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Dazzling Glinda ensures a bewitching 'Wicked'
Watching Hayley Podschun's captivating Glinda on Thursday night at the Marcus Center, I realized how much this ambitious sorority girl from Oz has in common with the musical in which she co-stars with Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West.
Like the dazzling Glinda, "Wicked" knows how to milk an entrance, fill a room and put on a show. This is the same tour that was here in 2010, and the production values in evidence then continue to impress, from the lavish Edwardian costumes and matching steampunk set to the spectacular lighting design and 14-piece pit orchestra.
Also like Glinda, "Wicked" wants to be loved by everyone. Trying to be all things to all people, it delivers a bloated plot through a feel-good book that extols animal rights, diversity and the importance of being true to oneself, while also untangling a convoluted, overpopulated backstory and delivering a preachy, thinly veiled indictment of America's politics of fear.
But as was true again Thursday, "Wicked" continually transcends its failings as readily as Elphaba takes flight, thanks to the most important feature this show shares with Glinda: a core of integrity that enables brave moments when they both rise above the excess, focusing their attention instead on an improbable friendship that proves pink looks great with green.
While Podschun's expressive soprano is a consistent delight, I'll best remember the eloquent sound of her silence, as Glinda's face drops upon first registering how alone she has made Elphaba feel. When Glinda then quietly joins Elphaba on the dance floor, the sweet music they make together cuts through all the noise keeping them apart. It gave me goose bumps.
When Glinda follows up with her perky and hilarious effort to give her green friend a makeover, Jennifer DiNoia's Elphaba — who had been deliberately stiff as well as truculent — finally loosens up. In Glinda-speak, the ensuing bond between the girls is reason to rejoicify.
It's also a large part of why Elphaba eventually summons the courage to defy both the Wizard and gravity. What DiNoia's voice lacks in range and color is made up in volume; she can flat-out belt, and when she ascended above Oz just before intermission, her plaintive wail of pain earned the biggest cheers of the night.
Elphaba will have many reasons for sorrow before the night is done, and the solid cast surrounding her — with particularly fine performances by Jay Russell (Doctor Dillamond) and David Nathan Perlow (Fiyero) — underscores what the courage of her convictions has cost.
But Podschun is even more moving in illustrating the staggering cost of cowardice.
Glinda's failure to join Elphaba aboard that broom is the great mistake of her life. Podschun makes clear that Glinda knows it, as she folds in on herself and then retreats into that infamous bubble hovering above Oz. Her prim smile suggests she'd rather be out riding with Elphaba, in a show that's best when this dynamic duo flies free of the nets conspiring to hold them down.
'Wicked' continues through July 7 at the Marcus Center, 929 N. Water. For tickets, call (414) 273-7206 or visit http://www.marcuscenter.org/.
'Bachelorette' recap: Jordan Rodgers called 'entitled'
Ray Jivoff, Norman Moses to star in Skylight's 'La Cage Aux Folles'
Theater Review: At its best, 'An Ideal Husband" serves smorgasbord of Wildean wit
New DVD releases for June 28: 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot,' 'Kung Fu Panda 3'
On Tap Today: Get ready for Summerfest
2016 Milwaukee Film Festival unveils first 8 movies
Chef aims high at new Kimpton hotel's restaurant
Judge says no hurry in determining Prince claims
Summerfest 2016: Which emerging country acts you should catch at Summerfest
Justin Timberlake apologizes for tweet after backlash
Grace Kelly's childhood home is up for sale in Philadelphia
BET Awards full of Prince tributes and political moments
Lynn Sprangers to become Wilson Center president and CEO
Director Rafaeli finds the haunting music of love in APT's 'Eurydice'
Entertainment Blogs
Browse our weekly entertainment calendar listings from the Journal Sentinel Cue section, posted every Thursday evening.


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William Kristol on how we may be "turning the corner" in Iraq and why we are displaying "stupidity" with respect to Saudi Arabia. For Kristol, the stupidity consists of the Bush administration's decision to redact 28 pages of material regarding Saudi Arabia from the congressional report on 9/11. Kristol argues that there is no excuse for averting our eyes from the pre-9/11 unwillingness of the Saudis to cooperate on matters relating to bin Laden. However, if the administration is successfully using the report as leverage to induce increased Saudi cooperation in taking on al Qaeda now, then the decision to redact the incriminating material may be justified. This seems like a judgment call and I would tend to defer to the administration.
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Kathy Reichs, the writer and scientist behind the TV show Bones, is back with a new novel for young adults. Code: A Virals Novel stars Tory Brennan, great-niece of Reich's famed crime-solving heroine Tempe Brennan. Reichs discusses the book, co-written with Brendan Reichs.


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Gov. Perry going to California to recruit business
AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry plans to visit California next week to follow up on a small buy of radio ads intended to persuade businesses to relocate to Texas.
Perry is scheduled to fly to the West Coast on Sunday and will meet with executives in San Francisco, the Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and Orange County. A marketing company, using private money, bought $24,000 worth of radio time to air an ad in which the Republican governor says, "I hear building a business in California is next to impossible."
The governor's office says he will meet with business leaders in the high tech, biotechnology, financial, insurance and film industries.
California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, has dismissed the ad buy as insignificant in a state where millions are needed to saturate the market. His office released a statement citing data that shows business relocations have no significant impact on either state's economy.
Brown called the radio ads just "a few tricks from a politician" and will not have any substantive effect.
Perry prides himself on keeping taxes low, limiting regulations and restricting lawsuits to create a better business climate. He uses the slogan, "Texas, Wide Open for Business." But his critics point out that Texas has the highest percentage of workers without health insurance in the nation and averages among the lowest scores on college admissions exams.


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Join Us Tuesday For GridTalk With Linden Lab VP Joe Miller Joe Miller, Linden Lab vice president, platform and technology development, will be our special guest for GridTalk, where we'll talk with him about Windlight, new Second Life technology that makes the world more beautiful and realistic.
AMD Pulls The Plug On Quad FX Enthusiast Platform The desktop platform was AMD's attempt to hold gamers who might be tempted to move to Intel's quad-core processors.
Egads! IBM Embraces Solaris For The Mainframe If nothing else, the mutual pats on the back represent a considerable thaw in the often-chilly relations between Sun and IBM.
CIO Effectiveness: Here's A Hint -- Know Your Manager Now for another sneak peek at a small slice of our forthcoming CIO Effectiveness Survey 2007: Almost everyone agrees the CIO should report to the CEO. Unfortunately, the reality is quite different.
USAID Server Hacked To Serve Pornography The compromised server was associated with USAID's Tanzania subdomain, Tanzania.usaid.gov.
Facebook Tempers Beacon Ad Features, Users Respond Actions taken on external Web sites will continue to appear at the top of a Facebook user's News Feed, but only if they opt-in.
IBM Endorses Sun's OpenSolaris On The Mainframe IBM also put its stamp of approval on Sun's recently introduced virtualization platform called xVM.
FBI's 'Bot Roast II' Leads To Alleged New Zealand Mastermind The teen's botnet group is responsible for taking control of more than 1 million computers through the use of malware, the FBI alleges.
Generation 'Y' Loves Google, Telecommuting, Survey Finds The interns polled said they also place a high priority on information security and balancing security against usability.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 Fall Update Set For Release The changes include new parental controls that let parents set limits on the amount of time their children can spend playing Xbox games during a given period.
TiVo Patent Upheld In Suit Against EchoStar Despite an endorsement from the USPTO, a decision on the infringement case by the U.S. Court of Appeals is still pending.
Last CIO Standing: Joke Contest As I've said several times, I'm committed to passing along every CIO joke -- both by and about CIOs -- that I hear. Unfortunately, I don't have a joke this time. But I do have a little bit of insight that concerns a certain top technology executive's sense of humor -- or lack thereof.
Questions Abound With Verizon's Open Network Announcement Until details such as per-message use fees and CDMA access are answered, reaction is muted.
In Post-Holiday Online Surge, Success--And Some Turkeys A Web site overhaul helped Overstock.com avoid the transaction slowdowns that plagued some other sites.
Google's Android Could Provide Sustenance For Mobile Linux Google's Open Handset Alliance and its use of Apache V2 public license, could prove as a proof-of-concept for some companies, ABI analysts suggest.
Verizon Opens Its Network Any device, any application sounds impressive, but skeptics see a play for new spectrum.
Microsoft Drops Details On Silverlight 2.0 The Web presentation technology takes better advantage of the .NET development environment and should make it easier for programmers to create rich media applications.
Winners, Losers In Google's 700-MHz Spectrum Plans Google's entry into the spectrum auction could be a boost to companies like Frontline Wireless, which aims to build out a hybrid private/public network.
