Magical

On the recommendation of a great musician, Paul and I have been watching Workaholics on Netflix.

It's a pretty awesome show, that has undeniable appeal for the millennial workforce. 3 Ridiculous Slackers living like it's college, but working as telemarketers. Though almost every single premise of this show is unrealistic and farcical, it's actually kind of strangely easy to identify with main characters.

I'm so bummed that there was only 10 episodes! It led to us going online to dig up some of their old material This is one of the gems. Wizards. Rapping. It makes perfect sense.

Is this real life?

This morning I heard this story on NPR while I was driving in to work, about Evangelicals in Iowa and how they are divided on which candidate to back. Is it bad that I actually wanted to throw up listening to some of these men on the street?

I just find it very, very hard to imagine people taking any of these republican candidates seriously. I guess, more to the point, I find it hard to believe that infringing on other peoples personal lives (ie: anti-homosexuality and anti-reproductive choice) could be the sole motivator for political involvement, when there is so much more we could be accomplishing. Also that none of them see the irony of beating their bosoms over wanting small govt., while simultaneously picking candidates solely on the basis of "who will boss around people I don't care for the most."It also galls me the exorbitant amount of time and money utilized by churches trying to establish their moral compass as law.

I guess too that the escalating rhetoric leading into this primary season is really starting to get my goat, as a civic minded citizen and an American with no religious affiliation. All this pandering to the evangelical zealots has given candidates ground to demonize every group that doesn't take the bible as law.

“I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time they’re my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American.”

“Many on the left” and “in the scientific community, so to speak” are “afraid of discussion” about "God" "or a creator" in public school science classrooms. Santorum says that "science will only allow things in the classroom that are consistent with a non-creator idea of how we got here, as if somehow or another that's scientific.” 

I'm fed up with the fact that these bigots are being cheered for clearly valuing only the opinions of some- while villianizing (and convoluting *coughnewt*)  others with language clearly designed to divide America on religious and racial principals.  And I guess what really pisses me off is the fact that an entire powerful subset of America is down with that.

Anywho. I'm sick of feeling maligned by politicians because I am an atheist and value secular science. It's got nothing to do with the civic duty of the president, and it's none of their business anyways. Can't wait for this circus of tactless puppets to be done with, and hope to c'thulu that none of them end up in the white house.

Thanksgiving 2011- "Nice tits bitch!"

Hey all,

I hope you had satisfying and relaxing holidays. Ours was very good!

For me it was a Thanksgiving framed by two films. The first, I watched the day before turkey day, while recovering from a nasty cold- "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" (1967), which some of you probably know is the musical Daniel Radcliffe is currently starring in on broadway.

The '67 movie was enjoyable, but terribly terribly campy. The costuming and set design did a pretty good job of highlighting the tackiest looks of the era. I liked it as a very archetypal musical, with lots of predictable personality types and plot turns, and lots of good old fashioned sexism (there's literally a song about how "A Secretary is not a Toy"). The music was pretty good too. It's a solid show.

I enjoyed the film too as a vantage point into mid-century NYC. There's lots of good shots of the urban landscape. I particularly enjoyed this shot of Times Square, nearly 50 years ago:

Look at how much of the actual buildings you can see! And how much smaller they seem too.

It was also fun to see D. Radcliffe himself perform his version of the show the next morning in the Macy's parade. It was a nice point of comparison.



I thought he did a good job! Who knew H.P. could dance so good?

On Thanksgiving night, Paul and I watched some decidedly tackier fare together: "Thankskilling" (2009), dubbed by its own creator as "The Ultimate low budget experience."

It's a modern b-movie classic about college kids who get hacked up by a homicidal demon turkey whilst on Thanksgiving break. Here's a hint about what kind of movie this is; The very first shot of this movie is an extreme close-up on a busty woman's nipple.The lady is dressed in a flimsy pilgrim costume with her boobs hanging way out Here's what comes next:



I don't know if I can really do it justice by describing it, but I can say I'm continually unsure if I loved or hated this movie. Can I add that there is a scene where the turkey rapes a lady? And finishes by yelling "you just got stuffed?"

