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Traveling alone as a woman is tricky: It can be dangerous, yes, but the payoffs are often huge. To figure out how to strike the right balance between caution and risk-taking, we asked our own readers about their experiences—then had female travel writers, editors, and experts share their tips for staying safe on the road.
"For me, a huge part of feeling safe is feeling prepared. I always carry a paper map (not just the one on my phone, in case the battery dies) and a mini pepper spray. I also try to have a very good idea of where I'm going before I step out on the street."
–Isabel Weiner, undergraduate, Tufts University
"I pack nothing more than a carry-on bag, which I can live out of for five weeks at a time. I believe it is a matter of safety, because I don't have to worry about many separate items getting on and of a train or plane. I generally use a Pacsafe bag with slash-proof handles and front panels so no one can just slice it open with a knife and remove the contents."
–Beth Whitman, editor, wanderlustandlipstick.com
"Even before I was married, I would wear a wedding ring to help fend off unwanted attention. I also recommend that women carry a picture of their children—I think it makes them more sympathetic and less likely to be taken advantage of."
–Wendy Perrin, Condé Nast Traveler editor
Upon Arrival
"I always have a private transfer waiting for me at the airport, whether it's eight in the morning or in the middle of the night. I won't take a taxi and leave my safety to chance."
–Katey Hartwell, Travel Experts
On the Ground
"Having been robbed in a taxi in Nairobi, I would advise against driving or walking around with valuables after dark. This is easier said than done if you're on your way to the airport, which is why it's best to fly during daylight hours and to make sure all windows and doors are closed and locked for the duration of your trip. Don't take your driver's word for it—check and insist."
_–Rosemary Behan, travel editor of _The National newspaper in Abu Dhabi
"No nice girl. If someone talks to you, you don't have to talk back. You don't owe anyone an explanation or time."
–Marybeth Bond, author of The Gutsy Traveler
"Dress in a way that allows you to blend in with the local people as best you can. Watch the women to see where they go or don't go, and get a guide if you need to venture anywhere women are never seen alone."
–Helen Benedict, professor of journalism, Columbia University
Readers Who Have Been . . .
verbally assaulted
Women: 12%
Men: 9%
physically assaulted
Women: 9%
Men: 2%
Women: 9%
Men: 15%
Female Readers Who Would Use . . .
women-only hotel floors: 55%
women-only train cars: 62%
Readers Who Travel Alone Always or Most of the Time
Women: 28%
Men: 42%
Readers Who Have Avoided Traveling Alone to Certain Destinations Because of Safety Concerns
Women: 62%
Men: 47%
Readers feel . . .
Least safe in the Middle East
Most safe in Canada and Australia/New Zealand
Illustrations by Mark Nerys


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Classic Maine Resort
Relax and rejuvenate at the Tides Beach Club in Kennebunkport
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Make your summer memorable by escaping to a newly renovated boutique hotel tucked away on one of Maine's secret beaches. Breathtaking views combined with top-notch accommodations and design ensure a relaxing stay for guests. Welcome to the latest addition to Tim Harrington's Kennebunkport portfolio: The Tides Beach Club.
Harrington jumped at the chance to acquire the antique inn on Goose Rocks Beach. He fondly recalls playing there as a child when he visited his grandmother. "I remember the smell of the sea at low tide and during thunderstorms," says Harrington. "I know the view, the salty smell, and the silky feel of the white sand."
The oceanfront property was given a fresh look and new ways to lure guests. With the help of his team of business and design associates, Harrington updated the 1899 Tides Hotel, giving it a second life that has helped transform the lodging landscape of southern Maine. The top-to-bottom renovation created 21 stylish suites, including two rooms—"Ocean" and "Sea"—that not only have breathtaking views but also feature the happy designs of Jonathan Adler.
Photography: Trent Bell and Eric Roth
Produced by Estelle Bond Guralnick
Read on for more about the Tides Beach Club and Kennebunkport.
Interior designer Louise Hurlbutt, who worked with Harrington on his Cabot Cove Cottages, translated his ideas into decor true to New England. "It's a little bit St. Barth's meets Maine," explains Harrington. "We envisioned a joyful place: fresh, easy, and a little bit sexy."
In the entry, crisp white paint coats the wainscot as well as the chest that's tucked under the stairs.
Sitting Room
Every room in the updated inn exudes a soothing atmosphere and contemporary coastal decor. Inspired by the ocean views, splashes of color complement the otherwise neutral tan and white walls. Guest rooms vary in size from intimate to sprawling, but all provide visitors with the luxuries (fine linens, marble sinks) required for a rejuvenation of the spirit.
In this sitting room, comfortable seating faces a pair of gently aged ceramic garden stools. Oyster shells form the bases of a couple of table lamps.
Geometric Jonathan Adler wallpaper and white marble sinks distinguish the bathroom that's part of the blue Jonathan Adler suite.
The bed's headboard is drawn up against a beadboard wall painted dark blue.
Besides beach-chic lodging, The Tides boasts an elegant dining room, well-stocked library, outdoor patio, and other amenities. In the club's lively bar, earth-toned grass cloth flatters the walls while faux bamboo Chinese Chippendale chairs and accents of blue add to the welcoming ambience. Menus feature sea-inspired dishes ranging from lobster rolls and Maine scallops to fish and chips with slaw and tartar sauce.
The natty inn is only a half mile away from its sister resort, Hidden Pond, the enchanting Victorian village featured in our June + July 2009 issue. That venue has grown to include 20 cozy cottages, a treehouse spa, a new restaurant, and such amenities as yoga and vegetable-picking classes—also available to guests at The Tides.
"Each project is really special," says Hurlbutt about Harrington's long list of properties. "But no matter the time of year, Tides is the essence of a Maine seaside summer."
Be sure to make your reservations for dates between mid-May, when the resort opens, and the end of October, when the season ends. Visit their website for more information.
Around Town: Kennebunkport
Resort destination Kennebunkport has everything you would expect of a New England town located along the Atlantic Ocean and Kennebunk River. There are countless options—from sailing and fine seafood to gift shops galore.
See the following slides for some highlights of must-see attractions.
All Aboard
Set sail from Kennebunkport aboard the Eleanor—a classic Maine-built vessel—for a two-hour trip along the scenic coastline from Cape Arundel to Cape Porpoise. Sailing trips are scheduled daily, depending on the weather and tides.
Call 207/967-8809 or check out their website for more information.
Hit the Beach
Take in the splendid views of one of Maine's best-kept secret beaches—Goose Rocks Beach at The Tides Beach Club, located at 254 Kings Highway.
Call 207/967-3757 or check out their website for more information.
Mouthwatering Seafood
Fresh Maine seafood be found at clam shacks scattered throughout the town. This succulent lobster roll is a dish served at Tia's Topside, located at 12 Western Avenue.
Call 207/967-8821 or check out their website for more information. .
Retail Therapy
Charming retail shops line the streets of Dock Square—the area considered "the heart of Kennebunkport"—including galleries, boutiques, and coffee houses.
East Coast Antiques
An assortment of beach collectibles and one-of-a-kind antiques can be found at Antiques on Nine, located at 81 Western Avenue.
For more tips on things to do in Kennebunkport, go to visitthekennebunks.com.
Harrington's Getaways
In addition to The Tides Beach Club and Hidden Pond resort, designer Tim Harrington is responsible for a cluster of other projects in the Kennebunkport area, including the Cottages at Cabot Cove, The Grand Hotel, and the Kennebunkport Inn, as well as the Old Fort Inn & Resort in nearby Cape Arundel. Each venue boasts beautiful interiors with gorgeous views—two things never compromised at Harrington's lodging properties. "People want to stay in places that are design-conscious," he explains. "They seek a feeling of well-being that appeals to their senses as soon as they walk in."
Craving more Maine? Check out our presentation of Maine Cooking School, complete with recipes!

subset: commoncrawl


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Michigan's First Support Group for Thyroid Cancer Survivors Begins Meeting in Plymouth04/2001
Michigan's first support group for thyroid cancer survivors has begun meeting in Plymouth on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The next meeting
will be April 24. Organized by ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc., ThyCa SE Michigan is free and open to all thyroid cancer
survivors and their families. ThyCa SE Michigan meets from 7:30 - 8:45 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month in the Gold Room at the
Plymouth Public Library, 223 South Main Street, Plymouth, MI. For information about ThyCa SE Michigan, call M. Weckerle at 734-397-2801 or
write firstname.lastname@example.com.
Support groups for thyroid cancer survivors are organized across the United States and Canada by ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association,
Inc. ThyCa is a nonprofit, volunteer organization providing services and resources to thyroid cancer survivors and their families at no charge. For
more information call toll-free 877-588-7904 or write visit the web site at www.thyca.org.


