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Trunk or Treat Celebration at Valley Hills Mall – Hickory NC Event

Trunk or Treat Celebration at Valley Hills Mall – Hickory NC Event

You can double the Halloween Fun this year in the Greater Hickory NC Area!

On October 30, you can trunk or treat, with games and prizes at

Newton NC Spooktacular Event

And the next day, you can trunk or treat again at Valley Hills Mall!

On Sunday, October 31, 2010 from 3:00pm to 6:00pm, children from the area are invited to the Trunk or Treat Celebration at Valley Hills Mall.

Sponsors participating in the event will be handing out goodies from the trunks of their cars, all from the comfort of inside the mall.  The event is mall-wide and there will be plenty of activities to keep the ghouls and ghosts happy!

For more info, you can visit Valleyhillsmall.com or call 828.328.2436

Valley Hills Mall
1960 Highway 70SE, #244
Hickory, NC 28602

Newton NC SPOOKTACULAR This October 30, 2010 – Newton NC Event

Newton NC SPOOKTACULAR This October 30, 2010 – Newton NC Event

Looking for some good, clean fun for you and your little ghosts and goblins this Halloween?  Come on down to downtown Newton, NC for this year’s

Spooktacular Halloween Event!

The goal of the event is to provide an old-fashioned fall festival that is family-friendly, featuring storefront decorations, Halloween-themed inflatables, and spooky music and lots of candy and treats via ‘Trunk or Treat’

Spooktacular will begin Saturday, October 30, 2010 and will run from 5:00pm to 8:00pm.  Activities will center around the Courthouse Square of Newton.

Don’t miss the costume contests that begin at at 6:00pm.  There will be winners from several different age groups, including 18 years old and up, so it’s okay for you to dress up, too!

Groups or individuals that are interested in participating in the “trunk or treat” should call Festival & Events Committee Chairperson Catherine LeFevers at 828-234-5986

For more information on this event, you can visit www.newtonnc.gov.

****Bonus****

Warm up at Zander’s Coffee House!  Anyone that brings in a copy of this article will get a FREE small gourmet coffee with a dessert purchase.

Christmas in the Valley 2010 – Hickory NC Event

Christmas in the Valley 2010 – Hickory NC Event

Kick off the Holiday season right by visiting the Christmas in the Valley 2010 event in Hickory NC this October 29, 30, and 31 at the Hickory Metro Convention Center

You can find just the right gift for that special someone or find the items to decorate your home in style!

There will be gifts and items to meet anyone’s needs.  Arts, Crafts, Apparel, Gourmet Foods, Pet Products, Fashion Jewelry and lots more!  Besides gifts and decor, there will be plenty of Entertainment as well.  And let’s not forget the special guest appearances of Santa and Mrs. Claus!

Christmas in the Valley will be

Friday, Oct 29, 1pm-7pm,

Saturday, Oct 30, 9am-5pm, and

Sunday, Oct 31, 12pm-5pm.

Tickets are $7.00 for adults and kids 12 and under are Free (cash only, please).

Christmas in the Valley is being held at the

Hickory Metro Convention Center
1960 13th Ave Dr SE, Hickory, NC

Take a look at our list of Vendors and Sponsors for Christmas in the Valley

****BONUS****

Take a Copy of this Article and receive $1.00 OFF the ticket price!

Don’t Miss 2010 Christmas in the Valley

The Conover Farmers Market – Conover NC Events

If you like really fresh fruits and vegetables, and you like it home grown from your neighbors (and who doesn’t), then you need to visit the Conover Farmers Market in Conover, NC.

The Conover Farmers Market is located at 501 1st Ave. South in downtown Conover, just south of the railroad tracks.

It’s open every Saturday from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm and runs through the end of October. It’s open rain or shine, so if it’s raining, take an umbrella and get some great deals that day!

If you’d like more information on the Conover Farmers Market or would like to become a vendor, you can contact the Farm Market Manager, Julie Lehmann via mail at: Conover Farmers Market, Inc., PO Box 549, Conover, NC 28613
by phone: 828-234-7075 or email: market manager@conoverfarmersmarket.or

Here’s a list of the Vendors Visit Conover Farmers Market

View some photos of past Conover Farmers Market Events

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Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory NC .

You can reach me by email at rogerajohnson@century21.com or by phone at 828-568-2121 ext 310 .

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No, He’s NOT Giving You the Finger! (Alexander County, NC)

There are lots of people that visit Alexander County, NC.  They love the mountain views, gorgeous lake settings, private fishing holes, and that, special old-style down home attitude from the locals.  That’s just a few reasons that many choose to stay.  Still, there’s one tradition in the area that initially throws off a few new-comers at first.

The waving drivers!

This seems to be something that, while common in Alexander, comes as a shock to most people visiting the area.  Most cars that you pass on the roads, the drivers will toss a quick wave to you.  Sometimes, though, those waves can be confusing to the unexpected drivers.  So, I thought I’d write this little “things to know” if you’re visiting Alexander county for the first time.

