Ma Vie Boheme

Fantasy Hockey

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:55:43 GMT

I don't know why it didn't occur to me to post here before, but I know that there are a whole bunch if you on here! I've started a fantasy hockey league that covers the second half of the year because...well...I really enjoyed playing the first half and didn't want to stop just because "Season 1" ended.

In brief, you have 30 million dollars to put together a team, and you score points based on how well your players do. You also get 2 trades per week, and the prices of the players fluctuate depending on how many people are buying and selling. So not only are you trying to get the most points, but you're trying to build your team financially so that you can get better players as it becomes worth more.

If anyone would like to join, there's still a lot of room.
Click here, click on "Get your free team now," and then register and pick a team name.

League: Hockey Night in Suburbia
Password: toronto

Although the season starts today, you can join the league any time you like (but the sooner the better though so you don't fall behind in the standings). And let me know here too so I know who you are on there.

2008 Music Project!

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:48:41 GMT

Following the footsteps of my NaNoWriMo friends monkeyman and gruberman who write and post short stories every week, I've decided to do the musician's version. I'm going to write and record an original song every week, and each Monday, I will post it on my new website! An insane goal to be sure, but one that I hope will get me into the habit of writing regularly and not being afraid to share it. Feedback of course (positive or negative) is welcomed!

The first song is called In the Wings, and was posted yesterday. Check it out!

Year In Review

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 05:32:39 GMT

I did the same one in 2003, 2005 and 2006.

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Man...what did I do this year? Backpacked, rappelled, went ziplining and white water rafting, got out of debt, participated in FAWM, wrote and recorded a complete song, actually finished a knitting project, went to a peace protest, participated in a pillow fight with hundreds, dressed up as a giant banana, finally went to the CNE, busked, sang at Casa Loma, became a board member, played ice hockey, wore a salwar kameez, Bookcrossed, became an International Financier, started a website. It's harder to remember since I don't update this thing very frequently.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Last year I said "I'd really like to cut down on unfocused computer time and drink the requisite 8 cups of water." Err...nope :P

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
This has definitely been the year of the baby girls...probably the closest person to me was a friend whose mother knew mine from before we were born, she had a baby girl a couple of weeks ago.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope, don't think so!

5. What countries did you visit?
Costa Rica!!!

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Last year I said "CL E A R H EAD SPA C E and more energy!" Energy's better but I still want head space.

7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 21st - May 1st. Costa Rica vacation in its entirety.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Writing and recording my first original songs...thanks to FAWM.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Overall, I don't really feel as though I've moved forward in my life.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nope, nothing new.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
MACBOOK!!!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Jen & Jon, high school friends who got married. Shosh for getting engaged.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
I'll have to go with the same answer as last year...the collective behaviour of a certain big corporation.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Medical, paying down debt.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Costa Rica!

16. What song/artist will always remind you of 2007?
Linkin Park new album, Minutes to Midnight.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Neither.
ii. Smaller or larger? Maybe a little smaller.
iii. richer or poorer About the same.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
More songwriting.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?20. Did you fall in love in 2007?
No.

21. How many one-night stands?
None.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Errr...Leaf's Game?

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No.

24. What was the best book you read?
Hrm. I really liked "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I hate picking.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Chor Leoni thanks to my mom, and Madrigaia thanks to gruberman.

26. What did you want and get?
My Laptop, oh, beautiful Macbook!

27. What did you want and not get?
An SLR camera. I really thought I was going to get one this month, but after the Macbook purchase I figured it would be better to pay off debt before spending
Last year's answer was "A laptop." Score!

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Pan's Labyrinth.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 25. It was a Saturday so I went to work that morning and got a massage afterward, then went to my grandmother's house for cake, and then took my mom to see Cirque de Soleil.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Meeting someone!

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
I should go shopping...

32. What kept you sane?
I don't claim to be entirely sane, but I think work did because it kept me busy.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
No one in particular.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Sadly, I don't listen to the news as much as I should anymore...but I do want to say that I'm happy that Vaughan finally got Green bins.

35. Who did you miss?
Family in England, because I always do.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Toronto NaNo'ers in general, our group became so cohesive and that was amazing.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:
Try, try again...

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Feels like the weight of the world. (Evanescence, Weight of the World)

Last night I hit 50K!

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:20:55 GMT

Here's my victory on tape!

