Meredith Palmer

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is probably my least favorite book of the series. It may be because I read it within 72 hours while flying all across the country, or because I spent the majority of that time trying to figure out whether I should trust Snape or not, Harry’s ridiculous trust in the book that I kept thinking could be Voldemort all over again (seriously!?), and of course all the Hermione and Ron drama; but either way, I don’t look back on it fondly (and this was before I knew the ending).

Similar to the Fourth book, the opening of the Half-Blood Prince was entertaining and created a picture outside our normal understanding of Harry Potter. It was also interesting to see Dumbledore’s interaction with the Dursleys, Professor Slughorn who seemed to be a combination of Draco and Gilderoy Lockhart, and of course, seeing the twins great success and finally their mother’s approval.

Another thing I enjoyed in this story is how we slowly learn more about Voldemort along with Harry, seeing how he grew up and how Dumbledore slowly deciphered who he was and what he was up to. But overall, the story for me focuses on whether Harry is right about Draco and Snape, and for both, I feel the results are mixed. In the very end Snape was technically doing everything for Harry’s mother Lily and for Dumbledore, but at the same time he was a ‘double-agent’ and working with the Death Eaters even though his true intentions were very well hidden. Two things: I’d like to know how he convinced Voldemort he was still a true Death Eater as Voldemort seemed to hold him in high regard, and, how did Harry eventually explain all the true intentions of Snape to the others, did they believe him? They trusted in Snape as long as Dumbledore was alive but after that, they believed he had been fooled. With Draco, yes he was trying to do all these secret things to try and murder Dumbledore, but only because he had to, he really didn’t want to and while Harry had mostly matured this was something he couldn’t get past, he couldn’t see that while Draco was a prick, he also could be a victim.

What I do really appreciate about this year that was enjoyable, is the solidification of Harry’s friends, whether part of the Slug Club, Quidditch team or not, this year showed that those involved in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries were Harry’s true friends and he knew that: Neville, Luna and Ginny, along with his core friends Hermione and Ron. Regardless of whatever anyone else thought of him. This is seen even more so when Dumbledore tells Harry to only tell Ron and Hermione about the Horcruxes

Also, there was some fun magic in here: Felix Felices, the Unbreakable Bow, anything the twins created

World Refugee Day, من از زندگی تو سپاسگزارم ( I thank you for my life--google) 

صلح (Peace)

StellaLuna, Archie, and other picture books

Many "kids books" don't have pictures, many " adult books" do. While an overuse of pictures can dumb-down the story the final picture in A Picture of Dorian Gray and the pictures of some of the mountain climbers and map of Everest in Into Thin Air created emphasis and added to the story. It's important also to note that while not always, "kids books" or picture books aren't actually always just for children.

I was probably too young to read the Archie comic books when I read them, as with most things I did with my parents. But at 11 or later at night there was little else at the newsstand, that's what was available and it worked to keep me occupied at a time long before smartphones or portable DVD players. A few years later books were used again as part of a reward system: 100 books and I could get a pet. These were good moves, while there is a fine line between bribing and inspiring, in this case I was inspired with that list being one of the biggest factors into reading all the very adult books I read today, even thou most of those books were ones that I knew were kids books even then when it took me less than an hour to read some.

StellaLuna was a story about a bat, and long story short, it’s about how who you love determines your family, the harms of trying to fit into a mould and is a stuffed animal that remains on my bed to this day. So really, let's stop hating the picture books, stop thinking those that do are dumb or bland, let's just stop being book-snobs. Picture books aren't low brow, and Shakespeare isn't the holy grail.

it’s all I ever wanted to be

Roy Anderson

Roy’s Best Moment: Season Two, Episode Fifteen: Boys and Girls

When he went up to Jim, said he heard the rumor about Jim ‘having a crush on Pam’ and that it was no big deal because he knows he’s a good guy and it was a long time ago.

Roy’s Worst Moment: Season Two, Episode Sixteen: Valentine’s Day

When Pam tell Roy that she is upset that he didn’t get her anything for Valentine’s Day “Well, Valentine’s Day isn’t over. Let’s get you home, and you are gonna get the best sex of your life”

Roy’s Best Line: Season Three, Episode Eighteen: The Negotiation

When he gets upset that Pam won’t try to date Jim after they break up again

“Wait a minute, you broke off our wedding for the guy--You mean you’re not even gonna try to go out with him? I don’t get you Pam”

Roy’s Most Memorable Moment: Season Two, Episode Twenty-Two: Casino Night

When he hired Kevin to play the wedding band after seeing Kevin lose at Casino night.

