to introduce you as anything other than the president of an advertising agency?" the pastor whispered.
"No," Reid responded. "That's what I am."
Reid is credited with a number of innovations in charity fundraising. In 1968, he was among the first to "personalize" computer-generated charity mailings by including recipients' names in solicitation letters.
He picked up the idea from a direct mail piece put out by an auto dealership, said Bill Kliewer, a former executive vice president for World Vision USA. Similarly, Kliewer said, an evangelist's paid time on TV inspired "Children of Zero," Reid's pioneering 1971 production for World Vision.
"Somehow he got Art Linkletter to host our first TV show," Kliewer said. "We went to Korea, Hong Kong and Vietnam. My wife held his cue cards."
Subsequent TV productions were anchored by "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek, actress/singer Julie Andrews and other celebrities.
In the 1980s, Reid helped the foundering Los Angeles Rescue Mission regain its footing, said Gifford Claiborne, a former agency executive.
Struggling just to pay its bills, the mission had 3,000 donors in 1982 and a yearly budget of just $125,000. Five years later, after a barrage of direct mail pieces, newspaper ads and telethons engineered by Reid, some 90,000 donors contributed about $5 million annually.
"He was such an amazing entrepreneur," said Claiborne, who first met Reid, an ardent violin player, while he was singing in a gospel quartet.
Reid's agency came up with the evangelical "I Found It!" bumper stickers for Campus Crusade for Christ, creating a slogan that generated instant parodies as well as widespread publicity.
But not all of his ideas were winners. His National Caring Network – a plan to buy all of the time on a cable channel and re-sell it to nonprofits for round-the-clock charity broadcasts – went nowhere.
"It presupposed that people wake up in the morning saying, 'Sweetie, it's time to give away more money—who should we give it to?' " Harrison said.
In interviews, Reid said he aimed for mass appeal, not influence over some elite demographic.
"You look at the big money that's given to charities: Where's it coming from? Not foundations, not corporate givers, not major donors, but from Johnny Lunchpail," he told The Times in 1985.
Born on Jan. 9, 1931, in Vancouver, Canada, Russell Charles Reid grew up poor and left school after 10th grade, his daughter Anne Oppermann said in an interview.
Raised in a fundamentalist church, he was convinced that he was meant to be a missionary in Peru. For years, though, he struggled against the growing realization that he wasn't cut out for that line of work.
"My father was a man who liked creature comforts," his daughter said, laughing. "I can't imagine him being a missionary in Peru. He wasn't a camper."
As a young man, Reid was program manager for a Christian radio station in Seattle. Before starting his own agency in Park Ridge, Ill., he worked for Word Publishing in Waco, Texas, a marketer of Christian books and records.
Headquartered in Pasadena with offices in Fairfax, Va., and Toronto, his 300-person agency was acquired by Omnicom Group Inc. in 1998.
Divorced in 1978, Reid is survived by Cathie, his wife of 30 years. In addition to his daughter Anne, he is also survived by his daughter Janis; sons Mark and Paul; eight grandchildren; and his brother Bob.


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I have seen some comments made recently referring to Dale Steyn's average of 45 ish in the two match series against Pakistan in the UAE in 2010 as being some sort of black mark against his name which must be considered when discussing the merits of him as a bowler, especially considering the recent performance of some English bowlers in the same location. I hesitate to say same conditions for reasons which I will state now.
During that series Dale Steyn averaged 46.33. This has been mentioned as a failure against Pakistan/in the UAE. But is it really that or just due to some of the worst pitches (in terms of producing a competitive match, no other reason) I have seen in recent years.
Let's consider Steyn's away career average against Pakistan first up. At first glance it seems to be a disappointing 33.33 from 3 matches (overall vs Pakistan 30.89 from 5 matches), but if you remove these two test matches that average drops to 24.66 (Yes, I know that leaves a ridiculously small sample of 2 matches, but then when my question arises because people are criticizing Steyn for a lackluster performance in a two match series I think that statistic is still valid). (Steyn has played one match against Pakistan in SA with an average of 21.75).
Now let us considering the particular two series which have lead to me asking this question, specifically looking at the common factors in both series, i.e. the Pakistan bowlers namely, Rehman, Gul, Ajmal and Hafeez.
Rehman averaged 48.55 against SA and 16.73 against England, Gul averaged 85.50 against SA and 22.27 against England, Ajmal 65.66 and 14.70 and Hafeez 55.50 and 16.00.
I think (for me at least) two thing are clear from that:
1) All the Pakistan bowlers have significantly better averages in the England series
2) Dale Steyn averaged better than the four Pakistan bowlers who played in both series, in the SA vs Pakistan series (he did not average better than Tanvir Ahmed and Wahab Riaz, but Riaz only took two wickets)
My conclusion at least is that the pitches in that series were a disgrace if amongst such good bowlers on both sides, not one could average under 40 (again excluding Tanvir Ahmed and Riaz), and that that series cannot be held up as a serious failing on the part of Steyn or used in any meaningful comparison of the abilities of the current SA and England attacks considering the wildly different conditions faced by the bowlers.
My question is do others see it the same way, or do people really consider Pakistan 2010 as a black mark against Steyn's bowling record and something to be considered when discussing SA vs England as a bowling unit?
Look forward to reading everyone's replies.


