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Bartemius Crouch Senior

I love Barty Crouch Senior, I just do. Maybe it’s because when we meet him I just see this bright man who got shafted by his family, the public and was alone; I feel for him. Now, he’s not perfect. We know that he could be cruel, as we see with him and Winky and hear from others in regards to the trails of other Death Eaters not connected to his son. But while he was ambitious and made mistakes as department head, they were misguided mistakes and not with the background of the mistakes or self-promotion ones made by Fudge or Scrimgeour. And while we hear about how he was an absentee father working late at the ministry, we know Barty Crouch Jr. had his mother to over-indulge him similar to how I believe James Potter was overindulged, and we know that Barty Crouch Sr. adored his wife so I feel there were limits or levels to his cruelty, especially as at any moment he could have handled his son differently after his wife passed, but he didn’t.  

How Barty Crouch Dr. became who he was, we’ll never know, but once brought to the light I feel that Barty Crouch Sr. wasn’t as shocked as he would otherwise be, he just wasn’t in denial anymore. Maybe Barty Crouch Jr.’s nature turned his father away from him and not the other way around because regardless of the speculation that Barty Crouch Jr. might have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, we know that’s not true. Barty Crouch Jr. was a proud Death Eater. When it comes to Barty Crouch Sr.’s errors, I put them more in line with Dumbledore’s. While not as understanding of his own faults, Barty Crouch Sr. was not malicious, but strict. Why he could not get the sympathy following the death of his wife and child as Dumbledore had with his sister I don’t understand. Barty Crouch Sr.’s main fault seemed to be in his appearance of being cruel (also alluded to in why Ludo Bagman got more praise than him) because the public first hated that he sentenced his son so ‘unfairly’ by treating him like any other Death Eater, then blaming him when he died in Azkaban, then hating him when they found out he had taken him from Azkaban but had him imprisoned in his home….I think they just wanted to hate him.

Bartemius Crouch Senior was not perfect or innocent, but for the most part, he tried to do what he believed was best for the world even if his methods to get there are more than questionable, and, he honoured his wife more than anything, which counts for something. His story reminds us that life isn’t fair but it is complicated.

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

Into Thin Air

I’m still in the process of reading this book for the first time, but as I slowly read thru their final days on the Summit, I know this book will be with me forever. Not even knowing the events beforehand Jon Krakauer’s words will break you; you are only able to remove yourself so much as he highlights impending consequences of what were the best-made decisions. Little, inconsequential choices and feelings in crucial moments that were unknown to him at the time turn out to be the worst of his life, you can feel them now—you can feel his sorrow, guilt and pain.

His words are intensified by quotes included by other climbers and authors about climbing, about life and about death. I have added his other works onto my list, as never before have I been able to see a world so clearly, been in the place of someone so closely, feeling their heart within mine. He is an amazing writer, for lack of more deserving words and praise, and I wish peace upon all those in his, and similar stories.

June 12th 2018: National Die-in

Two years ago was a bad time for Orlando Florida. In a short time, a child had been ripped away from the beach and his parents and killed by an alligator, the Zika virus had become more prominent and in the early morning hours of June 12th, 49 people had been murdered in the largest domestic terror incident in the US history, and the highest casualty terror incident in US history except for 911.

At the time I was going to Orlando for a vacation, and to visit family, and while I noted how there was a lot going on as I heard about the attack in a taxi cab later that morning, I had come to a more startling realization. I had no reaction, I knew it was upsetting, I knew many had been murdered and I was sad but I was not shocked, confused, or in wonder.

The incident at Pulse was the first acknowledgement that I had become desensitized to mass casualty incidents, to terrorism, to violence and to hate. Thinking back, maybe this should have been a warning to the outcome of the 2016 Presidential elections that were focused and promoted hate, elitism, and close-mindedness. At this moment, 12-minute Die-in’s, are happening in remembrance of these losses and in honour those who were taken by working towards lessening these events in the future

Dunder Mifflin is a part of..Say-ber (Sabre)

Hopped of the train in Scranton, PA

Another cloudy, grey afternoon

Home of the Railriders and Scranton Miners

Did you pack your snow shoes?

 Jumped in the cab

Here you are for the first time

Look to the right and you see the-electric-city-sign

This is gonna be a good day

For Dunder Mifflin and Sabre

The stock markets going crazy and you really don’t know us

Too much pressure and you’re nervous

That’s when the taxi man turned on the radio

And the music took over your brain

And you thought this might be insane

But you decided to try and stay

 So you put your hands up

You take a deep breathe

The butterflies will fly away

Your noddin’ your head like yeah

Straighten your tie like yeah

You got your hands up

You’ve done this before

We’re all gonna be o-kay

Yeah, yeah, ye-eh-yeah

Dunder Mifflin is a part of Sabre

 Get to the office in your taxi cab

Everybody’s looking at you now

Like “Whose in charge, whose calling the shots”

Is this gonna all work out?