There are really four types of waves that you’ll encounter here.

The “Howdy” Wave

The Howdy Wave is simply a big wave to the passing car, usually with a big smile from the driver waving, too.  Hard to miss.  Some people unfamiliar with this usually ask their passenger, “Hey, do we know them?”

Knowing someone personally isn’t necessary here.  We’re just glad to see you.

The Four Finger Wave

This is similar to the big howdy wave, but only the four fingers are lifted, keeping the hand on the wheel.  Again, a big friendly smile can accompany this wave.  The driver waving is simply choosing to err on the side of caution and keep both hands (or at least one) on the wheel.

The Peace Wave

The Peace Wave is a two fingered wave.  This is the ‘cool’ wave.  You’ll probably get this one from the younger crowd.  They’re still happy to see you, they just have to look good while welcoming you to the area!

The One Finger Wave

No, NOT that Finger!  The one finger wave is the INDEX finger.  You’ll see this wave from the mega wavers.  Those are the ones that wave at every car that passes them.  It’s a time-saver (not to mention safer!), and it still looks cool, too.

This one is probably most common, as most locals do wave at every passing car.  Unfortunately, this is also the most “misread” gesture by those unfamiliar with the waving tradition of Alexander county.

So, if you’re visiting Alexander county for the first time, or you’re new to the area, don’t be alarmed at all the waving going on.  It’s just down home Southern hospitality for Alexander county.  And remember, that’s not the finger, but rather the one fingered wave.

And don’t forget to wave back.  We like that, too!

_______________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory NC .

You can reach me by email at rogerajohnson@century21.com or by phone at 828-568-2121 ext 310 .

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Copyright© 2009 No, He’s NOT giving You the Finger! (Alexander County NC) by Roger A. Johnson

Get Great Wide Angle Photos without a Wide Angle Camera

Wide angle photos are all the rage in the real estate world these days.  And it should be.  A good wide angled shot shows alot more of the room than a traditional photo.  Everyone loves those bedroom corner pictures, right?

Wide angle photos aren’t just for shooting real estate, either.  They work for, well, almost everything, and getting more into a shot is pretty much always a good thing.  But even though digital cameras with wide angle ability are starting to come down in price, they’re still pretty pricey.  And let’s not get into what it costs for a wide angle lens, if you camera can take a add-on lens.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could take great wide angle shots with a regular digital camera.  Well, now you can.

Simply go to autostitch.net and download the demo (windows only).  Now, it says demo, but it’s a fully functioning, but barebones, program.  What does it do?

It turns these

Into THIS

Pretty Cool, huh!

The thing is, it is REALLY, REALLY Simple to use, too.  All you have to do is A) take some pictures that are connected in some way, and B) load them into Autostitch and hit the “Stitch” button.  There is an options tab and it has a bunch of technical stuff on it (and if anyone wants to tell us what they all do, that’d be great!), but the only thing I do is set it to output at 100% ratio (the first block after hitting options).  If the pictures can be stitched, it does the work.

So these three pictures go from looking like this:

To looking like this:

Okay, it really comes out looking like this:

But all you have to do is throw that pic into your favorite photo editing program, do quick crop on it and then it looks like

Try it out for yourself and see what you can do with it.  It’s fast, easy and free.  What’s not to love?

_______________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory NC .

You can reach me by email at rogerajohnson @century21.com or by phone at 828-568-2121 ext 310 .

Follow Me On Twitter Hickory NC Real Estate Home Search

Subscribe in to My Blog

Copyright© 2009 Get Great Wide Angle Photos without a Wide Angle Camera by Roger A. Johnson

Is Your Computer Infected with Antivirus System Pro Malware: How to Remove

Hey!  I just had the pleasure of spending most of my evening fighting with this new malware/virus called Antivirus System Pro.  Oh Yay me!!  I say new, but it’s really just an updated, and nastier version of Antivirus Pro, System Pro and others with similar names that some hackers have created.  Joy!

Do You Have Antivirus Pro?

It’s easy to determine if you’ve got Antivirus System Pro or not.  It’s all over your computer!  You’ll immediately be hit with a splash page that says something like this: “Your PC has been infected.  Running scan NOW!” with continuing pop-ups about your PC being infected and that a virus/trojan horse is trying to access your files.

It’s all bogus.  If you try to get on the Internet, you will get a screen that says something like “cannot connect to website.  Malicious site detected.”  What’s even better, though, is about every 2 minutes or so, you will be redirected to some….mmm…let’s say, less than family-friendly sites.  Joy, Joy!

You’re Not Safe!

Oh, by the way, this can be picked up just about anywhere, too.  I personally got mine from clicking on a link in my Twitter feed.  Simply love those tinyurl makers, don’t you?

