the thoughts and experiences of Heather Meadows
:D
Here are the relevant stories:
The Guardian: Geneticists claim ageing breakthrough but immortality will have to wait
New Scientist: Gene turn-off makes meek mice fearless
Via, of course, Slashdot.
Feel…terrible.
Want…to pass out.
Or eat everything I can find.
I don’t know if I’m getting a little sick, or if I’m just dissatisfied with life (that happens to me a lot, it seems ;P). I do wish I was doing something.
Bleh.
If you can’t tell there are going to be spoilers in this post, you are a fool!
Goblet of Fire is my favorite of the Harry Potter books…I think because it’s a huge turning point. Things happen that forever change the world. None of it, really, is unnecessary. It’s a tight story that just happens to be jam-packed with information and character development, and is thus fairly long.
Which is why I wasn’t sure how in the world it was going to be made into a movie.
I wondered if the Quidditch World Cup would simply be omitted. That turned out not to be the case. Instead, it was shortened to not much more than a prologue, and the whole House Elf subplot was lifted right out. This greatly simplified things and removed quite a few scenes. And to be honest…I didn’t miss the House Elves one bit! (And I didn’t miss SPEW, either.) Apparently people knew about this beforehand, but I managed (without really trying) to avoid “spoilers” before seeing the film, so it was a surprise to me.
Without Winky, there was no need for the main characters to be in the top box, so they weren’t. This meant there was no Ludo Bagman…which meant that the twins did not bet with him that Ireland would win with Krum taking the Snitch. (Actually, the game isn’t shown at all, and it’s unclear afterwards who even won–there’s only one line that indicates Ireland.) I think this is important to note because Harry didn’t receive prize money at the end, and therefore he didn’t give it to Fred and George to make up for their being cheated by Bagman. How they start their joke shop will have to be explained in some other way, I suppose.
There were a couple of other things that were shortened or explained differently or just done differently. Ron knew about the dragons. Hagrid and Madame Maxime didn’t have their fight, and Rita Skeeter didn’t out Hagrid as part giant. Cho didn’t save Harry from Filch in the Owlery. Hermione’s Yule Ball dress wasn’t blue ;P The Goblet of Fire was tricked by a Confundus Charm, rather than simply by having Harry’s name thrown in with the name of a different school. The Marauder’s Map does not come into play. Our heroes do not meet up with Sirius in Hogsmeade; the fireplace is his only appearance. Karkaroff is shown to be a Death Eater, but it’s not mentioned if/when he flees.
There was only one Pensieve memory, and Barty Crouch, Jr. acted maniacal in it rather than frightened. Junior was also in Harry’s dream at the beginning of the movie; this simplified matters immensely (and was necessary in the absence of Winky). The Barty Crouch, Sr. Imperius Curse subplot was missing; it looked like it was going to be there when he was found fallen in the woods (not by Harry and Krum but by Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Hagrid), but then nothing else happened with it. Also, Beauxbatons was an all-girls school, and Durmstrang all boys. I don’t remember them being that way in the book. It’s a little annoying, actually, because Fleur is the most useless of all the Champions, and I at least liked to think that she’d beaten out some guys to earn her position.
One other, small thing I didn’t like was Sirius’ head in the fire. I thought that was kind of silly. I always imagined the face as appearing over the fire; since Floo Powder is used for this kind of conversation, it just made sense to me that the head would be semi-corporeal, if orange.
I was pleased, and I’m sure commenter K will be too, to discover that they fixed the gravestone discrepancy.
Voldemort’s gloating scene with his Death Eaters is much shorter than I’d expected. I think they probably could have cut down the huge dragon fight to add to this, because it’s the scariest part and there should probably have been more weight to it. (Plus, Harry’s supposed to have beaten the dragon the fastest.) I would have liked some foreshadowing of Bellatrix Lestrange; she’s probably the creepiest and most evil character in the books other than Voldemort. It also would have been nice to have the subtle references to Karkaroff and Snape.
I do think that Ralph Fiennes made a fantastic Voldemort, because you can tell he’s pretty under all that makeup :> I thought the Voldemort special effects were really neat–the way his robe moved, making him seem to slither. The “Kill the spare” line wasn’t issued the way I expected at all, but that’s minor.
