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The following fictional characters are staff members and denizens of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books written by J. K. Rowling.
The following are notable teachers and staff members who do not have their own articles or who are not listed in other articles.
Argus Filch is the caretaker of Hogwarts. While he is not an evil character, he is ill-tempered, which makes him unpopular with the student body, and occasionally with other staff. His knowledge of the secrets and short-cuts of the castle is almost unparalleled, except perhaps by the Weasley twins, Voldemort himself, Harry, Ron and Hermione, and other users of the Marauder's Map. He tends to favour almost sadistically harsh punishments, leading to his alliance with Dolores Umbridge. He has an obsessive dislike of mud, animate toys, and all other things that might interfere with his creation of an immaculately clean and orderly Hogwarts. He is also portrayed as having a constant antagonism towards Peeves the poltergeist and often tells Dumbledore that Peeves should be thrown out of Hogwarts. He also likes to wander Hogwarts corridors at night, presumably in the hope of catching a student out of bed.
Filch is revealed to be a Squib in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when Harry accidentally discovers that he is trying to teach himself basic magic from a Kwikspell correspondence course. Nonetheless, Filch is at least able to use wizarding devices that have their own innate magic, such as the Secrecy Sensor used in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It is hinted that his dislike of students may stem from his disappointment and jealousy at not being able to do magic. In the Half Blood Prince, Harry and Hermione jokingly suspect that he is in a relationship with Irma Pince, the librarian at Hogwarts. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final book, when the school starts preparing itself for the Battle of Hogwarts, Filch is seen yelling that students are out of bed. He is later seen overseeing the evacuation of younger students.
Filch has a cat named Mrs. Norris to whom he has a particular and possessive attachment. She acts as a hallway monitor or spy for Filch. If she observes students engaging in suspicious activity or out of bed after curfew, she finds Filch and he arrives in seconds. She has been known to follow Hagrid everywhere he goes in the school, apparently under Filch's orders. According to J.K. Rowling, there is nothing particularly magical about Mrs. Norris, other than her being "just an intelligent (and unpleasant) cat."[1] It's the ambition of many Hogwarts students to "give her a good kick". In the Chamber of Secrets incident, Mrs. Norris is temporarily petrified by the Basilisk, which causes Filch extreme distress.
David Bradley portrays Filch in the film series. Mrs. Norris was played by a Maine Coon cat named Peebles.
Filius Flitwick is the Charms Master at Hogwarts and the head of Ravenclaw, and is described as being a very short, dwarf-like person. He is also mentioned as having been a model student and a former duelling champion. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone he uses his magical skills to help decorate the Great Hall for Christmas. He is also one of the teachers who cast spells to guard the Philosopher's Stone by putting charms on a hundred keys so they can fly, making it difficult to find the key to the door leading to the next chamber.
During Harry's second year, Flitwick helps Professor Sinistra carry a Order of the Phoenix against the intruding Death Eaters. He either collapses or is stunned by Snape after requesting his help at the battle.
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Flitwick insists that Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem is lost, and he is described by Harry (along with Dumbledore) as having been a "model student" who supposedly never entered the Room of Hidden Things, and so it never occurred to him that the diadem could be hidden there. Before the Battle of Hogwarts, Flitwick helps to put protective charms around the castle to hinder Lord Voldemort and his oncoming Death Eaters, and later fights the intruders in the battle, battling Yaxley and later defeating Antonin Dolohov.
In the film adaptations, Flitwick is portrayed by Warwick Davis. Rowling said: "I must admit, I was taken aback when I saw the film Flitwick, who looks very much like a goblin/elf (I've never actually asked the film-makers precisely what he is), because the Flitwick in my imagination simply looks like a very small old man."[2] However, Rowling mentions on her official website that Flitwick is human, with "a dash of goblin ancestry." His on-screen appearance changes noticeably in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, in which he takes on a more human and less elf-like look, with slicked-down dark hair and moustache. According to Davis, the moustachioed character was originally not supposed to be Flitwick; Flitwick was absent from the script for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, but "the producer" (presumably David Heyman) added the new character (as the conductor of the school choir and orchestra, credited as "Choir Master") so that Davis could still appear in the film. Goblet of Fire director Mike Newell preferred the new look, "and from that moment, the character became known as 'Flitwick'."[3]
Flitwick was born on 17 October,[4] but the year of his birth is never mentioned in the books or films.
Gilderoy Lockhart is a histrionic wizarding celebrity who has written many books on his exciting adventures encountering dark creatures. In Chamber of Secrets, Lockhart is appointed as Hogwarts's new Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor. He is unpopular with most of the staff, particularly Professor Snape. However, he is greatly admired by many others, particularly witches (including Hermione Granger and Mrs. Weasley), who find him attractive. Harry dislikes Lockhart for a number of reasons: his arrogance, his belief that Harry flew to Hogwarts in a car to seek further attention, his penchant for handing out signed photos of himself, and the trouble he has with simple magic such as healing Harry's broken arm (he accidentally removes all of Harry's arm bones instead). Lockhart is exposed as a charlatan and a coward when he attempts to avoid entering the Chamber of Secrets by revealing to Harry and Ron Weasley that he never performed the amazing feats documented in his books, instead stealing other wizards' experiences and erasing their memories. His attempt to use a Memory Charm on Harry and Ron backfires because he uses Ron's broken wand, and he suffers permanent near-total amnesia as a result.
In Order of the Phoenix, Harry comes across Lockhart in St Mungo's while visiting Mr. Weasley at Christmas. Lockhart is childishly proud of being able to write in "joined-up letters". He still enjoys signing autographs and still receives fan mail, although he has no idea why. For his part, Harry feels a slight twinge of guilt for Lockhart's amnesia, but he consoles himself with the fact that it was Lockhart's own fault. Lockhart never fully recovers, despite all efforts to cure him, and remains in St. Mungo's with amnesia. Harry and Ron never reveal that Lockhart was a fraud.[5]
Rowling has said Lockhart is the only character she has ever based on a real-life person. Lockhart was inspired by an unrevealed acquaintance who was "even more objectionable than his fictional counterpart" and "used to tell whopping great fibs about his past life, all of them designed to demonstrate what a wonderful, brave and brilliant person he was."[6]
Kenneth Branagh portrayed Lockhart in the film version of Chamber of Secrets. In a scene after the end credits, his latest book is on sale in Diagon Alley; entitled Who Am I?, it displays a picture of him humming distractedly to himself and wearing a straitjacket.
Minerva McGonagall is Deputy Headmistress, head of Gryffindor House, Transfiguration professor, and later Headmistress at Hogwarts, where she began teaching in December 1956. She is first introduced in the opening chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, when she meets Dumbledore at Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey (the home of Harry Potter's aunt and uncle, Vernon and Petunia Dursley). McGonagall is described as a tall, rather severe-looking woman, with black hair typically drawn into a tight bun. She wears emerald green robes, a pointed hat, and always has a very prim expression. She speaks with a slight Scottish accent. She is, according to Rowling, a sprightly 70-year-old.[7] McGonagall wears square spectacles that match the markings around the eyes of her Animagus form of a British Shorthair silver tabby cat; she has the distinction of being the first Animagus introduced in the series and being one of the few registered Animagi of the century, though she was rarely seen using the ability. Harry's immediate impression of her is of someone who is not to be crossed. She has a fondness for tartan, and her handkerchief, at least one hat, dressing gown, and dress robes are patterned with it. In the films, McGonagall often wears a Scottish brooch of a specific Scots style set with Cairngorm quartz citrines and Scottish agate. Rowling has said McGonagall's birthday is 4 October.[8] She has a wand of 9 inches, made of pine and with a core of dragon heartstring. Her mother is a witch called Isobel McGonagall and her father is a muggle.
In the first book, after seeing Harry fly masterfully his very first time on a broom, she recommends him to fill the position of Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and sends him a broom, even though first-year students are normally prohibited from playing the sport or owning brooms. Furthermore, although a rigorous disciplinarian, she often assists Harry indirectly with activities that are not strictly within the rules of Hogwarts; for example, she allows Harry and his friends to use the Transfiguration classroom to practice for tasks in the Triwizard Tournament. She promises Harry she would do everything in her power to help him to achieve his goal of becoming an auror, and she keeps her promise.[9] Despite her stern front, McGonagall is shown to have good intentions at heart and has been known to display a range of emotions, which can often be a shock to her colleagues and students.
It is revealed in Order of the Phoenix that McGonagall is a member of the Order of the Phoenix. She and Dolores Umbridge seem to have a mutual dislike for each other, as Umbridge continuously usurps more and more power from the staff and from Dumbledore and McGonagall in particular. McGonagall quietly resists, vowing to assist Harry's lukewarm desire to become an auror primarily to spite Umbridge, and ignoring or even quietly aiding Peeves and the students in their destructive pranks. When McGonagall attempts to stop Umbridge and her fellow Ministry cronies from unjustly taking Hagrid away by force, she is hit by four stunning spells without warning, before she can draw her wand. In an unconscious state, she is rushed to St Mungo's, where she recovers for a while. McGonagall returns to the school towards the end of the book, though she temporarily uses a walking stick . After the death of Dumbledore in Half-Blood Prince, she becomes the acting Headmistress of Hogwarts.
However, in the series finale, she does not become headmistress at the start of term as expected; Snape is appointed by the new Minister for Magic Bellatrix Lestrange to laugh. Finally, McGonagall ends up duelling Voldemort alongside Kingsley Shacklebolt and Horace Slughorn. As is confirmed in The Tales of Beedle the Bard, McGonagall becomes Headmistress of Hogwarts after the Battle of Hogwarts and Snape's death; however, in an interview Rowling said McGonagall would be retired by the time of the Deathly Hallows epilogue (19 years after the main events of Deathly Hallows), as she is "getting on in years."
McGonagall is played by Dame Maggie Smith in the film adaptations. Smith has described her role as "Miss Jean Brodie in a wizard's hat", Given that her role becomes progressively smaller as the series goes on, she notes that Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is her favourite thus far.[11] Smith appeared in all the films of the series except for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, which does not take place in Hogwarts. Rowling has stated that she always pictured Smith portraying McGonagall, and claimed the actress to be at the top of her list.[12]
Rowling named the character after the poet (and tragedian) William McGonagall, whose name she liked. Her first name, Minerva, comes from the Roman goddess of wisdom.[13]
Madam Poppy Pomfrey is a magical Healer who is the matron-in-charge of the Hogwarts hospital wing. She is known to be very strict regarding the rules of her infirmary. Ron goes to Madam Pomfrey after being bitten by a dragon named Norbert in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. After Harry defeats Professor Quirrell in the dungeons, he spends three days unconscious in the hospital wing. In Chamber of Secrets, Madam Pomfrey regrows the bones in Harry's broken arm after Gilderoy Lockhart accidentally removes them following Gryffindor's Quidditch win over Slytherin. Hermione ends up in the hospital wing for a month after a mishap with the Polyjuice Potion that leaves her half-feline, which Pomfrey keeps a secret from the rest of the staff, then is again hospitalised after she is petrified along with several other students. In Prisoner of Azkaban, Madam Pomfrey speaks approvingly of Remus Lupin's use of chocolate to relieve the effects of a dementor's presence on students, commenting that Hogwarts has "finally got a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies".
She also tended to Harry after the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff, due to dementors around the pitch. After Umbridge's guards stun McGonagall in Order of the Phoenix, Madam Pomfrey says she would resign in protest were she not afraid of what would become of the students without her presence. She also tends to Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Harry, Neville, and Luna after the battle in the Department of Mysteries. Umbridge is also a recipient of her healing skills after her scuffle with the Centaurs. In Half-Blood Prince, she takes care of Ron after he is poisoned and tends to Harry after his skull is cracked by a Bludger in a Quidditch match. She attempts to heal Bill of his scars from Greyback's attack, without much success, and bursts into tears when she hears of Dumbledore's death. In Deathly Hallows, she and Argus Filch oversee student evacuations from Hogwarts before the Battle of Hogwarts. She is later seen tending to the injured fighters.
Gemma Jones appeared as Madam Pomfrey in the film adaptations of Chamber of Secrets, Half Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
Quirinus Quirrell is a fictional character in
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^ Mrs. Norris is an unregistered AnimagusJKRowling.com – Rumors section:
^ Is Flitwick a short human or is he some other type of being?JKRowling.com – F.A.Q. section:
^ http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2009/10/11/warwick-davis-on-new-look-flitwick-for-the-harry-potter-films
^ http://www.jkrowling.com
^ J.K. Rowling Web Chat Transcript – The Leaky Cauldron
^ Gilderoy LockhartJKRowling.com – Extra Stuff section:
^ Scholastic Chat. accio-quote.org.
^ "Happy Birthday, Minerva McGonagall!".
^ "Wizard of the Month for October". JK Rowling. 20 October 2007. Retrieved 20 October 2007.
^ Rowling, J. K. (2007). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. London: Bloomsbury/New York City: Scholastic, et al. UK ISBN 1-55192-976-7/U.S. ISBN 0-545-01022-5., chapter 30
^ "I'm very scared of being back on stage" London Evening Standard. 2 March 2007
^ They really do look as I'd imagined they would inside my head.
^ JKR: I'm big on names – I like names, generally. You have to be really careful giving me your name if it's an unusual one, because you will turn up in book six. Erm – I – I collect – some of them are invented. ... Lydon: Minerva McGonagall? JKR: yeah, McGonagall, old erm – very, very, very bad Scottish poet, McGonagall is – I just loved the name.
^ J. K. Rowling Webchat Transcript from the "Harry Potter" website at "Bloomsbury"
^ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, p.55
^ The Leaky Cauldron: J.K. Rowling Web Chat Transcript, http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/7/30/j-k-rowling-web-chat-transcript
^ "Miriam Margolyes: I love actors".
^ Rowling, J.K. (1999). Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 102.
^ Her namesakes, the prophetesses of mythological Greece, were named the "Sibyls" ('Σίβυλλα)
^ Ghosts Harry Potter Lexicon
^ Lopez, John (10 December 2010). Kelly Macdonald on Scorsese, the Coens, and Her Future in the Show"Boardwalk Empire's". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
^ J.K.Rowling Official Site – Harry Potter and more
^ Section: Wizard of the Month Godric Gryffindor JKRowling.com. Retrieved 30 June 2007
^ New Wizard of the Month May 2007 mugglesguide.com.
^ PotterCast 122 "the-leaky-cauldron.org."
^ New Wizard of the Month August 2007 mugglesguide.com.
^ New Wizard of the Month June 2007 mugglesguide.com.
^ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Chapter 18 – Page 333
Salazar Slytherin's locket, passed down to his family, was turned into a horcrux by Lord Voldemort and destroyed by Ron Weasley in Deathly Hallows.
Slytherin's background is first discussed by Professor Binns in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (by Professor McGonagall in the film version): he describes the founding of the school and the schism which developed between Slytherin and the other founders, and he mentions that the castle was founded far from Muggles because, at that time, common people feared magic and persecuted suspected wizards and witches. Slytherin wanted magical learning restricted to all-magical families, as he believed Muggle-born students to be untrustworthy and he disliked teaching such students. According to ancient legend, Slytherin was responsible for the construction of the Chamber of Secrets. This chamber contained a magical creature, the Basilisk, susceptible to control by his Parselmouth descendants and left there to purge the school of all Muggle-borns. This occurred shortly before infighting among the four founders broke out and resulted in Slytherin's departure.
Salazar Slytherin is described as power hungry by the Sorting Hat, and was known as "shrewd Slytherin from fen". Salazar Slytherin was one of the first recorded Parselmouths, an accomplished Legilimens, and a notorious champion of pureblood supremacy."[27] Slytherin is the only founder whose physical appearance is ever described in any detail; his statue in the Chamber of Secrets depicts a man "ancient and monkey-like, with a long thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of his sweeping robes." According to Dumbledore, the qualities that Slytherin prized in his handpicked students included his own rare ability to speak Parseltongue,[28] resourcefulness, and determination. He also selected his students according to cunning, ambition, and blood purity. Slytherin's first name may be a reference to the mid 20th century Portuguese dictator António de Oliveira Salazar's surname — Rowling's stay in the country (where his presence is still felt long after the dictatorship era) inspired this name choice.
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry learns that an artifact of Ravenclaw's became a Horcrux: her lost diadem, which granted enhanced wisdom to its wearer. The Ravenclaw Diadem is destroyed near the end of the book as a result of exposure to Fiendfyre.
Rowena Ravenclaw[26] was a witch noted for her cleverness and creativity, and was described by Xenophilius Lovegood as beautiful. The Sorting Hat introduces her as "Fair Ravenclaw, from glen", suggesting she was from Scotland. Ravenclaw devised the ever-changing floor plans and moving staircases in the Hogwarts castle, and coined the proverb "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." Ravenclaw is described by the Sorting Hat as having selected students according to intelligence and wisdom. "Rowena Ravenclaw was the most brilliant witch of her time, though legend has it that a broken heart—cause unknown—contributed to her early demise." It is revealed in the Deathly Hallows that the broken heart contributing to her untimely death was most likely the loss of her daughter, Helena Ravenclaw, who is, in fact, the Ravenclaw House Ghost (nicknamed The Grey Lady), and the loss of her diadem, the very relic to which Ravenclaw's astounding wisdom was attributed.
One relic of Hufflepuff, a small golden cup emblazoned with her symbol of a badger, is passed down to her distant descendant, Hepzibah Smith. This cup is stolen by Tom Riddle and made into a Horcrux. The Hufflepuff Cup was destroyed by Hermione Granger, who stabbed it with a basilisk fang in Deathly Hallows.
"One of the four celebrated Founders of Hogwarts, Hufflepuff was particularly famous for her dexterity at food-related Charms. Many recipes traditionally served at Hogwarts feasts originated with Hufflepuff."[24] Her wizard card, penned by Rowling, describes her as having "brought people from different walks of life together to help build Hogwarts", and being "loved for her charming ways". According to an interview between Rowling and staff from The Leaky Cauldron, Hufflepuff introduced house-elves to Hogwarts, where she offered them refuge.[25] Both the famous wizard card and the illustration on Rowling's website depict her as a plump woman with red hair. Coincidentally, those two traits are commonly used to describe Molly Weasley.
Helga Hufflepuff came from a broad valley. The Sorting Hat describes her as "good Hufflepuff" or "sweet Hufflepuff". She favoured loyalty, honesty, and dedication. In Goblet of Fire, she is said to have considered "hard workers almost always most worthy of admission". Elsewhere, she is described as taking "all the rest" of the students after selection by her colleagues. She was a good friend of Rowena Ravenclaw; their friendship is used to emphasise the failed friendship between Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin.
