King Arthur Movie Tristan

Book List
The idea is to post it on your blog,
highlight the books you've read and add three of your own to the end of the list :P

let's go!



1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman

4. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams

5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling

6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne

8. 1984, George Orwell

9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis

10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte

11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller

12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte

13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks

14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier

15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger

16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame

17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens

18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott

19. Captain Corellis Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres

20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell

22. Harry Potter And The Sorcerers Stone, JK Rowling

23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling

24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling

25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien

26. Tess Of The Durbervilles, Thomas Hardy

27. Middlemarch, George Eliot

28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving

29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck

30. Alices Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson

32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett

34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens

35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl

36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson

37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute

38. Persuasion, Jane Austen

39. Dune, Frank Herbert

40. Emma, Jane Austen

41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery

42. Watership Down, Richard Adams

43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald

44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh

46. Animal Farm, George Orwell

47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy

49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian

50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher

51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett

52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck

53. The Stand, Stephen King

54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy

55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth

56. The BFG, Roald Dahl

57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome

58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell

59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer

60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky

61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman

62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden

63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough

65. Mort, Terry Pratchett

66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton

67. The Magus, John Fowles

68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett

70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding

71. Perfume, Patrick Susskind

72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell

73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett

74. Matilda, Roald Dahl

75. Bridget Joness Diary, Helen Fielding

76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt

77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins

78. Ulysses, James Joyce

79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens

80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson

81. The Twits, Roald Dahl

82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith

83. Holes, Louis Sachar

84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake

85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy

86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson

87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley

88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons

89. Magician, Raymond E Feist

90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac

91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo

92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel

93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett

94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho

95. Katherine, Anya Seton

96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer

97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson

99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot

100. Midnights Children, Salman Rushdie

101. Three Men In A Boat, Jerome K. Jerome

102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett

103. The Beach, Alex Garland

104. Dracula, Bram Stoker

105. Point Blanc, Anthony Horowitz

106. The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens

107. Stormbreaker, Anthony Horowitz

108. The Wasp Factory, Iain Banks

109. The Day Of The Jackal, Frederick Forsyth

110. The Illustrated Mum, Jacqueline Wilson

111. Jude The Obscure, Thomas Hardy

112. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 1/2, Sue Townsend

113. The Cruel Sea, Nicholas Monsarrat

114. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo

115. The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy

116. The Dare Game, Jacqueline Wilson

117. Bad Girls, Jacqueline Wilson

118. The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde

119. Shogun, James Clavell

120. The Day Of The Triffids, John Wyndham

121. Lola Rose, Jacqueline Wilson
122. Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray

123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy

124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski

125. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver

126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett

127. Angus, Thongs And Full-Frontal Snogging, Louise Rennison

128. The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle

129. Possession, A. S. Byatt

130. The Master And Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov

131. The Handmaids Tale, Margaret Atwood

132. Danny The Champion Of The World, Roald Dahl

133. East Of Eden, John Steinbeck

134. Georges Marvellous Medicine, Roald Dahl

135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett

136. The Color Purple, Alice Walker

137. Hogfather, Terry Pratchett

138. The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan

139. Girls In Tears, Jacqueline Wilson

140. Sleepovers, Jacqueline Wilson

141. All Quiet On The Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque

142. Behind The Scenes At The Museum, Kate Atkinson

143. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby

144. It, Stephen King

145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl

146. The Green Mile, Stephen King

147. Papillon, Henri Charriere

148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett

149. Master And Commander, Patrick OBrian

150. Skeleton Key, Anthony Horowitz

151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett

152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett

153. The Fifth Element, Terry Pratchett

154. Atonement, Ian McEwan

155. Secrets, Jacqueline Wilson

156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier

157. One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, Ken Kesey

158. Heart Of Darkness, Joseph Conrad

159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling

160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon

161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville

162. River God, Wilbur Smith

163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon

164. The Shipping News, Annie Proulx

165. The World According To Garp, John Irving

166. Lorna Doone, R. D. Blackmore

167. Girls Out Late, Jacqueline Wilson

168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye

169. The Witches, Roald Dahl

170. Charlottes Web, E. B. White

171. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley

172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams

173. The Old Man And The Sea, Ernest Hemingway

174. The Name Of The Rose, Umberto Eco

175. Sophies World, Jostein Gaarder

176. Dustbin Baby, Jacqueline Wilson

177. Fantastic Mr. Fox, Roald Dahl

178. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov

179. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, Richard Bach

180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery

181. The Suitcase Kid, Jacqueline Wilson

182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

183. The Power Of One, Bryce Courtenay

184. Silas Marner, George Eliot

185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis

186. The Diary Of A Nobody, George and Weedon Gross-mith

187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh

188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine

189. Heidi, Johanna Spyri

190. Sons And Lovers, D. H. Lawrence

191. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera

192. Man And Boy, Tony Parsons

193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett

194. The War Of The Worlds, H. G. Wells

195. The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans

196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry

197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett

198. The Once And Future King, T. H. White

199. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle

200. Flowers In The Attic, DC Andrews

201. The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien

202. The Eye of the World, Robert Jordan

203. The Great Hunt, Robert Jordan

204. The Dragon Reborn, Robert Jordan

205. Fires of Heaven, Robert Jordan

206. Lord of Chaos, Robert Jordan

207. Winters Heart, Robert Jordan

208. A Crown of Swords, Robert Jordan

209. Crossroads of Twilight, Robert Jordan

210. A Path of Daggers, Robert Jordan

211. As Nature Made Him, John Colapinto

212. Microserfs, Douglas Coupland

213. The Married Man, Edmund White

214. Winters Tale, Mark Helprin

215. The History of Sexuality, Michel Foucault

216. Cry to Heaven, Anne Rice

217. Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe, John Boswell

218. Equus, Peter Shaffer

219. The Man Who Ate Everything, Jeffrey Steingarten

220. Letters To A Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke

221. Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn

222. The Vampire Lestat, Anne Rice

223. Anthem, Ayn Rand

224. The Bridge To Terabithia, Katherine Paterson

225. Tartuffe, Moliere

226. The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka

227. The Crucible, Arthur Miller

228. The Trial, Franz Kafka

229. Oedipus Rex, Sophocles

230. Oedipus at Colonus, Sophocles

231. Death Be Not Proud, John Gunther

232. A Dolls House, Henrik Ibsen

233. Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen

234. Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton

235. A Raisin In The Sun, Lorraine Hansberry

236. ALIVE!, Piers Paul Read

237. Grapefruit, Yoko Ono

238. Trickster Makes This World, Lewis Hyde

240. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley

241. Chronicles of Thomas Convenant, Unbeliever, Stephen Donaldson

242. Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny

242. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon

243. Summerland, Michael Chabon

244. A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole

245. Candide, Voltaire

246. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, Roald Dahl

247. Ringworld, Larry Niven

248. The King Must Die, Mary Renault

249. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein

250. A Wrinkle in Time, Madeline Lengle

251. The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde

252. The House Of The Seven Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne

253. The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne

254. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan

255. The Great Gilly Hopkins, Katherine Paterson

256. Chocolate Fever, Robert Kimmel Smith

257. Xanth: The Quest for Magic, Piers Anthony

258. The Lost Princess of Oz, L. Frank Baum

259. Wonder Boys, Michael Chabon

260. Lost In A Good Book, Jasper Fforde

261. Well Of Lost Plots, Jasper Fforde

261. Life Of Pi, Yann Martel

263. The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver

264. A Yellow Rraft In Blue Water, Michael Dorris

265. Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder

267. Where The Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls

268. Griffin & Sabine, Nick Bantock

269. Witch of Blackbird Pond, Joyce Friedland

270. Mrs. Frisby And The Rats Of NIMH, Robert C. OBrien

271. Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt

272. The Cay, Theodore Taylor

273. From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg

274. The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster

275. The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin

276. The Kitchen Gods Wife, Amy Tan

277. The Bone Setters Daughter, Amy Tan

278. Relic, Duglas Preston & Lincolon Child

279. Wicked, Gregory Maguire

280. American Gods, Neil Gaiman

281. Misty of Chincoteague, Marguerite Henry

282. The Girl Next Door, Jack Ketchum

283. Haunted, Judith St. George

284. Singularity, William Sleator

285. A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson

286. Different Seasons, Stephen King

287. Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk

288. About a Boy, Nick Hornby

289. The Bookmans Wake, John Dunning

290. The Church of Dead Girls, Stephen Dobyns

291. Illusions, Richard Bach

292. Magics Pawn, Mercedes Lackey

293. Magics Promise, Mercedes Lackey

294. Magics Price, Mercedes Lackey

295. The Dancing Wu Li Masters, Gary Zukav

296. Spirits of Flux and Anchor, Jack L. Chalker

297. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice

298. The Encyclopedia of Unusual Sex Practices, Brenda Love

299. Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace.

300. The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison.

301. The Cider House Rules, John Irving.

302. Enders Game, Orson Scott Card

303. Girlfriend in a Coma, Douglas Coupland

304. The Lions Game, Nelson Demille

305. The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars, Stephen Brust

306. Cyteen, C. J. Cherryh

307. Foucaults Pendulum, Umberto Eco

308. Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson

309. Invisible Monsters, Chuck Palahniuk

310. Camber of Culdi, Kathryn Kurtz

311. The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand

312. War and Rememberance, Herman Wouk

313. The Art of War, Sun Tzu

314. The Giver, Lois Lowry

315. The Telling, Ursula Le Guin

316. Xenogenesis (or Liliths Brood), Octavia Butler

317. A Civil Campaign, Lois McMaster Bujold

318. The Curse of Chalion, Lois McMaster Bujold

319. The Aeneid, Publius Vergilius Maro (Vergil)

320. Hanta Yo, Ruth Beebe Hill

321. The Princess Bride, S. Morganstern (or William Goldman)

322. Beowulf, Anonymous

323. The Sparrow, Maria Doria Russell

324. Deerskin, Robin McKinley

325. Dragonsong, Anne McCaffrey

326. Passage, Connie Willis

327. Otherland, Tad Williams

328. Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay

329. Number the Stars, Lois Lowry

330. Beloved, Toni Morrison

331. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christs Childhood Pal, Christopher Moore