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To improve our clients' personal training and gym experience we have recently replaced the entire floor at the gym in Mayfair with a modern wooden flooring that as well as being aesthetically pleasing offers excellent grip for functional fitness training. Members and personal training clients now have an ideal floor space with which to develop their fitness and offers a large open training environment like no other in central London.
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New Flooring at Mayfair Gym
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2 Responses to New Flooring at Mayfair Gym
From the looks of it, I can easily tell the flooring in your gym is not made of pre-fabricated materials. For a gym owner like myself, I must say I am more than blown-away by your state-of-the art facility! Something worth checking when I get a chance to come over in Mayfair. Cheers!
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MorpheusMorpheus is a team of health and fitness professionals comprising of personal trainers, physiotherapists, sports massage therapists, pilates teachers and nutritionists. We are based in central London at our private gyms and personal training studios in Mayfair, Marylebone, Tower Hill, Piccadilly, and Waterloo. Personal training at home in Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Islington, Lambeth, Southwark and the City.We also design and fit out private, residential and hotel gyms with modern functional fitness equipment.
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Project aims to highlight importance of avian conservation in Southeast Asia; Festivities include painting miniature birdhouses, arts and crafts, and 'Birthday baby trail'
Image 1 [LEFT] A dedicated docent painting nest boxes which will be sent to Begawan Foundation and Cikananga Conservation Breeding Centre in Indonesia
Image 2 [RIGHT] These beautifully hand-painted nest boxes will be used by the endangered Bali Mynah and Black-winged Starling species in Indonesia
Singapore, 22 May 2016 – In celebration of its 45th anniversary, Jurong Bird Park has launched the 'Home Tweet Home' project which aims to highlight the importance of conservation for Southeast Asia bird species such as the critically endangered Bali Mynah and Black-winged Starling, among many others.
As a kick off, over 30 docents in Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) parks spent Sunday morning lovingly hand painting 45 nest boxes that will be used in conservation captive breeding programmes of two critically endangered bird species – the Bali Mynah and Black-winged Starling in their native Indonesia. In the month of June, guests to Jurong Bird Park can see some of the nest boxes and even try their hand at painting a miniature version for a small donation to the Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund.
Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Life Sciences Officer, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said, "Around 45 Southeast Asian bird species are listed as critically endangered today, and the threats they face include habitat loss and poaching for the illegal pet trade among others. As we celebrate the 45th anniversary of Jurong Bird Park, we remain committed to giving these threatened species a chance to survive into the future with our continued support of local and Southeast Asian bird conservation. We hope to raise awareness and engage our guests on the plight of these birds and for them to join us on our efforts to help these birds."
The 45 birdhouses painted as part of the Home Tweet Home project will be sent to WRS' regional conservation partners Begawan Foundation and Cikananga Conservation Breeding Centre.


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Looking for design inspiration? Browse our curated collections!
by Betsy Knapp
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Our weekender tote bags are chic and perfect for a day out on the town, a staycation, or a weekend getaway. The tote is crafted with soft, spun poly-poplin fabric and features double-stitched seams for added durability. The 1" thick cotton handles are perfect for carrying the bag by hand or over your shoulder. This is a must-have for the summer.
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Betsy Cutler-Knapp is a multi-genre full-time artist. Currently she lives and breathes photography and 3D rendering, which is a balance between traveling and lovingly logging-in time behind the computer screen. One of her most identifying characteristics is her history with Topsail Island, North Carolina. She has been photographing the island for decades and often visits the quaint, magical paradise. She also finds Topsail's past fascinating, especially the military project, Operation Bumblebee, in the development of the ramjet engine. As always, Betsy is graciously appreciative of guests, supporters, and clients, who have been a staple in her profession. Thank you! You are the reason she is able to provide new works for...
Our return policy is very simple:
If you're not happy with a purchase that you made on FineArtAmerica.com, for any reason, you can return it to us within 30 days of the order date. As soon as it arrives, we'll issue a full refund for the entire purchase price. Please note - Fine Art America does not reimburse the outgoing or return shipping charges unless the return is due to a defect in quality.
Fine Art America sells thousands of pieces of artwork each month - all with a 100% money-back guarantee. We take great pride in the fact that hundreds of thousands of artists have chosen Fine Art America to fulfill their orders, and we look forward to helping you select your next piece!
All weekender tote bags ship from our production facility within 2 - 3 business days of your order.


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Demolition Services in Belmont Hills, Pennsylvania
Looking for a quality contractor to take care of a demolition project in Belmont Hills, Pennsylvania? Every structure has a life span. Whether you've got an old outbuilding that has become unsafe, or are ready to begin a new remodeling project, East Coast Renovations, LLC can help with your demolition. Kitchen and bathroom remodels increase quality of life and home values.
While you're sure to be satisfied by the end results of these updates, living through the chaos that is caused by the project can be a challenge to homeowners. East Coast Renovations, LLC offers demolition services to kick of your project and speed up timelines for renovation. Our trusted Belmont Hills demolition team quickly and safely tears down old fixtures and dispose of debris in preparation for remodeling. For quality demolition services, call East Coast Renovations, LLC at (484) 302-2104 to schedule a consultation.
Quick Teardown of Old Fixtures Saves You Time and Money
Belmont Hills demolition experts from East Coast Renovations, LLC keep your projects on schedule. Why wait around for your work site to be cleared of unwanted sinks, countertops, and cabinetry, you can get started right away on that new room that you desire? Contracting companies that don't have demolition expertise in-house take longer to complete projects due to the downtime, and extra labor needs and extended schedules. You can avoid holding up your renovation project by contacting us about our Belmont Hills demolition services. Call (484) 302-2104 for a quick quote.
Did You Know Demolition of Belmont Hills Structures Is Regulated?
While the average three-year old regularly demonstrates above-average demolition skills, tearing down a permanent structure requires professional expertise and going through the proper channels. Some remodeling efforts involve handling hazardous materials or preserving natural land features, which is why you need to know when permits are required for Belmont Hills demolition work. East Coast Renovations, LLC has been guiding customers through the demolition permit and inspection processes since 1996. We make sure that your project starts and finishes smoothly.
Knocking Down Old Structures is Dangerous, Don't Do It Yourself
Sharp glass, broken tiles and splintered wood are common work site features during renovation projects. Without the proper training, tools, and safety equipment, you could easily incur injuries by doing the job yourself. We've been performing safe demolition services in Belmont Hills for over 24 years. Our demo crew will arrive to your home with the right safety equipment to execute your project according to building codes and industry standards. Call us today at (484) 302-2104 to find out more about our demolition services.
Call for FREE Demolition Services Quote
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★★★★★ - "Best renovation company in the area! I would recommend them to anyone!! Owner is a great guy!"
Samantha Elliot2016-10-05
★★★★★ - "They were clean and got the work done in one day. I couldn't believe the price I was quoted as compared to 8 other estimates that I got and the same quality. It pays to shop around. I would recommend them."
Central Air Conditioning Installation in Folcroft, PA2016-07-28
★★★★★ - "After having our crawl space under the bedroom wing dug out to an extended basement, we realized we would need a second furnace and ac system. Original furnace could not handle the extra space, and a new I-beam was blocking the pathway for the old ducts. We got several estimates, but the second lowest was from Dave at East Coast Renovations. I took a chance on his company, and so glad I did. Dave and his assistants were pleasant, eager to please, and thoroughly knowledgeable about what they were doing. We had an ongoing project installing a ledger board in the basement (which delayed installation of the return ductwork), and he was totally flexible in adjusting his schedule to accommodate that work. My home is in Cheltenham, which is a long drive from their home base in Ridley park, but they were thoroughly reliable, punctual, and scheduled the work quickly, so the project never dragged on. East Coast Renovations' performance was superb: Lots of attention to detail, very professional in listening to all of my concerns, left the premises thoroughly clean, and high quality workmanship in everything they did. I would give Dave and his crew my highest possible recommendation. The heater works flawlessly!"
Sheldon S. in Wyncote, PA2016-07-28


