Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows



Warning: Super Spoiler Ahead.!!

..Neither shall live while other the survives..

If your a Harry Potter fan you will recognize this line pertaining to a part of the prophecy made between Harry and Lord Voldemort.

I have been following the life of Harry Potter for years now and at last my journey has come to an end (inly for the book version though..) with the release of the final installment of the Harry Potter series. The last and 7th book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", tackles about Harry last struggles, sorrows and triumph will the return of his arch-foe Lord Voldemort.

JK seemed to have gave all her best in writing this book. It is the most action packed and powerful amongst all the HP books.

For starters, Harry, Ron and Hermoine left Hogwarts and decided to devote their lives in pursuing the Horcruxes. In the parting with the Dursleys, Dudley showed a miraculous care for Harry that shocked all (especially Harry of course). Yet in transporting Harry to the Burrow, George lost an ear while Mad Eye Moody was killed with the Avada Curse. The Ministry under the leadership of Rufus Scrimgeour later fell on the hands of Voldemort, who then killed Rufus and gave the position to the Imperiused Pius Thicknesse.

Something that saddened me in reading the book was that a lot of my favorite characters was killed, namely: Mad-Eye Moody, Fred, Rufus, Snape, Colin, Remus, Nymphadora and (the one I really shed tears for.!!!) Dobby. Well, his death was really the dramatic one, shame in Bellatrix for kiling such a nice elf. Speaking of elf, it was really funny how Kreacher, yes Kreacher bacame all fuzzy wuzzy with Harry and vice versa too.

In the side of the nemesis', Bellatrix died(thank you so muck JK!!) and Voldemort of course. In this book, Dumbledore's true personality will be seen(or read..), actually this installment focuses in revealing the life, and lies of Albus Dumbledore and a very shocking other side of Severus Snape will be revealed.

This installment calls for death, how to accept it and how to, in Taylor's word.. Deal with it.!!








Monday, November 19, 2007

..kid nation..


Pinoy Big Brother, Survivor, Pinoy Dream Academy, Celebrity Duets and American Idol.!!

Does this shows ring any bell.??
Well of course, those who wouldn't recognize even one of the shows above must be living under a rock.! These are today's most talked about reality tv shows. Reality tv is now booming on the airways and especially on the tubes.

"Reality television is a genre of television programming which presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary people instead of professional actors. " - A definition of what reality tv is, thanks to wikipedia.

Yes, reality tv shows can be seen in any channel, in any country with different concepts but with the same essentials. It covers a wide range such as game, quiz, talent shows etc.

Amongst all of the shows today the one that really caught my eye is "Kid Nation". It is a show where 40 kids are taken away from their homes, away from their parents and away from comfort and luxury. They are taken into a "ghost" town in which they will live and try to create a functioning society all by themselves for 40 days.

They are divided into four districts, each of which has a representative that will be in the town council, the heads or leaders of the ghost town named Bonanza City. Once a week they will have a face off challenge that will determine their status in their society. The highest would be the "upperclass", then the "merchants", "cooks" and lastly the laborers.

Every week a kid will win a golden star worth $20,000 if he/she proves himself/herself worthy of it. The council will decide on who would be that lucky kid is.

My favorite team is the Green team that is leaded by Laurel yet my favorite guy in the show is Michael (green) and my favorite girl in the show is Sophia, also in Green.

I really despise Taylor and her "Deal with it" line. She's full of herself, in my opinion. Thank God she was voted out by Zach, who totally deserve to be the yellow team leader. As for the Blue team I like Anjay but I think the team would do better if Olivia won the elections. And for the Red district, I think that both Guylan and Mike are OK leaders in their own perspectives, whoever of them won among the two of them are ok for the red team.

Among all other shows that feature kids , whether it is a quiz or talent show , it would beat Kid Nation in showing how smart, talented, kind or opinionated a kid really is. Kid's in this show are laid in a situation for a grown-up yet they have to make decisions and work hard for it and the other challenges without grown-up supervision. They tackle not only labor issues but also emotional, political and psychological issues. Its the best show today.





