text:
Thanks for bringing your ideas to KLRU. KLRU strives to present locally-produced television programming that reflects the Central Texas community. The station both broadcasts original content and helps facilitate national release of completed films and TV shows. KLRU's Green Light Committee evaluates projects for development. The committee, made up of KLRU employees from all station departments, reviews projects to ensure they meet KLRU standards. Proposals may be submitted to KLRU at any time throughout the year. The Green Light Committee can only consider your proposal if you have signed and submitted the release form. KLRU typically does not have funding set aside for production cost, but can supply in-kind services and fundraising support for approved projects.
Local Broadcast
Completed films and shows (25 minutes or longer) can be considered for local broadcast on KLRU, KLRU Create, and KLRU Q. Submit a dvd of your completed film to KLRU's Senior Vice President for Programming Maria Rodriguez at PO BOX 7158, Austin, TX 78713.
State and National Distribution
Films and shows, at any stage of development, can also be considered for state and/or national distribution. Works for consideration in this category must go through a multi-step process that begins with submitting a project overview and clips of the completed work and a release form to Scott Hoffman at PO Box 7158, Austin, TX 78713.
KLRU has helped facilitate several projects through the ITVS' LINCS grant programs. For more details about these funding initiatives visit the ITVS Web site.
PBS Kids
For more details about producing children's programming for PBS, download the PBS Kids Producer Guidelines pdf.
Review Process
Each project is judged on many criteria, including but not limited to the quality of the proposal or completed work, the credentials of the production team, the needs of the schedule, and whether it meets KLRU's core operating principle to focus on programming that discovers, reflects, and brings to life the essence of Austin. If the project is accepted by the Green Light Committee, deadlines will be determined and a strategy for facilitating broadcast/distribution of the program will be set. Producers will be notified shortly thereafter. Producers must submit the following with their program:
Frequently Asked Questions
Q) Will KLRU fund my project?
A) Most likely not. As much we would like to have monies set aside just for outside producers, at this time, we do not. Most producers submitting projects have funders attached or ones in mind to ask for support.
Q) Should I only submit a completed program or does it have to be in the early stages of production?
A) We accept projects in all stages of development/production.
Q) Will my program have National distribution?
A) This is determined on a case by case situation. First and foremost KLRU serves the Central Texas area. That is our focus. We do have ways of making shows available to other markets outside of Texas, but whether or not a station airs your program is entirely up to each individual station.
Q) Can I have my program aired during primetime?
A) The time that you program airs is determined by many things. It depends on availability in primetime. It also depends on subject matter of the project (aka it has to air after 10 p.m.). Ultimately though, it is up to the discretion of programmers where to place a program.
Scott Hoffman
KLRU-TV, Austin PBS
P.O. Box 7158 // Austin, Texas // 78713-7158
main 512.471.4811 // fax 512.475-9090
email firstname.lastname@example.com


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Support the McCorison Book Fund
Types of materials purchased through funds provided by the McCorison Book Fund:
James Fennimore Cooper, Leatherstocking Tales, Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard, 1843-45. $3,250
The longest running scholarly initiative based on the Society's collection has been The Writings of James Fennimore Cooper. Conceived by Cooper scholar James Franklin Beard, Jr. of Clark University, the project was established in 1967 as the joint undertaking of Clark and AAS. Over the past forty-five years teams of scholars have established definitive, critically edited texts for twenty-two of Cooper's works. The Society's contribution to the project has been to assemble as complete a collection as possible of all editions of Cooper's work, in any language, published up to 1877. This multi-volume set of the Leatherstocking Tales contains the second printings of the first three volumes and the first printings of the last two and was issued over two years. It is an important addition to the Cooper collection, which includes multiple first editions, letters, literary manuscripts and foreign imprints. This project is central to the mission of the Society to participate in American book and literary history scholarship.
Paul Revere (cut only). Relief Fire Society, Rules and Orders for the Relief Society. Boston, John Boyle, 1773. $7,500
This broadside records members of the Boston Fire Relief Society. The design atop the sheet was cast in lead by Paul Revere and features a central cherub with a halo of fire hose, surrounded by fire buckets, a horn, and other tools of fire fighting. A pair of cherubs holds up a banner with the Latin phrase "In Angustiis Amici" or "Friends are in Trouble." The document lays out the rules of the society and states that each member must assist the others in case of a fire. The Society's holdings of printed work by Paul Revere is one of the most complete anywhere in the world.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|SKYY Hotel Bangkok is luxury boutique hotel that offers a blend
of comfort and modernity at affordable rates amidst the vibrant and
exciting city of Bangkok. Abstract and unconventional architecture inspired
by the cosmic explosion originating the beginning of the universe fused
with contemporary living, this hotel is set to become the preferred
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inspired property hotel occupies an enviable location beside world-renowned
Bumrungrad International Hospital, Southeast Asia is largest medical
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international tourists visiting Thailand for medical treatment.
|SKYY Hotel Bangkok offers 60 rooms Guestrooms range
from Superior to Connecting Room, all featuring high-tech amenities.
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|Executive Room
|Cielo Restaurant - is a venue to meet up friends for drinks and catching
up after a hard day's work, tiring day from shopping and exploring the
city attracting guests at our hotel as well as the general public with
the availability of Halal food.
Cielo Restaurant serves International cuisine. Opens from Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Room Service from 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
|SKYY Hotel Bangkok is designed to cater to the needs of business
travelers and medical tourists. Limousine service is on hand anytime
upon request and so are laundry and dry-cleaning services. Room service
is available daily from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm as well as a warm and inviting
all-day dining venue at the second level serving fresh and healthy Thai
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There's a lovely bar where guests can unwind after a hard-day's work. Because of it's proximity to some of the best medical facilities in Bangkok and maybe the world, SKYY Hotel Bangkok designers have made sure that all rooms are access-friendly with low on-ramp inclines from the entrance of the hotel to wide hallways and doorways for easy navigation of persons in wheelchairs.
|SKYY Hotel is conveniently located at Sukhumvit Soi 1 in central Bangkok and 40 min. drive from Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
It is 5 minutes away from Nana and Phloen Chit skytrain stations adding more convenience to
guests shopping, dining and nightlife.
Major shopping malls include Central Chidlom, Central World, Siam Paragon, Mah Boon Krong (MBK) and even the world-famous
Chatuchak Market.


text:
Patriotism Flies At Contest
ST. MARYS — More than 30 speakers decked out in patriotic garb and armed with props took to the stage Sunday afternoon as part of an annual speech contest.
The St. Marys Eagles hosted the annual St. Marys City God, Flag and Country speech contest. The event featured speeches ranging from the abolition of slavery to how to make an American pizza and included three age groups — 10 to 11-year-olds, 12 to 13-year-olds and 14 to 15-year-olds.
"Mamma no, where are you taking me," Kara Danaher said during her speech in the 10 to 11-year-old division. "It all started in 1820, I was taken by force and separated from my loving family. It's been so long, I can't even remember my own mother's delicate face."
Danaher went on to tell an account of the daily life of a slave who was kidnapped and sold.
"I have to work from sunrise to sunset and I only get Sundays off," Danaher said. "I have to make my own pots and pans to eat in."
As her speech unfolded, Danaher told of the slave's escape via the Underground Railroad. The journey took her to Ohio.
"I praise God every day for my wonderful freedom and the freedom of other slaves," Danaher said. "And I will always pray for slavery to end."
Piper Slone spoke about America's car dealership. She encouraged people to take advantage of her "amazing, patriotic deals."
"The first one is a pure, white mini van — it's brand spanking new, like America was on July 4, 1776," Slone said.
"We have a beautiful red pick-up truck. When I look at this pick-up truck, I think of the Industrial Revolution — this was a major turning point in history."
Slone likened each color of the flag to a type of car sold at her dealership. Slone recited a quote from former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger about the day he became an American citizen.
"As long as I live, I will never forget the day 21 years ago when I raised my hand and took the oath of citizenship," Slone said.
"Do you know how proud I was — I was so proud that I walked around with the American flag on my shoulders all day long."
Morgan Henschen's speech centered on giving thanks to the men and women of the Armed Forces. Henschen noted her uncle is a member of the Air Force who flies supplies to troops.
"Think of all those people who fought in war and died for our freedom," Henschen said. "The bravery they honored, the life risks they took for our freedom."
Henschen also talked about the many freedoms available to citizens in the United States versus those in other countries. In many cases, she said citizens under dictators have few freedoms.
"They don't have the freedom of religion," Henschen said.
"They don't have the freedom of speech ... And for all I know, they don't even have the freedom to go where ever they want."
Carrie Braun, a sixth-grade language arts teacher at St. Marys Middle School, said the contest provides students with a variety of lessons.
"The state standards say the students have to give a speech in front of an audience — so it's something they have to do as far as the classroom," Braun said.
"Speaking is becoming more and more of every job and I think that's one of the benefits. It also helps kids get over anxiety and nervousness."
Another trait Braun said the contest develops is confidence.
"I know just in life in general, if you can get up in front of an audience and speak, you are going to be confident," Braun said, noting she has seen students blossom as a result of the contest.
"The confidence factor is huge. The kids who come into the contest, even the kids who are so nervous, they come back and do it again because it's a confidence booster. It builds their self-esteem and confidence in everything inside and outside the classroom."


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A Sister and her gay cousin
BustedHalo has an interesting interview with a Daughter of St. Paul and her cousin, who is gay [1]. The sister is a member of a fairly traditional religion community and her cousin was in a long-term relationship. What interesting is how their friendship--they both live in New York City--has affected how they view the other. It's long, but worth the read if you're interested in a on-the-ground discussion of homosexuality and Catholicism.