His known relics are a goblin-made sword adorned with rubies and the Sorting Hat. The two items share a particular bond: whenever a "true Gryffindor" needs it, the Sword will allow itself to be pulled out of the hat. Both relics play an important part in the saga.
Godric Gryffindor hailed from a moor that is now known as Godric's Hollow, a small West Country village.[HP7] Gryffindor is said to have praised courage, determination, and strength of heart above all other qualities. He also was the most in favour of allowing Muggle-borns into the school. He was initially a close friend of Salazar Slytherin, but over time their friendship deteriorated, making the houses enemies. "Godric Gryffindor was the most accomplished dueller of his time, an enlightened fighter against Muggle-discrimination and the first owner of the celebrated Sorting Hat."[23]
Hogwarts was founded a millennium ago (the exact date unknown) by "four of the greatest witches and wizards of the age":[HP2] Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. The founders served as Hogwarts' first teachers, and each of the Hogwarts houses is named after one of the founders.
The character is portrayed in the film series by John Cleese, and only appears in the first two films.
The character appears again in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when Harry has been looking for comfort upon the death of Sirius Black, hoping he can see him later as a ghost. Nick explains that only witches and wizards who fear death and refuse to go on can become ghosts, dashing Harry's hope of communicating with Sirius. He appears briefly in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, when Harry asks him to bring him to the Grey Lady.
In Chamber of Secrets, Nick is a victim of the Basilisk that Ginny Weasley unleashes under the influence of Tom Riddle. The stare of the Basilisk is lethal to anyone who looks it directly in the eye. All of its living victims meet its gaze indirectly, either from a reflection or by seeing it through something else, and are only petrified rather than killed. Nick is the only one to look directly at the Basilisk, but he too is petrified since he's already dead.
Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington KG, often referred to as Nearly Headless Nick, Nick, or Sir Nicholas, is the Gryffindor House ghost who in life was sentenced to death by beheading after a teeth-straightening spell went awry on Lady Grieve.[22] Unfortunately, the executioner's axe was blunt and Nick's head was still attached to his neck by a thin strip of skin after 45 chops. Harry becomes friends with Nick when he attends his "deathday" party (the 500th anniversary of the event) in a Hogwarts dungeon. Nick's death date (31 October 1492) has the distinction of having served as the basis for the entire chronology of the Harry Potter stories, until the timeline was confirmed by the headstone of James and Lily Potter in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. His greatest wish is to become a member of the Headless Hunt, as mentioned in the second book. However, he is excluded due to the fact that he is not actually headless and would never be completely able to participate in the activities (such as "Head Polo").
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, she was played by Kelly Macdonald,[21] and in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone the Grey Lady was played by Nina Young.
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows it is revealed that the Grey Lady is Helena Ravenclaw, daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw, making her the only house ghost known to be related to one of the Hogwarts founders. She informs Harry that she stole the Diadem of Ravenclaw from her mother, in an attempt to become smarter than her, and then went into hiding in Albania. It was a dying Rowena Ravenclaw's wish to see her daughter again and so she sent for the Bloody Baron to look for her, knowing that he would not rest until he brought her back, partly because he was in love with her. However, she refused to come with him and, in a moment of blind rage, he killed her with a single stab wound to the chest. Overcome with remorse, the Bloody Baron killed himself using the same weapon in turn and wears chains as penitence, "as he should", the Grey Lady says. The diadem remained in the hollow of a tree in an Albanian forest until Tom Riddle managed to charm the story out of her ghost, the Grey Lady. Riddle, who had been seeking out historically significant objects to make into Horcruxes, later retrieved the diadem from Albania and hid it in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts while visiting the castle years later.
The Grey Lady is the Ravenclaw House ghost. According to a letter written by Rowling to Nina Young, the actress who played the Grey Lady in the first film, she is "a highly intellectual young lady .... She never found true love as she never found a man up to her standards".[20]
Simon Fisher-Becker appeared as the Fat Friar in the film adaptation of Philosopher's Stone.
The Fat Friar is the Hufflepuff House ghost. He is a jolly man and very forgiving. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone when the first years are waiting for Professor McGonagall to return and the ghosts pass overhead, the Fat Friar is pleading on behalf of Peeves the Poltergeist to allow him to come to the welcome feast despite his past wrongdoings. Similarly, when Peeves wants to join the welcome feast in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Fat Friar was willing to give him a chance.
Terence Bayler portrayed the Baron in the first film. In contrast to his book counterpart, the Baron is quite mirthful in the film, playfully swiping through the Sorting feast with his sword, much to the amusement of those within his house.
The Baron's nickname comes from the fact that he is covered with blood, which appears silvery on his ghostly form. When Nearly Headless Nick is asked in the first book why the Baron is so bloody, Nick delicately comments that "he has never asked". However, this is explained in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, when Helena Ravenclaw (The Grey Lady) tells Harry that the Baron had been in love with her when the two were alive, and when she ran off with her mother's diadem, Rowena Ravenclaw sent the Baron after her, knowing he would not stop until Helena was found. When Helena refused to return with him, however, the Baron killed her in a fit of rage, and then, in remorse, killed himself with the same weapon. He has thus haunted Hogwarts ever since, wearing his ghostly chains as a form of penance.
The Bloody Baron is the Slytherin House ghost. He is the only person besides Dumbledore and Fred and George Weasley who can exert any control over the poltergeist Peeves; Peeves is terrified of him for some unknown reason, referring to him as "Your Bloodiness" and "Mr. Baron."
Hogwarts is home to at least twenty ghosts,[HP1] but when people in the novels speak of the ghosts at Hogwarts they are usually referring to one of the four resident ghosts of the Hogwarts houses: Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (or, as the students refer to him, Nearly Headless Nick), the almost-decapitated wizard of the Court who resides in Gryffindor tower; the Bloody Baron, who resides in the Slytherin dungeon; the jovial Fat Friar, who resides with the Hufflepuffs; and the Grey Lady, who "lives" with the Ravenclaws. These ghosts seem to act as something like advisers and aides to the students; Nick is frequently seen helping Harry during moments of uncertainty or crisis.
Professor Trelawney is portrayed by Emma Thompson in the Prisoner of Azkaban, Order of the Phoenix, and Deathly Hallows Part 2.
In the British editions of the books, her name is consistently spelled as "Sybill". In the American editions, from her first appearance in Prisoner of Azkaban through Order of the Phoenix, her name is spelled as "Sibyll". However, in the American edition of Half-Blood Prince, it is re-spelled as "Sybill", matching the UK edition.[19]
Prior to the events of the Harry Potter books, Professor Trelawney falls into a prophetic trance while in an interview with Dumbledore at the Hog's Head, making a prophecy about the birth of a wizard "with the power to vanquish" Voldemort. This prophecy was partly overheard by Snape, who relayed what he heard to Voldemort. This led Voldemort to attack the Potter family, believing that Harry was the child named. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Professor Trelawney prophesies to Harry about the events of the book's climax. In Order of the Phoenix, Professor Trelawney is first put on probation by Umbridge, and later fired. However, Professor Trelawney continues to reside in Hogwarts castle due to an order by Dumbledore, who believes that she would be in danger outside Hogwarts due to the prophecy she made during her interview. Dumbledore later reveals that the prophecy is why he keeps her employed as a Divination teacher. Professor Trelawney returns to teaching in Half-Blood Prince, but has to share classes with Firenze, as he was cast out by his fellow centaurs when he agreed to replace Professor Trelawney after she was fired. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, she is seen aiding in the Battle of Hogwarts by magically accelerating her crystal balls at Death Eaters. She uses one of these crystal balls to defend an injured Lavender against the attack of werewolf Fenrir Greyback. In the film adaptation, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, she is seen covering someone's body, with the aid of Padma Patil.
Professor Trelawney first appears in the third book of the series, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione start divination lessons. The friends generally believe Professor Trelawney is a fraud. However, Gryffindor students Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown are very fond of and impressed by her. According to Professor McGonagall, her credibility as a seer is undermined by her habit of erroneously predicting, each year, the death of one of her students. However, from time to time she does make predictions within the books, which come true. Her more profound predictions seem only to happen when she is in a trance and unaware of what she is saying, with no memory of it afterward.
Sybill Patricia Trelawney is the Divination teacher. She is the great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated seer Cassandra Trelawney, and, in fact, has inherited some of her ancestor's talent. Trelawney is described as a slight woman resembling an insect, draped in a large spangled shawl and many gaudy bangles and rings. She speaks in a whispy voice and wears thick glasses, which cause her eyes to appear greatly magnified. Her odd classroom in the North Tower of Hogwarts is a cross between "someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop";[18] it can only be reached by climbing to the top of the stairs and then up a ladder through a trapdoor set in the ceiling. This dim, heavily scented, and "stiflingly" warm room often affects students' wakefulness.
Sprout was portrayed by Miriam Margolyes in the film adaptation of Chamber of Secrets and Deathly Hallows – Part 2.[17]
In Deathly Hallows, she chases Snape away from Hogwarts with Professors McGonagall and Flitwick. Informed that Voldemort and his Death Eaters are coming to besiege Hogwarts, she uses her knowledge of magical plants by improvising offensive botany, and, with the help of several students, throws Mandrakes, Snargaluff pods, and Venomous Tentaculas off the castle walls at the approaching Death Eaters. The epilogue of Deathly Hallows reveals that Neville Longbottom has become the new Herbology teacher at Hogwarts. The circumstances of Sprout's departure from the job are not revealed.
Sprout subsequently appears in Goblet of Fire in which, as the Hufflepuff Head of House, she comforts Amos Diggory and his wife after the death of their son, Hufflepuff student Cedric Diggory, whom she knew well. In Order of the Phoenix, Sprout is a non-vocal supporter of Harry's story about Voldemort's resurrection. Like many teachers at Hogwarts, she detests Umbridge's presence and does her best to disobey her. After the raid of Hogwarts in Half-Blood Prince, Sprout is a staunch advocate of keeping Hogwarts open. She also supports the suggestion that Dumbledore should be laid to rest at Hogwarts. Sprout attends Dumbledore's funeral, where she appears cleaner than she has ever been seen before.
Pomona Sprout is Professor of Herbology and the Head of Hufflepuff House. She is described as a dumpy little witch with flyaway grey hair who wears a patched, frayed hat and shabby robes, often covered in dirt due to the time she spends tending plants in the Hogwarts greenhouses. Sprout is introduced in Philosopher's Stone, but she plays no active role until Chamber of Secrets, in which she teaches her second year students to work with Mandrake plants. She is responsible for raising the Mandrakes to full maturity, at which point their juice is used to revive the petrified victims of the basilisk.
Slughorn is played by Jim Broadbent in the film adaptations of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Slughorn briefly appears with other teachers assembling to fight Death Eaters. As Snape is now Headmaster, Slughorn has again assumed the post of Head of Slytherin. Though he is initially hesitant to join in the Battle of Hogwarts and is assumed to have evacuated with his house, he returns to the fray later on. It is revealed that he has not fled, but has recruited a large number of reinforcements to fight for Hogwarts. He then summons up the courage to duel Voldemort, alongside McGonagall and Kingsley Shacklebolt.
In Half-Blood Prince, Harry is invited to the first meeting of the Slug Club held on the Hogwarts Express. Slughorn sets less-stringent entry criteria for Advanced Potions than his predecessor, lowering the required grade from a perfect O (Outstanding) to the above-average E (Exceeds Expectations). This last-minute change enables Harry and Ron to take Potions at NEWT level. However, since Harry had not expected to be allowed to join the course, he has none of the necessary materials, and Slughorn lends him an old textbook until Harry can procure his own. Later, Harry does buy a new copy of Advanced Potion-Making from Flourish and Blotts, but switches the covers and gives back the new book. During his first class, Slughorn offers a small amount of Felix Felicis to the student who brews the best cauldron of the Draught of Living Death. Harry wins with the help of handwritten notes in the borrowed textbook, which had once belonged to Snape, unbeknownst to him. When Ron Weasley falls victim to a high-strength love potion, Slughorn administers an antidote, but then nearly kills him with a drink of poisoned mead, not knowing that the bottle had been planted by Draco Malfoy in an attempt to kill Albus Dumbledore. Harry later uses the Felix Felicis to help retrieve a memory from Slughorn that details the conversation between the professor and Riddle about Horcruxes as well as the possibility of creating more than one Horcrux.
Horace E. F. Slughorn is the long-serving Potions teacher and Head of Slytherin House since at least the 1940s, until his retirement after the 1981–82 school year. Following his retirement and the resurgence of Voldemort, Slughorn goes into hiding, concealing all knowledge of his whereabouts from both sides in the growing conflict in the wizarding world. However, after moving Snape to Defence Against the Dark Arts, Dumbledore locates Slughorn and uses Harry as incentive to convince him to return to teaching Potions. Slughorn is described as preferring to be a "back-seat driver", obtaining things he desires by using his contacts, particularly students whom he has invited into the "Slug Club", a group of students favoured by Slughorn, based either on their connections to important people (a type of cronyism) or on his belief that they have talents that will make them important and famous themselves when they leave school (meritocracy). He is one of the first Slytherin characters to defy the house's stereotype and being portrayed in a somewhat positive light: while he is self-serving and not above bending rules, he lacks the near-amorality and underhandedness that had, until that point, been a hallmark of the house. He does not resent blood status in general, and admits a pleasurable surprise when he comes upon a talented Muggle-born, such as Hermione or, years before, Lily Evans, one of his all-time favourite pupils. Also, Slughorn notably displays not pride, but shame at having helped a young Tom Marvolo Riddle perform some of his most noted and impressive feats of magic, as Riddle had questioned Slughorn about Horcruxes. However, students he deems unimportant he ignores, as though they were not there.
British actor Ian Hart portrayed Quirrell in the film adaptation of the book.
The film version climax ends a little differently: As Quirrell attacks him, Harry's blood protection, which was provided by his mother's sacrifice of her own life to save him, enables Harry to kill Quirrell himself. Harry discovers that when he comes into direct contact with Quirrell, it immediately produces a burning effect. In the final attack, Harry lays his hands on Quirrell, who burns into crumbling ash. The spirit form of Voldemort renders Harry unconscious before making his escape.
Before he died, Quirrell told Harry of the rivalry between his father, the late James Potter, and Severus Snape: "Didn't you know? Snape went to school with your father. They loathed each other."
Voldemort, as punishment for Quirrell's failure to secure the stone from Gringotts, decided to keep a closer watch on his new servant. He took possession of Quirrell's body, which caused his face to appear on the back of Quirrell's head. To conceal this, Quirrell took to wearing the turban. In order to keep Voldemort alive, Quirrell had to kill unicorns in the Forbidden Forest, drinking their blood to provide temporary life-sustaining powers for Voldemort. Quirrell then reveals that he was the one who let in the troll and attempted to throw Harry off his broom while Snape muttered a counter curse. During the climax of the story, as Harry and Quirrell try to recover the stone from the Mirror of Erised, Voldemort reveals himself on the back of Quirrell's head, formerly concealed by the turban, and speaks directly to Harry, threatening to kill him if he does not assist Voldemort in recovering it. After Harry refused, Quirrell tried to take the stone by force. Voldemort orders Quirrell to attack Harry, who holds off Quirrell long enough for aid to arrive, at which point Voldemort flees, in his non-physical form. Voldemort's departure, as well as the agony suffered by him because of his contact with Harry, who continues to be protected by the love of his mother and the spell that was cast by her sacrificing her life to save Harry, causes Quirrell to die. Voldemort's departure causes Quirrell to die, hence Dumbledore's comment that Voldemort is as merciless to his followers as to his enemies.
During his European travels, Quirrell discovered the barely-alive Voldemort, who had been in hiding since his failed bid to kill Harry as an infant. Quirrell became attracted to Voldemort's offers of power, and returned to Britain with the Dark Lord. Though Quirrell addresses and refers to Lord Voldemort by that name, rather than "The Dark Lord" as other Death Eaters do. Initially, Voldemort allowed Quirrell to act autonomously - Quirrell was able to shake hands with Harry in the Leaky Cauldron, and was not wearing the turban, meaning that Voldemort was not possessing him (though this changes in the film version, where Quirrell wears the turban at the Leaky Cauldron and refuses to shake Harry's hand). Voldemort first used Quirrell in a plan to steal the Philosopher's Stone from its vault in Gringotts Bank, where it had been deposited for safekeeping by Albus Dumbledore. But Dumbledore had already sent Hagrid on a mission to retrieve the stone, which he did while he and Harry were shopping in Diagon Alley, after they met with Quirrell in the Leaky Cauldron.
Harry first meets Quirrell at the Leaky Cauldron, while being escorted by Hagrid to Diagon Alley to shop for school supplies. Quirrell is next seen at Hogwarts conversing with Snape at the start-of-term banquet, and then regularly while teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons. During the school's Halloween banquet, Quirrell appears in the Great Hall to warn staff and students of a troll in the dungeons and then he faints, so he could freely make his way to the third-floor corridor where the Stone was hidden. Severus Snape, who, apparently, already suspected Quirrell was up to something, went to the third floor in order to stop him. In later novels, the readers learn that Dumbledore had told Snape to keep an eye on the DADA (Defence Against the Dark Arts) professor. Quirrell was unable to get to the stone, but in the process, Snape was bitten by Fluffy. When Harry and his friends saw that Snape has been bitten, they began to suspect Snape was after the stone for himself. While playing Quidditch, Harry is almost thrown off his broom by some sort of curse and he, Ron, and Hermione believe it is Snape who is responsible. They begin to suspect that Snape is trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone hidden in a secret chamber in Hogwarts; however, when Harry finally arrives in the chamber, he discovers that it is not Snape, but Quirrell, who is the real villain.
[16] According to JK Rowling, Quirrell taught Muggle Studies before Harry studied at Hogwarts, which explains why he was a teacher before but at the same time only a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for one year.[15]
Roald Dahl, J. K. Rowling, Warner Bros., Andy Griffiths, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Quidditch, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1
Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling, Quidditch, Chess, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter, Harry Potter (film series), Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter (character), J. K. Rowling