I did wonder if they would show Cedric fully spread-eagled. In retrospect, that might have been a bit ridiculous. The framing of his lifeless face, frozen forever in shock, was far more powerful.
I didn’t cry until Harry made it back, and he was sobbing, and it was just like the book.
I’ve pointed out a lot of things that were done differently from the book and a few things that I didn’t like, but really, I loved this film, and the only change I would make would be to extend the Harry vs. Voldemort scene.
The music was fantastic. It didn’t interrupt the film at all. I loved the way the introductory music played on John Williams’ original theme, perverting it, making it creepy. I was actually kind of surprised to see that Williams didn’t do the score this time. This Patrick Doyle fellow is good…he probably did better, I’m sad to say, than Williams would have.
I sat through all the credits, partly because I was enjoying the music and reading the names, and partly because I was sorry it was over, and I was hoping there’d be some amazing sneak preview of Order of the Phoenix–never mind that filming hasn’t even started for that :> Then, finally, when the film reel stopped and “Widescreen Radio” came on, I stumbled out of the theater and into the bathroom. (I’d been holding it for at least an hour. My two breaks before the movie didn’t help!)
Goblet of Fire = good. Right now, all I really feel like doing is watching the movie again.
Ah well. Reality bites ;>
I watched the first two films shortly after we moved into Cheryl and Reid’s house. Last night I bought the third one at Target and watched it while the new Smallville was on (I was trying to avoid the temptation to spoil the story for myself). It was interesting to me, all three times, to note the differences between the movies and the books. Now that I have read the books so many times, they’re easier to spot.
I’ve mentioned previously that I have no problem with remakes, and even with taking a new direction with established characters and storylines. The Harry Potter movies make an attempt to follow the books, and really only make changes for the sake of brevity and cinematography. I imagine that quite a bit of story will be left out of Goblet of Fire, which I will be watching in approximately one hour.
(Wh00t!)
Seeing Azkaban again was enjoyable. When I saw it in the theater, the people I was with didn’t care for it much, and that always tempers my enjoyment of a movie. I really prefer to watch a movie with people who are going to enjoy it, because if I like it and they don’t I’m always second-guessing my experience. Last night I watched it by myself and liked it very much.
I’m hoping that will be the case with Goblet of Fire, which is my favorite Harry Potter story to date. That’s not why I’m going to the movie alone, though; Brooke doesn’t like going to movies on opening day, and I’m pretty sure Mari and Kelly have their own plans to see it. (Plus, as far as I know none of them can see it at 10 am on a Friday ;>)
Now, off I go to wolf down some cereal before heading to the theater :)
Read it, love it.
Brooke and I walked from the golf course around along the river and back over the recently reopened older section tonight.
Some fish, frogs, or both were hopping up out of the water like crazy. I tried to get a picture of one, but luck wasn’t with me. Here’s a picture of some of the ripples they left behind.
On Saturday we’re hopefully going to the Canal :)
From Reuters:
The “daikon” radish, shaped like a giant carrot, first made the news months ago when it was noticed poking up through asphalt along a roadside in the town of Aioi, population 33,289.
This week local residents, who had nicknamed the vegetable “Gutsy Radish,” were shocked — and in some cases moved to tears — when they found it had been decapitated.
TV talk shows seized on the attempted murder of the popular vegetable and a day later, the top half of the radish was found near the site where it had been growing.
[…]
Asked why the radish — more often found on Japanese dinner tables as a garnish, pickle or in “oden” stew — had so many fans, town spokesman Jiro Matsuo said: “People discouraged by tough times were cheered by its tenacity and strong will to live.”
Today Magazine Man hits on a topic that is highly relevant to me.
For most of the time that I’ve known her (and I have it from reliable sources that it goes back even further) my wife wrestled with enormous uncertainty about her choices in life. In college she majored in business, but couldn’t make up her mind about what type of business she wanted to focus on, and that led to her writing about different kinds of businesses and then wondering if business journalism might not be a good career choice. So she switched majors and got a job at a trade magazine and that’s when I came along. And a favorite subject for her then was “Am I in the right field?” Eventually, she decided she wasn’t and she made a switch to corporate communications, then became the manager of a communications office. Each time, though, she was more beset with uncertainty. If that’s possible.