The Incompleteness Theory Of Open Source, Continued After my last post about how "failed" open-source projects aren't really failures at all, a colleague of mine provided me with more perspectives on that situation. The very way open source works, he claimed, is like an amortization of risk against failure in software development.
Google Commits To Wireless Spectrum Bid The winner of the auction will have to pay at least $4.6 billion for the so-called "C Block" portion of the spectrum.
Google's Data Center Strategy Revealed . . . At The Rotary Club For months, I've been trying to get Google to discuss its data center strategy. My approach was flawed. I could have gotten more information at a Rotary Club luncheon this week in Hickory, N.C.
BlackBerry 9000 Details And Image Leaked Details and specs of the much-anticipated, touch screen iPhone killer, the BlackBerry 9000, have supposedly been leaked. Let's take a look.
Z4 Sues Microsoft Over Windows Vista, Office Fresh off its $142 million court victory, z4 Technologies claims Microsoft still violates patents it holds for technology that blocks attempts to use a single password.
Google Wants It All When It Comes To Wireless Google put months of speculation to rest today by officially announcing that it will bid in the FCC 700 MHz spectrum auction come January. It might eventually have its own mobile platform, offer all kinds of
Cellphones Don't Kill. People Do A strange story about a South Korean construction worker being killed by his exploding cellphone battery has been cleared up. It seems he was killed by a coworker who then framed the cellphone for the murder.
Asterpix To Debut Hyperlinks For Video The company's technology shows a flashing circle or a dotted rectangle that lets users navigate through the video and get information on objects displayed on the screen.
Down To Business: The Internet Is In Trouble ... Or So Says One Outfit A new Nemertes Research study exhorts U.S. Net providers to spend many more billions of dollars on their infrastructures or risk a major slowdown. Do you believe it?
Could Linux Help Bring Both Koreas Together? People in South Korea speak of folks in North Korea more as lost brothers than bitter enemies. Over the years the two have made various rapprochements, but now it looks like North and South are teaming up on a whole new kind of joint project: a Korean-language Linux distribution.
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Worldwide Server Revenues Up Slightly, But Shipment Growth Slows If economic worries stay with buyers, then spending on new systems could continue to slow, analysts with IDC lament.
Motorola's CEO Calls It Quits Some would say it is about time. After a troubling year for its handset business and massive shareholder pressure, Motorola's CEO Ed Zander has agreed to vacate his chair at the end of the table. He'll hand it over to Motorola chief operating officer Gre
Tibco Makes Its Low-Latency Messaging Software A Bit Faster The latest upgrade of Rendezvous targets service-oriented architectures built by financial services companies.
Cyber Gang Mastermind Arrested Sophos: A teenager from New Zealand, believed to be the brains behind an international cyber gang, has been arrested
Zumobi Talks Widgets And Mobile 2.0 A few weeks ago I sat down to discuss Mobile 2.0 with handset giant Nokia at Mobile Internet World. This time I wanted to deepen the conversation and cover mobile widgets with Beth Goza, senior marketing manager at startup Zumobi. Guess what, widgets are key to bringing Web 2.0 to the third
Police Claim Exploding Mobile Phone Did Not Kill South Korea Man Yesterday the blogosphere exploded with news that an exploding cell phone may have killed a man in South Korea. Now police claim the combustible handset did not play a role in the man's demise. What gives?
Apple To Kill Boot Camp Beta Dec. 31 The utility represents a bold move by Apple to lure Windows users who aren't prepared to toss their favorite applications just so they can own a Mac.
Shop Google, Earn Airline Miles Google is taking a page from the credit card companies by incorporating an airline miles reward program as part of Google Checkout this month.
Work directly with Apple on hardware purchases. and save money too There are more ways to buy Apple hardware and software  and get technical help with configuring what you need  than going through the Apple Web site and retail stores, or by purchasing through resellers like Amazon.com (no sales tax!) or other merchants.
Dell Fights Cybersquatters And Rogue Resellers In Court The company has filed lawsuits in Florida against several individuals and a handful of domain name companies for typosquatting more than 1,100 domain names.
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FBI Arrests Bot Masters As Cyber Crime Worsens The FBI says that since June, eight individuals have been indicted, plead guilty, or were sentenced for criminal activity related to botnets.
Dell Hints At 'Product Lust' As Profit Rises The chief executive breaks the company's financial silence with analysts by enticing them with new consumer offerings that are expected to differentiate it from HP and Apple.
Amazon Launches Q&A Web Site Askville.com lets users share knowledge with each other, and offers rewards to those who consistently provide quality information.
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Fake Online Teen Romance Ends Up In Murder, Sentencing Authorities describe the case as a fit of jealousy over a middle-aged woman in an online relationship who pretended to be 18.


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By Jeff Case, NBA.com
The creator of the Horry Scale, Micah Hart, has moved on from NBA.com-land. Still, his brainchild will live on. Now, only two days into the season, we have our first candidate of 2012-13 in Tony Parker.
For those that are new around these parts, the Horry scale examines a game-winning buzzer-beater (GWBB) in the categories of difficulty, game situation (was the team tied or behind at the time?), importance (playoff game or garden-variety Clippers-Nets game?), and celebration, and gives it an overall grade on a scale of 1-5 Robert Horrys, who is kind of the patron saint of last-second clutchiness.
For longtime Spurs fans, it might have been sweeter than usual to see Parker nailing a game-winning jump shot, if only because it wasn't all that long ago that many questioned if Parker could add a reliable jump shot to his dangerous dribble-drive game.
How does Mr. Parker's shot Thursday stack up? Let's take a look.
As mentioned above, this is a now-routine shot for Parker — which was something you couldn't always say about his outside game. We'd rate this one a medium difficulty, though, seeing as how last season's shotblocking king, Serge Ibaka, was in the neighborhood and wasn't that far behind in getting a hand on the ball. The shot could have been a lot tougher, though, had OKC All-Star Russell Westbrook not gotten lost on the pass from Danny Green to Parker, something that Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith took Westbrook to task for on "Inside the NBA."
Game Situation
Score tied at 84 with 5.9 seconds left. Parker had nailed a 3-pointer with 28.4 seconds left to tie the score and OKC had a chance to claim the lead, but Kevin Durant had the ball stolen by Kawhi Leonard as Durant came off a screen (in another play that Charles and Kenny didn't like).
This was the second game of the season for San Antonio and OKC's season-opener, so the importance would seem muted. There is, of course, the fact that these were the teams in last season's West finals … and that OKC came back from an 0-2 hole to vanquish the Spurs … and that these squads remain among the West favorites again. This game adds another chapter to the overall lore of the rivalry and may end up mattering come season's end. The importance factor, then, is semi-high with a chance of super-high later in the season.
3½ Horrys. It's a well-executed shot and Parker proves that his game has plenty of range. The rivalry factor with OKC colors things and the potential future impact of this game to the West hierarchy beefs up the rating from what it would be were it any other game or teams (it'd probably be like 2 stars, IMO, if that were the case).
What do you think?


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Benjamin Franklin is supposed to have said that people willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both.
To the editor:
This letter is a response to Lindell Kay and all others willing to give up their rights.
Benjamin Franklin is supposed to have said that people willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both.
All Americans should be shocked and disgusted with the violence being perpetrated by the illegal use of firearms. This problem needs to be addressed in a manner that will lead to a solution; not a feel-good emotional remedy which maligns the Constitution and takes away rights of honest, law-abiding citizens. Years from now, we do not want to be asking Steve Urkel�s famous question: �Did I do that?�
Our legal system�s foundation is supposedly based on a doctrine in which the guilty are punished and the innocent go free. Blaming inanimate objects for criminal acts is like blaming automobiles for speeding and reckless driving or forks and spoons for overeating. We are in a downward spiral of cultural rot and therein lies the problem.
When I was growing up during the 1950s, just about every boy � and some girls � carried a knife. Usually the knife was a hawkbill or a Barlow and some carried switchblades. These knives were in our pockets and we had them everywhere we went. On the school playground, it was a common practice for groups of children to be whittling or playing mumblety-peg. During school hours it was not uncommon for teachers to borrow one of the student�s knives for personal use.
At home, most of the children had access to various types of firearms. At different times of the week, youngsters would be seen walking along the street or road with a firearm. We would go hunting or participate in recreational shooting. Any time one of us needed bullets, we could walk into a store and purchase ammunition. At the age of 14, one of my weekly jobs was to uncrate cases of dynamite and place the sticks into sacks for coal miners to use in the mines. Dynamite was available for anyone needing it. It was used for digging wells, septic tank holes or removing rocks, stumps or other obstacles requiring an explosive type force.