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User Manuals
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Philips Universal Charging Clock Radio Dock Quick Start Guide
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It is hoped that in the future with the advent of quantum computing that fundamental operations on a computer will have arbitrarily high precision. Moreover, that even with such high precision, computation times with be realistic. An important concept in Numerical Analysis is ill-conditioning.
For instance it is common to call the following problem, an ill-conditioned problem:
Finding the roots of a quadratic polynomial. The example is from Datta, BN Numerical Linear Algebra and Applications SIAM, Second edition (2010)
$ z^2-2z+1=0 \rightarrow z^2-2.0001z+1=0 $
since a relatively small change in the polynomial coefficients can cause a much larger perturbation in the polynomial roots.
However the ill-conditioning doesn't seem to be part of the problem because in arbitrarily high precision we have the quadratic formula allowing us to compute the roots. The ill-conditioning seems to be caused by working in finite precision which is not inherent to the problem.
Researchers often talk about the difference between an ill-conditioned problem and an ill-conditioned method of solving. This distinction seems to be entirely blurred to me.
To help clarify the situation I have two closely related questions:
Is ill-conditioning an issue in arbitrarily high precision?
Is there an ill-conditioned problem which remains ill-conditioned even in infinite precision computing?


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Petra Climate & Weather
Petra Climate and Weather
Petra, as with most of Jordan, experiences a desert climate with very hot weather in summer (June to September) and cold winters (December to March). Summer temperatures can reach as high as 93°F (34°C); the best time to visit Petra is probably in spring or autumn, when the weather is most comfortable.
Become our Petra Travel Expert
We are looking for contributors for our Petra travel guide. If you are a local, a regular traveller to Petra or a travel professional with time to contribute and answer occasional forum questions, please contact us.
iExplore designs made-to-order, privately-guided adventure tours to Jordan and over 200 other world wonders. Come Back Different!
Intrepid Travel
Intrepid Travel is one of the world's leading suppliers of small group adventures focused on getting off the beaten track and having real life experiences in Jordan.