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I thought I'd share 🙂
This weekend we'll be running, tidying and organising. What are your plans?
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Original Posting At http://unitedmethodistreporter.com/2012/11/27/judicial-council-needs-a-change-of-worldview/
By Joe Whittemore, Special Contributor…
A few hours before the adjournment of the 2012 General Conference, the highly controversial Decision No. 1210 issued by the Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church addressed and overturned restructure Plan UMC, which had been approved by a 59.62 percent vote of the General Conference. This hasty council decision seemed more interested in protecting segments of the institution than finding ways to support the work of the legislative body of the United Methodist Church.
On Oct. 28, the Judicial Council issued Decision No. 1226 declaring another 2012 General Conference action—that of ending guaranteed appointments for ordained elders—to be unconstitutional. This legislation was overwhelmingly approved by General Conference on the consent calendar.
Then on Nov. 10, Decision No. 1230 was issued which overturned the actions of the South Central Jurisdiction committee on episcopacy and the entire jurisdictional conference to involuntarily retire a bishop. Those actions were supported by votes of over 80 percent of the two bodies. There is little question the Judicial Council could have legitimately supported the actions of the jurisdiction, but again individual members chose to legislate over the representatives of church membership.
In contrast, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts got it right in his recent decision when he wrote, ". . . precedent is that 'every reasonable construction' of a law passed by Congress must be resorted to, in order to save a statute from unconstitutionality." The Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church declared in a broad and sweeping decision that Plan UMC was unsalvageable and unconstitutional. Included were portions of the legislation that had absolutely no constitutional issues. The council ruled ". . . the Plan [is] . . . constitutionally unsalvageable," but many find it difficult to believe that assertion. Some knowledgeable United Methodists hold that Plan UMC in its entirety is constitutional.
Several years ago, the council helped clear up similar matters when the General Council on Ministries was legislated. In the case of Plan UMC the council talked a good game about trying to save the legislation but the final decision was in fact inappropriate judicial activism.
Thwarted compromise
Some very brief background may be helpful. After spending several hundred thousand dollars for outside consultants to provide a report titled "A Call to Action," which outlined changes needed for our church, the Council of Bishops (COB) seized the findings, helped tweak them and pressured the Connectional Table to present to General Conference hastily drawn restructure legislation that would have placed the COB in charge of just about everything. This Interim Operations Team (IOT) plan gave the bishops power to change budgets authorized and approved by General Conference, virtual control of a small group that was to take the place of ALL general agencies (including the General Council on Finance and Administration), and the ability to determine not only the programs of the church but how those programs would be implemented. Forty years of General Conference actions (mandates) would have been deleted in their entirety from the Book of Discipline and the COB would have been in position to dominate the general church operations. Many familiar with the workings of the general church saw serious flaws in the IOT plan and it was virtually dead on arrival when General Conference convened. Please understand that when the term COB is used, there were minority voices of opposition in that body.
Some capable participants in the Call to Action work prepared alternative restructure legislation, including Plan UMC, which was ultimately approved by a 60 percent vote of General Conference. This action represented comprehensive legislation that was a year in the making and contained significant compromise provisions from more than one plan. Some of the IOT plan provisions were likely unconstitutional but Plan UMC revised those provisions. There is no question that Plan UMC contained several major revisions (i.e., significant improvements) to the way our church has been operating over the past decades.
The key Judicial Council ruling was that "oversight," all oversight of any kind, was reserved by our constitution as the sole domain of the bishops. Factually, that's about it. No one and no group can ever be given authority of oversight other than our episcopal leaders. One bishop recently wrote "Like it or not, our constitution gives bishops the duty of oversight." If such absolute power is in the hands of the bishops, our constitution runs counter to the best leadership principles of this day. For it to be claimed that our bishops are given the exclusive right to oversight of the whole church has the ring of paranoid protectionism and permanent privilege.
In addition to being unhealthy, this notion is incomprehensible for operations as vast as our church. It is not to be overlooked that multiple provisions of the Book of Discipline authorize oversight to leaders and entities other than the bishops.
The authority to make final decisions grants significant power to the decision maker(s). As in personal interpretation of Scriptures a final decision of the Judicial Council does not have to be right in order to be "final." Judge Roberts could have very easily succumbed to the practice of imposition but he rose above his power and looked for ways to draw from and support the legislative process. This type of leadership is even more critical in our denomination. In the UMC the population (membership) has no vote in establishing leadership and authority. This makes the legislative process extremely critical in the assigning of responsibility.
Protecting the past
The opening premise of Judicial Council thinking in its recent unconstitutionality ruling of General Conference action to eliminate guaranteed appointments was that, "Security of appointment has long been a part of the tradition of The United Methodist Church." In other words, the Judicial Council is not going to allow General Conference to change the way we have been doing things. That kind of culture within our judicial system must change.
Our Judicial Council has become the protectionist body for episcopal power and holding on to the past in our church. How out of step with the prevailing thought of our membership! Our denomination is in serious danger. We are dying in the U.S., where our financial base is located. Although all of us bear some responsibility, we arrived at this point under the control and authority of a system which is dominated by the Council of Bishops and the Judicial Council. The legislative bodies that represent the membership of our church have become secondary and in some cases irrelevant, subject to the influence and whims of the bishops undergirded by decisions of the judicial system. It is very important to remember that the COB presents nominees for the nine-member Judicial Council. To win a nomination or re-nomination to the Judicial Council, a person must be in good standing with the COB. While the Judicial Council is elected by vote of the General Conference, there remains at least the appearance of a serious conflict of interest in the nominations process. Whether there's a conflict of interest or not, the worldview of the Judicial Council is for blocking change rather than, to paraphrase Judge Roberts, taking every reasonable construction of provisions passed by the General Conference to save the legislation from unconstitutionality.
The conciliatory tone of Judge Roberts' work is far from the judgmental and unnecessary rhetoric of Decision 1210 illustrated in their "tortured course" of legislation tirade and the proclamations of "unsalvageable." We need a council that will invest time and energy in looking to the future and finding ways to listen to the voice of our constituency. Our court of last resort has no right or authority to object to tough decisions being made through compromise of the majority against the will of the minority.
General Conference of 2012 made tough decisions after withstanding all kinds of maneuvering, groaning, amendments and alternatives. That process cannot be the basis of overturning legislation. The Judicial Council must always consider serious deviations from the constitution, but it cannot be the place of last resort to overcome the majority or squelch new ideas. Rather, it must objectively look for ways to support change. If we are to survive and have a measure of vitality, the prophetic worldview of our church, including that of the Judicial Council, must move to allowing the majority permission to govern rather than holding fast to protectionism.
Mr. Whittemore was a North Georgia Conference lay delegate to the last six General Conferences. He has been a conference lay leader and has served as a member of the Connectional Table and board member of the General Board of Global Ministries.


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Pentair Lower Piping Assembly (Tr40) - 154801
No. 13 Image Shown Above 15-4801 - 154801 - Pac Fab Triton Lower Piping Assembly (TR40) Used on Pac Fab (Pentair) Filter Series Replacement PartsPac Fab, American, Purex is manufactured by Pentair Pool products, Pentair Water pool and spa and Sta-Rite a common name in pool filter parts. The schematic diagram of filter parts, Pentair pool filter parts, Pentair Products, Pentair filter parts and spares (spare filter parts) are listed. Always low prices and fast shipping. Discount Pac Fab (Pentair) Sand Dollar, Superflow S.S., Tagelus, Triton II, Turbo, Star, FNS, FNS Plus, Nautilus, Mitra, Mytilus swimming pool filter parts and other swimming pool filter parts are always in stock and available.Back To Pac Fab (Pentair) Trinton, Trinton II Sand Filter TR-30 / TR-40 / TR-50 / TR-60 / TR-100 / TR-140 Series Replacement Parts
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Taylor Swift has that perfectly covetable style, in which she can combine bohemian, preppy, a touch of cat eye, topping it all off with a pair of Keds and look naturally impeccable. MC's very own Senior Fashion Editor, Zanna Roberts Rassi, sat down with Taylor to discuss a round of questions from her fans about Swift's unique flair, ranging from her favorite lip stain to what outfit she would wear for the rest of her life. Scroll down for this behind-the-scenes photo diary, and interviews with Taylor:
Check MC's exclusive shots of Zanna's interview with Taylor:
Finally, don't miss the full interview, right here:


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The Goldfaber Aqua watercolour pencils convince with their soft and intense colour laydown as well as outstanding colour brilliance using either dry or wet techniques.
Look at the different techniques employed by Luis Castellanos, a well-known Peruvian plastic artist working with Faber-Castell´s Graphite Aquarelle pencils.
It's the perfect gift idea for new, amateur and professional artists.
How Pitt Artist Pens are making a difference in Gwyneth Leech's work.
Merry Christmas! Handmade Christmas cards as a special gift for your loved ones!
Inspiring wrapping ideas - This is how you can make your present extra special!


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Art on the Trails
at Beals Preserve in Southborough, Massachusetts
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Copycat T.G.I. Friday's Jack Daniels Grill Glaze
Oh yum, now this is a treat for you, Copycat T.G.I. Friday's Jack Daniels Grill Glaze!! A glaze that you can slather on ribs, chicken, shrimp or steak just like T. G. I. Friday's does!! I got this recipe from our friend Eddie next door. He was kind enough to make this for us a few times and then share the recipe with me so I can share it with you all.
The original recipe though is from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 3 by Todd Wilbur, I have now found out. Please visit Todd Wilbur's Top Secret Recipes to see all of his delicious recipes.
Barbecuing can be year round even in our cold climate especially if you do the ribs like we do. Cooked slowly in the oven, 300F for 3 hours, until they are almost falling off the bone then seasoned and slathered in sauce and finished on the BBQ. Delicious!! Try this wonderful glaze next time you are looking for something different than BBQ sauce. You will love it!!
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup teriyaki sauce
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1⅓ cup dark brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp. minced white onion
- 1 Tbsp. Jack Daniels Whiskey
- 1 Tbsp. crushed pineapple
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
- Preheat oven to 325F. Slice a ½" off the top of the garlic head. Cut the root end to sit flat. Take off some of the outer layers of skin but leave enough to hold the head together. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil. Bake it for 1 hour. Let it cool enough to handle then squeeze out the garlic paste and set aside.
- Add the water, pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar to a medium pan over medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to a simmer.
- Whisk in the garlic and then the remaining ingredients to the pan. Let simmer for 40-50 min. or until sauce is reduced by half. It should be thick and syrupy and coat the back of a wooden spoon.


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Social Media Graphics
We are here for you. Visit the Help Center.
2019 was a blast for everyone at PosterMyWall, and in this blog post, we'll give you a quick recap of all the cool milestones we've achieved this year that made your design experience better.
Meet our artist corner designer, Shay Ducharme. His experience in rap music and management offers him a unique perspective in creating templates that look great and are practical.
Creating content for your social media pages difficult? Here's our guide to get you started with making great content with PosterMyWall templates, easy to use design tools and publishing features.