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Skip to comments.Black box legislation a threat to personal freedoms
Posted on 04/24/2012 8:02:17 AM PDT by cap10mike
I fear for the loss of our freedoms and liberties under the Obama administration. We expect our government to be run by people we elect. If they don't perform well, we have the opportunity to throw them out. But with the proliferation of "czars" appointed by the president, we are out of the loop when it comes to controlling our own destinies. They are in charge of such areas as borders, Medicare, manufacturing, electronic health records, faith-based initiatives, workplace issues and so on. The list now contains about 35 czars, whose names, backgrounds and goals we know nothing about. Van Jones, the disgraced "green jobs" czar and buddy of Obama, had to resign when he was outed as a self-declared communist.
(Excerpt) Read more at bizpacreview.com ...
Hmmm...How will they attach it to the Amish wagons??... If they put it in MY car and I PAY for it, IT WILL COMMIT ELECTRONICSIDE!
I can plug my car into a laptop and it's 11 years old , all cars have a computer now ,so whats the point besides making cars cost more , maybe that's it , make cars cost more
YOU took the words right out of my mouth. And we worry for our pistol privileges, up against sky drones and black box ground coordinates. Kind of makes one wonder where the humor is in all this high tech subjugation. Certainly makes all that boarding of trains look archaic.
Next up, personal monitors for all so the government can keep you safe.
Brzezinski wrote a book years ago, about the elite controlling the masses through technology.
I don't think anyone needs to know where I'm going or how fast I intend to get there. As for cost, helloooo?! They want to pass on costs for everything to the consumer, higher gas mileage, epa standards, black boxes. Soon we'll all be riding bikes.
I don't think anyone needs to know where I'm going or how fast I intend to get there. As for cost, helloooo?! They want to pass on costs for everything to the consumer, higher gas mileage, epa standards, black boxes. Soon we'll all be riding bikes.
ANYTHING that records, transmits or receives can be erased or jammed.
Supreme court rules unanimously, violated the constitution. (Jan 2012)
Many of our freedoms are taken in steps. Remember Pelosi talking about how they were going to find anyway to pass Obamacare. Wonder who initiated and is asking for this.
It helps set the stage to advance their green agenda
...report that supported the idea of taxing drivers based on miles driven.
Among other things, CBO suggested that a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax could be tracked by installing electronic equipment on each car to determine how many miles were driven; payment could take place electronically at filling stations. The CBO report was requested by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), who has proposed taxing cars by the mile as a way to increase federal highway revenues.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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The contents of this post may be disseminated without the express written consent of the Cincinnati Reds or Major League Baseball.
I hate Van Persie sooooo much. Just looking at him makes me angry. Freaking Sagna, just terrible giving him that chance.
I do not expect him to have Forlan or Enzo Francescoli's temperament...which would go against how he is as a player. Are they supposed to lobotomize him? Basically tune him down and then half his ability as a player suffer...or is he doomed to end up playing in Greece or Turkey because no one else will take him?
Alex Ferguson stepping down at the end of the season. Pretty surprising, but he is 71 and has certainly earned the right to leave when and how he wants.
Who is the closest American comp to Sir Alex?
Best I could come up with is Phil Jackson, or maybe Nick Saban if he stays at Bama for another 10 years and wins a few more titles.
Cincinnati Here We Go.
26 Years and Counting...
Wear gaudy colors, or avoid display. Lay a million eggs or give birth to one. The fittest shall survive, yet the unfit may live. Be like your ancestors or be different. We must repeat!
Not a Prem game, but the FA Cup Final was beautiful to everyone except City fans. Glad to see Wigan take home some silverware despite what has been an otherwise nightmarish campaign.
Championship football, my boys Leicester in the play offs missed a late penalty then Watford go down the other end and score.....to say i'm gutted is an understatement.
Big win for Arsenal today. Feel bad for Wigan having to play for the FA Cup on Saturday and turn around and fight for their life 3 days later on the road against Arsenal.
Only thing that is left to decide is how places 3-5 will look.
Mancini been give the boot.....good news for Man City i feel. All top 3 clubs will go in to the new season with new managers.
thatcoolguy_22 (05-18-2013)
So if Arsenal beats Newcastle 2-1, and Chelsea draws 0-0 with Everton, then Arsenal and Chelsea will have a neutral-site playoff for 3rd place, as they would be even in points, Goal Differential, and Number of Goals scored
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


text:
Alex Sao Paulo:
Alex Sao Paulo:
I have never really thought about this, but I like Mr. Marcus, Devlin Weed and Santino Lee. I think they would be considered DILF, since they are older than me.
Been turning random thoughts into something insightful and meaningful since 1987.
Dick Nasty all the way for me. He is incredibly sexy to me and he has a great body. He's also aged well in my opinion too. I just love him.
God, the things I would do to that beautiful dick.
Been turning random thoughts into something insightful and meaningful since 1987.
My favourite is Jon Dough (RIP) and my other favourite is german actor Alex Hero and his big and fat cock...jerking all time on him...here it is...
You can find it on Facebook - Alex Hero
RENO. By far. He is the ultimate man. What a body!!!
Randy Spears is super sexy, and Jay Crew has the sexiest mushroom cockhead. mmmmmmmmmmm
Ian Scott... the only straight porn I'll watch. He's got a huge dick and LOVES anal, totally gets off on stretching holes. I think he's only 39 so I'm not sure how much of a "daddy" that is.
Google a guy named "Rick Shaw", he did a bit of work for Dave Cummings porn studio, he's exactly my type, hot, mature and a bit shy
Jay Crew is my ultimate straight porn daddy that I want to just do one little gay thing with to set me for life! lol
Been turning random thoughts into something insightful and meaningful since 1987.
That Rod Fontana solo video I think was made for guys. I haven't watched it in a while but I heard the audio and saw who it was released from and it was supposedly for men. I don't think Dick Nasty has done it for guys, if he has, then where is it, I want to see!!!! lol
Love dick nasty and rod Fontana
I watched a Debbie Does Dallas documentary the other day. Sadly R. Bolla aka Robert Kerman is in really bad shape. He put on a bunch of weight and has teeth missing now. He was my favourite straight porn daddy back in the day.
that part were he tries to show precum almost made my heart stop lol
What I just wanted to lick those balls of his up and that cock, man what I'd do with that
The only thing I didn't like about Dicks video was that he wasn't as good a showmen as Rod. With that said they have a series where they fuck girls together and pay them cash. I forget the name of the site, but what I'd give to be with both at the same time
Rod Fontana is a god.
All the others have something about them that turn me the fuck off.
who is earl? he's hot!!
What about JP Armand? love him!
Thanks for the intro to Jason Brooks. Had not seen him before.
Jay Crew, Roberto Malone, Randy Spears, Dick Nasty, Rod Fontana, Olaf (bi), Boris, Astor
who is earl?
he was in jail for a long time for robbery
wath is his complete name...?
thankss for this. big fan of his
earl slate
real name anthony stearns
there is an inactive yahoo group for him w lots of pics posted
Remigio Zampa
I've never been into tranny porn, but Earl Slate is hot enough to get me to start! He sure has gotten hot over the years, I remember watching some of older stuff years ago. There are several vids here:
Transsexual Cheerleaders #08, Scene #02
Transsexual Prostitutes #69, Scene #04
Transsexual Babysitters #19, Scene #01
Transsexual Cheerleaders #09, Scene #02
Transsexual Babysitters #20, Scene #03
Transsexual Prostitutes #71, Scene #01
wow!! How enjoy the bitch!! Look at the her face when she is fucking!! I would like to eat his cum... uuuummm!!!!
Randy Spears
That's the only reason why I watch straight porn because of him. Too bad Randy didn't swing both ways for videos huh?
Herschel Savage


text:
What's for dinner in 2050? It's a question scientists in Britian are trying to answer now.
What's the rush? In 40 years our planet will have over 9 billion people and possibly a much harsher climate. Feeding everyone will be a major challenge.
The Guardian is reporting that at least one scientist has come up with an answer: artificial meat, made in a giant vat.
(I almost threw up while writing that sentence)
Peta is throwing their weight behind the proposal, offering $1 million to the first scientist to develop in vitro meat.
The reality show pitch really writes itself:
"It's Top Chef meets The Blob!"
Stay tuned...


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Bulldogs Makng Fourth NCAA Appearance in Nine Years
NEW HAVEN -- After finishing the Ivy League season undefeated and capturing its third-straight conference title, the Yale women's volleyball team will learn its next opponent during the NCAA Selection Show this Sunday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPNU.
The Bulldogs won 15 straight matches to finish the 2012 regular season and completed the second 14-0 season in Ivy League volleyball history. Yale went 18-5 overall and featured five players who earned All-Ivy honors.
Junior Kendall Polan earned Ivy League Player of the Year for the second season in a row, while freshman Kelly Johnson captured conference rookie of the year honors. Sophomore Mollie Rogers joined Polan and Johnson with a spot on the All-Ivy First Team, while senior team captain Haley Wessels and sophomore Maddie Rudnick were named to the All-Ivy Second Team.
Yale will be making its fourth-ever NCAA appearance. Last season, the Bulldogs faced then-No.1-ranked USC in the NCAA first round and lost 3-0 in Los Angeles, Calif.
Report filed by Ernie Bertothy, Yale Sports Publicity


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GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota director of athletics Brian Faison announced on Monday that head football coach Chris Mussman has been relieved of his duties effective immediately.
"Coach Mussman and I met this morning at which time I shared with him my decision to make a change in our football leadership," Faison said. "I want to thank Chris for his service to UND and wish him well in his future endeavors."
Mussman recently completed his sixth season as head football coach at UND with a career record of 31-34. He joined the UND coaching staff as the offensive line coach in 1999. Mussman was elevated to offensive coordinator in 2001 and took over as the head coach prior to the 2008 season.
Before arriving at North Dakota, Mussman spent eight seasons at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Mussman was a four-year letterwinner and starting offensive lineman at Iowa State, serving as a team captain in 1990.
Faison added that a national search for a new head coach will being immediately.
— Go UND —