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Productive Spindling (the book!) and The Bellwether Spindle in stock and shipping now. E-books galore: Power Spinning, Color in Spinning, Exotic Fiber on Spindles, and more!
And, my videos! Yes, you heard it here! Videos, made with SpinOff - Supported Spindles and Turkish Spindles, on DVD or Digital Download from Interweave/F+W.
All available in the Shop.
The website features a top-3 list of posts over on the right. However, I have my favorite posts too. Currently I am enamored by Turkish Spindles, and love the economical colored-pencil spindle featured in How do you Make a Turkish Spindle?. I am also toying with the idea of narrow-form tapestry weaving, so "stay tuned", perhaps there will be a blog post on that this year (grin).
In the Shop you can purchase my e-tutorials. If you can arrange to meet me at a show, I am happy to bring copies of my book, Productive Spindling, and my teaching top-whorl spindles, The Bellwether Spindle.
Fiber fascinates me -- I spin, knit, nalbind, felt, dye, weave, crochet, knot, card, and play string games. Fiber combines texture, color, and design in wonderful ways. I teach and write about fiber: you will find the Blog full of useful fiber information with its FAQ style.
Click Take a Workshop to see upcoming workshops. For a list of past venues and my publications, see the About page.
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Viognier, an exotic, elusive varietal, originally comes from the Northern Rhone Valley of France, and has captured the fascination of the U.S. wine-drinking public. At its finest, it is full-bodied and nearly golden in color, with a haunting bouquet of peaches, apricots and pears, and a floral quality like no other wine in the world. Many vintners are trying their hand at this varietal, spreading from its American beginnings in Napa Valley and Santa Barbara County to wineries as far away as Virginia. Marsanne and Rousanne, two other important varieties from the Rhone Valley are making waves in the U.S., particularly on the Central Coast of California.


