Category: Dead Tree Sandwiches

The magic of reading!

Deathly Hallows

December 11, 2010

So this afternoon I finally got over to the damn movie theater to see “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1”. Usually when I go see the Harry Potter movies for the first time, I get annoyed. Yup, I’m that person who is all “WTF? that’s not how it happened in the book!” Though more specifically, I can understand deviation from the book in some circumstances, like perhaps trying to save time or not having to cast more people when they could substitute it easily in another way. Better than in “Half Blood Prince” when they pretty much just started making shit up.

For example, in this movie, after they all left the Dursleys’ disguised as Harry, they ended up at the Burrow instead of the Tonks house like in the book. But it was a change that didn’t make much difference.

But that’s about all the deviations really were. The movie was great! They even left in one of my favorite lines: after they all take the Polyjuice Potion to turn into Harry, Fred and George say “we’re identical!” I LOL’d.

They even left in the evil spirits from the locket teasing Ron before he smashed it with the sword.

Although, I could have done without the spirits’ image of Harry and Hermione making out naked. Yeah, guys, I know Rule 34 is quite popular but the movie doesn’t need it! 😆

Libraries Are Silly

August 21, 2010

Remember almost two months ago when I mentioned that libraries around here have weird hours? How they close too early to be convenient on most days and have too short or no hours on weekends?

Well, soon after I wrote that, when visiting the local library on a Saturday, I saw a sign taped to the window saying that starting July 6, they’d be open an extra hour on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, closing at 6pm rather than 5pm. Still closed Sunday, though. I stared at this sign, recalling before when I tried to come right after 5pm one Friday to find it closed. Did I do that? I only said anything on here. Hadn’t said anything to them.

And then I went there again today to read some more of Twilight (you heard me) to find another taped up sign. Saying that as of August 15, the library would be open on Sundays year-round.

My friends…

I am powerful. Make a note of it. 😀

This has been Day 90 of the 100 Days of Summer, Round 10.

Libraries

June 25, 2010

I like libraries. There’s something uplifting about the idea of a public institution existing for the sole purpose carrying lots and lots of information for the people to seek out freely at their leisure. Public school doesn’t fall under that category because you’re forced to go, which kills the leisure part and turns acquisition of knowledge into a hated chore rather than desirable enlightenment.

Tried to go to my local one today after work, only to find it had closed at 5pm. Normally, this one stays open until 9pm Monday through Thursday but Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, only until 5pm. Or rather, Sunday is only open until 5pm during the school year, and is closed in the summer. These hours are long compared to those of some other local libraries, which close at 5pm every weekday and are closed weekends.
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Separate Worlds

December 22, 2009

You know what annoys me? Think of any fantasy or sci-fi storyline, be it a book, movie, video game, or whatever, in which there are separate worlds or universes that somehow end up getting access to one another. One I’m thinking of is the His Dark Materials trilogy. The Chronicles of Narnia is like that to a point. Harry Potter sort of. Such is also the case in the game Kingdom Hearts, which I’m currently playing and is all kinds of awesome.

Yet there is one common theme: the worlds having access to one another is apparently a BAD thing. So in some stories, the very object of what the protagonists are doing is to close the worlds off from one another, because that allows evil to seep through or is otherwise not the natural, correct order of things. Even though the protagonist is often making friends from denizens of these other worlds, they’ll have to separate forever because they can’t coexist when they’re from different worlds.

(I’m going to be giving away ending details to the His Dark Materials trilogy, so if you don’t want spoilers for it, go out and read it before you read this further. You’ve been warned.)
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Don’t Just Ban… BURN!

May 20, 2009

Here, read this.

:dubious:

Yup. Some Wisconsin library got bullied into banning certain books, as well as firing the library board members who dissented. Let’s have a look.

On Monday night, The West Bend Common Council voted for a second time not to reinstate four members of the library board because of their views. The Council upheld its April 21st decision because of the board members’ refusal to remove controversial books from the young adult section of the library prior to a formal review.

Oh, heavens, how dare those horrid rogue board members have such reprehensible views that, oh, library censorship is bad! Not like a library is supposed to be a house of information and knowledge or anything. Libraries are supposed to be, uh, well… I’m not sure exactly. Considering it would have only some info and not others. (Maybe something along the lines of a youth rights organization’s casualty list. That’s right. I went there.) :cute:

The board members are accused of promoting “the overt indoctrination of the gay agenda.”

And that would be…? It’s always some vaguely defined “agenda”. Gay agenda. Liberal agenda. Doesn’t mean anything but used to stir the unwitting ignorami of the world into a frenzy of paranoia. Of course, if their idea of a “gay agenda” involves such horrible things like treating gay people as equals and not beating the shit out of a guy for wearing pink, then I hope paranoia is the least of what they are beset with. How dare these rogue board members be tolerant of others! The nerve!
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Good Writing

December 7, 2007

Been meaning to bitch about this for a while, but then I suppose it came up more after I was reading something about criticisms of the Harry Potter books. No, I don’t mean the Christian fundamentalist whining we all already know about. I mean the members of the “official writing community”, or something.

Eww! Rowling uses too many clichés! Eww! They’re just kidsy magic stories! Eww! This will just make kids be interested in bad pop culture writing and not Rudyard Kipling! Eww!

Wow.
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Finished

July 23, 2007

Well, late last night actually.

Holy hell, what a good book! Been feeling pretty good about it all day.

And when it was announced before the book came out that two people die… who exactly was that referring to? Like twenty people die!

And one kinda sorta died. Hehehe. That was a serious WTF moment. As well as making me think “hey, she stole that from CS Lewis!”

Not sure how I felt about the epilogue, though. Seemed nice. Seemed to be overkill. Don’t know.

But… mmmmm…. good book.

My favorite lines?

“Wow! We’re identical!”

“NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!”

The thing with Dudley at the beginning was just adorable. Heh.

Except some of the little nuggets of info that had been promised were never mentioned. Or maybe I just need to find out what exactly some of it referred to.

But, yeah, yeah, goooood book. I approve.

This has been Day 61 of the 100 Days of Summer, Round 7.