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[It was a series of three articles, published In THE INDEPENDENT in September, 1900, written by Professor Harrison, of the chair of Romance Languages in the University of Virginia; entitled "New Glimpses of Poe," that was the occasion of the publication of the great "Virginia edition" of the Life and Works of Poe in seventeen volumes, edited by Professor Harrison, who is now recognized as the chief authority on all matters relating to the most distinguished and most unfortunate of American poets. Certain important material as to Poe's life that reached Professor Harrison too late to incorporate in those volumes he has embodied in this and one or two succeeding articles. Mrs. Weiss was known in literary circles under her maiden name of Talley, and published a volume of musical verse in 1850. — EDITOR.]
[column 1:]
The editor of the following pages offers no apology for presenting to admirers of Edgar Allan Poe a number of interesting unpublished reminiscences of the poet by contemporaries, and letters and documents about him from a throng of correspondents who were deeply, even passionately, concerned in him and in his career at the time of his death. The recent Poe revival adds further keenness to the relish with which everything connected with the poet even In a remote degree is seized upon and read. New portraits of the poet are eagerly scanned to see if they chance to unlock the mystery of this musical and mysterious being; the places where Poe lived and labored old Richmond and Philadelphia and New York houses, old printing houses like the Southern Literary Messenger office (still standing in Richmond), where he superintended his publications and read proofs; old taverns where lie "put up" under the olden regime, like the Swan Tavern and the old United States Hotel (also still standing in the Virginia capital); the quaint house, 2613 East Grace street, Richmond, where he wooed and won Mrs. Shelton; the home of the Mackenzies, "Duncan's Lodge," where his sister Rosalie lived and he so often lodged in [column 2:] the hospitable forties; the curious little fortress-like cell which he inhabited at the University of Virginia; the Philadelphia homes; Fordham; the home of the Whitmans in Providence — all these places are visited with almost reverential interest by Poe pilgrims from far and wide and invested with a delicate glamour of admiration emanating from the enduring and apparently inexhaustible force of the Poe legend.
Only the other day the writer held in his hand the locket that encircled the most precious of all the Poe portraits: the medallion of 1836, containing the exquisite miniature painted in oils on ivory, probably by a Madame Guillet, of New York, then living in Richmond. From this fragile disk seemed to flow all the passion and the poetry with which the young man of twenty-seven was surcharged, superadded to the deep pathos of the fact that this was the very locket-portrait that hun about Virginia's neck when her beautiful, trouble spirit passed away at Fordham that bitter January day in 1847. The owner generously removed the rare relic from its case, showing the ivory background of the picture and calling attention to the clear gray eyes and pallid complexion, rich, [page 1011:] nevertheless, with the underflush of red blood that coursed imperiously through the veins.
In another interesting drawing-room to which the writer had access hung in a charming oval Sully's lovely portrait of the first Mrs. Allan, the foster-mother to whom Poe was tenderly attached, beautiful enough to have inspired his "Helen;'; around the corner, In another stately room, was a delicately chiseled bust of the second Mrs. Allan (whom Poe as heartily hated), a handsome, noble-looking woman into whose massive face a Neapolitan sculptor had thrown Roman energy and severity combined: twin types of the Virginian women of two generations and a half ago. In the iron safe of a third Poe connoisseur lay a yellowed bundle of priceless Poe letters covering the dark period from 1828 to 1834 and jealously guarding the secrets of his university career, his years In the army, and his West Point escapade. Down the street, behind a historic church, was the house once Illumined by the presence of the Psyche "Helen" herself.
The poetical haze that hung about all these things and glorified them in the eyes of the pilgrim could not be mistaken: Poe was still very much alive!
It has therefore seemed not amiss to gather up further memorials of this singular genius and present them here, furnished with such brief running commentary as may serve to make them Intelligible to the general reader.
In the present paper I include reminiscences from the pen of the venerable Mrs. S. A. Weiss, with whose "Last Days of Edgar Allan Poe," published in the old Scribner's for 1878, readers of this magazine are probably familiar. Mrs. Weiss is still living, at an advanced age, in full possession of her remarkable faculties. — J. A. H.
Mrs. Susan Archer Weiss to Professor Harrison:
December 9th, 1901.
I regret not having heard from you at an earlier period of your work on Poe, as I might then have supplied you with items, of no great interest in themselves, but serving to truthfully illustrate his character, surroundings, etc., as a school-boy. It is now, I suppose, too late for this; but I may mention one or two things in which I am convinced that Poe has been done great injustice, and from which I am anxious to see him cleared. One of these is in regard to his rupture with Mr. Allan, at that time an old man in failing health and completely under the influence of his second wife, much younger than himself and to whom he had been but recently married. Mrs. Julia Mayo Cabell, who was first cousin to this lady, and Miss Anne Valentine, sister of the first Mrs. A., and who continued an inmate of Mr. Allan's house until his death, always declared that Edgar was "blameless" in this matter. On returning home from the university* he found his position in Mr. Allan's family entirely changed, under the regime of the new wife. The servants were forbidden to [column 2:] obey or attend upon him formerly and a room was allotted him which was used by the first Mrs. Allan's maid and which he refused to occupy. In an interview with Mrs. A. she reminded him of his dependent position as an object of "charity" in her house, which so incensed him that he accused her of having "married for money," etc. In reporting this to her husband she declared that "she and Edgar Poe could not live under the same roof." Mr. A. at once, in his impulsive anger, ordered him to leave the house, which he immediately did, refusing (so said report) the money offered for his immediate expenses. Mr. and Mrs. Allan's friends and relatives and also his enemies placed the worst construction upon the affair, as regarded Poe; but there were others who warmly defended him and remained his friends through life. I tell you all this in confidence, as I have heard it from some of our best citizens, who knew all the parties concerned, because I wish you to understand how much wronged Poe was. The matter was much discussed in Richmond at the time, and all sorts of reports got abroad as to "unpardonable ingratitude" to Mr. Allan and "outrageous insult" to his wife. This culminated in Dr. Griswold's account of the matter, after Poe's death.
I once ventured, when a girl, to inquire of Mrs. Allan in regard to Poe's personal appearance. She replied, with the suave and dignified politeness of which, as a thorough woman of the world, she was mistress: "My dear Miss Talley, I never but once saw the person of whom you speak."
I have but recently been informed by Dr. John F. Carter,* who was an intimate friend of the Mackenzie family, that Edgar Poe was never "adopted" by the Allans, neither his sister Rosalie by Mrs. Mackenzie. This he had on the authority of Mrs. Mackenzie herself and other persons intimate with the Allans. The children were simply taken to be cared for until claimed by their relatives, who, already having charge of Henry, were unwilling to assume the responsibility of the two others. They even suggested an orphan asylum, on which Mrs. Mackenzie [page 1012:] decided to allow Rose (two years old) to remain in her family, and Mrs. Allan, who had become attached to Edgar, persuaded her husband to do the same by him. So it appears that Poe never had any legal claim upon his benefactor as either ward or adopted son, and that his residence beneath Mr. Allan's roof depended simply on the pleasure of the latter. I had it from an uncle of my own, Mr. Edward Valentine, who was also a cousin of the first Mrs. Allan, that Mr. Allan never had any intention of making Edgar his heir, but to educate and establish him in some business or profession which would render him independent. You will Observe that this account the truth of which cannot be questioned, coming as it does from such authority — differs materially from that of Poe s biographers, who represent him as the "pampered adopted son and heir" of Mr. Allan.
Another mistake into which these biographers (none of whom knew Poe personally) have fallen is that of representing him as of a gloomy, morose and melancholy disposition, appropriate to the author of "The Raven" and "Lenone." From all that I have heard of him from those who knew him from his babyhood the reverse was the truth. As a child, unusually bright, merry and joyous, he was the delight of all who saw, him; while I have been told by Mr. John Mackenzie, Poe's most intimate friend, as also by Mr. Robert Sully and others, that in every kind of schoolboy frolic and mischief, including "playing ghost" and robbing apple orchards, Edgar was the leader and the one who most thoroughly enjoyed the fun. Even in after years and under the most adverse circumstances he was not easily depressed; and [column 2:] Mrs. Clemm is my authority for the statement that when at home, in even the dark season at Fordham, he was invariably cheerful and good-natured. Mrs. Osgood gives a pleasant instance of this in her account of a visit to his wife. But it pleases the public to imagine the poet of a character in sympathy with his writings, a mystical and melancholy recluse and haunter of graveyards and lonely tarns and
"The ghoul-haunted regions of Weir,'
while forever mourning some lost Lenore or, Eulalie or Annabel Lee. That this latter poem was in memory of his wife seems a fixed belief in the minds of the public, whereas, by Mr. Poe's own admission to me, it was written some years before her death, and, like most of his poems, lay on his desk for years unfinished and subject to frequent revisions before being published.