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The movie 'Escape from Planet Earth' is supposed to be good but I have my doubts since the last alien themed computer animated films have bombed in past, or at least in my eyes. But, I will give this movie the benefit of the doubt, because it's only fair. Anyways, here are two more figures that will be part of the story line. The first tut I will upload is "how to draw Lo", step by step from Escape from Planet Earth. Lo is a huge one eyed orange colored Cyclops like figure that becomes friends with Gary and eventually helps him make his various rescues. The movie opens up tomorrow so I would like to know firsthand what you folks thought about it and should I waste my money going to see it. If you do that, I would greatly appreciate it. After watching Wreck-it-Ralph in the theater, I'm pretty weary now when it comes to paying for a ticket to watch ANY CGI film. Well, that's it for this description. I will be back one more time with another for you all.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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Bayberry Oil
Sun's Eye Pure Oil
Unit size: 1/2 fluid ounce
Esoteric Uses: Money, Abundance
Esoteric Associations: Jupiter, Air
Aroma: This aroma reminds one of a combination of fresh green pine, nutmeg and a tiny hint of licorice. It is inspiring, and refreshing like the woods on a summer day.
Before its medicinal properties were well known, the early American Colonists used bayberry to scent their candles.
For centuries, a body of traditional knowledge has existed about the use of herbs to attract and extend vibrational qualities. Sun's Eye Oils are made from aromatic herbs, blossoms, leaves, spices, woods, resins and essentials. They frequently add dried herbs to their mother batches so that all of their oils maintain vibrational integrity. When a carrier base is required, they use soybean.
Scent is the most enduring of our senses. It commands our attention. It bonds us to our past through our memories. It flavors the atmosphere to suit our moods and intentions. It lifts our spirits and elevates vibrations. It affects our behavior, our appetites and our thoughts. Fragrance comforts, heals and links us to imagination and romance. It is a bridge between reality and fantasy, the material and the astral worlds.
To practice aromatherapy you will need an aroma lamp or oil diffuser. Simply add water to the bowl, along with a few drops of your favorite oil, and then use a tealite to heat the bowl which diffuses your favorite aroma throughout the room. This Sun's Eye pure oil is for aromatherapy use only. Not 100% essential oil. May contain a carrier oil.
Not for internal use. It is recommended that you test for allergic reaction before applying to the skin. Any information on this web site is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this web site for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment.


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Successfully competing in online Street Fighter tournaments takes nerves of steel, lightning-quick reflexes, and the ability to spew a constant stream of profanity for over two minutes. Warning: This clip features some very strong language.
If ever a video clip needed to be set to music, this is it. Appearing on YouTube under the title "[MilkyWay] Chun Li vs [Snickers] Sagat (EVO HOME FINALS)," it depicts one man's struggles against the cheating bitch-ass hos that life has set in his path. The way he selflessly invites them to eat that brings a tear to my eye.
I swear at one point he starts remixing his own profanity on the fly, while playing Street Fighter. Now that's talent.
It's an older vid, sure, but that doesn't make it any less glorious.


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Holiday Inn Manhattan At The Campus
Holiday Inn Manhattan At The Campus
1641 Anderson Avenue
1641 Anderson Avenue
Manhattan, Kansas
United States
Check In: 3PM
Check Out: 12PM
Check-in Age: 18
Book With Us Advantage
- Best Price Guarantee
We promise you access to the guaranteed best available prices, or your first night is free.
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Your room is guaranteed.
- No Booking Fees!
We do not charge any booking fees for making reservations directly with us.
- Data Privacy and Site Security
IHG takes your privacy seriously and works to protect you. All personal information you provide is encrypted and secure.
Welcome to Holiday Inn Manhattan At The Campus
Contemporary Full Service Hotel Near Kansas State University
Manhattan is nestled in the Flint Hills about 15 minutes from Ft. Riley and an hour west of Topeka. Home of Kansas State University, Manhattan is an historic city full of charm and excitement.
Our Holiday Inn® Manhattan at the Campus hotel is directly across the street from the Kansas State University campus, so it is easy to take a stroll through the picturesque grounds. You can walk to Aggieville, the center of college social life and home to fun restaurants and unique shops. As a hotel guest, you'll also find yourself just down the street from Manhattan Christian College and within a few miles of Cico Park, the Sunset Zoo, Konza Prairie and Tuttle Creek State Park.
If you're in town for business, you might like to know that we're near companies like Quaker Oats, Caterpillar, Kansas Air Center, AIB International and Farm Bureau. Our hotel's 24-hour business center offers a computer, printer and copier, and our meeting space is perfect for events large and small.
No matter what brings you to Manhattan, our hotel's amenities help make it the perfect place to relax and enjoy your stay. You'll enjoy the outdoor pool, 24-hour fitness center with Precor equipment and Houlihan's, our fantastic restaurant where kids under 12 eat free. Make reservations today to enjoy everything our smoke-free Manhattan, KS hotel has to offer!
Kids Stay and Eat Free
Kids ages 18 and under stay for free when sharing their parents' room. Up to four kids ages 11 and under eat free any time of the day in any Holiday Inn® on-site restaurant.
|Kids Stay Free
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|11 and Under
Free High-Speed Internet
Standard Wireless Internet service is included for all guests.
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- Car Parking Available
- Complimentary Daily Self-Parking is available
Pet Policy
- Pets allowed
- Service Animals Allowed
- Pets Walking Area Available
- Pet Fee per Night: 25 USD
- Cats and dogs are welcome as long as they are not left unattended. Guests will incur a pet fee per stay of 25.00 plus tax USD. No charge for service animals.
Languages Spoken by Staff
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- American Express
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- Smoke-Free Facility
- Number of Floors: 6
- Total Number of Rooms: 113
- Number of Suites: 6
- Number of Non-Smoking Rooms: 113
- Number of Accessible Rooms: 7
- Connecting Rooms Available
- Public Spaces Renovated in: 2018
- Guest Rooms Renovated in: 2018
- Public Entrance
- Guest Rooms
- Elevators
- Public Restrooms
- Registration Desk
- Exercise Facility
- Business Center
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- Number of Accessible Meeting Rooms: 3
Accessible Hotel Areas
- Registration Area
- Accessible Guest Rooms
- Business Center
- Meeting Room
- Exercise Facility
- Pool
Hotel Areas with Accessible Routes from Accessible Public Entrance
- Accessible Self-Parking
- Van Accessible Self Parking
- Ramp Access
- Portable Bathtub Seats
- Closed Caption TVs
- Telephone with TDD
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Guest Rooms
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Public Spaces
- Communication Kits with Visual Alarms
Provided by Hotel


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Are Light Emitting Diodes Revolutionizing Illumination Technology?
Elsa Garmire, Sydney E. Junkins Professor of Engineering Sciences, Thayer School of Engineering
Friday, January 25, 2013, 3:30pm
Spanos Auditorium
This seminar is part of the Jones Seminars on Science, Technology, and Society series.
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have reached the commercial market in a number of niche applications, such as flashlights, Christmas lights, and traffic control lights. LEDs have been promoted for high efficiency lighting. Both semiconductor LEDs and organic LEDs are being developed. What is their technical status? What are the barriers to acceptance by consumers? What is the status of illumination in today's homes and commercial/industrial settings? What government policies are in place to maximize lighting efficiency? How much energy savings is possible through converting to LEDs? What can the consumer expect in the near future?
About the Speaker
Elsa Garmire is Sydney E. Junkins Professor of Engineering Sciences at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, where she served as Dean of Thayer School of Engineering from 1995 to 1997. Prior to coming to Dartmouth, Garmire was William Hogue Professor of Electrical Engineering, Professor of Physics, and Director of the Center for Laser Studies at the University of Southern California, where she had been since 1975. Garmire received her A.B. in Physics at Harvard and her Ph.D. in Physics at M.I.T. and served on the research staff at Caltech for nine years. Professor Garmire has been elected member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the Optical Society of America, the American Physical Society, and the Society of Women Engineers. She received the Society of Women Engineers Achievement Award (their highest award), has been a Fulbright Scholar and was elected an honorary member of Phi Beta Kappa. Garmire's research has focused on lasers and optics, including opto-electronics, nonlinear optics, optical devices, fiber optics, quantum electronics, device fabrication, and semiconductors. She has authored over 200 journal papers, holds 9 patents, and has supervised 30 Ph.D. and 15 M.S. theses. She has been active in the research community, serving on the boards of five professional societies and as President of the Optical Society of America. She has organized 7 conferences and been associate editor for 4 technical journals. She has served on visiting committees of ten internationally prominent research universities. She has consulted for more than 20 companies, all in the field of lasers and optics. Garmire served on the International Commission for Optics, has visited scientific institutions in every inhabited continent, and has advised graduate students and post-docs from all over the globe.