During those years, not one teenager pulled a knife on anyone or misused a firearm. Also, there were no incidents of accidental shootings. Not one of us used dynamite to harm others. Neither were our minds warped and misaligned from drug use.
Also, during that same period of time, there were four incidents where an adult used a firearm on another person. Each of these incidents had the same contributing factor � the people involved were under the influence of alcohol. One of these episodes was by a drunken security guard employed by Moundsville State Penitentiary. The guard, while under the influence of alcohol, tried to shoot his wife. The vast majority of all crimes committed today are either directly or indirectly drug or alcohol related.
Are we Americans going to allow scummy druggies, drunks, criminals and the mentally disturbed to usurp our Constitution and dictate an honest citizen�s rights on firearm ownership? Elected representatives should zero in on the real problem � cultural rot throughout our society � then address and take corrective actions on the problem, not the symptoms.
Arthur L. Thorne


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Aug 1 @ The Calico Room
Lush, romantic electronic music from this Los Angeles synth pop duo. The Rhode Island and New York natives used youthful relationships and the backdrop of L.A. for their album "Kids in L.A." It feels like 80's New Wave pop, with melancholy male vocals and dreamy female singing against soundscapes that evoke orange skylines, Bret Easton Ellis novels and carefree summer nights. Details: 8 p.m. doors, 9 p.m. show, Thursday, 107 S. Front Street, downtown Wilmington.
Aug 2 -3 @ The Whiskey
Another two-night stand this weekend for The Mantras, a Greensboro band with an uplifting, explorative take on the jam band genre. Their album "Jambands Ruined My Life" finds The Mantras moving from swampy to more glittery sounds while remaining a rock 'n' roll band. Details: 10 p.m. show Saturday, 1 S. Front Street, downtown Wilmington.
[youtube SEf31NsJa08]
Tara Mills w/Brent Stimmel
Aug 2 @ Orton's
With music influenced by the Blue Ridge Mountains and its people, Tara Mills of Charlottesville, Va., performs original bluegrass, country and folk with a warm, carefree singing voice. With Wilmington singer/songwriter Brent Stimmel. Details: 10 p.m. Friday, 133 N. Front Street, downtown Wilmington.
Aug 2 @ Satellite Bar & Lounge
Sharp, driving pop-rock from this Charlotte band that features Jon Lindsay as one of its singers. The Catch Fire marries '90s indie rock to smooth, shiny '80s-style pop. Featuring great harmonies and a tender garage rock atmosphere, the band's album "Rumormill" is infectious, with great guitar hooks and pop melodies. Details: 10 p.m. Friday, 120 Greenfield St., Wilmington. www.TheCatchFire.com
[youtube M-mmP4Qa8Ro]
Bruce Hornsby
Aug. 2 @ Greenfield Lake Amphitheater
See Kate Queram's interview with the singer-songwriter.
Estrangers w/Onward, Soldiers, Museum Mouth
Aug 3 @ Ziggy's
Winston-Salem band plays sugary, engaging, lo-fi garage rock. The band performed here last May in support of its new album, "Season," on which the group delivers a polished, sometimes fuzzy indie pop sound along with Philip Pledger's crooned vocals. With Wilmington bands Onward, Soldiers, who are headlining, and Museum Mouth. Details: 8 p.m. doors, 9 p.m. show, Saturday, 208 Market St., downtown Wilmington. $7.
Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands w/Justin Lacy & The Swimming Machine
Aug 3 @ The Calico Room
A double bill with Wilmington's Justin Lacy and Swimming Machine, a band that, like Greensboro's Bright, tends toward carnival-esque stylings. Bright's music has a dynamic, theatrical vibe, and she's also an elegant storyteller, with baroque music and varied instrumentation. Her album "Muses and Bones" is a mix of jazz and world flavors, with emotional vocals that caress and stab. Details: 8 p.m. doors, 9 p.m. show, Saturday, 107 S. Front Street, downtown Wilmington.
[youtube NrQiCKeJsz4]
Spooky Woods
Aug. 4 @ The Ocean Grill
See John Staton's write-up of this Triangle all-star indie folk band.
Aug. 5 @ The Juggling Gypsy
Folky, low key indie rock from this performer. Based in Boston, Corey R-J is backed by a handful of players, taking his solo material to loftier heights. Songs are peppered with soft female vocals via Kara Miller and additional guitar elements to craft something with a sound that's akin to daylight dreaming. Details: 8 p.m. doors, 10 p.m. show, Monday, 1612 Castle Street, Wilmington
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TOKYO — Who do they think they are, these upstart economies, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa?
That might sum up the feeling in the United States, Europe and Japan as the BRICS nations consider a new development bank that might challenge the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The move brings to mind Alice Amsden, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist who died last year, and her 2001 book, "The Rise of 'the Rest.'"
The richest nations can stew about this turn of events, as those on the periphery of the world economic system start seeing themselves as the core. Or developed countries can look in the mirror and consider how their actions have helped accelerate the shift.
Take Japan's success in weakening the yen 17 per cent in the past six months to help stimulate exports. It has prompted talk in China and elsewhere about a return to the currency wars. Concern about exchange-rate volatility that undermines trade and growth is a big reason the BRICS, the vanguard of "the rest," want to use their combined $4.4 trillion of foreign-currency reserves to protect their economies and raise their international clout.
The yen's plunge coincides with the contortions of the IMF as it twists every which way, and then some, to preserve the euro. Never mind that the eurozone may be too messy and incompatible to save. Forget that Cyprus never should have been included in the enterprise, or that Spain's 50 per cent youth-unemployment rate makes the euro area's fourth-biggest economy a potential time bomb. The IMF, run by former French finance minister Christine Lagarde, is determined to make the unsustainable in Europe sustainable.
That has created a bigger perception problem than the IMF and World Bank realize. If you are a world leader, such as Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Manmohan Singh of India, Xi Jinping of China or Jacob Zuma of South Africa, do you want to support such a euro-centric arrangement? Is our Bretton Woods-derived system, one forged in the middle of the last century, really in the best interest of five still-developing nations with 43 per cent of the world's population? Will the IMF have anything left if, say, India experiences a crisis?
It hasn't escaped notice that Europe is being treated very differently from Asia in 1997. Back then, the IMF browbeat Asia into harsh reforms that deepened its crisis. It demanded higher interest rates, stronger currencies and fiscal tightening while forcing Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea to let weak banks fail. When Malaysia imposed capital controls, it was demonized. Europe has gotten a pass on all of the above.
The same happened when Wall Street crashed a decade later. The Treasury Department stood by as regulators, banks and corporate leaders eschewed virtually every prescription it made to policy makers in Asia, Latin America and eastern Europe. That includes crony capitalism, as top bankers shift into senior roles in the federal government only to rotate back to Wall Street a few years later. As a remedy, Richard Fisher, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, has long recommended breaking up too-big-to-fail banks.
Why isn't the IMF demanding as much from the Obama administration? Why is the IMF always backing bailouts of a Greek economy that has learned nothing from its failings? How come Cyprus, with an economy about the size of Vermont's, has Lagarde's undivided attention in a world awash in financial and political risks? Shouldn't Group of Seven nations chastise Japan's yen policies or Europe's denial about the magnitude of its troubles? You can see why the BRICS want their own IMF, an institution that supports economies without the hypocrisy.
True, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are a long way from the viable economic bloc its members advertise. When investors talk about the BRICS, they often mean China's cash and voracious appetite for the commodities of the others. Their political systems and economic philosophies are as wildly divergent as their immediate needs as nations.
That hasn't stopped members from taking an acronym coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill so seriously that they are on their fifth summit meeting. Nor did it stop them from adding a fifth member. Oddly, it was South Africa, not, say, Indonesia or South Korea, both of which have much bigger economies.
Yet as these key emerging economies strike out on their own, rich nations bear some of the blame. Officials in the U.S., Europe and Japan talk a great game of rebalancing the global economy; of increasing the developing world's say in decision making; of letting markets decide exchange rates; of lowering barriers to trade and capital; and of greater transparency. And then, at least since 2007, they more often than not played by other rules.
Trust is earned, even when your economy is among those that powered global growth for much of the last century. If G-7 members want today's upstarts to join them in the spirit of future prosperity, they must radiate sincerity. The BRICS must believe that the world's economic mechanisms work for them. If not, those among "the rest" will create their own space.
William Pesek is a Bloomberg View columnist.
The views, opinions and positions expressed by all iPolitics columnists and contributors are the author's alone. They do not inherently or expressly reflect the views, opinions and/or positions of iPolitics.