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Published 24 August 2010
L'Italiana in Algeri.
Concertante performance of Gioachino Rossin's opera
The Göteborg Opera on Saturday August 28 and Sunday August 29 at 6 pm
We start off the opera season at The Göteborg Opera with a sparkling celebration of song. Internationally acclaimed Swedish star Ann Hallenberg will perform at The Göteborg Opera for the first time.
L'Italiana in Algeri by Gioachino Rossini is a masterpiece within the opera buffa genre. The Göteborg Opera production is a concertante version with seven soloists, a male choir and orchestra. We're pleased to present our Swedish superstar Ann Hallenberg in the title role as Isabella (the Italian Girl). The part has become her signature role, and she has previously performed it at several of the great opera houses.
Of equally high international standing is Italian Andrea Patucelli , who sings the role of the ruthless and lecherous Mustafà and Russian Maxim Mironov, who sings Lindoro's extremely high tenor passages. The Göteborg Opera soloist Markus Schwartz gets yet another opportunity to show off his comical and vocal abilities in the role of Isabella's faithful servant Taddeo, who nurses an unrequited love for Isabella.
L'Italiana in Algeri also marks the start of Giancarlo Andretta's appointment as our principal guest conductor. This season he will also conduct our spring production of Lucia di Lammermoor and the plan is for him to conduct an opera production and a concertante performance each season.
Première on Saturday August 28 at 6 pm. Will also be performed on Sunday August 29 at 6 pm. The performance lasts three hours and fifteen minutes, including a break.
For review tickets, please contact the below by Wednesday August 25 at the latest.
Best regards,
Christina Bjerkander
Press manager
031-10 80 35


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Cub Scout Heritages
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
(Difference between revisions)
(New page: {{Infobox_CubScoutsAcademics&Sports |name= Heritages |belt_loop_image = Heritages.jpg |pin_image = a-Heritages.gif |type = Academics }} Tiger Cub, [[Wolf Cub Scout|Wo...)
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*[[Bear Achievements|Bear Achievement]] 8e
*[[Bear Achievements|Bear Achievement]] 8e
*[[Webelos Family Member Activity Badge]] requirement 12
*[[Webelos Family Member Activity Badge]] requirement 12
[[Category:Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program|H]]
[[Category:Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program|H]]
Revision as of 15:23, March 6, 2008
| Heritages
Belt Loop and Pin
Heritages Academics Belt Loop
Belt Loop Requirements
Complete these three requirements:
- 1. Talk with members of your family about your family heritage: its history, traditions, and culture.
- 2. Make a poster that shows the origins of your ancestors. Share it with your den or other group.
- 3. Draw a family tree showing members of your family for three generations.
Academics Pin Requirements
Earn the Heritages belt loop, and complete five of the following requirements:
- 1. Participate in a pack heritage celebration in which Cub Scouts give presentations about their family heritage.
- 2. Attend a family reunion.
- 3. Correspond with a pen pal from another country. Find out how his or her heritage is different from yours.
- 4. Learn 20 words in a language other than your native language.
- 5. Interview a grandparent or other family elder about what it was like when he or she was growing up.
- 6. Work with a parent or adult partner to organize family photographs in a photo album.
- 7. Visit a genealogy library and talk with the librarian about how to trace family records. Variation: Access a genealogy Web site and learn how to use it to find out information about ancestors.
- 8. Make an article of clothing, a toy, or a tool that your ancestors used. Show it to your den.
- 9. Help your parent or adult partner prepare one of your family's traditional food dishes.
- 10. Learn about the origin of your first, middle, or last name.
| The official source for the information shown in this article or section is:
Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program Guide, 2003 Edition (BSA Supply SKU #637685)
Related achievements, electives, or other awards
- Bear Achievement 8e
- Webelos Family Member Activity Badge requirement 12


text:
BELVIDERE – The Class 4A Belvidere North Regional is full of good teams. Huntley knew that coming into Tuesday, a three seed with just six losses.
The Red Raiders passed their first postseason test against second-seeded DeKalb, not trailing after halftime in a 50-46 win. The Red Raiders move on to play top-seeded Belvidere North at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the regional final.
"We knew coming into this with how loaded this regional was and with the quality of teams that were there, DeKalb and Belvidere North, and [DeKalb] very well could have been a one-seed in this regional with the record they had and the season they had," Huntley coach Steve Raethz said. "I'm so proud of our girls with the way they fought tonight and came out, and they really executed our game plan well on both ends of the floor.
"And they really exuded a lot of toughness tonight on both ends of the floor. And I thought when things got tight we didn't waver. And we made plays on the offensive end, and defensively we made plays as well when we needed them."
Huntley (22-6) freshman forward Ali Andrews finished with a game-high 19 points, and hit two big 3-pointers. Sam Andrews had 13 points for the Red Raiders, Bethany Zornow finished with 11 and Haley Ream had seven.
Ali Andrews even played some point guard in the first half.
"She did a great job with it," Raethz said. "Our players made some great in-game adjustments."
DeKalb (23-5) coach Chris Davenport gave credit to the Red Raiders play, and said that 46 points should be good enough to win with his group. Unfortunately for the Barbs, players like the Andrews sisters were just too much.
"It's what we do. We grind it out and we play D," Davenport said. "We didn't play D tonight."
Tuesday's victory against a DeKalb team was a big step for Huntley, but Raethz knows it's only step one.
"It was one game," he said. "The larger goal and the task at hand is to come up with a regional championship."