Ho una certa ritrosia
ad usare il lemma: cuore.
Non mi piacciono
i poemi sdolcinati,
preferisco frasi folli.
Io mi esprimo a modo mio,
con i lazzi e l’ironia;
sdrammatizzo.
Se provassi un’attrazione,
per esempio,
scriverei alla mia musa:
“ Avrò gusti orripilanti,
ma mi piaci ”
E se fossi innamorato?
Se lo fossi veramente?
Arso vivo dalla sete,
dalla brama.
Altro che sdrammatizzare,
scriverei certo di sesso,
di tramonti senza tempo,
di carezze e di stelline.
Ma che cacchio sto dicendo?
Troppo scontato.
Io lo so cosa farei.
Narrerei come Voltaire,
di legami oltre confine,
d’un amore asessuato.
Già mi immagino:
io nei panni di Lupin
e lei Margot.

Namco Bandai ha annunciato un capitolo di Lupin terzo dedicato al NDS. Il nome del gioco è Lupin the Third: The Greatest Brain Battle In History, l’uscita è fissata per il 4 Dicembre in Giappone.

I have a new addition to my little Revenge family! My insanely cute, slightly evil hamster Hitler– Hitler Tokio Lupin to be exact.

I’d been contemplating a pet for a while, but, as a lazy person, I had yet to do so. Finally, though, I got off of my lazy arse long enough to purchase the cutest hamster to ever walk the face of the earth, Hitler. He’s evil; he bites; he’s lazy; he’s weird. I think we’re going to get along just fine.

He isn’t very friendly though. He bites A LOT. I’m almost scared to touch him anymore. He’s quite loopy as well.

Scabbers ain't got nothing on Hitler!

^Hitler, at his cutest

Questo è un genio del male. Due volte.

This Inspired By post is part of a mini-series on the things and people that inspire my gift wrapping. Inspiration can strike at any time! For more, click the “Inspired By” link at the bottom of this post.

In one of my first rounds of internet research in starting The Gifted Blog, I stumbled upon these amazing gift wrapping ideas by Lupin of Bugs and Fishes and Lupin Handmade. I was stunned.

It’s a pleasure to find a fellow gift wrapping enthusiast, even if their gift wrapping ideas totally kick the butt of my gift wrapping ideas. Above are some images from gifts she wrapped using second-hand wallpaper. I almost gasped!

Here are some more using metallic cake-decorating ribbon contrasting with kraft paper.

And finally, some ridiculously cool-looking gifts using names and typeface for decoration. I really love these.

For all of Lupin’s gift wrapping ideas to date, click here. She has definitely inspired me to take things up a notch with these labors of love. I’m sure it won’t be long before some of her ideas sneak into a Wrap Story.

Lupin, thank you for sharing! You’ve elevated gift wrapping to an art.

Lupin Ltd, has acquired the US rights for Antara (Fenofibrate capsules 43 mg, and 130 mg) for $79 million from Oscient Pharmaceuticals under US Bankruptcy procedures. Antara had net sales of $70 million for the year 2008. Lupin had already filed an ANDA for fenofibrate capsules 43 mg and 130 mg. The company sold its ANDA to Dr Reddy’s Laboratories this month and settled pending litigation regarding the ANDA product.

Lupiner i morgondagg

Växjö 2009-09-28

Nätterna blir kallare och daggen fryser till is fram på morgonen. Kylan går hårt åt växtligheten. Framåt dagen stiger dock värmen på glasverandan och livet känns ganska behagligt.

Det är en fin årstid där dimman skapar mystik, blommornas blir frostnypna och lönnens blad börjar bli vackert blodröda.

Det är hösten som kommer smygande.  Har vi tur så blir den lika fin som förra året och året dessförinnan.

It’s been a crazy few weeks, lots to do, lots got done and now I am feeling in need of some respite/ laughter.

There is nothing as good as hearing other people’s funny stories and that is exactly what I feel like I need to hear right now (I know I am impatient). Is it really really only me that mad things happen too ~ in fact I could fill up days and days of pages on here, rambling on with mad stories, cringey stories, stories that make you laugh so much you would cry ~ yes that is my mad life and partly the inspiration of the name Mad Mabel.

mabel is mad

So Mad Mabel came about as I was relaying a story to my lovely knitty friends, amongst them the SQ and saying how I feel like I am in my early 20’s, with a smile on my face and funny, charming and sweet but the reality is that the *young people* look at me as if I am a bag lady, slightly loopy (that’s probably about right) and definitely not young. Is it the fast approaching old age that makes me slightly cuckoo, I feel like I always have been but am now thinking maybe I am more crazy then ever??

