Senior pictures and how I'm glad they are over

It went okay, I guess. They turned out pretty well. I'm a bad judge though, because as someone close to me said, I am "self critical." I'd have to say that is true. I could find at least one thing wrong with each picture if you wanted me to. But the important thing is they are over and now all I have to do is pick which ones I want. Plus, now I get to wear my new clothes, which is nice. Just a side note, my little cousins are leaving in just over a week!

Fall, and how I wish it were here

Yes, that's right. I love the fall. Almost more than I love winter. It is so refreshing. The air is cool enough to be comfy in a sweatshirt, yet not too cold where you need to wear a heavy jacket. I was thinking how much I like fall because today it is the perfect temperature. Yesterday Kaia said she wished it would snow. That would be nice too, except I don't want it to snow before we have had an adequent amount of fall. And while I'm on this subject, I kind of want school to start again. I know, I know, I should be enjoying summer. What kind of person wants school to start again? What can I say, I'm looking forward to it. I'm taking some cool classes, I want to meet my new teachers. I don't know, it's not like I can't wait for it to start, I just I've been really busy this summer and a change would be nice.

Senior picture madness

Well, I've come to the point in my life when it becomes necessary to have pictures taken of me and only me. I don't really know why this tradition started, but I tell you, it is dumb. First of all, my is being slightly psychotic about it (only she pretends that she isn't). Also, what the heck am I supposed to wear? Seriously, I want to wear something that is comfortable and expresses who I actually am. My mom on the other hand wants me to wear things that make me look nice, but that I wouldn't ever dream of wearing to school (Actually, most of the things she wants me to wear I wouldn't be caught dead it). Anyway, all these pictures are really causing are headaches and stomach ulcers (kidding on the ulcers...). I mean, there are so many choices. Not only do you have to choose what to wear, but you have to pick more than one outfit. I think my mom has me up to four! Then you have to choose the pictures to be inside or outside or both. And when you choose inside you have to choose your backgrounds. And when you go outside, where do you start? Do you want a picture by the river? or against that pretty building? or on those rocks over there? how about in front of those flowers? Then you have to choose what clothes would look the best outside and which would look good inside. Man! And that's not all. On no, then after the pictures are taken, you're supposed to choose the ones you like the best. What if they all look good? How are you supposed got narrow it down? What if they all look awful? How do you pick the ones that look least worse? And then you have to choose how many of that one you want, and in what sizes. And how about this one, how many of this one? Argh! All the new clothes I got I can't even wear until after these dumb pictures for fear of spilling something on them. And I wont let myself where my sweet new shoes because I don't want to get a scuff on them right away. I will be so happy when this is done.

Hogwarts, you're stupid, stupid, stupid

Hey guys, I got this article of an HP website and I thought it was humorous, mostly. But, if you think, because it isn't exactly pro-Harry Potter, that you might be offended (as were the people at this website) then I would recommend not reading it. You have been warned.

From the Los Angeles Times Editorial Section

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Joel Stein

Next Saturday, when the sixth Harry Potter book comes out, at the very least I want you to stammer excuses when I see "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" on your nightstand. I want you to claim you're reading it to make sure it's OK for your kids, or your future kids, or even, if you have to, for kids in general.

I don't want you to tell me how well J.K. Rowling writes, or that academics are writing papers about it, or that Harry Potter can be read on many levels. "Clifford the Big Red Dog" can be read on many levels too: One, he's a big red dog; two, if you read it after you're 4, you're a moron.

I read 50 pages of the first "Harry Potter" book, and it seemed witty, imaginative and fast-paced. It also seemed like it was for children. It's about wizards and magic cats and evil stepparents, and has a reading-level that is only slightly above this column.

Judy Blume wrote well too, but you don't see adults poring over "Freckle Juice" on the train. No matter how well-crafted "Harry Potter" may be, I'm betting that with a little work you could find an adult novel from the last three centuries that is nicely written too, and possibly explores characters with a shade more complexity.

I know reading is hard. I try to avoid it whenever possible. But if I'm going to sit down and read a book, I'm going to get something out of it other than the ability to have a conversation with my second wife, who isn't even born yet.

I'm sorry you were born too late for J.K. Rowling, but you had your C.S. Lewis and E.B. White and J.R.R. Tolkien. Isn't it a clue that you should be ashamed of reading these books past puberty when the adults who write them are hiding their first names?

I'm sure the Potter books are fun. I bet a night of Fun Dip, piñatas and Sit N Spin would be great too. I think I may have a film to pitch to Cinemax.

After a generation of boomers choosing to remain in a state of stunted adolescence--wearing jeans, smoking pot and cranking their BMW stereos to blast Eminem songs they clearly don't like--the next generation has opted for a stunted toddlerhood. Adults see "Finding Nemo" without bothering with the socially accepted ruse of dragging an unwilling 11-year-old nephew along. Grown men play video games and couples go to Disneyworld on their honeymoon, often for reasons other than having sex in Cinderella's castle with the dwarfs watching.

