Tuesday, June 29, 2004

And We Have A Title Folks....


Thanks to Danielle for bringing it to my attention that Rowling has supplied fans with the Book Six title. Is it genuine? Absolutely! Rowling's site,www.jkrowling.com, confirms it!

Since Mugglenet already listed the title, there's really no point in trying to hide it. The title is: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. What do you guys think of it?

She says this title does not refer to Harry or Voldemort. I wonder if it relates to either Salazaar Slytherin or Godric Gryffindor? The Slytherin reference could make for a dark book. Was Salazaar like Voldemort, a persecutor of half bloods but one himself? If it is a Gryffindor reference, is this a victorious title?

That is the interesting thing about this title. Is the prince for better or worse? Or is the title alluding to something other than a person?

Thursday, June 24, 2004

Book Three Reading Continues
(As Do My Movie Rants)


So I'm still reading book three and compiling an ever growing list of questions. I'm a bit confused by the conversation between Snape and Lupin after Snape discovers the Marauder's Map. It's unclear whether Snape knows that Mooney, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail and the nicknames of the four friends that tormented him as a child. For instance Snape knows to contact Lupin the second that he sees the map, but he isn't able to argue that it must have been the four friends that created it based on the nicknames. Perhaps he just recognized the tone of voice? If Snape knew the nicknames this would be a good hint to the animagus lives of three of the friends (he obviously knew about Lupin's werewolf persona, but not necessarily about the others). So yeah, this isn't a thought out idea or anything and I'm not even listing page numbers to cite my information yet, but I just thought I would bring it up. Something seems to be going on in this scene that I can't quite grasp my hands on.

Update: Thanks to Minerva who pointed out that the nicknames were used openly in book five. Therefore something must not be jiving somewhere.

*MOVIE SPOILERS BELOW*

Since I'm talkign about the Marauders I would also like to take this opportunity to point out one of the scenes I thought the movie completely destroyed. The shrieking shack scene was completely different from the book. I understand movies have to change things to fit the film world, but in doing so a movie should still hold the spirit fo the book. Harry's expliliarmus (can't spell today) curse attacking Snape like that? Give me a break! Harry is a powerful wizard, but I don't think he is quite to that level yet.

I really enjoyed the book more. When Hermione, Ron, and Harry all say it together and end up accidently attacking Snape. It showed so much of what the three stand for and how well they can work together. It also helped bring Hermione more out of her cocoon (of which happens throughout the book) when she realizes she's attacked a teacher. It's really a brilliant scene in the book. The movie lacked explinations which left non-book readers out of the loop. It never even tied together the makers of the map with Harry's dads friends. I don't know, this is a dark scene in the book but I don't think it was as dark as the movie made it. That goes for the whole book actually.

Book three does begin along a dark path, but it retains enchantment that I still feel the movie lacked. In this movie's ending we missed so much that made things enchanting and a wonder to re-live again and again. What happened to all the development on Snape at the end? I don't know, it just was lacking. I'm just still devistated that at what Cuaron did to the books. I know many like it, including Rowling, but to me it just isn't Harry Potter. I also remember reading on Mugglenet.com that Cuaron convinced the movie four director to make only one movie. Another reason to be furious in my book! I'll stop complaining now.

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Stress and Jobs


So yeah, my job registering voters didn't work out. Despite my efforts to make it clear that math was my main priority, they didn't believe me and they hired me anyways. To make a long story short they kept trying to get me to drop math and spend all my time on their project. Sorry, not going to happen. School is important folks, not worth dropping for a small time job (even if it is doing a good thing). So once again I'm jobless.

Don't suppose anyone needs a math tutor? I know everything up through differential calculus. I'll know integral calculus soon. I'm great at tutoring those who are struggling! If you go to UO or anywhere in Eugene Oregon, I can help you! Okay, okay.. Guess this isn't the place to pan for a job. Perhaps fast food won't be too bad for a couple months?

A new post will come soon. Really, it will!

Friday, June 18, 2004

MIYA!