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Hello Friends, We are very happy to welcome you to our website and we are glad that you have chosen us. You can find Party hard crossword clue puzzle quiz answers below this post. Its a very interesting game and you must be curious about the right answers to each level. For your assistance, we have shared all the Crosswords Clues Daily 2019 puzzle answers and solutions to help you out.
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Already solved Party hard? Click here to go back to the main post and find other answers The New Yorker Crossword July 8 2019 Answers.


text: What is Meniere's Disease? Meniere's disease can simply be described as an unstable inner ear. Since the inner ear is the site of the sense organs of hearing and balance, patients with Meniere's disease have symptoms of fluctuating hearing loss, attacks of vertigo, and ringing in the affected ear. These symptoms usually do not develop all at once; for most people they come on gradually over a few years. There are no tests that prove a diagnosis of Meniere's disease. It is a "clinical diagnosis" based upon the patient's description of symptoms, hearing tests that confirm a progressive or fluctuating hearing loss, and tests that rule out other possible explanations for the symptoms (for example, an MRI brain scan to rule out brain tumor or multiple sclerosis). Meniere's is also known as Secondary Endolymphatic Hydrops and/or Delayed Endolymphatic Hydrops; specifically in the case when Meniere's develops in an ear that was previously damaged from some other cause. Statistics It's estimated that there are 600,000-750,000 cases of Meniere's disease in the United States. Nearly 60,000 new cases are diagnosed annually. About 90 to 95 percent of patients can control their Meniere's disease with medical management. In most cases, it affects only one ear; 15 to 40 percent of patients are affected in both ears. Meniere's disease typically starts between the ages of 20 and 50 years old. Meniere's disease affects men and women equally. People suffering from Meniere's disease are more likely to suffer from depression and/or anxiety. People suffering from acute attacks are often not able to work because they must lie down during attacks and remain motionless, and need to sleep after an attack subsides. Managing Meniere's Disease The objective in managing a "fragile ear" with Meniere's disease is to pamper it by protecting the inner ear from stresses. Although not the underlying cause of Meniere's disease, there are many physiologic stresses that can overload the ear and trigger symptoms of hearing loss and vertigo. Common triggers include salt, caffeine and alcohol intake, environmental allergies, hormonal fluctuations (such menstrual cycle or pregnancy), psychological stress, or barometric pressure changes (such as storm fronts or airplane travel). In two-thirds of Meniere patients, dietary restriction of salt, caffeine and alcohol is successful in reducing or eliminating the disabling vertigo attacks. Addition of a diuretic medicine to aid the inner ear's fluid processing capability is successful for two-thirds of those who fail to get adequate relief from dietary restriction alone. Occasional use of a short-acting vestibular suppressant medication during attacks can also be helpful. By the time one has applied dietary restrictions, diuretics and vestibular suppressants, 90 to 95 percent of patients have their balance symptoms down to a manageable level. Only 5 to 10 percent have severe symptoms enough to consider invasive therapies. Surgical Treatments In the 5 to 10 percent of Meniere patients who fail to respond to aggressive medical management, vertigo can be controlled in almost all cases by some form of invasive therapy. These treatments include injection of medication through the eardrum into the middle ear or surgery. Several different operations have been devised for treating intractable vertigo of Meniere's disease. The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary is an institution known worldwide for its clinical treatment and research on Meniere's disease. A team of full-time otologists are on staff, with broad expertise in diagnosis and management of Meniere's disease and other disorders of hearing and balance, a state-of-the-art audiology and vestibular diagnostic and research capabilities, and an active multidisciplinary Meniere's disease research program. Contact Us Today! 617-523-7900


