Potter Update Again (Spoilers)

Update: Slate agrees. "Did we really go through all this just to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione take up residence on a cul-de-sac?"


Worst epilogue EVER.

Obviously written for 6 year olds.

So... you go through what you go through and 19 years later, you're reduced to being a BORING ADULT.

That's it.

Get married.
Move to the suburbs.
Have babies (according to the math starting at 23 or 24 years old)
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

No mention of world travels.
Not a peep about career.
Professional athletics?
Scientific advances?
Insights into psychology of evil?

Nope, he's a dad - and from the lack of additional information, it appears he's just a dad.

I mean its fine to be a dad, who here would be here without a dad, but I just think there should be a little more to the characters at that point.
At least some nod to the legitimacy of life outside the whole marriage/suburbs/babies choices for a main character.

I get the whole "the boy without a family wants a family" thing, but it's such a horribly 2D version of family that it just seems jarring in comparison to the rest of the tale. It's like happily ever after in a fairy tale - believe in such simplicity and you're doomed to a life of disappointment.

Where's the fullness, the color, the adultness and complexity of our now adult characters?

Boring adults.

They've been reduced to stereotypically BORING ADULTS.

*sigh*

Potter update

Oodles of Awkward Teenage Love (Yea!)

And my favorite quote thus far... on Ron's birthday gift to Harry.

"This isn't your average book... It's pure gold. Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches...You'd be surprised, it's not all about wandwork, either."

*snort*

Wandwork?

O my...

Scandalous.

But such skills certainly don't hurt a fella either... muggle or otherwise.

UPDATE: 72% of all people who find my blog via search engines search the phrase "it's not all about wandwork, either"
I freaking LOVE you people.

Potter vs Silvertongue

While the whole world is going Potter-mad (and I'm not exempt - seen the flick, got the book today)

may I suggest another series, just as dark (if not more so), just as British and fantasy laden with films soon to be released.

His Dark Materials written by Philip Pulman is a trilogy that focuses on an orphaned girl (if not legally, then at least in her reality) raised around academics, fated to lead. It all the requisite pieces necessary for a good read: awkward adolescent love, deep friendship, corrupt power structures and alot of grey regarding good vs evil (only with some characters, many are pretty straightforeward).

What I love is his thoughts on religion and science - in one world religion is science - and in our world, there's character who renounces her life as a nun for science - and her monologue on the limitations that religion can put on life are very interesting (esp. considering its touted as a childrens' book).

They've been working on the movie, which is slated for release in early December (I'm going to Phoenix to watch it with an old friend). Sure, see the movie, but read the books first.

Just trying something

Part of my job is to attend our performances and interact with our audience members.

Like most classical arts organizations, we have a greying audience, especially on Sunday afternoons.

I've never been much of a doodler, but this crowd seems to demand it.
I know my grandfather did a lot of cartooning, maybe its just been lying dormant...

This was done from memory the other day, not very good, but not bad for a first attempt.
Everytime I would walk by the ladies' room, I would see the old men... waiting... bored... looking a little like birds on a wire or vultures, even.

I think I need to bring a sketchbook with me from now on.



I do hope to get back to posting more original art soon, but between deadlines, performances and general summer busy-ness, it's been difficult to focus on art.

From Springfield

Watch it Lisa, I played baritone sax AND graduated a year early.

Go Isotopes!

These are a few of my favorite things

I also picked up this book at the CPL booksale - again, not sure how I'm finding time to enjoy it, but I promised myself I'd savor it, if only for these references...

Scientific America, Horn & Hardart, The Fox Sisters, blind pigs and speakeasies, quaint sexual euphamisms like... "Mina sounded close to her crisis," French terms of endearment and oyster bars.

Because oysters were the french fries of the early 20th century... a concept I've always loved.

Definitely recommended reading for a cool October evening.

UPDATE: My initial ardour for this book has cooled significantly. I think I was so giddy from the rarely-made references, that I saw past the moment when the story began to fall apart.

