Happy 2009!

Doesn't it seem like yesterday that everyone was bracing for the Y2K "disaster" that never came?

And here we are -- another New Year in its infancy. I'm not one for resolutions, but you're reading one of them. I resolve to get out my feelings more this year. They're disjointed, with no connection whatsoever, but here they are.

By this time next year I'll be the mother of an official driver-license-holding teenager, on her way to spreading her wings for independence. I've devoted so much of my being to this child that I'm not sure I'm ready for the empty nest.

She's beautiful, brilliant and sensitive -- exactly what this world needs for its future. Can I let her go? I don't know. She needs to be let go, and I hope and pray I'm not so selfish I can't let that happen. I love her fiercely. She's my life's joy.

I'm recovering from some funky stomach malady, so the first nibble of the day wasn't black-eyed peas and greens. I hope the New Year's gods can forgive this indiscretion and bless me with luck. It would be nice to win the lottery, but you have to play to win. If I can't swoop up on Powerball winnings, I hope I can at least keep my head above water this year.

My little dog isn't getting any younger. He's had eye and back problems this year. I wish him an easy, healthy year as we grow older together.

It's my fervent prayer that the economy pull out of this dismal slump. Uppermost in my mind, of course, is the fate of newspapers. So many good people have devoted their lives to the truth with very few monetary rewards. Please, for their sake -- for my sake, even -- don't let newspapers die. We're not perfect, but we're out there trying our damnedest to give the public an unbiased look at the events coloring their world. The same cannot be said of so many bloggers and citizen journalists, many of whom color themselves as objective but reveal their bent. Kind of like Faux News with a keyboard.

(And yes, I do realize I'm using a blog as my podium. I, however, make no claim to be a journalist here. This is where I blow off steam -- it's subjective, and I have no plans to change that.)

I have high hopes for our new POTUS. Barack Obama is no messiah, but he gives me optimism. New ideas are needed. The status quo is not working. I now count down the days to the end of the error -- a man neither elected by the people nor for the people.

Reading about the possibility of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner having a New Year's baby makes me smile. It's irrelevant to my daily life, but I think they're absolutely darling. So many times I've latched my hopes onto a Hollywood couple -- Brad and Jennifer, Reese and Ryan -- only to see it end in divorce. (I still haven't forgiven Brad for cheating with Angelina Whorlie.) I have faith in the Afflecks. They seem ... almost normal.

Why was Friends the last great sitcom? I love The Office, but there is still a void left by the six people who gathered in my living room every Thursday to make me laugh .. and cry. Though I've always loved Friends, I still mourn for the pre-Monica Chandler and the Joey who was dumb and lovable, not brain dead.

Of course, Jim Halpert does help ease the pain somewhat ... (Is he gorgeous or what?!?)

And speaking of guys who make you drool, I'd gladly be Rob Pattinson's cougar. Long or short hair, bald ... I don't care. Just in case anyone out there knows him and wants to pass the word ...

Happy New Year, everyone! Both of you.

Hogwarts revisited

I have read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows twice in the past two months -- the first time, of course, I started the night of it was released and devoured it in about a day.

I then put it aside for awhile, and then picked it back up to read at a leisurely pace. The end made me want to go over Half-Blood Prince again, so I read it.

Today, I decided to start all over again. So I'm halfway through Sorcerer's Stone. As I read, it occurs to me there are a lot of questions still left unanswered. Such as:

• What happens to a wizard's/witch's wand when they die?
• If underage wizards and witches aren't allowed to perform magic outside school, why was Lily Evans never busted for "turning teacups into rats," as Petunia tells Harry upon the revelation of the latter learning he is a wizard? (Page 53.)
• Why was it that Ron couldn't perform simple spells with his broken wand in Chamber of Secrets, but Hagrid, whose wand was broken in two upon his expulsion from Hogwarts, is able to give Dudley a pig's tail and make boats move on their own with the pieces of his wand, stashed in a pink umbrella?
• Furthermore, if the Ministry of Magic does, in fact, monitor magic, why have they never caught Hagrid performing magic?

I'm sure there are more questions forthcoming as I continue to read.