One of Mr. Poets favorite poems (and that which strikes me as being, on the whole, the best) are the 1ines. " To Helen." Once, upon my shyly declining to show him some verses which I had written "when a child," he repeated. "When a child? Then, perhaps they may be your best. Some lines which I wrote at ten years of age I consider as among my best, commencing
'Helen, thy beauty is to me.' "
But most probably, this poem, like the rest, was subject to many revisions and corrections before its publication in his maturer years; for I can imagine nothing more graceful, more exquisite in language, expression and rhythm than this little gem, seeming to breathe the very spirit
"Of the glory that was Greece,
Of the grandeur that was Rome." [page 1013:]
Mr. Poe seems to have been incapable of writing poetry with any sustained effort. Impulsive, erratic, he would soon weary of the task and lay -aside the sketchy outlines of his poem, to be filled up, touched and retouched until it had reached the state of perfection which his fastidious taste demanded. I was told by Colonel. Du Solle — whom I knew about 1869 as assistant editor of the New York (Noah's) Sunday Times — that at one time he had known Poe well in Philadelphia, where the latter had often come to his (Du Solle's) room in the evenings and consulted him and others present about the composition of " The Raven," which he was at that time engaged in "revising" with a view to a speedy publication. He would read certain stanzas with which he was dissatisfied, explain his difficulties, and ask their opinion and suggestions as to more suitable words or harmonious rhythm, and he had more than once remarked that he had never found so much difficulty with a poem and felt inclined to give up the whole thing and throw away the manuscript. " It was not until 'years after this;" said Colonel Du Solle; "that 'The Raven' appeared in print."
It is certain that Poe was a most indefatigable and elaborate worker upon his poems, and that he never abandoned one until convinced of its utter hopelessness.
I have no letters of Mr. Poe; only a few little notes of no special interest, sent me during his illness at Mrs. Mackenzie's thanks for flowers, or inclosing a newspaper clipping which had interested him: The [column 2:] first note which I ever received from him was some time previous to his last visit to Richmond, and is as follows:
"If Miss Talley will, upon reading the enclosed letter, seal it and forward it to its address with a word from herself in behalf of the writer, she will confer the greatest, of favors upon one who most profoundly. respects and admires her genius, the he cannot as yet boast of her personal acquaintance."
Tho greatly surprised and rather overcome by this flattering appeal, I, made jib mention of it to any one, but promptly forwarded the accompanying letter, as desired, to my uncle, Mr. Edward Valentine, with whom Poe had in his boyhood been a great favorite.* It was an eloquent and, to my idea, touching appeal for pecuniary assistance in establishing The Iris [Stylus], and I believe resulted, as such requests generally did, in a promise to contribute to the desired stem should there be a prospect of raising the whole, a consummation of which Mr. Poe was confident up to the time of his death. Mrs. Julia Mayo Cabell and Mrs. Mackenzie had been the first t o promise such assistance. The letter to Mr. Valentine above mentioned is now in possession of my cousin, Rev. E. Valentine Jones, of Cismont, Albemarle County, who may be willing to submit it to you should you desire it. I mention the whole matter simply as a proof of the earnestness with which Poe desired and worked for the accomplishment of this desire of his lifetime, the establishment of his own magazine. [page 1014:]
I have written the foregoing under many difficulties, chief of which is the occasional inability to hold a pen, so that I can write but at intervals and in the discursive and disjointed style of the present MS. However, I send it to you as it is, regretting that I have nothing of more interest to offer.
Should you desire to make any special [column 2:] inquiry concerning Mr. Poe, I shall take pleasure in answering, it to the best of my ability.
Begging that you will make all allowances for this unsightly MS., and wishing you a happy Christmas and New Year, I am very truly yours,
[The following footnotes appear at the bottom of page 1011, column 1:]
* Mrs. Weiss is here mistaken. Poe returned to Richmond from the university in December, 1826; "the first Mrs. Allan" lived until 1828. — J. A. H.
[The following footnotes appear at the bottom of page 1011, column 1:]
* The gentleman (still living) with whom Poe; spent a part of his last night in Richmond. — J. A. H.
[The following footnotes appear at the bottom of page 1013, column 2:]
* This letter has been printed by the edition in Vol. XVII of his edition. — J. A. H.
[[captions from illustrations:]]
EDGAR ALLAN POE The John R. Thompson crayon, owned by Mr. Charles Quarles. of Philadelphia to whom it was given by his uncle, John R. Thompson, Unpublished. By permission of the owner.
The Traylor Portrait: from a daguerreotype given by Poe to Mrs. Shelton on big last visit to Richmond, just before his departure and death in his Baltimore, October 7th, 1849. The daguerreotype was accidentally injured by chemicals in the effort to bring out the features more clearly. Never before printed to this form. By permission of Mr. R. E. Traylor, Richmond, Va.
[S:0 - IND, 1904] - Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore - A Poe Bookshelf - Reminiscences of Edgar A. Poe (I) (S. A. T. Weiss, 1904)


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What DO archaeologists do in the 21st century? What kinds of jobs and careers ARE they working at? A special issue of the SAA Archaeological Record provides 12 personal accounts of careers in archaeology that prove that archaeology is about MUCH more than digging. This issue can be accessed for free through this link: http://goo.gl/B0z2f
Are you thinking about becoming an archaeologist, or of ways to become involved in archaeology?
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The resources in this section are designed to help individuals find employment, academic program information, and opportunities to become involved in archaeology.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I thought we were in a good place with BF, until my now 8 week old got colicky and started having very green poops...I researched the color and found that the cause could be her only getting foremilk, so I massaged at feedings and between. This has not helped, she still has green poop, and she's back to falling asleep as soon as she latches. She just gulped down 2oz of formula, the first supplement I have given, and is sleeping like she used to after breast milk, . I am very financially invested in breastfeeding and don't want to give up, but the IBCLC available to me is a 30 minute drive from home and is only available in person next Thursday. I have looked at videos and read articles until my brain is fried with all the information, and I'm still at a loss and feeling like I have failed. When I have time to pump, I am only getting 1oz from combination left and right...I'm at a loss. Urine output is good, she poops between one and 8 times a day, so I thought we were ok until the green showed up.
Her weight at birth was 6lb 2oz, discharge 5lb 11oz, last week we had an appt for her and she was 6lb 11oz, not enough. I'm feeling like I have failed her and me, since she's not gaining enough, and that I might as well just do formula, even though that would confirm that I have failed to nourish her on my own.


text: I've always been a big believer in the idea that games should do more then just exercise your hands, and that's why I've always been a big fan of tower defense games. These have often been a simple yet challenging formula that keep me diverted for hours and that's why I was excited to have . . . → Read More: Shad'O Review – Otherworldly Tower Defense


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With the release of Windows Server 2008 came Group Policy preferences, a set of more than 20 Group Policy extensions that expanded the range of configurable settings within a Group Policy object (GPO). Following that game-changing release, you might expect new Group Policy features of a similar nature in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7. Unfortunately, most of what you'll see, and what I discuss in this article, are incremental improvements rather than game changers.
That being said, Microsoft did manage to incorporate one major change in Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 by taking the first tentative steps toward automating Group Policy management using PowerShell. The rest of what you'll find new in the latest Windows release is mostly updates to existing policy areas, some additional Windows components under Group Policy management, and some improvements to Group Policy preferences. Let's look at the changes in depth.
Administrative Template Changes
The major news in Administrative Templates, or registry policy, occurred when Windows Vista shipped. With Vista, Microsoft introduced a new ADMX format and the Central Store. The ADMX format provided better multilanguage support; the Central Store took old ADM files out of the SYSVOL part of every GPO. With Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7, the greatest change in this area is the addition of yet more Administrative Template settings (more than 300). These settings cover a bevy of new Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 features (e.g., policies to control new UI elements specific to each platform—see Figure 1). You'll find a full list of Administrative Template and Security policy settings in Excel format in Microsoft's "Group Policy Settings Reference for Windows and Windows Server" (www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=18c90c80-8b0a-4906-a4f5-ff24cc2030fb).
One of the more subtle changes to Administrative Templates is a modified ADMX schema that now supports two new registry value types: REG_MULTI_SZ and REG_QWORD. Previously, you couldn't use Administrative Templates to modify these two value types. Your choices were to deliver these kinds of values via registry scripts, or to use the Group Policy preferences' registry extension to get these value types on client machines. Now these types are supported in the ADMX syntax, and you can create custom ADMX templates that support these new types.
Another subtle Administrative Templates change is a UI improvement. In Server 2008 and Vista, Microsoft introduced the concept of Comments to Administrative Template settings. If you chose to, you could add comments to each policy setting. These comments, and the improved Explain text that provided help for each setting, were displayed as three separate tabs within Group Policy Editor's (GPE's) UI. You had to flip between each tab to use them. In Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7, all three elements are presented on a single pane that you can easily see and edit, as Figure 2 shows.