Hey all! I just found an apartment! Yay, I'm happy. Now if only I could find a reasonable job. I've been reading Harry Potter in Spanish. I need something to entertain myself anyways. I'm almost done with the third book, and there are still some questions that never got answered. I'm sure I'll post them eventually.

I'm still working on the centaur post as well. While many of the creatures in the books bring up the idea of racial inequality and injustice, the centaurs bring more depth to the conflicts between wizarding kind and the creatures it tries to control. For instance, how did wizards appropriate land? How can wizards expect non-wizards to follow their laws? These are questions that show up in our own history many times over. In the United States, native americans were kicked off their lands and forced into reservations. This caused a lot of anger and resentment against the Europeans. Of course, such a history is not known only in the United States. Nearly all of America (north and south) had to deal with colonization as did other countries and whole continents.

For these reasons, I think it is important for us to examine the centaurs. So stay tuned!

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Writing and Vacations


I edited and added a conclusion to the Born a House Elf; Born a Slave post. I'm also planning to work on the centaur post this week. Hope you all are doing well!

Saturday, June 12, 2004

Harry Potter Reference at Commencement


It was great! The graduation speeches started with a Harry Potter reference! The speaker was talking about how his class was anti-ceremony so he never dreamed he would ever be the one to give a commenement speech. He said something along the lines of: "Now here we all are, decked out in our Harry Potter garb."

SO yeah, I'm free! I'm free! Okay, so maybe not quite yet. I still have more college years ahead. However, I am pleased to inform you all that I am now a college graduate. I graduated Cum Laude (Latin Honors) with a degree in Political Science and a Minor in English.

Sorry, just had to cheer for a bit. No more essays! No more essays! Well, essays here on this site, but no more class essays!

Saturday, June 05, 2004

Movies, Finals, and Employment


So yeah, I just saw the third Harry Potter film last night. I can see why many people like it: it is artistic, well thought out, and filled with symbols and interesting shots. The acting (for most of the characters) was superb. It was a higher class movie that I would have expected.

Yet I must admit that I did not enjoy the movie.

While I was sitting in my comfortable movie chair (comfyness via cinemark), I realized that my English Minor part of me was impressed but my Harry Potter part was saddened. Until the ending, Dumbledore lacked all the qualities that I loved about him. He was far too serious Although it was a more serious book, up through book four Dumbledore always seemed to carry a certain joy and "go with the flow" feeling. He was always serious but it was a seriousness that was lightened by his sense of humor, significant glances, and overall pleasant feel. While I believe that the actor tried to portray this, and indeed many probably did get this from him, I just didn't. There wasn't any magic in this movie's version of Dumbledore for me. This is sad because he is my favorite character.

This was the problem in general with the movie. Although it was magical, it was not enchanting. It felt so close to the real world, with the clothes change, the light filtering, and the general feel, that it lacked that amazing Hogwarts feel. In all the books--no matter how dark and serious--Hogarts has always been a place of wonder and joy to me. The recent movie didn't give me any of these feelings. Sure I laughed, and Ron was fantastic in the movie, but the Hogwarts feel was just missing for me. Some have told me that it is because I expected a certian world after seeing the first two movies, but I don't buy this. The books are what enchanted me first, the first two movies carried this enchantment. I don't feel that this movie did.

So yeah, that's my view anyways. I know most of the world disagrees with me. That's fine; I just hope no one gets mad at me for not seeing the same things in it that they did.

So right now is finals week. Ack, talk about stress! We'll see if I survive 'till graduation. Eeeeeek! I am writing papers while helping anonymouse with his final, a movie for his digital media class. I got a new job, mainly because my janitor position doesn't run during summertime. I now work for The New Voter Project. It's a non-partisan group that goes out and tries to get people to register to vote. We are aimed at mobilizing mainly 18-24 year-olds into letting thier voice be known through the voting process, but we are registering everyone that is eligible and willing.

Well, it's time for me to get back to paper writing. Say a prayer for me! :) I hope you all enjoy the Harry Potter movie. Two good things to say about it: Ron and Draco were portrayed wonderfuly, though Draco was less of the bully and more of the rich-man's son. And now for the next big question: When does book six come out?