text:
Author: Caleb Nova
Story: Vis Insita
Part: 3: Goodbye, Arcadia — Part II
Rating: Teens
Setting: AU
Status: WIP
Reviews: 12
Words: 6,641
Updated: December 19, 2011, 8:26pm
3: Goodbye, Arcadia — Part II
day at 1400 hours, the opposing force occupied the tree line
directly northwest of our forward positions. During the
following six hours, repeated artillery strikes were directed
at the enemy in the hope of creating gaps to exploit. These
proved ineffective at dislodging them, and enemy casualties
appeared light.
At 2100 hours the order was given to attack and force the
— Excerpt from POR, Operation Lucid Javelin, U:1118907/Palgarvin
Decanus Scott Kharan reporting, regarding Talbot's Field (Field 187),
670-1122lts (pg. 24)
Scott Kharan sat on the edge of a bed and listened. The discussion occurring downstairs was very animated.
The time had come for Harry Potter to leave the protections his mother had left him at the house on Privet Drive, and the Order of the Phoenix had arrived to oversee the transition. However, whatever they had planned was obviously not to Harry's liking, if his raised voice was anything to judge by.
Scott couldn't say he was surprised. The Order had no doubt come fully prepared to put themselves in the line of fire to protect the all-important Chosen One. And if there was one thing Harry simply could not abide (made all the worse by the loss of his godfather, Scott conjectured) it was others dying for his cause. A cause he hadn't even chosen, it had chosen him.
Scott knew that was how the multiverse worked. He had seen and dealt with it before. Harry was much less accepting of such invisible machinations. Scott understood that, as well. He would be interested to see if Harry could convince whoever was downstairs with him (Scott recognised a few of the signatures pulsing in the shape, but not all) that they would be better off letting Harry go it alone.
A small smile played around Scott's lips. He very much doubted that.
Either way, there were rapid footsteps on the stairs. Scott could tell it was Harry, so the truth would soon be apparent. One way or the other, they were leaving. The question was simply how.
When Harry burst through the door with panic writ large on his face, Scott knew exactly what was going to happen.
"We're leaving," Harry said shortly. "Now. Out the window."
Scott didn't bother asking why. "Leave them a note, and let's go."
While Harry scribbled frantically away at a piece of parchment, Scott quietly opened the window and dropped to the ground. He dragged his equipment bag out from under the bush which had so helpfully concealed it. Through the small side window in the kitchen he could see shadows playing on the dining room walls. It looked like quite a crowd in there.
"Help," Harry whispered from up above. Once again, Scott assisted in his descent.
"Your stuff?" Scott asked in a low voice, noting that Harry wasn't carrying anything.
Harry was pale in the moonlight. "They'll take it. But we can't just leave them, we have to… draw attention, to ourselves.
Scott immediately began walking towards the street. "How long until they find your note?"
"Probably seconds," Harry said grimly.
"Get in the car," Scott said, starting to run.
They raced for the vehicle, which Scott had unlocked by remote. As they ran, Scott dug into his duffel bag and pulled out one of the white phosphorous grenades he had been saving for just this occasion. The black metal casing was stamped with yellow letters:
Once in the driver's seat, he threw the bag into the back seat and thrust the grenade at Harry.
"The plastic dial on the face, it has red lines at intervals — turn it one to the right. Ignore the little clicks, move it one red bar to the right," Scott instructed, starting the car as he did so. "Then pull the pin out of the top, that ring."
Harry fumbled with the grenade for a moment, but figured it out quickly. "Okay, one bar to the right." He pulled the pin and the catch snapped open. "I think that's got it."
"Good. Have your protections broken yet?"
"My… On the house?" Harry looked backwards as they drove down the street, the house that had been his home and hell rapidly disappearing. "I don't know. I didn't think about it until you said that."
"Then we can assume they are." Scott glanced up at the rear-view mirror but didn't see anyone following. "You see this intersection coming up?"
Harry turned back around. "Yes, I see it."
"Throw that sucker out the window right in the middle."
"But there's glass, how do I—" Harry started, though Scott quickly rolled the window down. "All right, here goes…"
Harry threw the phosphorous grenade out into the empty street, where it rolled before coming to rest in the recession of a drain.
While Harry had done as instructed, he was not satisfied that the Order members left behind would be any safer. "So what's that going to do? Scott, we have to go back. If the others get caught coming out of the house—"
The grenade ignited with a blinding flash. It was not the natural light of fire but a scorching, pure white chemical burn that flickered with a painful brightness. A thick cloud of smoke roiled from the drain, creating a dense cover that rapidly obscured the street behind them from view, suffused with an incredible glare that made it seem as if the entire intersection was blanketed with condensed light.
"Like kicking over an anthill," Scott murmured, checking his mirrors again. Any Death Eaters in the area would flock to that display, finding nothing but smoke and night blindness.
"They'll see that for sure," Harry said, echoing Scott's thoughts. "God, that actually hurts!"
"Don't look directly at it. And yeah, everyone will see it." Scott settled back into his seat, but kept a sharp eye on his mirrors. "There's a hat in the glove compartment, put it on. And take off your glasses, there's a different pair in there as well."
Harry tugged at the latch and found the cap inside, the front of it emblazoned with a cartoon fox striking an enthusiastic pose. The back of it proclaimed, 'LIKE A FOX'. He also found the case containing a pair of grey-rimmed rectangular glasses. "I get it," he said thoughtfully as he put them on. "What about my scar?"
"Nobody's going to see that from outside. And speaking of which, we aren't in the clear yet, so keep your guard up. Lila is waiting up ahead at a waystation. She has another car, and we'll switch out there."
"You think the Death Eaters would recognise one car from another?"
Scott shrugged. "Let's not take that chance."
His precautions were admittedly more like the ones he might take for a Muggle opponent. He was switching lanes frequently, taking less obvious routes and occasionally doubling back when the roads permitted it. If Harry noticed, he didn't say anything; his eyes were firmly fixed on the sky.
"The protections should have broken once you left for good," Scott reasoned. There wasn't any need to state these things out loud, but sometimes it was easier to think that way. Harry's opinion was also often useful. "If they didn't attack us when we crossed the street, it's because they couldn't see us. The protections were still working."
"Or they wanted to see what we were doing. Or wait for Voldemort to get there," Harry countered pessimistically.
"I don't buy it. They had us dead to rights, out in the open. And they couldn't have known that we had possible reinforcements in the dining room. They had no reason to hesitate; even if they were looking to capture you, they still would have tried to kill me."
"Moody said that they didn't know it was tonight, that the move was tonight," Harry said slowly. "That was the secret. Apparently they've gotten to some bloke in the Ministry who made it hard to get me out of there, banned the Floo and Apparating, all of that. So they were going to all leave on brooms."
"But you caught a ride with me anyway because of that dude we saw on the other street," Scott guessed.
"Sort of. Moody had Polyjuice, if you can believe it," Harry scoffed. "That was their shite plan, to disguise themselves as me and split up. Moody reckoned they'd all go for his broom, since they'd think I'd be with him, the strongest. Fucking hell."
Scott smiled slightly. He had known it was something like that; Harry was physically incapable of allowing others to take the weight of his terrible responsibility. The boy sounded deeply shaken by the thought, even though it hadn't actually occurred. "And it could have been a massacre," Scott said, deciding to play to Harry's assumptions for the time being.
"No, because I wasn't effing doing it," Harry growled.
"What did you put in your note?" Scott asked, taking the hint and changing the subject.
"I was in a bit of a rush when I wrote it," Harry said with wry understatement, "but it was mostly for Hermione."
It was after the one minute mark, almost exactly, that Hermione knew Harry wasn't coming back.
Nobody else had seemed to entirely catch on, yet. Moody was suspicious, but the rest of the assembled team seemed content to wait for Harry to haul his trunk downstairs, secure in the knowledge that they had forced him into accepting their escape plan.
Hermione knew better. Harry had fled because he had a way out. She had known the second he'd begged off, resisting giving them his hair for the potion immediately, shouting about his things as he charged up the stairs. She had known, but hadn't tried to stop him.
It was perhaps a bit unusual for her. However, in this instance, she felt that she needed to have faith. If Harry thought he had a better way, then maybe he really did. The fact that Scott was almost certainly somewhere nearby had a lot to do with Hermione's confidence. The Kharadjai would no doubt have plans of his own.
After a few more seconds, George nudged Fred in the side. "C'mon, let's at least help him to hurry things up."
Fred acted surprised. "Were we in a rush?"
When they started towards the stairs, Hermione's loud sigh stopped them. "Don't bother," she said flatly. "He's already gone."
The twins just looked blankly back at her. "Gone where?" Fred said dumbly.
Moody's magical eye whirled and fixed on her. "Damn it, girl, if you're saying what I think you're—"
"Come on, then," Hermione said exasperatedly, ignoring all the stares and expressions of dismay at her revelation. "I do hope he's left a note…"
The Order members crowded onto the stairs in a race to the top. Hermione didn't bother, bringing up the rear. When she reached Harry's room it was empty, just as she had predicted. Moody was muttering a number of sulphurous oaths under his breath as he scanned the space but Hermione ignored him, approaching the bed.
"Oh, good," she said, picking up the hastily written note. "At least he remembered this much."
"What's tha' say?" Hagrid rumbled, his huge form taking up a good portion of the room. "Did he say where he went off to?"
"Of course not," Hermione muttered, scanning the words. "He knew we'd follow him."
"Bloody hell, Hermione, just tell us what it says!" Ron burst out.
One part of it, Hermione knew, was for her and Ron's understanding only. "'Stupid plan, not doing it'," she read out loud. "'Please take my trunk and Hedwig for me. See you later at the usual place'." She paused. "Then there's a bit more that doesn't make any sense, I think he didn't finish.
That particular part made perfect sense, actually. It read, 'motor with SK'.
Moody had already examined the lettering himself. "What motor? What does he mean by that, and what is SK?"
Hermione wasn't a very good liar, and she knew it. Luckily, Harry had written that last part down so poorly that he had provided her plausible denial. "That's the part he didn't finish, I suppose."
She was saved from having to continue her adlibbed deception by Bill's sudden shout from the window. "WATCH IT!"
The Aurors and seasoned Order members immediately took cover, falling to the floor or rolling behind the bed and dresser. Hermione was a bit slower on the reaction time, having been caught completely by surprise, and as such she could clearly see the dark shapes that were speeding over the house.
"Death Eaters!" Moody snarled, wand at the ready.
The tension in the room ratcheted up to an almost unbearable level as wands were drawn and a few choice swearwords came up from various corners of the room (and at least a couple from the wardrobe, where Mundungus was cowering). But it quickly became apparent that the Death Eaters had no interest in them at all — in fact, it didn't seem like they even knew the Order members were in the house. The hooded and cloaked forms of the enemy shot over the Dursley home, intent on a different target.
Ron was the first to stand, his distress clear. "They must've found Harry!"
Moody was already moving towards the door. "Outside!"
"Wait!" Bill interjected, still staring intently out the window. "I'm not sure they have. Mad-Eye, what do you make of that?"
Moody clomped over to the glass and peered outward. Hermione was close behind him. There, in the distance, a glaring white light could be seen pulsing, visible only by the trees it was illuminating.
Fleur shielded her eyes with one hand, hiding back behind Bill's shoulder. "C'est si brillant! It 'urts my eyes!"
"Magical flare, maybe, some kind of signal," Moody was muttering. His normal eye was squinted against the brilliance. "Very bright, very powerful. Someone wants us to see this, wants everybody to see this."
"And they saw it, indeed," Professor Lupin said tensely. He was hovering very near Tonks. "Should we follow?"
In the distance, Hermione could hear the din of sirens. Moody had as well. "Muggle police," he said. "The Death Eaters will clear out. We will, too."
Multiple voices immediately rose in protest, but Moody cut them off by being even louder. "Shut it!" he barked out. His magical eye fixed on everyone in turn, lingering on Hermione for an uncomfortable stretch. "Potter is impulsive, not stupid. That little display was his, I'd wager. However he did it…" Once again, he eyed Hermione suspiciously. She blinked nervously. "…he's long gone. Regroup and return to your posts before those blighters get their act together and come snooping around here."
Tonks sighed and leaned against Professor Lupin. "I hope you know what you're doing, Harry…" she said, a touch fearfully.
"He'll turn up when he's ready," Moody said gruffly. "Come on. Get up, let's move. You too, Fletcher. Budge your arse."
While the rest of the group shuffled back down the stairs, talking amongst themselves with obvious confusion, Hermione snagged Ron by the elbow and held him back. "Let's get Harry's things like he asked."
"Oh, right! I almost forgot. Sorry, Hedwig," Ron said, lifting the owl's cage from its hook.
Hermione didn't bother trying to physically lift Harry's enormous trunk. With a flick of her wand, she levitated it and moved it towards the doorway. "I thought this might happen," she said quietly.
"It was Scott, wasn't it?" Ron presumed, speaking in an equally hushed tone. "Off his fu— er, ruddy nut, as usual. Blimey, look at all that smoke out there. What do you suppose he burned?"
"It was too bright to be a natural fire. I suppose he used some sort of technology. And I hope he didn't burn anything down in the process." Hermione frowned, worried by the thought. She certainly didn't trust Scott to be concerned about property damage.
Ron looked equally doubtful. "Maybe he lit a few Death Eaters on fire."
"Ron!" Hermione chided him, appalled by that image. "Scott would never… Well, that is to say he probably wouldn't, not if it wasn't efficient… Perhaps. We'll ask him about it later."
Back downstairs Moody was reapplying Disillusionment Charms. He stopped when Hermione and Ron entered the dining room, his magical eye staring at them with an unnerving fixation.
"Did you find Potter's things?" he questioned sharply, eyeing the trunk Hermione was levitating.
Hermione flinched involuntarily. "Yes…"
"Good." Moody turned to place the charm on Tonks but then abruptly whirled back around. "And you don't know what he was talking about with the motor?"
"Perhaps he had a Muggle vehicle of some sort?" Hermione suggested, hoping to draw attention away from the 'SK' portion of the note.
"Huh," Moody grunted, mulling that over. "They wouldn't be looking for a car, that's for sure… Could Potter operate one, if he had it?"
"He was raised by Muggles, I don't see why not." In truth, Hermione hadn't the slightest idea if Harry knew the first thing about driving a car.
"Let's hope he doesn't crash the contraption and do the Death Eaters a favour," Moody growled. "Let's not any of us be doing them any favours, for that matter. Disillusionment Charms all around, and then get gone. And be sure you tell us the moment Potter contacts you, got it?"
Hermione felt a bit of pride at that. Moody knew that she and Ron would be the first people Harry would get in touch with. "Of course," she promised.
When Moody went back to help the others, Ron, who had cleverly remained silent during the exchange, put his arm around Hermione's shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Are we really going to tell them? What if Harry asks us not to?"
"We'll deal with that when the time comes," she whispered back. "Besides, Harry will have to go to The Burrow at some point. They'll see him there whether he likes it or not."
"Probably not," Ron suggest wryly. "Not after this."
"Oh, he'll be a bit angry, but he'll get over it." On impulse, Hermione stood on her toes to kiss Ron. When she drew back, she smiled at him. "We've got too much to do to be fighting."
Minutes later they were in the air, speeding away from the Dursleys' and to where they could safely Disapparate. Hagrid had volunteered to take Harry's trunk and Hedwig, which was lucky. Hermione wasn't the best flyer, and she didn't see how she could manage either and still stay on a broom. Her own school trunk was a bit unwieldy, but Harry's looked like he could have comfortably slept inside of it.
Down below, Britain slumbered in the night air, unaware of the calamity that had nearly occurred in the suburbs nearby. Somewhere on those roads, Hermione thought, tracking the lights of moving Muggle traffic, Harry and Scott were making their way to parts unknown.
If they didn't get there safely, Hermione would be quite cross with them.
"It's not an easy decision. Fast, but not easy. What it comes down to is what we could learn," Scott said quietly.
Harry sat low in his seat, shoulders hunched. "Whether everyone else is all right. What they're doing here in the first place."
"It's a net. They're watching the woods, if you noticed. Not a good net, full of holes and misdirected. They probably think you're on foot, Apparating by steps."