PowerShell Support
The major change in this release of Windows that I alluded to earlier is added support for PowerShell within the Group Policy universe. Microsoft added support for running PowerShell scripts within per-machine or per-user scripts policy and provided a set of 25 PowerShell cmdlets for PowerShell 2.0 that support many of the operations you can perform within Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). Let's look first at the new scripts policy support.
When you create a new startup script or logon script in GPE, you'll see a new tab. As Figure 3 shows, you can now add PowerShell scripts to your scripts policy and control whether the scripts run before or after non-PowerShell scripts. But note that only Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 Group Policy clients will run these new PowerShell-based script policies. They won't work on earlier versions of Windows.
Perhaps the more interesting of the PowerShell enhancements is a set of cmdlets within a new PowerShell 2.0 module for Group Policy. These cmdlets encapsulate many of the functions found within the GPMC sample scripts that used to ship with that tool. From the PowerShell cmdlets, you can perform Group Policy–related administrative tasks such as creating new GPOs or deleting existing ones, linking GPOs to OUs or domains, and repermissioning GPOs. Figure 4 shows the full list of cmdlets exposed in the new module, called GroupPolicy, that ships with the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) feature in Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7.
Note that to use the GroupPolicy module, you must be running PowerShell 2.0 on Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7. To provide this kind of GPMC PowerShell functionality on earlier versions of Windows, I've written a set of GPMC PowerShell 1.0 cmdlets that you can download for free at my website (www.sdmsoftware.com/freeware).
Let's look at an example of the kind of power these new cmdlets provide. Suppose you want to create, permission, and link a GPO within a PowerShell script. The following one-line command does all that by leveraging three of the new cmdlets and the PowerShell pipeline:
new-gpo "Marketing IT GPO" | Set-GPPermissions -TargetName "Marketing Users" -TargetType Group -PermissionLevel GPOEdit | new-gplink -order 1 -Target "OU=Marketing, DC=cpandl,DC=com"
In this example, I'm using three cmdlets—New-GPO, Set-GPPermissions, and New-GPLink—to create the GPO called Marketing IT GPO, to modify the GPO's permissions to grant the Marketing Users Active Directory (AD) security group rights to edit the GPO, and to link the GPO to the Marketing OU in my cpandl.com AD domain. All of this was done in one command using the PowerShell pipelining capability to pipe the output of one command to the next one. Using PowerShell and the GroupPolicy module makes it easy to perform complex Group Policy management tasks.
Modifying Registry Policy with PowerShell
GPMC functions aren't all that Microsoft put into the GroupPolicy module. Also added is basic support for modifying a small subset of the settings within a GPO. Before I describe what Microsoft has done, let me provide a little background. Currently, you have two ways in Group Policy to push out registry values. The primary way to manage registry settings in Group Policy, which we've had forever, is through the use of Administrative Templates policy. Administrative Templates use ADM or ADMX template files to build the UI in GPE that describes which registry values can be managed via Group Policy, and they also provide the help text that describes what a policy setting does. When you set Administrative Template policies in GPE, the policy settings that you define are stored within the SYSVOL portion of the GPO in a file called registry.pol. This file holds the instructions for the registry values you want to deploy in the GPO.
The other method for managing registry values is Group Policy preferences registry extension. This method is more flexible than Administrative Templates policy, and it provides the more granular targeting features that come with Group Policy preferences. Both methods will let you manage registry changes centrally, and each method has its strengths.
What Microsoft provided in Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 with respect to PowerShell support is the ability to modify GPO settings for both of these registry methods. In the first case, you now have the Get-GPRegistryValue, Set-GPRegistryValue, and Remove-GPRegistryValue cmdlets to retrieve and modify the underlying registry.pol file that is used by Administrative Templates policy to store its settings. The advantage of using these cmdlets to modify Administrative Templates policy is that you don't need to create a custom ADM file to populate a particular registry value. Because these cmdlets don't rely on ADM or ADMX files, but instead let you push registry values into the underlying storage file, you can quickly push a new registry value into a GPO.
The downside is that this approach doesn't rely on ADM or ADMX files to define which registry values you're using; you have to know the underlying registry key and value you want to deploy. In addition, if you view a GPO that uses this method to configure a registry setting policy—and there is no underlying ADM or ADMX file representing that setting—the GPMC settings report will show it as Extra Registry Settings. If you bring up GPE, you won't see the registry value that you've pushed into that registry.pol file. Obviously, going overboard with this approach can cause confusion. I don't recommend relying on this approach for all your Administrative Template changes, but in a pinch it might come in handy.
The second PowerShell approach for registry policy involves the ability to read and modify settings in the Group Policy preferences Registry extension. Microsoft ships the Get-GPPrefRegistryValue, Set-GPPrefRegistryValue, and Remove-GPPrefRegistryValue cmdlets for this purpose. These three cmdlets let you manage new Group Policy preferences registry settings (note that you can't use these cmdlets to modify existing Group Policy preferences registry policy). As an example, let's see how you can use these cmdlets to add a new registry value to a Group Policy preferences registry setting. The following example command populates the mouse beep value within a GPO called Test:
Set-GPPrefRegistryValue -Name Test -Context User -Action Create -Key "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse" -Valuename "Beep" -Value "Yes" -Type "String"
Note that in this command, you have to specify the registry key, valuename, value, and type to successfully populate the Group Policy preferences setting. What these cmdlets don't provide is access to some of the more advanced features within Group Policy preferences, such as the items you see on the Common tab, and item-level targeting (the ability to granularly target preference settings). However, cmdlets are a good start toward providing Group Policy automation.
Starter GPOs—Does Anyone Care?
In Server 2008 and Vista, Microsoft introduced the notion of Starter GPOs—templates of GPOs that you could use to create real GPOs. The idea was sound, but the execution was lacking. The problem with Starter GPOs is that they support only Administrative Template policy settings, severely limiting the kinds of templates you can create. What Microsoft did in Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 is only a small improvement over what was previously shipped. Basically, you now have the ability to prepopulate the Starter GPOs with the Windows Server 2008, Vista, and Windows XP SP2 security guideline settings that were previously provided via the so-called GPO Accelerators.
Of course, because Starter GPOs support only Administrative Templates settings, and not security settings (which are the main focus of the security guideline settings), these prepopulated Starter GPOs are relatively useless. But if you need to create templates of Administrative Templates settings that you can reuse to create real GPOs, then Starter GPOs are for you.
New Policy–Enabled Features
The last of the changes I'll cover are the new policies that have been added to support management of new features available in Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7. Most of the new policies relate to security settings, but a few minor updates have been made to Group Policy preferences as well. Let's start with the new Group Policy preferences:
- Support for managing the new Power Plans for power management that were introduced in Vista. These are now available in addition to Power Options and Power Schemes. Power Plans require that the client receiving them is running at least Vista.
- Updated Scheduled Tasks preferences now support the newer Task Scheduler that shipped with Server 2008 and beyond, as well as Vista. This new Task Scheduler supports many more options than Windows 2003's and XP's Task Scheduler. In addition, Microsoft added Immediate Tasks for Vista and beyond, which lets you create a one-time scheduled task that runs as soon as the policy processes.
- Addition of Internet Explorer (IE) 8 in the Internet Settings preferences, which lets you now configure options specific to IE 8.
New Security Policies
The biggest new addition in the area of Group Policy–based security policy is the Application Control Policies, or AppLocker. These policies are found under \Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Application Control Policies. Essentially, this is a significant upgrade to the old Software Restriction Policies (SRPs—which are still supported in Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7) that let you control which applications can execute on your Windows systems. Specifically, AppLocker lets you create application whitelists and blacklists to explicitly allow or deny a particular application or set of applications to execute based on a set of criteria you specify.
A major difference between what's available in AppLocker and SRPs is that you now have more flexible rules for defining applications. As Figure 5 shows, for example, you can create rules by software publisher, application name, and version information held within the file.
You can also create rules for controlling script execution, which wasn't explicitly supported in earlier Windows versions. Also, for each type of rule you create, you can enforce the rule or just work in audit mode. In audit mode, whenever a rule is hit by an application, the result is logged to the client rather than blocking or allowing that application. That way, you can run a rule in test mode before making it live, to ensure it doesn't catch any unsuspecting applications. The only downside to AppLocker is that it works only on Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 clients, so you can't leverage it in earlier versions of Windows.
Advanced Audit Policy
Another security-related feature that you'll find in Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 is a much more granular auditing infrastructure. If you look under \Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration, you'll see 10 different auditing categories that you can now tweak to control exactly which types of events generate security audits on Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7 systems. This new granularity, of course, is exposed only in these newest OS versions, but the fact that it's manageable via Group Policy is a good thing.