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IE Slowdown = StandardizationMarch 31, 2004
Think about it.
What makes CSS development so aggravating? Inconsistency across the browsers.
Which are the worst offenders? Older browsers, and Internet Explorer.
What's happening in today's browser market? Absolutely everything is making leaps and bounds in improving its CSS support, except Internet Explorer.
The install base is slowly but steadily moving away from 5.0 browsers. One day we'll reach the point where we don't have to officially support them anymore, and can give them the NN4 treatment. Not today, not tomorrow, maybe not in the next 2 years. But it's coming.
Given every other browser's improvement, this is what we'll enjoy one day (assuming production-site-ready CSS, and not bleeding edge) — testing against the standard, and testing against IE. That's two, instead of today's 5, 8, 12, or 23.
Internet Explorer's slowdown is a nuisance for sure, but it's hardly tragic. Thanks to progressive enhancement and MOSe, the web will become segregated between the haves, who get to experience the high-end visual effects and extra usability tweaks, and the have-nots who get plain vanilla content with a far simpler style.
It's a shame that the latter category is so large, but welcome to the next ten years.
Reader Comments
IE comes with my computer, why do I need to get anything else?�Perhaps you could respond "because it feels so good when you stop hitting your head against a wall.
MS has historically had a good reputation with third-party developers, at least in sectors where they're concerned about market share. Now, perhaps MS doesn't care about market share in the online arena, but if you are a web developer, that's your platform, and MS should be trying to woo you. I think web developers can make a case to MS in those terms.
It just so happens that for MS to make web developers happy means playing by rules and supporting standards that they don't own.
Isn't this discussion a bit one-sided? People seem to forget that IE's JavaScript support is excellent.
Progressive enhancement doesn't just mean CSS, it means JavaScript, too.
I agree with Lars that JavaScript efforts like the IE7 library might cancel out IE's lack of advanced selector support and help advanced CSS along.
Better still, we can rely on the average IE user not to switch off JavaScript because he doesn't know it's there and can be switched off.
I don't see IE as a fundamental show-stopper, more as the next problem to be solved, mainly by means of JavaScript.
I don't see any technical reasons for IE users to become have-nots, while there are plenty of non-technical reasons to make sure they'll see every website in its full glory.
So, sorry Dave, but I disagree. There's no reason to serve IE users plain vanilla flavours.
"Isn;t this discussion a bit one-sided?"
Isn't that obvious? I was talking about CSS support.
"I don't see IE as a fundamental show-stopper, more as the next problem to be solved, mainly by means of JavaScript."
Which is fine if you've bought into using scripting to solve display problems. The HTC hacks floating out there, particularly Dean Edwards' IE7 – http://dean.edwards.name/IE7/ – may very well get the job done in a lot of cases.
I just don't believe in fixing display problems with script. To enhance functionality, and add non-critical effects like menus etc., Javascript is nice. For the basic page layout? Thanks, but I'll pass. Your mileage may vary.
Let me re-itterate what I said in different words. Microsoft is far from a stupid company, they have a whole marketing branch as big as if not bigger than the combined volume of all the 900 pound gorillas being kept in zoos in our day and age.
They also want to make money. This of course goes hand in hand with marketing. Now, one would think I'm saying that Microsoft always does what the consumer wants. That's not true, just look at how they are/were funding SCO Group Inc. and their legal crussade against IBM and Open Source in the broader sense. People didn't like that one bit, but it didn't stop them from doing it, simply because they had more to win by killing the OSS movement. This isn't the point though.
Think about it. Microsoft is caught in a sea of browsers. Nowadays people could have 1 browser each and you could meet a group of 10 people where each and every one uses a different browser. It has to compete against all of these. Granted, IE does have 90% of the market share, and they have ALL the power in this case, but we aren't talking about right now.
10 years from now, imagine what all these little browsers will have become. There are hoards of people that will support standards or die, and we know for a fact at least 10% of the new browser developpers (at least) will want to support standards in some way for their browser. This will thus give us a sea of somewhat-to-very standards-compliant browsers. If IE get's caught behind, it will be the proverbial black-sheep of the lot. That's not good generally.
Over the years, people will start going more and more Open Source. This is a fact, they have been doing this for a couple years now, and I can only suppose it will continue, at least for a bit. Microsofts market share might have decreased by 10% by then, making them more vulnerable. They will need to keep the little guys in check. Sure 80% of the world will still use Windows w/ IE, but there'll be a whole 20% of us that will be screaming for standards because "IE is t3h sux!11!1!!one".
I don't know if any of you have done a lot of math but, given a pool of 20%, the number of times that the message "IE sux!" will be heard every day will be exponentially greater than if it had been 10%. It's not just 10% higher, it's 10% exponentially, because it causes a web effect. If Fred tells 5 people, those 5 tells another 5, that's 25 people in one shot, even though it originated only from 1 person. 10% is a pretty low market share to work with, true, but ask any analyst how much better 20% is, and he'll tell you at least 40 or 100 times better. You have more weight, and that's what counts.
Microsoft won't be ABLE to fart around anymore, because if this trend keeps going, they would be under in the next 20-odd years, and they don't want that to happen. By starting to support standards in IE, they would save themselves a HELL of a lot of problems down the road, and THAT is why they will switch for standards-compliant IE. They might not do it today, they might not do it this year, but they might start supporting standards on ALL IE version through Windows Update next year. Who knows? If they aren't stupid that's what they'll do. If not, it'll just be another blow towards their demise. A self-inflicted blow at that.
Another side to discuss is relative importance of Javascript compared to CSS. And using Javascript to do CSS job – well it works sometimes, but most often I'd say it's not worth we trouble.
Plain vanilla for IE is another extreme (yet), but I don't mind serving IE users nice, tidy, working version while users of FF, Opera, you name it, can have richer experience. Those attribute selectors are so tempting ;)
Page layout should never have to be done with scripts. That is not what programming languages are for; just as tables for page layout is not what HTML is for.
Unfortunately (and this is not a new discussion…) the cycle will never end. Clients need IE functionality (and maybe even full-features) and won't stand for their site not working as well just for the sake of "the way things should be." Designers want to code well and not be held back by what one certain browser can't handle. We're stuck, and short of a "browser upgrade campaign" or some other way of converting people, which probably won't work (my mother is never going to upgrade her browser), the pure fact of MS's dominance in the market ensures that we must write pages that work seamlessly in it. Unless the number crying for standards reaches a critical mass, which I don't see happening anytime soon.
I will not resort to scripts/browser sniffers/etc to make a page work, so in that sense I will stifle my design agenda somewhat.
I will continue using enhancements for browsers that can handle it, but serving a less-than-great page to IE6 simply gives the impression to 90% of the world that I'm a sucky designer. I keep trying to find away around this unfortunate fact of life, but so far have had no luck.
Dave, maybe your site's users are still using IE5, but most of the sites I work on tell a very different story… most people are using IE6. I think this mainly has to do with the number of windows people switching from 98 and other versions of windows to XP… which, if you look closely pretty much makes you install IE6. I can't speak for the mac side of things though. I think the important thing is that the desginer/developer looks at the log files and not popular critics about what browsers are in and what browsers are out… traffic analysis is a lot more effective than the general "browser popularity" metric for a given site.
Dave: "Breaking usability for the sake of 'purity' is completely against what the standards are about. You build for what people use, not for what you wish they'd use."
Agreed - but in this case I wasn't talking in a "wish they used Firefox instead" sense - it is just that, as you and we know, there's so much of advantages and support that truly standards compliant browsers gives us developers… and that IE gives us not. If 90% of users still use IE, fine, sites must work there, that goes without saying. However we have seen and come to appreciate what browsers with better standards have us to offer, and you can't just resign yourself and go back to battling with IE's quirks without at least wishing things were a little different. That was my point.
I have a sneeky feeling that we may see some big leaps forward for IE in Microsoft's next OS release come late 2005.
They've had time to see what the competition is coming up with - and it's clear to most people that new generation of browsers are leaving IE in the dust in every department.
They came out saying that there would be no major standalone updates - but that doesn't mean there will be no updates full stop.
By 2005-2006 they will have some serious browser competition and they know it. Maybe that will push them to spend some serious development time on IE - and come up with a browser that we don't have to curse every 10 minutes.
Joey said -
"I've often heard, "But, IE comes with my computer, why do I need to get anything else?" "
"How can you convince someone to get something else that is totally different from what they are used to?"
I use this monologue for business people. They often get it…
- Your (windows) computer comes with Wordpad, doesn't it? But do you use Wordpad to write your documents? No, you use Microsoft Word because it has more features. Same thing. Get Mozilla :)
Obviously that's an abbreviated version, but anyone reading this will get the idea.
Keep on Pushin'!
With IE5/Mac being far more standards-compliant than IE6/Win, it's obvious that MS *can* make a standards-compliant browser whenever they wish. But the problem is that they don't want to. They're going to enjoy having the number one browser with its proprietary standards for as long as we (the users) allow them to. Standards evangelism and better features in other browsers (tabs, for example) are the only way to get rid of IE.
Hey Scott J - Interesting how MS stopped making IE for the mac eh?…Err, at least I saw an article about it somewhere…
The fact is, if IE doesn't start to get the CSS right like everyone else, it runs the possibility of losing a fair bit of it's user-base simply because things "display weird on Internet Explorer". They currently hold the position of DeFacto browser, and to lose that title would be a tragic marketing move from Microsoft and they know it. They'll keep that title at all costs. And when their users start switching to Mozilla because things look better under Mozilla, they'll realise and update Internet Explorer in accordance with that trend, so as to negate it and keep their title. If people start switching to standards, Internet Explorer will HAVE to switch too, or perish. It's that simple.
Sadly, even if in two years we can give IE < 6 the same treatment we give to the old NN4, we will have an entire new crop of great browsers, supporting XHTML 2.0 and CSS 3.0.
But, it will not last long, I suspect. Microsoft will release their new OS, with their new browser, and that will bring back the same old problems and hacks.
"If people start switching to standards, Internet Explorer will HAVE to switch too, or perish. It's that simple."
I beg to differ. So long as Microsoft has the monopoly on desktop operating systems, and has Internet Explorer bundled with every installation and made the default web browser, it will be a "standard" that everyone has to work towards.
Most people that use the Internet never bother to change browser from the one they're given. I'm sure that's as much the case for Mac users (of which I'm one) as it is with the Windows folks. Of course, Safari is a far more standards-compliant browser :)
I'd love to see everything move towards higher standards-compliance, but until Microsoft has a business case to do this (and remember, the company makes its fortune from the premise that "proprietary is good"), there will be no movement in the direction we desire.
If Internet Explorer is no longer being upgraded, then it's best to consider it a static target. Anyone got a single resource they use to list all the bugs in the current IE editions (5.x and above)? Given that we are unlikely to be able to move the mountain that is Microsoft, perhaps we just need to make a very simple map for moving ourselves.
Hmmmm - so what is the market force for this change?
daedlus suggests that if enough people switch FROM IE it will force Microsoft's hand. Won't it be too late by then? If you switch to a 'standards' browser, why would you want to switch back? Well it wouldn't be anything to do with standards support I would venture.
The same reason I prefer Firefox over IE. Tabs, extensions and yes (but latterly) better CSS support. Joe user doesn't care about CSS, or standards, they want content and sites that work and look 'quite nice'. Which fits nicely with Dave's point.
Paul, I wrote about some of IE's deficiencies last month – http://www.mezzoblue.com/archives/2004/02/25/sidestepping/ – which contains a link near the bottom to Position Is Everything, and their IE bug list.
Dave, you're so right. It's a pity that one can not neglect IE's market share - but what shall we do at the moment?
And: Be sure to convince any customer you know to chose Mozilla, Opera etc. Not only because they'll get more beautiful web sites - convince them it's safer and faster, too. A long way to go, but the direction seems to be correct. I really don't want to wait for Longhorn and the "real" IE7.
Paul said it right with:
"I beg to differ. So long as Microsoft has the monopoly on desktop operating systems, and has Internet Explorer bundled with every installation and made the default web browser, it will be a "standard" that everyone has to work towards."
Look, for example at the ".doc" format. It is NOT a standard, it is Microsoft's format, and everyone has tried to play nice with it because it has so much market dominance. What ever happened to ".rtf"? Sure you can tell word to save your files as ".rtf", but it still doesn't use the true ".rtf" format. I would love to live an ideal world where we could, one day, hope to ignore IE (and MS apps) all together but I know I should just plan on getting struck by lightening sometime before then.
I think it's quite possible—perhaps even probable—that the next version of IE will do sufficiently well supporting standards that most of us would be happy. The problem is that the new version of IE will be included with the next Windows OS, but previous versions (XP, 2000, Me, 98, etc.) won't be able to upgrade to a standalone version. So the old problems will persist as long as those OSes hang around.
Since I'm still using Win 98 with IE 6 on my one Windows box, that could be a long, long wait. So it will still be "test to standards, and IE 6," at least.
We can complain at how come such a crippled browser with flaunted CSS and security standards support as IE still commands the lion's share of the browser market, but why we then go thru leaps, bounds and hacks just to get our pages working in IE? To avoid the wrath of our clients whose corporate settings are built around MS-centric solutions?
If that's something that keeps CSS from making further progress, it is precisely this "commitment" to try pleasing both sides at the same time. If we just ditched IE and try to explain our clients the reasons we believe there are better choices out there, perhaps we won't be able to convert them all, and it is definitely not as easy as it sounds, but at least it would be a good start.
"why we then go thru leaps, bounds and hacks just to get our pages working in IE?"
Uh, hello? 90% of the market share?
Breaking usability for the sake of 'purity' is completely against what the standards are about. You build for what people use, not for what you wish they'd use.
Lars Said:
"And: Be sure to convince any customer you know to chose Mozilla, Opera etc. Not only because they'll get more beautiful web sites - convince them it's safer and faster, too. A long way to go, but the direction seems to be correct. I really don't want to wait for Longhorn and the "real" IE7."
How can you convince someone to get something else that is totally different from what they are used to?
Even if Firefox and Mozilla provide better asthetics for a site, the user cares about comfortability and familiarity. I've often heard, "But, IE comes with my computer, why do I need to get anything else?" At that point, the common user will not make any effort to download another browser, nor will they care about standards or CSS. They will only care about their site looking well in the browser they use.
I heard someone once say that a company only moves on an issue at a tipping point. Typically that tipping point is 15% of x, but could be lower depending on the margins of the business or the greed of the company. For instance the RIAA started going after p2p when they had lost around 7% of their sales. It may take another 8% dip for them to begin looking at the real reason sales are slipping.
Likewise it may take MS losing 15% of the browser market to Moz before it takes any serious action. Then again they may already be underway with serious action (just not in the timeframe we want).
I'd be very interested to find out the real statistics for the browser market. I have a feeling that we're much closer to that tipping point than people generally think or that the statistics show today.
I personally feel that more pressure should be put on the middle men companies that help enable MS's domination of the market. I.E. Dell, AOL, Earthlink, etc. that ship and promote the browser to a great degree (AOL's propaganda - 35 million customers) . Any major agreement with a company like that could shift browser market share significantly. Then we might see some movement.
>"Isn't this discussion a bit one-sided?"
>Isn't that obvious? I was talking about CSS support.
Even so I feel you can't leave JavaScript out of the equation, just as you can't ignore XHTML while considering CSS. These three (should) form a unified whole.
>I just don't believe in fixing display problems with script.
To enhance functionality, and add non-critical effects like
menus etc., Javascript is nice. For the basic page layout?
Thanks, but I'll pass. Your mileage may vary.
Depends on the problem, depends on the script. Using JavaScript to generate whole pages is obviously not a good idea, but neither is refusing to use it entirely.
I feel people are too quick to ignore, sometimes even to condemn, JavaScript. It's just a tool, like CSS is just a tool. It can solve some problems, but not others, and it has drawbacks, just like any other tool.
Could you give a practical example of an IE selector problem you've encountered? It'd be interesting to see if a script might help, and if so, what it should do and which new problems it creates.
Posted by Michael R. Havard at March 31, 2004 12:58 PM:
"I'd be very interested to find out the real statistics for the browser market. I have a feeling that we're much closer to that tipping point than people generally think or that the statistics show today."
Here's some stats for March '04 from a website (which shall remain anonymous) that does not cater to bleeding-edge web designers or anything like that, so there shouldn't be any bias in any direction. It's a small shopping site. It's not a huge base for precision data computations or anything, but it does get the point across:
Browser Version / Unique Visitors / % of Unique Visitors
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 / 1912 / 81.01%
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 / 162 / 6.86%
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 / 151 / 6.39%
Netscape 7.0 / 46 / 1.94%
Netscape 6.0 / 35 / 1.48%
Safari 12 / 11 / 0.46%
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 / 10 / 0.42%
Netscape 4.7 / 10 / 0.42%
Safari 85 / 7 / 0.29%
Opera 7.x / 5 / 0.21%
WebTV Plus Receiver 4.0 / 3 / 0.12%
Opera 6.x / 2 / 0.08%
WebTV Internet Terminal 4.0 / 1 / 0.04%
WebTV Internet Terminal 3.0 / 1 / 0.04%
Safari 10 / 1 / 0.04%
Netscape 4.6 / 1 / 0.04%
Netscape 4.5 / 1 / 0.04%
Netscape 4.0 / 1 / 0.04%
Or, to keep things simple:
Browser / Unique Visitors / % of Unique Visitors
Microsoft Internet Explorer / 2372 / 94.76%
Netscape / 99 / 3.95%
Safari / 20 / 0.79%
Opera / 7 / 0.27%
WebTV Plus Receiver / 3 / 0.11%
WebTV Internet Terminal / 2 / 0.07%
I disagree with PPK on one part: IE has as good Javascript support as Mozilla.