Edit: Wow, Toronto is ALL OVER the NaNo site today!
My video is featured on the NaNo Video Site!...cool! And so is our Subway Write-In!. Finally, if you listen about half way through the latest NaNoRadio, I'm on that too :D

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 06:02:41 GMT

And with just under four days remaining in National Novel Writing Month....I bring you the following conversation that indicates the state of my brain.

linden_tree need happier subject. does incense ever expire?
gleefulfreak no! in fact, it improves with age
gleefulfreak at least the good stuff does
linden_tree well then why is this stick so stupid?
linden_tree i light it...i blow it out, and it does nothing
gleefulfreak it is stupid!
gleefulfreak i usually light it, let it flare for a moment, then wave it around till the flame goes
linden_tree am i doing it wrong?
gleefulfreak if you don't let it catch enough before you extinguish the flame, it just won't burn
linden_tree *watches yet again as the flame extinguishes on its own, and it doesn't burn*

linden_tree *realizes how stupid she is, and turns the stick around*
gleefulfreak oh deb, TELL me you did not light the bamboo end
linden_tree *shifty eyes*
gleefulfreak if you lit the bamboo end, please go to bed because you need to sleep! :)
linden_tree i didn't pay attention when i stuck it in the thing
gleefulfreak that's why i like japanese incense - it's a solid stick, you can light either end, or break it and only burn a bit at a time
linden_tree ya...it's the incense's fault.

And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is my only text update for NaNoWriMo 2007. I hope you enjoyed it! I'm at 46289 so far, and expect to win tomorrow if I can manage to write my dark and disturbing scenes in a well-lit coffe shop full of hyper Wrimos.

Nano Day 8 & 9

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 05:42:05 GMT

Day 8
Day 9 (Excerpt!)

Lack of updates!

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 02:00:05 GMT

So last year I updated here like a fiend during NaNo, but this year I've taken a more visual approach and have been posting updates to the NaNo Video group. If you want to see how my NaNo is going, check these out :) Some of them are set onto private and can only be accessed by these random links; that's why I'm not just posting one link to my profile on there. Anyway, I'll post 'em up here as they go up, I'm trying to do one every day.

Day 1 & 2
Day 3 (featuring Joseph starting his NaNo and a trip to the store)
Day 4 & 5
Day 6 (Toronto Writing Session #2)
Day 6 (Challenge to NY and Chicago)
Day 7 (so very stressed)

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:28:16 GMT

FINALLY!

Toronto's Been Torn up by the HULK!

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 06:05:36 GMT

After choir, I took darling_diva on a mystery walk to "New York" and here's what we saw.

Yonge Street is on Fire - Oh no!

Avast, the paint fumes be going to my head!

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:18:28 GMT

Scurvy...matey...Pourquoi n'y a-t-il jamais plus de rhum...and now I'm off to Harlem for choir practice.

La La La...

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:54:50 GMT

My boss is taking a week off and therefore...so am I! I knew this was coming, and I was hoping I would be able to visit gruberman in Winnipeg, but alas, if I want to be computer'ed by this year's NaNoWriMo, I need to keep all the money I have squarely in my bank account until some undisclosed day in October when I shall gladly purchase my Macbook.

Since pretty much everyone else is working, I'm going to try and tackle the back log of stuff I've been procrastinating on because "there's never enough time" to do them.

Boring stuff:

1) Clean, and PAINT (woohoo!) and reorganize my bedroom!
My room is a very violent shade of dark yellow right now. I was totally fine with it at first because at least it's a COLOUR, but I've since proven to myself that colours actually do influence how you feel. It's impossible to relax in my room (even when it's clean), and what I really need is a tranquil space. So I'm painting it whatever neutral colour my mom has in the garage...I'm not even sure what it is yet. I'll post pictures if it ends up being a cool makeover

2) Clean the bathroom

3) Go through all my old clothes in both houses, and Freecycle what I don't want.
This is all part of my attempt to simplify my life by simplifying stuff

Other Stuff:

1) Buy a baby gift

2) Spend two hours with choir music before Wednesday afternoon
...because after missing last week's rehearsal, I really need it

3) Compile a list of songs I can play/sing, for busking purposes

4) Busk

5) Check out Harlem on Yonge Street

6) Write 3 real letters.

7) Work on Jen/Jon's wedding photos (and hopefully finish 'em)
I still have my cousin's wedding and henna party to do, but I'm trying to keep things managable here.

8) Start Costa Rica Scrapbook
This will probably involve choosing photos

Too ambitious, do you think?
(As an aside, I totally abandoned my mission101, haven't I - oops)

I've got to run to a baby shower now, but one more thing to share.

Tada!

The first knitting project I have ever completed. After nine months of being teased about the "giant sleeve" that is taller than me, it has morphed into Mark's scarf from RENT, and I was really proud to gift it to phoenixuprising on Saturday as a belated ~~welcome to Toronto and congratulations on starting film school~~ birthday present. More photos of the scarf, and one of James wearing it here.

because all the cool kids are doing it

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 16:02:14 GMT

1. Go to http://www.careercruising.com
2. Put in Username: nycareers, Password: landmark.
3. Take their "Career Matchmaker" questions.

bold = something I have past or present experience with
italic = something I would enjoy doing
strikethrough = something I would never consider doing.