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Subscribe * Links * Gallery* Calendar * Lancaster Resources* Sponsors* FAQ * Email Us
Since 1995, Quiltart has brought those who are interested in contemporary art quilts together online to share support and offer inspiration. In these past years, we have proudly grown to be the largest site for contemporary quilters on the Internet.
To subscribe to Quiltart or Quiltart-digest, click here.
While there is no subscription fee for Quiltart, you may make an annual voluntary contribution to help defray expenses for maintaining our list and website. The suggested contribution amount is $15 a yr.
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The charges for being included in the Quiltart Gallery are as follows:
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Updates during the subscription year are $5 per photo if submitted electronically; $10 per photo if photos/slides are to be scanned.
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You can make your contribution via Visa, Mastercard or American Express by clicking on this link to my WEBSITE SHOPPING CART. This link takes you to my non-Quiltart related online jewelry business, Baubles-and-Bibelots.com. (Any transactions through this shopping cart will appear as Baubles-and-Bibelots.com on your credit card statement.)
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Thanks to all of you for making Quiltart a prominent force in the art quilt world, both on and off line. With your continued support, our presence will continue to grow!
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New Stretcher-Leveler Tasked with Tackling Springback
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Sunday, January 1, 2012
JDM Steel Service, Chicago Heights, IL, has ordered a 0.500- by 72-in. stretcher-leveler from Red Bud Industries, Red Bud, IL. The service center provides hot-rolled sheet and coil and performs pickling and oiling, shearing and slitting.
See also: Red Bud Industries, Inc.
Related Enterprise Zones: Coil Handling
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I am working with the Danish toy brand LEGO in a similargame to minecraft, in a Lego based Theme, with a few twists. seeking talented and energetic Game Developers with a passion for games,particularly Minecraft and Lego, and a deep and intuitive understanding of what makes it fun and what makes is bold enough to make creative contributions and loves to tinker with the fidgety little bits until everything is just right.
pre-production and production to create prototypes and final code for the game on PC platform. The ideal candidate will also serve as a great mentor, a core member of the small team's staff, and a positive presence
Job Duties
Prototype game ideas (their own and others)
Contribute to the architecture and design of the game;Share and discuss ideas with the team, work cross-functionally with programmers.
Follow project specifications to finish code on time and within requirements
Work with QA to identify code defects and fix, as required.
Skills and Experience Required
Ability to communicate with a variety of people, such as other programmers,and non-technical coworkers
Must be able to work independently with great follow-through.
Proficiency in C, C++ and /or Java.
Candidate who have worked on projects similar to Minecraft or any sandbox game of the same type or at least knows how they work and how could they be improved would be an added advantage.
If you match the profile, dont hesitate to send us your CV ,any other relevant information and if you have played minecraft (or other similar sanbox game) your ingame creations you built,any other contribution that you had made to the game (Mods, character skins, world textures,etc)and a short commentary about what you like most in the game and what would you like to see improved in it to the following e-mail address: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Getting More Traction On The Track - Get More Bite Part 1
Whether You Race On Dirt Or Asphalt, These Items Affect Traction To Your Tires
If there is one thing we usually cannot get enough of, it is traction related to side bite and forward bite in our race cars. The bite we are talking about is what makes the tires stick while we are going through the middle of the turns and while under power off the turns and down the straightaway. Fast cars have more traction, and that traction is more balanced to make the car neutral in handling.
There has been a lot of talk over the past few years about illegal tire treatment and traction control being used in circle track racing. We know that it is being used and may have won some races, but there are better ways to legally go about developing more traction. We also know that many legal teams have been able to run faster, longer than the ones known to be using illegal means to help their tires.
Legal traction-enhancing technology has grown in recent times. We have collectively learned what the tires want and somewhat how to give them the opportunity to maintain grip with the racing surface as much as the laws of physics will allow. Let's face it-there are limits to everything in this physical world, so we go in search of the ultimate limit. We try to learn to recognize when we get to the limit so we can stop looking, lest we go backward.
The principle of stopping while you're ahead is true in developing a good handling package and remains true when developing the best traction package. Know when enough is enough. The word package is an important one, because we might well be using several different approaches at the same time to enhance traction. These rarely interfere with each other, and each one adds a little to the package. Collectively, they can add up to a marked improvement in available traction while under power.
Let's take a look at the various areas of influence that affect the amount of traction a tire can produce and how we can maximize how our car reacts to those influences. Some are almost the same for dirt or asphalt, and some of what we discuss is very different and will be talked about separately.
Tires The tires are the ultimate connection between the car and the racing surface, as we have been told many times before. That basic principle is not a new one, but a concept that has always been at the forefront when trying to understand ways to increase handling performance in a race car. It is again at the very top of the list when we discuss traction under power.
There are five things that influence the amount of traction that a set of dirt or asphalt tires will develop:
1. Vertical Loading Increasing the amount of vertical loading (weight or downforce) on a tire increases the available traction, but in a non-linear way. That is to say that as we increase loading on a tire, it will gain traction, but not in constant multiples. If a tire has "X" amount of traction with 400 pounds of load on it, the traction will be less than double as we apply 800 pounds of loading to it. The amount of traction will be something less than 2 times X.
Vertical loading can be increased without the negative influence of added weight in the car. The use of wedged bodies, large spoilers, and softer setups has caused our cars to go faster over the past five years. Downforce is talked about in the upper levels of asphalt racing, but we see the influence has trickled down to Saturday night racing, too.
The dirt teams are paying more attention to the body shapes and working to increase negative pressure under the car, which produces valuable downforce. The asphalt teams are all over the Big Bar and Soft Spring setups that lower the car's ride height, as well as the center of gravity (CG), in the turns.
With a lower CG, less load transfers in the turns and more load is retained on the left-side tires, leading to more equally loaded sets of tires per axle. Not only is the downforce adding more load to the tires, but they are also more equally loaded and, therefore, produce more traction.
2. Contact Patch The size and cross-sectional loading of the contact patch helps determine how much traction we will have for a particular tire. An added benefit related to the contact patch and traction involves grooving and siping with dirt tires and will be discussed later.
Reducing air pressure will usually increase the size of the tire contact patch, or footprint, which would seem to enhance traction, but excessively low or high pressures may reduce the loading on portions of the tire so that the total pressure footprint of the tire is reduced and we end up with less available traction for that tire. There is an optimum operating air pressure for each tire that will offer maximum contact patch area with equal loading across the width of the patch.
Camber also affects the size and cross-sectional loading of the contact patch. The correct camber angle compensates for the deflection of the tire sidewalls as the lateral force is applied when we turn the car. More or less camber than what would be ideal means that one side of the tire will support more loading than the other, and this also reduces traction.
3. Chemical Makeup The chemical makeup of the compound of the rubber will help determine how much traction is available from a tire. A softer tire will provide more traction, but the maximum amount of traction that can be utilized over a long period of time concerns how the tire holds up to heat and wear. A tire that is a little harder may sometimes hold up better and be faster toward the end of the race when the tires have built up a lot of heat and are well worn after a number of laps.
4. Angle of Attack The amount of traction available from a tire can actually be enhanced by simply increasing its angle of attack relative to the direction the car is traveling, but only up to a point. From going straight ahead, we can turn the wheel, and, with each degree of angle of deviation from the direction of travel, the traction in the tire increases up to a point.
There is a limit in the angle of attack that we reach where the gain in traction begins to go away. Going beyond that limiting point causes a sudden loss of grip, and traction falls off drastically. This principle is true of all four of our tires. This is a very important point to consider because it is at the very core of handling balance. We regulate our handling balance with the steering wheel within a small range of difference in front-to-rear traction.
5. Equal Loading An opposing pair of tires (tires on the same axle at the same end of the car) will develop maximum traction when they are equally loaded. That is a generally true statement that has been made many times in the past in countless publications. Upon more careful examination of how we do things in circle track racing, there is a unique situation in which that is not exactly true.
That situation is when we have a tire on one side of the car (usually the left side) that is built with a softer compound than the opposing tire, whereby it may be able to develop more grip under the same loading as the opposing tire. So increasing the vertical load on the inside tire with the goal of attaining equal loading for both tires, by whatever means, may not actually generate more traction because of the difference in grip per pound of vertical loading created by differences in compounds.
Track Configuration The shape of the track for both dirt and asphalt can influence the available traction in several different ways. As we apply power, we need to know a little about how the track is banked, how the banking angle is changing coming off the corners, and how the radius of the turn might be changing. A highly banked racetrack is very forgiving when it comes to needing traction. The car creates a greater amount of downforce than a flatter track due to the banking and associated lateral forces. Many times, the tires are loaded to the extent that the available horsepower cannot break the tires loose. The tracks at which we worry about increased cornering forces and increased bite getting off the corners are the ones that are flatter and have less surface grip.
Pitch Angle The severity of change in banking angle of the racing surface in the portion of the track where we are initially accelerating can cause changes to the pitch angle of the chassis that works to unload one or more tires, which can reduce forward traction. A track that goes from high banking to low banking fairly quickly can cause the left-rear tire to unload quickly, making the car loose. There are two ways this can happen. One is when the outside edge of the track drops in elevation and the right-front tire follows the drop-off, which, in turn, lifts weight off the left-rear tire. This causes loss of traction in that tire.
The other problem occurs when the inside edge of the track rises to match the elevation of the outside edge of the track. As the left-front tire rises, the LF and RR pair of tires become more loaded momentarily, causing loss of loading in the opposing pair of tires. The loss of crossweight (RF to LR) makes the car lose traction in the rear.
A track that has a decreasing radius in the latter portion of one of the turns can cause a car to develop a loose condition at that point. Some older dirt tracks and ones that were originally dirt and then paved retain a straight front stretch and a rounded-out back straightaway. This D shape causes Turns 1 and 4 to have a smaller radius than Turns 2 and 3. So its difficult to accelerate off Turn 4 due to the slower speeds caused by the decreasing radius.
Remember, we said traction increases for a set of opposing tires when we increase the angle of attack (simply put, this is when we turn the steering wheel more). If the car is neutral in and through the middle of the turns, as we approach the tightest portion of the turn past midway, where the radius is less, we need to turn the steering wheel more; that produces more front traction than rear traction. The balance we enjoyed through the middle of the turn is now upset and the car becomes loose just when we are getting back into the throttle. This causes loss of rear traction. We will study ways to compensate for this later.
The Racing Surface The surface we race on largely determines the amount of traction available under power, and we will look at dirt and asphalt tracks separately. On dirt tracks, the amount of moisture dictates the amount of grip the track gives us. Bumps, grooves, banking angles, and the turn radii all help determine how much grip is available for traction off the corners. The setup related to shocks, springs, and rear geometry help determine how much traction will be available for a certain set of conditions.
On asphalt tracks, and even some dirt tracks that have been oiled to the point of almost being asphalt, the surface is more consistent. Other than holes or bumps and rises in the surface, we can expect the grip to be the same over the course of the entire event. Flatter banking and older asphalt dictates the need for more traction control efforts.
Now that we have a good understanding of exactly what affects the amount of traction in our tires, we need to examine how we can use that information to enhance the tractive properties of all four tires. In Part Two of "Get More Bite," we will offer some suggestions for overcoming the problems some teams have getting enough lateral and forward bite.
There is one traction-promoting effect that every stock car has, but few realize. It is the effect of engine torque. When we get back into the throttle, the torque from the rotation of the engine, through the driveshaft, tries to rotate the whole rear end in a counter clockwise direction when viewed from the rear. This action, or force, loads the left-rear tire as well as the right front. When those two corners are more loaded, the crossweight percent goes up and the car gets tighter. Also, if the RR tire was supporting more weight than the LR tire, then with this effect, the two rear tires would be more equally loaded, providing more forward traction.
A question often asked is, "why doesn't the car get loose immediately when we gas it up if the rear tires are already providing all of their available traction, keeping the car off the wall?" The introduction of power would cause the tires to lose traction if it were not for the added effect of the engine torque. There is no way to enhance this effect, and the magnitude is entirely dependent on the amount of torque the engine develops at a given rpm versus the track width of the rear tires. The wider the rear track width, the less effect torque will have on adding to the LR weight.