The purpose of this malware is two-fold.  First, it attempts to get you to pay them for the “complete” software to remove all of your “infected” files.  Second, it attempts to collect any data that it can from you and your PC.  It’s VERY IMPORTANT for you to remove it as fast as possible.

How do I remove Antivirus Pro?

If you get online to search for a way to remove it (and you’ll have to either do that from another PC or reboot yours into safe mode with networking on), many of the removal sites are almost as bad as the malware itself, forcing you to pay for the removal.  Luckily, I went through this first.

So, if you are unfortunate enough to have the malware (and if you don’t, download this NOW while you can), you want to get Malwarebytes Anti-malware.  If you like it, you can upgrade to the paid version, but the free version will get the job done for now.  Once it’s downloaded and installed, run it, check for updates and do a FULL system scan.  You will need to reboot and you may have to run it more than once (just to be safe), but it did an excellent job of removing the problem (and a couple more I didn’t know I had either).  Highly recommended.

Keeping yourself Protected.

Running an anti-virus program and having anti-malware software already installed will help, but doesn’t guarantee that you’re worry free.  One of the best ways to prevent another instance of this happening is to block the websites that promote it.  The following websites should be completely blocked:

• Antivir2009pro com
• Inetantivir com

• Inetantivirus com

• Inetavirus com

It should go without saying, but DO NOT try to go to these websites!!!

Blocking a Website in Firefox

This easiest way to block a site when using Firefox is to download the add-on Blocksite.  You can add websites to it that you do not wish to ever connect to again.  Blocksite also blocks hyperlinks to those websites as well, so it’s difficult to be tricked into clicking on them.

Blocking a Website in Internet Explorer

Depending on your version, this may be a little different, and I’m not an IE user, so here it goes anyway.  Click on the Tools tab, then Internet Options.  From there, click on the Contents tab, then enable the Contents Advisor.  Then click on Approved Sites tab and enter the URL address of the website you want to block and hit on the Never tab.  Hit the OK or Apply button.  You’ll be asked to enter a password and it’s all done.

Apple iDataCenter to be built in Maiden NC

Nothing has been “officially” announced on this yet, but several of the tech blogs are already reporting this as a done deal, but the Maiden Town Council, the Catawba County Board of Commissioners and the county’s Economic Development Corp. have already setup a date of next Monday, July 6th, at the Maiden Recreation Center to make a public announcement which “will probably involve a new industry coming to Maiden,” according to the Maiden mayor.

The iDataCenter will bring at least 50 new, high-paying jobs to the area.  I know that this doesn’t sound like a major job source, but new industry tends to bring much more than just the jobs it directly creates.

Apple is planning on spending over $1 billion dollars over a 9 year period.  The North Carolina Department of Commerce projects that this site will create more than 3000 new jobs in the area.

This is another good move by the county planners to help get our local economy back on track and also to help broaden our area’s job base.

_______________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory NC .

You can reach me by email at rogerajohnson@century21.com or by phone at 828-568-2121 ext 310 .

Follow Me On Twitter Hickory NC Real Estate Home Search

Subscribe to my Blog

Copyright© 2009 Apple iDataCenter coming to Maiden NC by Roger A. Johnson

NC Governor Perdue Calls on the People to Protect Public Education

Man, I’ve simply have got to quit paying attention to any political news! I really do try to stay away from any political issues, but this one was simply too much for me.Governor Perdue pleads with the public and the General Assembly to do what it can to help “cut the fat” from the NC budget, which is facing a $4.7 billion dollar short-fall and NOT to cut funding for education. This is a great idea, Bev! Only problem is I didn’t see you speaking out about protecting the NC education system 2-3 weeks ago. If you missed it, Governor Perdue (and you may have since you were using government funds to fly around various cities promoting your tax hikes), that’s exactly WHEN they started cutting all those teachers and assistants positions.

And was saving the NC educational system on the fore-front of your thinking when you stole some 88 million dollars from the NC Educational Lottery Fund? Have you thought that you could start “saving” the system by repaying that?

$4.7 billion sounds like a lot of money, but with a proposed $21 Billion budget, there’s room for improvement. As you said, Governor, you have to cut the fat. There’s a lot of fat to be cut before the budget becomes A-1 certified, that’s for sure. There are a lot of proposed pay cuts and job cuts, but I don’t see any for the politicians in there.

It just really gets to me when politicians try to play the sob story to us “dumb” voters. But you’re not dumb, and you can decide for yourself.

Sorry, but no “embedded” objects allowed:  Here’s the

YouTube Video of NC Governor Perdue

_______________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory NC .

You can reach me by email at rogerajohnson@century21.com or by phone at 828-568-2121 ext 310 .

Follow Me On Twitter Hickory NC Real Estate Home Search

Subscribe to my Blog

Copyright© 2009 NC Governor Perdue Calls on the People to Protect Public Education by Roger A. Johnson