1. Pediatrician
2. Physician Assistant (or Chiropractor's; same deal)
3. Family Practitioner
4. Psychiatrist
5. Naturopath
~~6. Religious Worker~~
7. Community Worker
8. Doctor
9. Obstetrician-Gynecologist
10. Art / Music Therapist
11. Humanitarian Aid Worker
12. Chiropractor
13. Psychologist (well, I was a psych major)
14. Child and Youth Worker
15. Neurologist
16. School Counselor
17. Sport Psychology Consultant
18. Nurse Practitioner
~~19. Clergy~~
20. Addictions Counselor
21. Recreation Therapist
22. Sign Language Interpreter
23. Massage Therapist
24. Teacher Assistant
~~25. Athletic Trainer~~
~~26. Casting Director~~ (I'd want to star :P)
27. Special Education Teacher
28. Social Worker
29. Physical Therapist
30. Anesthesiologist
31. Mental Health Nurse
32. Dermatologist
33. Mediator
34. Marriage and Family Therapist
35. Public Health Nurse
36. Elementary School Teacher
37. Podiatrist
38. Foreign Language Instructor
39. Translator
40. Early Childhood Educator

A new word for the Scrabble Dictionary :P

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 05:53:08 GMT

Warning: Clicking the link is NOT work safe!

ladyjutea Debs~ I'm bored~~~
ladyjutea Oh my GOD. http://www.boytaur.net/
linden_tree you...
linden_tree ...ARE...bored
linden_tree oh WHY did i click the naked picture?
ladyjutea Naked pic?
ladyjutea You mean you actually clicked on one of these pictures?
ladyjutea Why, Debs? Why???!!!
linden_tree because i wanted to know what a boytar was
ladyjutea HAHAHAHAHA
linden_tree and now i will forever have a 3-penised boy burned onto my retinas
linden_tree and his name is harold
ladyjutea I'm glad i got scared off by the picture on the main screen
ladyjutea 3 penises, eh? What is wrong with people?
linden_tree what i don't understand is...how the heck do they have such great abs if they're centaurs? like...seriously...how the heck do you do crunches like that?
ladyjutea You're putting way too much thought into this, I think. =P
linden_tree no, really! how do they do it? i work in a gym so i've seen it all, and i have no idea how that's possible!
ladyjutea *shudder* This must be a joke website, right?
ladyjutea And yet there are people posting naked pictures of themselves.
linden_tree how in god's name did you find this
ladyjutea http://www.cracked.com/index.php?name=News&sid=2271

linden_tree my friend just sent me to the most disturbing site ever
gruberman Oh dear - dare I ask?
gruberman Was it the kids worshipping George Bush video?
linden_tree worse
gruberman Oooo -what could be worse than that?
gruberman You're keeping me in suspense!
linden_tree you truly don't want to know
linden_tree http://www.cracked.com/index.php?name=News&sid=2271 it's something off here
gruberman Men's Long Hair Hyperboard
linden_tree i like that one! but no...
gruberman Ahahaha!
gruberman Furrs Fur Christ!
linden_tree lol keep reading
gruberman That Boytaur sure has nice abs!

Photos from the Midnight Release

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 02:54:40 GMT

Here are some photos from the "Midnight Magic" Release party at the Bay and Bloor Indigo - definitely, I'm thinking, the biggest release in Toronto that night! Besides agent_maxine, I also bumped into bunnyhero, pissenlit and jrs_1138 (the latter two waited in line with me and took all sorts of random videos)!

A few hours before the release and the store is packed. On the left hand side of the picture, Indigo Staff hand out numbered bracelets to people to people who didn't preorder.

I got mine around 9:30; I'm #709.

One of the four House banners that were hung around the store.

One of the many Potter displays.

There were some fabulous people in my part of the line, so time flew. Here we are showing off our bracelets. I'm sure they've all finished the book right now, and I hoped they loved it!

A Slytherin, a Gryffindor, and a...DUMBLY-DORE! Bren and I acousted him when he walked into the Tim Hortons!

Full set here!

Holy Crap.

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 04:12:04 GMT

DONE!

Predicting what we'll know very soon!

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 03:29:51 GMT

Final Predictions for Deathly Hallows (plus a couple of pet theories)...

Again, like the Quiz, there no book 7 spoilers behind the cut, just speculations. Same warning applies though: if you are further behind and don't want heavy hints at what books 1-6 hold, I suggest you don't click..

So after a lot of changing my mind and convoluted meanderings, here we go!

Short Predictions
Snape will be ambiguous throughout, but his final action will be good.

Deaths: Hagrid, Luna and Ron will die. Snape will die. Lucius and Voldemort will die.

Harry will vanquish Voldemort, but it will be a long drawn out confrontation
heavily involving Harry's scar, and Harry will be severely weakened and will nearly die.

Harry will need Peter Pettigrew's help to get to his parents house in Godric's Hollow.

Sirius will communicate somehow; the two way mirror will be important.

Horcruxes: 1) ~~Riddle's Diary~~, 2) ~~Marvolo's Ring~~, 3) Hufflepuff's Cup 4) Slytherin's Locket 5) Something of Ravenclaw's 6) Harry's scar still connected to - 7) Voldemort.

Each Horcrux will facilitate the journey and challenge of the next one.