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Featured categories
More Categories in Tools
You'll always be ready for your next project when you have quality tools from Sam's Club®. Whether you are a professional or a do-it-yourself enthusiast, we carry hand tools, power tools and tool sets for both small and large jobs. Additionally, you can organize and protect your tool collection with the purchase of one of our tool boxes, benches or chests.
Cordless Power Tools
Designed using the latest technology, our power tools have lots of force. Sam's Club carries drills, air compressors and impact drivers as well as specialty tools such as those for cutting, measuring and automotive applications. These cordless tools are simple to operate without the hassle of cords or gasoline. Instead, they get their energy from batteries and chargers.
Hand Tools and Tool Sets
Whether you are looking for items to complete home repairs or mechanical tools for your automotive shop, you'll find dependable tools from leading manufacturers at Sam's Club. This includes screwdrivers, wrenches, hand saws and chisels. You can also save money with one of our tool sets or kits. These kits include multiple tools for tasks such as household projects, gardening and roadside repairs. They often come in a carrying case and make great gifts for any occasion.
Tool Organization
No matter the size of your tool collection, we carry a wide selection of storage options. For large sets, you may want to opt for a tool bench, cabinet or chest. While for smaller collections, a wall system pegboard or box will suffice. Some of the chests are set on wheels, and many of the boxes are equipped with handles for ease and portability.
Find a range of tools for different needs when you shop at Sam's Club. Browse our website for your home or shop needs and enjoy members-only prices.


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By almost all measures, Michael Phelps' retirement has been a smashing success.
The Olympic legend has had lots of time to work on his golf game, and he's produced some splendid results.
Phelps has also had more free time to support his favorite football team, the Baltimore Ravens. The Charm City native attended several playoff games and was celebrating with the team in the locker room after its victories in both the AFC championship game and the Super Bowl.
And, lastly but perhaps most importantly, Phelps' love life has not lost a beat.
Less than two months after he broke up with his previous model/waitress girlfriend, Phelps is now dating another gorgeous model/waitress. This time it's 22-year-old Southern California native Sarah Herndon.
According to the Daily Mail, the two met just before Christmas in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. They started dating soon thereafter, and they have even traveled together to the Bahamas.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Herndon couldn't help but gush about Phelps.
"Michael's a good kisser," she said. "He's very cuddly and kissy, which is cute. He's charming and a gentleman. He's got like a confident side to him to that makes you want more. But he's very sweet at the same time."
Phelps has not commented about the relationship.
For more photos of Herndon, see here.


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The week after two Fullerton police officers were found not guilty in the 2011 death of a schizophrenic transient brought no end to the emotion the Kelly Thomas case has inspired.
Over the weekend, demonstrations outside the Fullerton police station led to the arrests of more than a dozen people accused of offenses ranging from assault and vandalism to failure to disperse.
Their protests should be heard. They should be heard even by those who disagree with the demonstrators and support the officers. In fact, they should be heard especially by those who support the officers, if it is to be assumed that those who support the officers also support Southern California's law-enforcement efforts in general.
The people who gathered Saturday to demand "justice for Kelly Thomas" are only the most strident of many whose confidence in police and sheriff's departments is shaken when confrontations between officers and suspects end badly. When confidence is shaken, it not only leaves residents feeling less safe. It makes them less willing to help officers and detectives in the future.
Consider another case: In the region's latest use-of-force controversy, 16-year-old Joshua Alvarez is in the hospital after being shot by a San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy Saturday night in Highland. Alvarez was alleged to have tried to attack deputies with a hammer and a sharp object after they responded to a report of a domestic disturbance. Members of the boy's family say the deputies could have stopped him with a Taser.
Alva Alvarez, the boy's aunt, told Channel 4: "Now we are afraid of calling the cops — because, are they going to shoot our kids?"
The aunt's question may be melodramatic, but it makes the point. Police actions perceived to be unnecessarily brutal discourage cooperation. That's why the Los Angeles Police Department brass has worked so hard to repair the force's once-notorious image in minority communities — an effort considered to be one factor in the dramatic decline in crime in most of the city in recent years.
Many people who have watched the videotape of the July 5, 2011 struggle between Kelly Thomas and a half-dozen Fullerton police officers, or who followed closely the trial of officers Manuel Ramos and Jay Cicinelli, have opinions about what happened. Some see it as the murder of a mentally ill man. Some see officers following procedure to deal with a combative suspect, and things going tragically awry. Some see something in the middle, or come away with a mixed impression.
It is vital now for law-enforcement agencies everywhere to figure out what went wrong in the Thomas incident — and what can be done to make it less likely to happen again.
As Southern California knows from the reactions in a series of such cases, from the Rodney King riots (and before) to Saturday's Kelly Thomas protests, large numbers of people respond aggressively when police brutality is alleged.
And as we see from the sad comment by Joshua Alvarez's aunt, an aggressive public response isn't the only damaging result when police actions go wrong.
A passive response can be just as a bad, if it means a community loses the trust it must have in its police force.


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Capo á 2. bandi
What were all those dreams we shared
those many years ago,
What were all those plans we made,
now left beside the road.
Behind us in the road.
More than friends, I always pledge,
'cuz friends they come and go,
People change as does everything,
I wanted to grow old,
I just want to grow old.
Slide on next to me,
I'm just a human being,
I will take the blame,
but just the same,
this is not me,
you see, believe,
I'm better than this
don't leave me so close,
I'm buried beneath the stones,
I just want to hold on
and know I'm worth your love,
and I, don't think,
there's such a thing.
It's my fault now, I've been caught,
a sickness in my bones.
How it pains me to leave you here
with the kids on your own,
Just don't let me go.
Help me see myself,
'Cuz I can no longer tell,
Looking up from inside of the
bottom of a well,
it's Hell, I yell,
but no one hears
before, I disappear,
whisper in my ear.
Give me something to echo in my
unknown future, you see,
my dear, the end,
comes near, I'm here,
but not much longer.
Pick an instrument
Transpose the song


text:
Bombers crush Agates
The Barnum Bombers hosted the Two Harbors Agates on January 28.
The Agates kept the first half close, only falling behind by seven points after the first half of play. The Bombers struggled with getting the ball to drop in the first half.
The Bombers went into the second half with a small lead, but must have settled down at halftime, because they took command of the game and walked away from there.
The Bombers ended the night with a 78-53 point victory. The Bombers only allowed the Agates to put up an additional 18 points, while they doubled that by putting up 36 points in the second half.
The Bombers' Brandon Newman contributed 30 of the Bombers' final points on the night. Newman ended the night with 30 points, three rebounds, five steals and 10 assists. Daniel Warpula ended with 13 points, five rebounds, three steals and three assists. Tory Slater added eight points, four from below the basket, tossing up a three-pointer from beyond the arc and adding a free throw, four rebounds and two assists. Zach Carlson scored seven points, three rebounds, two steals and three assists. Dakotah Haley added six points and four rebounds. Sam Anderson had four points, four rebounds and one steal. Nicholas Jelinek came off the bench to hit a shot from beyond the arc to end his night with three points and two rebounds. Chase Peterson also came off the bench to land the long ball from beyond the arc for his three points of the night. Mitchell Weller headed to the free throw line and hit a pair of free throws for his two points for the night; he also pulled down one defensive rebound. Nathen Jelinek hit from the paint for his two points for the night.


text:
May 5, 2007
SPRINGIELD, Mass. - Omari Stephens and Stephen Morton authored two top-five finishes and the Engineers scored massive points in the 10,000-meter run en route to a fourth-place finish at the Division III New England Track and Field Championships. Greg Tao secured the meet's only individual victory for the Cardinal and Gray after besting the field in the pole vault.
Williams College won the championship, while Tufts and Springfield also finished ahead of MIT in the team standings. The Engineers scored 79 during the weekend, with 23 points coming in the 10k. Senior Eric Khatchadourian finished second in the race with a time of 32:33, although Brian Jacokes crossed the line in fifth and only 14 seconds back. Trevor Rundell and Chris Wong finished third and fourth, respectively.
Tao's victory in the pole vault came rather easily as he was the only athlete to clear 14'10". Stephens earned one of his two top-five finishes after taking fifth in the vault.
He also finished fifth in the high hurdles with a clip of 15.23. Stephens, who was third in prelims, finished one place ahead of Anthony Teixeira (15:35). Morton, who this past week became just the second rookie to earn NEWMAC Athlete of the Year honors, finished fifth in the long jump and fourth in the 100-meter dash. Morton enjoyed a fantastic run in the sprint, setting a new freshman record with a clip of 10.89.
The 10k wasn't the only distance event to secure points for the Engineers. Freshman Johannes Schneider turned in a solid effort to finish fifth in the steeplechase (9:32.84), while Williams Fedus and Yermie Cohen paced MIT in the middle-distance races. Both competitors finished fourth in their respective events with Fedus running a season-best clip in the 800m (1:55.81) and Cohen duplicating the effort in the 1500m (3:57.29).
James Oleinik also earned a top-five finish at Springfield. Oleinik finished fourth in the shot put after a toss of 49'9.75".


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Mud, dust, curtains of fire, helicopter shots, spinning tires, and one big, bad first pump mark some of the eye-catching highlights of a sneak peek video that Big Machine Records just unveiled for Tim McGraw's upcoming video, "Truck Yeah."
Watch the sneak peek video below.
The "Truck Yeah" video was shot last month in Chattanooga, Tennessee, according to local news outlet Nooga.com, on the industrial site formerly occupied by U.S. Pipe and Foundry.
Cinematographer Joseph Labisi tweeted about it at the time:
On set shooting @thetimmcgraw "Truck Yeah" today!!! #setlife instagr.am/p/OmfJp-rTuT/
— Joseph Labisi(@joelabisi) August 21, 2012
And Tim hinted at the location as well in a tweet last month:
Can you guess what we're doing today? Hint: #TRUCKYEAH twitter.com/TheTimMcGraw/s…
— Tim McGraw (@TheTimMcGraw) August 21, 2012
McGraw performed "Truck Yeah" all summer long during the Brothers of the Sun tour. The song is the first single from McGraw's upcoming debut album for his new label, Big Machine.
– Kurt Wolff, CBS Local


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We recently attended a Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights event in San Diego where we learned how to drive real cars really fast, met a bunch of the HIN models that will be featured in J2: HIN and, most importantly, got some hands-on time with THQ's upcoming racer. Before we jump into our impressions of this drift-centric game, we want to give you a little background info on what J2: HIN is all about.
Jim Campbell, Lead Programmer at the UK-based development house, Juiced Games, says, "We want players to experience what import racing is all about. We've stayed loyal to the street-racing culture to bring you a fun racing experience along with the lifestyle, the cars, and the girls." This emphasis on the "lifestyle" of import racing fits in perfectly with the Hot Import Nights scene. As a result the game is peppered with pictures of HIN models (with Ursula Mayes of "Deal or No Deal" fame as the cover girl and lead spokes model) and has the same vibe as an all-out HIN event. This means you'll get loud music, lots of neon, cars with all sorts of crazy mods for both performance and looks, and women in revealing clothes.
Learning to Drive Sideways
All this pomp and spectacle is centered around drifting, and drifting is what the very core of J2: HIN is all about. We created a new profile, customized our avatar, and purchased a Toyota Celica for our first foray on the tracks. Controls and physics are typically what makes or breaks a racing game. J2: HIN isn't going after the Forza Motorsport 2 or Gran Tursimo crowd, but that doesn't mean the game is a full-on arcade style racer either.
Our first race in J2: HIN didn't go very well. We hit a lot of walls and placed dead last. This was a big change after the month-and-a-half we spent kicking butt in Forza Motorsport 2. The steering felt very sensitive and we didn't quite have a grasp of the best way to initiate and sustain a controlled drift. We had similar problems when trying out the drift challenges where the goal is to reach a certain score through drifting. Sometimes we couldn't get the car to drift when we wanted to and other times the car started drifting on its own. We were clearly doing something wrong because there were other people at the event who were able to nail the drifting and make us look like chumps.
As we got more comfortable with the game we started to do better. We were able to complete a drift challenge and win a couple of races. We eventually got a better grasp of the nuances of the drift mechanic in J2: HIN and have to say that it is unique. It's not nearly as simple as in Ridge Racer, but realistic like in Gran Turismo HD. We're tempted to say it's a bit "twitchier." It definitely requires finesse and concentration, and once you figure it out you can pull off some amazing moves. We didn't have enough time to reach that level of mastery but there were some folks there who were downright amazing at the game.


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Christchurch Attractions
Christchurch is a thriving, vibrant city that is rebuilding bigger and better. There's more to do and see than before!
Things to do
Botanic Gardens
Just as beautiful as ever, the Christchurch Botanic Gardens are 21 hectares of lush flora and fauna displays of local and international origin and flavour. In the cooler months, there is still plenty to see and admire, as well as being surrounded by 165 hectares of leafy green walkways and playing fields.
Recently reopened, the Christchurch Gondola is always a tourist favourite, with stunning views over the entire city, Lyttleton Harbour and Banks Peninsula. Ride in a safe cable car to the top of the Port Hills, and take your time taking the view in. Also a great spot for a meal or snack.
Re:START Mall
The continually popular inner city outdoor mall is located in Cashel Street. A temporary replacement for the previous CBD shopping district, as well as a range of new and local retailers. It's a great way to spend an afternoon, with many cafes and food options along with some of our best and funkiest stores.
Christchurch has a range of premier golf courses available all within 1 hours' drive of the CBD. Hagley Golf Club is in the heart of the city and has a full 18 holes. Clearwater Golf Club is just 5min from Christchurch Airport, with peaceful surrounds and luxury accommodation and dining available. Pegasus Golf Club is 25km north of Christchurch, set in the new town of Pegasus, with a range of other activities to keep the kids occupied while you play a round. Terrace Downs is about 1 hour from Christchurch, set high up on the foothills of the Rakaia River with stunning scenery.
Restaurants and cafes
There are lots of new eateries popping up every week all over the city, each offering a competitively delicious range of food and coffee. Whether you're after a quick bite or something new, there's sure to be a Christchurch restaurant to fit. To name a few:
King of Snake - Thai
Sakura - Japanese
St Germain - French
Lotus Heart – Vegetarian/Vegan
After a long day checking out the sights, retire to a modern, comfortable room at Bella Vista. Our Christchurch accommodation is great value, with great service. Book your accommodation now.


text:
IR-team and contact
Flughafen Wien AG is highly interested in providing comprehensive information to the international financial community. For this purpose we participate in trade fairs, run roadshows and present our latest data to analysts and institutional shareholders.
For further information please contact our Investor Relations department:
Judit Helenyi
Head of Investor Relations
Tel: 0043-1-7007-23126
Fax: 0043-1-7007-23806


text:
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USA Boys
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A tip from LeNae: Have a background paper in mind, but think the pattern or colors might be too distracting? Tone it down with a layer of vellum! I used an American flag paper in a portion of this patriotic background, though the bright red and stark white of the American flag seemed a little too bold when placed next to the muted colors found in the ephemera. My solution? A layer of tan vellum over the American flag paper easily tones down the bold red and white, offering balance to the layout.
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text:
This column, which began one year ago this month, often focuses on the various trends that affect one's, ahem, bottom line.
But in honor of the holidays and the first anniversary of The Bottom Line, today's column will highlight some of the things businesses and organizations are doing to give back and how you can help.
In a spin on the whole crowd-funding phenomenon, several hospitals throughout the country, including Children's Hospital Orange County and Children's Hospital Los Angeles are participating in www.GiveMiracles.org. The site is the first crowd-funded hospital gift catalog campaign and was created by fundraising website Fundly and Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
From the catalog, donors may select gifts big and small , from toys to a pediatric wheelchair to neonatal intensive care.
Donors can also create their own crowd-funding campaign and get others involved in buying big-ticket items with donations from friends and family through Facebook, Twitter and other social media.
Fashion resale retailer Buffalo Exchange and The Long Beach Rescue Mission have teamed up for the Holiday Coats & Blanket Drive to give to those in need in the Long Beach area.
From now until Jan. 13, people may drop off coats and blankets from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Buffalo Exchange in Belmont Shore, 4608 E. 2nd St. Call 562-433-1991 for more information.
In Los Angeles, architects and engineers will build structures out of donated cans of food for the seventh annual Canstruction L.A. design/build contest for the January Downtown Art Walk. The structures will be on display from noon to 10 p.m. Jan. 10 and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 11 at the Farmers and Merchants Bank Building, 401 S. Main St.
After the contest, the canned goods will be given to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
Donate directly to the food bank by texting FEEDLA to 80888 for a $10 donation
California Boeing Co. employees have donated $420,000 to nine nonprofit organizations for programs that help veterans find jobs and ease into civilian life.
Grants were given to Canine Companions for Independence, National Veterans Transition Service Inc., New Directions, Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, U.S. Vets Initiative, Vanguard University, Veterans Valor Fund, Veterans Village of San Diego and Working Wardrobes.
"The goal is to grow the nonprofits' abilities to assist transitioning veterans and remove barriers that could hamper their efforts," said Carrie Bollwinkle, executive director of Employees Community Fund of Boeing California.
email@example.com, 562-714-2088, twitter.com/KarenMeeksPT


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