Network List Policies
The last new security policy I'll discuss gives you the ability to control network lists. By default, when Server 2008 R2, Windows 7, or Vista systems find new networks, whether public wireless networks or corporate LANs, a user is prompted to indicate the type of network it is (e.g., public, domain, home). But by using Network List Policies in Group Policy, you can now preconfigure how particular networks behave and which zone they should be shunted into when a user finds them.
You can also control the icons and the names of the networks that appear to the user. The only downside to using this policy area for preconfiguring wireless access points is that you need to know the name of the WAP ahead of time to configure all the various options. But this policy area is still a welcome addition for controlling users who frequently roam between networks.
Name Resolution Policy
The last new policy area, although not strictly a security policy (it's found under \Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Name Resolution Policy in GPE), lets you control DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) and Microsoft DirectAccess DNS configurations on a per-DNS domain name basis. For example, you can configure which features of DNSSEC are used for a given client talking to its DNS server, or which DNS and proxy servers a client connecting to your network via DirectAccess will use. Although not used by all shops, this feature is handy to have in Group Policy if you're rolling out DirectAccess to your mobile users.
Evolutionary, Not Revolutionary
The Group Policy improvements in Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 are very much evolutionary rather than revolutionary. With the possible exception of adding some PowerShell automation support for Group Policy management, this is a very ho-hum release for Group Policy fans. Sadly, we'll have to wait a while longer to see the big architectural or functional improvements that users of this more than 10-year-old technology have been looking for.
But if you're planning to roll out Windows 7, there are enough new features to make your life easier when you're configuring clients. I encourage anyone who hasn't started using PowerShell to dive in and check out what you can do with Group Policy and this new scripting technology.


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A/N – Hello, everyone! As The Hog's Head is my version of Book 8, this story, Losing Each Other, is my version of Book 7. It is a post-HBP fic and was completed before the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It's completely true to canon up to and including the last page of Half–Blood Prince. Although The Hog's Head is not a sequel to this story, you'll see some story elements and ideas here that I also used in HH. The story begins as Harry walks away from Ginny after Professor Dumbledore's funeral. Enjoy!
Chapter One
Ginny's Mermaid
Ginny did not watch Harry walk away. She stared — unmoving, unblinking — at the chair where he had been sitting, hearing nothing, seeing nothing. She did not notice Ron and Hermione come up behind her, Hermione holding onto Ron's arm. She did not hear Hermione whisper to him, "Later, not now." She did not move her eyes or un–focus them from the place in mid–air where Harry's face had been.
She saw blurry figures moving at the end of the row she was sitting in. She blinked, and her brother Percy and Rufus Scrimgeour came into focus. The Minister of Magic's hand rested on Percy's shoulder and as he talked, Percy glanced at Ginny He nodded to Scrimgeour, and the Minister turned and walked rapidly toward the castle. Percy started down the row toward her, and Ginny got up. Percy clearly wanted to speak to her, but whatever it was, she did not want to hear it. She turned in the opposite direction, but stopped; her parents were sitting at the end of the row with Bill and Fleur. Her mother glanced at her, and then looked back at the castle and the figure of Harry, who was now half–way up the lawn. Molly turned back with a worried look, and peered at Ginny.
Ginny wiped tears from her face; she did not want anyone in her family to see her crying. She heard Percy as he approached, so she stepped up on her chair and jumped into the row behind, then did the same into the next row and headed toward the lake, leaving Percy staring with his arm outstretched and his mouth hanging open. She heard her mother call to both her and Percy. She glanced back and saw Percy turn and leave Molly standing half–way down the row, watching her children walk away. Ginny almost stopped, but Percy was still looking at her. She scowled at him and kept going.
She strode along the lake, trying to put away her anger at Percy, and at Harry. She did not want to be angry, she wanted to understand what was happening. What had seemed so solid had collapsed with dizzying suddenness. Dumbledore and Harry — both gone. Even though she had sensed since Dumbledore's death that she could also lose Harry, it was harder than she had expected, much harder.
Ginny walked, hugging her arms around herself, looking down, noticing nothing but the grass and twigs at her feet. As she moved along the lake, though, she became aware of a stirring in the water, and looked up. A short distance out a head broke the surface, and then the upper part of a torso. She stopped. It was a mermaid, its grotesque features unmistakable. It did not look at her, but as Ginny continued walking she was certain that it was keeping up. Every few yards it dove under the water, then surfaced again opposite her.
Ginny stopped again and faced the lake. The mermaid stayed above water and also remained still, and now it stared at her. Ginny, unnerved, looked around. There were no other people in sight; no one else had walked this way from the funeral. Looking back along the shore she could see that people were either going up to the castle or down to the gates and into Hogsmeade. She walked toward the forest, slumped to the ground under the first tree she came to, and wept.
She did not know how long she had been there when she heard footsteps. She stood and began to walk away; the only person she wanted to talk to would not be the one coming. But before she had taken three steps, her mother called her name. Ginny halted and said stiffly, without turning, "Mum, I don't want to talk."
"Ginny," Molly called again.
Now Ginny turned. "I said I don't want to talk about it."
"About what?"
Ginny did not answer, but looked away, over the lake. The surface was quiet; nothing stirred, nothing was visible. Molly moved closer. "Ginny, do you love him?"
Ginny gave a start and stared for a moment; her eyes went left and right. She was not able to speak.
They heard a splash, and they both turned. The mermaid was watching from only a few yards away; it stared without blinking its large, limpid eyes. Ginny turned to her mother, but Molly was gazing at the mermaid. "It's watching us. Or you, more likely," she said softly.
Ginny moved back to the tree. It was a little farther from the water and gave her a feeling of protection. Molly followed, but kept her head turned to watch the lake. She put her hand on Ginny's shoulder and Ginny faced her defiantly; there were no more tears in her eyes.
"Yes, I love him. I can't —" There was anther splash, and the mermaid was gone, leaving not even a ripple on the surface.
"Oh, my," said Molly in a very still voice. They were both silent for a long moment. Ginny had a strange feeling as though eyes she could not see were looking into her head. Finally her mother spoke.
"Ginny, he loves you, I am sure of it." Ginny, still looking at the lake, arched her eyebrows, but Molly continued. "No, I've watched you both since we got here. He looks at you the same way Bill looks at Fleur." She smiled. "And the way your father looks at me, once in a while."
"Then why did he walk away?" Ginny asked. She could not help her tears. "He walked away from me and all I wanted to do was go with him. But he won't let me."
"Where is he going?"
Ginny looked down and shook her head. "Don't ask me that," she murmured.
"Well, I think I can guess," Molly said, "but he's got to have help. Not from you, of course," she added quickly, looking alarmed. "You can't go off to do that, Ginny, you're too young."
"Why not?" Ginny snapped. "He's going off alone to hunt Voldemort. He's not even letting Ron or Hermione go with him."
"I don't think they'll let him do that."
"Then why should I?" Ginny shouted. "He means as much to me as he does to them! I was there both times when we fought those creeps and we did a bloody good job of it, too!" Her voice fell. "Well, sort of." She sank down against the tree, put her arms on her knees, and buried her face in them. "I want to be with him. I don't want him to die," she said quietly.
Molly sat next to her and put her arm around Ginny's shoulder. "Did you know that Albus was teaching Harry this year?" Ginny nodded, and wiped tears from her face. Molly went on. "We all know that he was teaching him something, but we're not sure what, only that it must have something to do with You–Know–Who."
"Obviously," sniffed Ginny. "We all knew that. But he didn't talk about it, at least not to me."
They both said nothing for several moments. It was very quiet. When Ginny spoke again her voice quivered. "Mum, I want him, but does he want me?"
"I told you that he looks at you like you are the only thing he wants."
"But that's not true. He wants to kill Voldemort." She gave a short laugh. "And probably Snape."
Molly said nothing. Ginny started to get up, but her mother held her back.
"If he wants to find You–Know–Who, he won't be able to do it alone," Molly said. "He will need help. Yes, there are people who want to help him, but out of all of them, he needs your help the most. Maybe not out there," she waved her hand at the woods, "but somewhere and sometime."
Ginny frowned. "That doesn't make sense, Mum. You're just trying to make me feel better. He told me that he wants to do it alone. He said I can't be with him." Her voice started to falter. "When he walked away from me I felt like my life was ending. I want what you say to be true, but what is true is that I can't stand not to be with him." She looked at her mother as more tears fell. "So what do I do? Believe it or not, I'm asking for advice."
"Just be yourself. That's what he loves."
"Yeah, I've already done that."
Molly laughed. "I know. I've watched you since the first time we saw him getting on the train at King's Cross."
Ginny smiled through the tears. "Was I that obvious?"
"Only to me, I think."