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Job Description
About Aramark
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) is in the customer service business across food, facilities and uniforms, wherever people work, learn, recover, and play. United by a passion to serve, our more than 270,000 employees deliver experiences that enrich and nourish the lives of millions of people in 22 countries around the world every day. Aramark is recognized among the Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE and the World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute. Learn more at www.aramark.com or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
- Be able to work quickly and concisely under pressure
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- May wash, peel, cut, and shred vegetables and fruits to prepare them for use
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Job Position: Student FOH Worker
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As a Student FOH Worker, you will support the day-to-day operation of the Bartol Residential Dining Hall. Not only will you provide communication between FOH and BOH and prompt customer service, but you will also maintain a clean dining environment and maintain a comfortable atmosphere.
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Pass a criminal background check
- High School diploma/GED
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Seymour Family of Gulf Coast Area Book Available
Mississippi Gulf Coast Genealogy - The Seymour Family by Brother Jerome Lepre, S. C., Brother of the Sacred Heart, + 9/19/1998, Perfect Binding with Softcover, 457 pages, indexed by last name on several separate pages, The earliest known documented evidence of the exact origin of the Seymour family is the marriage between Genevieve Baudreau of Pascagoula and Charles LeBlanc of Pennsylvania, son of Thomas and Perrine LeBlanc. No contemporary documentation during the period l780 - l790 disputes this. The marriage record had been in the author's holdings, but he did not know who Charles LeBlanc was. It remained dormant for years in his possession. The marriage between Charles and Genevieve was held in St. Louis parish church of New Orleans on l September l783 and presided over by the famous, or infamous, "Pere Antoine," the Rev. Antonio de Sedella, a Spanish Capuchin priest. (SLC, MB4, #l55). Jean Baptiste Baudreau dit Graveline came to the Mississippi Coast with Iberville in l699. He immediately became a planter, a cattle owner, a cattle breeder and a mentor to others who settled here. Born on his dad's plantation in the West Pascagoula area, grew up there and eventually married Catherine Vinconneau of France. They had four children, one of whom was Jean Baptiste III. This Jean Baptiste III built up a liaison with Mary Louise Fayard of New Orleans and had a family of five children, Jean Baptiste IV, Margaret, Angelique, Genevieve and Francoise. The first three always used the name Baudreau, the other two, because of the non-marriage condition of their parents, used the name of their mother, Fayard. It is the daughter, Genevieve, who interests us here because she was to become the wife of Charles LeBlanc, and, together, the parents of St. Cyr Joseph LeBlanc, alias Seymour. This Baudreau family has permeated the Gulf Coast with its descendants under various names. Only one known child was born of the marriage between Charles LeBlanc and Genevieve Baudreau. His name was St. Cyr Joseph LeBlanc, born in l788, as noted on his tomb in the oldest section of the Biloxi cemetery near the beach. It is stated by a great granddaughter of St. Cyr Seymour II, last child of St. Cyr Joseph LeBlanc, that St. Cyr J. LeBlanc was an only child; although there is a tradition that there were two boys. No evidence known supports a second son. St. Cyr was a fisherman and, with a large group of boys around, he, no doubt, took each of them at times to let them learn about that kind of work, but it seems quite probable that each of the boys would settle on land, raise a garden, take care of livestock, make charcoal and other wood products for sale. Marie-Josephe died in l876, probably at the home of St. Cyr. She was buried in the old Biloxi Cemetery near the beach. These two old people were truly patriarch and matriarch of a huge descendance, certainly close to 20,000. What a tribute to them and to those who are their progeny. Cost is $38 (US) Shipping add $4.00. Contact Darnell Lepre, 11105 Pin Oak Drive, Biloxi, MS 39532, Phone: 228-396-2811, email: email@example.com
Relatives of the Seymour Family found in the Seymour Book: (Partial Index List - Not Completed as of 9/24/06) Ables, Adamo, Adams, Adamson, Adkins, Agazarm, Ahsen, Ainsworth, Albert, Albritton, Alexander, Alford, Allemand, Allen, Alley, Alvarez, Alves, Amadio, Ames, Badgley, Bailey, Baird, Balius, Ball, Balliet, Bancroft, Banfill, Bangs, Barbari, Barbie, Barefield, Barfoot, Barham, Barhonovich, Barker, Barnet, Barnette, Barton, Caffey, Cagle, Caldwell, Calhoun, Calkins, Callender, Calton, Calvero, Campbell, Canady, Canizaro,
Canna, Cannette, Cannon, Carco, Carey, Carlswell, Carnley, Carpenter, Daigle, Dale, D'Angelo, Daniels, Dart, Daudle, Daughdrill, David, Davis, Davison, Dawson, De George, De Sandro, Dean, DeAngelo, DeCausey, Dedeaux, Dees, Earl, Eckland, Edwards, Egger, Ekhlas, Elder, Eleuterius, Elgin, Ellis, Ellzey, Emerson, Emmons, Endt, English, Entrekin, Etheridge, Eubanks, Evans, Eysermans, Fagan, Fairley, Fairly, Falk, Falkenberg, Fallo, Farmer, Farris, Fausnight, Favalora, Fayard, Fedkenheuer, Felcher, Feller, Felps, Felsher, Ferguson, Ferig, Fernandez,and more… Call Darnell (see contact info above) to see if your name is in the book.


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Author: Majick
Story: A Brother's Point of View
Part: A Brother's Point of View
Rating: Young Teens
Setting: Pre-OotP
Status: Completed
Reviews: 31
Words: 6,102
Updated: September 2, 2005, 4:38pm
A Brother's Point of View
(Author's Note: Previously posted elsewhere, this story now includes canon up to and including Half-Blood Prince. Thanks to Aggiebell for the beta.)
June 1985
A red-headed blur erupted from inside the kitchen and Bill Weasley, freshly arrived home from his fourth year at Hogwarts, whuffed out a huge breath as the blur slammed into his stomach at high speed.
"Hey, Red," he wheezed.
"I miss you," his little sister squealed, her arms clutched tightly around his waist. Bill smiled as he looked down at his sister, not yet four years old, her feet dangling inches above the floor as she held tight to him. Reaching down, he lifted her up so that he could hug her properly.
"I missed you too, Red. But I'm back now. We've got the whole summer together."
Ginny smiled, but then looked sad.
"You'll go away again," she said.
"Yeah, I will," Bill admitted. "But I have to go to school, Red," he added, ruffling her hair. She giggled.
"Will you come back after?"
"Of course. I love Hogwarts, but I love you even more, little'un."
"I'm NOT little," she pouted. "I'm three foot one inches."
"You're over three foot now?" Bill asked. "You're getting big, Red. You'll be taller than any of us soon."
"Yeah!" she grinned. Then a thought struck the young girl. "If I get big enough, can I come with you to school?"
"Oh Red, you know you can't come to Hogwarts yet," Bill said. He always felt slightly sad that he'd miss out on his younger siblings time at Hogwarts. He'd be at Hogwarts with Charlie and Percy, but he would have liked to have the twins, Ron and Ginny there with him as well.
"When can I go, then?" she asked persistently.
"You're going the year after Ron does," Bill said. It had become the standard answer, as they didn't want Ginny thinking too much about the seven years before she could go to school. It was bad enough that Percy was already counting the days, and he still had two years left to go. Bill felt slightly bad for Charlie as well, who'd have to spend a year alone at school without any of his brothers and sister around. Bill had fit in well enough during his first two years, but it was only when Charlie had come to school at the start of Bill's third year that he felt really at home at Hogwarts.
I started in nineteen eighty-one, Bill thought. Ginny won't finish there until nineteen ninety-nine. Nearly twenty years of Weasleys. Old McGonagall should be ready to retire after that. If she isn't in the mental ward at St Mungo's first.
Looking down at his sister, who was still held in his arms, Bill grinned.
"Want to hear about Hogwarts, Red?"
"Yeah! Tell me e'ryfing, Bill."
"Okay," he said. He carried Ginny all the way up the stairs to the room he shared with Charlie, and made sure that his bag was on the good bed. When Charlie returned from his friend's house in a few days, he wanted there to be no doubt who was sleeping where. He shifted Ginny onto his back, which she loved, and stuck his head around the door of Percy and Ron's room, but neither of his brothers were there. In fact, the whole house was quiet.
"Where is everyone, Red?"
"Fred and George are in trouble," Ginny answered. "Mummy made them chuck the gernomes 'cos they made Ron cry."
Bill grinned in spite of himself.
"What'd they do this time?"
"They made his teddy turn into a spider again," Ginny sighed. "They silly."
"Mum must have gone bananas."
"Yeah. She went to town with Ron."
"Where's Percy?"
"Okay. Well, let's get a drink and I'll tell you all about Hogwarts."
Bill carried his sister all the way down to the kitchen where they poured themselves big glasses of milk and raided Molly's biscuit jar.