Please don’t make me feel alone, think of this as your project to rescue someone from craziness by saying *it’ll be okay, dear*. What I really want to hear are stories from you (please leave them here in my comments section) of crazy things you have done, funny things and especially the cringey stuff. I’ve organised a little meeting of some of the finest mad minds and on Monday 12th October at 6pm BST, we will pick an honorary Mad Mabel (or Malcolm) and they will duly be sent a pair of Mad Mabel Sock Blockers and maybe even another little surprise….

slightly crazed offspring

If you want to be mad and not tell the world why, you can buy moustaches from Lupin or sock blockers from Skein Queen, Mad Mabel or me!

I really love fresh cut flowers, and one day I hope I will have a garden full of flowers to pick. It will take some time, because our garden was not properly taken care of by the previous owner. For my birthday I got three peonie bushes, in a deep, deep pink colour. Similar to the picture below. Mine might have been darker, as I recall.

It might even be called red, but I´m not sure though. Next spring I will hopefully plant some white and soft pink as well. I want masses of them, blooming all summer through. They remind me of my grandmother and her garden, which was filled with all sorts of peonies and roses. As a little girl I loved to bury my nose into those soft, but yet compact flowers and hold the buds gently in my hands. I still do.

At the moment I have a tiny blue hydrangea, which looks like it is sick. I do hope it survives the winter. I wonder if it will stay blue, or change into some other colour. I planted some seeds next to it, some lupins and some poppies, but it didn´t turn out like I wanted it to. The lupin seeds must have been flushed by rain, so all of them ended up at the same spot, and only a few have blossomed. The poppied were tiny and only a few grew. Next spring I will have to redo it.

Sometimes I buy cut flowers, but since I live in a small town there is not much to choose from. Every spring there are tulips everywhere. Even though I like them, one can have enough of them. It is rather expensive as well, so whenever I go to Gothenburg, I try to buy some nice flowers. I have a favourite shop where they have a nice selection, good prices and the owners are nice people. There is another one as well, which I visit frequently.

But for now, I have to settle for what is available. I bought some cream coloured roses today, and picked the three lupins in my garden, that still has the flowers left. The lupins unfortunately brought in some unwelcome guests, some earwigs (how I loathe them!!!) and a really disgusting bug. But I guess that is the price one has to pay for some flowers on the table.

Released: 1996

Go to IMDb page

Information © IMDb.com

Dragonheart

Dennis Quaid, Pete Postlethwaite, Jason Isaacs, Lee Oakes, Terry O’Neill, Milan Bahúl,

My first revisiting would be that of a Rob Cohen’s movie of 1996: Dragonheart.

I was a rightful youth when it rolled on, and a naive one, too. And it got imprinted in that idealistic mind of mine as an idealistic movie, with a sharply outlined good and bad, the dilemma, the sacrifice, the treason, and rediscovered valor, of course. I saw it probably twice back then, and have never since, for what, 13 years. That is, not until now.

The plot: The medieval times, there’s this knight, who teaches a young Prince to use his sword and the Code of Old, how to be a righteous man, yet, it turns out, later however, the future King cares only for swords, not for codes. In the battle he gets wounded in his heart and is bound to die. Yet in order for him to survive his mother along with the Knight, brings the youth to a noble Dragon who, upon insisting and hearing from the youth an oath to pursue righteousness, gives his part of his heart, thus reliving him.

The rotten Prince becomes a more rotten King, compassionate and sincere Dragon’s heart notwithstanding. Seeing this, the Knight believes the young King has become bewitched, the sinful character  of his was caused by a foul heart of the dragon. Embittered and having lost his faith in the Code of Old, he swears to kill dragons till there’s none left. For profit.

One day a scribe becomes a witness of the Knight’s successful battle with a dragon. The Knight kills, the scribe impressed, sticks along. Soon enough he witness another battle. This time, equally skilled, the hunter and the dragon pursue their battle for a very long time, then exhausted they bid truce. After a while they become friends, then, good friends. They actually get to team up for some easy cash, visiting villages, pretending, one, to be a scary and voracious ‘flying lizard of prey’ thriving on domestic kettle, the other, to be a brave dragon slayer, yet whose services need to be rewarded. However fun it is, there’s the catch. Along the way the Knight learns, his new friend is the last of the Dragons.  Also, it cannot continue much longer, not only because their plot gets soon inadvertently discovered but also because there’s the foul King with a half of the heart. The Dragon’s heart. Which makes him, by virtue, invincible.