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Ardens wrote:Yes, I have read your story, too, and I liked it. Especially your description of Moya's feelings before and during the performance is well done. It must be absolutely exciting and overwhelming to sing in front of so many people!
But reading your story, one also gets an impression how great it is to listen to Moya live on stage.


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Difference between revisions of "Cal3d animation"
From HaskellWiki
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[[Category:Graphics]] [[Category:3D]] [[Category:Games]]
Cal3D for Haskell is a binding to the animation library, Cal3D.
Cal3D for Haskell is a binding to the animation library, Cal3D.
Revision as of 02:39, 27 June 2009
Cal3D for Haskell is a binding to the animation library, Cal3D.
Cal3D is a C++ library for skeletal animation. It does not do any rendering itself, but provides hooks for a graphics API (such as OpenGL) to do the actual drawing. For more information about the C++ Cal3D library, see its Cal3D FAQ, its homepage, and its GNA project page.
For Haskell
Cal3D for Haskell is soon (as of June 26, 2009) to be released. There will be three packages:
- cal3d: Just the Haskell binding to (initially just a small part of) the library itself.
- cal3d-opengl: Makes Cal3D easier to use with OpenGL. Since Cal3D itself does not depend on any particular graphics API, this is a separate package.
- cal3d-examples: One or more examples to show how to use it.
New users will be wise to read The Cal3D User's Guide (of the C++ library) to get an idea of the architecture of the system, before looking at the API documentation. The initial release of the Haskell binding will contain just enough functions to do what is described in the "Usage" section of that document.