Ginny nodded and looked around. The lake was still. She wondered about the mermaid and why her mother had been so interested in it. She also thought about what her mother had said about Harry. How could she know it to be true? Or did she just wish it to be true? Everything she knew about Harry, everything about the last four years . . . did it all come down to a brusque goodbye with nothing left to hope for? Why had the mermaid looked at her that way? It had been waiting and had left abruptly. What had she said just before the creature disappeared?
"Yes, I love him," she whispered.
"What?" said Molly.
Ginny did not realize that she had spoken aloud. "Nothing," she answered. She took her mother's hands.
"Mum, go along. If Dad or anyone else is still there, ask them to wait for me. Please. I — I'd like to be with everyone when I go back. But let me have a few minutes here. I'll be okay, I promise."
Her mother smiled and stood up. "I told them to wait," she said, "but come soon. The train will be leaving." She took Ginny's hands and helped her up, and held her for a moment. She turned and walked away.
Ginny went down to the water's edge. A breeze had come up, blowing her hair into her face and sending small ripples washing onto the bank. As she pushed her hair back, she saw, far out in the middle of the lake, a large, slim figure leap out of the water and dive back. Silver and gold flashed in the sunlight, but it left no disturbance on the surface.
She heard footsteps behind her and turned. Walking toward her from under the trees, in magnificent black robes with green and silver trim, was Rufus Scrimgeour.
Ginny's first reaction was panic – something must have happened to Harry. But Scrimgeour was smiling as he approached. Her next reaction was to run. She had no desire to speak with him, if that was what he wanted. Harry had told her about his talk with the Minister at the Burrow last Christmas, and that had confirmed Ginny's opinion that the Minister was over–impressed with his own importance.
She turned and began walking quickly along the lake. Behind her Scrimgeour called, "Miss Weasley! Please, I need a word with you."
Ginny did not know what to do. How could she not stop for the Minister of Magic? She slowed, and then realized that in her haste to avoid the man she had gone in the wrong direction, away from where she knew her parents were waiting. It would look foolish just to turn around and go back, so she kept walking slowly. Scrimgeour finally caught up, breathing hard, limping along on his walking stick. Ginny stopped as Scrimgeour, sweating and wheezing, came up to her. Now she felt badly. She knew about the injuries he had suffered as an Auror, but she had made him run after her. She turned.
"I'm sorry, sir," she said, looking at the ground. "I shouldn't have done that. You startled me."
"That's all right, my dear," he replied. "No matter at all. It's a terrible day for everyone, especially students like yourself. I understand how upset you must be."
Ginny nodded, and tried to hide her skepticism. She was sure that Scrimgeour had not tromped all this way through the woods on a bad leg to commiserate with her. It must have something to do with Harry. She finally looked at him.
"What is it you wanted with me, sir? Is everything okay with my father? With Harry?" As soon as she asked, she regretted it. It had just come out. A sympathetic smile came over the Minister's face, a smile that made Ginny trust him even less.
"Yes," he said, "they are both fine. That is, I have not seen your father since before the funeral ceremony. I did speak to Mr. Potter briefly, and he is well." He looked at her keenly.
"So... what is it you wanted with me?" Ginny repeated. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Scrimgeour's scars and mane of hair made him an imposing, even intimidating man, with an air of authority and strength. He was a good head and a half taller than she. His well–tailored and expensive robes contrasted with her own well–patched hand–me–downs. She did not like the feeling. "I need to be getting back," she said, looking toward the castle. "My family is waiting for me."
"Yes. Well, do you mind if we walk along here for a bit? I realize that this is all rather forward on my part, and I assure you it won't take long. You know," he glanced around, "there are some strange creatures in this part of the grounds."
Like yourself, thought Ginny, now certain of what Scrimgeour wanted.
"You should be careful where you wander," he continued. His concern sounded to Ginny as false as his smile looked.
"What won't take long?" she said.
"Our conversation. About, well... about Harry Potter."
Ginny nodded. "I can't tell you anything about him."
"Well, my dear," he chuckled, "it's no secret in the wizarding world that you and Harry have been seeing a lot of each other lately, and I think that you must —"
"No," she interrupted, "that's not what I meant. I can't tell you anything about Harry because whatever we talked about is between him and me." Ginny looked into his eyes without flinching. There was no way this man was going to get to Harry through her.
"I understand," Scrimgeour said without showing any understanding. "You are two young people who have a, um, relationship, but surely you must know that Harry Potter also had a special relationship with Professor Dumbledore?"
"Of course. Everyone knew that. Look, sir, I don't know anything about their relationship. Harry and I aren't going out any more, anyway."
Again, Ginny was sorry she had said that. She did not want this man to know anything about her life; she did not want to say anything that could be used against Harry; and most of all, she did not like hearing the words. The lump came back into her throat. She was furious with herself and at Rufus Scrimgeour. She moved to walk around him and back along the lake.
"Ah, please, not just yet, my dear," he said. He put his hand on her shoulder and pushed so that she was on the edge of the water. He was very strong, and Ginny began to be afraid. She put her hand inside her robe and felt for her wand.
Scrimgeour reached, took her arm, and pulled her hand out of the robe. "I am not here to harm you, Miss Weasley," he said, keeping a grip on her arm, "but you are too young to understand some things. There is a war going on. You have already fought in it, and very bravely, too. But wars are fought with weapons, and Harry Potter is a weapon." He bent down so that his face was close to hers. Ginny was now very frightened. "Surely you can see," he went on, "that we — you, me, everyone who was honoring Albus Dumbledore today — we need Harry Potter. He must not act foolishly alone. He will die if he does."
He let her arm go. She rubbed it as anger began to overcome her fright. "I can't tell you anything," she scowled. She looked up at him and saw that the same insincere smile had reappeared. Her anger swelled, her face was hot. "But even if I did know anything, I wouldn't tell you. All you want is to use Harry, and if he does what you want he'll die just the same and maybe faster. You couldn't keep Voldemort out of the Ministry of Magic last year, and you couldn't keep Death Eaters out of Hogwarts this year." She backed away into the lake, ignoring the water that rose above her ankles.
Scrimgeour flinched when Ginny spoke Voldemort's name. "So his name scares you," she almost laughed. "Well, Harry taught me something, and that's what I'll tell you about him. He isn't afraid of a name, and neither am I, whether it's Voldemort or Scrimgeour."
Ginny was almost sorry she had said that, because the Minister's face hardened and his mouth twisted. Then she was sorry, because his wand appeared suddenly in his hand.
"Miss Weasley," he spoke softly but his voice matched his look, "there are things I need to know that you can tell me. Don't be foolish. Your father works for me. You cannot keep to yourself what I need to know about Harry Potter or anything else." He pointed his wand at her face.
Ginny's eyes were fixed on the wand. She could feel her heart pounding. The water had filled her boots and her feet were cold, but she could not move. She was having difficulty taking a breath.
Something splashed behind her. Scrimgeour peered over her shoulder, but Ginny knew without looking what it was. She took a step away from him along the bank, but he immediately swung his wand to cover her. She stopped. Then several things happened almost at once. Another splash and a horrid, piercing shriek that made her jump came from behind. Scrimgeour's wand swung away again and pointed out into the lake. And something large and black crashed out of the forest. It was a centaur, and was followed immediately by another, this one gray. In an instant they were between Ginny and Scrimgeour; the black one completely blocked her view of him, the other stood slightly off to one side. They were both holding bows, each with an arrow fully cocked and pointing directly at Rufus Scrimgeour.
The black spoke to the Minister. "Lower your wand slowly, put it inside your robe, and slowly take your hand out."
Scrimgeour had turned when the centaurs burst out of the trees, and he took a step back when the black one came between him and Ginny. He lowered his wand but did not put it away.
"There must be a misunderstanding," he said quietly. "I am Rufus —"
The black centaur stepped toward him, its bow aimed at the Minister's heart. "There is no misunderstanding," it said just as quietly. "You are in our forest and we want you to put your wand in your robes."
"Are you sure you are doing the right thing?" Scrimgeour asked, his voice still low, more than an edge of anger in it. "In these times you and your people need to be careful about who is on your side and who is not."
The gray centaur lunged toward him and pressed the arrowhead to Scrimgeour's ear. "You should be careful about what is pointed at your head," he roared. "Do as we say, now!"
Scrimgeour slowly pocketed his wand and put his empty hands up. His face had turned dark. "Do you know who I am?" he said to the black.
"Yes," the centaur replied. "Do you know who I am?"
Before the Minister could answer the centaur turned to Ginny and lowered his bow, but kept the arrow cocked; the gray centaur did not move, its arrow was still aimed at Scrimgeour's head. As the black moved toward her, Ginny backed farther into the water.
"Ginny Weasley," he spoke softy, as though he did not want Scrimgeour to hear, "do not be afraid. Go back to your people. We will not let this man hinder you. Go."
Ginny's mouth fell open, but words did not come out; for a moment she stood dumb. How did this creature know her name, and why was it doing this? She found her voice, but barely. "Who are you?" she whispered. "How do you know me?"