332. The mysterious disappearance of Leon, I mean Noel, Ellen Raskin

333. Summer Sisters, Judy Blume

334. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo

335. The Island on Bird Street, Uri Orlev

336. Midnight in the Dollhouse, Marjorie Filley Stover

337. The Miracle Worker, William Gibson

338. The Genesis Code, John Case

339. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevensen

340. Paradise Lost, John Milton

341. Phantom, Susan Kay

342. The Mummy or Ramses the Damned, Anne Rice

343. Anno Dracula, Kim Newman

344: The Dresden Files: Grave Peril, Jim Butcher

345: Tokyo Suckerpunch, Issac Adamson

346: The Winter of Magics Return, Pamela Service

347: The Oddkins, Dean R. Koontz

348. My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok

349. The Last Goodbye, Raymond Chandler

350. At Swim, Two Boys, Jaime ONeill

351. Othello, by William Shakespeare

352. The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas

353. The Collected Poems of William Butler Yeats

354. Sati, Christopher Pike

355. The Inferno, Dante

356. The Apology, Plato

357. The Small Rain, Madeline Lengle

358. The Man Who Tasted Shapes, Richard E Cytowick

359. 5 Novels, Daniel Pinkwater

360. The Sevenwaters Trilogy, Juliet Marillier

361. Girl with a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier

362. To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf

363. Our Town, Thorton Wilder

364. Green Grass Running Water, Thomas King

335. The Interpreter, Suzanne Glass

336. The Moors Last Sigh, Salman Rushdie

337. The Mother Tongue, Bill Bryson

338. A Passage to India, E.M. Forster loved

339. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky

340. The Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux

341. Pages for You, Sylvia Brownrigg

342. The Changeover, Margaret Mahy

343. Howls Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones

344. Angels and Demons, Dan Brown

345. Johnny Got His Gun, Dalton Trumbo

346. Shosha, Isaac Bashevis Singer

347. Travels With Charley, John Steinbeck

348. The Diving-bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby

349. The Lunatic at Large by J. Storer Clouston

350. Time for Bed by David Baddiel

351. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold

352. Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre

353. The Bloody Sun by Marion Zimmer Bradley

354. Sewer, Gas, and Eletric by Matt Ruff

355. Jhereg by Steven Brust

356. So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane

357. Perdido Street Station, China Mieville

358. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Bronte

359. Road-side Dog, Czeslaw Milosz

360. The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje

361. Neuromancer, William Gibson

362. The Epistemology of the Closet, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick

363. A Canticle for Liebowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr

364. The Mask of Apollo, Mary Renault

365. The Gunslinger, Stephen King

366. Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare

367. Childhoods End, Arthur C. Clarke

368. A Season of Mists, Neil Gaiman

369. Ivanhoe, Walter Scott

370. The God Boy, Ian Cross

371. The Beekeepers Apprentice, Laurie R. King

372. Finn Family Moomintroll, Tove Jansson

373. Misery, Stephen King

374. Tipping the Velvet, Sarah Waters

375. Hood, Emma Donoghue

376. The Land of Spices, Kate OBrien

377. The Diary of Anne Frank

378. Regeneration, Pat Barker

379. Tender is the Night, F. Scott Fitzgerald

380. Dreaming in Cuban, Cristina Garcia

381. A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway

382. The View from Saturday, E.L. Konigsburg

383. Dealing with Dragons, Patricia Wrede

384. Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Lynne Truss

385. A Severed Wasp - Madeleine Lengle

386. Here Be Dragons - Sharon Kay Penman

387. The Mabinogion (Ancient Welsh Tales) - translated by Lady Charlotte E. Guest

388. The DaVinci Code - Dan Brown

389. Desire of the Everlasting Hills - Thomas Cahill

390. The Cloister Walk - Kathleen Norris

391. The Things We Carried, Tim OBrien

392. I Know This Much Is True, Wally Lamb

393. Choke, Chuck Palahniuk

394. Enders Shadow, Orson Scott Card

395. The Memory of Earth, Orson Scott Card

396. The Iron Tower, Dennis L. McKiernen

397. Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand

398. A Ring of Endless Light, Madeline L'Engle

399. Lords of Discipline, Pat Conroy

400. Hyperion, Dan Simmons

401. If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things, Jon McGregor

402. The Bridge, Iain Banks

403. Everythings Eventual, Steven King

404. The Taking, Dean Koontz

405. Many Lives, Many Masters, Brian L Weiss

Edmonton Sun's Kerry Diotte hits the nail on the head yesterday, with an op-ed called NYC beats TO anytime. Having been to New York last spring, and spending far too much time since plotting ways to get back, I couldn't agree more. A day in Toronto can be a great time, a wonderful experience, but New York City - Manhattan especially - is a truly amazing place.

A walking city from top to bottom, just a simple stroll from 78'th street down Broadway to Times Square is an experience, with a new discovery around every corner. Toronto simple can't compete. Besides, New York has the worlds greatest restaurant: Peanut Butter & Co.

Harry Potter Books 1-6


Ok, well those who know me, know that I'm a big HP fan. I like the movies, but I love the books. So, upon reading HP books 1-6 twice, I decided to blog about it before book 7 comes out and see if my predictions are hit or miss. This is mostly for myself. *wink*







*note* this post contains spoilers



prediction 1: Dumbledore will return. I really hope he does. Although JK Rowling has said that he is dead and won't return. I figured he might return because the HP books remind me of The Lord of the Rings. In those books Gandalf the Grey wizard dies and then returns in the end as Gandalf the White to aid the rest of the good fight against evil Sauran. But as I said, JK Rowling even said herself that Dumbledore won't 'pull a Gandalf' So we'll just have to wait and see.



prediction 2: Harry will live...yes live! How can she kill him off when he is a hero to so many...mainly children?? Harry will get a happy ending after living through so much hardship and pain.



prediction 3: Harry will kill Voldemort himself. OR Peter Pettigrew dies while killing Voldemort. Sounds far fetched I know, but he is indebted to Harry since harry saved Peter's life in Book 3. And Peter is terrified of Voldemort, he doesnt really worship him, it's mostly fear. And let's not forget Dumbledore said not all prophecies come true...so this means Harry doesn't have to be the one to kill LV.






prediction 4: Neville kills Bellatrix to avenge his parents. Neville has come along way since joining the DA and has gotten better with his spellwork, all the while wanting to get revenge for what happened to his parents.






prediction 5: Sirius returns. I hope he does. He fell through the black veil, but Harry could still hear voices behind there. Is it like the thestrals where only those who have seen death can see them? Maybe only those who have seen death can hear the voices behind the veil? Luna Lovegood also hears the voices and can also see thestrals.



Also I think Luna may eventually be a Seer, but does not know it yet. I think there is more to her than just being a big strange. Also in the end of Book 5, when she is talking to Harry at Hogwarts, she tells him that some things are lost but always come back in the end. Is she referring to Sirius?



prediction 6: Harry and Ginny end up together. I also think Percy will die. He may realize how wrong he's been in the very end, before he dies. I also think Ron might die. J.K. Rowling said to expect 2 major deaths in 7. So I'm thinking either Voldemort and Percy. Or Voldemort and Ron? Or even Neville?
Or even Snape! He may kill LV himself ....anything's possible. Now I'm rambling.



prediction 7: (I'm such a geek)<-thats not my prediction though...lol

R.A.B. (mysterious R.A.B. who stole the locket Horcrux) is Regulus Black, the younger brother of Sirius Black. The question is, did he destroy that locket?




prediction 8: Harry is not a Horcrux, but the snake Nagini is. The snake & Harry's wand are also Horcruxes.



prediction 9: Krum and Madam Maxine return in the final book.
Hagrid may marry her. Well, he should!




prediction 10: Harry has some kind of relatives show up. How can his only relatives be the Dursleys?



************************************************



Book 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone



Book 2:Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets



Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban


Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire



Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix


Book 6:Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince


Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows




links of interest:


HP lexicon


http://www.floo-network.org/

accio quote!


waiting for Harry, a barnes n nobles forum

http://www.leakylounge.com/

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/


HP fan zone

It's not a new theory to readers of this blog, but a big "yea!" to Lucia Corbella for discussing it:

For most school-aged children in Canada, today is that most marvellous of days -- the last day of school.