I just...I dunno.



Happy start of the gift-giving season!

Pottermore!

Oh hai guys! I've been lucky enough to get in on the beta testing of the new Harry Potter fan site Pottermore. I thought I'd dish a little on what it's like and what I liked.

Basically you get to go through little interactive vignettes from each chapter, finding objects that you can collect (like books, important props from the story, and the golden snitch) and uncovering new content about characters from JK Rowling. I think getting to read the exclusive content is probably my favorite of the site so far. Getting the life stories of Prof. McGonagall and Quirell, and the story of how the Dursley's met was very fun and interesting!

The art style on the site is very rich and beautiful. It really captures the mood of the books well. And I think that's something kind of important to keep in mind about the site: It's meant to serve sort of as an accompaniment to the books. Reading the feedback comments from other people in the Beta, it was clear some people were expecting there to be a lot more to it, for it almost to be a living movie you could act out. It's more like a series of explorable moments. With that said, there were a few things on it that I'd like to see improve.

1. There's no music - I think that would enhance the feeling of the site a lot.

2. The two most exciting interactive pieces, that enable you to earn house points, are not functioning optimally right now. You're supposed to be able to do spells in a wizards duel, but that piece has been "under maintenance" since I first signed in. There's also a place to make potions - but they take a REALLY long time to brew and sometimes the interface is a little clumsy. I wasted a whole bottle of Billywig Stings because I couldn't figure out how to hold the bottle properly. What a waste of Galleons!

3. You can buy pets on Diagon Alley, and they become your avatar. You have to pick really carefully because you can't change it. Not that I hate my choice of the traditional black cat, but now I wish I'd picked the Siamese instead and there's no turning back!

OK though- Here's the cool stuff. You get to go through a series of personality tests to get your wand and sort you into your houses. Here's what I got!

My Wand: 11 1/2 inches, Ash and Unicorn Hair, unyeilding

My House:

Slytherin Bitches! Haters Gonna Hate!

I'm actually really pleased with it. I feel like the test got it right. I'm ambitious and resourceful.Plus, I think I would kinda hate those foolhardy Gryffindor jerks if I was at Hogwarts. F pointless heroics.

Right now we're in second place with in the House Cup - Ravenclaw is winning. Despite having the most members, Gryffindor is in 3rd (BOO LOSERS) and, naturally, Hufflepuff is a losin'.

Anyways, it's a lot of fun, a great way to rediscover the books and learn more about the characters. I can't wait till they put up the rest of the content. Pottermore is pretty sweet.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that they randomly assign you a user name. Mine turned out to be pretty alright: WolfsbaneRose139. Look me up when you can get on!

Caturday XXXVI - Avada - cat - davra

Ever since Roosevelt has become an indoor/outdoor girl, I've been thinking about solutions to give her a little more autonomy in her comings and goings. Frankly, it's a pain to have to constantly by letting her in and out,and she's not a big fan of being out all day long. I think something like this could be a really cool solution. AND OMG IT'S THE BURROW!

Heights Workshop Builds 'Harry Potter' Cat House: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

Now if only there were a spell to keep her from bringing mice inside. Yuck!

So it's true...

On Sunday Paul and I went to the Old Hadley Flea Market. This is our favorite place to buy new video games. I picked up Lego Harry Potter, Years 1-4 for a song.

My excitement was doubled when I realized it came with a free copy the movie "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (2001), which I watched with great enthusiasm not too long after. I don't think I had seen it since it was in theaters originally, and I enjoyed it much more now than I think I did then. Seeing these actors all grown up today, it was weird to go back and see how they were so widdle!

Owls in Disguise

Animals that can dramatically change their appearance are amazing and kind of scary. This guy, the Southern White-Faced Owl, hails from South Africa. His name is Popo-chan and he's only a handful of transfigurations away from being the mimic octopus of the sky.



This video is also a reminder that Japanese TV is stranger, but perhaps weirdly better than ours.

Nahla's Hat

Nahla is the little baby girl that my good friend is due to have at the end of the year. I made this hat for her from this pattern. I just love how the twin pom poms give a little bald baby the opportunity to have pig tails.