The gray centaur stamped his legs. "Tell her to leave!" it cried. "You should not answer her questions, you know that!" It did not turn its head, but kept its eyes on Scrimgeour; the bow did not move. Ginny could not see the Minister, but he seemed to be staying quite still.
The black looked at the other but did not answer. He turned to Ginny and moved closer. He spoke so softly that she could barely hear him. "You know our father. His name is Firenze. That is all I will tell you. You must go now. We cannot hold this man for long." He stepped back, allowing more space on the bank between himself and Ginny.
Ginny stepped slowly out of the water, holding up the hem of her robes; her feet were freezing. When she stepped up on the bank, she paused and looked at Scrimgeour, who she could now see. He was staring at the black centaur in front of him. He glanced at Ginny, and his eyes narrowed, but at the same moment the gray stamped again and let out a harsh cry. Its bow jerked slightly, and Scrimgeour looked away from her.
Ginny began walking along the lake toward the tomb. She looked back once and saw the man and the two centaurs, one still covering Scrimgeour with its bow, the other watching her. And out in the lake she saw the head of the mermaid, also watching her. She walked faster, and then began running, with water squishing in her boots. Her feet began to hurt but she kept running. She came around a clump of trees and ahead saw the white tomb, the empty chairs set in rows, and a small group of people standing there, most of them with bright red hair. They looked at her, then started running toward her. She stumbled, out of breath, and fell onto her hands and knees. Her feet were in pain; she could tell that she had blisters or worse on both.
Fred and George were the first to reach her. "Ginny!" they cried at the same time. "Are you all right? Where were you? Why were you running?" They alternated asking questions.
"I – I'm fine," she gasped. "My feet are wet. It's nothing." She started pulling off her boots, and looked up as her parents, Bill, and Fleur arrived. George helped her take off her boots.
"Ginny," said Molly, squatting down in front of her, "what happened?" She looked at Ginny's feet. Her soles were torn and bleeding.
"Mum, it's nothing. I'll get something for it in Hogsmeade before I get on the train. It's these stupid boots. I've had them for two years and they don't fit. It'll be fine." She stood up. "See? It's just a little blister. Ouch!" She took a step and had to grab onto George to keep from falling. Fred took her other arm as she leaned on their shoulders. "Thanks. Ow!" she cried again. She took another step and swore.
Her father, looking bemused, was about to speak, but something in the forest caught his eye. The others followed his gaze. "Isn't that Rufus Scrimgeour?" he said. The Minister of Magic was striding out of the trees. He turned down the long curving drive and out the tall gates. Although he passed within a few yards of the Weasleys, he did not look at them.
"What was that all about?" said Arthur, still watching Scrimgeour as he strode down the lane to Hogsmeade. No one answered, but Mrs. Weasley, who was now standing in front of Ginny, turned to her daughter.
"Ginny," she said, "did you meet the Minister?"
"Did you speak to him?"
"No. He spoke to me."
"What?" Arthur exclaimed. "He talked to you? Why on earth..." He paused. "Didn't Percy also talk to you, right after the funeral?"
"Well, he tried to say something, probably about Har–" She stopped. Why could she not desist from speaking Harry's name?
"Harry?" Fred and George said in unison, and looked at each other. "Hey, we heard stories, Sis. You and Harry. That's beautiful," they alternated.
"No, it's not what you think. Ouch!" She had tried to take a step. "Let me down. I can't even stand up." She swore again.
"Ginny," said Molly, and Ginny looked up. Molly glanced at Arthur, then at the others. "Did Rufus Scrimgeour ask you about Harry? If he did, you need to tell us. You need to tell us whatever it was he wanted to know." She glanced again at Arthur, who was now looking worried. Fred and George were staring with avid interest. Bill and Fleur stood together, holding hands, also staring, but Fleur had a thoughtful look. She caught Ginny's eye and smiled softly.
"Okay," Ginny took a breath, and recounted what the Minister had asked. "Then," she finished, "I told him it was none of his business, and he pulled his wand on me."
"What?" they all exclaimed at the same time. Ginny almost laughed, but stopped when she saw the expressions on her parents' faces.
"How dare he!" Molly cried. "Who does he think he is?" She turned to Arthur. "Drawing a wand on an underage witch! That's outrageous. Arthur —"
Ginny had never seen her father so angry. He turned and took a step toward the gates, but Ginny heaved herself up and went after him. "Dad, ow! Ow! Wait, there's something else!" She swore again and sat down, holding her feet. Her father hesitated and turned back. "What else happened?" he demanded.
"I think he was just trying to scare me," Ginny said. Then she spoke directly to her mother. "But the mermaid came back—" she could almost feel the twins' astonishment "— and it distracted him for a second, and then two— two centaurs came out of the woods." She could not help stammering. "What are you all looking at?" she giggled; they were gaping at her. "It was just like another stroll in the Forbidden Forest. Happens all the time."
"Ginny, don't joke." Her father was still angry. "What did they do?"
"Well, they both had their bows pointing at him, and —" Her father started; her mother shrieked and put her hand to her mouth.
"With arrows?" the twins said.
"Of course with arrows. How stupid would that be, pointing an empty bow at someone?" Ginny said as she bent over and squeezed her right foot. "Ouch."
"So..." Fred and George urged, "then what?"
"Then they just told me to go. But what was weirdest was that they knew my name. One of them said that their father was Firenze." She looked at her parents. "He's the one that Professor Dumbledore got to teach Divination last year. Maybe that's how they knew my name."
There were several moments of silence. Molly spoke. "No, dear, that's not how they knew your name." She glanced at Arthur, and he nodded. "They knew your name because of Harry."
"What do you mean, because of Harry?" Ginny was almost afraid of what her mother would say.
"I mean," Molly continued, "the mermaid, the centaurs... These things don't just happen." She squatted again and held Ginny's shoulders, as she had when they were together by the lake. She glared at the twins. "None of this goes anywhere else," she said to them. "It stays in the Order. Understand?"
"Sure, Mum," George said quietly. "Understood, Mum," Fred added.
Ginny was taken aback. "Well, I don't understand any of it. Why are they interested in me? What did I do?"
Her mother hesitated, and looked up at Arthur. His eyes were no longer angry; he was smiling slightly. "Because you are Harry Potter's girl," he said simply.
"Whoa!" said Fred and George together; their father and mother both shot them looks. Fleur smiled again.
Ginny sucked in a breath; she could not stop her heart from hammering. Her father continued. "These creatures know something is happening in the world, something big, and they know that it has something to do with Harry. And when they find Harry in their visions, or whatever it is they have, it seems that they also see you." He shook his head. "Don't be flattered, Ginny. When non–humans start noticing us it's usually not because pleasant times are coming. They notice us because bad things will be happening to themselves because of what humans are doing to each other."
Ginny did not answer. She was thinking about what it meant to be minded by a mermaid and a centaur because she had just spent a month as Harry's girlfriend. She involuntarily looked up the lawn to the castle. She knew Harry would not be there, but that was the place where she had last seen him. The spot was empty, just like the other spot, the one next to her when she had been sitting with him after the funeral. She could not help the lump in her throat, but she fought the tears back and looked at her father.
Arthur was now staring toward Hogsmeade. "Well," he said, "I need to see someone in the village. Anyone want to join me? Boys?" He glanced at his sons and then started walking.
Fred and George followed immediately. Bill hesitated a moment. He looked at Fleur who whispered in his ear and put her hand on his face, and then he went after them.
Molly smiled at Ginny and Fleur. "I guess we'll find out later how Rufus is," she said. "But let's go take care of your feet before the train leaves." She took Ginny's arm, Fleur took the other, and they slowly followed the Weasley men to Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts Express.


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WASHINGTON, DC (FOX19) - One of the main reasons FOX19 took the trip to Washington D.C. was to view Cincinnati worker IRS transcripts firsthand and see what workers said in their interviews with the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
While FOX19 was able to look over more than 50 pages of two interviews, there are still hundreds of pages not being released.
When reporters want information from a government agency typically a simple public information request is made and there is a required timeframe to respond. Laws dubbed 'sunshine laws' lay out what reporters can and cannot have access to.
The House committees are not governed by those same laws, however. It is generally up to the committee chairman what is released.
While FOX19 was allowed to look at some transcripts and answered questions, thus far the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has not released much.
"There may be a time when it's appropriate to do that, but I do think it's important that you not let everyone understand the line of questioning you're going through and it's been the practice of the committee not to release that," Representative Jim Jordan (R)-Ohio told FOX19.
Over and over in during FOX19's visit with republic committee members, they pointed to the committee's investigation as justification for not releasing the full transcripts.
"The thing that you have to understand is that even a high school principal will tell you that when you're doing an investigation the first thing you do is separate the parties and you get their stories," Michael Turner (R)-Ohio said. "Because from separating he parties you get the truth."
