Sweet Catastrophe

I’ve been a little preoccupied the last few days. It started Friday night around midnight, only lasted two hours then, but it picked right back up as soon as I awoke. I was hooked. I could barely make it through work on Saturday to get to my next fix. I was entirely intoxicated by it. When I got home from work I dove in and didn’t come up for air until there was nothing left for me to take.

Work on Sunday was even more unbearable, but as soon as I got out I fled to the nearest provider and shelled out a ridiculous amount of money to keep the good stuff flowing. I had to stop for a nap, I was just too exhausted to keep going. I knew it’d still be there when I was conscious again, and it was. I finished my next stash by the time I went to bed. All in one day….I started a little on my next fix, careful not to get too pulled in.

Monday was a little difficult to keep it all going, Ryan came home and we had plans. That didn’t stop me from grabbing bits when I could. And then today–well today was all mine and I’ve finished now. I’ve got nothing to hold me over till August. What will I do now?

Of course, I’m referring to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series which I’ve so completely, utterly fallen into…I don’t know how else to describe it. I’ve reviewed Twilight over at Aftershocks, but I just don’t think I can review the other two other than to tell you they’re absolutely worth reading. I keep comparing the books to crack and I think that’s about as accurate as I can hope to get. I hope you’ll read them soon because they’re already working on a movie set to be released in December and I just can’t see it doing the books justice. I’d hate for your opinions to be tainted by the film.

I tell you this now, if I were given a choice between Johnny Depp for the rest of my life, or Edward Cullen (male lead in the stories, if you can’t figure that out), I’d take Edward with no questions asked.

So when my computer died, I said, “Screw it…” and started re-reading Harry Potter. It sucked me back in a lot stronger than I thought it would since I already know what happens…

Now that the computer is back, I’ve gotten the rest of Smallville back, and a show I was working on getting called Popular. You may remember it as a WB show 1999-2000. It’s got a lot of faces you’d recognize now from various places, so it’s fun to see that.

Besides that, ohhhh the entertaining teen drama! It’s got the soap opera theme down!

So I need to finish Smallville, but I’d started watching Popular while I was waiting on it and reading Harry Potter….plus I’ve got more than my share of hours at work—I don’t even have time to be bored this summer, and I think I’m okay with that.

How long do you think it’ll be before we see the end of different drama surrounding the Harry Potter books?

Up this week: A trial to block the fan-created encyclopedia.

Steven Vander Ark, owner of one of the more popular fansites created the encyclopedia after being approached by a publisher who assured him there was no copyright infringement.

Really though, I believe Steven has taken one too many cruises to Fantasy Island if he thought his writings would see the light of day without any interference from Rowling, who we’ve all known for quite some time plans to release her own encyclopedia about the Potter world.

Honestly, I don’t think I’d want a fan-released encyclopedia. Inevitably it would alter whatever Rowling released herself, if she still released anything at all. I know it would contain mostly facts, just pulled straight from the stories, but it’ll also contain background information and I’d rather hear that straight from the source rather than educated guesses.

I don’t think we have to worry about it, though. If nothing else, I think they’ll try to make an example with this case because, as stated in the most recent article I’ve read on the matter, allowing this book through would eventually see the end of most fan works, since authors would be forced to take extra measures to protect their writings. What would the world be like without fanfic?! haha

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be separated into two films! They’re set to release November 2010 and May 2011.
Alan Horn, president of Warner Bros. (the studio in charge of all Harry Potter pics), said that “it would have been a disservice” to downsize Deathly Hallows into one film.

They say there’s just too much to put in just one movie.

Well that’s nice an all, but couldn’t we have figured this out a little earlier? I mean honestly, with all the story lines they’ve cut from the movies so far, I think they could still do it in one film. Unless they plan on somehow bringing these story lines back…

The professionals just don’t know what they’re doing these days. Both music, movies and television-wise, they just need to turn it over to the fans. We know what’s best I’ll be buying medicare insurance by the time they get that figured out though….assuming we don’t all die in 2012. But hey, if we do–we’ll have at least finished off those last Harry Potter films, eh?!

I remember hurricane season during my senior year being particularly active. Of course, my car wreck fell during this time and I was stuck driving my dad’s truck for most of it. He conveniently forgot to mention that sometimes, the windshield wipers just randomly stop working. Thanks dad.

After I got my car back, I remember driving to school in the middle of a hurricane one morning. I literally couldn’t see the hood of my car. I tried pulling into the far right lane so other cars could go around me and I could follow them, but instead they all pulled in behind me. It’s a miracle that I made it to school alive. There are about 7 red lights between my house and my high school and I only ever saw the first two. I must’ve been driving 5 miles an hour…

I got to the parking lot and there were teachers running all over the place, rushing people inside, where we were ushered up against walls in various hallways. I think we were there for three hours before they deemed it safe enough to bring the buses back and just let people go home.

That car drive was absolute craziness though. To this day I still don’t understand how I made it without hitting anything. I’m not at all exaggerating when I say I only ever saw the first two traffic lights.

There’s no telling what I passed in all that wind and rain–what I didn’t see.

The Mist by Stephen King calls up that idea of what’s in the unknown. A group of townspeople are trapped in a local grocery store by an overwhelming mist. It’s not long before they realize there’s something in the mist…something terrifying, something not from around here.

It releases November 21st. I’m thinking about taking my mom to see it. We love everything Stephen King.

Two things, both within this same article from MSN.

LONDON — J.K. Rowling has completed her first book not to feature teen wizard Harry Potter — an illustrated collection of magical fairy stories titled “The Tales of Beedle the Bard.”