“I’m not good at anything!” is a statement she has uttered so often, it’s eclipsed only by the number of times she has said, “Is this where I’m supposed to be?” which I have joked I would have carved on her tombstone, a joke she never found amusing.
She also never seemed to appreciate my efforts to show her all the other things in life she had to be grateful for. So what if she didn’t know what her purpose in life was? “Look on the bright side,” I’d say. “At least you have perfect 20/20 vision.” And then I’d have to take off my glasses. Not to show her how thick the lenses were, but to keep her from breaking them.
I know exactly how she felt.
It’s not that I’m not good at anything…it’s just that I can’t imagine focusing the rest of my life on any of the things I’ve had experience with. Everyone always says I’m a good writer. But will I do it every day for the rest of my life? Will I make a living at it? I’m really starting to think that the answer is no. I’m not interested in it. I keep saying I’m going to, and sometimes I even try a little, but then it just fizzles, like everything else.
Web design is what I “do” currently, freelance, but I already know for damn sure that I don’t want to do it forever. It’s boring and tedious. The best part of web design is when the project is done.
I can’t even think of anything else that I’ve done long-term. There are a zillion things I’ve tried and didn’t stick with, like piano and kung fu. I have been taking pictures for a few years now, and I am interested in learning more about photography (I think I’ve pretty much hit a plateau), so maybe that’s something I can stick with, but it’s really all I can think of. And I’m afraid that I’m not good enough at it to make it my profession, and I’m also afraid I don’t know enough about it to know if I would want to make it my profession.
Bleh.
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You scored as Neo, the "One". Neo is the computer hacker-turned-Messiah of the Matrix. He leads a small group of human rebels against the technology that controls them. Neo doubts his ability to lead but doesn’t want to disappoint his friends. His goal is for a world where all men know the Truth and are free from the bonds of the Matrix.
Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 |
Via Mari.
The Greeneway was featured in the Augusta Chronicle recently. Coincidentally, Brooke and I went there last night to walk.
We parked at Martintown Road, just like we did last week when we biked. While I was waiting for Brooke to get there, I took some pictures.
It got dark pretty quickly. As night fell, the setting sun cast beautiful light over the fallen leaves. It was difficult to get a good picture because my camera’s shutter tends to stay open awhile in low light, and since I’m not as stable as a tripod, this causes blurriness. This is the best shot I got:
It was a good walk. It was totally dark by the time we got back to our cars.
President Bush gave Koizumi a Segway!
Bush was riding the vehicle when he met Koizumi outside the Kyoto State Guest House in the ancient Japanese capital, a Japanese pool report said.
Urged by Bush to give it a whirl, Koizumi took a brief 1 metre (3 ft) ride, and cried out, “Oh, very good.”
Bush told the prime minister he’d given his father, former President George Bush, and mother, Barbara, Segways for their birthdays, adding he felt Koizumi was almost one of the family.
The close ties between the two allies were on public display later in the day when Bush told a news conference: “Prime Minister Koizumi is one of my best friends in the international community. I know the prime minister well.
“I trust his judgement. I admire his leadership.”
The scooters can be tricky to ride. Bush fell off one two years ago but managed to land on his feet. It is also illegal to ride them on public byways in Japan.
The transition to that last sentence wasn’t very good, was it? But the news story is cute nonetheless :)
In other news, Koizumi made an appearance in Yakitate!! Japan episode 44, which I watched last night. Cracked me up! “Oh, there’s a lion 5km ahead, Kazuma!” XD
Okay, so, Kyou Kara Maou 54 and 55.
(Wish I could screencap, but ever since Sean nuked ffdshow I haven’t even been able to watch avis in WMP or WinAmp, and the DivX Player isn’t cooperating…)
Anyway, a mysterious guy rises out of the dust on the top of a mountain and says, “The time has come.” He then turns a poor scavenging man into a monster, and the monster goes and terrorizes human villages (in a straight line along a highway) until Yuuri comes and stops him.
Well, actually, until Yuuri learns to overcome his fear and control Morgif.
At the end, the mysterious robed figure seems to be pleased, and Murata senses his presence.
Is it the Shinou, reborn (if only briefly)?