The two men in mismatched clothing walked an awkward perimeter at the back edge of the petrol station, clearly watching for something. Harry observed as they doubled back yet again, still pacing the same stretch of grass where the woods began. One of them, he was almost certain, had a wand tucked up in his sleeve.
"Whoever's in the shop has surely noticed them by now," Harry muttered. "We did and we're a lot further away."
"There's no one here but us and Lil," Scott pointed out, indicating the blue car parked in the side lot. According to him, Lila was inside it. "They probably did something to take care of the attendant."
"Stunned or Imperiused him, maybe," Harry guessed.
"Or they killed him. I haven't seen anyone moving inside."
Harry's blood ran cold. To think that some random Muggle could be on the floor behind the counter, dead, because Harry escaped without a trace and the Death Eaters were so desperate that they were out (on foot!) looking for him… Harry felt like he might turn to ice.
"Stop it," Scott said calmly. "You didn't kill anyone. We don't know if they killed anyone."
"If they did, it's my fault," Harry said numbly.
"No, it's not. Every outcome can't be predicted. What if you had gone with the Order? Would it be Ron or Hermione killed instead?"
The worst part was that Harry knew Scott was purposefully manipulating his emotions. More than a year's worth of time spent with the Kharadjai had rendered his more blatant machinations transparent. But it was working, regardless.
"Let's go find out what they did," Harry said tightly.
"All right. They'll try to stop us if we just walk up to the store front. Give me a minute to move around, then I'll signal you."
"Signal me for what, what do you want me to do?"
"Just get their attention. Stay low and get over by the field, I just need you to say something to them. It will make things easier."
With that, Scott opened his door and slipped out into the night. He disappeared into the shadows almost immediately and Harry had a difficult time tracking him. Scott avoided the ring of illumination from the lights of the station, circling wide and heading for the side lot where Lila was parked. After a moment, Harry climbed out of the car as well, taking care not to shut the door loudly.
The petrol station was situated in a roadside clearing not too far from the motorway. It was meant to service the passing traffic, frequent even this late at night. The complete lack of other vehicles made Harry suspicious. Scott had said they were driving on the A303, and weren't too far from Andover. It didn't seem likely that the station would be so deserted. The Death Eaters must have done something to repel any potential Muggle customers.
Rarely had Harry been so utterly frustrated by his inability to use magic as he was while creeping through a shallow ditch, trying to get closer without being seen. This sort of thing might be all well and good for Scott, but a Disillusionment Charm would have done the job for Harry. He very much regretted leaving his Invisibility Cloak in his trunk. He had been in such a hurry…
The sparse scrub at the edge of the ditch was all the cover Harry was afforded when he came to a halt. Fortunately, the Death Eaters were fixated on the tree line. This fixation increased tenfold when the loud snap of a twig echoed out from somewhere in the woods. The Death Eater on the right slid his wand out of his sleeve, confirming Harry's earlier guess.
Another loud snap. The two men started to close in on the general location from which it had emanated. With a jolt, Harry realised that the twigs had probably been his signal to do something.
Taking a deep breath, Harry stood up. "Oi! You two!" he shouted.
The Death Eaters spun around, wands raising, but it was already too late. Scott and Lila surged from the brush with unnatural speed and sent the unfortunate Death Eaters crashing to the ground with a series of rapid blows.
Scott immediately hauled the limp form of his opponent upward and began carrying him towards the back of the station. "Lil, take yours to the other bathroom. Harry," he called, "go check in the store, see if anyone is hurt."
Harry jogged over to the double doors, a mounting feeling of dread suffusing him. Inside, the lights, so bright after his time in the dark, illuminated a plethora of colourful products and accessories. Behind the counter, the station attendant was slumped forward in a chair, his head pillowed on his arms. He didn't appear to be harmed, which was surprising.
"Um, excuse me?" Harry said tentatively. The man didn't stir. "Hey, are you all right?"
Still no response. Harry would have feared the man was dead, but his chest was rising and falling evenly. The attendant was sleeping, and couldn't be woken. There wasn't any doubt that the Death Eaters had done this to him, though it wasn't nearly as terrible as what they might have done.
Harry pondered that when he returned outside. Why hadn't the Death Eaters simply killed the man? He was grateful that they had not, obviously, but it was a bit confusing. Death Eaters weren't known for their compassion.
Around the back of the shop were the doors for the privy. Harry went up to the men's room and peered inside.
Scott had situated the unconscious Death Eater on the floor, leaning against one wall. He was going through the man's pockets, rifling through the clothes with great concentration.
"There's someone in the shop, but they're just sleeping," Harry told him.
"Makes sense," Scott said a bit distractedly. "There are cameras in there. If they make it look like he fell asleep on the job, there won't be any questions asked."
"I was a little surprised," Harry admitted. "I… thought they might have just killed that bloke. They've killed plenty of Muggles before…"
"And always covered their tracks. If they were going to kill him, they would have burned the place down or something. They'd have done it when they moved on." Scott stood decisively, looking down at the Death Eater. "Close the door. We don't have much time for this."
Harry wasn't sure he wanted to close the door. It seemed like doing so would enable Scott to do whatever… things he was planning to do. Not that Harry knew what was going on, exactly, but he wasn't naive enough to think the Death Eater was just going to talk. Not without some motivation. And knowing Scott, that impetus would be very unpleasant, and perhaps not something Harry wanted to watch.
Despite these misgivings, Harry steeled himself and closed the door, but he resolved to stop Scott if he thought things were getting out of hand.
Scott picked up the Death Eater by the back of his peach-coloured coat and dragged him near the toilet. He then slapped the man's cheeks a few times until he started to stir, coughing and struggling feebly.
"Welcome back to the world of the waking," Scott said pleasantly. "I'm going to ask you a few questions, but first—"
Scott grabbed a fistful of the Death Eater's dark hair and plunged him face first into the toilet bowl, forcing his head beneath the water. Bubbles poured out furiously; Harry could hear the frantic shouting reverberating through the ceramic. He bit down on his lip and said nothing, reasoning that if Scott wanted the Death Eater to answer any questions, then he wasn't going to outright drown him.
Sure enough, Scott pulled the man's head from the water. He kept his knee pressed firmly against the man's back, though, pinning him painfully in place. "What's your name?" he asked the man loudly. When he didn't get any immediate response other than gasping, he shook the Death Eater so hard that the man's teeth clicked together. "What is your name?"
"Preston!" the Death Eater choked out.
"Okay, Preston," Scott said, easing up a little on the pressure from his knee. "I'd like to know what you were doing out here tonight. What were you looking for?"
"Who are you? Where am I?" Preston questioned. "What the hell are you doing, treating me like this—" He was interrupted when Scott plunged his head beneath the water again. This time when Preston was pulled back up for air, he looked faint.
"What were you looking for?" Scott asked again in the exact same tone.
"I… just want to know… who you are," Preston garbled. "I haven't done anything, I… haven't said anything to anyone, I swear! There's no call for this!"
"Preston… As a favour to you, I'll ask you one more time, then down you go again. What were you looking for?"
"Potter, of course, we… we all are, were, all of us. That's what we were told! I'm supposed to be here!"
Harry tensed at the sound of his name. It was difficult to stay silent. The Death Eater wasn't making much sense, and Harry wanted Scott to cut to the chase. He needed to know what had happened back at the house.
Scott seemed to be having the same thoughts. "What about the house? Potter's house, where he was staying, why did you leave it?"
Preston seemed aghast. "What? There was a light! Surely you saw it, or you were told?"
"Preston, I want you to tell me exactly what your orders are, and why you were given them," Scott said slowly. He lowered Preston's head an inch closer to the water.
"The light was a fake, and Potter was gone, we were split up to search the area, but he wasn't there, so they spread us out and gave us these clothes and we're supposed to watch the woods, just these woods, in case he comes through!" Preston spat out frantically. "I did what I was told, we put the Muggle to sleep and we watched the woods like we were told! I have orders! There's no call for this!"
"And you never caught anyone else?"
"Who else?! The Dark Lord wants Potter, blast it, and that's who…" Preston suddenly went white and he fell silent. "…Who are you?"
"Why did you think he'd pass through these woods?"
Utter terror passed over Preston's face. "Fuck off. I'm not saying nothing."
Scott glanced over at Harry. "We're out of time, anyway. Go see if the other one said anything."
Harry hurried out the door, anxious to see if Lila had wrangled any more information from the second Death Eater. He had only taken a few steps in that direction when she emerged from the other loo.
"Lila!" Harry said, getting her attention. "Did yours say anything?"
She shook her head. "No. I didn't have enough time. Come on, those Muggle wards are already fading and we need to be gone."
Harry fell into step beside her. "What about the Death Eaters?"
"I'll handle them. You and Scott are taking my car, and I'll take yours." Lila pointed out the blue car she had parked at the side of the station. "It's unlocked, go get in and Scott will be right over. I just need to talk to him."
Harry went and opened the door, sliding inside and buckling his seatbelt with slightly shaky hands. The adrenaline rush of confronting the two Death Eaters was fading, leaving him feeling a bit light headed. He supposed things might have been simpler if they'd just kept driving, but he'd needed to be sure that no Muggles had been killed. It would have been an awful way to start the Horcrux hunt. He was aware that casualties were possible (and even likely) but he'd always had the thought that if anyone died… it would be him.
Sirius had been enough of a price. No one else should have to pay it for merely being in Harry's proximity. He looked down at himself, fear clenching his throat. He was a poison, an airborne disease. He should have made Ron and Hermione stay behind. He should never have talked to Ginny.
He stopped himself before that line of thought grew out of control.
Scott came running up to the car and started it immediately. "That was risky," he commented. "Lila will make sure the Death Eaters aren't found any time soon. By the time they're missed, we'll be far from here."
"It was worth it to know that they didn't get anyone at the Dursleys'," Harry said with great relief.
Scott nodded. "We got away about as clean as we could have hoped for."
"What was he babbling about, though? That Death Eater wasn't making much sense."
"Apparently he thought I was another Death Eater. An officer, maybe. He thought he was in trouble and that I was misinformed."
"He thought you were on his side and you were drowning him?" Harry said incredulously.
"Riddle controls through fear. He probably has a circle within the circle, his own Gestapo to keep the ranks in line. Random brutality as part initiation, part discipline. Standard stuff for a terror army, dictatorial." Scott almost sounded like he was reading the information from a book.
"So he thought you were kicking the shite out of him for being the wrong place. Or not finding me." Harry sighed. "You know I hate it when people get hurt because of me, but… if a few Death Eaters get a Crucio over missing me, I can't say I'd regret it."
Scott grinned. "Yeah, me neither. This is also useful to know. That sort of discipline tactic is a hard balance between fear and resentment — dissension can be exploited."
Scott pulled the car back on the motorway, merging with traffic and soon the scenery was flying past the window once more. Harry found himself falling asleep, the left side of his forehead pressed against the cool glass. Headlights flashed intermittently, illuminating his eyelids before dying back into the darkness. The rocking and rumbling of the vehicle was as effective as any lullaby.
It was only an indeterminate amount of time later, when fewer cars blinked past and the moon was hidden behind thick clouds, that Harry's eyes popped open, propelled by a sudden dark thought.
With an uneasy feeling in his chest, he thought he knew why Scott had sent him out to check on Lila.
"You killed him," he spoke out into the silence.
And Harry didn't know what to say or feel.
"An interesting note," Scott continued. "While you were sleeping, I was thinking — and driving, of course — even though I never pulled a wand on him, that Death Eater still assumed I was one of them. I was drowning him, and he didn't wonder why it wasn't a Crucio."
Harry started to ask why Scott had killed Preston (and Harry fervently wished he had never learned the man's name), but shut his mouth at the last moment. He knew why Scott had done it. It was safer that way, it made sense. It was the only solution that kept dangerous information out of Voldemort's hands. Even knowing the why, though, didn't make it any less terrible or easier to accept.
So which was worse: the thought that Harry's decision to check the station had doomed the two men to death, or the thought that if he hadn't made that call, the station attendant might have been a charred corpse when the Death Eaters left.
Nothing but chance. Life or death, at the mercy of a brief thought, a whim, a split-second decision. From Harry.
But if he had known beforehand, he knew which one he still would have chosen.
"…You'd just knocked him a good one. He wasn't thinking about any of that, he couldn't breathe," Harry slowly replied.
"Huh. Yeah, that's a good point." Scott grinned. "I knew there was a reason I kept you around."
Harry relaxed a bit on this more familiar ground. "You must mean besides my stunning good looks."
"Compared to what? A baboon? A moray eel?"
"You, for starters."
Scott let out a very long, exaggerated sigh. "Uh, in case you've forgotten our pre-assigned group roles, I'm the pretty one. Hermione is the brains, Ron is the muscle, Ginny is the firebrand, and you're the wannabe, the weedy, anxious little guy who wants to be like us but just ends up as the comic relief."
That wasn't how the joke had gone originally, as Harry was quick to point out. "No, you said I was the leader and you were the wildcard. Neville was the sidekick and Luna was the… something."
"Space cadet."
"Right. And nobody was the 'pretty one'. Except me, from now on."
"You are pretty for a man, that's true."
"You said you were, first!" Harry retorted.
"Uh, no, I'm fairly sure you just made that up. Maybe you dreamed it when you were snoring over there."
"Shut it, Scott. Maybe if you didn't talk so much your driving wouldn't be shite," Harry grumbled.
"We can trade off any time," Scott said graciously.
"I wouldn't know how," Harry reluctantly admitted.
"I figured. We'll probably have to do something about that, as a contingency. I'll get you some reading material."
Harry started to protest, but thought better of it. Homework or not, learning to drive could be dead useful. Even Hermione didn't have a license for that.
The second the conversation lapsed back into silence, the image of Preston's terrified visage floated back to the forefront of Harry's consciousness. He didn't understand it entirely; he'd seen death before. It was the manner, he decided. The Death Eaters at Hogwarts had died fighting, cut down in combat. Preston had died frightened and alone in a Muggle lavatory, somewhere off the A303 motorway. And Harry honestly couldn't say if he'd deserved it. Preston had been a Death Eater, which meant he'd most likely done something horrible just to earn that title. But that assumption wasn't proof.
"How did you kill him?" Harry asked quickly, almost afraid of the answer.
Scott sighed. "He was there to kill me and capture you, which in the end would be the same as killing you. You know that, right?"
"He wasn't there to kill you, they had no idea I wasn't alone—"
"They'd have killed anyone with you and you know it."
"Yeah." Harry set his jaw. "How'd you do it?"
Scott stalled. "Harry…"
"Just tell me!" Harry violently demanded.
"You want the simple answer, or the technical answer?"
That brought Harry up short. "Just… an answer. Simple, I guess."
"I broke his neck. It was quick and he didn't feel anything."
"Like you would know," Harry snorted derisively.
"I would. I've been hanged before," Scott said mildly. "I heard the snap, but I didn't feel a thing when I blacked out."
That was not what Harry had expected. "Oh. I… Okay."
"Harry, look." Scott glanced over at him for a moment. "We'll have plenty of time to go into therapy later. We do what we have to, and we move on. Just try to remember the most important rule."
Harry rubbed at his eyes, feeling more tired than anything right then. "What?"
"Don't ever enjoy it."
Right then, that seemed easy enough. "Already done," Harry muttered.
"I know. And that's why I'm not worried about you."
Was that the trick to it? Scott seemed capable of killing someone and then joking not half an hour later… though he hadn't joked about the killing itself. He was compartmentalized, or maybe just jaded, or maybe… a million other things. Harry sighed and tried to clear his mind. People weren't that simple. He wasn't that simple. He couldn't understand himself, never mind Scott's contradictions.
The dark road ahead fled backwards beneath the headlights and offered no answers. Nothing ever did. Somewhere up ahead lay temporary safety, and somewhere behind, the enemy was looking for him. All paths were uncertain.
Head against the window glass, Harry succumbed to a shallow and uneasy sleep.