The pressure to release its not just coming from the media, republican chairman Darrell Issa has also been getting pressure from across the aisle.
"There's nothing in those transcripts that concerned me in any way," Democratic ranking member Elijah Cummings said. "I want them to be released."
Cumming says he wants to maintain the integrity of the investigation, but also give Americans the full story by sharing the transcripts
He criticized the chairman for releasing cherry picked portions of the interviews, but he also released pieces so in a commitment to balanced news FOX19 asked why.
"The only reason why I presented the excerpts that I did was because I thought the cherry picking that happened earlier by Mr. Issa did not provide us with a clear picture," Cummings explained.
Senator Rob Portman also shared his desire to see the documents released.
"I don't know what their reasons are, but I think all of us should be able to get access to those transcripts," he said.
Representative Jim Jordan has co-signed both of the committee requests for the IRS to make workers available for interviews. The latest request includes eight interviews which are in the process of being scheduled and the possibility for nine more workers to be interviewed who are currently requested to be on standby as needed.
Copyright 2013 WXIX. All rights reserved.


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Huddersfield are available at 23/10 (3.30) with William Hill to stun their Premier League opponents by completing a second FA Cup victory of the week, while the Latics can be backed at 10/11 (1.91) with William Hill to book their place in the last eight of the competition. The same firm go 23/10 (3.30) that the tie ends in a stalemate.
Striker James Vaughan is the Terriers' top scorer in the league this term, having scored five goals and the former Norwich City man is subject of William Hill's "headline offer" surrounding the hosts, with the odds compilers offering a special price of 5/1 (6.0) that Vaughan scores at any time in a victory for the Championship side.
Wigan's Ivorian striker, Arouna Kone, was a substitute last weekend as the Latics slumped to a 4-1 reverse at the hands of Chelsea, but those who believe that Kone and his team-mates will enjoy more success this weekend may be tempted with William Hill's "headline offer" of 3/1 (4.0) for Kone to net at any time in a Wigan victory.
It is worth noting that Roberto Martinez's side avoided potential banana skins on the road when overcoming both Bournemouth and Macclesfield Town to set up this clash but those results were the Latics' only victories in their last nine matches and, with neither side free-scoring, a tight encounter looks likely here.
Therefore, there is value in backing the draw at 23/10 (3.30) with William Hill this weekend while the 13/2 (7.50) quote on offer from the same firm for no goalscorer is too big to be ignored and should be backed accordingly.
|Draw at 23/10 (3.30) with William Hill
|No goalscorer at 13/2 (7.50) with William Hill
Sign up with William Hill for a £25 free bet
Willie Duncan is a freelance sports journalist. Willie, from Edinburgh, has covered Scottish football for over 10 years and he specialises in football betting markets from across Europe. You can also follow Willie on Twitter
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Northstar's Bike 101 is the perfect introduction that teaches all the basic skills needed in the park. Get to know your bike and riding equipment, learn how to balance and control speed, and familiarize yourself with the riding protocol and safety. Includes bike rental, body armour, lift ticket, and full face helmet.
Bike 101 instruction begins at 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. Reservations for the morning Bike 101 lesson package can only be made by calling 1-800-GO-NORTH at least 48 hours in advance. We are unable to take reservations for the afternoon group lessons. The afternoon group lesson packages are based on bike rental availability as of 12:45 p.m. daily, and can be purchased on a first-come, first-serve basis at Plaza Bikes, if available.


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Patricia Wallinga – Opheliad
for piano and voice
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CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's vice president on Thursday suggested that reports about recent contacts between U.S. and Venezuelan diplomats were distorted in implying the conversations were initial efforts toward improving relations if President Hugo Chavez dies. He said Chavez authorized the conversations.
Vice President Nicolas Maduro spoke on television upon his return from Cuba, where he and other officials met with the ailing president more than three weeks after he underwent cancer surgery.
"In these days, we've seen how there have been attempts to distort an event that was simply sought to be carried out with the authorization of the president" in late November and early December, Maduro said. "And it has to do with the relationship with the government of the United States."
"Some articles have come out that have tried to manipulate a group of elements," Maduro said, without giving details.
Some recent news stories have raised questions about whether contacts between U.S. and Venezuelan diplomats could potentially lead to an improvement in long-strained relations if Chavez's health continued to worsen.
"We know that all of these manipulations are being handled from the United States. They believe their time has come, and they've entered into a sort of mad hour, (an) offensive by the far-right here and internationally," Maduro said. "Well, here is our nation planted very firmly, very clear."
Maduro spoke a day after a U.S. government official confirmed that American and Venezuelan diplomats recently held high-level conversations aimed at improving relations. The U.S. official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
The official confirmed reports that Roberta Jacobson, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, spoke by telephone with Maduro in November and discussed ways of improving relations. He also confirmed that U.S. diplomat Kevin Whitaker had a subsequent conversation with Roy Chaderton, Venezuela's ambassador to the Organization of American States.
Maduro did not refer specifically to any particular contacts between diplomats.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said earlier Thursday that the U.S. government is seeking a more productive relationship with Venezuela and is open to dialogue.
"Obviously we talk to Venezuelans from across the political spectrum, as we do with countries around the world. But any political transition that takes place in Venezuela has to be the product of decisions that are made by Venezuelans," Nuland told reporters in Washington.
"We do not believe that there is a made-in-America solution for Venezuela's transition," Nuland added. "That is the message that we are giving to Venezuelans of all stripes, that we want to see any transition be democratic, be constitutional, be open, be transparent, be legal within Venezuela, and that it has to be decided by Venezuelans."
Venezuela's opposition has demanded more details about Chavez's condition. The president has not spoken publicly since his Dec. 11 operation, and his government has recently described the president's condition as "delicate" after he suffered complications due to a respiratory infection.
Nuland said that American officials have no way to evaluate what is being said about Chavez's condition, "but we have seen concern within Venezuela that the government's not being transparent."
Chavez has had a rocky relationship with Washington for years, though the United States remains the top buyer of oil from Venezuela.
The U.S. Embassy in Caracas has been without an ambassador since July 2010. Chavez rejected the U.S. nominee for ambassador, accusing him of making disrespectful remarks about Venezuela's government. That led Washington to revoke the visa of the Venezuelan ambassador.
U.S. officials have for years criticized Venezuela's efforts against drug trafficking as inadequate, and have expressed hope of greater cooperation. Chavez has accused the U.S. government of manipulating the drug issue for political purposes to discredit his government.
Associated Press writer Luis Alonso Lugo in Washington contributed to this report.


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One Camden County Associate Commissioner stands by his words after being asked to acknowledge an error he allegedly made and to apologize to former Planning and Zoning Board member, Bill Pragman. Pragman's term recently expired. Commissioner Luber replaced him with Nancy Osborne.
One Camden County Associate Commissioner stands by his words after being asked to acknowledge an error he allegedly made and to apologize to former Planning and Zoning Board member, Bill Pragman. Pragman's term recently expired. Commissioner Luber replaced him with Nancy Osborne.
During the May 10 Camden County Commission meeting, Presiding Commissioner Kris Franken and Associate Commissioner Cliff Luber were at odds on a few matters including planning and zoning issues. One of the situations brought up in the recording was the rezoning of a land owned by the Pittman family.
The recording reveals that Luber was upset that a family who had farmed on their land for generations had their land rezoned without their knowledge and to correct the issue, they had to pay hundreds of dollars. Luber brought up that Pragman asked Pittman what type of animals he planned on having and on May 10 said, "like it was any of Pragman's business."
Pragman was not at the commission meeting but apparently took offense to the comment. On June 21, more than a month after the recording, he emailed all three commissioners his concerns and asked for an apology. On July 1, the commission saw the largest citizen turn out since they put a public comment segment on the meeting's agendas. Suzie Johnson, a Camden County Republican, read Pragman's letter asking for an apology, on his behalf. He was not in attendance at the meeting.
Luber addressed the letter by saying that he stood by his words and did not plan on giving an apology.
The meeting then took an unexpected turn when, Nancy Steward, a member of the audience, spoke up and said that in the same recording, Franken addressed members of the Lake Area Conservative Club, LACC, and went as far as to call them "extremists." Steward felt as if Franken needed to be held accountable for his words as well.
Franken responded to Steward, thanking her for her comments but he did not address her comment regarding comments about the LACC.
The recording of the May 10 meeting included more discussion between Franken and Luber. Fingers were pointed, accusations were made and voices were raised. The recording can be heard in its entirety at camdenmo.org.
During the July 1 meeting, Kim Krostue also spoke up against Commissioner Luber. In a letter to the commission, Krostue urged Luber to stop writing opinion pieces like the ones he recently published on a lake area website.