Confronted by a peasant girl, who experienced the vile character of the King firsthand, by her her devotion and sincerity to pay revenge for her father’s death, the Knight parts with fun and decides to help villagers to get rid of the tyrant.

That’s two thirds of the film. No more spoliers.

That said, there’s only left to share with you of a few things things I couldn’t help noticing, without IMDB.

1. The girl, Kara, was later seen in a Starship Troopers. See for yourselves. It turns out, also, she is quite productive.

2. The King. It felt, 13 year ago, the actor only plays bad people. I was wrong. (David Thewlis)

King Einon:

Prof. Lupin? Yay!

3. Harry Potter mention, #2. (Jason Isaacs)

The King’s Minion, Lord Felton:

Lucius Malfoy, father of Draco Malfoy.

Mind, by the way, incidentally the Knight gives the dragon a name: Draco.

#2 & #3 Together:

4. Finally, the voice of the dragon, …

..yes, Sean Connery, as Draco.

One thing is left to add, the dragon, computer-generated character, is good. Is solid, movements exact and convincing. I buy it. I was impressed back then, and am still impressed now.

That’ll be all for now.

When we last left our hero, the story really didn’t have much to do with our hero at all. As Chapter 9 closed with Mrs. Weasley crumpled on the floor, sobbing over the images of her potentially soon-to-be dead family members, I had a difficult time even remotely caring about Harry Potter. In fact, I pose the argument that in the first part of Order of the Phoenix, we’re not really being asked to care about Harry Potter.

The Harry we meet in the beginning of Book 5 is not a particularly likable guy. Granted, how many fifteen year olds do you know who are likable? He’s angsty, self-involved, and wallowing in his victimhood. Yep, sounds like a Grade A standard edition teenager. That’s how they make ‘em. There is nothing wrong with that. I’d question if he showed up in Book 5 as noble as he was in Books 1 & 2. It’s easy to be noble when you’re 12 years old.

Perhaps this is where the age of the reader comes into play. While anyone would care about the injustice if Harry was actually expelled, the threat of expulsion doesn’t carry the same weight with adult readers. You pretty much know he isn’t going to get expelled – at least not yet. However, the existence of the Order of the Phoenix, the fact that most of the original members died, and the fear Mrs. Weasley has in putting her entire family in the same danger, carry a hell of a lot of weight. I think young readers can understand that weight, but an adult reader probably gets it on a completely different level. I’m going to assume most children haven’t looked at an old photo and thought “…this is the last photo we took of so-and-so. They died just after that.” A lot of adults have. I have.

So on one hand, the first part of Order of the Phoenix might be more for the adults – but I’m also going to say it’s more about the adults. Ron and Hermione becoming Prefects is nice enough, sure. Fred and George’s mail-order joke shop is amusing, okay. Harry’s teen angst is…annoying as all hell, to be honest. But none of these things are remotely as interesting as the Order of the Phoenix. The idea of a clandestine group of wizards risking their lives to save a society of wizards who not only don’t believe them, but think they’re dangerous, is compelling. You can feel the danger they are in world’s more than anything Harry’s potential expulsion makes you feel. And with that, you know a few things are going to happen: they’re going to kick some ass, something is going to go horribly wrong, and someone is going to die.

This means I care a lot more about this mysterious weapon than why Dumbledore isn’t talking to Harry. I want to know what the Order is planning, not why Harry wasn’t selected as a Prefect. The first part of this book seems to give a better picture of where the young wizards are going, through the presence of the young adult wizards (Bill, Tonks), and the adults themselves. It leaves little room to care about where they currently are.

While I’m sure the teen wizards will make a comeback once we get to Hogwarts, the beginning of the book really isn’t about them. And honestly, after spending 4 books with the kids, it’s a nice change of pace.

And so it begins.

If the past four books have taught me anything, it’s to expect a pretty slow beginning from a Harry Potter book. A little refresher course, a lot of complaining about the Dursleys, and that’s about it. And if they’ve taught me anything else, it’s the humble feeling of having your expectations dashed.