Thursday, October 4, 2007

a tRIBuTe to DumbleDore

"It does not do to dwell in dreams and forget to live"

Can you recognize this line.?? Well, if not then you're not a true blue Harry Potter fanatic. This line was said by Albus Dumbledore in book 1, the Sorcerers Stone.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series. A well-loved wizard in the wizarding world and here in the muggle world who is taken by the Harry Potter frenzy. He is the headmaster in Hogwarts School of Withcraft and Wizardry, the founder of the Order of the Phoenix, a fictional organisation dedicated to fighting the main antagonist of the series, Lord Voldemort. The books describe Dumbledore as a classic wizard; tall and thin, with long silver hair that looks long enough to tuck into his belt and a long beard. He has twinkling, blue eyes, a very long and crooked nose, auburn hair and long fingers. He wears half-moon spectacles.

Throughout the series, Dumbledore does not give importance to the so-called "purity of blood" and believes that an individual's choices reflect one's character, rather than one's birth, blood or family, saying "it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be". Voldemort angrily refers to Dumbledore as "that champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles". Unlike most wizards, Dumbledore is not afraid to refer to Voldemort by name and instead addresses him as "Tom" when confronting him.
Characters in the books often remark that his greatest weakness is his willingness to trust those who may otherwise be considered untrustworthy. This trust is often criticised by those around him but is rarely questioned. He is frequently shown to have a great sense of humour, and often has a whimsical sense about him, especially during conflict, which can often infuriate those who are at odds with him. He is hardly ever impatient, and is always calm. He always makes a point to be polite, even to those whom one would consider his enemies. He is a great lover of music, calling it "A magic beyond all we do. He is really a funny, lovable yet powerful character in the series.

Of course, Harry Potter fans who already have read book 6 knows that our beloved headmaster was slain by Severus Snape. His funeral was filled by not only wizards and witches but also, creatures of different kinds like mermaids and giants. It wad indeed a great loss, like a very strong pillar of power suddenly collapsed.

I haven't read the last book of the series so I am really wondering how the other characters faced their enemies now that they have lacked in power and support. Yet, it an exciting thing to think about and watch out for.

Yet, for those who apart from reading the book, watched the Harry Potter movies can remember that "Dumbledore" already died before even before the book 5 was written by JK Rowling. I am talking about Richard Harris.

Richard St. John Harris, was the one who first paled the role as Dumbledore in Harry Potter movie 1 and 2. Harris initially declined the offer to play Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films wanting to commit to subsequent sequels. Upon learning that he had turned down the role, his granddaughter convinced him that he was "going to do it." He played the role of Headmaster Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter film adaptations, but died before filming commenced on the third movie.

Harris was born in Limerick on the 1st of October, 1930 and is one of the county's most famous children - other Limerick celebrities. Harris still calls the village of Kilkee his home, and still, when time allows, drinks in the Charlie St George on Limerick's Parnell St. As a lad, he studied at Crescent School where he excelled at both literature and rugby, then the Sacred Heart Jesuit college. His main dream was to play rugby for Ireland - as a boy he'd make his own ball from rags and rehearse glorious length-of-the-pitch tries. And he did come close, joining the legendary Garryowen club and, in 1951, winning a Munster senior cup medal. He played a rough game for a rough team - so rough that the name Garryowen has been given to the tactic of kicking the ball high in the air and descending en masse upon the poor unfortunate who tries to catch it.

He is multi awarded actor yet he is best known and remembered in his hell raising days. Drinking liquors like theres no tomorrow. True, his personality is a bit different form his role as Dumbledore.

Yet, I missed him a lot, especially when I watch the first Harry Potter filmd. I can not help but compare the way he acts to the "new" Dumbledore now, played by Sir Michael Gambon. Don't get me wrong, I love Michael Gambon and I believe that he portrays his role very well. He is fun to look at, he lookd like a caring and approachable headmaster. He really acts childish and mysteroius the way that Dumbledore should be yet he doesn't really fill the Dumbledorish aura unlike Sir Harris does. Harris has this certain aura, acretain glow, a certain look and elegance that defines a real Dumbledore.He looks like the one who has profound elegance and unmatched power and mystery yet has this loving and fatherly look and gestures. His blue eyes are shining , making his half moon spectales in the movie look like the real moon.

i just miss the way he moves in elegance and the way he comforts Harry(Daniel). He acts as if he is the real Dumbledore.

So I propose a toast, cheers to Harris and to Dumbledore. May he be in God's loving hands.

thanks to http://wikipedia.com and http://tiscali.co.uk/


Desperate Housewives and the racial sLur

"Desperate housewives and their racial slur..."