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Technical Problem With This Chapter?
Author: critmo
Story: Not Enough
Part: Not Enough
Rating: Teens
Setting: Pre-HBP
Status: Completed
Reviews: 30
Words: 5,549
Updated: January 27, 2005, 3:29am
Not Enough
Not Enough
"That's a good one," Colin Creevy said, lowering his camera, and his models relaxed. "Didn't you say somethin' 'bout food?" He looked around, but there was nothing fit to eat there.
It was shortly before Christmas and they were preparing their present for the Weasleys. Hermione had been invited to stay at the Burrow for the season and she had eagerly accepted for two reasons. Her parents had decided to go skiing in Austria so she would have not been able to see either of her friends for two weeks or so. And secondly, she was hoping to find the opportunity to spend a few private moments with her boyfriend - she and Ron having been a couple since Halloween. Harry had been invited to the Burrow as a matter of course and had accepted gladly, hating the idea to stay behind at Hogwarts alone.
So he and Ginny had figured out a present for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Harry had remembered Mrs. Weasley looking at a medium-sized picture frame at Grimmauld Place the summer before. It had survived the cleaning up the year before, because Sirius had explained it had been a gift from a distant relative the family had not really approved of, but it had been retained because of its material value. Sirius had found this reason enough not throw it away, and Mrs. Weasley had praised its beauty and the wonderful craftsmanship. Harry and Ginny had thought about putting a picture of the four of them into the frame as a gift, Harry having no objections whatsoever to give it away. Colin, who had developed his own kind of wizardry with a camera, had added another touch to the idea. When asked to take their picture he had suggested to make series of individual and group shots he would then fit into the frame and which would display alternatively. The Room of Requirement had provided everything for a photo session, and Colin had been happily ordering them around for at least an hour now.
"Why don't you do the Ron and Hermione shots now?" asked Ginny. "while Harry and I sneak down to the kitchen to get something."
Ginny and Harry had become very good friends by now. It had been Ginny who had been always by his side when he needed help after Sirius' death. His sojourn at Privet Drive had been only a short one that summer, and even this was due to Ginny "telling Dumbledore off" as Ron had said to Harry later. The Headmaster had come to the Burrow to discuss the when and how of Harry's going there and had insisted on leaving him at the Dursleys as long as possible because he would be safer there. Harry's friends, who had refused to be left out of the discussion, had pleaded with him to let Harry come to the Weasleys, but it had been Ginny's interference that had made the decision.
"Your suggestion may insure Harry's survival, Headmaster, but you're cutting him off from what he needs most: friends. He will come back in a worse state than even last summer."
Dumbledore had looked at her thoughtfully, and it had taken quite a while before his usual twinkle returned. "Very well, Miss Weasley. You go get him."
And Ginny had arrived at Privet Drive the very next day with a guard of Order members to extricate Harry from his family. She had happily scared Mr. Dursley and Dudley out of what passed for their wits in the process and left Aunt Petunia in deep shock. Harry had been looking like a skeleton when Ginny had walked into his room. He had had eaten little and slept even less for two weeks, but when the car that had taken them to the Burrow had turned from Privet Drive into the main street, Harry had been already fast asleep with his head resting against Ginny's shoulder. She had become his rock, she had been staying up with him when nightmares plagued him and she could make him laugh in spite of himself. She was the only one Harry never lost his temper with while he accepted her criticism with becoming penitence.
Maybe this had even helped Ron and Hermione on finally acting on their feelings for each other, which were well-known to everybody but themselves, but their dating had certainly made Harry edge even closer to Ginny. She had never considered it a burden that was put on her, on the contrary: Being with Harry gave her an opportunity to get to know the real Harry much better, which also helped her dealing with her own fears. Harry was the only one who could really understand her terror of Tom Riddle, who would still haunt her nightmares occasionally. Basically, the two of them were healing each other.
Now, they were chatting gaily about Quidditch and teachers, and Ginny let Harry in on the Weasley Yule traditions. It took them quite a while to return to the Room of Requirement and when they did, everybody seemed famished. After eating, Colin took a few more pictures of Ron and Hermione, arms around each other, and Harry felt sure Mrs. Weasley would love those.
"That's it," Colin finally said, and Hermione looked at her watch.
"Oh, dear. I must run. I promised Neville to help him with his Potions essay. Snape will kill him if it's not done properly."
Ron looked at the others. "Mind, if I keep her company?"
Harry shook his head, and Ginny called after them: "No stops at broom closets, though. Hermione's in a hurry, Ron."
They did a little tidying up, and Ginny was looking for her hair band, but Harry had picked it up already. When he handed it over, seemingly knowing exactly what she had been looking for, she smiled at him gratefully and found Colin looking at them with a thoughtful gaze.
"I was just wonderin'.... Why don't we do a few Ginny and Harry shots?"
"We did one or two," Harry said.
"I know. But they...don't seem right all of a sudden."
"What do you mean?" Ginny threw in.
"Now, come on. You're the closest friends I know - except Crabbe and Goyle, perhaps. Those shots were quite distanced, they don't show it, I'm sure."
Harry and Ginny exchanged a look. Harry was not certain, but he thought he saw her blush slightly.
"Is there still time?" he asked. But neither Colin nor Ginny seemed to have anything else to do, so Colin put his camera back in position.
It felt strange. Colin let them do quite a lot of things they had been seeing Ron and Hermione do for their pictures. Thinking about it: Under normal conditions they touched each other quite often. They sat close to each other frequently, seeking each other's comfort, and Harry would put his arm round Ginny's shoulders, but all that was done unconsciously. Now they leaned into each other on purpose - or rather, on command. Harry behind Ginny, Ginny behind Harry, she on his left, he slightly off centre and so on...It gave both of them something to think of. Ginny had not pondered for a long time over how Harry's eyes were glowing green under his unruly hair and how the muscles on his shoulders felt under her fingers. And Harry had not allowed himself to notice how Ginny's amber eyes caught the light, how her hair reflected the radiance of a candle, the perfect curve of her luscious lips, not to mention...You better stop it there, Potter. At one point they looked at each other, their eyes locking. It was a moment of deep understanding, both could see the fascination of the moment in the other's eyes - and just before embarrassment had a chance to kick in, Colin's camera went off.
He grinned at them smugly. "Brilliant! If I didn't mess it up, this will be the best picture of the whole lot."
Only then did Harry notice that he was holding Ginny's hand, that their faces were quite close to each other and that Ginny seemed flustered while he felt out of breath all of a sudden.
Christmas at the Burrow was a joyous affair, and one of much company. All the family arrived on the Twenty Fourth, except Percy who was still doing his best to be a disgrace to the name Weasley. But they had Hermione and Harry to fill in his space. Harry and Ginny had been yearning for Christmas because they both knew something had happened during that photo session in the Room of Requirement, but neither of them had an idea how to deal with it. Neither wanted to lose the friendship they had, but both felt the urge to take it further. So they had tried to act "normally" around each other and wait for Christmas - away from Hogwarts where privacy was only a relative value, and with presents that could mean something.
The morning of Christmas Day, however, was only the beginning of new torture. Mrs. Weasley was over the moon with the changing pictures in their beautiful frame and was often seen glancing at it with discreet tears in her eyes in the days to come. In the upheaval of presents being opened and shown 'round nobody noticed that Harry and Ginny had only exchanged slips of paper that basically said the same: "I'd like to give you my present when we're alone. Meet me here later tonight." Neither of them was very relaxed that day; they kept glancing at each other, trying not to blush when being caught. Harry had to fend off Ron's nosy questions about what Ginny had given him, while Ginny was under siege from Hermione. The evening dragged on with dinner, games and conversations, but at ten Mrs. Weasley, who had started the day most early, said goodnight, Ron and Hermione made an unobtrusive exit slightly later, and Mr. Weasley produced a bottle of Firewhisky from somewhere he was hoping his wife would never find it to have a wee dram with his elder sons, which now included the twins. After a whole day of eating and a feast for dinner, the whisky made those who drank it drowsy even more quickly than it would usually have done. By twelve o' clock there were only two people still lingering in opposite corners of the living room.
Harry got up slowly to meet Ginny in the middle of the room. For a second they did not know what to do, but Harry could see that she was almost bouncing with excitement.
"Would you like to go first?" he asked.
"Definitely." She hurried to produce two small parcels she had hidden behind some books earlier.
"Start with this one." She handed him a cube shaped one, and Harry ripped off the paper. Inside was a small wooden box with a Snitch engraved on the lid. His eyes widened as he opened it. On a velvet covered socket lay a perfectly crafted Golden Snitch. Harry carefully took it from the box and it spread its tiny whirring wings. He let it go and caught it again before it could leave his reach.
He smiled at Ginny. "Brilliant. I've always wanted one, but never managed to get it. Thank you!" He gave her a hug and could feel the same tension in her that had been there for more than two weeks now.
"There's another one," Ginny said and held out the second parcel. It was rectangular and flat, slightly larger than a postcard. "It's a little more ..." He could hear the insecurity in her voice. "Personal."
He raised his eyebrows. "More personal than my own personal Snitch?" He placed the ball into the box and closed the lid. When he took the other parcel he touched Ginny's hand accidentally, which sent a tingling sensation through his arm. The package held a frame of light wood, slightly polished with a stand on the back to prop it up. In it was the last picture Colin had taken of them. Harry looked at it thoughtfully. It was really a great picture, there was something in the way they looked at each other that was ... special. But suddenly an idea crossed his mind. It had been before boarding the train from Hogwarts to London. A fellow fifth year student of Ginny's, Kate, had bumped into Harry on the platform and looked at him deeply. "I had no idea you had such a killer look inside you," she had remarked and smiled enigmatically before climbing into a compartment. Harry had not understood what she meant, but he could make a shrewd guess now.
"You wouldn't happen to have one of these in your dorm?"
Ginny blushed as only Weasleys could. "I'll kill Kate. I told her to keep her mouth shut, but she had to try her luck with you, of course."
"Oh." He had not understood it as a pass at him. "Well, no luck for her there."
He took Ginny in his arms and made sure this was not just a hug, but an embrace. His lips fleetingly caressed her cheek and he felt like swooning the moment he touched her smooth skin.
"Thank you, Gin," he whispered in her ear as she returned the embrace. Harry could have stood like this for the rest of the night, but he was actually eager to show her his present.
"Can I give you my present now?" he murmured into her soft hair.
She looked up expectantly. "Yes!"
Hurriedly, he took her hand, nervous all of a sudden, not knowing how she would react. Would she like it or would she think it a terrible idea. At the kitchen door she stopped him.
"Where are we going, Harry?"
He looked back at her, nonplussed at first, then he smiled apologetically.
"I couldn't really wrap it, you know. It's outside." He dragged her to the back door, opened it and stepped out. The weather had been much too warm for the time of year, but now the wizard weather seer had foretold that snow was coming. It was cold and clear, Ginny immediately clasped her arms around her body, not knowing if she should giggle or grumble at Harry. He smiled at her encouragingly.
"Hold out your right arm."
"The saying is, pulling the leg, not the arm, Harry."
He beamed at her. "Trust me."
There was no arguing with this. She held her arm out, and Harry stepped behind her, just close enough that their bodies seemed to touch, which seemed more thrilling than anything else that night. His head was suddenly next to hers, almost resting on her shoulder.
"Now, you won't hear him, but don't get frightened."
Ginny wanted to turn to him, but he was standing too close for that now, and then he let out a peculiar sort of whistle.
"There he is." he whispered "Look over to the trees."
She looked into the direction he indicated, and could just make out something large and light glide towards them, and then a snowy owl landed on her arm and gave a low hoot like a greeting.
"Sweet Merlin," she squeezed out, leaning slightly against Harry. "Is this ... this cannot," she stammered. "Hedwig?"
She could hear rather than see him smiling. "No, Hedwig's up there."
As she turned she discovered Harry's owl sitting on the Burrow's roof behind them.
"Besides," he continued, "this is a male. And he needs a name."
"A name?"
"Well, you named Pigwidgeon, didn't you? But if you'd rather have Ron naming your owl in turn, we can ask him tomorrow."
"My owl?"
Harry was looking a little distracted now. Didn't she like it? "Your Christmas present."
Ginny looked torn in two, and drew a deep shuddering breath. "Ok. A name." Carefully she lifted her hand to stroke the soft white feathers and a happy smile lit up her face.
"He has a regal air about him, hasn't he? He should have a king's name then - but not a long one. What about Henry?"
"Seems fine with me."
So Ginny looked at her new owl. "Would you like 'Henry'?"
Henry hooted proudly and nibbled her finger.
"It's Henry then. Now, what do I do with you? Would you like to come inside or would you like to go hunting with Hedwig?"