One chapter in, and we’ve already had Mrs. Figg coming out as a Squibb and Dementors almost sucking all that is happy out of Dudley’s life (which in my mind, equates to Violet Beauregarde having the blueberry juice drained out of her by the Oompa Loompas, but in a much darker sort of way). In chapter two, Harry’s expelled and Aunt Petunia receives Howlers. Hell, by the time chapter three rolled around, I kind of got the feeling Rowling was going “So you didn’t like all my backtracking in the previous books? Didn’t like being reminded Harry’s a wizard? Fiiiine! See how you like THIS!”

Chapter three introduced a slew of new adult wizards (which I promptly googled, to put names with faces from the film) and the first mention of the Order of the Phoenix. Using my powerful methods of deduction, I’ve concluded that the Order of the Phoenix may be important to the plot. Stay tuned!

So whereas I usually say very little has happened at the beginning of any given book, a whole hell of a lot has happened in the first three chapters of Order of the Phoenix. While I get the feeling we’re supposed to focus on Harry’s possible expulsion and the sudden arrival of a small wizard army, I’m sort of stuck on Aunt Petunia’s Howler. A wild shot-in-the-dark guess, but I want to say the Howler was somehow from Lily. “Remember my last, Petunia.” Remember my last words, maybe? Remember my last letter? Did Lily say something to her sister before they were attacked by Voldemort? Did the Potters know they were in danger before Voldemort arrived? What were they doing to piss him off? What’s the air speed velocity of an African swallow?

So I have a longstanding history (about a month long, the time it takes to read four Harry Potter books) of making what I think are legit predictions that turn out to be so absurdly off the mark, you have to wonder if I’m reading the same books. With that in mind, I think it’s time to start collecting clues, to be used in making a few correct predictions later.

Nymphadora Tonks is a Metamorphagus, meaning she can change her appearance at will. This will come up later, for sure. It probably wasn’t simply introduced so a wizard could change her hair color and the whole thing never be mentioned again (how frustrating would that be?). Harry was being watched by Mrs. Figg and Mundungus, but Harry wasn’t supposed to know about it. And there has been a break from the Ministry of Magic by a group of wizards, all who seem to have been close friends with the Potters, and someone is after that group. Other than the mysterious Howler and the arrival of Dementors on Privet Drive, I think that’s all we’re working with right now.

Side note: It’s nice to see that Lupin’s back (Though I did try and blame him for everything that was going wrong during Book 3. My bad.)

Anyway, I already like this book better than the others, and I’m still just 58 pages in, which is excellent news, considering I have about fifty gazillion pages to go…

********************

If you haven’t already voted, check out the poll in the side bar. So far, Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hollows have taken a strong lead.

I’ve also added an “About the Blogger” section to the side bar, cause a few people were asking me where I found this blog. I found it in my mind…it was rattling around with all my ridiculous predictions for where this series is going.

Pour ceux qui ne connaitraient pas Edgar de la cambriole (alias Lupin III) :

I grew up watching Japanese cartoons, even though I didn’t learn Japanese until later on in life. I gotta say, besides Family guy I’m not sure what cartoons are worth watching these days. That is why it is time now to reminisce about back in the day when I used to watch episodes of Lupin, Shinnosuke, and Doraemon.

The characters in Lupin are definitely the best part.

There’s Lupin of course –

But there’s also Daisuke Jigen…such as badass. 

and the super emo samurai Goemon Ishikawa

Here’s the opening for Shinnosuke:

Here’s an episode. It’s really funny, but it’s also in Japanese. I think it’ll still make sense though. Nudity makes sense in all languages.

Then there’s the cutest one, Doraemon. Totemo daisuke Doraemon! He’s a robot kitty.

Here’s a whole episode:

Hope you all enjoy the cartoons of my childhood! : )

-izumi

I’m one chapter in to Goblet of Fire, which means I’m no where near far enough to start making predictions about this book. That said, I was asked today if I had any guesses as to who would die during the course of the series. While I know there’s a pretty substantial body count in the final book, and I know that I haven’t been introduced to every character that will meet his wizardly maker before the series is out, I’m pretty sure I’ve been asked to place my bets because of how “accurate” my previous predictions have been. It really doesn’t matter if I’m right. In fact, it will be way more amusing if I’m horribly wrong – almost as amusing as if I’m magically spot-on.