text:
Please join KLRU's Overheard with Evan Smith for an interview with Diane Ravitch
DATE: October 1
TIME: 10:45 am (Doors open at 10:15)
LOCATION: KLRU's Studio 6A (map)
RSVP: The event is free but an RSVP is required. RSVP now
Diane Ravitch is one of the country's leading thinkers about education. She's a bestselling author and a former Assistant Secretary of Education, and she routinely speaks out when education is in the news. Ravitch has been a major voice on many of the hottest issues in public education: standardized testing, using test scores to measure teachers, charter schools, collective bargaining by teachers and the recent Chicago teachers' strike.
We hope you'll be there as Overheard with Evan Smith begins a third season of great conversation with fascinating people, always on the news and always with a sense of humor. The show features in-depth interviews with a mix of guests from politics, the arts, literature, journalism, business, sports and more, and reaches PBS viewers from California to Florida. We'd love to see you in the studio for the interview, and for a chance to join the audience Q&A after the interview.
Be sure to watch past episodes and web-only audience q&a on the Overheard website.


text:
Damarlo Belcher is 6-5, making him 8 inches taller than Cissoko.
So there's that...
|#19 Michigan vs Indiana
|Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
|12:00 EST, September 26th, 2008
|Michigan -21
|Nationwide on ESPN2
|Mid 60s w/ slight chance of rain
Indiana's defense is currently 15th nationally, albeit after a steady diet of dink-and-dunk MAC teams and one I-AA opponent that's not even the most prominent directional school in its state. (Western Kentucky won a I-AA national title a few years ago and is I-A's newest member. You may remember them from such mascots as "oh my god is that a walking zit.")
The numbers to date, sacks omitted:
|Western Michigan*
*(Western also had two "team" rushes for –22 yards. Those were either kneel-downs or horrible snaps over the punters head that result in a safety (just guessing) and are also omitted.)
Despite the raw numbers, that probably doesn't bode well against an offense that just blew up for 380 yards against Eastern Michigan and had 5.5 YPC against Notre Dame the week before. Indiana beat writer Chris Korman on the defensive line:
Indiana has five defensive tackles that play but none of them played a snap at the position before the season. One is a true freshman, three are redshirt freshmen and another here moved over from the offensive line. Their linebackers are average at best, (Tyler) Replogle is a pretty good rush linebacker but otherwise they have guys who run themselves out of position, aren't exactly as big as you'd want a Big Ten linebacker to be so it's just not there. Like you said, they get gashed a lot and they haven't played a real good running team. Akron just had no running attack and that's where that game got away from them. But Michigan and those big backs, you just wonder how Indiana is going to stop them. They haven't stopped someone who wanted to run the ball since I've been here, three years. They've never put it down and stopped a team.
So maybe it's more relevant that Indiana was 91st in rushing defense last year. They were 35th after three weeks against—hey!—Western Kentucky, Murray State, and about-to-be-rampant-through-the-MAC Ball State. How did that work out? In their never-ending quest to wear Javon Ringer's legs down to tiny nubs, Michigan State went for 236 yards on 52 carries. So… yeah. For the 15th-ranked rushing defense they are not exactly intimidating.
Michigan, meanwhile, is now the #3 rushing offense in the country after that aforementioned yardage explosion against Eastern. That probably won't last and Michigan would do well to come vaguely near those numbers even against a defense as apparently young and undermanned as Indiana's.
Complicating matters is the broken bone in center David Molk's foot, which will see him miss the next 4-6 weeks. Michigan will slide RG David Moosman to center, RT Mark Huyge to guard, and insert Perry Dorrestein at RT. Last week Moosman's absence saw John Ferrara enter the lineup at RG, so maybe there was some discontent with Ferrara's play? Either that or Michigan's noticed that Huyge isn't great in pass protection but is a thumping run blocker and is experimenting with an arrangement that minimizes his weaknesses and maximizes his strengths. Dorrestein was functional as an injury replacement a year ago. There will be some hiccups here as two guys move to new positions and another draws into the lineup. Moosman might get replaced, too, as he missed last week with a shoulder issue that Michigan won't want to chance aggravating.
All that said, Michigan should expect to put up the 5.5 they did against Notre Dame at the very least on a day that figures to be a bewildering array of handoffs they've already shown.
Key Matchup: Probably David Moosman versus Being David Molk. I've long been a proponent of the leetle center's skills and fit in the offense. This week is the first of 4-6 without his services; if Molk can provide a reasonable facsimile it will be encouraging for the future.
Is there going to be one? Will there have to be one? Eh… maybe. This section of the game contains the most favorable matchup for the Hoosiers, as they have a pair of veteran defensive ends somewhere between competent and All Big Ten. Back to Korman—here he's responding to the question "how does Indiana win"?
Oh, uh, it would have to be, really have to be, the two defensive ends are really the key. If they can get some consistent pressure, shake up Michigan's offense, get to the young quarterbacks and certainly Michigan is going to be smart enough to try and run the ball a lot but if Indiana can get a few stops and then force a 3rd-and-long and you go back and get to the quarterback and that makes it a lot easier.
Indiana did pick off Akron four times, but their starting quarterback was out that game and the backup is not Tate Forcier. I don't think Michigan will give Indiana the opportunity to tee off on Forcier. What throws they do make will be heavily screen and rollout based, and since the rollouts all come off the zone read Indiana will be forced to abandon the scrape exchange (which doesn't work all that well, especially when your defensive tackles are all freshmen) or eliminate their defensive ends from quarterback duty.
The Indiana secondary was horrible, horrible, horrible last year, for what it's worth: IU finished 106th in pass efficiency D and 105th in yardage despite those defensive ends getting the Hoosiers up to 26th in sacks. IU's leading receiver from last year was moved into the secondary in an attempt to staunch the bleeding, but that only opens IU up to MGoBlog season preview heuristic #2: if you move someone to another position and then start him, that position group is a disaster zone. So, yeah, disaster zone. When Michigan passes, guys will be open, with chance of long pass increasing because of potential ineptitude.
Key Matchup: Michigan tackles versus the IU defensive ends. If, oh, uh, Indiana's going to be a threat it'll be because they've crushed the precious in the backfield.
Ah, the frightening bit. Indiana lines up in the pistol and, according to "Behind The Schemes" on the Big Ten Network, has run 44 of 46 rushing plays on which they have a tight end to the tight end side.* That might be a setup for some counters or whatever, but it'll be interesting to see if Michigan responds to this by aligning Mike Martin and Brandon Graham to the strong side of the defense consistently. Last week EMU aligned in a fashion that caused Michigan to expose the Roh/Van Bergen side of the line to an overloaded TE-heavy front, and it was from this that Eastern gained a lot of their rushing yards. Clearly, opponents will be gameplanning ways to attack the lighter side of Michigan's line; watch for potential Michigan ripostes to this.
Indiana's vaunted… okay, not vaunted. Maybe "over-discussed." Indiana's over-discussed pistol formation is supposed to be a pounding up-the-middle sort of run game which features big linemen and runs up the gut from hefty backs—both of Indiana's guys are in the 215 range—but it hasn't exactly excelled so far. After three games against poor competition, Indiana is the #65 rushing attack in the country and is averaging four yards a rush. Unfortunately, Michigan hasn't been much better. They're #56 against the rush and gave up 179 yards to Eastern Michigan last week at 3.7 yards a pop. Notre Dame shredded Michigan for 5.1 yards a carry.
Expecting Michigan to shut down just about any rushing attack seems foolhardy at this point. What you're looking for is something resembling improvement from the linebackers, I think, as the defensive line isn't suddenly going to have another offseason of Barwis under its belt any time soon.
*(Apparently. I didn't know the show existed, so I'm taking that from a message board report.)
Key Matchup: Ryan Van Bergen against Interior Double Teams. RVB has had a tough time holding up against doubles so far; improvement from him would be encouraging going into a couple games against tough-minded Big Ten sorts.
Last week Michigan went up against a quarterback who threw around 30 time a game for under 200 yards, averaged under six yards an attempt, and gave off the distinct aura of an inconsistent dink-and-dunk sort without the offensive line or receivers to challenge deep or break short stuff long.
This week:
|Ben Chappel
|Western Michigan
There was an explosion against EKU, but even if I'm down on this defense I'm not ready to pretend a mediocre I-AA team is in any way a useful comparison to Michigan even if Mike Williams's sprained ankle will hold him out this weekend (he's a "game time decision" but was listed as doubtful on this week's injury report), paving the way for yet another game in which a walk-on is on the field for virtually every defensive snap. Hello long sentences.
Anyway: Indiana's main receiving threats are a couple of guys on the outside who are sort of anonymous, not huge, not short, not shifty. They're just guys. Tandon Doss is the leading receiver and I'm only bringing up the receivers' names because the second prime guy is the spectacularly-named Damarlo Belcher. Doss will probably draw Warren, as he's already got 21 receptions on the year and looks to be the prime downfield threat.
Key Matchup: Brandon Graham versus Life Hates Brandon Graham.
Zoltan was back to his usual ways and Olesnavage bounced back from shanking a short one against Notre Dame to hit a FG of moderate distance. Indiana's special teams are okay.
One prime annoyance from last game: Greg Mathews gave away at least 50 yards of field position against Eastern by not fielding catching easy balls.I know we don't want to fumble, but those were bad decisions.
Key Matchup: HOLD ON TO THE DAMN BALL.
21-point spreads against Indiana do not get kittens, but here's something else:
Worry if...
Cackle with knowing glee if...
Fear/Paranoia Level: 1 out of 10. (Baseline 5, –1 for Probably Don't Even Have To Throw To Win, –1 for And For That Statement The Ghost Of Bo Will Smile Fortune Upon Us, –1 for No, Seriously, Their Defensive Tackles Are All Freshman And Converts, –1 for And Even If We Do Throw We Can Do That Now, –1 for Indiana Doesn't Even Have Their One Scary Guy This Year, +1 for But We Are The Sort Of Team That Starts A Walk-On).
Desperate need to win level: 10 out of 10. (Baseline 5, +1 for Remember Last Week, Yeah All That Stuff Goes For This Week, +1 for Let's Re-establish That This Is Michigan, Okay, And Does Not Lose To Poor Versions of Indiana, +1 for I Like Being Happy, +1 for Seriously, It's Nice, +1 for Mmmmm Serotonin.)
Loss will cause me to... drive to Mexico at the head of a caravan of escapees, screaming "FOLLOW ME TO FREEDOM."
Win will cause me to... shrug.
The strictures and conventions of sportswriting compel me to predict:
Remember what happened last week? Yeah, that. I guess the spread is a field goal closer.
Finally, opportunities for me to look stupid Sunday:
Damarlo Belcher is 6-5, making him 8 inches taller than Cissoko.
So there's that...
Both receivers are also fairly physical, and have gained yards after contact. You might expect some jump balls directed Cissoko's way.
If so, it'd be a bit of a surprise though. Indiana hasn't connected often for big plays to their receivers. The Hoosiers' longest reception against Akron was 18 yards. Against Western it was 26.