"Hogwarts is great, Red," he said. "Every year you learn new spells. They teach you all kinds of things."
"Like what?"
"Well, this year I learned how to turn a chair into a dog," he said.
"Show me!"
"What's the magic word?" Bill grinned.
"Abber Cedaber?"
"Close enough," Bill laughed. Waving his wand at one of the spare chairs, he turned it into a black Labrador that licked Ginny's face and made her giggle.
"Slobbery doggy," she said, patting it. She looked sad when it turned back into a chair.
"Nice?" Bill asked.
"That's the sort of thing that we do at Hogwarts."
"I want to go!"
"I know, Red. I was the same as you when I was your age. You'll be there before you know it."
"Okay," she said. "Tell me more, Bill!"
"Okay, Red. What do you want to know?"
"Tell me 'bout the teachers. Are they as nice as my teachers?"
"Some of them are," he said. "Some are horrible. Professor Snape teaches us Potions. He's not very nice."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. I don't think he was hugged enough as a child," Bill grinned.
"You very silly, Bill," Ginny giggled, before turning serious. "Do I get hugged enough? I don't want to be horrible when I grow up."
"Well, there's always room for another hug," Bill said, holding his arms out. Ginny jumped off her chair and wrapped her arms around her brother's neck.
"You're nice, Bill. You musta got lots of hugs."
"Well, if you ever think you're running low on hugs, I'm always happy to help," Bill smiled.
"Yeah! Then when I go to Hogwarts I be really nice to evvyone."
"I'm sure of it," Bill said. "You're going to love Hogwarts, Red. Absolutely love it."
August 1991
"Hey Ginny," Ron said, hunting under his bed for a missing pair of socks. What's up?"
Ron came up from under his bed. "Really?"
"I don't want you to go," she said. "I'll be all alone. Bill's gone and Charlie's moved out to Romania. Percy's at Hogwarts, Fred and George are there. And now you're going."
Ron sat down on his bed and patted the spot next to him. "Come here," he said. She sat down obediently next to him.
"You know it's only for a year," he said. "This time next year you'll be hanging out with all of us. There'll be five Weasleys at Hogwarts, can you imagine?"
"Yeah. I still wish I were going this year," she sighed. "You're only just over a year older than me, Ron. It's not fair."
"Ginny, come on," Ron said. He put an arm around his sister's shoulders. "You're not even ten yet. You know it has to be this way."
"Yeah. I've known since I was two and Charlie and Bill went off and I missed them a lot. It just seems like I keep losing more and more people, and now you're going as well."
"I'll write you all the time, Ginny," Ron said. "It's okay. Once you come it'll be great, and you won't have to worry about settling in, 'cos you'll already know everything about it."
"Yeah. If you want, I'll find you a boyfriend and every-"
"Ron!" she squealed. She slapped him on the arm. "As if I want a boyfriend."
"Not unless it's Harry Potter, right?"
"Harry Potter wouldn't look at me," she said, with a ferocious blush that the Weasley boys loved to provoke. "He must be really famous and handsome and he'll have loads of friends."
"I dunno," Ron said. "You know he has to live with Muggles. They probably don't even know he's famous where he lives. You heard what Mum said, though, he's the same age as us. He's probably going to start at school this year or next year. I wonder what house he'll be in?"
"I bet he's in Ravenclaw," Ginny said. "I bet he's really smart."
"Won't be there with me then," Ron said gloomily. "Have you seen my wand?"
He held up the battered looking object. Unicorn hair was poking out of the end.
"I'd kill for a new one. They work better if they're your own."
"I bet you're in Gryffindor," Ginny said, suddenly.
"Well, you beat up Fred last night, didn't you?"
"Yeah, but Fred's an idiot. He knows I hate spiders, but he still does that stupid trick. I hope he gets suspended next time."
"Maybe when I come next year we can get him back?" Ginny said.
"Yeah, that sounds good. It's a deal, Ginny. I'll find out all about the place, and then we can go mad when you come."
Ginny grinned. "Yeah. It's a deal.
November 1991
Dear Ginny,
Sorry I haven't written for a few weeks, but things have been mad here. Me and Harry fought a troll on Halloween. We saved this girl called Hermione, who's a real bossy type. She thinks Percy is great, so that's all you need to know about her. Still, she does help us with work, so I guess she's not too bad.
Anyway, just wanted to say to you that the plan's still on. Fred and George are being pretty quiet for a change. I think Fred fancies one of the girls on the Quidditch team. Can't tell which one, though. They're all much the same.
I'll try and write soon. Harry needs help with his Potions, so we're going to try and find Hermione. She's probably in the library. I reckon you'd probably like her, she reads a lot, same as you.
Oh, Harry says he isn't expecting anything for Christmas. D'you reckon Mum could send him something?
I'll write soon,
June 1992
Ron looked up from his Charms essay. Hermione had already sent him an owl asking how he was doing with his work.
"What's up?"
"Tell me about Harry Potter."
Ron sighed. "I already told you, Ginny, he's a nice bloke."
"But what's he like?"
"He's an idiot, okay? He does stupid things because he thinks they're the right things. He nearly got killed at the end of the year. He'd better not do that again. I don't want a dead best mate."
"He doesn't seem too bad," Ginny said. "He was very polite."
Ron gave up on the essay. "Yeah, he is polite," he said. "Except when he's talking about Snape."
"He's the Potions teacher, isn't he? Charlie and Bill told me about him."
"Yeah. And he's a git."
"Ron, Mum would kill you-"
"Well don't tell her then," Ron grinned. "Really, he's a nasty bloke, always picking on the Gryffindors."
"Even on Harry?"
"Especially on Harry. Harry said that his dad and Snape didn't get on when they were at school, and now Harry's dad's dead, Snape picks on him instead."
Ginny looked at the carpet for a moment.
"Does Harry talk about his parents often?"
Ron shook his head. "No. He never knew them. I know he misses them, well, misses having a real family, but he doesn't say much. He's pretty quiet, really."
Ginny sighed. "It'd be nice if we could be his family. You're his best friend, and if he's a nice person, he deserves someone to love him, not being stuck with those horrible Muggles."
Ron smiled tightly. "Yeah, you're right. We're trying to get him to come stay here this summer. I haven't heard from him since we left school. He's got this great owl, really big and white, but nothing yet. Maybe the Muggles are being nice to him. It'd be good if they were."
"Do you think he'd like it here?"
I dunno. He says he lives in a proper house with the Muggles, not a rickety old heap like this. I hope he'd like it, though."
"Is he really brave?"
"Yeah. Brave, honest, loyal. Typical Gryffindor. Just like me, really."
Ginny slapped Ron on the arm. "Idiot."
Ginny fell quiet. "Do... Do you think I'll make it into Gryffindor? I don't want to be in Slytherin, I don't think I'm smart enough for Ravenclaw..." she tailed off.
"Ginny, who do I go to when I need help with the twins? It's always you, even if they are three years older than you. You're the bravest person I know, well, you and Harry."
Ginny brightened immediately. "You really think I'm as brave as Harry Potter?"
"Yeah, really," Ron grinned. "You'll be in Gryffindor, just like everyone else."
Ginny hugged her brother.
"Thanks, Ron."
August 1993
Percy looked up from the letter he was writing. The ghost of a smile flickered across Ginny's face as she realised she'd caught him writing another letter to Penelope Clearwater, his girlfriend.
"Ginny? What... What are you doing up? It's after three in the morning."
"I had a nightmare and I couldn't sleep. Why are you awake?"
"I... I couldn't sleep either. I thought I'd write to Penny."
"At three in the morning? Won't she be mad when Hermes shows up with your letter."
"I'm, er, using Errol, not Hermes," Percy said. He looked very uncomfortable. "This way it should get to her tomorrow afternoon."
Ginny looked at her brother critically. "Percy, do you know that your ears go red when you're lying?"
"It's the middle of the night! You can't see my- Blast," Percy said, realising that his little sister had caught him out.
"Right then. Why are you writing to Penny in the middle of the night?"
Percy stood up from the kitchen table and made his way into the front room, his letter lying forgotten on the table. Ginny followed him.
He was siting on the sofa, his head in his hands. His posture, normally so confident and upright, spoke of a world of worries on his shoulders.
"Percy, what's wrong?" Ginny asked.
He didn't reply for a long time. It slowly dawned on Ginny that Percy, the calm, rational, least Weasleyish member of her family, was crying.
"Percy..." she said. He raised his head and looked at her, an infinity of sadness tracking across his face like cloud obscuring the sun.
"Ginny, I was so scared," he said. "I thought we'd lost you, I really did."