I already know Diggory and Dumbledore kick the cauldron. No surprises there. The interesting question is who follows them. I have a few theories, and while I’m in no way saying all of these characters shuffle off the wizardly coil, I’m pretty sure I’m bound to have at least ONE right. Hedging my bets.

With that in mind, I guess it’s time to predict the Harry Potter Body Count.

Ginny Weasley
At this stage in the game, she’s pretty helpless. Her main purpose seems to be to raise the stakes of the preexisting conflicts. Facing Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets sure does suck, but it sucks a whole hell of a lot more if Ginny is half-dead in the background. If there is a blossoming romance with Harry, she’s the most obvious victim. It’s a classic model – you get at the hero through his damsel in distress. I know this was a popular theory when the books were originally released, so maybe I’m wrong because I heard nothing after that. But she’s definitely on the watch list.

Draco Malfoy
To be honest, I’d hate to see this little emo punk give up the ghost. I don’t think he’s all bad, but rather a victim of his circumstances. A pawn. A spoiled brat. A kid with an unfortunate “Children of the Damned” bleach job. I don’t think anything would be gained for our hero if Draco died, unless we had one of those redeeming “You weren’t all that bad. I forgive you for everything” moments that so define the deaths of wishy washy villains. So maybe I’m saying that he won’t die. Or at the very least, I’m saying he shouldn’t.

Hagrid
It’s possible. I can see a million reasons as to why this would be a logical route for the story to take. What better way to tug at the heart strings than to kill off one of the most lovable bumbling characters in the series? Hagrid is like a loyal dog, and did anyone see “Marley and Me”? Just saying…

Sirius Black
Does he die before book six? (Don’t answer that). I don’t remember him dying, but I don’t remember him living either. In any event, it’s a distinct possibility. Same goes for Lupin. Either one of them could easily go during the course of the series and I wouldn’t be too surprised.

Peter Pettigrew
Is this a fair guess? Oh wow, the creepy servant of the evil overlord could die? You must be mad! Honestly, I have no idea if he passes on – nor do I really care. And since I got the distinct impression that the deaths near the end of the series are enough to evoke a response, I’m not keeping an eye on him. I just don’t see how anyone would give two shits if he was killed. Shrug.

Lord Voldemort
The obvious guess. Yes, I think they defeat Voldemort. At this point, I’m not entirely sure he’s “alive”, so maybe he can’t actually die. But if he can die, then he will. Good overcomes evil. Blah blah blah. You know the drill.

Snape
I feel like he’s pretty much a goner the second he turns bad (he does turn bad, right?) If he doesn’t undergo that redeeming moment I predicted entries back (lucky guess?), then his defeat may be as important as Lord Voldermort’s. Let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised.

One of the Weasleys
Okay, so if Ginny makes it to the end of Book 7, one of the other Weasleys will not. My reasoning? There are just too many of them. If you’re going to kill of a character, you essentially have an army of little red-headed wizards to pick from in the Weasleys. I’d keep my eye on Mrs. Weasley if I were you.

And now, my wonderful predictions for who won’t  die…

Ron Weasley & Hermione Granger
The two best friends will make it to the very end. Why? Because they will. Because Rowling was never going to kill off Harry’s two best friends. They’re practically the only family he’s ever had. It just doesn’t make sense in my mind, thematically.

Harry Potter
Harry Potter won’t die. I know this for a fact. Besides, who would write a 4,000+ page series, only to kill the main character at the end? Seems unnecessarily cruel for a children’s book.

And so those are my predictions. Hopefully at least one of my guesses will prove accurate – otherwise, I have no idea who dies at the end of this series. Who’s left? Don’t tell me they kill Neville. Not Neville…

“I regret to inform you that the bad guy in Prisoner of Azkaban is none other than Professor Lupin. The clues are all there – blatantly. [...] I’m not sure if I’m allowed to feel proud of myself for figuring this out. At this point in the game, the books are still very much geared toward young readers. I think this makes me a smart 12-year-old.”

Oh, for the love of…! Why? Why?!?! Why couldn’t it have just been Lupin? Don’t get me wrong, I really like Lupin – but why couldn’t my prediction just have been right…for once? I had every good reason to believe it was Lupin. The story could have easily been written to reveal Lupin as the bad guy. His fear of a floating orb could have been a concern about revealing his past in a crystal ball as much as it could have been his fear of turning into a werewolf during the full moon. Okay, okay – my suspicion that he was Crookshanks was pretty far fetched, I’ll give you that. But I did manage to get the fact that he was an animagi – I just had the animal really wrong. I also figured out that Hermione was traveling through time, and that ability would be used later to do something awesome and important. And what did I tell you about Black being the dog?