And for those of us older than, say, 35, the last day of school represented much more than just no homework. It also meant little supervision and not many plans. It meant freedom to just kick around unsupervised.

Not any more. Now our kids' summers aren't so much about freedom and finding their own fun. Instead they are structured and almost always supervised.

Apparently a new British study, "Natural thinking: Investigating the links Between the Natural Environment and Mental Health" by Dr. William Bird, says not giving children freedom to explore the natural world leads to higher incidence of stress, ADHD, rage, impulsiveness and criminality in children.

Wat's really shocking is that this news to anyone. Kids need freedom, they need responsibility and they need time to ponder the world, and their world. Constant stimulus is the worst thing for children, and the thing that more and more children are getting.

I have reviewed Silken Lauman's Child's Play and talked about Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods before, and won't rehash. But they both make the clear point that we do a disservice to our kids when we over protect them, and this study is one more argument in for that point.

This time it's an absolutely for maybe, positively possibly ambiguously certainly could happen event.

World Entertainment News Network is reporting that Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John-Paul Jones, along with John Bonham's son, Jason Bonham on drums, will play a London show in tribute to late Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. Beyond that, it seems a possibility is being raised, "if all goes well and they don't have a fall out" to tour. Next year sometimes seems to be the time - the world, presumably, would be the place.

Unlike other Zep rumours, this one has a whiff of truth due to the Ahmet Ertegun connection. Many a reunion has started off as a one off performance, the current Police tour being a notable that comes to mind.

Time to start saving some pennies.

... has lost the argument:

...Your Government is moving each day closer to a theocracy where a narrow and hateful brand of Christian fundamentalism will rule.

Your Government suppresses the science that doesn't fit it's religious, political and economic agenda, forcing present and future generations to pay a terrible price.

Your Government is moving to deny women here, and all over the world, the right to birth control and abortion.

Your Government enforces a culture of greed, bigotry, intolerance and ignorance.

People look at this and think of Hitler. They are right to do so. The Bush regime is setting out to radically remake society, very quickly, in a fascist way and for generations to come...

Just astounding!

Signed: Olympia Dukakis; Edward Asner; Jane Fonda; Sean Penn and so on, ad infinitum.

Went to the book store this past weekend and grabbed this:

'On Writing' by Stephen King:





It is now part of my S.K. book collection. I thought I'd post a few of my favorite S.K. books here.

1. Salem's Lot: One of my most favorite King novels, a scary vampire story. It's just so creepy the way the sleepy town of Jerusalem is home to blood sucking vampires.




2. Misery: Poor writer Paul Sheldon, gets into a car accident during a blizzard and is 'resuced' by manical nurse/#1fan, Annie Wilkes. The movie version was good, but the book is way better. Some parts of this story will just make you cringe....and that's a good thing.

3. Needful Things: This is the first S.K. novel I read. It's how I became hooked. This novel makes you not trust any new small stores that open up in town.

4. Secret Window: Poor writer Mort Rainey, divorced and depressed....and one day a man named 'Shooter' arrives at his front door and accuses him of something Mort is sure he didn't do.

5. Everythings Eventual: I have a short attention span, this is one of the reasons I love S.K.'s short stories. I get my dose of a great horror read quicker. 'Autopsy Room Four' and 'Riding the Bullet' are particularly juicy.

A lawyer and a blonde woman are sitting next to each other on a long flight.
The lawyer asks if she would like to play a fun game.
The blonde is tired and just wants to take a nap,
so she politely declines and tries to catch a few winks.
The lawyer persists, that the game is a lot of fun.
"I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me only $5; you ask me one, and if I don't know the answer, I will pay you $500."
This catches the blonde's attention; and, to keep him quiet, she agrees to play the game.
The lawyer asks the first question. "What's the distance from the earth to the moon?"
The blonde doesn't say a word,
reaches in to her purse, pulls out a five-dollar bill, and hands it to the lawyer.
Now, it's the blonde's turn. She asks the lawyer, "What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four?"
The lawyer uses his laptop, searches all references.
He uses the Air phone; he searches the Net and even the Library of Congress.
He sends e-mails to all the smart friends he knows, all to no avail.
After one hour of searching he finally gives up.
He wakes up the blonde and hands her $500.
The blonde takes the $500 and goes back to sleep.
The lawyer is going nuts not knowing the answer.
He wakes her up and asks,
"Well, so what goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four?"
The blonde reaches into her purse, hands the lawyer $5 and goes back to sleep.

At Home in Hespeler wishes Berke Breathed, creator of Bloom County and Opus, a very special 50th THPFT!
And noting it's also William, the Prince of Whales' 25th, I was reminded of a series of Bloom County's that appeared back in the day (click on image to see a bigger sized).


What was that phrase? Oh yea, "off with 'is ead!!"

I bet his grandma used that about his brother recently.

Note: Updated and modified to add the 2 cartoon pages @ 5:33pm.

There have been many summer solstice celebrations through the ages - virtually every culture, from the druids to the modern catholic church to the Wiccan's have celebrated. We can't help but note it ourselves, and many people tomorrow will mention "it's the first day of summer."

There are so many ways to celebrate this, from a few dogs on the Barbie to some beach time, to just skipping off work (tell them your a Druid, it's a religious holiday).

Me, I wanna go to carhenge to celebrate the summer solstice like a Nebraskan.

I knew as I was framing this post in my mind whilst working today, that I would be pretty lonely in my opinion. I knew already what the great Joe Warmington had to say, could have guessed what Right Girl and Wonder Woman were saying, yet still found myself agreeing with David Miller.

I, and this blog, have been supporters of our troops since day one. I used to own one of those magnets, until some anti-war-Bush-hating-BirkenstockAndSock -wearing-smelly-old-needs-a-haircut-hippy-unionist stole mine (or it fell off, who really knows)(see picture right). But again, I must say it, David Miller is right: showing the ribbon can be construed as a political statement.

The debate, then, ought to be, should we be making political statements on public emergency vehicles? And perhaps, a reasonable answer is no.