But the first half or so is still good, but the ending sort of tumbled into uncertain confusion.

my favorite 14

For those with even a low to middlin' interest in celebutards, tanarexics or merged names (TomKat, Brangelina...) check out Gallery of the Absurd for a low-brow snicker and good art.

She's a witty lass, that 14, and has a series currently featuring celebrity moms - here's a detail of the Candy Spelling image... subject aside, I frickin' LOVE this froggie. I don't know if it's the Marty Feldman eyes, the fifties flip, the crown or the Hapsburg chin(s), but the idea of an amphibian on my shoulder to guide us is somewhat intriguing.



A fairy god-froggie?
A froggie conscience?
A froggie for all seasons?
Froggie... on my shoulder... makes me happeeeee (thanks to J. Denver)

What a great question

I managed to get to the Cleveland Public Library for the book sale last week (perk of working downtown, along with Teahouse Noodle lunches, seeing long-lost acquaintances on the street and last minute al fresco happy hours at the bar downstairs).

Anyway, I picked up Amy Tan's "Bonesetter's Daughter" for a $1 - I enjoyed some of her previous work, but having experienced not so good luck with fiction lately, I was suspect.

I proceeded to gobble it up in 3 days time (amazing, considering it was a truly-evenings-and-weekends-heavy kind of work week). I highly recommend it.

But what inspired me to post about this book, was an answer to a question on page 341.

"...If I want anything, it's to know what's possible to want."

I don't come from a guilt inducing background, but I must admit to being a bit of a needless wonder.
As though wanting something translates to having unreasonable expectations -
so it's mostly easier to train yourself to expect nothing, right?

Logically, this would result in nothing but exceeded expectations, but in reality, I think it leads to a whole lot of nothing.

I'm not endorsing magial thinking, but I think maybe it's ok to want things.

Where have I been?

For a number of years, I worked at University Circle, and came to have a varied and full series of day-dreams regarding the "Center for Structural Biology." I can't find a decent photo of it, but it was a repurposed furniture building, painted red with abstract metal shapes on the sides.

You could never see what it was they were doing in there, other than cultivating an air of mystery.
I never knew anyone who worked there, but I often fantasized that they had to be brilliant and were in all ways more evolved and fascinating than the average person.

At one point, I decided my future my somehow was intimately connected to that building and those within it (and there is no logical reason for me to think that, by the way) so imagine my sadness and chagrin when I saw it had been razed!

I've called a number of friends who work at Case, and they weren't sure what I even talking about (!)

I was REALLY upset - like some prophecy gone unrealized or potential wasted.
And everytime I drive by, I get a rush of sadness and confusion.

But I'm happy to report that have a new building (ok, so they got it in 2005, like the title says, Where has I been?)

It's newer, and I'm sure they can do a lot more structural biology, but I just can't tap my fantasy life into it - It was truly bound up in the old building.

*sigh*

progress...

make love like a pair of black wizards

I can't stop listening to...



Of Montreal - The Party's Crashing Us

pure pop sugar - sticky and sweet and addictive

all i want to do is skip and do cartwheels when i hear this

ouch!

remember that post?
the one about the beaches?
and how great they are?
yeah....
i have a pretty serious ear infection now.
see, edgewater, it had a water advisory up.
and i ignored it.
twice.
in one weekend.
and now i have swimmers' ear.
and i can't get in until friday a.m.
and it's OUTCHIE.

i need beer.

self conscious

i had a dream last night that i received 3 comment emails -
each saying
"when you started this blog,
it was about the visuals.
what happened?"

all essentially trashing my written word.

which is fine

it WAS about the visuals.

here's some peebs to make up for it...



ahhhh... that's it...

nice.

Waterbaby

Hot.
Going to beaches.
Can't blog.
Too much sand.
Sand + MacBook = expensive poseur vignette where J. Crew meets
The New Yorker

but how stylish...

On that note, a practical users guide to Northeast Ohio Beaches...