Arabella Figg will do magic.

Neville will teach Herbology at Hogwarts.

Two Little Pet Theories
1) On Founder Horcruxes
This one's fairly straight forward. We know that each of the Hogwarts Houses correspond to an element; Fire (Gryffindor), Air (Ravenclaw), Earth (Hufflepuff) and Water (Slytherin). During my last reread of Half Blood Prince, I found it interesting that water was crucial in uncovering the supposed Slytherin Horcrux. It was in a place surrounded by water, the lake in the cave was water, it was submerged in liquid potion, Dumbledore demanded water after drinking the potion...etc.
Thinking back to Chamber of Secrets, there's also a heck of a lot of water significance surrounding another Slytherin Horcrux, Riddle's diary. Harry finds the wet diary in the washroom. Ginny had thrown it into a toilet, and prior to that, Lucius had thrown it into a cauldron (both water recepticles). And the final showdown occurs in the Chamber of Secrets which is obviously very wet since it's dealing with plumbing.

So...I'm predicting that for those Horcruxes made of Founder relics, the element of that House will come into play in finding it and destroying it. For example, I think we pretty much know for sure that Hufflepuff's cup is a Horcrux, so I'm sure the challenges surrounding it are Earth-linked, etc. etc. Ravenclaw's relic will probably require a lot of flying and/or dragon-hopping to get to.

2) Lily's Eyes and Harry's Scar (aka Is Harry a Horcrux?)
Until just a little while ago, I found the idea of Harry being a Horcrux to be downright laughable. After all, it totally goes against the neither can live while the other survives" prophecy since Voldemort cannot die until all his Horcruxes have been destroyed, which means that Harry would not be around to kill him.

But...I've been thinking a lot about Lily's eyes lately, and that's something we all know is enormously significant (I mean there's got to be a reason why it's been referenced so many times, and even Jo has said that it is significant). And based on that, my tentative and wacky sounding theory is that Harry's scar, but not Harry himself is an unintentional Horcrux. *Steps up onto the soap box...*

My gut feeling is that the a Horcrux is created at the moment of the killing. The object that is to become the Horcrux has to be near at hand, and that there's likely some complex spellwork involved before the killing that prepares the soul for splitting and the object for receiving it. In my mind's eye, I see the green spurt of light coming out of the wand, the loosened soul wrenching itself apart to fly forward with the curse, and then transfering itself into the Horcrux from there.

Obviously this didn't quite work in Harry's case, but I am sure that Voldemort was trying to use Harry's death to create a Horcrux since, as Dumbledore said, he seemed to reserve that for important deaths. And I think that even if the killing was not successful, something would still happen to the part of the soul which was anchored to the attempt.

Now back to Lily's eyes. What if Lily in death somehow managed to fuse into Harry and somehow block the brunt of the curse? In the books, its said a few times that the curse "rebounded" off Harry and hit Voldemort, which could certainly suggest such a thing. If this were true, wouldn't it make sense that she might leave a physical imprint on Harry, say her eyes? And...perhaps the reason Voldemort experiences such agony when trying to possess Harry is that some vestige of Lily is still there.

On the flip side, the bit of Voldemort's loosened soul that is departing has to go somewhere when the killing curse fails, and because we know that Voldemort transfered some of his power to Harry, I think it's pretty likely that the piece of his soul was transfered in the bargin, but not to where he had intended it. However, I am suspecting that because Harry did not actually die, the soul didn't split itself properly, which could explain why Harry's scar is so in tune with Voldemort's whereabouts and moods.*. And if this is all true, Voldemort's burning passion to kill Harry personally might stem from the fact that his soul is now indirectly attached to Lily's love which isn't evil, so he needs to vanquish it.

*As an aside, I don't think Voldemort was connected to his other Horcruxes in this way because it's implied that he doesn't know when they were destroyed. Book 6 talk about Lucius telling Voldemort what happened to the diary, with Voldemort's anger being "terrible to behold." It's also implied because there'd be no reason for a note if Voldemort already knew the locket had been replaced with a fake.

So in sum, I think that Harry's scar is a Horcrux, and that some aspect of Lily is still around to protect him from harm. Now how this will get resolved I have no idea, but it could possibly involve a Dementor sucking out that bit of Voldemort's soul through Harry's scar oO. Err...or not :P

I also like this theory because it satisfies my desire to have at least one Horcrux from each of the Founders, just to be complete, and I somehow don't think the Sorting Hat or the Sword could be a Horcrux.

So there we have it! Also, if anyone's planning to go the release party at Bay & Bloor, keep a look out for me! I'll be there with agent_maxine and in black with Gryffindor colours!

Divination Quiz for Deathly Hallows!

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:16:44 GMT

I'm still formulating my final predictions for the book which I'll post later, but browsing around on the net, I came across a nifty little editorial on MuggleNet.Com, which is actually a prediction quiz for Deathly Hallows! It's 101 True-False questions to do before the release, and then once you finish the book you can see how many questions you've gotten right!