I happen to think they belong there, I happen to be happy that Rob Ford was prophetic ( "It should be 45-0," adds Councillor Rob Ford. "We should all be 100% behind our brave troops."). But, if the answer is no, we should not be making political statements on public emergency vehicles, that means NO political statements: no breast cancer ribbons; no firetrucks in the gay pride parade. Not just, no right of centre political statements, no political statements. And that's what is really galling everybody. They know this wouldn't even be a question if this was any other cause.

For me though, the best part of this was the bit nobody noticed. The ribbons would stay on until removed during routine maintenance. That means that, unless you are a highly paid unionized mechanic in the city of Toronto, you are not qualified to remove an over sized fridge magnet from a fire truck.

Fortunately, this is all moot, as Toronto council voted 45 - 0 to keep the ribbons. Apparently the city of Toronto e-mail servers were getting a work out.

My mom only had one eye. I hated her... she was such an embarrassment.
She cooked for students & teachers to support the family.
There was this one day during elementary school where my mom came to say hello to me.
I was so embarrassed.
How could she do this to me?
I ignored her, threw her a hateful look and ran out.
The next day at school one of my classmates said, 'EEEE, your mom only has one eye!'
I wanted to bury myself.
I also wanted my mom to just disappear.
I confronted her that day and said, 'If you're only goanna make me a laughing stock, why don't you just die?'
My mom did not respond...
I didn't even stop to think for a second about what I had said, because I was full of anger.
I was oblivious to her feelings.
I wanted out of that house, and have nothing to do with her.
So I studied real hard, got a chance to go abroad to study.
Then, I got married.
I bought a house of my own.
I had kids of my own.
I was happy with my life, my kids and the comforts, then one day, my mother came to visit me.
She hadn't seen me in years and she didn't even meet her grandchildren.
When she stood by the door, my children laughed at her, and I yelled at her for coming over uninvited.
I screamed at her, 'How dare you come to my house and scare my children!'
GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!'
And to this, my mother quietly answered, 'Oh, I'm so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address,' and she disappeared out of sight.
One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house.
So I lied to my wife that I was going on a business trip.
After the reunion, I went to the old shack just out of curiosity.
My neighbors said that she died.
I did not shed a single tear.
They handed me a letter that she had wanted me to have.
'My dearest son,
I think of you all the time. I'm sorry that I came to your house and scared your children.
I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion.
But I may not be able to even get out of bed to see you.
I'm sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when you were growing up.
You see........when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye.
As a mother, I couldn't stand watching you having to grow up with one eye.
So I gave you mine.
I was so proud of my son who was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye.
With all my love to you,
Your mother. '

Like many in the blogosphere, I have added facebook to my arsenal of places where I can be read. If you already on, feel free to make a friend of me:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=704905567

Meanwhile, I am going to try and learn to add a "Share on facebook" link to this blog, ala Steve Janke.

For fathers day this year I got to cook for twenty-odd people on my brother-in-laws new BBQ. I don't, as a rule, suffer from envy. But there's exceptions to every rule and it can safely be said I have a bad case of BBQ envy.






















Luckily, I love to cook, and he likes letting me

Happy 65th birthday to Paul McCartney, for:

The Long and Winding Road'
Band on the Run
Live and Let Die (the best ever Bond theme, the only one that has been covered and made a re-hit, the only one still played on the radio with any regularity).
Lady Madonna
Venus and Mars Rock Show ("It Looks a lot like the one used by Jimmy Page")
Hey Jude
I Saw Her Standing There
Blackbird
Ob-La-Di Ob-La-da
Sgt. Pepper
Elanor Rigby
Paperback Writer
Lady Madonna
When I'm 64
Eight Days A Week
That cool "bye, bye" at the end of Helen Wheels
&tc.

For all that, and the obvious ones I'm forgetting, happy 65th birthday, even if the new CD, Memory Almost Full, is nowhere near as good as too happy to please reviewers say it is.

'Now that lilacs are in bloom

She has a bowl of lilacs in her room

And twists one in his fingers while she talks.

“Ah, my friend, you do not know, you do not know

What life is, you who hold it in your hands”;

(Slowly twisting the lilac stalks)

“You let it flow from you, you let it flow,

And youth is cruel, and has no remorse

And smiles at situations which it cannot see.”

I smile, of course,

And go on drinking tea.

“Yet with these April sunsets, that somehow recall

My buried life, and Paris in the Spring,

I feel immeasurably at peace, and find the world

To be wonderful and youthful, after all.”



- Portrait of a Lady, T.S. Eliot

A blonde woman was speeding down the road in her little red sports car and was pulled over by a woman police officer who was also a blonde.
The policewoman asked to see the blonde's driver's license.
She dug through her purse and got progressively more agitated.
"What does it look like?" she finally asked.
The policewoman relied, "It's square and it has your picture on it."
The driver finally found a square mirror in her purse, looked at it and handed it to the policewoman.
"Here it is", she said.
The blond officer looked at the mirror, then handed it back saying,
"Okay, you can go. I didn't realize you were a cop."

The Hamilton predators? Don't do it Jim. It looks like Jim Balsillie's big NHL venture is going to bring a team to Hamilton instead of K-W/Cambridge. I have been an advocate of the latter, and have explained my reasoning elsewhere. Basically, however, it's location, location, location - and brand. K-W has a quality brand, many GTO residents universitied in the area and think fondly of it. Others have relations in the area, or work with K-W residents, a huge chunk of whom commute to the GTA.

But Hamilton? Hamilton has the exact opposite problem. It has a dirty image, and it is not a popular destination. Examine it from this perspective. Who, outside of Hamilton, is a Hamilton Tiger Cat fan? Nobody! Ten minutes from Hamilton people cheer for the Toronto Argo's. In order to succeed, Jim Balsillie's team will have to draw from a disgruntled Maple Leaf base - the Hamilton brand simply won't do that. If your in Mississauga, you don't drive to Hamilton to see a game, and more so in Brampton and London - not to mention Waterloo which is a good hour from Hamilton.

Sorry Jim, big mistake. Southern Ontario is a great NHL market - as long as your team isn't in Hamilton.

From the Desk of Farley Mowat
Dear Green Party Friend:

Eighty-six years as participant and observer have convinced me we are facing an ecological and environmental crisis that could precipitate the greatest die-off in the history of our planet.