Before Ginny knew what was happening, Percy had wrapped his little sister in a bone-crushing hug. She gasped for air, but didn't say anything. Finally, Percy released her. He dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief. Despite the emotion of the moment, Ginny couldn't help but smile. Percy was the only person she knew who actually kept a handkerchief in his pyjama pocket.
"When I heard that you'd been taken," he began, returning her to the moment at hand. "When I thought you were dead..." his face screwed up again as he fought back tears.
"Oh God, I was so scared. I felt like I should have been doing something, but there was nothing I could do. For all my intelligence, for all my pride in being a prefect, I was unable to do anything. I couldn't help you; I couldn't fight for you; I just had to sit there and wait.
"I honestly thought that I'd been looking out for you. I thought you were ill, so I took you to Madam Pomfrey. I chased off Fred and George when they were trying to make you laugh, and then I ignored you when you were trying to tell us something was wrong. And then, when you were taken, I thought I'd never again see you smile, never hear you laugh, never see you hexing Fred and George when Mother's back is turned."
He laughed. It came out as a choke.
"Despite everything I did, despite every example I tried to set, it was Ron and Harry who saved you. A pair of second years who broke every single rule in the book, and probably lots more that aren't in the book, while I sat in the common room with no idea what I could do for you.
"Well, thank Merlin for Ron and Harry. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here, Ginny. I really am very fond of you, you know that?"
"I do now," she said, tears sliding down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around her brother's neck and hugged him tightly. The bad dream that had caused her to awaken was already fading from her memory.
They held each other for a long time, until the sun was peeking over the horizon and the birds were beginning to awaken. Percy released his grip and sighed.
"I should finish that letter to Penny," he said.
"Why were you writing at three in the morning anyway?" she asked.
"Mother and father suggested we not be too, well, that we not be..."
"They thought I'd need you walking on eggshells around me?" she asked. Percy laughed, and nodded.
"I shall tell them that it isn't necessary," he said. "By midday Fred and George will be blowing their room up once more."
"Well, maybe don't tell them first thing," Ginny suggested. "I'd quite like to get some sleep.
Percy smiled. "I'll talk to them after lunch tomorrow."
"Thanks, Perce," she said. He stood up and straightened his pyjamas.
"I think I'll finish that letter to Penny before I go up," he said. "It has a happier ending now."
"I'm glad," Ginny said. "I think my dreams will be happier now, too."
Percy took her hand and gave it a squeeze.
"I'm glad. Glad for everything. Truly."
"Me too, Percy, me too."
August 1994
Ginny's brother had burst into her room --something he'd generally avoided doing since she'd, as he put it "started growing up on us"- and waved a handful of parchment slips at her.
"Dad got the tickets! Dad got the tickets! We're going to the World Cup!"
Ginny grinned madly. They were going to the World Cup! Hermione would be coming to stay! Harry would be coming to stay!
"D'you want your ticket now, or shall I keep it with the rest of them?" George asked.
"Um, best hold on to it," she said. "I'll only lose it. I'm not Ron; I won't keep it locked in a safe deposit box in my school trunk."
George grinned. "You are looking forward to the match though, right?"
"Of course. You know I love Quidditch."
"Yeah, but you like it best when Harry's playing, right?"
He ducked under the pillow that Ginny threw at him, and emerged grinning from behind her chair.
"Be honest, Ginny."
Ginny sighed. Of all her brothers, Percy and George were the only ones who didn't tease her about Harry. Instead, George had decided that Ron liked Hermione, and was teasing his younger brother about that instead.
"So, come on, own up and I'll give you some juicy gossip that you can't tell anyone."
"Really?" Ginny looked sceptical.
"Really," George replied, his face deadly serious. He looked around the room, shut the door and pulled the curtains closed. Sitting on Ginny's bed, he turned to her and whispered: "It's so secret I can't even tell Fred."
"That's pretty secret," Ginny admitted.
"Too right," George said. "Listen, you know when me and Fred went to Lee's for Katie's birthday party?"
"Of course. The house was quiet all day. It was very nice."
George smiled ruefully at having been caught by such an easy line. "Yes, well, apart from that, guess what happened?"
"Well... I don't know."
"Angelina got drunk," George said. "Fred spiked her Butterbeer with firewhisky for a joke, and she got absolutely plastered."
"That's not very nice, George. And it's not exactly a secret if Fred did it, is it?"
"That's not the secret. And I know it's not very nice. Katie had a right go at him for doing it."
"What's the secret, then?" Ginny asked, beginning to wonder if George was pulling her leg.
"Angelina kissed me," he said. He smiled a little anxiously.
"She what?"
"She kissed me. That's why I can't tell Fred. You know how crazy he is about her."
"Of course. Everyone does. It's so silly."
"Yes, well, you're a fine one to talk."
"Never mind that now. What are you going to do about Angelina?"
"Nothing. She thought I was Fred when she kissed me, and she didn't say anything the next morning so I don't think she remembers."
"You hope."
"Yeah, I hope. Maybe she's just embarrassed."
"Why not write to Alicia or Katie and ask them?"
"Not a bad idea, little sister mine," George said thoughtfully. "Might be better if I wait to see them face to face. I don't think Angelina would appreciate there being a permanent record of, well, of that."
"How do you feel about it?" Ginny asked, eyeing her brother shrewdly.
"Me?" George laughed heartily, but Ginny could tell he wasn't as happy as he made out. "Hey, have you seen Angelina? She's drop dead gorgeous. I wasn't complaining."
"Until she called you Fred," Ginny said, struggling to keep the grin from her face.
"Yeah," George admitted, with a laugh. "Bit of a downer, that. Not quite how I imagined my first kiss-"
"Your first kiss?!?" Ginny gasped.
"Okay, okay, no need to make such a big deal of it," George said, making shushing motions with his hands. "Besides, I was saving myself for the right girl."
"Yeah, Alicia," Ginny said, without thinking.
George's face fell. "Is it that obvious?"
"Well, kind of," she said. "Listen, I'll do you a deal. You lay off Ron about Hermione, get Fred to shut up about me and Harry, and I won't say anything about you, Angelina and Alicia."
George's eyes narrowed. "And to think I was going to be all caring and understanding about you and Harry."
"You can still do that," Ginny said, with a wicked grin. "Do we have a deal?"
"Yeah, deal," George said, slumping backwards on her bed. "When did you grow up again? I don't remember you being so evil and cunning last year."
"I was taking special lessons from Professor Snape," she said.
"That would explain it. Now, you were saying about Harry?"
"We don't need to talk about that now," Ginny said, blushing suddenly. George sat up, sensing weakness.
"Oh yes we do. You've just got me to give up half the fun I've been having this summer. You can give me something to make it up to me."
Ginny sighed. "Okay, I'll tell," she said. "I mean, it's not like it's a secret how I feel about Harry."
"Maybe not, but I've never heard you say it out loud," George said. He had turned around so that he was sitting close to his sister, his body language mirroring hers sympathetically.
"I just..." she began, before shrugging. "I want to help him, George. Not just me, but all of us. He should be here, not with those horrible Muggle she has to live with. It's ridiculous.
"Sometimes..." Ginny paused and thought for a moment. "Do you remember when we first met Harry?"
"Sure, his first year at Hogwarts, we bumped into him at Kings Cross."
"He was so shy. I couldn't believe that was Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived, I thought he'd be famous, but he was there on his own. Everyone else had their family with him, and I thought Harry would have had someone with him."
"Well, Hagrid went with him for all his school stuff, but those Muggles he lives with dropped him off at the station."
"He seemed so alone, George," she sighed. "He's so quiet, so withdrawn. Sometimes he's sitting in the common room and you can see him just go away. It's like, I don't know, like somehow he can see what his life should be like, what it would be like if he still had his family, and sometimes it just swallows him up.
"And when he plays Quidditch, it's the only time he's free of that. The way his face lights up when he's flying... That's how he should be all the time. He shouldn't have to worry about the way the Muggles he lives with treat him, or about You Know Who or saving people's lives."
Ginny shrugged. "I just wish I could help him feel better about himself."
George nodded. "I know. Harry's quiet, and I think you're right, he does go away sometimes. You can see it when Ron and Hermione start arguing, or when he's in the common room on his own. Sometimes I think there's a lot we'll never know about him. He's a great guy, and a good friend, but he keeps himself closed down to almost everyone. He's been hurt pretty badly."
"You think he's been hurt so bad that he's scared of being cared for?"
"Everyone who loved him is dead, Ginny," George said soberly. "He's got us, though."
He gave Ginny a quick hug, and stood up. "Anyway, Fred's whipping up the next batch of Canary Creams. I'd better go help him."
He opened the door, and slipped out, before sticking his head back into the room.
"By the way, I take it that it's okay for Fred to tease Ron and me to tease you? You didn't say that it wasn't, after all..."