If only I hadn’t been so convinced Lupin was the bad guy…

I think this makes me a really dim 12-year-old.

I guess that would have been a cop out. We already had the whole “seemingly good professor is revealed as a bad guy” thing with Quirrell. To do it again 2 books later would have been poor storytelling. Why do I get the feeling Rowling wanted readers to suspect Lupin? If you reveal one professor as untrustworthy early on, they all become suspects.

I have more to say about Prisoner of Azkaban before I jump into Goblet of Fire, but I’ll save that for later.

I just wanted to say: why couldn’t it have been Lupin? Why? I’m so bad at this…

I’ve finished reading Chapter 7, “The Boggart in the Wardrobe”, and I think it’s time to take a few more stabs at where this thing is going.

I regret to inform you that the bad guy in Prisoner of Azkaban is none other than Professor Lupin. The clues are all there – blatantly. So very sad. I actually really like Lupin. Then again, I also really liked Tom Riddle, and we saw where that got us.

So why do I think it’s Lupin? Cause I’m awesome at this! (wow…really  hoping it’s Lupin, now…) But in all honesty, I think the signs are pointing sternly toward the shabby Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

The Sneakoscope went off while he was in the room. He whispered something to the Dementor that made him go away. And most interestingly, he’s afraid of a crystal ball. Tie that in with the fact that the students are learning Divination, and I think we have a winner!

I’m starting to catch on to the pattern of Rowling’s writing. Nothing is accidental. The fact that Hermione is seemingly traveling through time to take all these classes (shot in the dark on this one, but I think that’s what she’s doing), will come into play later. If I had to truly guess at it, Lupin is afraid of something in his past, which will be made obvious in a crystal ball, and in which Hermione (and no doubtably Harry) will go back and see in person.

I’ve probably just destroyed all the clout I gained through my accurate predictions with that inevitably faulty one, but you see what I’m trying to say. The classes the students are taking, as well as every spell they are learning, act as clues. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to feel proud of myself for figuring this out. At this point in the game, the books are still very much geared toward young readers. I think this makes me a smart 12-year-old.

But as I was saying:

Sirius is a friendly dog and Lupin is an evil teacher. Tada! And for my next trick…

Firstly, thank god. Secondly, I’m going to spam you wish some of my writing. It’s been very, very good the last few days as I’ve found a new roleplayer who really inspires me (Thanks Matt!) and Kirby and I have sorted out the plot for ‘Chapter Two’ of our roleplay (Chapter one was 250,000 words so I use the word chapter loosely.)

– For all you Harry Potter fans out there. –

There was also the terrible feeling hanging over him that someone, one of the few people that knew, would inform the dementors, auroras and ministry staff that he was an animagus and could turn into a shaggy black dog. People might look at him and his whole body would freeze with fright and the overwhelming fear that someone had recognised him and wanted to turn him over to the authorities.

ok, so i may not be a top critic and i probably don’t know a thing about what it takes to produce a movie which is an adaptation of a book, but what i am is a loyal harry potter fan, and i happen to be one of millions who have stuck with him throughout his journey!

i’ve seen each and every harry potter movie in my head, a million times, because when i read the book i visualise it and what goes on in my head is sooooooooooooooooo much better than the absolute and total nonsense that these people who get paid millions probably create.

not one of the harry potter movies that i’ve seen so far can compare to what j.k. rowling has written! each and every one seems to me as a feeble attempt to make money! and let’s face it , at the end of the day, that’s what we all want/need but that doesn’t mean that these people can’t make somethning that Hp fans like myself would want to watch over and over and over!

so the following are a few of the problems that i saw with the movie:

• voldemort is on the loose and harry is sitting in a restaurant thinking bout going on a date with a girl!
• dumbledore shows up out of nowhere and harry just drops everything and goes with him(harry isn’t an idiot- what if it was an impostor?!)
• they show up at slughorn’s place,they stay for about 3minutes max and then leave, harry says barely anything to slughorn and they jus leave and MAGICALLY slughorn decides to agree to come to hogwarts
• lupin and tonks are not suppose to be together as yet
• bellatrix shows up at the burrow, harry runs after her, followed by ginny and NO ONE else for a good while!
• why did they burn down the burrow?
• malfoy’s mother wasn’t suppose to go to borgin n burkes with him
• the book never revealed the vanishing cabinet or the fact that malfoy was  actually a death eater till the ending
• where the hell was the invisiblty cloak throughout the entire movie, what did they do send it out for dry cleaning?