Was that carnage and death simply to train the Maou?
Why did Murata say, “Could that power possibly mean there is no more time left?”
What, exactly, is the horror that he’s expecting?
The plot, once again, thickens.
(Side note: the Shinou and the Great Sage are hot. I really, really wish I could screencap…)
It took me a lot longer to get home than usual.
I got up at around 9:30 yesterday. My aunts had already left; they hit the road at 6:30. I surfed the web to wake up a little, and my dad made me breakfast.
Then I hurried to take my shower so I could spend time with Connor before he went to school at 11:30.
When I rushed out of the shower, Dad told me that Connor would call me when I could come over, so I surfed the web a little more. Then Connor and AJ came over; apparently they had been waiting for me to call, and now there was hardly any time left. Connor and I spent the fifteen minutes before he had to leave playing putt putt golf (Connor has one of those SportsCenter things) and pool in the basement, and then he headed off to kindergarten.
I played with Logan while waiting for Faye to get back so she could decide which of a stack of pictures she wanted to keep (I was taking the rest).
Finally I packed up and headed out to see Grandma.
I found myself driving automatically up Nicholasville to Man-O-War to Tates Creek, even though it’s really faster to go straight up Harrodsburg, so I decided to stop in at Hibari Market, the Japanese grocery store I used to visit all the time. I once spent over $100 there on food, dishes, and a cookbook. This time I spent a more reasonable $21, on two rice bowls, two sets of chopsticks, four chopstick rests, and two soup spoons. I thought very seriously about getting a tea set, but ultimately decided against it. When I do get a new tea set, it’s going to be when I’m in Japan, and hopefully I’ll be able to go back to Hirashimizu Pottery outside Yamagata. It would be perfect if I could find a set like the one I had before (which I apparently don’t have a picture of–it was of course handmade, and a pink/purple color. You can barely see the creamer in this picture, and the box it all came in in this picture).
When I finished buying my new Japanese dishes (and waxing sentimental about my old pieces), I went over to Grandma’s. Uncle Steve was raking the yard. The big tree out front was gorgeous, covered in bright yellow leaves.
Grandma fixed me a roast beef sandwich and cut me up a tomato, and we sat and talked for a long time. She gave me a set of four glass dessert bowls and a few dinner napkins. Ultimately, I didn’t end up on the road until after 3.
The drive wasn’t bad. I only fell asleep at the wheel once, and I didn’t start hallucinating until I got to I-20.
You think I’m joking?
I was pretty tired. In Tennessee I was fighting to keep my eyes open, and I guess I lost that battle, because the next thing I knew, the wheel was slipping through the fingers of my left hand. This caused the weight of my other hand to turn the wheel and veer the car to the right.
That woke me right up, and I was quite alert as I pulled off onto Stinking Creek Road to find a place to park. I managed to nap for something like 20 minutes, and after that I was wide awake for the rest of the drive.
When I got on I-20 some four hours later, though, I started seeing weird stuff. The first thing I have no explanation for. I could swear something shadowy ran across the road right in front of me. Of course, I let up on the gas, prepared to swerve or brake, but there was nothing there, and no sign that there ever was anything. I still have no idea what I saw.
The second thing looked like something waiting at the side of the road, but when I focused on it I realized it was just the headlights of the car in front of me lighting the dead grass.
The third thing was real; it had to be. But it was eerily still. It was some kind of animal, tannish-brown–either a deer or a dog. It just sat there on the side of the road, staring, not moving. The lights from my headlamps didn’t even make its eyes glow. But it was definitely there.
I was very happy to get home…at 1:16 am. Ugh. Starting out late = no fun. (Plus I added to the drive by obsessively searching for an open Japanese restaurant in Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Atlanta, only to come up dry and end up eating McDonald’s.)
And that’s that. I stumbled in, put my stuff in its approximate places, and crawled thankfully into bed, and now here I am, about to go run some errands and get back into the swing of my normal life.
It was a nice weekend away. I kind of wish I was still in Kentucky ;>
From Penny Arcade:
Of course, there are some distinctions: there is a constrained but still ample track list for online play, as well as a four Kart limitation. Purists may be unhappy to find that items do not “drag” behind karts online. I hope they manage to survive.
NOES!!!