Edgewater (Cleveland)
Excellent for the unplanned foray.
Pros:
It's the populace beach.
You'll never feel unattractive.
Good wave action.
Wide in breadth and length (but sort of shallow).
Lots of terra firma real estate for extended sunning and swimming.
Kites.
Sailboats.

Cons:
It's the populace beach.
Sewer run off when it rains - lots of debris.
Shallow.
Jet skis are blind to buoys.
Lifeguards overly fond of the vague "whistle and point."
Bathrooms recall streets of England circa 1640.

Bradstreet Landing (Rocky River)
Less about the swimming (its technically verboten), more about the kayaking
Pros:
Great put-in for kayaks or small sail boats.
No other swimmers.
Anarchy in the water.

Cons:
Beach is 95% mussel shells.
Dogs and dog poo.
Fishing lines.
Getting yelled at by the cops for illegal swimmin'.

Huntington Beach (Bay Village)
The OC right here in Northeast Ohio
Pros:
Long with lots of little rock piers.
Ample swimming room.
Good view of downtown.
Clean water.
Honey Hut.
Hot teens skimboarding (so Americana).

Cons:
You will NEVER feel attractive again.
The every-45-minute-15-minute swim break (what!).
Parking (all the hot teens have convertibles which they park there at 8 am - so it seems)
Kind of a far drive from downtown.
Not much diversity - v. suburban.

Lakeview Beach (Lorain)
Best Beach Ever (I grew up going there, practically unsupervised)
Pros:
Best kept secret in NEOhio.
HUGE sand beach.
Large swimming area.
Lovely park with rose garden and bocce ball court.
Fountain with light that change color (it's super cool).
Great view of the Lorain Lighthouse.
Good boat watching.
Water has been cleaned considerably.

Cons:
40 minute drive from downtown.
Otherwise, perfect.

Other beaches of note:
Huron
Kelleys Island
Mentor Headlands
Fairport Harbor

Vermillion River (not a beach, I know, but hiking up the river is awesome, there are waterfalls for showers and rapids that are excellent as make-shift whirlpools.

I haven't been East at all this summer...
please feel free to fill me in on your fave beaches.

off to get the sand out of my hair.
la!

so yeah, fireworks

see - i deliver when I want to.

if you can only make one fireworks display in northeast ohio, i highly recommend the display at lakewood park.
first off, they spend an inordinate amount of money to put it on (suggested expenditures ranged from $20,000 to $30,000 to $60,000 and increased proportionately to the amount of beer being imbibed.)

second, the entire free world appeared to be in attendance.
maybe even some of the not-so-free-world.

anyhoo - it was damn enjoyable.

i never cease to be amazed at fireworks - they're pretty multi-sensory:
the colors, the brightness, the percussion of the explosions and that fizzlie sound at the end.
and of course the smell.

and i love that the amazement spans all ages and interests - no matter how green-skinned from lack of daylight or how computer/tv bound you are, you're probably stepping outside when you hear that sound.

i still can't believe how many people there were at the park.
when asked how many people i thought there were, my response was,
"all of them"

i told my friend that this is what they'd be up against in a large-scale evacuation.
but it was a excellent mob, as mobs go
they moved at a good clip, no trampling.

i would be comfortable with that mob.

so yeah, lakewood fireworks - extremely good.

Lame

I know
I know
busy
not making art
not thinking deeply
or thinking too deeply
to be bothered to share

maybe something to come
about...

fireworks...?

Peacock

I've been messing around some other motifs, too (in addition to hearts).

Namely, peacock feathers.

One great upside to having specific motif interests, is that every so often, they come into vogue and inspiration is everywhere - this was never more true than last fall.

Here is a pillowcase - mid-embroidery...


and a mosaic "stained glass" votive made in Dec 2004... Thanks to MJL for the glass and instruction...


Here it is - lit up...


again, sorry for the poor picture quality, I do plan on getting on a real one at some point between beaching and working and brunching and such.