ok, i could go on an on but let me jump to the neding now

• wasn’t the pensieve a stone basin?
• marvolo’s ring was so NOT WHAT I EXPECTED
• slughorn’s memory didn’t reveal that voldemort thought of making 7 horcruxes
• dumbledore didn’t tell harry that he thought it was 7
• dumbledore didn’t tell harry what he thought the other horcruxes were! so is harry, ron n hermione going to have to MAGICALLY  guess that one?
• the fact that dumbledore asked snape to kill him was way too obvious for my liking, once again we weren’t s’pose to know that till the end of the last movie
• harry and ginny didn’t part ways

and all i can say as to why the movie makes so much money is that all HP fans go to see it with the hope that someday they’ll make a movie worthy of what j.k. rowling ACTUALLY  wrote!

because seriously , she didn’t write any of those feeble stories seen in any of the movies!

the movies do her books absolutely no justice1

but this is just my opinion, so feel free to leave yours to!

Burst open thistle blossom

In less tolerant places, one could probably be punished for writing a blog like this.  For daring to bring up the subject.  For discussing this.  For even mentioning the edges of this. 

Thank goodness we’re allowed to speak the truth, all of it.  And here’s the deep-down nitty gritty awful truth:

Autumn is right around the corner.

Swirl of fern drying up and turning brown

“What?”  you’re saying.  “What are you talking about?  It’s only July 20th!  It’s mid-summer, for goodness sake.  Fall isn’t for a couple months.  Let’s enjoy summer.  Let’s just stay present with the beautiful green leaves and flowers.  You got some kind of weird winter fixation, or what?”

Nope, not me.  I’m enjoying summer (or whatever resembles summer in these parts, this year) as much as anyone else.  Loving the blossoming, the blooming, the rich greenery, the garden, the jungle-like woods, the sun, the warmth, the…well, you get the picture.  Summer rocks!

But the woods, itself, tells a story of the changing seasons.

Dead fern on crumbling log

A slight yellow hue transmutes some ferns from vibrant green.  Some leaves waving merrily in the wind of green trees lose their vibrancy.  The reds and oranges and yellows of autumn still remain at bay, but the subtle signs of change already waft through the landscape.

Pock-marked leaf

Some of the leaves now sport pock-marks from fungus or other diseases; many contain holes where insects have lunched their fill.  If you look at the different leaves, each one has endured a journey throughout the summer which has both strengthened and challenged.  Hey, does that sound like us humans as well?

Lupin pods

Even our “Bud Man” has disappeared from the elder tree; the berries eaten by birds.  Click here to see how the “Bud Man” looked back in May. Oh how fleeting is the Moment!  Perhaps it can make us appreciate even deeper the momentary appearance of the flowers, the berries, the garden peas. 

Goodbye Bud Man. It was nice knowing you.

The forest whispers its secrets to us.  And the secrets are not taboo.  If we allow the hint of autumn to open our hearts to the majesty of what appears, right now.  Let’s continue to appreciate it.   Perhaps if the leaves never turned red or orange, or the frost never nipped the pumpkins, we’d never truly feel so amazingly blessed by what the Earth shares with us.

P.S.  Today’s my birthday!  And I am feeling so utterly grateful and blessed by all you readers, this blog and the world of opening the door, walking outside…

I won’t lie.  I love Professor Snape more than I love Harry Potter.

Not because I reckon he’s a better person and not just because his dialogue drips with perfect acidity and deliciously rendered sarcasm.  No.  I love him for his flaws and for his struggle with his soul.  Maybe he stopped his struggle at a certain point, never willing to look at Harry as an individual with his own heart-bound luggage.  Maybe he turned into the bully that as a child he was subjected to.  Maybe he himself crippled his emotional development by latching onto and trapping himself into the past as much as Sirius did, albeit for different reasons.  But that tragedy makes him, if not a hero–for Jo Rowling won’t hear that word used for him–then at least a damn compelling person whom it would hurt to know and care about, were he real.

All this is nothing against Harry.