Let's compare! Drop me a comment with your answers (I'll do the same) and let's see how we do. All comments will be screened until...let's give it a week or so, shall we?

There are no Book 7 Spoilers behind the cut, however the quiz assumes you've read book 6, so if you are further behind and don't want heavy hints at what books 1-6 hold, I suggest you don't click. However, if you know nothing about Harry Potter and aren't concerned about spoilers, come on in and make some fun guesses.

Onto the
1. Hogwarts will be closed for the entire year.
2. Harry will enroll in Year 7 classes at Hogwarts.
3. Ron will enroll in Year 7 classes at Hogwarts.
4. Hermione will enroll in Year 7 classes at Hogwarts.
5. Harry will take N.E.W.T. exams.
6. Ron will take N.E.W.T. exams.
7. Hermione will take N.E.W.T. exams.
8. Harry will be Head Boy at Hogwarts.
9. Ron will be Head Boy at Hogwarts.
10. Hermione will be Head Girl at Hogwarts.
11. Harry will teach Defense Against the Dark Arts atHogwarts.
12. The DADA teacher at Hogwarts will be ________________________. (fill in the blank)
13. Harry's scar is a Horcrux.
14. Nagini is a Horcrux.
15. Slytherin's locket is a Horcrux.
16. Hufflepuff's cup is a Horcrux.
17. The locket that nobody could open at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place is a Horcrux.
18. Harry will keep his Horcrux quest secret from the Order of the Phoenix.
19. R.A.B. = Regulus A. Black.
20. R.A.B. has already destroyed the locket-Horcrux.
21. Voldemort already knows (by the end of Half-Blood Prince) that R.A.B. took the locket-Horcrux from the cave.
22. Voldemort already knows (by the end of Half-Blood Prince) that Harry is seeking his Horcruxes.
23. Albus Dumbledore is really dead.
24. On top of the "Lightening-Struck Tower," Dumbledore was asking Snape to kill him.
25. Dumbledore gave Snape the DADA position because he knew Snape would be leaving Hogwarts at the end of the school year.
26. Dumbledore will communicate with Harry through his portrait in the Headmaster's office.
27. Dumbledore will communicate with Harry through the Pensieve.
28. Harry will use the Sorcerer's Stone.
29. Harry will return to the Chamber of Secrets.
30. Harry will be a Prisoner of Azkaban (or at least go there).
31. Harry will use the Goblet of Fire.
32. Harry will join the Order of the Phoenix.
33. Harry will (intentionally) join forces with the Half-Blood Prince.
34. Harry will visit a place called the Deathly Hallows.
35. One of the Dursleys will learn to do magic.
36. Petunia will (intentionally) give Harry vital information before he leaves Privet Drive.
37. Ron and Hermione will be a couple.
38. Harry and Hermione will be a couple.
39. Harry and Ginny will get back together.
40. Ron and Hermione have already kissed "off-screen" by the end of Half-Blood Prince.
41. Sibyll Trelawney will make another real prophecy.
42. Rufus Scrimgeour will be Minister of Magic at the end of Deathly Hallows.
43. Harry will use the Mirror of Erised again.
44. Harry will use the sword of Godric Gryffindor again.
45. Harry will use the Sorting Hat.
46. Harry will use a Time-Turner.
47. Harry will use the two-way mirror that Sirius gave him.
48. Harry's knowledge of Muggle artifacts will save him from imminent danger.
49. Grawp will (intentionally) save Harry/Ron/Hermione from danger.
50. The Weasleys' - now wild - flying Ford Anglia will play a significant role in saving and/or transporting Harry/Ron/Hermione.
51. Aside from James, Lily, Harry, and Voldemort, there was at least one other person present at the Potters' house the night James and Lily died.
52. Bill Weasley will become a full werewolf.
53. How did James and Lily Potter acquire their small fortune? _________________________________ (fill in the blank)
54. Snape is an Animagus.
55. We will learn more about the relationship between Lily and Snape.
56. A current member of the Order of the Phoenix will betray Harry.
57. The Death Eaters will attack Privet Drive.
58. The Death Eaters will attack The Burrow.
59. The Death Eaters will attack during Bill and Fleur's wedding.
60. The Death Eaters will attack Hogwarts.
61. The Death Eaters will attack Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
62. Draco will abandon the Death Eaters.
63. Peter Pettigrew, aka Wormtail, will abandon the Death Eaters.
64. Snape will be openly allowed back into the Order of the Phoenix.
65. Snape is truly loyal to:
(a) Dumbledore
(b) Voldemort
(c) Neither
66. Dumbledore trusts Snape because:
(a) Snape made a heartfelt apology
(b) Snape made an Unbreakable Vow
(c) Snape passed crucial secret information to the Order about Voldemort/Death Eaters
(d) Dumbledore had no hard evidence, he just wanted to give Snape the benefit of the doubt
(e) None of these, but we'll find out in Deathly Hallows
(f) We'll never know
67. Snape began working as a double agent for the Order:
(a) Before the prophecy was made
(b) After the prophecy was made, but before James and Lily died
(c) The night James and Lily died
(d) After James and Lily died
68. Harry will use, or attempt to use, an Unforgivable Curse.
69. Harry will use, or attempt to use, the Avada Kedavra Curse on Voldemort.
70. Someone other than Harry will actually finish-off Voldemort, even though Harry will have done most of the work. (i.e. Darth tosses the Emperor, Gollum falls in with the ring.)
71. The U.S. edition cover-art for Deathly Hallows, portrays the final showdown.
72. The U.S. edition cover-art for Deathly Hallows, portrays Harry and Voldemort reaching for a Horcrux.
73. Harry will destroy at least one Horcrux by sending it through the Veil.
74. The Deathly Hallows is: (a) at Hogwarts
(b) in Godric's Hollow
(c) a graveyard
(d) beyond the Veil
(e) another name for Horcruxes
(f) none of these, but depicted on the US cover
75. The final showdown will be at:
(a) the Deathly Hallows
(b) Hogwarts
(c) Azkaban
(d) Veil/Minitry of Magic
(e) Godric's Hollow
(f) The Underground Lake/Gringotts
(g) somewhere else
76. Harry will survive.
77. Ron will survive.
78. Hermione will survive.
79. Ginny will survive.
80. Neville will survive.
81. Luna will survive.
82. Hagrid will survive.
83. Lupin will survive.
84. Tonks will survive.
85. Molly and Arthur will survive.
86. Fred and George will survive.
87. Bill and Fleur will survive.
88. Percy will survive.
89. Voldemort will survive.
90. Snape will survive.
91. Peter Pettigrew will survive.
92. Bellatrix will survive.
93. Lucius Malfoy will survive.
94. Narcissa Malfoy will survive.
95. Draco Malfoy will survive.
96. Harry will become an Auror.
97. Harry will become a professor at Hogwarts.
98. Ron will become a professor at Hogwarts.
99. Hermione will become a professor at Hogwarts.
100. Neville will become a professor at Hogwarts.
101. The final word of Deathly Hallows will be "scar."