I actually dug this pattern so much that I scaled it up and made one for myself.


Like my other attempts to adjust patterns in the past, this one ended up a little too oversized. But the floppiness of it actually kind of works. I love love love the yarn I used for mine. It's a gorgeous soft alpaca in these very dreamy colors.

This hat actually really reminds me of something that Molly Weasely might make for her kids. It's got a neat bit of whimsy to it that would help you fit in at Diagon Alley, even if you are a Muggle.

In case you were wondering, I still haven't seen the new HP film. But I'm going to (finally) remedy that this week! I have this terrible habit of never seeing the movie I want to see in the theater. I'm determined that Part 1 of Deathly Hallows won't go the same way as "Alice in Wonderland", "Machete" and "Where the Wild Things Are." I will actually see it!

Bodliean Baby

I've been reminiscing a fair bit about Oxford lately. It might just be because I'm about to travel again, and my mind is drifting back to other places I've been. I missed it so much I even watched the terrible Elijah Wood mystery movie, "Oxford Murders" (2008) just to see the scenery. Seriously, don't ever watch it. It's awful.


This was the view from the bed in my dorm room. I always knew what time it was.


One of the Oldest and most complete libraries in Great Britain...


The world coolest Natural History Museum...


Or maybe its the impending Harry Potter film that's got me thinking of Oxford. I got to see a lot of the places they filmed there, including the cloisters at New College, where Draco Malfoy gets his from Mad-eye Mooney. Though I suppose this last film won't really show much of Hogwarts...

PS, while we're on the topic - When did Neville Longbottom get so f-ing handsome? I'm very impressed with this!
Can't wait to see the film when we get back from our trip!

Aragog and Nagini

I spent last Saturday apple picking at Brookfield Orchard with Paul and two of my blogging buddies. It was really awesome! The orchard had all sorts of delicious apple treats and maple goodies, plus a neat antique section. I got an apple corer, a new hour glass for our boggle game, and about 10 pounds of apples. I'm going to have to start baking soon methinks.

There was also some really cool craft vendors. One was selling jewelry for crazy cheap. I got a necklace and earrings for $10!

As you may or may not know, I recently started re-reading the whole Harry Potter series. It's been really cool, I kind of forgot how fun and compelling these books are. It's also been nice to read them with a little more focus and care, as I usually tore through them all in one sitting, the night after buying them. There were lots of neat details that I had overlooked. I'm about 5/6 of the way through "Order of the Phoenix" and I'm enjoying it a lot.

I've also been seeing Harry Potter everywhere, including in the jewelry I bought at the Orchard. The earrings remind me of a spider's web, or perhaps an Acromantula's?


And I'd totally wear this every day if the Sorting Hat put me in Slytherin. I'd also be a big old Voldemort lovin' jerk.


I think I'd like to do a post when I finish reading them all about what I hope for from the last movie. From the look of things, I'll be finishing reading them all just in time for the premiere. Cool.

A Golden Snitch

Meredith and Matt were awesome enough to let us stay at their apartment after the ACBF. It was a lot of fun! We got to to meet Penny the Pug, who is a total sweetheart. I also got the chance to be reunited with my senior year housemate, Hammurabi of Babylon. He looked really good, and seemed to remember Paul and I. It was nice to see his sweet kitty face again.

For taking us out to awesome chinese, letting us crash on their floor, and giving us a chance to play with their menagerie, I thought I should come bearing a gift.

I made a golden snitch from this pattern via the knitted toy box for Meredith. It was a fun project! I enjoyed making the wings particularly. I hope that the resident Harry Potter fan likes it, and uses it as I did; indulging fantasies off being a world class seeker!

"I caught the snitch! The game is over! Yaaay!"

Though I don't think I'd ever take the fantasy of playing a magical wizard game out in public and join a real team, like these private school kids did.



1. Running around with broomsticks between your legs looks uncomfortable and awkward.
2. Is it just me, or does making "the snitch" a big guy draped in metallic gold make it a little too easy to find? These games must be so short!