Finally, the most telling fact about Indiana is this: on the final play in two of their three games against weak competition, the other team was throwing into the Hoosiers' end zone for the win. This is not a team that could put away MAC level and below teams; they trailed Akron, who was missing their starting QB, with under a minute to play in the half.
Agreed the punt return game hasn't looked stellar this year. However, I like having a veteran guy back there who isn't going to take stupid chances that end up in fumbles as we saw too many times last year. If it takes fair catches and letting a ball go every now and again to keep possession, I'll take it at this point...GO BLUE!
write a new song "goodbye yellow brick Rose Bowl"
I know what "Hank the Happy Hemmorhoid" looks like, courtesy of old episodes of MxC. I'd take Hank over that WKU abomination.
My favorite line...
"If, oh, uh, Indiana's going to be a threat it'll be because they've crushed the precious in the backfield."
They want the Precious they does. Stupid, fat Hoosierses with their wicked, tricksy Pistol formation.
from a Gollum.
... not sure if you read the comments or if there is specific language you use for the "Cheap Thrills" of which I am unaware, but can I recommend we never say:
"Win will cause me to... shrug." I think after last year there will never be a win that will make me shrug. If we win this week, we'll be 4-0. We'll have surpassed our total wins from last year. I mean, that's awesome. That's not just a shrug. We'll be going into MSU week 4-0 and starting to look like a contender.
...Moosman in this line:
"This week is the first of 4-6 without his services; if Molk can provide a reasonable facsimile it will be encouraging for the future."
that Vladimir Emilien can get on the field so we can commence with the cliched tackling references we've waited almost 10 months to use.
After all, Brent Musberger is working the Michigan - Iowa game in 2 weeks, and you know he's got his Impaler jokes ready.
The only game I'm going to this year is one that Musberger is announcing which means I don't have to listen to him this year season. Woo!
Most ridiculous part of that play is that he fakes a hand off. Seriously, if any safety bit on play action in that situation, they deserved to be scored on.
I seem to recall an interview with Bo (or maybe Wangs) where the subject was brought up. The response was "we didn't have a passing play in the playbook that *wasn't* play-action."
I attended Michigan at the time and was seated in the endzone where that TD was scored. And yes, many of us noted that Bo called play-action in that situation. Good old Bo.
why Rich Rod would keep Molk out of the lineup?
Sure he broke a bone in his foot, but it's not like he only has one "foot bone", there ARE others.
Didn't Molk learn anything from his time at Barwis Beach?
I read Brian to mean that he'd "shrug" in specific response to beating Indiana... that is, we won't know a lot about Michigan after they beat Indiana. Sure, being 4-0 would be amazing, and trust me, I'm right with you in celebrating any and every win that UM gets this season... but Brian's point is about how a win would aid his evaluation of this team in the immediate future - it wouldn't, in this case. Beating IU doesn't take 5 losses off the table... only beating Iowa/MSU/Illinois on the road does that.
Molk's injury sounds exactly like the one I suffered playing basketball as an 8th grader (close to 30 yrs ago). It was a stress fracture of the bone along the outside edge of the foot, about midway between the little toe and the heel.
For me it happened as I was playing defense, shuffling to my right, and the offensive player started to drive in that same direction. He stepped on my foot/ankle just as I planted, causing my foot to roll under with his weight and mine on it.
I was able to finish practice just as Molk was able to finish the game, but it was hurting pretty bad within a couple hours, and definitely affected weight-bearing ability and lateral movement. I was out 4-6 weeks and missed most of the season. There was a well-known college hoops player in the Grand Rapids area who had the same injury and was seeing the same podiatrist I was at the time.
FWIW. Not saying this is Molk's exact problem, but I can identify.
It amazes me how fast (with some excellent medical care) some athletes can come back from injuries and surgeries and still contribute at a high level.
4-6 weeks after injury/surgery I'd still be in bed watching Hogan's Heros reruns and yelling for someone to bring me some pudding.
Not apple strudel?
I was at the Akron Indiana game last weekend and I don't see M having a problem with this team at all. Akron's starting QB is suspending indefinitely from the team apparently for his love of pain killers and stealing from coaches? The backup QB was picked off 4 times but this was mostly due to the fact that Akron has little to no offensive line. The plays that the QB wasn't constantly pressured he found receivers open and they marched down the field. This is also why Akron has no running attack. Their O-line is about 30% of what our line was like last year so that should tell you something.
When Indiana had the ball they showed proficiency with their short routes to the TE or FB out of the backfield but those were only open due to their running game. Any time Akron could get pressure on the QB, which was often, the Qb would throw the ball to no one in particular. I was sitting next to an Indiana family and we were discussing this week's game and he agreed they will have a tough time of it. The keys to the game will be scoring on offense thus forcing Indiana into a pass heavy scheme. Then unleash the dogs on the Qb and see how he reacts. Either way I see this as another minor hurdle to our showdown with Lil Bro.
Brian, you're so clever I want to rub them on you!
Brian, your superstitions are showing. :-)
Brandon Graham never sacks anyone again.
Didn't we try this approach once before with liveblogging?
1) Get a good performance out of the makeshift offensive line.
2) Don't make the injury list worse than it already is.
3) Figure out how to defend the run.
4) Figure out how to return a punt.
5) Get Denard Robinson some pass completions.
The favorite and the over?
Did you hack into my fields and read a draft of Big 10 picks?
Nice preview, as always. I'd like to think my alma mater can compete tomorrow......but I'd also like to think I'm still young like I was in my salad days in Bloomington.
Since Brian or anyone here mentioned, a quick look in the record book shows that Michigan is 50-9 all-time against IU. I think percentage-wise, that is Michigan's best record against current Big Ten Teams.
The last time IU beat Michigan in Ann Arbor: 1967 (a 27-20 homecoming loss)
The last time IU won in the series: 1987 (14-10) in Bloomington. IU was actually ranked higher (#15) than Michigan (#20), a rarity in the series. As I recall, that game was played in an absolute monsoon - weather similar to the ND game last year. This was about the time you were at IU - did you attend?
My wife went to WKU and I love to give her a hard time about the cheesy mascot. Not many people even knew about Big Red until those damn Capitol One commercials. Even worse the emblem on the side of their helmet is a hand waiving a towel. What the hell is up with that? They need some marketing help. But hey, Jack Harbaugh did coach there.
Brian didn't know about the Big Ten Network's "Behind the Schemes" because Rule No. 1 is NEVER TALK ABOUT THE FOUR-PACK!!1!!!ELEVEN
This game worries me. Mostly from a psychological standpoint. Because last week we played sloppy and won easily, I am afraid we will conclude that (against not-great teams) we CAN play sloppy and win easily.
But I am glad to read Brian's self-assured optimism. On paper IU seems to match up well against us (strength on weakness), but this analysis seems pretty sound in reaching the conclusion that right now 'on paper' is simply not very accurate when it comes to Indiana. Hope so...
My sense is 1st half last week was a Notre Dame hangover. My money is on the team being more focused this week. (Hoping the defense starts where it left off.)
The only question is the weather, and the siz of the chip on their shoulders (there weren't any newspaper or Weiss attacks this week) ...
Question - why does IU perpetually field marginal teams? Does ND suck up all the talent that has any interest in going to school in Indiana or something?
Oh. My. God. That video! "The Schembechler Years"! Man, I grew up just wearing that video out. That thing was so damn cool. We had that and we had one that showed highlights of classic U-M/OSU games starting from way back in the '40s. Those videos were the shit.
Usually I don't say this about a Michigan game but Michigan will crush Indiana this week. Indiana is the Big Ten's worst team and Michigan is rolling along right now with all the momentum they have and I don't see them having one problem this week. It will probably Michigan's easiest win this year but still they shouldn't look at Michigan State until they get the W. I predict Michigan scoring around 40 or 50 points and I see Indiana squeezing in a couple of touchdowns. It will be nice seeing Michigan at 4-0 and them being their old selves. Great review Brian as always. You should be working for ESPN or something like that because you know football quite well. GO BLUE!!
Ah yes. My sophomore year. The 1979 game versus IU. One of the most exciting finishes in Michigan history. Me? I left at halftime....
My freshman year. Loved Michigan football, but was a little bit intimidated by the academics in engineering and had to study a lot.
I saw every play in that game but the last one. I figured it was a lost cause, and rather than lose an hour waiting to get out of the stadium I left just a little too early.
Short of the gate by about 10 yards there was probably the biggest roar I have ever heard. I knew what happened, and was simultaneously totally thrilled and absolutely pissed.
Left the game? My sophomore year, and I stayed for every blessed play of it! Course I was in LSA and studying wasn't a big issue . . . .
That's one helluva name. Gotta be on the First-team All Big Ten Name list.
He's jumping up and down like a kid who's just gotten everything he wanted for Christmas after eating ten bowls of massively sugar-coated breakfast cereal.
I had just graduated from Ann Arbor Pioneer High School in '79. Every time I see AC burning Indiana, I get a little misty eyed. I think Michigan has many bright, shiny, exciting games coming in the future. On that note, I really don't want tomorrow's game to come down to Foricer to Stonum. Reminiscing is nice! I want Michigan to annihilate the pesky Hoosiers. Michigan 51 to 13.
Friends of my folks had a German exchange student and they were visiting the weekend of the '79 IU game (my senior year of HS). We were in the basement shooting pool and listening to the radio broadcast. Ufer's call on AC's touchdown got him so fired up we had to go outside, play "American" football, and try to reenact the call.
I so miss Bob Ufer.
1.) The IU Receivers
I do believe the IU QB (Chappell) and the receivers have played fairly well so far. They do not tower over anyone like Paul Jokisch, but they're not really small in size either, at 6-3 (Doss), 6-3 (M.Evans), 6-3 (T. Turner) and 6-5 (D.Belcher).
Donovan Warren can handle Doss. Of course that leaves B. Cissoko trying to blanket 6-5 D. Belcher. Uh-oh.
That's going to be a fun match up to watch.
2.) Penalties Are Killing IU
Aside from some big talent mismatches between UM and IU on both sides, one thing that kind of goes unnoticed in all of these marshmallowy-flavored cupcake victories has to be keeping Bill Lynch up at night: Indiana penalties.
The Hoosiers now lead the Big Ten in penalties after 3 games with 25 for -194 yards(8 penalties per game for -65 yards on average). Indiana is 3-0 and overcame all of these mistakes, but one has to wonder about situations with tougher competition and tougher road venues than Akron. Against WMU and at home, probably the toughest and most talented opponent IU has faced thus far, the Hoosers had 13 penalties for -106 yards.
I really think they're going to like Michigan Stadium.
A win will cause me to go: woo (lowercase, no exclamation point).
The game after is a different matter.
Sept, 26, 2008? Please I don't want to relive that year again.
I love that the Fort Wayne Examiner, Daily Digest Sentinel has the start time listed at 3:30 on their web site... is this because Indiana is still having difficulty getting used to daylight savings time? Or is this designed to spare Hoosier fans the stress of watching the game?
with your paranoia/fear factor