So hard with the sun down by seven

Hope you don’t get seasonal depression

‘Cause it all gets cold and starts to snow

I guess you never got the memo

The stock markets going crazy and you really don’t know us

Too much pressure and you’re nervous

That’s when the Andy and Erin jumped center stage

So they could sing you a welcome song

So we could all sing you this song

And we hope you sing along

 So you put your hands up

You take a deep breathe

The butterflies fly away

Your noddin’ your head like yeah

We’re noddin’ our hears like yeah

You got your hands up

You’ve done this before

We’re all gonna be o-kay

Yeah, yeah, ye-eh-yeah

Dunder Mifflin is a part of Sabre

 Feel like skipping on that flight (on that flight)

Tallahassee’s just alright (alright)

Something her feels just right (just right)

It’s that welcome song that let’s you know you’re gonna Be! Al-right!

So you put your hands up -> Dunder Millfin is a part of Sabre (x2)

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

Sadako and the Thousand paper cranes was the true story of Sadako Sasaki, who was a child when the atom bombs were dropped in Japan during World War II. She was only 12 years old when she died from Leukemia developed from the bombs—a fate similar to many children who were young when the bombs were dropped, linked to the effects of radiation. In the novel she tries to make 1,000 origami paper cranes that when completed will allow her to wish to heal, in real life she is able to make over 1,000 cranes but still dies, her wish not coming true.

The story of Sadako is known worldwide and impacts many as it is the story of a young child’s want to live and persistence. The story of Sadako also reminds all about how war is not a small or controllable action: there are many, many unforeseen consequences—and many that are foreseeable are ignored. Whether she folds the 1,000 paper cranes or not, the aspect of the story that hits me the most is how much she wanted to live, how much she did and didn’t understand (a lot of which was no understandable) and the love that surrounded her and surrounds other communities during a tragedy. A symbol of peace and innocence, this is a story that should always be shared, even when the days of war have ended.  

It's a great goal, but really, just keep reading at whatever pace you can do and enjoy. It's not a race. I love reading because I enjoy seeing and learning something different. Not always, but those books you read when you then have to look up stuff and find more books to read and things you want to learn. But also the books where you can really breathe it in and reflect. Those are the big things, the big moments in reading, but really the small moments are great too. There is the heartbreaking story that's only six words: "For sale: Baby shoes,never worn" So much can come from so little and the same is so with reading. Don't feel overwhelmed, just keep reading, don't feel bad when you maybe need to take a break for a few days. Don't worry too much about what you read, just read and read and read

I’m happy for her an all, but notably sad for myself. I gasped when I saw this on the News. Love her, holding it in for her Netflix stuff. 

BREAKING: Leslie Jones will not be returning for SNL’s 45th season

When you realize Emma probably can’t shoot a gun because Kieran taught her

The Gift of Fear

Not all books can be comforting, not all books are make-believe, not all books are heart-racing suspenseful; Gavin De Becker’s The Gift of Fear is all three. Gavin De Becker, the author, shares with us the stories of his clients who were raped by strangers, celebrities stalked by ‘regular people’, obsessed coworkers and more. He dissects them to show them, and us, where and when we should trust our gut and how it really isn’t our gut, but our logical mind setting off warning flags that society has told us to ignore.

I’m reminded of an SVU episode wherein thinking she’s just being racist, a young white girl allows a big black guy into her apartment to help her unload her groceries—she didn’t need the help, and she wasn’t being racist, there was something about him that she knew was off but told herself she should ignore it and then got raped. There are people who are racist, this book nor I ignore that, but just as women have been taught to smile, we have all been taught to be kind and understanding—even when we shouldn’t be. Sometimes it doesn’t matter much, but sometimes it means the end of our lives. He reminds us, me, of the phrase “look at someone’s actions, not at someone’s words”—he reminds us that people choose to be nice, charming—it doesn’t mean they are. He gives a list and more descriptions about Pre-Incident Indicators: methods used by those trying to get something from you that they are used to people ignoring:

Trying to make you two a team

Making you feel sympathy

Locking you down and trying to force a connection

Making a situation where you feel it’d be rude to not speak to THIS COMPLETE STRANGER

Trying to get you into your debt

Trying to make a deal with you, when really they could just leave

Refusing to hear the word no

People say this book could save your life, no. It reminds you that you already have the power to save and fight for your life, you just have to recondition yourself to listen to yourself and trust what someone is showing you. The aspects of this book being real and harrowing are obvious, the issues of comforting is how it allows us to trust ourselves again. This book isn’t just for young women, mothers, or the elderly. I’ve shared this book with managers, coworkers, friends and more. Share this book, read it’s tales and learn how you can survive. It’s awful, but as we know have work-place shootings as part of our fire safety, and the access the internet provides others with our personal details, this book is only becoming more important