The current situation is so ominous and the potential for disaster so diverse and imminent as to threaten not just human life but all of animate creation. If this sounds like Chicken Little, it is because this time the sky truly may be falling.

The unwillingness of the powers-that-be to accept the scope and urgency of the threat convinces me that the cement-heads who currently control our destiny are incapable of responding to the approaching tornado. They will remain engrossed in their own self-interests, trusting that a consortium of super-science, technology, and the Entrepreneurial Gods will see them safely into Heaven on Earth.

I don’t believe it will. Which is why I am now giving my support to the Green Party, the only political entity demonstrating a real and potential effective concern for the planet and its myriad inhabitants.

All of its inhabitants!

For it is not just we human beings who are at risk. We are all in the same crucible together – and the temperature is rising rapidly, both figuratively and actually.

The Green Party, led by Elizabeth May, is the one political party clearly committed to averting the catastrophic consequences of our continuing to treat the Earth as mere dirt beneath our feet, so it is imperative that we elect Green Party members to our next parliament. This cannot happen without a lot of help from a lot of us.

The Harper Conservatives boast of their war chest of $15 million, and their War Room from which they will send out their Attack Ads and fire their Media Barrages. The Green Party and its leader, Elizabeth May, have only the Green Hope Chest, which at the moment is virtually empty. Nevertheless, they are promising a peaceable campaign focused on the survival of a peaceable kingdom.

I very much want them to succeed and I hope you do too, so I invite you to join me in making it financially possible for the Greens to vanquish the vandals and thereby help re-establish a viable future for life on Earth.

Farley Mowat

To all those people who think Green is a good alternative place to put your vote: do you really still think so?

Crossposted from Let Freedom Reign

Some time ago, New Zealand was looking at impose content requirements on its broadcasters:

...whether or not New Zealand should impose local content requirements on its broadcasters. Advocates were pushing for a legislated requirement that radio and television stations play a certain amount of content created by New Zealand artists and producers. Such measures, it was argued, would help preserve the cultural specificity of the land of the long white cloud.

Economist Martin Richardson looked at other countries who had done so, very specifically Canada. He examined the CRTC's 35% rule, which states that "all radio stations must ensure that 35% of their popular musical selections are Canadian each week."

Many people, of course, point to Celine Dion, Shania Twian or Nickelback as success stories from the 35% content rule, Richardson sees them as the failure of the rule:

“If you listen to people like Celine Dion, Shania Twain, or Avril Lavigne, they are Canadian, they get played – or, at least, used to get played – preferentially on Canadian radio stations, but they sound generically international,” Richardson says. “There is nothing distinctively Canadian about them at all, as opposed to some of their predecessors. Why? Once you have a cultural quota in place, you are forcing consumers to listen to more local content. Let’s assume that consumers have a preference for more international-type content. The obvious incentive is for local artists to start producing international music. The whole point of this is to preserve the local content, but actually by putting a restriction in place, you give local providers a very strong incentive to actually change their style and sound much more international."

What you get, in other words, is Canadians that don't sound Canadian. You gain the performer, but lose the uniquely Canadian voice. This article is a good read if you are interested in Canadian cultural issues.

Oh, and New Zealand? "Eventually the country’s broadcasters agreed to voluntary local content targets."

Hmmm. Hidden camera's at a Tory convention? Ads of John Tory being evasive? Cut and Pastes of Tory bloggers speaking poorly of John Tory? (without links, in case your looking for integrity). Looks like it's going to be a dirty campaign, and looks like it's started.

I just wish I liked anybody in this campaign so I could join the fun.

I'm a sucker for the classics...some of the greatest books ever written...

Here's a few of my favorite classics:

1. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen


In my opinion, this is the mother of all the classics...a must read. I've read it over and over, I even enjoy the film adaptation. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good love story.

'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife'.





The strong and prejudiced Ms. Elizabeth Bennet meets the proud and rich Mr. Darcy.
These two get into arguements, all polite ones of course, and Lizzie swears she hates Mr. Darcy for being so stuck up.
She is also under some misconceptions about him, this further makes her prejudiced against him.


' . . . I could easily forgive HIS pride, if he had not mortified MINE.'


Little does she know, Mr. Darcy is falling in love with her and eventually proposes to her.
She turns him down and tells him what she really thinks of him. He then writes her a letter explaining how she is under the wrong impression of him. Then of course, Lizzie realizes she too loves Mr. Darcy....just read it, you'll love it too.




2. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell


What's better than a good love story? A good love story with backstabbing, war and all kinds of other drama. Scarlett O'Hara is the heroine we love to hate.
She is spoiled, stubborn and smarter than pretty much everyone else around her. The woman steals her sisters beau, runs her own business and will do anything and everything to make sure she'll 'never go hungry again' for heaven's sake!
Her downfall is that she doesn't see the love she has right in front of her....Rhett Butler. And Rhett is handsome, rich, smooth and has his eye on Scarlett from the moment he sees her. 'Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn'.



3. The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Twenty-eight year-old Edna Pontellier, the main character lives in New Orleans and is married with two children. However, she is not happy or fulfilled as she sees the other married women are. During one summer, she has an affair with a younger man, leaves her husband and children and moves into her own house. Scandalous!

'The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.'



And if I may quote amazon.com:

'The Awakening begins at a crisis point in twenty-eight year-old Edna Pontellier's life. Edna is a passionate and artistic woman who finds few acceptable outlets for her desires in her role as wife and mother of two sons living in conventional Creole society. Unlike the married women around her, whose sensuality seems to flow naturally into maternity, Edna finds herself wanting her own emotional and sexual identity.'




4. Emma by Jane Austen

Yes, another Jane Austen novel...I'm a big fan of hers. Her stories are just so pretty and dainty. And in this one, Emma Woodhouse, decides to play matchmaker to her best friend Harriet. Needless to say, a big mess follows, love triangles, love letters, gossip....there's funny moments as well.
And it does have a happy ending and Mr. Knightly...*whew*


'Indeed, I am very sorry to be right in this instance. I would much rather have been merry than wise.'



some quotes from http://www.litquotes.com/

Dear Wife:
I'm writing you this letter to tell you that I'm leaving you for good.
I've been a good man to you for seven years and I have nothing to show for it. These last two weeks have been hell. Your boss called to tell me that you had quit your job today and that was the last straw. Last week, you came home and didn't even notice that I had gotten a new hair cut, cooked your favorite meal and even wore a brand new pair of silk boxers. You came home and ate in two minutes, and went straight to sleep after watching all of your soaps. You don't tell me you love me anymore, you don't want sex anymore or anything. Either you're cheating on me or you don't love me anymore. Whatever the case is, I'm gone. Your EX-Husband
P.S. Don't try to find me. Your SISTER and I are moving away to West Virginia together! Have a great life!