Scoring One point per correct question.
0 - 20 pts = Troll
20 - 40 pts = Poor
40 - 60 pts = Acceptable
60 - 80 pts = Exceeds Expectations
80 - 101 pts = Outstanding

This is a Potter-Public Service Announcement!

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:52:02 GMT

I've just received word from wolfbite that the radio said that the book has leaked, and there are media sources out there sporting some MAJOR spoilers, for example today's Toronto Star.

Sounds like this is definitely the time to stop reading and listening to the news, and stop extraneous surfing on the web and typing "Harry Potter" into google...and then after the danger has passed we can write to the Toronto Star and tell them how much they suck. Also, if you know of any specific sources that are putting out these spoilers, please pass 'em on!

Phoenix.

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 03:50:38 GMT

So...in a surprise move, my part time job got canceled tonight, so Jonathan and I joined Matt, Elana, and many of her family seeing Order of Phoenix this evening. Yes, I know I should be packing, but I couldn't resist coming online to post briefly about...well...

WARNING, SPOILERS:

It's a pretty movie but any Potter fan will have to forgiving of a great deal of inconsistencies, and if you're expecting emotion, you won't get it.

The Good (Casting):
1) Luna. She was absolutely perfect for the role!
2) Umbridge. I thought she was pulled off really well!
3) Helena Bonham Carter. Perfect Bellatrix.

The Good (Scenes)
2) The first few scenes of the movie with Dudley and the Dementors. The first shots in particular with tall grasses and the the wide angle lens of the scenery were great.
3) The DA; there was lots of focus on it as it deserved to be and I'm glad they didn't cut it short.
4) Flying Death Eaters, and the entrances of the Order members at the end were nifty!
5) Hermione-Gwamp. Very cute.

Best Quotes:
1) "Get your hands off my Godson!"
2) Snape's "Obviously"
3) Harry/Sirius's "What if something's gone wrong" conversation. It was nice to have them make a little more time for that relationship.

Best Addition:
The scene in Dumbledore's Office after Mr. Weasley's attack. Harry shouting "LOOK AT ME" and that moment between him and Dumbledore was probably the only moment for me that truly conveyed the gravity and heaviness of...everything. Similarly, the urgency in having to begin the Occulmency lessons right then, and the first scene with it where it seems as though Harry is going into something truly torturous and dreadful, and the shot pulling out from the castle a bit later continues building that emotion, and I thought it all fabulous.

Worst Subtraction:
The mirror subtraction. Unlike many of the others, this wouldn't have taken much screen time, and it hurt because I do think it's important. There are many more things I would have liked to see in there (more Tonks, and making Ron and Hermione a bit more than just decoration) but I understand the time contraints.

Little Stupid Things
1) There's absolutely no story to how Ginny, Neville and Luna came to be in Umbridge's office.
2) Hagrid's "storm's coming, Harry." What are Ron and Hermione there, window dressing?
3) You can't punch a Demetor. oO Yes, you read right. Harry punches a Dementor.