Then there’s Frodo, say, or Samwise Gamgee, versus Sauron.  But who is Sauron?  No-one but an idea with almost invincible power and dark servants scouring the earth, hunting down the One Ring–the one ring the heroes must destroy before their entire world is vanquished.  Great book, Lord of the Rings.  But the bad guy never had a shot with me.  Can’t love a being endowed with no humanity.  Can’t hate him, even.  Can feel viscerally opposed to him–thinking of Gollum even in Sauron’s clutches chills the bones.  But…Sauron doesn’t move me.  It’s Samwise’s loyalty that gets me every time.  He’s my hero.  And I weep over Frodo’s journey, commitment and sacrifices.

Back to Lord Voldemort, Harry’s nemesis.  Is he great?  As a villain, I mean, not as the master of all dark wizards.  Sure, he keeps the plot going.  He forces Harry to grow up and reveal who he is as a person, who he’s willing to be.  He forces others’ hands too–Draco Malfoy’s, for instance.

Swinging back to Lord of the Rings… Boromir is a flawed soul, aching for greatness–true greatness and not just petty grandeur–but he’s torn by his desire for self-glory and heroism.  I prefer him to Sauron, as a character with depth to move me.  And I prefer Snape to Lord Voldemort, and even to Harry.

My favourite hero in Harry Potter is … Remus Lupin.  Another torn character.

Am I called to torn characters in general, because their inner conflicts and outer conflicts just add so much tension and hope and tears to the story that they become unforgettable?  Maybe.

So what does this all mean?

I find myself pondering this because I’ve noticed that contrary to my expectations, I find writing my antagonists approximately 99% easier than writing my protagonists.  Because they are defined, in a sense, by their own flaws which is where they settle, but which is simultaneously the point within them that causes them the most pain, anguish, shame and anger.  I feel their pain.  I know their self-deceptions.  Their conceits.  Their fears.  And so I can write them and feel for them.

Despite the fact that both of my “leads” were created and “in action” weeks before my antagonists appeared, it’s my antagonists who have taken to life with strength, tenacity and vivacity I’d never expected.  There’s only one exception to this protagonist rule for me.  And interestingly, it’s for a tragic heroine.

My book’s not angsty.  It’s not tragic.  And I’m among the cheeriest people I know (thank God).  Yet inner conflict is what allows me to speak with my characters, to see them, believe them and help breathe that spark of life into them.  Only once I find the pain and the journey can my characters step off the page and into life.

Picnic Tables Askew, Upstate New York

I happened to meet some folks traveling through town during the Three Rivers Arts Festival who had some Sugar Gliders.  I was squatting (literally) with some people near a spot where a Sitar player was busking near the Hilton Hotel.  I love the sound of that instrument, and had approached the musician with my card, asking if he’d consider sharing a Sitar Tone with the project.  He said he was one of very few players in town and it would be a rare tone indeed.  He’d think about it.  Turns out he never got back to me, but something magical came from my querrying the Sitar gent.  The people right next to me said, “We’ve got something that’d make a pretty rare ringtone–have you ever heard a sugar glider wake up?”

When they told me they were very cute and playful marsupials, I was excited about the idea.  Would this be the world’s first Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps) ringtone?  I couldn’t wait to try recording the audio and hear their little sounds.  We made an appointment to record a tone/snap some photos.

Wikipedia helped me to learn more about the Sugar Gliders–they have these twin skin membranes called patagia:  “The membranes are used to glide between trees: when fully extended they form an aerodynamic surface the size of a large handkerchief. Membranes are also used to gather food while hunting.”

The folks I met had two of these supercute pets:  Frisbee and Lupin.  The Locally Toned photo shoot stars Lupin.  The ringtones are 100% Frisbee.

Here’s the Frisbee Wakes Alert Signal.  I simply copied and pasted the same sound clip a few times throughout the time line in order to make this tone.  When I heard the audio run through my headphones, I was astounded–it sounded as if it had been generated by an electronic signal.  As Frisbee’s owner put it, “Gliders do make this ‘attack’ sound when they’re frightened and defending their nests in the wild, but our Frisbee has always been very vocal and she just does it to give you an earful if you wake her up too early.”

The Frisbee Montage Tone consists of Frisbee’s attack sounds when she pounced on her little rafia toy, and that funny and distinct sound that Frisbee makes when she wakes up.

Thanks to Lupin, Frisbee and their keepers for one of the most fantastic tones in the project!