This time the pillow caught him directly in the face.
"I'll take that as a 'maybe', then?" he grinned before vanishing.
Ginny laughed as she lay back on her pillowless bed. She stared at the ceiling for a long time.
"Not everyone," she said at last.
July 1995
Ginny's older brother turned and put his finger to his lips. She tiptoed closer to him and put her head alongside his.
"Anything?" she mouthed. He shook his head.
"They've charmed the door again," he said, standing upright. "We can't hear anything that's going on in there. On the plus side, they can't hear anything that's going on out here."
Ginny grinned. "Is everyone in there?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Tonks is wandering around somewhere, but she's safe."
Ginny nodded. "I like Tonks."
"Yeah, well, just 'cause she taught you the Bat Bogey hex..."
"Not just that. Besides, it's nice to have someone to talk to about stuff."
"Like an older sister?" Fred asked. Ginny nodded, surprised that Fred had picked up on the way her relationship with Tonks had evolved.
"Listen," he said. "I know everyone thinks I'm about as mature as, well, as the day I was born, but I'm not a complete idiot. Not all of the time. Honestly."
Ginny grinned. "Yeah, I know."
"I just wanted you to know, if you need to talk about stuff, you can come to me. I know that you used to talk to Charlie and Bill a lot, and you and Ron were as close as me and George when you were kids, but..."
"I love all of you," she said. "Really I do."
"And we love you, Ginny," Fred said seriously. "It's just, with Percy being an idiot, and things being so serious, I'd hate you to think that we don't have time to talk about stuff."
Ginny grinned. "Even about growing-up, female stuff?"
"If you really, really need to," Fred said, a pained expression passing across his face. "I was thinking more something like the war, or school, or whatever."
Ginny looped her arm through her brother's and led him towards the kitchen, where Sirius had been making a start on dinner before Professor McGonagall's sudden arrival.
"I just think sometimes that George and I have been pretty horrible to you, winding you up about Harry and stuff."
"I'm used to it," Ginny said. "Really. Besides, I got to see you running to the toilet every five minutes before meeting Angelina for the Yule Ball last year. That made up for a lot of it."
Fred scowled. "You said you weren't going to say anything about that anymore."
"And you promised not to mention Harry anymore, not since I started seeing Michael, anyway."
"We're not even allowed to mention this Corner bloke in front of Ron, Ginny," Fred said. "You're not leaving us a lot to play with."
"And look at what it's done for you," Ginny smiled. "You're all grown up now. Look, we're having a proper conversation and everything."
"Yeah, well, having You-Know-Who back kind of does that for you," Fred smiled sadly. "You learn that there's a time and a place for joking around."
"I know. I didn't feel much like laughing for a long time after my first year," Ginny said.
"He won't come after you again," Fred said, looking earnestly at his little sister.
"I know," she said. "He'll go after Harry again. And again. Until he gets what he wants."
"You still care for him, don't you?"
"I always will," Ginny sighed. "I know I don't feel the way about Michael that I do about Harry, but what can I do? I need to try to move on, I need something in my life that means I don't worry about him coming back all the time, coming for me again. Michael does that. He makes me laugh."
"Not Harry's strong point, I'll admit," Fred said. "Nice kid and all, but a bit quiet. Not many great one-liners."
Ginny slapped his arm with a laugh. "I think I prefer funnyman Fred," she said.
Fred laughed. "Me too," he replied, before turning serious again. "So long as you know that whatever Fred I am, I'm always here for you. We all are. If we don't stick together, we're screwed."
"I know," Ginny said. She gave Fred a quick hug. "And I'm grateful. You're right. We do need to stick together. I'm glad I've got such nice brothers to stick together with."
June 1997
Charlie looked up from the table where dozens huge rolls of parchment were laid out, each detailing a different part of Fleur's plans for the ceremony. He waved his wand, and they rolled themselves up neatly.
"Hey kid," he said wearily.
"Is this a bad time? I can come back."
"No, you're good," he said. "I always have time to spend with my sister."
"Glad to hear it," she said. "Who else is going to keep me out of trouble?"
"Isn't that Ron's job?"
"Ron has other things on his mind these days," she said. She looked around the kitchen, and sighed. "It feels wrong to be celebrating when I know what's going to happen, the day after tomorrow," she said.
"Yeah. I know," Charlie said. "But you know that they won't wait, not for anything."
"I want to go with them," Ginny scowled. Charlie looked at her, enlightenment dawning on his features.
"Ron and Hermione will look after him, Ginny," he said. "They'll make sure he's okay."
"I know. And I know that I'll be better off at Hogwarts. If I hadn't had that swig of Felix..."
Charlie nodded.
"I know. I reckon Ron and Hermione'll be okay, you know. Besides, they've got Harry to look after them," he added, risking a little humour.
Ginny smiled. "He doesn't deserve it, Charlie," she said at last.
"No, he doesn't. He's a good person, and no one should have to go through the things he's had to go through. I don't know why exactly he feels he has to go off and hunt for Voldemort, but I'm smart enough to read between the lines. Whatever his motivation, he won't rest until Voldemort is dead. And if he thinks that Ron and Hermione are the ones who'll help him do that, well, I don't think we're in any position to argue."
"But I..." Ginny dropped into a chair. "Charlie, I can't bear the thought of him being hurt. Not if I could be there and stop it."
"Then imagine how he would feel, with you in the same position," Charlie said gently.
"That's what Harry said," Ginny replied, forcing a laugh.
"And he's right. I wish I could have all of you out in Romania, but it's dangerous work that I do, and I wouldn't want any of you facing the risks that I do."
"I just wish that I was good enough."
"Then stay in school. Get more practise. Who knows how long it'll take to do what Harry thinks he has to. Maybe it'll only take a week."
"Maybe it'll take years."
"And in that case you can join him when you're qualified," Charlie said.
"How come they get to go now?"
"They're of age. You've got another year yet," Charlie said. "The twins had to wait to join the Order, remember?"
"Hermione's no better in a fight than me, though," Ginny objected. Suddenly, it was as though a wall had broken inside her, and everything flooded out.
"But she's smart, and Ron could probably take anyone else in the family in a fight now, have you noticed?" Charlie said, laying one hand on his sister's shoulder.
"I'm smart," Ginny said, her fury subsiding almost as quickly as it had come.
"And good with your wand too," Charlie said, with a nod of his head. "And just think how much use you'll be in another year or so."
"I just... Charlie, I think I love him."
Charlie sighed.
"I know. I'm not blind, Ginny. I don't think anyone can not know that. And I think that even Harry knows that -- if he knows what being loved feels like. Believe me, it'll keep him going, when the darkness falls. And that's why he can't take you with him. He needs you to be safe, Ginny, at least for now."
"So I have to be locked away in an ivory tower?"
"For now," Charlie said, so flatly that Ginny, who had reared up again, stopped short. "Ginny, I'm not saying that Harry's choice makes sense -- he's taking Hermione and Ron with him, so why not you? But it's his choice to make. He's not going to Hogsmeade -- he's going to war, and if he feels most secure with the two of them, we have to respect that."
"I know," Ginny said, in a small voice. "I understand, I do."
"But it doesn't make it any easier."
"You still have two days, Ginny. Two days to remind him what he's fighting for." Charlie smiled, a small, quirky smile as he advised the young woman who would forever be his baby sister on her love life. "You shouldn't be wasting your time in here with me."
Ginny smiled.
"You're good for him, Ginny. I don't think anyone but you can make him really relax."
"I don't think many people understand Harry," she said quietly. "How can someone who's been treated so badly be so determined to do the right thing? How does someone who's been treated so badly turn out so good?"
"Who knows?" Charlie said. "Maybe when his mother died to save him, maybe that much love, that much goodness, well, it did more than save his life, it shaped who he'd grow up to be."
"Do you really think so?" Ginny asked.
"I don't know," Charlie said, running a finger over a burn on his arm. "It's hard to believe that he turned out alright the way he's been treated, but he's not perfect is he?"
"No," she smiled. "He's got a filthy temper, he's impatient, and he can be arrogant and self-centred, but-"
"He's a boy?"
Ginny laughed, and nodded.
"Most people are good," Charlie said. "I reckon Harry turned out that way because it was the only way he could spite those Muggles he lives with. No matter what they do to him, he's always a step ahead. He'll be okay, I reckon. He's got power, anyone can tell that, but he's got more than that. He's loved by a lot of people, even if he doesn't realise it. Not just because of what he did, but because of who he is. He's arrogant, impatient, bad tempered self-centred-"
"-kind, loving, loyal and brave," Ginny finished.