Henry flapped his wings, and when Ginny raised her arm he took off to join Hedwig on the roof.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Ginny admonished him, sounding like her mother, before she went back inside, followed by a slightly confused Harry, who had no idea if she liked his present at all. It was only in the living room that Ginny's brain began to function properly again.
"Harry?" On turning around she saw he was puzzled. "Have you just given me an owl for Christmas?"
He cast her a timid look. "Yeah?"
Suddenly, she hurled herself at him. As he did not expect anything of the kind, she knocked him clean over and they landed on the couch, Ginny on top of Harry, her arms tightly round his neck.
"Oh my..." she whispered into his neck. "I don't believe it. I don't believe it. That's the most beautiful present I've ever had."
She jumped up again, stormed out, and Harry could hear the backdoor. In a flash Ginny was back and jumped on him again.
"I just had to go and check." Her lips touched his ear as she spoke, and he trembled. "Oh, he's splendid. Thank you so much." She pressed herself against him with all her might, and she felt how Harry's hands moved to the small of her back, firmly encircling her slender waist, and she drew back enough to stare into his green eyes. It was like the moment their picture had been taken - seeing their own feelings reflected in the other's eyes. One of his hands was at her shoulder now, exerting a light, but inviting pressure, and she moved closer again. Her lips were slightly parted, under her right hand that lay on Harry's chest she felt his heart beating wildly, and he slightly tilted his head upwards to meet her, his warm breath mingled with hers....
"They must be here, somewhere..." came Ron's voice from the staircase, and they jumped apart.
"There you are." Ron was dragging a reluctant Hermione with him.
"What do you want?" asked Harry.
"Hey, no reason to be uncivil." Ron grinned. "We've just been discussing the fact that we still don't know what you gave each other for Christmas. And then we thought it was funny that neither of you were in your beds at this time. We were simply concerned that there was something wrong, you know?"
Meanwhile Hermione had assessed the situation: the slightly dishevelled appearance of Harry and Ginny, the blush on their faces, Harry's irritation and the livid rage in Ginny's eyes, and she made wild gestures behind Ron's back to distance herself from his attempts at teasing. Harry and Ginny looked at her, at each other and could hardly avoid laughing all of a sudden.
"Thank you for your concern," Ginny said coldly, looking at her brother. "But I think I'll go to bed." She turned to Harry and quickly kissed his cheek. "Thank you." she whispered and left, giving Ron a look that wiped the grin from his face.
"Well?" Ron turned to Harry in a brave attempt to keep up his face. "Having a nice evening, were you?"
"She'll make you pay," Harry said with a toneless voice and started to the staircase as well. "Goodnight, Hermione."
He could hear a thumping noise behind him, and Ron's voice. �Ouch, what was that for?"
Boxing Day proved to be worse than Christmas Day for Ginny and Harry. Both of them had got up early in the hope to find an opportunity to talk to each other, but Mrs Weasley beat them to it and made them help with breakfast instead. Ron had obviously forgotten anything Hermione might have said - or he simply ignored it - so he and the twins were making it their business to tease Harry and Ginny as much as they could, especially after they found out about their respective gifts.
"Couldn't you have found a heart with wings?" they asked Ginny, who turned deep red with embarrassment and anger.
"You gave her an owl?" Ron asked incredulously. "That must be the most valuable gift you've ever given to anyone."
"I don't care what it cost," Harry explained. "Ginny's my friend."
"Yeah, just friends, that's what you are, mate." George chimed in, pointing at the frame that was standing in a prominent place on the mantelpiece. Just now it showed the picture of Harry and Ginny looking into each other's eyes. Luckily, they had somehow managed to keep the existence of two smaller copies of it a secret so far. Ginny, nevertheless, looked close to tears at that point and left the room, followed by Hermione, who meant well, however, she precluded Harry from going in her place.
The next days were not better. Christmas was followed by a weekend this year so everybody had decided to take off the twenty ninth and thirtieth and have a full Weasley family week. For Harry and Ginny that meant that they had no chance for privacy at all. Ron and the twins seemed to make a sport of watching them and dramatically stumbling over them whenever they managed to get a moment together. In the summer the garden and forest around the Burrow would have offered some means of escape, but the weather had changed after all - not just to snow fall, but to a full fledged blizzard. Leaving the house was out of the question; wind and ice were howling around the Weasley's home and large snow drifts blocked the doors. In an attempt not to lose his temper Harry took to shrugging off the constant intrusions and insisted that talking to Ginny on her own was his privilege as a friend. Ginny, however, did not cope too easily. She seemed increasingly worried, and in the end, Harry almost had a feeling that she avoided him.
On the night before New Year's Eve, Harry hardly slept at all. The situation was tearing on his nerves. Here he was, having fully realised that he was in love with Ginny Weasley, supposing that she felt the same for him in spite of all pretences of being over him, and he could not even get a minute alone with her to tell her. In fact, he was so exasperated with the whole situation that he did not feel one bit embarrassed about telling her in the first place. He knew it was simply a necessity to do so. Finding the opportunity was the difficult part. It was only early in the morning when the wind outside fell and things were unusually quiet for the first time in a week that he was overwhelmed by sleep.
When New Year's Eve dawned, the blizzard had lost its force and only occasional snow flakes were still falling from a leaden sky. Harry slept in and when he entered the kitchen much later than he would usually have done he found the twins, Ron and Hermione there.
"Where's Ginny?" he asked automatically.
"Ginny's in a bit of strange mood this morning," answered Ron. "She went outside with Henry and Hedwig at least an hour ago ... Aren't you having breakfast?"
Harry had not even bothered to sit down, but had simply stuffed a piece of toast into his mouth.
"No. And if any of you think about following me, you'd better not."
When he had left the kitchen and was groping for his cloak he heard Hermione's voice behind him: "Sit down!" When he returned to go out by the back door he could see Hermione with a determined face, while the twins were wearing identical expressions of shock.
In the deep snow Harry had no difficulties finding Ginny's trail. It led him out of reach from the Burrow through a patch of forest and to a place that overlooked a small river. Here was Ginny staring out over the deeply snow-covered landscape with Henry and Hedwig perching in a tree to her right.
When she heard him fighting his way through the thick snow she turned round and gave him a faint smile.
"I was beginning to be afraid you wouldn't come."
"I didn't get any sleep before the storm was over and only woke up just now."
"Are they on your heels, yet?"
"Don't think so. I told them not to, and Hermione seems to have backed me up."
He took a step closer, but Ginny held up her hand.
"What do you see in me? A friend?"
He made a helpless gesture. "Of course I do."
Her face fell, her gaze dropped to the ground.
"Ginny, what is it?"
She seemed lost for words. "I...Harry, don't you...." She hid her face in her hands, then looked at him with her amber coloured eyes that were warm in spite of the cold snow around them.
"You know, I had a crush on you since I first saw you, don't you?" He nodded. "You didn't notice me, though. I was only Ron's little sister for you. When I saw you in the Chamber it was like a gift from heaven: I had been saved, and above all, you had come for me. But when you told what had happened in McGonagall's office it became clear to me that you didn't go down there for me, but because it was just what you had to do. Still, it was only in my third year that I managed to give up my hopes on you, and be independent - somewhat at least. But this is not true anymore." Her tone betrayed anguish now. "We have grown so close since last summer, closer than I had ever imagined, and being your friend means so much to me ...." Ginny's voice died down to a whisper and tears glistened in her eyes. "But sometimes, being friends ...is just...not enough."
Harry's mind was racing. He had known or guessed much of this, but he had never understood how very painful it must have been for Ginny, and that he had no monopoly on premature sorrow. Most of all her strange stress on the word 'friend' had irritated him. He knew now that whatever he would say, he must leave no space for misinterpretation. In an instant he had closed the space between them, taking her left hand and firmly encircling her waist with his other arm. She was much stronger than one would expect in a person of her size, but Harry would not let go.
"Gin," he urged. "Hear me out, don't judge me before I'm through."
She stopped struggling and nodded.
"Good," he sighed. "Now, you were right. I had to go into the Chamber regardless of who was down there, that's what Hermione calls my people-saving-thing. And I had not much interest in you beyond the fact that you were Ron's sister, which got only slightly better, and I'd rather not elaborate on last year's disaster." He gave her an ironic smile, and she almost giggled into his chest, but he turned serious again at once. "I was the most terrible prat Hogwarts has ever sheltered in his walls, and you ..." He chuckled. "You've prevented me from breaking my own record. You've been the best friend I could've wished for." Her eyes darkened and she looked away from him, but he let go of her hand and cupped her face with his right, making her look at him again. "I'm not finished, yet."
The determination in his eyes became hypnotic, and she just had to return his gaze. "I'm very lucky to have your friendship, because I know you don't give it lightly, and I don't want to lose it, but ...." She noticed that wrinkles appeared on his forehead, partly hidden by that adorable black messy hair he had. "Something's changed ...I don't think it was during that photo session with Colin, it just made me realise...that...that you are the most important person in my life, and that sometimes ... being friends is just not enough."
Ginny was very much aware of his hands now, one on the small of her back the other one on her face. Her thick winter clothes were too warm suddenly, her stomach seemed light, and Harry's green eyes came ever nearer, his hot breath caressed her lips, his mouth touched hers, carefully, stronger. Her eyes closed and she gave up any control she had, she wound her arms round his neck, holding on for dear life, and Harry's legs gave way the same instant, and so they sank to their knees, locked in their first kiss.
When it ended, Harry knew he had a silly smile on his face that just would not go away, but he did not care, because she smiled back at him, and he had never seen anything as beautiful.
Ginny could not control her face, she felt the corners of her mouth drawn up in a ridiculous manner, but Harry did not seem to mind, because he smiled at her in a way that let her beg for more. It did not take much begging.
"There's one thing you haven't explained yet."
"I was probably too intent on kissing you." He smiled and it took her breath away, so she just had to reward him with more kisses.
"What did you want to know?" he asked finally.
"Every time you insisted you were my friend in front of those gits that pretend to be my brothers, I wanted to cry out that it was...well, you know...not enough." She hit him in the chest. "Why the hell did you do that to me?"
His eyes showed nothing but bewilderment. "I'd no idea, I just wanted to make clear that what we do is a matter between you and me only, you know...that we don't need anybody to step in."
"Is that a promise, Potter?" She was very serious all of a sudden.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what you said. Much of our lives has been determined from without, there were so many things we just didn't want, but had no chance to get out of, but this ... is all ours, just you and me, nobody else." She pressed her body to his and whispered in his ear. "We'll decide what we do and when we do it."
Her resolve could have been frightening, but Harry felt just thrilled. She was so very alive, so beautiful and so close. This was his chance for something in his own control...together with Ginny.
"You're my dream of a woman," he whispered back and threw her into the snow trying to prove his words, kissing every inch of her face, and she clung to him, as if she would never let go again. Panting they realised that they were lying in two feet deep snow that was creeping into every opening of their clothing, and Harry got up to draw Ginny to her feet. She beamed at him.
"You want to go back?"
"No, but we'll be very cold soon, I haven't had any breakfast and we'll have to face the music sooner or later - so it might as well be now. Is that ok with you?"
She took his hand. "As long as you're with me ...."
"Try to get rid of me!"
She shook her red hair and laughed. "No way!"
Teasing and kissing, they made their way back to the Burrow. Letting themselves in by the backdoor they found the kitchen deserted. They took their cloaks to the hall and went into the living room, where they found the whole family. All faces turned towards them.
"Harry," Ron said, and his tone was not teasing. "You're holding hands with my little sister."
"Obviously," he confirmed.
Fred stood up. "Care to explain?"
"There's nothing to explain," Ginny said calmly. "We're holding hands because we're in love."
"Love?" repeated Mrs. Weasley. "Aren't you just a tad too young?"
Harry stepped behind Ginny, wound his arms around her waist, and she entwined her fingers with his.
"Yes, we're too young. Too young to be possessed by Voldemort." She was rewarded by a collective flinch. "Or to lose those we love." Harry burrowed his face in Ginny's red locks and she reached up to wind her fingers into his hair. "We're far too young for a war, but we haven't been asked, have we? But we've decided that there's something nobody has a right to control. Will you deny us this happiness in all this mess?"
Nobody answered. Hermione smiled at them, and Mrs Weasley, for once, recognised a power of will greater than her own.
"Good," Ginny stated. "We're off to the kitchen, then. We're starving."
(A/N: My first published fic, I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to my beta Jenadamson for her patience. If there any mistakes left, flame me.)
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