Another weekend with Harry

After spending last weekend learning about Harry Potter's fate, The Girl and I stepped out yesterday to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

We were not alone. Apparently, a number of East Tennesseans cloistered themselves last weekend with Deathly Hallows before checking out Harry on the Big Screen.

The Girl and I had both heard reviews among our friends about how disappointed they were. I'm glad to report that our experience was the extreme opposite. Order of the Phoenix is probably my least favorite book of the series, but the movie, I was delighted to note, probably is the most true to the book. In that regard, I think Phoenix is probably my favorite movie.

Notable differences:

-- Hermione introduces our boys to Luna Lovegood. In the book, it's Ginny who has that honor. (Anyone ever notice that Hermione gets these little gimmes in the movies?)

-- Mad-Eye Moody incurs the wrath of Tonks by referring to her as "Nymphadora." Lupin uttered her hated given name in the book. Lupin's absence at 4 Privet Drive is also conspicuous.

-- No mention of the kinship between Tonks, Sirius, the Malfoys and Bellatrix was given.

-- In the scene following Arthur Weasley's attack, Dumbledore sends the portraits in his office to their respective places with no mention of who they are or why. (Phineas Black was dispatched to the Order's HQ, while another former headmaster whose name escapes me was sent to St. Mungo's.)

-- No St. Mungo's. I was chomping at the bit to see the inside of that place.

-- Kreacher is afforded a couple of cameos. In the book, Kreacher's role is pivotal.

-- The Swamp. The Weasley twins created it upon their departure from Hogwarts, and the professors let it stand for ages. Flitwick, when he does get around to removing it, retains a corner of it in honor of Fred and George. In the movie, our favorite twins go out with a bang sans swamp. I was much disappointed.

-- Cho Chang is the snitch. (No, not *that* snitch.) I dislike Cho, but she didn't rat out Dumbledore's Army. That dishonor was left to her friend. And speaking of which, I would have LOVED to have seen Hermione's spell of carving SNITCH into the forehead of the one who squealed. The bewitching of the Dumbledore's Army list -- and the coins -- were among Hermione's most clever actions in the series.

-- Weasley is our King. NOT. You're still going to have to sing that ditty in your head, because there is no Quidditch in Phoenix.

-- Where are the prefects? They're Ron and Hermione in the book but nonexistent in the movie.

OK, so there are differences. But I still liked Phoenix. Some pluses:

-- Luna Lovegood. I had my doubts when I saw the actress tapped for this role, but she carried off Luna perfectly. Kudos!

-- Daniel Radcliffe. His acting in the past has fallen short, but Phoenix is his shining moment. He's not going to win the Oscar, but the improvement in his craft is marked.

-- Michael Gambon. His Dumbledore gets better and better. I wonder if Richard Harris could have pulled off the fight in the ministry as well. Kudos to a Dumbledore who kicks ass!

-- Alan Rickman. Nobody, but nobody, could be a better Snape. The man is gold. My only minus is that he is sorely underused. More Snape, please!

-- Helena Bonham Carter. Wow. Bellatrix is pure evil, and Carter leaves no doubt of that.

-- Gwamp. Love him. And Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid is always a delight.

--Umbridge. Bitchiness at its finest. My only disappointment is the actress portraying her is too pretty. A bitch, yes. But toadlike? Hardly.

All done!

As of 4 a.m., I finished all 759 pages of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

It's been a different weekend. I've been away from the computer, except for playing a few games of Word Whomp, because I was terrified I would turn up spoilers.

I won't spoil it for any who haven't read it yet. Some things were unexpected; others I predicted. Reading well-written text is a joy, and Rowling doesn't disappoint.

There. That's it for a while. Have fun reading the book. And if you're not reading it, READ!

You won't be disappointed.

So you think you know The Boy Who Lived?

Put it to the test!

How High is Your Harry Potter IQ?

(Not bragging, but I got everything correct. Isn't that, like, perfect? Insert mebeam here.)

Insert shriek here

There's a new Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix trailer. And it's looooooong.

Am I happy? You betcha. :)

It's here!

The cover for the new Harry Potter! WooooHooooo!

Am I imagining it, or does Harry look a bit like Daniel Radcliffe?