The Bad and The Ugly:
There were SO many things wrong with Sirius's death...from the fact that it was not in any way emotional or dramatic, to the point that Harry's reaction was completely dubbed down and stupid slow-motiony (I fully expected to be bawling as I did when reading the book, but it passed with little more than a confused "huh, that's it?"). I am not going to talk about that stuff in depth though because they all pale in comparison to this complete travesty. One line. One stupid little line ruined all of those special effects, the millions of dollars put into it, everything. One line, in fact, his very last line completely underminded and invalidated probably the most crucial relationship in the Potter Universe, and cheapened my favourite character beyond all redemption even if he could be brought back from the dead.

Sirius (to Harry who is fighting alongside him): Nice one, James.

And that is that.

Potter V!

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 12:57:25 GMT

Lately, I feel like all my LJ is is an easy way to ask people to do stuff!

Potter comes out TOMORROW NIGHT (!!!!!!)! I won't be able to make a midnight showing because Wednesday is my longest day of work, but I was toying with the idea of going to see it myself on Thursday afternoon after I get off work (it would be ~2:30 at Silvercity Yonge/7). So my questions are,
(a) Is there anyone else who isn't seeing it at midnight and with an exceedingly weird work schedule and/or a lot of free time who wants to come with me?

(b) Are there any plans to see it next week? (I can't do this weekend but I don't mind waiting to see it because I'll likely be thick into books 1-6 by then)

Edit: The showtime (3:20) doesn't quite work out for me since the movie is over 2 hours long and I'd still have to get home. I'm not going to see it tomorrow but will shoot for next Thursday or Friday, afterwhich book time! Anyone want to go then?

Live Earth

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 11:30:17 GMT

I'm thinking of heading down to Live Earth after work tomorrow (so I'd be leaving my place around 1). Anyone interested?

April - June Books!

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 22:34:16 GMT

Ya, I suck at keeping up with things. Here's what I've been reading over the past 3 months! Not much in terms of new stuff, but I reread the Anne of Green Gables books, as well as Wicked over again too.

What: What the Body Remembers by Shauna Singh Baldwin (2001).

Summary: The story of a struggle between two women set during the partition of India into India and Pakistan: Satya is less than thrilled when her husband Sardarji takes a second wife who is considerably younger and of poor social class so that he may have an heir.

How/Why: I randomly grabbed off the clearance shelves at the UWO bookstore, it looked kinda interesting.

My Thoughts: Beautifully written with gorgeous descriptions. This book really travels, both through the historical backdrop and through the character evolution as they encounter challenge and conflict in their lives.

What: Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan_Safran_Foer (2005).

Summary: A young American Jew, named after the author himself, journeys to Ukraine in search of Augustine, the woman who saved his grandfather's life during the Nazi liquidation of Trachimbrod, his family shtetl. Armed with many copies of an old photograph of Augustine and his grandfather, maps, cigarettes, and a fanny pack filled with Ziploc bags, Jonathan begins his adventure with Ukrainian native and soon-to-be good friend, Aleksandr "Alex" Perchov, who is his own age and very fond of American pop culture, albeit culture that is already out of date in the U.S. Alex is "premium" in his knowledge of the English language and therefore becomes the translator. Alex’s "blind" grandfather and his "deranged seeing-eye bitch," Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior, accompany them on their journey. Through letters between the two friends, it flips between Jonathan's whimsical novel in progress and the quest to find Augustine and Trachimbrod which Alex narrates.

How/Why: Jessie (my housemate from second year University) and I were perusing a used bookstore when she grabbed it off the shelves and told me I'd find it hilarious. Jessie has a ridiculously awesome sense of humour, so I bought it.

My Thoughts: Besides the giggles that come from Alex's broken English and his conception of the "hero" as he narrates, there's a lot to this book. Jonathan's half-imagined novel on his ancestors and Trachimbrod is thought provoking and alluring, and despite having very serious elements like the Holocaust, this book is amusing from start to finish. I've still got it so I hope someone wants to borrow :) Out of curiosity, has anyone see the movie?

What: Brass by Robert J Conley (1999).
Summary: In Cherokee legend, Untsaiyi was a shape-shifter who lived before humankind existed. The monster with a love of gambling was captured thousands of years ago, spiked by a wooden post through his belly that secures him to the ocean floor, and watched over by two crows who perch on the top of the pole. But what happens when he's accidentally released...?

How/Why: I was very gleeful to find this wild bookcrossing book at the hotel we stayed at in Monteverde. I had to read it super quickly so I could pass it on to one of the others in my tour group to take away with him. Right now, this book is somewhere in Switzerland!

My Thoughts: This isn't a book I would have normally picked up for myself because I'm not crazy about horror, but it was pretty fun and a quick read. I dug the Cherokee stuff.

What: Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire.

