How was your day, Dan?

STUDY BREAK

The cabin fever has arrived.

I've been inside this apartment on an almost-continuous basis for the past two days, in the hopes of forcing myself to study.  It's not working well.  Why is that, you query?  Well, there is a TV, and there this computer with an internet connection, and there is a phone for me to use for texting my niece really important messages like "OMG Lady Gaga is so awesome" to which she replies "so cool ok I have to go" and then I stare at the wall.

I have one final down, and three to go: chemistry class? Got an A, thanks, although it was the result of help from chemistry-ish friends who dragged me through it.  My upcoming chemistry lab final is going to be a killer...we'll be given a mystery substance and we have to test it to find out what it is.  I know what poor Harry Potter felt like bumbling his way through his Potions classes, blowing stuff up by accident.  Someone please give some Felix Felicis, I need all the help I can get.

(pause)

My anatomy book is still open to the same page that has been staring at me all day. 

The other students in my classes--some of who are, literally, half my age--have stopped staring at me strangely and now actually speak to me, which is good.  Not that I notice what anyone else is doing; I'm far too busy sitting in the front row, hanging on the professor's every word.  It's like there's a little voice in my head, tapping on my brain saying "You better be paying attention, dummy. Don't screw this up..."  And then I give all the kids sitting behind me dirty looks.  They better respect their elders.

I guess there is a little pressure, like this isn't necessarily my LAST chance to make this happen, but the clock is ticking.  And I have to get straight A's.  Each time I take a test, I'm walking on egg shells.

Okay.

That's enough.  Back to work.  Why can't I study when the sun is up?  It's almost physically impossible.  Weird.

 

PATRONUS

If I were a character in "Harry Potter," my Patronus charm would be in the form of Dorothy Zbornak.

No creature real or magical brings me greater joy than Dorothy.  The sight of her oddly-incomprehensible sensible haircuts and her ascerbic facial expressions comforts me like a warm embrace.  In her Patronus form, she would bounce around leaving a trail of silver glitter in the mult-tone shades of her perpetually-graying hair, with her long drapey outfits flowing behind her, while wailing "MAAAAA!" to vanquish the evil dementors.  No one messes with Dorothy.

 

'HARRY POTTER'

Let's discuss "Harry Potter."

-- Final movie? Really liked it.  "Love" is a strong word, but I think this was definitely the best of the series.

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-- The "Harry Potter" books/films are pillars of feminism.  The female characters are powerful individuals while still maintaining levels female gender roles that they find comfortable. Too often for women to seem strong, they choose to make themselves part of "the boys' club" and act more like the men around them. 

When McGonagall steps in front of Snape in the Great Hall, she is ready to kick his ass.  When Ginny and Hermione fight, there's no worries about them being girls in a group of boys, the boys don't think twice about it; but they never make any attempts to play in the "boys' club" and act boyish or whatever.   It's a very subtle choice in creating these characters, and I love it.

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-- I predict Alan Rickman will be nominated for an Oscar for this film. He is flawless. The flashback scene when he gives Harry the memory to see in the Pensieve...(sigh)...lovely​.

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-- Neville Longbottom is totally my favorite. I want that actor to become a movie star.

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--My problem with the movie--and this is a minor gripe: too much is left unspoken.  There is often an absence of dialogue, a complete absence of any words, to explain what is going on.  These spells they're shooting at each other?  What are they?  What does Molly Weasley do to Bellatrix Lestrange when she blows her to smithereens?  In the book, the Snape/McGonagall duel is a grand confrontation, but in the movie McGonagall just zaps him a few times before he zooms away.  And when McGonagall orders Pansy Parkinson and the rest of the Slyterins out of the hall, while the rest stay to fight, there is no explanation why she makes that choice.  You have to have read the books to understand the reasoning. 

THE BING DRINKING GAME

I have a new drinking game.  Maybe it exists in another form somewhere, as everything does these days anyway, but I thought of this today:

As in the spirit of the Bing commercials, when people go of on random rants of loosely-connected information, the first person in this game has to perform a stream-of-consciousness "search," naming items connected in any way whatsoever.  The next person has to drink the entire time the first person can successively keep naming items.  When the stream is broken, the drinking stops.

For instance:

Topic to start is "Oprah." Go! (Drinking starts.)

Oprah--cancelled her show--housewives have no reason to live--Real Housewives--Kim Zolciak's wig!--blonde--Blonde Ambition--Madonna--and...can't think of anything else. (Drinking stops.)

Then it goes to the next person.

I think it would be lot of fun.

DISCUSS

The Republicans are tolerating Michele Bachmann's doomed-to-fail campaign for President because her religious extremism is softening the image of Mitt Romney.  Next to her "Christians are destined to lead the world" ideology, Romney being a devout Mormon won't seem like such a big deal.

Discuss.

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I have no problem with Michael Vick returning to his job after he got out of jail for torturing/killing countless dogs. He served his sentence, he has the right to return to his life.  But being signed to an endorsement deal with Nike is atrotious and we shant buy their goods anymore.

Discuss.

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It's my birthday weekend and spending all of my birthday money on jelly beans is excellent fiscal decision-making.

It's fact. No need to discuss.

PROCRASTINATION

I would just like you to know that instead of studying anatomy & physiology for my test today, I am looking up videos of obscure mid-90's boy bands.

Currently watching: Phixx, the former rage of the British Isles.  I should be reading this book, but I am weak to the taste of their seduction.