"Attacking your peers and county staff in the press is not leadership, it's harassment," Krostue said. "Using the press in this manner is not a sign of strength; it's a sign of weakness. If your ideas are not accepted by your peers, it's not their problem. It's yours. No salesman ever got away with the excuse that he had bad clients."
He went on to say that the published pieces were disruptive and told Luber to simply, "Stop it."
Luber did not respond to Krostue's letter.
After the meeting, Luber did say that he felt like most of the comments were "politically motivated."
All commissioners listened to Krostue and many others that chose to attend the July 1 meeting for various reasons.
Commission meetings have always been public meetings. Now, the meetings include a "public comment" portion at the beginning of all meetings.
Pragman or Franken could not be reached for comment following Monday's meeting.


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Become a Nurse >> Browse Articles >> Degrees & Certifications >> Masters
Masters of Science in Nursing
Individuals considering nursing should carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of enrolling in a BSN or MSN program because, if they do, their advancement opportunities usually are broader. In fact, some career paths are open only to nurses with a bachelor's or master's degree. A bachelor's degree often is necessary for administrative positions and is a prerequisite for admission to graduate nursing programs in research, consulting, and teaching, and all four advanced practice nursing specialties—clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, nurse-midwives, and nurse practitioners.
Education beyond a bachelor's degree can also help students looking to enter certain fields or increase advancement opportunities. In 2006, 448 nursing schools offered master's degrees, 108 offered doctoral degrees, and 58 offered accelerated BSN-to-doctoral programs.
Would You Pass the NCLEX?NCLEX Review: Part I
NCLEX Review: Part II
NCLEX Review: Part III
NCLEX Review: Part IV
NCLEX Vocab Review
NCLEX Math Review
All four advanced practice nursing specialties require at least a master's degree. Most programs include about 2 years of full-time study and require a BSN degree for entry; some programs require at least 1 to 2 years of clinical experience as an RN for admission. In 2006, there were 342 master's and post-master's programs offered for nurse practitioners, 230 master's and post-master's programs for clinical nurse specialists, 106 programs for nurse anesthetists, and 39 programs for nurse-midwives.
Nurse Practitioner
Certified Nurse-Midwife
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist


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Marine Pollution Facts
Sources of Marine Pollution
Waste and litter accumulates in the ocean from garbage dumping in waterways and on land. Plastics are the largest contributors to waste and litter, gathering in masses in our oceans and putting unique marine life at risk.
Industrial Wastewater is produced in industrial settings like factories, mills and mines. It often contains dangerous contaminants like chemical solvents, paints, radioactive waste and metals which are released into waterbodies and then travel to the ocean.
Oil is released into the oceans from oil spills, leaking pipelines, engine oil discharge and tanker discharges. The oil is toxic to marine life and the marine environment. It is very difficult to remove oil from the oceans making its effects long lasting.
Sewage includes domestic waste, animal waste and waste water. When it is directly released into waterbodies it often contains pathogens dangerous to marine and human life and affects our ecosystems by over enriching the environment with nutrients.
Agricultural Runoff from farming contributes dangerous contaminants like pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers to the marine environment affecting ecosystems and their marine life.
Air Pollutants include particle matter and gas matter. The Greenhouse Gas Effect is raising ocean temperatures and the levels of carbon dioxide in the air leading to the acidification of oceans.
A growing amount of electronic waste is piling up around the world and contaminants like lead, cadmium, and beryllium are seeping into waterways and poisoning the oceans.


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LIDS CBRNE Aircrew/Ground crew
Wel-Fab, Inc has developed the new Lightweight Inflatable Decontamination System (LIDS) Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High Yield Explosive (CBRNE) for use as field deployable Contamination Control Area (CCA) supporting USAF aircrew personnel decontamination processing procedures.
LIDS CBRNE Supreme Aircrew unit was specifically designed and engineered for today's quick response Aircrew Flight Equipment (AFE) decontamination teams. This system provides complete Aircrew Contamination Control Area (ACCA) decontamination capability for USAF Aircrew personnel
wearing all fielded aircrew chemical warfare ensembles.
LIDS CBRNE Supreme Aircrew provides a quantum leap forward in personnel decontamination system capabilities. Building on the unmatched quality, modularity, and flexibility of our products, we worked closely with numerous AFE decon units to develop the most advanced, easy to use personnel decontamination system available today.
The benefits of owning this ultimate decontamination system translates into unparalleled logistic improvements, including a smaller unit response footprint; shortened technician-training time, reduced setup/breakdown times, and the fastest relocation times during extremely austere and diverse emergency response conditions within all types of AFE field operations.
LIDS CBRNE Supreme Aircrew package provides a complete Tactical Decon System, which was designed to meet all current aircrew decontamination procedures.
LIDS was Independently tested and validated by the USAF Air Warfare Center and approved for use by the Department of Defense, Joint Program Executive Office (JPEO) for Chemical, and Biological Defense. LIDS lightweight and ergonomic design was proven to significantly reduce technician thermal burden associated with the setup and operation of decontamination systems.
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• 5 LIDS Shelters provided with system (1 Fully Enclosed)
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• Each shelter structure inflates within 2 minutes or less
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• Eliminates run off during decontamination operations
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Interior and Exterior Lighting System:
• 2 Generators, 110Volt
• 19 Water Resistant, Tube Lights
• 2 Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI)
Industry Leading System Warranty:
• Initial 3 year warranty
• Maintenance service center provided
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Wiener at the Affordable Art Fair
In two drawing session/performances for the collectors attending Affordable Art Fair, Mark Wiener created drawings in ink and charcoal across an entire array of books mounted to a large panel.
This website uses tracking cookies and also third-party tracking cookies in order to send you targeted advertising and online services in line with your preferences. If you would like to know more or to disallow all or some cookies, click here. If you continue to navigate on this website you implicitly consent to the use of cookies.


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IT service fitness: prevention is better than cure
The omnipresence of IT
Webcast Delivering a service is dependent on getting networks, storage, servers, operating systems, middleware and applications to work together to agreed levels. But we know how difficult it is to keep these complex chains running reliably; and the problem gets more acute when we throw virtualisation in to the mix.
The answer is to keep on top of what's happening across the entire service infrastructure and detect and solve problems as they start to happen - not when they have gone critical.
But how do we get there?
The Register's Tim Phillips was joined by Freeform Dynamics' Andrew Buss and Nimsoft's Tim Rochte on the Regcast "Prevention is Better than Cure" to discuss possible answers and the steps needed to achieve the best 'ominpresent' perspective across your IT business services. They looked at:
- Tech infrastructure as a service.
- Proactive monitoring and management
- How to evaluate and control a healthy relationship between infrastructure performance and SLAs.
- Can your business have a more comprehensive approach to its IT mechanics so you are engaged and productivity is not harmed?
- Can all of your internal and external IT systems be managed in alignment to work with your business needs?
You can tune into this free event on demand here. ®


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Wednesday, September 05, 2012
La Cite de L'Ecrit et des Metiers du Livre
September is the time of the French la rentree - pommes for the teacher, pens/plumes, notebooks/cahiers, schoolbooks, you name it...
Darling Biff insisted on taking myself and Karen Wheeler(his mum) to La Cite de L'Ecrit et des Metiers du Livre - sort of a prep trip for La Rentree.
It's in the vielle ville of Montmorillon so a pedestrian steep walk up hill and down cobblestone allies was on the menu.
With Biff leading the way our first stop was La Plume
An adorable hole-in-the-wall calligraphie shop
A plethora of plumes/pen points on offer
And even plume-feather earings!
Biff is rather bookish you know since his mom is an author of three books so he was in seventh heaven in this old bookish town
Book shops right and left
Everything very artsie
Especially the cobalt bleu art shop
In the street nearby a mini puce/flea
What should you wear when visiting a small town in the Poitou-Charente? A flowered chinzt pinafore of course accompanied by a floppy straw hat.
Biff and Karen take in the view on the vieux pont...
Quite enchanting...
4:30 pm
C'est l'heure de gouter (snack time!)
14 comments:
Oh, this is such an incredibly beautiful and romantic village!ReplyDeleteReplies
it really is charming isn't it?Delete
There are many in rural France I think...
I would love that place!Vos pommes sont belles ma belle!ReplyDelete
Carol, I do like the looks of Montmorillon...I even had a look at the link. It seems easy to access from Paris, via Poitiers. I see one hotel mentioned. Surely, there might be some pension/B&B places in the village?ReplyDelete
Or even a house to rent?
Dreaming again....
I hope Biff wasn't too bossy!!! Looks like you had a great day......but then again you always do :)ReplyDelete
Carla x
Gosh, I need to check this place out. Looks enchanting indeed with these bright shop fronts!ReplyDelete
Biff is a great tour guide...Now I want to go to Montmorillon...les pommes sont très délicates...ReplyDelete
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