text:
- Houston Open
Jones chips in to beat Kuchar to Houston Open title
Matt Jones earned his first trip to the Masters with a remarkable 42-yard chip-in on the first play-off hole, beating Matt Kuchar on his way to winning the Houston Open on Sunday.
The win is the first on the PGA Tour for Jones, who made a 46-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to reach the play-off. He ended it one hole later, chipping over the right front bunker on the 18th and watching it roll in.
Kuchar, who bogeyed the final hole of regulation, then missed his bunker shot to give Jones the win - earning him nearly $1.2 million and a trip to Augusta National.
Jones, who began the day six shots back of Kuchar, shot a final-round 66 and ended the tournament 15-under overall.
In September, Jones lipped out an 8-foot birdie putt on the last hole of the BMW Championship - a putt that would have earned him a trip to next week's Masters by sending him to the Tour Championship. He waited until the last possible moment to make amends for that miss on Sunday, doing so in impressive fashion.
Jones sent his tee shot on the first hole of the play-off into the right fairway bunker. He then landed just short of the greenside bunker with his second shot, while Kuchar found the bunker from the fairway.
It was the second straight miss of the 18th green from the fairway for Kuchar, who sent his fairway metal on the 72nd hole into the water before recovering to make bogey and reach the play-off.
Jones did not leave Kuchar any room for error in the play-off, sending his chip over the greenside bunker and watching as it rolled in - much to the delight of the Golf Club of Houston gallery.
Golfers were sent off in threesomes early Sunday morning for the second day in a row because of the threat of strong storms in the Houston area. The rain, heavy at times, began early during the final pairing's round, but the pros finished without any delays.
Kuchar started the day with a four-shot lead over Sergio Garcia and Cameron Tringale, but he bogeyed the first hole and was one-over on the front nine. That allowed Jones, who began the day at 9-under, to briefly tie for the lead at 14-under following a birdie on the par-4 11th.
Kuchar answered moments later with a 12-foot birdie putt on No.10. The putt gave him a one-shot lead at 15-under, a lead that seemed solid until the final hole of regulation. With Kuchar watching from the tee, Jones bounced back from a bogey on the 17th to make a 46-foot birdie putt on the last. That sent him to 15-under overall, one shot back of the lead.
Kuchar hit the fairway before his second shot found the water - opening the door for Jones to earn the win and his improbable trip to next week's Masters. It was the second straight final-round disaster for Kuchar, who shot a 75 in the final pair of last week's Texas Open on his way to finishing fourth.
Garcia finished in third at 13-under, while Tringale was fourth at 12-under.
Rory McIlroy matched the low round of the tournament with a 7-under 65 on Sunday, finishing tied for seventh at 8-under overall and finding some form ahead of the Masters next week.
Phil Mickelson, who won the tournament in 2011, was one-under on Sunday and finished seven-under overall in a tie for 12th - a week after he was forced to withdraw from the Texas Open because of a muscle pull in his right side.