Summary: The Sequel of Wicked, which follows Elphaba's son Liir through his quest for rightness and self discovery through the ever-turbulent land of Oz.

How/Why: My PC points bought me this off the Chindigo site :)

My Thoughts: Not as good as Wicked, but nonetheless engaging. I like Liir; although he's a weaker character than Elphaba (but then again it's tough to be stronger than her), he is realistic and easy to relate to. One thing I found so great about Wicked was it gave a lot of weight to the intricacies and struggles of Oz as opposed to leaving them as background. It's not often that you get to see the aftermath of the major events of a book after it ends, but all of the complexities of Oz are picked right back up again...so as well as answering the questions of what became of the people, it also answers what the heck happened in Oz after the demise of the Wicked Witch of the West and the departure of the Wizard.

What: Marriage Most Scandalous by Johanna Lindsey (2006).
Summary: One of those cute romantic books with a tall, dashing hero and a spunky damsel who's bosom probably heaves as he contemplates his dreamy manliness. Sebastian Townshend is disinherited by his father after unintentionally killing his best friend and becomes the Raven, a brooding ass-kicking mercenary. Years later, he returns to England at the request of Lady Margaret because there are foul things afoot in his family. Of course they have to pretend to be lovers and blah, blah...romance, heaving bosoms.

How/Why: I was at Word on the Street last summer, and it started to rain really heavily towards the end of the day. The publishers wanted to sell the books they had on display as quickly as possible and kept lowering their prices. I decided it was the right time to be exceedingly random, so I stepped into the middle of their tent, spun around, and bought the first book I pointed to.

My Thoughts: Light, fun, and oh so scandalous :P It's out of my hands now and into the bookcrossing world.

What: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and translated by Gregory Rabassa (1967).

Summary: The story of the rise, fall, birth and death of six generations of the Buendía family in the fictional Colombian town of Macondo.

How/Why: I'm not sure when I first heard of it but it's one of those classic books that I've been wanting to read for a very, very long time. I finally stumbled across my mom's copy of it recently and away I went.

My Thoughts: Has anyone else read this one, because I'd love to know what you thought. It is many things at the same time, but always compelling, beautiful and exceedingly random, and it truly deserves all the praise it has been given. Definitely one I'm going to have to read again because there is just so much in it and it can be confusing at times (check out the family tree if you don't believe me!). It leaves you reeling for days after you've finished it and the ending leaves you open mouthed and incredulous. Hard to put into words, but I profoundly recommend it if you're looking for something deep and meaningful and very full of life. Best book I've read this year!

And now with that done, I'm going to finish Blind Watchmaker before I start rereading the Potter books in prep for BOOK 7!!!

This about calls it!

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 02:15:55 GMT

Lifted from monkeyman and misslynx.

"If you're maybe noticing that you're older than you used to be, and are feeling sad/angry/confused/worried/frustrated that you haven't accomplished as much as you/other people in your present or past/annoyingly critical voices inside your head think you should have, and if you're maybe feeling something like "I'm not a real grownup like everyone else," and if you're maybe also feeling sad/angry/confused/worried/frustrated that your body isn't working the way it used to, and you're maybe thinking, "if that's true then how am I going to DO all those accomplishments that I/other people/voices in my head think I ought or want to do?", and maybe you're also wondering how are you going to dig out from under the accumulation of habit and procrastination and self-doubt to some sense of satisfaction in your life again, then post this same sentence in your journal."

Coming up on 25 year old, I'm definitely feeling this as I see all the grownup work and school and relationship things that friends my age are doing. I know there's no positive in comparing, so I'm trying not to think about it too much. I trust that eventual good health will bring courage and clarity with it and that my time will come.

SHIFT!

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:21:51 GMT

Last night I went with a friend and him Mom to see Stuart Knight's production, SHIFT! I'm off to work so I can't make this a long entry, but it was a fabulous show, and fully worth the scant amount of sleep last night. If you're free tonight or tomorrow, I highly recommend checking out one of the two remaining shows.

And the main purpose for this post...on Saturday night after the last show there's going to be a long awaited Friendship Slut party and anyone who has bought tickets for SHIFT is on the guest list, plus the number of other tickets they've bought. My friend and his mom can't make it, so if anyone would like to go, two people can come with me. It's at 1087 Queen Street at 10ampm. I'm sure most of you don't know what the heck I'm talking about, start by checking this website, then scroll down to a poster of an old party.

Also, has anyone noticed the funkified CN Tower at night? A waste of electricity, but oh so nifty and alluring

My interview skills are definitely degenerating...

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 23:56:42 GMT

Today I said something that I've definitely never said at an interview before...

Him: Is there anything else you'd like to say about yourself?
Me: *pause*...
...I AM AWESOME!!!!
Him: Okay...

I wonder if that'll count for me or against me. Probably against but it was hella fun and at least I'll stand out in their memory forever!!!

*also, as a follow-up to the "Fabulous" insertion into that cover letter, I actually did get an interview with them and she said she was amused because I was the only one who responded with any humour.*