When we share our entertainment palette with the Wiggles set--watching comic book movies and teenage singing talent shows — we deny an attempt to understand human emotion.

I took both my grandmothers to see the Warner Bros. movie about the first "Harry Potter" book because Aaron Brown let me fulfill my ultimate media dream by having them review it live from Mama Ann's condominium.

In addition to Mama Ida claiming that one of the kids was hard to understand because she might have been English and referring to the special effects as "scenery," my grandmothers eventually made the one cogent point that other reviewers missed: The story is stupid if you're over 13.

A culture that simplifies its entertainment down to fairy tales is doomed to simplify the world down to good and evil. And a culture in which adults go see the "Harry Potter" movies still won't be enough to help the useless Time Warner options I got in the '90s, so you might as well buy something from the back of the bookstore instead. You won't have to wait in line for "Ulysses."

Restlessly waiting...

I am very restless. It is almost more than restlessness. It seems I am unable to sit still. Random thought fragments are obscuring my mind. I find that my leg is shaking. I am running on slightly less sleep than normal, though I fear that tonight I will sleep no better. You see, I am slightly obsessive. I have stayed up reading late into the night a certain book that seems to be filling my thoughts. Even as I sleep I find that I dream that I am reading, the characters and places the same, but the plot taking turns that only my mind could come up with. I have finished this torturous book, to tears and a desperate want for more. It is compulsive of me, I know, but I can't seem to stop thinking of the possibility the next installment can bring. My mind is filled with werewolves and spells, red-headed people, unknown initials, pity and fear, yet, in a way, courage. I do realize, however, that I am being silly, so I will therefore leave you here.

The ends of books...or...something

With the next installment for the much talked about HP series due in only about thirty hours, I have to confess some of my fears. Actually only one. Do you remember the end of LOTR? No, not the whole thing on Mount Doom, or the coronation thing, or even the little war in the Shire. I mean do you remember Frodo in the end? He is restless. His task is done, and now he doesn't know what to do. Maybe I am wrong but I didn't get the impression he was exactly happy. Well, with only one more HP book due out after this one, I am afraid that after Harry defeats You-Know-Who (yes, I believe good will win in the long run) that Harry will suffer the same as Frodo. He will, in a way, be kind of lost. I find that after I reread OotP I have become sort of emotionally attached to him (and for the record, it has happened to me with other books too, so I am not a HP freak). The same thing, though, with the other characters. I feel so sad when I think about Sirius as a kid Harry's age. So young and hansom, his whole future ahead of him. And then I think of how JK describes him after his little stay in prison, with his hollowed face, thinning hair, a shadow of good looks. That actually brings me to another point: I am dying for more back story...especially about James, Lily and Sirius...maybe a little bit for Dumbledore too. I guess, (unless you want me to go on and on (and on) about my thoughts on HP) I will leave with something my brother said when I told him HBP was only going to be about the size of SS: 'Man, I was looking forward to reading a nice long one.' Adios

Protesting, etc...

You know what I think is funny, in a cruel and ironic kind of way? Violent protests or demonstrations. Sometimes the human race can be so dumb, it is almost unbelievable. I think that protest is a great thing. It excercises our right as Americans to freedom of speech, among other things. But seriously, if you want someone to listen to your side, don't be violent. Who is going to agree with your points if people are getting hurt and property is getting destroyed. Granted, whoever you are protesting may not listen to you even if you are peacful, but they will be more likely to. Plus violence gives your cause a bad name. For example, I heard about some rallys in Africa where riot police were called in and a couple hundred people got arrest for being violent. And in Scotland where the meeting is being held, people are putting up signs of support for the causes (end to African poverty, etc...) in their shop windows to save their businesses from being vandalized by rioters. If I was not already in support of this cause I might second guess myself. What are these people trying to support with violence? I would say to myself. Maybe they don't need as much money as they are asking for. I'm not condemning all protesters. Like I said, demonstrations are great. They give the people a voice.

I don't know

I don't really know what to write about today. Everything I am thinking about would be boring to read about. For example:

The Twins won today.

HP comes out in 13 days!

LOTR marathon on Monday!

Kris comes home in 12 days!

I'm going to War of the Worlds tomorrow.

I was going to paint my toe nails, but I forgot.

I should go to bed.

I don't have to work until Tuesday.

I am now involved in some sort of theater production during HertaigeFest.
I really don't know anything about it.

I don't even know if I can get off work for it.

I ate Chinese food tonight.

I wish I was going to Sunshine.

I just watched half of National Treasure.

"Sometimes you have to do what is concidered wrong in order to do what you know is right."

"If there's something wrong, those who have the ability to take action have the responsibility to take action. "

I should go to bed.

Good night.