North by Northwest

I think I first saw North by Northwest when I think I was around nine or ten, I loved it instantly. Interestingly on-point with today’s Russian-US spy conspiracies with the added accuracy of the US going “eh”. Similar to soap operas, it’s a comedic-drama (more known now as dramedy) where it’s so ridiculous how things keep going so wrong (the miss-identification, the murder, the blanks). A good film on its own (and according to many) this was also my first introduction to Cary Grant, creating its own place of nostalgia for my film list.

The house at the mountain scene and the train are what I think of when I think of this film.  While I don’t particularly remember what happens where or when, constant nods to its presence in tv and other films reflect its relevance not just for me as it is an instant classic that will always be able to be enjoyed.

PS—Shout out to Rear Window, while actually released prior to North by Northwest I saw after but connect the two more than I do Rear Window’s Remake (Distubria) due to their aesthetic. I like this film as well for its suspense and alloying you to unfold the mystery with “Jeff” as opposed to just watching him

Robert Muller Testimony

Today's Robert Muller testimony highlights a very complicated, a long-haul change in how news and all media are shared, expressed and consumed. 

Both sides don't expect more to be said that has already been divulged in the report. But with the report being 400 pages and written as a legal document, it is confusing for those who do not have experience with law documents, that style of writing and that it is too long for the average American who is working and would need more background to understand the smaller details. Immediately 3% of the US was expected to read the Muller report based on Amazon sales, but buying something off Amazon is not the same as definitely reading the report and definitely not the entire report. Separately, understanding what is written is an entirely different arena. This brings us back to the overall shift in information (both fact and fiction) and the main purpose of today's hearing-- the idea is that those who cannot or aren't interested in all the nuances of the report, be told in a form they are used to so they may understand the majority and most crucial parts of Muller's research and findings. 

Breaking the hearing up and preparing it to be recorded allows us to consume the information how we're most used to it, short clips marked to become viral. But is the official line in the sand, separating the previous time of detailed, historic and verified facts from news and stories that we won't bother with until they can be easily binged; did we cross that line long ago, and if we have crossed it--how soon until we regret it

Closed

Ahhhhh! As someone who loves a local library and rare bookstores, getting up early in the morning to get to the next book in a series, or because a book you’ve been waiting for has come in or just  thinking you want to reread a favorite you don’t own and then you see the “uh-oh” group of patrons who also forgot a schedule change, random holiday, short day the library is closed group is crushing. 

I’ll never get over that feeling. I ended up looking forward to the summer being over because that’s when the library had better hours. 

20th Year of Harry Potter

Nineteen years ago in the US (September 1st, 1998) Harry Potter was released. Hearing of it’s success in the UK, my mother ran out and got it for us to read together. While It would not become more common in my community for another few years, it quickly became very important to me. My mother read it to me at night the first time around, miss-pronouncing Hermione until my dad who grew up for a time in England corrected her, and then I read it many times over to where the book started to fall apart. 

The Harry Potter series is a big deal for many reasons, and has shaped our world and helped us connect with more than just the theme parks, midnight book releases, Emma Watson, movies and expansions such as Quidditch Throughout the Ages. The story of Harry Potter has shown the ridiculousness of racism, the promotion of helping those less fortunate, of doing what is morally right and reminding us that what we see is not always accurate as with depression or social differences. The Harry Potter world created by J.K. Rowling (who I also first assumed was a male) was the first apocalyptic universe where everyone was fighting to survive, but also win the world for good; and make the world better. Hermione Granger might not have been the main protagonist as with following series that all became about the sole female heroine, but she was the first to be brave regardless of her fears, rely on her smarts, and always be there for her friends. In studies the Harry Potter series have been noted as a large influence on combating race and social-class status as the absurdity of separation on these qualities were shown in the books with werewolves, elves and with half-bloods and muggles. While not the sole supporter or eye-opener, it is a reason why younger generations believe it is their responsibility to make sure everyone is treated with equality and respect. 

September 1st is widely known in the Harry Potter Universe as the day that those who were fortunate enough to receive their Hogwarts letters would get on the Hogwarts Express and get to begin their official journey into the wizarding world, and while intended enough, it is when those in the US were able to join as well with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In this story, we were Harry, we were learning everything as he did--something that would continue for the rest of the series (very eloquently referenced with each new book I might add) that entranced us. But more than with the wizarding world, we were like Harry in learning about the problems arising and feeling that we had to stop it, how it was our duty to stop it, part of what has spread outside the pages to common activism and empathy in our day to day lives. Again we were Harry Potter, we were young, new to this world and with our humbled experience prior, we wonder if this world we were growing into was as magical and perfect as we were led to believe. This is what this Harry Potter journey taught us and continues to remind us, that not everything perfect or fair but that we can all, individually make a difference