Only seven copies of the book are being printed, Rowling said Thursday. One will be auctioned next month to raise money for a children’s charity, while the others have been given away as gifts.

Rowling drew the illustrations herself and provided the handwriting for the five stories that make up the collection

“The Tales of Beedle the Bard” is mentioned in the final Potter book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” as a gift left by headmaster Albus Dumbledore to Harry’s friend Hermione, and provides clues that help destroy evil Lord Voldemort.

“‘The Tales of Beedle the Bard’ is really a distillation of the themes found in the Harry Potter books, and writing it has been the most wonderful way to say goodbye to a world I have loved and lived in for 17 years,” Rowling said in a statement.

The volume, bound in brown morocco leather and mounted with silver and semiprecious stones, will be auctioned at Sotheby’s on Dec. 13 with a starting price of $62,000. Proceeds will go to The Children’s Voice, a charity that helps vulnerable children across Europe.

Wonder how long it’ll be before we can get our hands on these stories. I’m not overly excited, but I’m definitely intrigued.

On Wednesday, Rowling and the makers of the Harry Potter movies filed a lawsuit against RDR Books, a small U.S. publisher that plans to bring out a companion volume based on the Harry Potter Lexicon fan Web site.

Rowling has said she plans to produce her own encyclopedia of the wizarding world and says the book would infringe on her intellectual property rights.

I can’t believe someone even attempted this. It’s pretty widely known that Rowling has planned an encyclopedia. There’s bound to be incorrect, and improbable assumptions published if you try to do your own. Man, leave that up to the original author!

I really hope we don’t have to wait long for this encyclopedia. I know Rowling wants to wait a while, and who could blame her, but I’d love some extra insight!

I was entertaining the idea of re-reading the series sometime soon, but thinking now, I may wait until the encyclopedia…however long that takes to get here.

So I’ve had some time to really think over the whole Dumbledore debacle and I’ve collected my thoughts.

I’ve spoken with people who aren’t at all homophobic, but are still upset that Rowling made the announcement. They feel like it was a mistake and she should’ve kept that to herself. To that I say, “Huh?” Rowling has endured plenty of backlash since book one on claims of witchcraft, and devilry in general. Why would she be worried about the impact of Dumbledore being gay?

When it comes down to it, this is her work. Who are we to tell her she should change it? These are purely her characters.

As for the rest of the bit who are appalled and now refuse to have anything to do with Harry Potter–is there any absolute mention in the books? Was he not gay before you started reading? You loved the series and he was gay all along; what’s changed? Not a damn thing. Get over it.

And for those out there jumping to ideas of pedophilia–excuse me, but you should probably pull your head out of your ass. ‘Gay’ and ‘pedophile’ are NOT synonymous. Buy a dictionary. While you’re at it, buy a new brain–perhaps one capable of being open. You’re really pushing it to suddenly decide that Dumbledore being gay means his relationship with Harry or any of the other students was inappropriate. Did anything in the stories give you that idea beforehand? Then what the hell has changed?!

On a lighter note, it’s good to see there are people out there capable of having fun with this! Kristi sent me this link earlier this week, but I wanted to keep it all together.

BWE PRESENTS: Exclusive First Look At This Week’s Shocking New Issue Of People

By now we all know that JK Rowling shocked the wizarding world last weekend by outing beloved grandfatherly wizard Albus Dumbledore as being gay. BWE.tv has leared exclusively, through our shadowy network of wizard tabloid operatives, that Rowling made the announcement only to pre-empt the shocking expose in this week’s People Magazine based on magical gossipmongering blogger Rita Skeeter’s sordid allegations about the wizard’s sexuality. Here’s an exclusive preview of the magazine.

Source

I can only imagine all the fic-writers are having a total field day with this story!

Rowling announced it. I’ll leave it to you to read, but I particularly enjoyed her revealing that while reading the script for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince she crossed through a section of Dumbledore reminiscing about past loves and wrote, “Dumbledore is gay.”

There’s also another article with a bit about Dumbledore’s true past love–

Rowling said Dumbledore fell in love with the charming wizard Gellert Grindelwald but when Grindelwald turned out to be more interested in the dark arts than good, Dumbledore was “terribly let down” and went on to destroy his rival.

That love, she said, was Dumbledore’s “great tragedy.”

“Falling in love can blind us to an extent,” she said.

I totally see it. I was already planning to re-read the books soon, so now I have something else to really consider while reading through for connections and things I missed the first time!

2nd Source

AHHH! I just came back from the bookstore….*ahem* <  breakdown > I only bought 3 books. I bought my Astronomy book, my Spanish book, and my Typing book…..$368 for 3 books. $368 for 3 books, that by the prices listed, should’ve been $270……can someone please tell me how it’s okay to list a book price, and then charge MORE just because you put up a sign that says, “Prices subject to change.” How? I just don’t understand how that should even be LEGAL. Does that mean we can advertise sales, and post signs that say, “Prices subject to change” and then not give people sale prices? I honestly don’t understand…it’s not as though the books aren’t ridiculously expensive to begin with…and I’m not even complaining about that, but Jesus, can I please at least get them for the price listed?! I only had $330 to spend. I had to pull the other $30 out of nowhere…and wouldn’t you know it; I still have more books to buy. I need my workbooks for Biology and Spanish, and my Biology book!! =( That’s at least another $250 right there….GAH!

Excuse me, I need to go sell some organs.

I now own the 7th and final Harry Potter book. It’s likely you will not hear from me for the next few days as I will be working, and reading. See you soon.