A headline that is now spreading like wild-fire..
Last night I was about to sleep when I heard a news about Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher and her popular show being pelted with comments of anger and disappointment. this is due to a scene in the premier episode in the fourth season of the show which was recently aired. In the said episode, Susan, Teri Hatcher's character said the line,
“Okay, before going further, can I check these diplomas cause I would just like to make sure that they’re not from some med school in the Philippines.”

The scene was that Teri was teasing her doctor because her doctor told her that she was experiencing signs of menopausal , and she refuses to believe it. As a last resort to explain why maybe the doctor was just mistaken she said the lines that are now causing so much raucous.

A lot of emails,forums and message boards have been posted in the internet, all of which expressing anger, discrimination and disappointment. US based doctors and nurses who graduated from the Philippines, most of which are home grown who chose to work in America were outraged. They were being degraded and so is the country's state of medical and educational level.

One of the email I saw on the web is quoted below:



Hello Kababayan,
I’m a Filipina living in Michigan and a proud Phil.Nursing Sch.graduate. I was outraged by last night’s episode and I’m glad many of us feel the same way. I have many friends who are doctors, nurses & physical therapists who work very very hard to make a living here, ABC owes us all an apology for that very insensitive remark.
I posted a bulletin in my Friendster Account this morning, here it is:

Date: Monday, October 1, 2007 5:07 AM
Subject: OFFENSIVE Remark Abt.FILIPINO DOCs on Des.Housewives
Message: Monday, Oct.01.07

I watched the Premiere of Desperate Housewives last night on ABC and was very offended by the remark of Teri Hatcher’s character about Filipino doctors. She said to her OB that she hopes “he’s not a graduate of some Philippine Med School”. I’m married to a Caucasian and you can just imagine how sensitive I am about racial matters. It was ONE line but I heard it loud and clear and I hated it. Why? because the writers were insensitive and that line was downright offensive to Filipino Doctors /healthcare workers and the whole Filipino Community as a whole. To think that SOOOO many Philippine grad.doc /nurses work here, how dare they include such line? I’m glad I’m NOT the only one who caught it, when I checked the show’s website message board, it is overflowing with sentiments as mine.



..For me, Teri Hatcher shouldn't be blamed for it whole scenario happening now.. She is just a actress who was given lines or script to internalize for her role. It was her job. The ones to be held responsible are the writers and the director of the controversial show. It was their job to produce funny yet witty lines to entertain their audience yet I don't think that what they wrote or what they showed was even an inch funny or witty.

..Being writers, being in the media, being in the entertainment business , they should be responsible in what they say and do, because if they don't they will pay a high price. The damage is already done. A lot have expressed their grief and angst on the on-going signature campaign to ban the show or even just have the ABC management send an apology to the Philippines and to those who were hurt by the show. Some people said that the only way for them to be totally forgiven is to make an apology or disclaimer directly on the show by the same character.

..The lesson to be learned here is that we must always be responsible to anything we say or do. We must make sure that it will not hurt any person and if does we must be ready to face the consequences.

..the scene of the Desperate Housewives episode can be seen below.










Wednesday, September 19, 2007

..ICEAN FestivaL..

..At the start of our semester the thing that most of us look forward to is the ICEAN festival.. Not only does it let us play and leave the big, bulky computer and nose bleeding programs for a while but it helps out take out stress and angst we have kept for a time.

....But then its still a stressing time since we, the Red Enigma team.. composed of 2nd-4th(5th)year IT students are very determined to win this year championship cup, since last year we lost against the CS students..

This year the festival went on like a breeze.. well, almost like a breeze..

its a bit tough because we have to pull people to join the events so that we will have an entry in every event. My peers and I have to see through that in every game and events in the festival we have an entry or participants and not just any other participants, they should be THE participants, the winning ones. We have to see thorough that every player has to have sustinants in between the games to give them more strength and have to cheer on and on for them. But then with all the adrenaline rush flying off everywhere some casualties occurred. For example, the Gadget of our teammates were stolen. They left it at a place they thought to be the safest yet they were proven wrong. Another is that one of our team mates got injured in the middle of the game thats why we were running around to pull other people that could replace him in the game and in other events that he ought to join.

Casualties as it may, it was still a fun time. With all the hilarious song and dance numbers presented by the performers. The event that really knocked me off was the MTV spoof and jingle making events where the hall turned to a really rowdy place from all the funny gestures, dance moves and lyrics presented by each team. In the end of it all we won the Championship for this year.Amen to that..!!