text:
Flash flood warning issued for Southern New Hampshire
August 13. 2014 5:26PM
Just after 5 p.m., the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning effective until 9 p.m. tonight in eastern Hillsborough County and until 8 p.m. in much of the rest of New Hampshire.
Doppler radar indicated a band of heavy rain expected to cross through the Manchester to Nashua corridor south to Middlesex County in Massachusetts through 7 p.m.
"The potential exists for rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour during this timeframe," the warning states. "As a result, there is a threat for flash flooding. The main threat is for rapid urban and poor drainage inundation, though some small streams may experience bank-full levels."
Locations expected to experience flooding include Manchester, Nashua, Merrimack, Hudson, Concord, Goffstown, Milford, Bedford, Pelham, Weare and Litchfield.
Weather Bedford Concord Goffstown Hudson Litchfield Manchester Milford Nashua Pelham Weare


text:
A consumer group is taking aim at high-fructose corn syrup in soft drinks, arguing that it and other sweeteners are responsible for high obesity rates and health problems because Americans drink too much soda.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest filed a petition Wednesday with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration urging the agency to require beverage makers to reduce the amount of high-fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners.
"In the past 10 years or so, researchers have done a variety of experiments and studies that connect soft drinks to obesity" and other health problems, said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the consumer group. "The science is now very strong."
Jacobson said current levels of high-fructose corn syrup are unsafe for daily consumption, which is why his group is calling for the FDA to study the matter.


text:
MAYVILLE - Edgar Allen Heston, 66, of 6347 Elm Flat Rd., Mayville died Saturday (April 20, 2013) at St. Vincent Health Center in Erie, Pa.
He was born Sept. 28, 1946, in Norwalk, Ohio, the son of the late Allen and Evelyn Klein Heston.
Ed was a printer at Belknap Business Forms in Westfield and Mayville. He had also been a stock person at Wal-Mart in Jamestown.
Article Photos
Edgar Allen Heston
He was a member of the American Legion in Mayville and was a former member of the Westfield Moose 118.
He is survived by his wife, Karen Keulh Heston, whom he married Dec. 16, 1989, in Westfield; three daughters, Elizabeth Heston of Mayville, Tina Markel of Norwalk, Ohio and Ariel Nelson of Hawaii; three sons, Allan Heston of Mayville, Edward Allen Wilde of Norwalk and Wayne Heston of Norwalk; six grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; two sisters, Cleo Pfeiffer of Norwalk and Nellie Timbs of New London, Ohio; and his aunt and uncle, Don and Kathy Holzwart of Norwalk.
The funeral service was held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, April 23 in the Freay Funeral Home, Mayville. Rev. Mark Teets of the Mayville Community Bible Church officiated.
The family received friends from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m., Monday in the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to an Educational Fund for his children, c/o Westfield Area Federal Credit Union, 21 North Portage St., Westfield, N.Y. 14787 or Hartfield Rescue Squad, PO Box 182, Mayville, N.Y. 14757.


text:
***AudioBase Slashes Marketing Staff
The company, which has about 80 employees, said it laid off 14 marketing staffers because it needed to focus its efforts on servicing its existing client base of 15 companies and improving its technology.
"It's a tough time for a lot of companies like us," said Colette Ballou, director of public relations. "But this move is not to say we are not in a good state. It's not that marketing isn't important, but we have a lot of great clients and we want to focus more on building and implementing."
Ballou said capital was available, but it came "at too high of a price." This situation has become more commonplace with companies seeking future funding, in that investors are still willing to put up capital but for more control of the company.
For the time being, Ballou said, the company will retain its internal public relations staff and its external PR agency, Edelman PR Worldwide. Retaining an external PR agency can cost a company an average of $10,000 to $20,000 per month.
Meanwhile, the company was set to launch two new audio-enabled sites: one for Hanover Direct this past weekend and another for Macy's by the end of this month.
AudioBase has the ability to serve Java-based audio to enhance most aspects of a user's Web experience, from adding audio clips to banner ads to voice-guided assistance that helps a user through an e-commerce transaction.


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These days many pet owners understand the importance of the quality of food they give to their pets. With all of the recent pet food recalls, dog owners are even more cautious of the food they buy for their four-legged pals. Here are some red flags to look out for when buying treats for your pet.
Check the Ingredients
Many shelf stable dog treats include sugars and corn syrup. A dog's digestive system works just like a human's digestive system, and it is known that sugar is unhealthy for humans as well as dogs. Too much sugar can possibly lead to diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and dental problems. Make sure you read the labels on dog treats to make sure they don't contain excessive amounts of sugar before purchasing.
Many times dog treats contain chemical preservatives, fillers, meat meals and other cheap ingredients. Preservatives and dyes are used to keep fats from turning rancid and to keep the food looking good. The safety of preservatives such as BHT, BHA, and ethoxyquin has been questioned by consumers and scientists alike. Meat meals and fillers are inexpensive and found in many foods. Corn gluten and wheat gluten are used in treats and have no nutritional value to your pet, they are neither harmful nor useful, and they are used to bind food together.
Have peace of mind when you give your dog a fresh treat from our Dog Joy line. These 100% all-natural treats contain no corn, wheat, preservatives, fillers, or meat meals. Whether it is beef treats or the peanut butter ready to bake cookies, you dog will have a reason to wag his tail!


text:
iPad Account Hacker Pleads Guilty 86
WrongSizeGlass writes "Daniel Spitler, a member of Goatse Security, pleaded guilty today to writing the code used to steal email addresses and personal information belonging to 120,000 Apple iPad subscribers from AT&T computer servers. Spitler, who surrendered to the authorities in January, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to computers connected to the Internet and one count of identity theft. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison."