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I don't know a gardener, myself included, who does not sometimes find himself or herself with more fresh food ripe and ready to eat than can be used even after striving for an extended harvest. We want to honor the food I grow and the efforts by many beings to make it available to us by eating all of it. I've already written about storing some crops indoors during the winter in this post. However, many crops cannot be stored without some processing. In this post I'll discuss one of those methods, dehydration or drying, that we use to process some of the food we grow for storage and why and how we use a solar food dryer for this purpose.
I've arranged the post into sections. If you've not heard of preservation by dehydration before and want to know what it is and why and how to do it, read the whole post. If you know what dehydration is but wonder why anyone would use the sun as a dehydrator rather than buy one of the electrical appliances sold for the purpose, start at Solar Powered Food Dehydration. If you want to skip directly to the design we used and the modifications we made to it, start at Our Solar Food Dryer. And if you just want to know what foods we've dried and how we use them, skip to Foods We Dry.
One of the ways to preserve foods for a longer period of time than they normally last after harvest is dehydration or drying. Dehydration reduces the moisture content enough that spoilage organisms such as bacteria, yeasts, or molds cannot survive to attack the food during storage. Dehydration also concentrates the natural sugars in foods, making them as or in some cases more appealing to the palate as the fresh version. And dehydrated foods retain most of their nutrients, though if you choose to blanch them first vitamin C will be destroyed. Drying is well suited to fruits (including starchy fruits such as squash that we usually call vegetables), some green leafy vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, and seeds and grains. With care meats can be dried as well.
Seed and grain crops like beans and corn dry well enough in the range of temperatures and humidity found in a typical residence by spreading them in a thin layer on a screen and perhaps stirring them on occasion. They will dry sufficiently for long-term storage over a time span of a few days to a few weeks depending on their water content at harvest and the relative humidity in your residence. Sunflower seeds can be dried within the seedhead if the relative humidity of the surrounding air is low enough; otherwise remove them from the head and spread them on a screen as you would with beans or corn. I leave corn on its cob and beans in their shells while they are drying, removing the cob or shell after drying is complete. The dried seeds can be stored in glass or plastic containers (glass is preferable if you have a rodent problem).
Most herbs have a low enough water content that they can be dried successfully by the methods suggested in herb books: bundle the stems together and suspend the bundles in a location that does not receive direct sun, or put seedheads into a paper bag and remove the seeds when they and the seedheads are crispy dry. I suspend bundles of herb stems from a clothes drying rack located in a bedroom on the north end of the house, removing the leaves, the part generally used, when they are crispy dry and storing the leaves in a glass jar. I also use an apparatus called a Food PANtrie hanging from a homemade PVC pipe rack in our kitchen, as shown in the photo below, to dry herbs.
By cutting stems of herbs to a size that fits on the screens and piling the stems onto the screens, I can dry herbs successfully indoors through the summer and fall. As with the bundle method, I remove the leaves when they are crispy dry and store the dried leaves in a glass jar. Use your favorite search engine to locate a retail source for the Food PANtrie.
The problem with dehydrating wet foods like fruits and vegetables is that water is not easy to remove from the ripe food. You need to put a lot of heat into water to get it to evaporate out of the food that it's in and into the air that surrounds the food, and you need to move that now water-laden air away from the food so that drier air can replace it, air that can now receive more water evaporated from the food. One way to do that is to use electricity to heat air and circulate the heated air around the food that you want to dry. The heated, moist air moves out of vents in the top or back of an electric dehydrator while drier, cooler air flows in at the front or bottom of the unit to continue the drying cycle. Countertop-sized and larger electric food dehydrators are available for purchase from brick-and-mortar stores and online. Used ones might be found cheap at a yard or estate sale or through Craigslist. While I don't discourage anyone from using an electric dehydrator, especially if you don't have a location suitable for a solar food dryer, I choose not to use an electric dehydrator because our electric usage is already higher than I'd like it to be. Plus during the summer when some of the fruits we dry are harvested it's hot and humid in the house as it is. I don't want to add any more heat and humidity to the inside atmosphere.
Solar Powered Food Dehydration
If you don't want to use electricity to dry wet foods, what can you use? The sun is a source of heat that can be put to use to dry foods with the proper equipment, called a solar food dryer. If you live in an area that can count on several days in a row of hot, sunny, low humidity weather a solar food dryer could be as simple as a wooden frame with food-safe polypropylene screening tacked onto it and covered with finer food-safe screening to exclude insects. You'd place slices of the food you want to dry on the screen frame, cover it with the fine screening, and put it someplace where it will receive sunlight and air circulation for several days until the food is dry. The Food PANtrie I mentioned above was developed for this purpose. However, in the St. Louis region we don't get this kind of weather during summer and fall, when we have fresh foods available for drying. In our humid climate, I cannot dry even thin-walled hot peppers properly in the Food PANtrie, much less any wetter foods.
To dry them I need a solar food dryer that can collect sufficient solar heat to heat air to at least 120F, preferably hotter, and move the air over the foods to be dried. John Michael Green in his book Green Wizardry points out that the 1970s proved to be a fertile time for the development of solar food dryer designs. The basic design is as follows. A collector (a large, thin box with a black metal bottom covered with a transparent material and provided with vents at the bottom and top) is placed so that sunlight falls on it to heat up the metal. Air that enters at the bottom passes over the heated metal and heats up, reducing its relative humidity. That heated air rises and the rising, dry air is channeled through the top vent and over foods arranged on screens, with the now moist air finally exiting above the screens. A number of individuals and groups developed successful designs. You can find plans in appropriate technology books from the 1970s and by using your favorite search engine to see what the web has on offer.
Our Solar Food Dryer
The solar food dryers designed during the 1970s have a high capacity but are large and difficult to move. They are meant to remain outside for months at a time, which subjects them to the forces of wind and rot. I wanted a smaller version that I can move at will by myself to keep it out of the heavy rains and severe storms that we are prone to receive. The design that Mike used to to make our solar food dryer is found in the book The Solar Food Dryer: How to Make and Use Your Own High-Performance, Sun-Powered Food Dehydrator by Eben Fodor. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to make a portable solar food dryer with a capacity of up to six pounds.
Our dryer is shown in action in the photo at the beginning of this post. Mike made ours to the dimensions specified in the book. You can purchase a kit containing the materials needed to construct this solar food dryer from SunWorks or buy or find materials locally as we did. SunWorks also sells the screen material separately in the size needed for making the dryer to the dimensions in the book. We purchased the screen material from SunWorks.
Mike's basic carpentry skills and tool set were sufficient to the task, though he made some modifications to the plan to adjust to materials we had on hand and to make aspects of the project easier. He didn't include the two small side vents in the plan, an oversight on his part. The dryer works fine without them, however. He didn't include the friction lid support in the plan that holds the vent door open. In the photo below you'll see that in its place I tied a piece of twine to one of the knobs on the vent door.
The twine can be positioned underneath the window or the brick weighing the window down so that the vent door is held open to the desired amount. That is determined by checking the temperature within the dryer with a probe-type thermometer. The photo above shows ours in action.
Mike didn't include light bulbs for supplementary heating at night so we either leave the food in the dryer overnight or, when we are concerned that doing so will allow for contamination, take the food out of the dryer in late afternoon and refrigerate it until we put it back into the dryer for further drying. Nor did he include the foam weatherstripping along the top edge of the dryer; it did not prove to be necessary. After attempting three times to cut salvaged storm windows to size and succeeding only in breaking the windows, we gave up and simply laid a storm window on top of the finished dryer, as shown in the photo at the top of the post. I use a brick to weigh the glass down to prevent wind from blowing the glass off the dryer. That's good enough for the usual breezes we have and I have added another half brick on windier days, but I don't use the solar food dryer on very windy days to avoid the risk of the glass sheet blowing off. If you live in an area where sunny days are also consistently windy, you'll need to use the attachment system in the book to keep the glazing on the dryer. If you prefer not to use glass for glazing, polycarbonate sheet is an excellent substitute. It's easier to cut and lighter than glass, plus it's unbreakable.
Until the dryer was finished I did not realize that our house doors are too narrow to carry the dryer through the door in its usual orientation. In order to move the dryer in and out of the house, I had to tip it on its side and ease first one pair of legs, then the body of the dryer, and then the other pair of legs through the door. Because of this added difficulty I did not use the dryer as much as I could have. Mike cut the legs shorter to ease this problem, but it was still awkward to get the dryer through the door opening. Once we got our garden shed with its four foot wide door opening, I could carry the dryer through the shed door in its normal orientation. The shed is also much closer to the sunny area where I put the dryer than the house is. Now that I store the dryer in the shed I use it more often. I recommend you measure your door first and modify the plan in the book if needed so your dryer will fit through the door you'll carry it through.
Not only is the dryer too wide to fit through our house doors but the screens are also too wide to fit through them so I cannot load the screens in the kitchen. Instead I load the screens by placing them on a plastic table outside that is wide enough to hold the screens. I weigh the food before putting it on the screen to make sure I do not put more than 3 pounds of food on a screen, as recommended. Leave enough room between pieces of food for sunlight to strike the collector and for air to pass through the screens, as shown below. The back door is open in the bottom photo, showing two loaded screens in the dryer sitting on wood tracks.
You'll need to put the dryer someplace where it gets several hours of morning and afternoon sun. If you're putting the dryer on a lawn with an uneven surface, I suggest putting a sheet of wood on the ground first and placing the dryer on the sheet of wood for added stability.
We found that ants are able to get into the dryer and eat the food when the dryer is not hot enough to kill them, usually when I leave food in the dryer overnight. If you have light bulbs for supplementary heating you may not have problems with ants getting into the food overnight. I solved the ant problem by putting a reused metal can under each leg of the dryer and filling the metal can with water. Ants cannot cross the moat of water in the can. As long as no plant stems contact the solar dryer anywhere else and you refill the cans as the water dries, the dryer will remain ant-free. The other way to solve the ant problem is to remove the food in late afternoon and store in in the refrigerator overnight, returning the food to the dryer the next morning to finish drying.
Foods We Dry
Generally speaking, foods are left to dry until they are leathery or crisp. In July or August foods will dry enough in two to three days of clear to partly cloudy skies. By now the days are short enough and the sun is low enough that it takes four or five days to dry zucchini. If cloudy skies or rain occurs before the food is dry, I store the food in the fridge till sunny weather returns. Also by this time of year the air coming in the dryer is cooler, reducing the drying efficiency further, and we start to get a higher proportion of cloudy to clear days in our region. Solar drying is not practical here after the end of October. In late spring the weather warms enough to start using the dryer.
The foods we have dried so far in our solar food dryer are as follows. I wash and cut ripe food to size before loading it onto the screens. I don't blanch foods; it doesn't seem to be necessary.
Shiitake mushrooms: these dry quickly, in two days. We remove the stems and dry the caps gills up the first day, gills down the second. Other mushrooms would likely dry similarly.
Herbs: when we have more herbs than we can dry in the house, we dry them in the solar food dryer. Herbs should dry at lower temperatures, under 120F, so I cut down on sunlight entering the dryer by covering the window with a white dish towel and leaving the vent wide open. Herbs dry in a day or two.
Beef: Mike has dried thin strips of marinated beef into jerky. He only does this in summer, when the temperature inside the dryer goes to 150F and above for at least a few hours, and he removes the beef in late afternoon and keeps it in the fridge overnight if it is not yet dry. It takes two or three days to dry the beef to the jerky state.
Tomatoes: Any tomato will dry successfully if it is cut into 1/8-1/4" slices and the slices laid on the screens. Since they are watery they need three or more days to dry fully.
Hot peppers: I tried drying them whole but it took many days to dry them. It worked better to cut them in half and lay the halves on the screens. The time it takes depends on how thick the walls are. Sweet peppers should dry well but I expect they will take longer than hot peppers and would probably dry best if cut into strips.
Zucchini: I dry the variety 'Costata Romanesca' which remains tender even at 4 pounds in size, cutting them into 1/8" think rounds. It's a great way to make use of the zucchinis you don't find until they are huge. You don't need to remove the seeds or skin. Dry the rounds till they are crisp and you have an excellent substitute for tortilla or potato chips!
Peaches: Halve and pit them, then slice them about 1/8 to 1/4" thick and dry the slices. The sweet concentrated peach flavor is delicious!
Strawberries: Depending on the size of the berries you can halve or quarter them. As with peaches and tomatoes, dry them thoroughly so they won't mold in storage. Another concentrated flavor delight!
Just because I haven't listed it here doesn't mean it won't dry well; it just means I haven't had enough of it at the right time to dry it. Kale, for instance, should dry nicely and I plan to try it when I have enough excess kale.


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Sewell Recalls Biting 'Vampire' Co-star Cooper
UPI.com, 22 June 2012 British actor Rufus Sewell admits he accidentally sank a prosthetic fang into the cheek of his co-star Dominic Cooper on the first day of shooting their horror flick "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter." The 19th century-set movie is based on Seth Grahame-Smith's novel, which imagines the 16th president of the United States as an ax-wielding slayer of the undead. Benjamin Walker plays Lincoln in the film version, while Sewell and Cooper play vampires with opposing agendas. The movie was directed by Timur Bekmambetov. from a screenplay by Grahame-Smith, and produced by Tim Burton. Asked to share a favorite moment from the production, Cooper told reporters at a recent New York press conference, "I remember Rufus' tooth being planted in my cheek during our first fight." Sewell, sitting alongside his co-stars and the filmmakers, confirmed the story was true. "On my first day, when I had to bite him at the end of the scene, which I thought went rather well, my tooth was missing and a hunt was conducted and it was found stuck in the side of my co-actor's head where it had snapped off," Sewell laughed. "I hadn't been given the talk about how we bite when we've got actual sharp, actual teeth in our mouth. So, I think I went in a bit close and they literally found it stuck on the side of his head. ... That's why he grew [his beard.]" "I think we should have kept a head count of how many people Ben hit with the ax," producer Jim Lemley quipped, alluding to how enthusiastically Walker swung his character's weapon of choice. "We had great people who taught me," Walker recalled. "And they kicked my ass and they were also tough enough to stand there while I hit them in the face with the rubber ax. The hardest part was because we are in 3-D, you can't fudge the distance and you have to get in as close as possible, so there were a number of ax accidents." So, did the former star of the stage musical "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" suffer any serious injuries while playing Abraham Lincoln in "Vampire Hunter"? "I didn't get hurt that much, but a number of stunt guys really took their licks," Walker said. "I would ruin takes because I was like, 'I'm so sorry!'" "Dark Shadows," "Edward Scissorhands" and "Beetlejuice" director Burton said he wanted to be part of "Vampire Hunter" as soon as the premise was mentioned to him. "When I heard the title, I said, "I want to see this movie.' It reminded me of movies I used to go see [as part of] triple features like 'Scream, Blacula, Scream' and 'Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde' and all these weird titles. This seemed like it fit in," Burton said. "I think the joke ends at the title and nobody up here [on this panel] is denying the premise of the film is absurd, but that said, 'OK, that's fine but we're going to do it the most dedicated, straightforward, kick-ass way imaginable,'" said Grahame-Smith. "We're not going to wink at the audience. You do that by making it grounded and making it seem real and you do that by having Timur direct everyone on his team, whether it's the period design of the movie, the costumes, the performances. All these actors are actors' actors. They are trained, serious actors and they are bringing a deeper, more grounded performance than you'd expect from a movie with this crazy premise." Bekmambetov, whose previous films include "Night Watch," "Day Watch" and "Wanted," said he always wanted to make "Vampire Hunter" in 3-D because it makes the viewers feel like they are part of the action. "It was the only way to tell the story," he noted. "From the moment when we read this book, we understood it would be a 3-D movie because it is a unique journey, experience." "Timur showed me some pictures from the Civil War that were in 3-D. There were actually pictures of Lincoln, so it actually really made sense. It was almost the first use of 3-D technology," Burton added. "Not every film needs to be 3-D. There's a Hollywood thing -- 3-D or no 3-D. Yes or no? I think the choice is always nice. Some people like 3-D, some people would rather see it in 2-D. So I think the choice is always great, but this particular one, again based on those photographs, it completely seemed the obvious and right tool to use for this movie. ... It brings you there." "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" opened in U.S. theaters Friday.
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Please email Village Administrator McAndrews with any thoughts or concerns. Additionally, public comments at Village Board meetings are available for any member of the public.
Show All Answers
On Tuesday 6/25/2019. Governor Pritzker signed Illinois House Bill 1438 (Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act - CRTA), legalizing the consumption and possession of recreational cannabis for adults 21 and older in Illinois.
No, municipalities cannot ban or override the CRTA.
Yes, Section 55-25 of the Act outlines what municipalities are allowed to regulate.
The Recreational Cannabis Act itself prohibits a new cannabis dispensary from locating within 1,500 feet of another dispensary. Villages may further restrict the location through zoning regulations. The Act authorizes up to 500 dispensary licenses, allows dispensaries to operate from 6am to 10pm and enables dispensaries, infusers and/or craft growers to share a facility if allowed by the local municipalities. The Act requires that cannabis advertising be at least 1,000 feet from school grounds, playgrounds, public recreational facilities, child care centers, public parks, public libraries, and gaming arcades.
The Village plays no role in the licensing process as it is left up to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (DFRF) to select and process those individuals attempting to obtain a license. The 55 current medical-cannabis dispensaries get early approval for licenses to sell under the new Act.
Any person, business, public entity, or landlord may prohibit the use of cannabis on private property.
Per the new State legislation, the consumption of cannabis as of 1/1/2020, will be treated similarly to that of the consumption of alcohol with any Illinois resident, or non-resident, ages 21 or over, now being able to purchase and consume cannabis.
Only licensed businesses will be able to legally grow and sell cannabis. Medical cannabis patients will be allowed to grow up to five plants each within their home. Recreational users will not be allowed to grow any plants.
Illinois residents may possess up to:
The legal limit for driving is a THC blood concentration of more than five nanograms per milliliter. If you have more than that in your system, or are impaired you may be charged with a DUI.
No, the consumption of cannabis in public will be considered unlawful.
The consumption of cannabis will be allowed on private property. Consumption may potentially be permitted at specifically designated establishments such as dispensaries or smoking lounges if allowed by local ordinance. Smoking at dispensaries or smoking lounges would be dependent on the Village Board approving zoning for such a use.
Consumption of cannabis in a vehicle on a public street will still be prohibited. Cannabis transported in a vehicle must be in a sealed, odor proof, and child-resistant cannabis container and reasonably inaccessible.
Yes, the list of conditions that are covered under the use of medical cannabis was expanded to now include chronic pain, autism, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, osteoarthritis, and anorexia.
Sales will be taxed at 10% for cannabis with THC levels at or less than 35%; 25% for cannabis with THC levels above 35%; and 20% for cannabis infused products such as edibles. This is in addition to standard state and local sales taxes. Additionally, the Village of Deer Park has added a special tax of up to 3%.
Within the bill, any government proceeds associated with the sale of recreational cannabis was established as follows:
Currently, the Village has no plans in place fore these potential funds. The expectation of staff is that the 3% sales tax would go toward the General Fund but it is not yet certain.
Although cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, federal law enforcement has rarely interfered with individuals possessing the state regulated legal amount of businesses complying with state enforced programs. Any questions related to Federal or State regulations should be directed to the proper agencies.
Other communities have been surveyed. No changes in safety calls for service were reported. Some responses included parking or traffic concerns at some locations, this may be due to the early openings of dispensaries and high demand. Public safety is the Village's top priority and any specific security concerns will be addressed.
It is reasonable to assume that the legalization of cannabis will increase the demand for police services as well as the number of drug impaired drivers on our roadways, due to the state-wide allowance of marijuana, regardless of whether or not such a facility is located within the village limits of Deer Park.
Governor Pritzker has stated that he will pardon past convictions for possession of up to 30 grams, with the attorney general going to court to delete public records of a conviction or arrest for the now legal amount. Regarding possession of 30-500 grams, an individual or a state's attorney may petition the court to vacate or expunge the conviction.


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What did GOP's bid to oust Charles Rangel accomplish?
| Washington
Wednesday's Republican bid to oust Rep. Charles Rangel (D) of New York as chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee failed on a near party-line vote – and the outcome was never in doubt.
But in a highly polarized House, the significance of the move was not captured by the vote count. It was aimed to score political points by keeping corruption allegations against the majority party squarely in public sight – especially in the run-up to 2010 midterm elections.
"When the boss of the IRS, and the chairman of the House committee that controls the IRS, fail to pay their taxes and walk off without penalty, we have made a mockery of our tax system and the rule of law itself," said Rep. John Carter (R) of Texas, who sponsored the resolution. "Either this House repairs this damage, or the American people will have to replace this House."
At his own request, Chairman Rangel has been under investigation by the House ethics panel since Sept. 24, 2008, on allegations ranging from using a rent-controlled property in New York for a campaign office, trading favors for funds for the Charles B. Rangel Center at the City College of New York, and failing to report income on tax forms.
House Democratic leaders have stood by the chairman, who enjoys strong friendships on both sides of the aisle, and rebuffed calls for his resignation. House Republicans say it will cost them in midterm elections.
"Today's vote is just the latest example of Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi breaking her promise to have the 'most open and ethical' Congress in history," said House Republican leader John Boehner after the vote.
In response to this, Democratic leaders say that, unlike in the past, the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct is issuing regular reports on how it has been proceeding.
"We ought to allow that work to continue and to be completed and receive their recommendations, and we will do that," said House majority leader Steny Hoyer in a press briefing on Tuesday.
Rangel is one of nine Democrats under investigation by the House ethics committee or the Department of Justice. Five Republicans are also the target of ethics probes, according to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).
"The most serious thing he's facing is that he traded a tax break for Nabors Industries in return for donations to the Rangel Center," says CREW executive director Melanie Sloan. The donation and the tax break, which Rangel had earlier opposed, allegedly came about the same time. "If that's true, that's a bribe," she adds.
What rankles other watchdog groups, however, is the allegation that Rangle failed to report income on tax forms – particularly as he is the leader of the House's tax-writing committee. "Congressman Rangel is in charge of the tax laws and cannot seem to follow them or appreciate that what he's doing is setting a bad example for others," says Thomas Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste in Washington.
In an unusual move, House Republicans demanded that the resolution against Rangel be read on the floor of the House twice. Critics called it a case of tit for tat. Republicans are still smarting from the move by Democrats to vote a
resolution of disapproval of Rep. Joe Wilson (R) of South Carolina for calling President Obama a liar during a health care address to a joint session of Congress.


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Abbe-Abbey Genealogy
The Abbe genealogy, as here published, is the consummation of Professor Cleveland Abbe's life-long interest in the history of his family. Before reaching his twentieth year he began to collect items of interest about his ancestors and the collateral lines, and in spite of more or less interruption he has continued to do so all through his busy career. From time to time other members of the family added to the items collected by or worked up at the suggestion of Professor Abbe. A few years ago, finally realizing that other matters demanded too much time and that he could not arrange this material in final form, he turned over all his material to Josephine Genung Nichols. She has arranged the data in its present form, and added to it, as far as practicable, by extensive correspondence, library research and examinations of the public records at some of the former homes of the family.


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JERSEY CITY — Like all feasts, food and entertainment are always the two main centers of attraction at La Festa Italiana in Jersey City. Each night, the feast, which begins on Aug. 14 and continues through Aug. 18, will feature such popular delights as rice balls, zeppoles, homemade desserts from Caffe Plus, and fresh mozzarella.
In addition to the food, each night of the feast will feature a headlining musical act.
Everybody's Everything kicks off the feast on Wednesday, Aug. 14. The Toga Party Band will perform on Thursday. Aug. 15. Total Soul will perform a set filled with R&B, Motown hits, and big band jazz standards on Friday, Aug. 16.
The Jersey Sound will take center stage on Saturday, Aug. 17 and the Cameos will finish off Sunday, Aug. 18 with their repertoire of golden hits from the '50s, '60s, and '70s.
Reunion and prayer
On Sat, Aug. 17, parishioners who attended Ferris High School are welcome back to the neighborhood to reconnect with old friends at the 4th annual All-Year Reunion Night held at the Holy Rosary Parish Center. Pictures taken of the parish and the old neighborhood will also be on sale at the Vintage Photo Gallery, a terrific keepsake for feast-goers.
La Festa Italiana will also hold special masses to venerate the feast days of Our Lady of the Assumption and St. Rocco. Feast-goers can express their spirituality and devotion by attending a Mass, purchasing a Memorial Candle for a loved one or sending prayers skyward with Memorial Balloons.
A Novena featuring nine guest celebrants will take place Aug. 6-14. The Feast of the Assumption Mass will take place on Thurs, Aug. 15 at 11 am. The Mass will be celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop of Newark Thomas A. Donato, a son of Holy Rosary Church. A Triduum will be held three days prior to St. Rocco Feast Day, Aug. 13, 14 and 15. A Feast Day Mass will be held for St. Rocco on Fri, Aug. 16 at 11 am, celebrated by Rev. Jurek Zaslona, Pastor of Holy Rosary Church.
Following the 11 am Mass on Thurs, Aug. 15, the Holy Day of Obligation, the Most Rev. Thomas A. Donato, Auxiliary Bishop of Newark will bless Memorial Balloons donated by parishioners in memory of a loved one's passing and in honor of someone important in their lives. More than 300 people annually participate in the Memorial Balloons launch which takes place at the foot of the steps of the church where Fr. Donato will give the blessing. After the balloons are released into the sky, a street procession carrying the statue of Our Lady of the Assumption will walk through the neighborhood.
For more information regarding the novena or the 2013 Festa Italiana, visit http://lafestaitalianajc.com or call (201) 795-0120. Holy Rosary Church is located at 344 Sixth St.
For more on the fest, see the story that appeared in this weekend's ; paper, here.


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Design. Build. Transform.
Magic, chaos, productivity and fun in Bertie County
By Michael E.C. GeryEmily Pilloton, who teaches an amazing design-and-build shop course at Bertie High School, further inspired a roomful of already-inspired eastern North Carolina teachers in November during the annual Bright Ideas Awards Dinner, hosted in Greenville by The Electric Cooperatives of Eastern North Carolina.
A young architect, industrial designer and author of the book "Design Revolution," Emily and her partner Matthew Miller also inspired 13 Bertie County high school juniors during the past year. They are students who live in a region considered the poorest in the state, where one in three children lives in poverty and less than 30 percent of third to eighth graders pass the state's standardized tests in math and English. Her 13 students endured what amounted to a year-long boot camp where they earned high school and college credits as they learned to think, create, measure, fail, succeed, work together and build things that made sense for themselves and their community. As Emily Pilloton says, the ultimate idea is "to use creativity to make something happen, to execute it to completion, and to transform the community."
Attracted to Bertie County in 2009 by former school superintendent Chip Zullinger, Emily transformed her non-profit Project H Design into Bertie High School's Studio H. With help from school staff and others, her students over time designed and built three "Learning Landscapes" playgrounds at local schools, three school computer labs, a weight room for the football team, far-out Cornhole boards, farther-out backyard chicken coops, and a brand new, from-the-ground-up farmers market pavilion known as the Windsor Super Market.
All of these projects required students to attend her class three hours per day, five days a week, and to work Studio H-paid summer jobs related to the projects. All also required students to learn relevant computer skills, design techniques, collaborative work methods, tool safety, model sketching, welding and carpentry, among other skills. To learn architectural cross-section and elevation diagrams, they cut in half a bell pepper and studied it. They conceived, designed and built everything within a learning environment that integrated their other academic work. Students were first afraid to learn a skill, then embraced it. They argued with one another about what to do next, and failed and failed until they succeeded. Emily described the experience as "magical, chaotic, productive and really fun."
Emily Pilloton listed for the Bright Ideas grant winners four building blocks teachers can use to design courses that help students become "well-rounded." They are citizenship (a desire to work with and transform their community), creativity (no-holds-barred approaches to problem solving), capital (the means to acquire supplies and materials), and critical thinking (rethinking problems as long as it takes to get the solutions right).
All of the Studio H projects were designed to fit into Bertie County, even the Cornhole boards, which students auctioned to help pay for the chicken coops, which they gave to neighboring families. After a couple rounds of community meetings to determine needs and preferences, the class learned building code provisions and designed the Windsor Super Market. The 2,000-square-foot building is meant to resuscitate a lapsed farmers market. At the grand opening last October, one of the students, Kerron, said of his Studio H experience, "It changed the way I see the world, and made me expect more of myself. I don't know any other 17-year old who can say they designed something like this. In 10 or 20 years I want to bring my kids here and tell them I built this."
The Studio H program continues in Bertie County in 2012. For more information and pictures of the projects, visit www.studio-h.org
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By HarlemGal for HarlemCondoLife
February 12 is one busy day for some new local businesses opening up in Harlem. As I told you, Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar was scheduled to open before Valentine's Day and they are now open. Go check them out and tell us what you think of the new digs.
Last night on my way home, I saw folks working inside Franz James Floral Boutique, located at 2114 Frederick Douglass Blvd. I walked in to see what was up. While there, I met the owners, Franz and James (hence the name of the business), and they told me they were opening today, February 12. They will be offering full flower art services, such as arrangements/center pieces for any occasion, and they will be selling loose flowers as well.
By the way, James of Franz James told me he is from Harlem and continues to live here. So this new business is partially owned and operated by a Harlemite. The same is partially true for Lido. Susannah, co-proprietor, lives in Harlem as well. It's great to know this. However, we all know a solid product has to be offered.
So if you want to check out these new businesses on Frederick Douglass Blvd. They're open…starting today!


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NEW YORK, Jan. 30 (UPI) — The price of crude oil pushed higher Wednesday, adding 80 cents to $97.96 per barrel in New York.
NYMEX crude oil is near a four-month high. Pressured by the steady climb in recent weeks, gasoline prices at the pump gained 3 cents Tuesday to Wednesday, a steep jump for a 24-hour cycle.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, reformulated blendstock gasoline added 7.57 cents to $3.0202 a gallon. Home heating oil gained 4.66 cents to $3.1125 a gallon.
Natural gas added 7.8 cent to $3.333 per million British thermal units.
At gas stations, AAA reported the national average retail price for regular unleaded gasoline hit $3.394 per gallon up from Tuesday's $3.364.
Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Show All Answers
Call the Dept. of Public works at 528-6379. The Solid Waste Coordinator will ensure that you are on a regular collection route and will notify our trash hauler to begin curbside collection.
The regulation size is a 32-gal container.
Single family dwellings are allowed 2 32-gallon containers weekly.
Duplexes are allowed 2 32-gallon containers per unit for a total of 4 32-gallon containers weekly.
Triplexes are allowed 2 32-gallon containers per unit for a total of 6 32-gallon containers weekly.
Apartment buildings (with 4 or more apartments) and commercial stops are allowed a total of 7 32-gal containers weekly.
No later than 6 am is the rule, but you may place it out no earlier than 7 PM the night before.
Trash cans should be removed from the curb by 7 PM on collection day.
The City sells 18 gallon bins, but you may use any container of your choice as long as it is clearly labeled "RECYCLING." The City has free RECYCLING stickers for this purpose. There is NO LIMIT on the recycling households can leave curbside.
Yes. Both metal and non-metal bulky items require "Bulky Item" stickers. Stickers are available for $8 at the City Clerk's office (45 Beacon St. E Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30). Non-metal bulky items are collected on the normal trash day. Metal items are collected once a month; call DPW Office (528-6379) to register for pickup of metal bulky items. Freon-containing items (refrigerators, dehumidifiers, . . . ) are NOT ELIGIBLE for curbside pickup.


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Applications for these positions are only available in the Sheriff's Office, located at:
1100 Clarks Road
New Bern, NC 28562
Call 252-636-6620 for information.
Show All Answers
Job postings remain on the site until the closing date which is at least five business days from the date of issue for in-house postings and at least seven days for all postings open to the public.
Craven County cannot accept applications submitted past the official closing date listed on the vacancy announcement.
Employees hired by Craven County, whose immediate past employer within the last ninety (90) days was the State of North Carolina, any of its political subdivisions, any local government entity or authority, or municipality in North Carolina, may transfer to the County any unused sick leave, provided the employee has not requested, or is receiving, retirement benefits from the North Carolina Retirement System. The employee must request this transfer within ninety (90) days of the beginning of employment with Craven County, and it is the responsibility of the employee to provide bona-fide documentation of the amount of unused sick leave from the immediate past employer. Upon verification of the unused sick leave by Human Resources, the employee will be credited with the transferred sick leave. Annual leave cannot be transferred to Craven County.
Craven County residency is not required on most jobs. If it is a requirement, it will so state in the advertisement. Non-US citizens must be able to show proof they can work legally in this country and present documents verifying immigration status.
You may attach a resumé, however you must also complete all mandatory sections of the online application, including the work history section of the application, in order for your application to receive consideration.
You must submit a separate application for each position for which you would like to be considered.
To obtain a work permit you may apply online with the North Carolina Department of Labor or go to your local Department of Social Services.
New positions are posted as they become available, usually several times a week. You may wish to check our website weekly.
You will receive an email to the email address used in your online governmentjobs.com profile about your referral status once the position has been filled.
All applicants are assessed relative to the qualifications listed on the job posting. Only those applicants who meet the stated qualifications are eligible for consideration. If a pre-employment test is required, you will be contacted for an appointment. Meeting the minimum qualifications of the posting does not automatically mean that you will be referred for the position posted as all applicants are assessed on a competitive basis.
The Human Resources Department is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday through Friday.
The Department Head or designee will contact you to arrange an interview.
The Craven County Employment webpage is updated regularly. If the position for which you submitted your application is not listed, it is no longer available.
A continuous or open until filled closing date means that the vacancy does not have a closing date. Applications will be reviewed as received until the position is filled.
No, State law allows applicants to not disclose any arrest, charge, or conviction that has been expunged.


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Sponsor: I want to thank one of our sponsors for this week's episode, Cast Away and Folk, a modern yarn, sewing & weaving shop in Historic Railroad Square in Santa Rosa, CA. Cast Away and Folk makes their home in a turn of the century large brick loft, that inspires you as soon as you walk through the doors. The three owners, Justine, Leslee and Isla and their experienced team are so welcoming and there to gel you choose your next project or find just the right fiber or fabric you've been looking for. They offer a wide variety of great classes and workshops covering sewing, knitting, weaving, felting, embroidery and more. Make sure to visit Cast Away & Folk online at castawayandfolk.com or in person when in Santa Rosa. You can also find them on Instagram @castawayandfolk.
In October, Cast Away and Folk is hosting a very special field trip to one of my most favorite places, Twirl. This is the home of my friend Mary Pettis-Sarley, the creator of Twirl yarn and her myriad of alpacas, sheep, horses, cattle, dogs, chickens, pigs, goats, and of course Zack the donkey. You won't believe this place…with Napa valley's rolling hills, indigo fields, and fiber in every which way. If you're in the area, I highly recommend you join this trip…you'll leave so inspired by this place and the woman behind it. Snuggles some animals, dye some Twirl yarn and enjoy an included bag lunch…and to register, call Cast Away and Folk at 707.546.9276
Fiber folk: When someone's name continues to come up in conversations, you start to get the hint that maybe you should get to know said person…well Daphne Marinopoulos is one of those people. After a few months of aligning schedules and rural internet bandwidth, we were finally able to sit down and have a talk, and it spoke to me in a special way…much of that conversation you'll hear here today. From flight instructor to foreign service officer to fiber mill owner and creator of The Fibre Company, Daphne has had a pretty incredible journey, and one highlighted by a life of fulfilling her creative passion and destiny, something I know many of us seek and aspire to do. I've long admired the quality, composition and obvious care that goes into The Fibre Company yarns, but I never realized the story behind it, until now…and as we all know, the story is everything. You can find Daphne at thefibreco.com.
Sponsor: I want to thank our other sponsor for this week's episode Kelbourne Woolens, a wonderful company built by two passionate women, Courtney Kelley and Kate Gagnon Osborn. Kelbourne itself is unique, serving as the US distributor of The Fibre Company yarns, a design house, author of several books, instructors and makers of their own line of tools and accessories. They focus on modern interpretations of classic designs, and the love of traditional knitting techniques. From their shared experiences in fine art, textiles, retail, and knitwear design, they offer an invaluable resource to this fiber community of ours. Look for them this weekend at the Make. Wear. Love. retreat hosted by Amy Herzog in Sebasco Harbor, Maine. And make sure to visit Kelbourne Woolens at kelbournewoolens.com and on Instagram @kelbournewoolens.
Farmyard Tales: This week we have a funny Farmyard Tale from Angie of Kismet Fiber Works.
Giveaway: The winners of last week's giveaway are, Ann Marie Mullen, you've won the mixed BFL fiber from Fiber in the Boro and Rebecca McCoyer , you've won 2 skeins of raw silk noil yarn from Shutters and Shuttles. Congratulations!
This week's giveaway is sponsored by Cast Away and Folk, and we're giving away 2 skeins of Savannah yarn and the Norie Hat pattern by Gudrun Johnston. To enter this giveaway and be one of the three winners, leave a comment on this post.
Music by Jónsi.


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Piglets have allergies too: post-weaning lag caused by sensitivity to soy protein
Early weaned piglets have been plagued by poor growth performance, known as the "post-weaning lag". Is it caused by hypersensitivity to soy protein?The global swine industry adopted early-weaning practices a generation ago. However, early weaned piglets have been plagued by poor growth performance, known as the "post-weaning lag", writes Cassio Villela, Senior Swine Marketing Specialist, Novus International, Inc.
One cause of this is the piglets' hypersensitivity to soy protein – specifically glycinin and β-conglycinin, which make up about 40% and 30% of the total protein found in soybean meal (SBM). These proteins have been found to be allergenic to the intestinal lumen, leading to biological responses like inflammation and minimised nutrient absorption capacity. Unlike other anti-nutritional factors in SBM, glycinin and β-conglycinin are not neutralised by thermal treatment experienced in SBM processing. This leads producers to utilise more digestible sources of protein. However, this comes at a cost, as they are much more expensive than SBM. Yet, this may not fix the problem, as diets will still have some level of SBM inclusion which can still generate allergic reactions in the gut.
Protease is a protein-degrading feed enzyme which increases the amino acid digestibility of protein substrates. In the case of SBM, these substrates include glycinin and β-conglycinin. Studies conducted by Novus International investigated the in vitro ability of Cibenz® DP100 protease feed enzyme to hydrolyze soybean glycinin and β-conglycinin and then evaluated the in vivo effects of protease on performance, intestinal morphology, and inflammatory response of nursery piglets fed corn-soybean diets with different crude protein concentrations. Results of the studies are noted in the figures below.
In conclusion, the studies indicate that the protease can hydrolyse glycinin and β-conglycinin as observed by in vitro and in vivo trials. The hydrolysis of these antigenic proteins from soybean decreases the allergic reaction in the gut, thereby improving gut health, allowing piglets to grow faster and more efficiently, and also giving the flexibility for producers to include higher levels of SBM in nursery piglet diets which reduces feed cost.
For more information, visit www.novusint.com/CIBENZA.


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SpaceX is targeting Monday, April 13 to launch the next commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. Launch of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft is targeted for approximately 4:33 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. NASA Television coverage will begin at 3:30 p.m.
A Monday launch will result in the Dragon spacecraft arriving at the space station Wednesday, April 15. Expedition 43 Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of ESA (European Space Agency) will use the station's 57.7-foot robotic arm to reach out and capture Dragon at approximately 7:14 a.m. Flight Engineer Terry Virts of NASA will support Cristoforetti as they operate from the station's cupola. NASA TV coverage of grapple will begin at 5 a.m. Coverage of Dragon's installation to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module will begin at 9:15 a.m.
If the launch does not occur on Monday, the next launch opportunity would be at approximately 4:10 p.m. Tuesday, April 14.
This is the sixth SpaceX commercial resupply services mission and the seventh trip by a Dragon spacecraft to the station. Dragon is filled with more than 4,300 pounds of supplies and payloads, including critical materials to support science and research investigations that will occur during Expeditions 43 and 44. After about five weeks at the space station, Dragon will return to Earth filled with cargo including crew supplies, hardware and computer resources, science experiments, and space station hardware.
For launch countdown coverage, NASA's launch blog, and more information about the mission, visit:https://www.nasa.gov/spacex
To join the online conversation about the SpaceX CRS-6 launch, the International Space Station and Expedition 43 on Twitter, follow the hashtags #ISScargo and #ISS. To learn more about all the ways to connect and collaborate with NASA, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/connect


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Daily Readings for Sunday, December 14, 2025
- Morning Psalms 24; 150
- First Reading Amos 9:11-15
- Second Reading 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 13-17
- Gospel Reading John 5:30-47
- Evening Psalms 25; 110
Morning Psalm 24
1The earth is the LORD's and all that is in it,
the world, and those who live in it;
2for he has founded it on the seas,
and established it on the rivers.
3Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.
5They will receive blessing from the LORD,
and vindication from the God of their salvation.
6Such is the company of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
7Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
8Who is the King of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle.
9Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
10Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory. Selah
Morning Psalm 150
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty firmament!
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his surpassing greatness!
3 Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
4 Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
5 Praise him with clanging cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
First Reading Amos 9:11-15
11On that day I will raise up
the booth of David that is fallen,
and repair its breaches,
and raise up its ruins,
and rebuild it as in the days of old;
12in order that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations who are called by my name,
says the LORD who does this.
13The time is surely coming, says the LORD,
when the one who plows shall overtake the one who reaps,
and the treader of grapes the one who sows the seed;
the mountains shall drip sweet wine,
and all the hills shall flow with it.
14I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel,
and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine,
and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.
15I will plant them upon their land,
and they shall never again be plucked up
out of the land that I have given them,
says the LORD your God.
Second Reading 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 13-17
1As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, 2not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. 3Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction.
13But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.
16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.
Gospel Reading John 5:30-47
30"I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
31"If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true. 33You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. 34Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36But I have a testimony greater than John's. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. 37And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, 38and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent.
39"You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. 40Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 41I do not accept glory from human beings. 42But I know that you do not have the love of God in you. 43I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? 45Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?"
Evening Psalm 25
1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
6 Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for your goodness' sake, O LORD!
8 Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
11 For your name's sake, O LORD,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
12 Who are they that fear the LORD?
He will teach them the way that they should choose.
13 They will abide in prosperity,
and their children shall possess the land.
14 The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him,
and he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever toward the LORD,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 Relieve the troubles of my heart,
and bring me out of my distress.
18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider how many are my foes,
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
20 O guard my life, and deliver me;
do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.
22 Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all its troubles.
Evening Psalm 110
1 The LORD says to my lord,
"Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies your footstool."
2 The LORD sends out from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your foes.
3 Your people will offer themselves willingly
on the day you lead your forces
on the holy mountains.
From the womb of the morning,
like dew, your youth will come to you.
4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind,
"You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."
5 The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter heads
over the wide earth.
7 He will drink from the stream by the path;
therefore he will lift up his head.


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Beyond gadgets: what's next for wireless power?
Wireless charging is coming to tablets and more
The surprise hit of this year's CES was wireless charging - and the technology is set for a major boost during the remainder of 2013.
Nokia, LG, HTC, Motorola and Samsung have already put Qi standard wireless power receivers into recent phones like the Lumia 920 as well as Bluetooth headsets.
Nokia promised last year that US coffee chain Coffee Bean would offer wireless charging points in its tables and the Las Vegas store marks the fifth US city to get them. You can borrow a charging case or micro USB adapter if your phone doesn't have Qi built in.
Buying a whole new wireless charger might seem like a waste when you get a wired charger free with your phone.
If you have one of IDAPT's handy multiple charging bases which have interchangeable tips to charge three or four devices at once, the company will soon have a $60 module that adds Qi charging. You can slot it onto the charging base – or use it to turn your existing charger into a Qi charging pad.
The other approach is to put a Qi charger into something you're already plugging in – like a Bluetooth wireless speaker. Put your phone on top of TDK's new Wireless Charging Cube and it uses NFC to pair the two, Bluetooth to stream your music and Qi to charge your phone. By CES 2014 we're expecting to see almost anything you plug in, from a speaker to a lamp to a set-top box to have a Qi charging point built in.
Pretty soon, that will also include your tablet. Fulton (who has developed many of the components that put Qi into devices like the Lumia 920) showed us a modified Galaxy Tab with a two-way wireless power antenna inside.
It charges wirelessly from a medium-power charging pad (which goes up to 15W) but when you turn it over, you can charge your phone or your Bluetooth headset wirelessly from the tablet. That way, you can boost whichever device you need to use most.
The medium power wireless charging specification is almost finished and tablets and tablet charging pads should be out this year. It's powerful enough that you don't have to worry about getting devices aligned as precisely with the charging coil in the pad (which can be almost as fiddly as plugging in a cable) and they can be an inch or two above the pad as well (in a case or bag, for example).
The second version of the medium power spec will cover laptops and power tools, with charging pads delivering 80-100W. After that comes the high power specification, which will let you run kitchen appliances like blenders – and once you've put a wireless power point into your worktop to power a blender, you can use it to charge your laptop or phone as well.
For lower power devices, like AA batteries, Fulton can print the entire charging coil and connector with conductive ink on paper. We saw a demo of a printed business card with an e-ink panel that light up when we put the card on a wireless charging point.
That means you could print a wireless charging receiver onto the label that the manufacturer wraps around a standard rechargeable battery – turning it into a wireless rechargeable battery that fits anywhere a normal battery does, like an Xbox controller or your TV remote. And now that you don't have to have the receiver right on top of the charging pad, you'll be able to recharge those batteries without having to take them out of whatever you're powering.
Qi isn't the only way to deliver power wirelessly. New Zealand company Power by Proxi is hoping to turn wireless charging upside down with a system that also doesn't make you to line your device up neatly on a charging point, or take the batteries out of devices like toys and remote controls.
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Mary (Twitter, Google+, website) started her career at Future Publishing, saw the AOL meltdown first hand the first time around when she ran the AOL UK computing channel, and she's been a freelance tech writer for over a decade. She's used every version of Windows and Office released, and every smartphone too, but she's still looking for the perfect tablet. Yes, she really does have USB earrings.


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Any guitarist who can play Emerson Lake & Palmer's "Karn Evil 9" and nail the keyboard solo is a bad motor scooter. Paul Gilbert is one such guy. From his early days with the neo-classical metal band Racer X to the Grammy nominated Mr. Big, Gilbert has always played scarifying guitar. With 11 solo albums in his back pocket, Gilbert's latest offering, Space Ship One, continues to display his fondness for Beatlesque power-pop, spellbinding shred, and left-field covers. It's a treat for guitar freaks and pop fanatics alike.
Vintage Guitar: For a shredder, you've got a great pop sensibility.
Paul Gilbert: Thank you. I hope I have a great metal sensibility as well (laughs)! I always crack up because the words "pop" and "sensibility" are always used together. You never hear anyone say "metal sensibility." I'm starting that right here! And the word "shred," to this day, gives me the willies. It was invented way after I was interested in fast guitar. I started playing in the '70s. I was into Jimmy Page. My heroes were Joe Perry and Brad Whitford. By the time the shred people came around, I was more interested in figuring out Todd Rungren pop songs and keyboard parts from Emerson Lake & Palmer.
Do you feel like a pop songwriter trapped in a shredders body?
I don't feel trapped, because I have freedom to do what I want. I want to be a good guitar player, and to me, that meant taking away as many limitations as possible. To be able to speak through the instrument without having technique get in the way.
What is it with you and post-punk power pop?
I like The Ramones. I love Green Day! I've always loved Cheap Trick, and I've always loved taking the structures of The Beatles and making it a little harder. If you added up the shred guitar music I've listened to as a fan over the last 10 years, it might add up to about half an hour. I think I'd be much more successful if I decided to be a solo guitar instrumentalist, hopped on a G3 tour, and only played harmonic minor scales really fast. But I have to play what I like. I like pop music and I love crazy guitar and I have to put them together. I love the juxtaposition.
Talk about Space Ship One.
It was the first time I'd really done a record in a big studio since my Mr. Big days. We played the whole album pretty much as a concert. Because we did a lot of rehearsing, I got more influenced by the other musicians than I normally would. That pushed it in a more rock direction because I tend to write more pop songs than I should. The first half of the album is pretty straight heavy rock with progressive or metal elements. The second half has more pop stuff. There's a rockabilly number, a cover of George Harrison's "It's All Too Much," and there's an acoustic song.
What kind of gear are you using?
A Laney VC50 2×12″ combo. And I love my ADA Flanger – I get to pretend I'm Pat Travers. I'm a huge Pat Travers fan. I've gotten so much from his playing and his sound. I'm trying to bring it to the kids. I'm also using the MXR Phase 90 because I love old Van Halen solos. I collect Ibanez guitars from the '70s and '80s. I'm playing a killer Rocket Roll II.
What is it about Pat Travers?
When I went to GIT, I discovered diatonic harmony and three-note-per-string scales. It was a very powerful feeling. I thought this explained all music, because I was into Iron Maiden-ish heavy metal at the time. Whenever I'd go to a blues jam, I would sound horrible. None of the minor scales worked. I had no vocabulary in that style. I had one once but getting into diatonic harmony and metal destroyed my blues playing. Pat's Go For What You Know album saved my soul in that sense. I started figuring out the solos on it, and redeveloping a blues vocabulary. When I say "blues," it's more rock with a blues tonality. I love the sound of his vibrato and phrasing, the ease with which he played, and what he did with the flanger and wah. Guitar players of the '70s and early '80s had a real ease and finesse about the way they played. That's what I like about Pat Travers – he's a rocker.
This article originally appeared in VG's Oct. '05 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.


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UA:Halfling Paragon
From D&D Wiki
This material is published under the OGL 1.0a. |
Halfling Paragon
Clever and capable, halfling paragons love travel, and they embody the curiosity and easygoing ways of the halfling people. Despite their curiosity and good-natured outlook, halfling paragons are the most capable members of their race. They are survivors, cunning and resourceful enough to survive in a world filled with large, dangerous creatures. When halfling paragons travel through communities and countries populated by other races, they are quick to make friends and often end up at the center of traveling or adventuring groups.
- Adventures
Filled with the wanderlust of the halfling race, halfling paragons see adventuring as a natural extension of their travels through the world. In fact, it's unlikely that a halfling paragon thinks of herself as being on an adventure at any time, even in the middle of a trapfilled dungeon. For a character with a lust for excitement and discovery, what could be a more natural place to visit than a dungeon or ancient ruin?
Occasionally halfling paragons embody the worst of their race's characteristics, using their stealth abilities and their natural cunning to steal from other races — races they consider dupes and fools.
- Characteristics
Exasperated adventuring companions claim that halfling paragons invented curiosity. With their small size and uncanny stealth, halfling paragons can go nearly anywhere undetected. Remaining undetected, however, is rarely any fun. Halfling paragons enjoy the benefits of their small size, and many secretly wonder how bigger races can ever do anything quietly.
- Alignment
Most halfling paragons are chaotic good. They love freedom, and their approach to life is in many ways carefree and unpredictable. While most halflings tend toward neutrality over chaos, a halfling paragon embodies the race's curiosity and love of travel.
- Religion
Halfling paragons favor a variety of deities. Some flit from religion to religion carelessly; they find new ideas compelling and often investigate the tenets of one religion for a while before moving on to another. In this way, halfling paragons amass a few scattered bits of philosophy culled from several different religions into their own happy amalgam. Halfling paragons who remain dedicated to one deity or philosophy almost always multiclass as clerics devoted to a god of travel.
- Background
A halfling paragon learns her skills while traveling with her clan. Although she may be born to a nomadic people, even the clan's travel eventually seems too infrequent, the pace too slow. The wanderlust of the halfling race flows through her, and eventually she sets off on her own, outpacing the slow-moving wagons of her people. Many halfling paragons multiclass as rogues or rangers, and their skills develop while sneaking around in large cities or stalking game through deep wilderness.
- Races
Halfling paragons travel, and they never seem to tire out. Because they spend so much time in the communities of other races, they strive to get along well with everyone. They are adept, as most halflings are, at fitting into the communities of others, although they rarely stay long.
Halfling paragons enjoy a mixed lot of traveling companions — too many members of just one race makes for boring company. Although open-minded in the extreme, halfling paragons can occasionally find dwarves too dour and serious for their tastes. Halfling paragons particularly enjoy the company of gnomes.
- Other Classes
Halfling paragons regard other classes with a mixture of relief and frustration. They are happy to stand behind fighters and members of other physically powerful classes when monsters charge up to do battle, and they are grateful when a spellcaster's abilities help them sneak past an opponent or heal their wounds. But few classes can match the halfling paragon's capability for stealth, and more often than not it is members of those other classes that get the halfling paragon into a fight in the first place. Halfling paragons get along best with other stealthy characters, particularly rogues and rangers, and many multiclass between the two classes.
Game Rule Information
Halfling paragons have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Dexterity is important to halfling paragons because it helps them avoid the attacks of larger foes and increases their accuracy with thrown weapons and slings, their favorite forms of attack. Because halfling paragons value skill and subtlety, a high Intelligence can help them a great deal. Charisma is important to many of the halfling paragon's class skills.
Race: Halflings.
Alignment: Any, although most favor neutrality.
Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills
The halfling paragon's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Fort Save |
Ref Save |
Will Save |
Special |
1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +0 | Athletic prowess, save bonus |
2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +0 | Thrown weapon mastery |
3rd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +1 | Ability boost (Dex +2) |
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the halfling paragon class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Halfling paragons are proficient with all simple weapons and with light armor.
Athletic Prowess (Ex)
At 1st level, a halfling paragon's racial bonus on Climb, Jump, and Move Silently checks improves to +3.
Save Bonus (Ex)
A 1st-level halfling paragon's racial bonus on all saving throws increases by 1.
Thrown Weapon Mastery (Ex)
At 2nd level, a halfling paragon gains a +2 bonus on damage rolls when using a thrown weapon or a sling.
Ability Boost (Ex)
At 3rd level, a halfling paragon's Dexterity score increases by 2 points.
Back to Main Page → Variant Rules → Races → Racial Paragon Classes


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Here we present sample ideas summarized to three examples that we can reach by statistical overview and full text search of Messages with some general considerations and analysis of Medjugorje messages. You can also use our Medjugorje Messages Keywords, Medjugorje Messages Toplist and Medjugorje Messages Concordance pages to verify or extend these ideas.
Since official Medjugorje website up to now did not approved messages given during 1981 - 1984, the analysis in these examples may slightly differ in numbers of messages refered in this text.
For this comparison, we will find various words connected to religious and spiritual life. By word religious, here we understand activities that is connected to a religion (namely Catholic), and which are rather expression, outer manifest or a one of possible forms of a spiritual effort. By the word spiritual, we understand rather values and inner activities, which tends to be less exteriorly "visible", are more universal and timeless, and are common to all other faithful people, regardless their concrete religions or churches.
Example of such typical "religious word" is mass. We enter word mass in the search messages box. If we would as Catholics automatically expect, that this topic have a major importance or accent in messages (or we would expect it after reading various articles about Medjugorje), we would be probably disappointed. There are only 8 messages , from which 5 are moreover given in weekly Messages, which are known to be given at first place for the local Medjugorje Parish and only 3 after 1987.
By further such searching, we can find, that messages accent less religious topics and words and more the ones that can be classed as rather spiritual. We can find many messages containing e.g. love , peace and words, which begin with pray and heart , much more often (with typical approximate difference about 10 times, or even up to about 100 times more often occurrence - if we focus on total count of such words in messages, see our page The Medjugorje Messages Keywords) then words like rosary , mass , sacred scripture ( bible ) or confession . The difference is even more obvious, if we would focus only on Monthly messages.. The only word that may perhaps be classed as a rather religious one and is often contained in messages, is the word(s) of Son Jesus , but we could also class these words as spiritual ones.
Anyway, given examples can lead to conclusion, which would be probably already well known to people, which truly effort to live messages by their lives and hearts. Generally speaking, if we would only live our religious lives (even with rosaries and Bibles in our hands, visiting often the Holy Mass and fasting strictly), but without effort for real spirituality, without resulting real love for God and His children, peace and joy in our hearts, then we would live and practise only very small and less important parts of appeals in messages (if in that case, we could say we live Her messages at all).
Living Medjugorje messages seems to be a process of spiritual transition that begins in religion practise, but leads to a deep spiritual conversion and transformation of our lives, towards the heart overfilled with constant prayer, love and peace - always busy with communion with God, towards the holiness and perfection of soul ( October 25, 1994 ).
On the other hand, we should not make in any way conclusion, that rosary, Holy Mass, confession and other rather religious activities has little or none importance. Even though, spiritual topics have much more urgent and strong accent and thus major importance over the religious ones in Medjugorje Messages. Also we should consider, whether in messages are not outlined topics, in which we have problems or still a space to grow. And while people tends to be more religious, than spiritual, maybe here is another reason of special outline of spiritual topics over the religious ones. For most of us, it seems it is much easier just to hold a rosary in hands and move our lips, attend Holy Mass and confess regulary, then to live in constant devotion, prayer and love with God and other people.
We hope that neither of us that read this text is proud and feels important or even arrogant, that he or she spreads the messages to other people in various forms, including books, journals, talks, Internet etc. and thus suppose, that fulfils appeals of Medjugorje messages better then the others. Nevertheless, for all these activities such person somehow "does not have time", namely to truly effort to live the messages in the heart. It would be most probably ugly self-delusion. There would not be very much of be proud in that case, because there are about fifty messages containing words live messages and only about five messages containing words spread, spreading, convey or transmit . Also in most of these five messages, we are at the same time called again to live the messages. This is especially told in an expressive way in Message of September 20, 1985
There are some another messages, in which are words like, witness, witnesses and, carry, carriers, carrying , but almost all of these messages are connected with giving witnesses and carrying spiritual values contained in messages through living messages, giving example by our own lives and in our hearts, thus based on spiritual basis rather than on any outer way (spreading, how we usually comprehend).
It can be useful spreading and the messages and information related to events and messages of Medjugorje using books, journals, talks, Internet. However, at the first place we should live the messages in our hearts, if we want to count ourselves to those, who with love and joy effort to realize appeals in them, which seem to be the real goals to which Our Lady calls everyone of us. Then we would also become trustworthy witnesses of Our Lady's messages and Her presence in Medjugorje.
There is one very important and very often repeated topic in message, the calling us for love. To love God, our families and all the people. We suppose that we could tend to forget this appeal also very often, and maybe that is the reason it is repeated so often.
Appeals for love appears in about every second message, and is thus much more often appeal then e.g. appeal for fasting (about 10x times). At the first sight, it may even seem to be missing in general overview of topics discussed in messages made by prof. dr. Ljudevit Rupcic, unless we place such group of messages to conversion topics. The overview is an attempt to summarize topics in messages to five classes of topics and is presented by the offical Medjugorje website in an official introduction to short history messages and general overview of messages. Appeals for Love seems to be the second most often repeated appeal (even if we subtract about 40 messages, in which Our Lady confesses Her Love to us), just after the appeal for prayer and even before appeal for the peace, and therefore definitely belongs to appeals with major importance, (see a verification).
Conversion, seems to be something slightly more than just and only love, it is process of renunciation of evil, selfishness and sin and turning to goodness, love and God. But even if we place love to conversion topics, that in such case love is the most important and most frequent part of conversion topics, discussed in Medjugorje messages.
In the book "Abandon yourselves totally to me", published in 1985, Fr. Slavko Barbaric wrote: "If Our Lady says: ' You do not know how to love yet ', this is the very thing we should be upset about. All the world's problems and those in our lives come because we do not know how to love, not because we have not got as much money as we need or anything of the sort. Problems come when we do not love. Love is another word for conversion. Nobody can say 'I was converted yesterday'. Conversion is a process and nobody can say 'I loved yesterday'. A child is not interested in yesterday, he wants to be loved by his mother today.
This is a very important thing, therefore, when Our Lady invites us to prayer, fasting and love.
See also Fr. Slavko Barbaric Reflection of Message of February 25, 1996 , with words love and conversion being highlighten.
"Queen of Peace" claims that conversion is the most important message that She gave us in Medjugorje, and according to the fact that love is clearly most important and major part of conversion topics, we will find love as the most important part of Medjugorje messages.
In messages we can find that without love we would achieve nothing ( December 13, 1984 ) and through love we will achieve everything ( February 28, 1985 ).
Also in the Bible it is said clearly, that whoever does not love, did not found God because God is Love. Without any love, our prayers, our fasting, will have little, if any sense. Our faith could become rigid, bigot and distorted, and we will barely, if ever achieve real peace in our heart and with others. And instead of becoming loving, caring, beautiful and sweet flowers for paradise, which would people like and seek out, to experience a little bit of warmness, encouragement and joy in life, that can be severe and sad, we would become cold, confused, unhappy and fanatical religious beings. Beings with false and distorted view at the world and God, which could even be more successful in injuring and confusing others then helping them (even while e.g. being very active in "spreading" messages and other materials from Medjugorje). This sure would be a pity.
Love is the key essence of all Medjugorje appeals. Without love, no one will be succesfull in understanding and bringing the messages into life. We are glad, that both the messages and reflections are overfilled just with this word love . It is also Love, which is expected to be the fruit of our effort and saying Yes to Our Lady and Her Son. Without love, our conversion would be unstable, imperfect and incomplete. Let us never underestimate importance of Love in Medjugorje Messages and in our lives.


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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1
Yaqui includes: Hiaki, Yoeme
Tepehuán includes: Tepehuanes, Tepehuano
Tohono O'odham includes: Papago
Tarahumara includes: Rarámuri
Mayo includes: Yoreme
Hupa includes: Natinixwe, Na:tinixwe, Natinook-wa, Na:tini-xwe, Hoopa
Huichol includes: Wixáritari
Cora includes: Naáyarite
Akimel O'odham includes: Pima
Language:English | Spanish | Cora, El Nayar | Huichol | Nahuatl (macrolanguage) | Opata | Tepecano | Tohono O'odham | Tubar | Yaqui | Mayo | Tarahumara, Central | Tepehuan, Southwestern | Tepehuan, Southeastern | Tepehuan, Northern
Contributor:Benedict, Ruth, 1887-1948 | Herzog, George, 1901-1983 | Kelley, David H. | Mason, John Alden, 1885-1967 | Whorf, Benjamin Lee, 1897-1941 | Sapir, Edward, 1884-1939 | Swadesh, Morris, 1909-1967
Subject:Linguistics | Uto-Aztecan languages | Anthropology | Orthography and spelling
Genre:Notes | Correspondence | Essays | Vocabularies
Extent:21 items
Description: Materials relating to John Alden Mason's interest and research in Uto-Aztecan languages and cultures. Items include notes and letters on Uto-Aztecan historical Mason's "Some initial phones and combinations in Utaztecan stems," an abstract and full text of a paper delivered at the Philadelphia meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1951); unattributed corresondence discussing that 1951 paper; Mason's correspondence with Edward Sapir regarding Mason's work on the Tepehuan, Papago [Tohono O'odham], Sonoran and Yaqui languages, Sapir's work on Paiute and Hupa, and mentioning Boas, Rivet, Speck, Spier, and Whorf; earlier correspondence with Sapir relaying Tepehuan, Tepecano, Papago [Tohono O'odham], and Nahua examples, data from Mason for Sapir's use in Uto-Aztecan comparative work, Sapir's comments on Mason's data and analysis, and Sapir's views on Uto-Aztecan historical Mason's corresondence with Ruth Benedict regarding work on Papago [Tohono O'odham], Pima, and Yaqui languages, an honorarium for Franz Boas, and Ruth Underhill's Papago Rites and ceremonies; correspondence with George Herzog regarding Tepehuan music and language, Pima-Papago language, and mentioning Franz Boas, Gene Weltfish, Edward Sapir, Ruth Underhill, Frank G. Speck, and others; correspondence with David H. Kelley regarding comparison of Polynesian and Uto-Aztecan languages (Kelly's dissertation); part of Kelley's Harvard University doctoral dissertation regarding the borrowing of Uto-Aztecan words into Polynesian; Benjamin Lee Whorf on Uto-Aztecan languages, including a table of relationships and a photo reproduction of Whorf's Azteco-Tanoan tree; correspondence with Whorf regarding Whorf's grant application to the Social Sciences Research Council to work on modern Nahuatl, and also touching on Uto-Aztecan phonology, Maya glyphs, Nahuatl, Papago [Tohono O'odham], Tepecano, Tepehuan, Yaqui, and subgrouping; and correspondence with Morris Swadesh regarding establishing an official Aztec alphabet, Swadesh's glotto-chronological work in Uto-Aztecan, disagreement between Mason and Swadesh over the number of stop series in Papago [Tohono O'odham], Swadesh's retraction (to be published in Word) of his criticisms of Mason's Papago [Tohono O'odham] grammar, and copies of letters from Swadesh to [Dean] Saxton and Andre Martinet. Undated linguistic materials include notes, Vocabularies, vocabularies, comparisons with notes about correspondences, comparative vocabularies, notes on numerical systems, cognates with English glosses, cognates with Spanish glosses, lexicostatistical compilations, etc. Languages represented (and not merely mentioned) include Huichol, El Nayar Cora, Nahuatl, Opata, Tarahumara, Tepecano, Tepehuan, Tohono O'odham, Tubar, Yaqui, and Mayo; it is unclear, however, which specific Tarahumara and Tepehuan languages are represented.
Collection:John Alden Mason Papers (Mss.B.M384)


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Check out these group shots of the members of the Harry Potter family who were in attendance last night at Lincoln Square for the FINAL FINAL FINAL carpet of the film franchise. Alan Rickman's at the back! Don't stick Snape in the back!
Come to think of though, he probably wanted to stand in the back.
Oh carry on, then.
I didn't actually think he would show. He doesn't usually. And then the car pulled up and the announcer called his name and, well, there he was, maybe the only one who wasn't melting. It was so bloody hot out there, everyone was sweating in their suits, and Alan Rickman, the badass motherf-cker, it's like it didn't affect him. At all.
You know how Alan Rickman walks a carpet? It's with an air of amusement. He keeps his arms behind his back, and he looks around almost like he's removed from it, and there's a dance in his step, to a carnival soundtrack only he can hear, as though he's going for a leisurely stroll in the park. It's terribly, terribly cool.
Anyway he walked past and nodded. Looked right at me, a full Snape glare with a smile, into my eyes. As if there was any doubt. I am totally Slytherin House. (Even though I always seem to get sorted into Hufflepuff.)
My review for HP7B will post tomorrow. Until then though what I'll tell you about the Snape parts is that – SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!! – they will DESTROY you. Particularly in flashback. Be prepared for it. They have properly honoured his story. It's a wonderful tribute to a wonderful character.
Photos from Wenn.com and Stephen Lovekin/STAN HONDA/Gettyimages.com


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Apple unveils larger iPhones, smartwatch at annual show
By Canadian Press
Electronics apple iOS iPhone slideshow smart phone SmartwatchApple watch steals show from iPhone, iOS 8 and U2 performance.
CUPERTINO, Calif. — For the first time in years, Apple's iPhones aren't the star of the show. Apple unveiled a smartwatch on Tuesday, a wearable device that marks the company's first major entry in a new product category since the iPad's debut in 2010.
The move is significant because of recent questions about whether Apple still has a knack for innovating following the 2011 death of co-founder Steve Jobs.
The device's introduction upstaged the company's two new, larger iPhones, which won't just have bigger screens; they'll have a new, horizontal viewing mode to take advantage of the larger display.
The iPhone 6 will have a screen measuring 4.7 inches, while the iPhone 6 Plus will be 5.5 inches. In both cases, app developers will be able to design apps that can be viewed differently when the phone is held horizontally.
Apple also introduced a system for using the phone to make credit card payments at retail stores.
Apple is turning to the past as it lays out its future. The company is holding the event at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts, the same venue where Jobs unveiled the industry-shifting Mac computer 25 years ago. The Cupertino, California, venue is near Apple's headquarters.
As for the iPhones, which still represent the main source of Apple's profits, larger models should help the company compete with Android devices.
Here's what's unfolding at Tuesday's event:
Larger iPhones
Now, Apple is increasing that. The iPhone 6 will have a 4.7-inch screen, while the iPhone 6 Plus will be 5.5 inches. The screen resolution on the Plus version will be sharper than previous iPhones, at 401 pixels per inch rather than 326.
With the larger screen comes a new horizontal view of the home screen. Usually, icons are stacked vertically, even when the phone is turned horizontally. App developers will also have new tools to rearrange their content to take advantage of that larger screen.
The new phones aren't as big as Samsung's latest flagship phones — 5.1 inches for the Galaxy S5 and 5.7 inches for the Note 4 — but they will be large enough to neutralize a key advantage Samsung and other Android manufacturers have had.
Notably, Samsung's Note phone isn't getting bigger this year. Last year's Note 3 was 5.7 inches. Instead, Samsung is emphasizing other hardware features, such as a sharper screen. It's also releasing a model with a curved edge to display weather, time and other information on the side of the phone.
Apple says the new phones will be faster and have better battery life than previous versions. The phones will also have a new sensor, the barometer, to estimate how much you've climbed stairs, not just how far you've walked or run.
Of course, some people still use their phones to actually make calls. When there's poor cellular reception, people will be able to make regular calls over Wi-Fi. The handoff between the two networks will be seamless. In the U.S., this feature will initially be available through T-Mobile.
The resolution on the camera is staying at 8 megapixels, while rival Android and Windows phones have been boosting that. The S5, for instance, is at 16 megapixels. However, the megapixel count is only one factor in what makes a good photo. Apple says it is putting in new sensors for better shots.
Apple is also improving a slow-motion video feature by allowing even slower shots. The camera will be able to take 240 frames per second, double what's in last year's iPhone 5s. Normally, video is at 60 frames per second.
The new phones will start shipping in the U.S. on Sept. 19, with advance orders to begin this Friday. Starting prices will be comparable to those in the past — $199 with a two-year contract for the iPhone 6 with 16 gigabytes of storage.
However, the step-up models will have double the memory than before — $299 for 64 gigabytes and $399 for 128 gigabytes. The iPhone 6 Plus phones will cost $100 more at each configuration.
Mobile Payments
Apple is calling its new payment system Apple Pay.
You'll be able to use your phone's camera to capture a photo of your card. Apple will verify it behind the scenes and add it to your phone's Passbook account so you can make payments at a retailer. Apple announced several merchants that will accept this system, including Macy's, Whole Foods, Walgreens and Disney stores — and of course, Apple stores.
Many companies have tried to push mobile payment services, but none has caught on widely. Cook says that's because the business models have been centred around companies' self-interest instead of the user experience. The latter, Cook says, is "exactly what Apple does best."
For security, the card number is stored only on the device. Each time you pay, a one-time card number is created to make the transaction.
A Smartwatch
The audience erupted with cheers as Cook proclaimed that he had, "one more thing." It was how Jobs used to close his keynote addresses.
That one more thing was Apple's upcoming smartwatch. It's called the Apple Watch, rather than the iWatch that many people had been speculating.
Consumer electronics companies have yet to demonstrate a compelling need for smartwatches, while bracelets have largely been niche products aimed at tracking fitness activities. Apple's device looks to change that.
Consider the company's track record: Music players, smartphones and tablet computers existed long before Apple made its own versions. But they weren't mainstream or popular until the iPod, iPhone and iPad came along. Under Jobs, Apple made those products easy and fun to use.
Cook says Apple had to invent a new interface for the watch because simply shrinking a phone wouldn't work.
Much of the interaction would be through the dial on the watch, which Apple calls the digital crown. You use that to zoom in and out of a map, for instance, so you're not blocking the screen, which would have occurred if you were pinching in and out to zoom.
Apple also worked with app developers to create new functionality. You'll be able to unlock room doors at Starwood hotels or remind yourself where you parked your car with a BMW app.
The new watch will come in a variety of styles and straps, with a choice of two sizes. Watches from competing vendors have been criticized for being too big for smaller arms.
The watch will require one of the new iPhones or an iPhone 5, 5s or 5c. It will be available early next year at a starting price of $349.
New Software
Though much of the attention has been on new gadgets, the software powering those gadgets is getting its annual refresh. Apple considers iOS 8 to be its biggest update since the introduction of the app store in 2008.
Existing iPhone and iPad users will be eligible for the free upgrade, too. Apple takes pride in pushing existing customers to the latest software, allowing app developers to incorporate new features without worrying about abandoning existing users. With Android, many recent phones can't be upgraded right away because of restrictions placed by manufacturers and wireless carriers.
Among other things, iOS 8 will let devices work better in sync. For instance, it'll be possible to start a message on an iPhone and finish it on an iPad. With an upcoming Mac upgrade called Yosemite, it'll be possible to continue working on that same message on a Mac computer as well.
These handoff features will extend to the new Apple Watch, too.
The new software will be available to existing users on Sept. 17.
© 2014 The Canadian Press