..video of one of our team entries on our musical event. JINGLE MAKING CONTEST



..video of our red enigma chorale






Thursday, September 6, 2007

...itzhimee..

..when i stared this blog i never posted anything that tackles about myself, my goals, beliefs..etcetera..

..well I think its about time to do so..

..As a start, well, I just turned 19 last September 2. A bit uneventful day that is. No party or friends around me because it was a Sunday. I just celebrated my birthday by going to the church and hoping around town..

..Its nice to finally go to church after I went on a long hiatus from it.. Well, its more of laziness than hiatus really. And actually I am not proud of it..
..And I think that God forgave me though because after the mass, luck has arrived at my doorstep..

..Good things came and still are coming my way.. I passed the quizzes, earned a bit of dough and our festival is only days away..

..i am interested in books but more on fantasy stories like Harry Potter series.i LOVE anime, surfing the web, and clowning around..
..i am already in my third year(irregular, for references just comment on this post). Sadly I only have two subjects right now.. Nevertheless I still love going to school
not only for learning but also for the boys(slight.!) and gossips.

..The thing that I hate about myself is that I don't have a dream or goal in life. Like what should I do for a living or what is my type of guy.. I can't really decide things on my own because I am full of uncertainty. I always worry and regret even if I hate to do so yet its shou ga nai. I am also pessimistic and perfectionist.

..The thing I like about myself is that I love doing stuff with people especially with my friends. In times of problems and sadness I can easily find ways to cheer myself up. I like to cheer up people, its one of my gifts in life.

..Over-all , I am a pessimistic but fun loving person. Till next time. 0_0



Sunday, September 2, 2007

GrEek AnthoLogy

1

it is not love to love the fair
And feast one's eyes on beauty rare,
For beauty all men's gaze enthralls,
Nor for a lovers rapture calls.

Nay, he alone true love doth knows,
Who pays no heed to outward show,
And Though his Mistress homely be,
Still finds in her the perfect She.

2

A lad knows nothing of the woes
that we poor lasses bear,
Among his comrades blithe he goes,
And his friend his sorrows share.

He has his games, whenever he please,
He strolls from street to street,
He find delight in all he sees,
His eyes bright colors meet.

but we poor girls are hid away
We never see the light,
We brood in solitude by day
and weep alone at night.

We live as though in dungeons sealed,
Where no men ever come,
Unkissed, uncourted, unrevealed,
pale prisoners of the home.


HaRRy pOTTer wOes and whEezes

In book 1 it mentions that the snake in the zoo winked at Harry. Harry can't be blamed for being so surprised, as snakes don't have movable eyelids.

  • When Hagrid comes and gets Harry out of the little hut on the rock, they use the boat that the Dursleys used to get to the rock. So how do the Dursleys get off the rock?

  • Harry's letter from Hogwarts says he may bring a cat, an owl, or a toad, but Ron brings his rat, Scabbers.

  • Harry looked up at the Sorting Stool, there were only three people left to be sorted, Professor McGonagall calls the names of four more people instead.

  • At the beginning of the chess match, Ron is the knight in the giant chess set. However, it later says that he had to 'move ahead one' so the Queen could take him, opening the path for Harry to checkmate the king. If he was a knight, he could only move 1) ahead one, sideways two, or 2) ahead two, sideways one, like an "L."

  • At the end of the second book Dumbledore tells Harry that Lord Voldemort is the last remaining ancestor of Salazar Slytherin. But it should say that Lord Voldemort is the last remaining descendant of Salazar Slytherin.

  • The first day of classes in Hogwarts is Sept 1, why is their Sept 1 always a Monday.

  • The cover of Prisoner of Azkaban (American version) clearly depicts the night that Harry and Hermione save Sirius and Buckbeak. That night is also supposed to be a full moon, as stated in the book. However, on the back side of the cover, the moon appears to be crescent when it should be a full moon.

  • In the UK version of POA, page 45 primarily states that Harry is being waited on by the manager of Flourish and Blotts. The manager takes him to the Divination section and takes down Unfogging the Future. However, after Harry is fixated on the Death Omens book, the manager is suddenly referred to as the "assistant."

  • When Mr. Weasley is arguing with Mrs. Weasley at the Leaky Cauldron, he says, "You know what Harry and Ron are like, wandering off by themselves--they've ended up in the Forbidden Forest twice!" Ron has only been in the Forbidden Forest once--to see Aragog in COS.