"Exactly. He's had a lot to deal with in his life, Ginny, but he's strong enough to survive. Even if the worst comes to the worst, he'll have the Weasleys beside him. We can never pay him back for saving you, or Dad, or Ron, but we'll spend our life trying."
"If it helps, even a little, then it was worth all I went through," Ginny said quietly.
"That's why Harry will be okay," Charlie said, hugging his sister. "Because he has people who love him. And because he has you."
Ginny returned the hug, and for the first time since returning from Hogwarts that summer, she felt relaxed.
The End
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Summer Internships Provide Teachers with Research Experiences, Jan. 10, 2000
SOCORRO, N.M., January 10, 2000 -- In an effort to enhance its curriculum offerings to state educators, New Mexico Tech is initiating a Math and Science Educator Research Program which will allow New Mexico teachers to gain hands-on research experience during the summer at several of the university's various research centers.
Ten teachers selected to participate in the eight-week-long research and education experience project--offered through New Mexico Tech's Master of Science Teaching (MST) program--will be
paired up with university researchers to either develop new research projects or take part in existing scientific investigations.
Vannetta R. Perry, New Mexico Tech's coordinator for educational outreach programs, says the new research internship program will also require participants to submit written reports and oral presentations at the end of the summer program.
By completing the Math and Science Educator Research Internship Program, participants earn six graduate credit hours through Tech's MST degree-granting program.
New Mexico Tech faculty members who serve as mentors during the summer research internship program also will later conduct follow-up visits to the selected teachers's schools.
In addition, teachers who complete a summer research internship are expected to present overviews of their research projects to their respective students, fellow teachers, and school district administrators.
Another part of the follow-up work will consist of teacher-participants putting together field trips for their students to visit research sites and later establishing research projects for students, which would be supervised via the Internet by the professors who served as teachers's mentors at New Mexico Tech.
"The research and teaching experience gained by teacher- participants will be invaluable, and disseminating that knowledge throughout New Mexico will enrich the teaching and learning of our state's K-12 students," Perry says.
Applicants who are chosen to participate in this summer's research internship program, which begins on June 12 and continues through August 4, will be eligible for available scholarship funding, which includes six hours of graduate tuition, plus travel expenses for mentors to visit schools and
for field trips for students to visit New Mexico Tech research sites.
A small amount of funding also will be available through the program to help develop and implement student research projects after the program's completion.
Applications for the Math and Science Educator Research Program must be completed, submitted, and postmarked no later than May 15.
Teachers interested in applying for the summer internship program, or those who wish to receive more information about other MST courses being offered this summer, are asked to contact Perry as soon as possible at (505) 835-5678, or by e-mail at email@example.com.


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ReleasesBack to
Gene Harris
The Three Sounds open their signature sound a bit on the romantic Moods. They retain the same light touch that made their early albums so enjoyable, but they add more textures to the mix. Light Latin rhythms permeate Moods, from the inventive reworking of Cole Porter's "Love for Sale" to Harris' original "Tammy's Breeze." Like its predecessor, Feelin' Good, this record has a bluesy, soulful streak to its personality, as evidenced by the mellow take on "On Green Dolphin Street," the hep swing of "Loose Walk," and the infectious cover of Ellington's "I'm Beginning to See the Light." Occasionally, The Three Sounds play it a little too cool -- while the slow, relaxed "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" manages to be engaging, "Li'l Darlin'" slows down to a crawl -- but on the whole, Moods is an endearing collection of appealing mainstream jazz.


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This Is Not Your Father's Trilogy
Because I think Star Wars is a "neat" series wrapped around a single truly excellent movie, I am not the man you want to come to for the rock-ribbed enthusiast's perspective. Indeed, I'm more likely to suggest a comic like today's. I did pick up the new THX-1138 boxed set, which I like a lot, but I like any movie that implies that things could always get worse.
I bought Star Wars: Battlefront yesterday, PC version, and I haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet.
There are things you'll see in this game that you desperately want to, have wanted to, for years. You can look out across a plain of ice and see an AT-AT craning its neck down at you and disgorging bolts of energy. Well, maybe you didn't want to see that. You can ride speeder bikes through the woods. You can drive an AT-ST on Endor and blast ewoks. I'm not partial to the Episode One period, but I'll be damned if I don't enjoy taking to the rolling hills of Naboo as the droid army and blasting gungans, watching them sail through the air on the shockwave from my explosive device. It really is cathartic. There is even a level where gungans systematically destroy your childhood memories, which is cool.
The first screens released for this game are no longer valid representations of what happens in it - they have added that light, universal glow from Full Spectrum Warrior that is actually a good cinematic match for Star Wars. That it also softens what models and textures is another plus. You head out to some place like Tatooine and see that softness cast everywhere on that sand and you start to feel pretty good about where graphics are at right now. There are amazing science-fiction vistas to behold, as long as you don't get up too close - the geometry isn't anything to get excited about. It hardly wrecks the impression, though.
Sounds good so far, you're thinking. We haven't talked about the AI yet. The AI is as dumb as paint.
The fill up the levels on or offline, making it appear visually that you are a member of a grand force. A grand stupid force, the 433rd Idiot Legion, a futuristic jobs program for social detritus. You can't be proud of the shit these guys do. You'd better run your ass right over to those speeder bikes, because one of those fuckers is already on his way and he'll put it to no good purpose. They don't mind getting out if you want to get in, that's nice. But the all the livelong day they just do the stupidest shit, and for all the epic trappings and swelling music you are shooting fish in a barrel and that doesn't make a person feel heroic. When I heard about the special units for each side, the "heroes," I think I assumed that these were player controllable Super Classes that might be earned in some way. No, they're just more idiots - except it's an idiotic version of Darth Vader or something else you used to think was cool. Darth Vader in a corner, running, forever running, swinging his lightsaber at enemies which either do not exist or are so small we probably don't need to worry about them.
It's possible that there's a server out there with No Heroes and No Artificially Intelligent cannon fodder that avoids these complaints, which would create an experience a little more like what we're used to on the PC where there is no shortage of good capture and hold games. I was pretty excited about Battlefront, you'll soon see the ads I accepted for it in that idyllic period before release - I'm going to try it on one of the other platforms and see if it's a better fit before I give up on it.
(CW)TB out.
collide a clause


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How are utilities responding to the digital disruption we are seeing in the industry?
Utilities are increasingly betting big on digital technologies as a mean to drive growth, improve performance, reduce cost and deliver asset management excellence.
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What are the most impactful digital supply chain trends that we should expect to see this year?
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AI and robotic automation is coming of age
With the use of AI technology such as Alexa and Siri come into everyday use in the consumer side, we are also seeing AI coming in to play in supply chain and operations. AI has the potential to augment and enhance workforce productivity in the supply chain by performing high volume, repetitive tasks including supplier on-boarding, processing help-desk orders, and expediting invoice compliance.
Digital assistants with natural language capabilities are set to be the new customer and user interfaces. They have the potential to help improve experiences, shorten process lead time, and eliminate errors as well as release the human workforce to take on more complex, value-added tasks such as high-value sourcing.
Advanced analytics will continue to build momentum.
The data-heavy nature of supply chain makes it a prime candidate for advanced analytics. What's different now is the rise and availability of plug-and-play, pay-as-you-go solutions. Companies can now benefit from scalable cross-industry, industrialized supply chain analytics solutions. Analytics projects that used to take 10 months now takes two to three months to implement.
By harnessing the power of analytics in areas such as supplier collaboration, buying decisions and inventory planning and supplier network optimization, companies can improve productivity and cost efficiency through data-driven decision making.
Digital control tower can be the new orchestrator of the supply network.
Control tower is not a new concept in supply chain but the widespread use of the IoT, big data and mobile devices has significantly amplified the power of the control tower. We are also likely to see the digital control tower step beyond its traditional home in logistics to drive end-to-end supply chain management from purchasing through to inventory planning.
For companies working with multiple partners and contractors on major capital programs, a digital control tower will provide the capability to sense and respond to changes in the supply changes real-time and orchestrate execution that can deliver significant benefits in terms of assuring on time delivery.
What advice would you give to utilities starting out on their digital supply chain journey?
Look for quick wins. Demonstrate value, create momentum and then iterate. We have worked on prototypes in everything from robotic automation to analytics that only takes four to six weeks from design to build. It's a powerful approach to demonstrate value and test the application.
Be bold. Too often companies focus in on their current ways of working, and digital becomes an add-on. Concurrent to the quick wins, companies should reimagine their operating model and put digital at the heart of their supply chain operations strategy.
Define a clear digital supply chain vision and strategy. Be clear about your goals, energize the organization and define your game plan to get there. Delivering the vision will require focus and investment. Getting your organization behind this transformation will be key to success.
For more information read our report, "Three winning themes for utilities in digital supply chain."