Dear Ex-Husband:
Nothing has made my day more than receiving your letter. It's true that you and I have been married for seven years, although a good man is a far cry from what you've been. I watch my soaps so much because they drown out your constant whining and griping. Too bad that doesn't work. I did notice when you got a hair cut last week, the first thing that came to mind was "You look just like a girl!" but my mother raised me not to say anything if you can't say anything nice. And when you cooked my favorite meal, you must have gotten me confused with MY SISTER, because I stopped eating pork seven years ago. I turned away from you when you had those new silk boxers on because the price tag was still on them. I prayed that it was a coincidence that my sister had just borrowed fifty dollars from me that morning ... And your silk boxers were $49.99. After all of this, I still loved you and felt that we could work it out. So when I discovered that I had hit the lotto for ten million dollars, I quit my job and bought us two tickets to Jamaica . But when I got home you were gone. Everything happens for a reason I guess.I hope you have the fulfilling life you always wanted. My lawyer said that with your letter that you wrote, you won't get a dime from me. So take care. Signed,Rich As Hell and Free!
P.S. I don't know if I ever told you this but Carla, my sister, was born Carl. I hope that's not a problem.

Hmm, who's thought was this one? Quebec is introducing a whopping 0.8c/litre carbon tax effective October 1. According to Claude Bechard, Quebec's Natural resources Minister, the oil companies should pick up the tax:

We hope at 0.8 cents, the oil companies will be able to absorb it without passing on this royalty to consumers. Especially when you realize that refinery profit margins have gone in the last three, four months from 8 cents a litre to about 19, 20, 22 cents a litre.

Hey, where have I heard that before? Oh, I know, I said it Wednesday. Who would have thought a Quebec cabinet minster is trolling At Home in Hespeler for ideas. Of course, like a politician will, he got what I said all half-assed backwards; at 0.8c, there is no reason for oil companies to absorb the tax, and no way of knowing if they did. Gas in my part of the world jumps around more than 0.8c litre depending on the time of day. It is too small to affect demand, therefore, the gas companies can charge the tax, without affecting their profit. Once a tax is high enough to affect demand, then the oil guys have incentive to absorb the tax, but only then.

If that's true, why does Mme. Bechard think the oil companies will eat the tax on your behalf?

Well, we count on the goodwill of the gas companies.

Oh, and if the gas companies do absorb the tax, what is the point of the tax. As Bechard himself notes, a carbon tax should be "user pay." How is getting someone else to pick up your tax user pay? And is not a carbon tax designed to lower usage of carbon releasing goods? How does getting someone else to pick up the carbon tax reduce usage? It doesn't, and this whole thing is a scam. Bechard could care less about reducing usage, and cares a whole pile about collecting extra revenue, designed as environmentalism.

Sometimes in your daily reading you run across a Wow!

Wow!

h/t Wonder Woman

The first surgeon, from New York , says, "I like to see accountants
on my operating table, because when you open them up, everything
inside is numbered."
The second, from Chicago , responds, "Yeah, but you should tryelectricians! Everything inside them is color coded."
The third surgeon, from Dallas says, "No, I really think librarians are
The best, everything inside them is in alphabetical order."
The fourth surgeon, from Los Angeles chimes in: "You know, I likeconstruction workers...those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over."
But the fifth surgeon, from Washington D.C. , shut them all up when he observed: "You're all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There's no guts, no heart, no balls, no brains and no spine, and the head and the ass are interchangeable."

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 Hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes." The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table And poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the Empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and Favorite passions -- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. So... Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play With your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. "Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked". It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

Hmm, maybe it is me.

Lets see, became a Leaf fan around 1970, they have won zero cups since. Other years I have picked a team, only to watch them lose immediately thereafter. Some years I have changed teams every round, the team I pick to cheer for loses about as soon as I pick them.

This year, the Senators looked good, real good. I said so. I jumped on the bandwagon: the wheels fell off.

Sorry Sens fans, it's my fault. It has nothing to do with Anaheim hitting your guys, like the Leafs used to. It was all me, sorry.

And congratulations to the Ducks who are not to be called Mighty: you looked awful mighty this year.

Elizabeth May thinks you would. I wonder. Hasn't the price of gas gone up more than 12c a litre this year? What has it stopped you from doing?

And since there's all the caterwauling about gas-gouging, ask yourself this. In the current pricing scheme, does demand and supply meet? That is, is there excess of either? And if Elizabeth May's scheme works, and it's true that the oil companies are gouging, or taking excess profits, then what's to stop them absorbing the tax increase? According to lefty think tax Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the oil companies are taking 15c a litre excess profit. If a 12c tax hurts demand, then they could afford to drop prices back until demand returns. Not only could they, it would be good business to do so.

Then what? 25c a litre? 50c? 60c? Gee, I wonder who said that?

I've said it before, I'll say it again. Sixty cents a litre is the starting point for serious reduction. This is just a smooth trick to get carbon taxes in play, they'll adjust accordingly later. And we all know how hard it is to get governments to adjust down.

Update: As Gerry Nicholls wonders, is this part of the Liberals plan as well. May is, after all, a defacto Liberal candidate.

Updateier: Steve Janke has a post on this. As you can see in the comments, Richard passes on his gas expenses to customers. I pass it on to retailers in the form of non-buying. Janke makes much the same point.

