daBlog by goddess101

A Word About Harry

OK. I, like millions of other Potterphiles across the globe, have already finished my copy of book 6, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In fact, I read it fairly quickly, completing the 607 pages in about 36 hours after its official UK release on July 16. It’s the 20th now, so why has it taken me at least 3 days to even mention it here? It’s the withdrawal, man. You think alcohol or hardcore drugs make you feel like sh*t in the morning? Try some Harry Potter marathon reading and see how you feel the next day? Like crap, I tell ya!

Now, I don’t know. Maybe it’s not the same for everyone. But from what I’ve read on forums, it’s a pretty common phenomenon. People go into depression; others feel like all their energy has been zapped. For me, I turned into Super Biotch—which Rudi would eagerly confirm—and became irritable at the slightest thing. I couldn’t work either. I felt worn out. I had trouble concentrating. Everytime I checked Google News, none of the political stories that gripped me last week could even hold a candle to reports and people’s reactions to the latest HP book. Any effort to return to “normalcy” failed, and the only thing that could make me feel better was more HP in any form I could get it!

Well, after steering away from that urge to check out the latest HP fanfic, I think I’ve overcome that crucial hump, where I can safely ease into normal life again. Anyhoo, my thoughts on the book? Here are some random comments…

• Many times, I felt like I was reading fanfic. Love, romance, and teenage angst, perhaps the most popular HP fanfic themes, are extremely promininent in this installment. But not only that, JKR, like a novice writer, glosses over details which are absolutely necessary to make her readers believe and invest themselves in these relationships.

• One thing that I loved about the early books is their whimsical tone. I think the last 2 books have lost that, due to the more serious themes and the very untimely deaths of major characters.

• JKR hasn’t lost her touch. Sure, her writing leaves much to be desired and her storytelling is a bit uneven, but she knows how to craft a good mystery. I’ve always thought the HP books, when stripped of their magical and fantastical elements, were well planned whodunnits, often with red herrings to lead you down wrong paths and the usual big reveal at the end. Book 6 is no exception, and you can just feel her putting the pieces in place for a surprising finale in book 7.

All in all, a good page-turner, and, if anything, a good ice-breaker in conversations.

Looking Into My Future

When I’m hanging out with Rudi’s guy friends, and we wind up playing video games, on a console or PC, most are pretty amazed that I, a girl, like playing them too. And I’m sure what really wigs their beans is the fact that, often times, I can kick their asses.

But check this out this blog, Old Grandma Hardcore, which follows the gaming exploits of a 65-year-old, cussing-like-a-sailor nanna from Cleveland. Will this be me in my retirement years? LOL

Media Blitzkrieg

Wow, what a great political scandal happening right now. A few years ago, the identity of a CIA operative was leaked to the press, which of course compromised her personal security as well as her husband’s. Interesting thing is this: her husband, Joseph Wilson, who was a director of Afican affairs at the National Security Council late in the Clinton administration, investigated allegations that Iraq was trying to purchase uranium from the African country Niger and eventually found no evidence to prove the connection. This of course meant bad news for the Bush administration, which was trying desperately to justify its going to war against Iraq by claiming Iraq and Saddam Hussein were going to blow up the world with their Weapons of Mass Destruction. Wilson said he believed the leak was meant “to discourage others from coming forward.” More details in this CNN article.

So, what’s happening now is Karl Rove, whom Bush himself called “the Architect” of both his successful presidential campaigns, is being implicated in the leak, although 20 months ago, the White House claimed that Rove wasn’t involved in the leak at all and whoever was involved was going to be immediately “taken care of.”

Funny how Rove is still the country’s House Deputy Chief of Staff, but the press sure isn’t going to let the White House try to sweep this issue under the rug. In a surprising move, reporters ganged up on Press Secretary Scott McClellan, who usually deftly dodges such attacks, and displayed a rare emotion in their questioning. Though McClellan mainly addressed the press with non-answers, it sure was a pleasure to watch this guy squirm. You can see the video here in Real Player at the White House homepage or in Quicktime here thanks to good ‘ol Michael Moore.

And while ultra-conservative CNN is now keeping this story a hard-to-find item on their website, it’s great to see the normally bland San Francisco Chronicle grace their front page with the uncharacteristicly bold headline Rove Under Fire.

The press finally growing a backbone? It’ll be very interesting to see where all this will lead….

Everything You Need to Know about Linux

... well, at least it’s a very good start.

Here’s a great guide to all the commands that will make you a sys admin to be reckoned with. Are you there yet?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

From the episode “Earshot,” season 3

“Apathy on the Rise, No One Cares”