  • In the American version of Prisoner of Azkaban, page 72, first paragraph, it states that "Harry and Ron led the way to the end of the train, past packed compartments, to a carriage that looked quite empty. They loaded the trunks onto it, stowed Hedwig and Crookshanks in the luggage rack, then went back outside..."

    On page 74, it states that "Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off down the corridor, looking for an empty compartment, but all were full except for the one at the very end of the train. This one had only one occupant, a man sitting fast asleep next to the window."

    They had just put their belongings into an empty compartment, so they didn't need to look for another.

    On page 76, it states, "A faint, tinny sort of whistle was coming from somewhere. They looked all around the compartment. 'It's coming from your trunk, Harry,' said Ron, standing up and reaching into the luggage rack."

    Their trunks couldn't have been in that compartment as they had stowed them in another one.

  • In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, American paperback version, page 186, paragraph 10, there are no end quotes when Professor Lupin is talking. It says, "'They planted the Whomping Willow the same year that I arrived at Hogwarts. People used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy called Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it. No broomstick would have a chance." T

  • Prisoner of Azkaban, UK edition, it says, "Harry felt strangely unreal, and even more so when he saw Buckbeak a few yards away, tethered to a tree behind Hagrid's pumpkin patch." Later, on page 293, however, it says, "Harry began to fumble with the rope tying Buckbeak to the fence." Here Buckbeak is tied to a fence, not a tree.

  • Throughout the series, the future Hufflepuff prefect is referred to as "Ernie Macmillan." However, on page 244 of the American hardcover edition of POA, his last name is spelled "McMillan."

  • In book 3 is says that all of the players on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team ride on Cleansweep Sevens. However, on page 254 (American) and page 188 (UK) it states that Wood told Harry that Cho Chang (Ravenclaw Seeker) rides a Comet Two Sixty.

  • On page 324, it says that after his exam with Professor Trelawney, "Harry got up, picked up his bag and turned to go." But when Professor Trelawney began her prediction, the book then says, "Her eyes started to roll. Harry sat there in a panic." How could Harry be sitting when it states that he got up right before Professor Trelawney began her prediction?

  • "Ron crawled to the four-poster and collapsed onto it." But then when Professor Lupin comes in, it says, "His eyes flickered over Ron, lying on the floor." This cannot be, as Ron is lying on the bed.

  • In the American version of Prisoner Of Azkaban, when the group is exiting the Whomping Willow, it states: "Black saw Snape up through the hole, then stood back for Hermione and Harry to pass."

    But then on page 408, after Harry and Hermione turned back time and are watching their other selves, "They saw Lupin, Ron, and Pettigrew clambering awkwardly out of the hole in the roots. Then came Hermione...then the unconscious Snape, drifting weirdly upward. Next came Harry and Black."

    The order is different. The first time, it's Snape, Harry, Hermione, and Sirius. The second time, it's Hermione, Snape, Harry, and Sirius.

  • "Hagrid turned around and headed back into his cabin, leaving the back door ajar." This allows Harry and Hermione to hear the conversation inside. Then, on page 402, it says: "Hagrid's back door had opened with a bang." How can it open again, since it was never closed?


Monday, August 27, 2007

>>scarlet<<

Can you still see your dreams
in the distant, starry sky?
Are they more vivid than they
were when you were little?

When one forgets to put the
emotions that overflow in her heart
to rest, they burn the color of passion.

Dreams are more fragile and fleeting
than a glass rose,
so then why are we destined to dream?

Sometimes two dreams can turn into love,
but there are also times when they can't.

Even when they're alone,
people want to share their feelings,
but it can be so hard.
Words are powerless to express one's feelings,
and sometimes they become a silver knife.

I used to believe without a doubt that
I could reach my dreams,
no matter how far off they were.
But that me from long ago now sleeps
inside my heart.


Can you still see your dreams
in the distant, starry sky?
Are they more vivid than they
were when you were little?

When one forgets to put the
emotions that overflow in her heart
to rest, they burn the color of passion.

Dreams are more fragile and fleeting
than a glass rose,
so then why are we destined to dream?

Sometimes two dreams can turn into love,
but there are also times when they can't.

Even when they're alone,
people want to share their feelings,
but it can be so hard.
Words are powerless to express one's feelings,
and sometimes they become a silver knife.

I used to believe without a doubt that
I could reach my dreams,
no matter how far off they were.
But that me from long ago now sleeps
inside my heart.