One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't anymore. No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute." Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, say "I love you." So while we have it . it's best we love it and care for it and fix it when it's broken ... .. and heal it when it's sick. This is true for marriage . and old cars .. and children with bad report cards and dogs with bad hips and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a classmate we grew up with. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what. Life is important, like people we know who are special. and so, We keep them close! I received this from someone who thought I was a 'keeper'! Then I sent it to the people I think of in the same way. Now it's your turn to send this to all those people who are "keepers" in your life, including the person who sent it if you feel that way. Suppose one morning you never wake up, do all your friends know you love them? I was thinking...I could die today, tomorrow or next week, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that needed rekindling or three words needing to be said. Let every one of your friends know you love them. Even if you think they don't love you back, you would be amazed at what those three little words and a smile can do.
And just in case GOD calls me home ..... I LOVE YA!!! I'm sssoooo glad you're my FRIEND!
Live today to the fullest because tomorrow is not promised.

Hello, Pretty Lady! THIS IS A TOAST.... 2 US .. FOR THE MEN WHO HAVE US, THE LOSERS WHO HAD US, AND THE LUCKY PEOPLE WHO WILL MEET US!!

>> I was at the corner grocery store buying some early
>> potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone
>> and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a
>> basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my
>> potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh
>> green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new
>> potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help
>> overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the
>> store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.
>>
>> "Hello Barry, how are you today?"
>>
>> "H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin'
>> them
>> peas. They sure look good."
>>
>> "They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"
>>
>> "Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."
>>
>> "Good. Anything I can help you with?"
>>
>> "No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."
>>
>> "Would you like to take some home?" asked Mr.
>> Miller.
>>
>> "No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."
>>
>> "Well, what have you to trade me for some of those
>> peas?"
>>
>> "All I got's my prize marble here."
>>
>> "Is that right? Let me see it" said Miller.
>>
>> "Here 'tis. She's a dandy."
>>
>> "I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is
>> blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one
>> like this at home?", the store owner asked.
>>
>> "Not zackley but almost."
>>
>> "Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you
>> and next trip this way let me look at that red
>> marble", Mr. Miller told the boy.
>>
>> "Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller."
>>
>> Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over
>> to help me. With a smile she said, "There are two
>> other boys like him in our community, all three are
>> in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain
>> with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.
>> When they come back with their red marbles, and they
>> always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all
>> and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a
>> green marble or an orange one, when they come on
>> their next trip to the store."
>>
>> I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with
>> this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado ,
>> but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and
>> their bartering for marbles. Several years went by,
>> each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently
>> I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho
>> community, and while I was there learned that Mr.
>> Miller had died. They were having his visitation
>> that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I
>> agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we
>> fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased
>> and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.
>> Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in
>> an army uniform and the other two wore nice
>> haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional
>> looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing
>> composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each
>> of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek,
>> spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket.
>> Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by
>> one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his
>> own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket.
>> Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes. Our
>> turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was
>> and reminded her of the story from those many years
>> ago and what she had told me about her husband's
>> bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she
>> took my hand and led me to the casket. "Those three
>> young men who just left were the boys I told you
>> about. They just told me how they appreciated the
>> things Jim "traded" them. Now, at last, when Jim
>> could not change his mind about color or size....they came
>> to pay their debt." "We've never had a great deal
>> of the wealth of this world," she confided, "but right
>> now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in
>> Idaho ." With loving gentleness she lifted the
>> lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting
>> underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.
>>
>>
>> The Moral : We will not be remembered by our
>> words, but by our kind
>> deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take,
>> but by the moments
>> that take our breath.

The Young Liberals have put out a couple of ads, "I'm a Liberal," in which a cute young girl proclaims "Hi, I'm a Liberal," and a fattish, geeky looking guy says "and I'm a PC." Funny how PC looks like Stephan Dion, but the real problem with these ads are, they are direct, unashamed rip-offs of the Apple Mac/PC guy ads.

Of course, their designed to be obviously a take off on those ads, But it is just an unoriginal bit of copying.

Liberals. The old ones steal our money, the young ones steal ideas.

The ads can be found here.

'But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than she:
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
It is my lady, O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!

She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!'


-William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

All the Fluffy news about the worlds biggest nuts.

Nicole Richie celebrated Memorial Day with a party, the invitation to which read:

My fellow Americans its that time of year

To celebrate our country by drinking massive amounts of beer

Let’s stand together as one, live the American dream

Take shots, pass out, & wake up with our pants ripped open at the seems

Let’s glorify this day in your sluttiest tops and your tightest pair of tsubi jeans

Even though we have no f***** clue what Memorial Day really means!! Mashas House Sunday May 28th, at 2pm XXXXX Crest Court Beverly Hills, Ca 90210 There will be a scale at the front door. No girls over 100 pounds allowed in. Start starving yourself now. See you all then!!! PLEASE MAKE SURE TO RSVP AS THIS IS A LARGE PARTY AND WE NEED TO KEEP TRACK OF WHO’S COMING. Thanks

Slutty Clothes on women that are too skinny - nice. Good thing they have brains.

Lindsay Lohan got herself an impaired driving charge, anda substance said to be cocaine was found in her car. One presumes she will get the Parisian treatment, and be banished to some jail time. Or is there a different standard for celebrities that have earned their fame, and actually have an identifiable talent?

Since the accident, Lohan has checked into rehab - again - and friends(?) have suggested she's suicidal.

Not to be outdone, Britney Spears spent Memorial Day eve, drinking her skanky ass off. She was spotted puking in the men's bathroom of the exclusive Sky Bar in Los Angeles. Whether the puking was before, or after, her supposed bathroom tryst with Ryan Phillippe is unknown.

While Britney pukes, A-Rod paints Toronto red. The married Yankee star, who's team is in last place of the American League East, was spotted hitting a strip club with a buxom blond. He later stayed at a different hotel as his team, but not, it is assumed, as the blond.

The Police began their long anticipated reunion tour in Vancouver this week. Reviews have been, frankly, luke-warm, but it's hard to imagine how a concert that begins with Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland playing Message in a Bottle could be bad. In fact, I have heard a bootleg of the concert, and it sounded pretty good.

As an aside to Police fans, if you haven't already, read Andy Summers Autobiography One Train Later. It's one of the best Autobiography's I have ever read.

Charles Nelson Reilly, the Match Game's answer to Hollywood Squares Paul Lynde, has died at the age of 76. Reilly, like Lynde and The Gong Show's Jaye P. Morgan, became more famous for his role on the game show than for his work that got him a job as a 'celebrity' on that game show. In Reilly's case, he was a Broadway actor, acting teacher and director of note prior to his job on The Match Game.