Thursday night was DC United vs Chelsea. We got there a bit late, but didn't miss any goals, and it was the best half of soccer I think I have ever witnessed. DC United played phenomenally against England's best club team and scored first! The crowd went berserk (we had seats right behind the Screaming Eagles). Chelsea quickly pulled even, but DC continued to dominate ball control throughout the first 45. The teams headed into the locker room tied at one, and since both teams came out with drastically different lineups, DC tied Chelsea in my book.
The second half was played very differently, in front of a much subdued crowd, as the second stringers took over. Chelsea's second line is much better than DC's: they dictated play and added one goal to their tally. Over 30,000 came out to cheer on DC though: our group consisted of 14 people--a great draw for soccer on a weeknight.
This weekend, Ann and I helped Chu move into her place at UVA law. U-haul screwed us over in terms of truck rental, but Ann was gracious enough to let us use her mini-van. Moving took most of the day, but we arrived in C-ville in time for dinner. We gambolled around University Hall, and stopped in at a very dorky game shop, where I bought Settlers of Catan (now I don't have to rely on others to have it). Dinner in U-Hall was quite tasty.
Sunday I helped Chu continue to move in and then I spent the evening watching the O's get demolished by the White Sox, Jack McCoy lock up criminals, Ellen DeGeneres be funny, and the Governor of CA kill lots of people on Mars while unlocking the secrets to an ancient alien device that creates an atmostphere on the red planet.
QOTD: "That reminds me of this shirt that I like because it has my nickname on it--it says 'Jesus saves; Everyone else takes full damage.'"
Haven't written in a while since work has been hectic this week and I'm working on my present for Karen's and Mike's early August wedding. But I had a very pleasant weekend, which balances out the stress of these past two days.
Friday night we threw E Bars a surprise birthday party. The guest were supposed to show up in "half formal attire" (e.g., tux top and biker short), but I was pretty much the only one to do so. I wore dress pants, with one sock-Teva combo, and the rattiest t-shirt I own. Thus, I looked ridiculous enough for people to immediately realize that I didn't dress like this on accident, and was, in fact, following the directions on the e-vite. Bit of a Bridget Jones/Elle Woods moment, but a fun party nonetheless.
Saturday included three action-packed affairs. The first soiree was a send-off for Jenna, who is now working at an organic farm. The party fare was vegetarian and organic, and I strayed from the reservation a bit with my tasty, though store-bought, key lime pie. The next celebration was a toast to the recently-married Colleen and Miroslav--we gathered at Loriol Plaza and others went out dancing, while I traveled to my third engagement of the evening.
Driving a couple miles downtown, I joined Allison's and LaBolt's apartment-warming party near midnight and stayed til about 2am. Met some interesting people, including one who works in Leader Reid's office. There were also some very drunk people, and the police apparently arrived earlier in the evening to quiet everyone down. A successful evening.
Sunday, I took some time for myself (to appease the introvert in me) before attending Eily's condo-warming gathering. We had a nice view from the roof of a crazy amount of police activity--they had closed off part of the East-West Hwy in fact. Many of Eily's guests were grad students, and they shared their stories as I took mental notes in preparation for my Princeton adventures.
Tuesday, I cut out of work early (only to return later) to attend the Bris of Rafi, son of Eva and Issac. Unfortunately, I did not arrive in time to see the snip-snip part of the affair. There was quite the large MIT Hillel presence at the party, and we got caught up in each others lives. After a humorous speech by Isaac (as we've all come to expect), we benched and parted ways. But, NJ seems to be in the middle of the Boston-NYC-MD Jewish corridor, so I have a feeling I'll be seeing these people again in the near future.
Tonight: Maya's birthday dinner. Tomorrow: DC United vs Chelsea.
Today's LOTD is socks and teva themed
Below the fold is my analysis for Book 6. For those that haven't finished or for you non-HP fans, here is a great LOTD: Episode III: The Backstroke Of The West (warning: if you open this at work be prepared for others to ask what you are laughing so hard at).
First, let's review my predictions:
1) I agree with Sheri in saying that Harry's year will be more normal than abnormal. Check! The abnormal year looks to be Book 7. Score: 1/1.
2) I look forward to the return of Quidditch, with Harry captaining the team and the usual number of Weasley members (now Ron and Ginny). I'm on a roll: 2/2.
3) I've heard that Harry's stay at the Dursley's will be rather short, so look for a big revelation about Aunt Petunia in Book 7, not Book 6. Some inside information here, but I'll take the easy point: 3/3.
4) Thus, the DEs will have to engage in hit-and-run tactics, with one such attack almost certainly occurring at Hogwarts. Wow, my predictions started off well: 4/4.
5) The new Minister of Magic will either be Lucius Malfoy or Amelia Bones. A big strike out here: it didn't even occur to me that they'd be able to keep Lucius locked up: 4/5.
6) I think the Half-Blood Prince will be a new character. Survey says...X. Whoops, 4/6.
7) I'm intrigued by this editorial on Seamus and hope that it comes into play. Half credit, as Slytherin's ring did come into play, just not on Seamus's finger: 4.5/7.
8) We'll also get new information that helps confirm the Changling Hypothesis. Bingo! More discussion below: 5.5/8.
9) Yep, but only more flirting, nothing major, between Harry/Luna and Hermione/Ron (a very unoriginal prediction, I know). This prediction looked so accurate half-way through, but ended up completely off: 5.5/9.
10) Yes, I think Wormtail is done for. I really should have stopped while I was ahead, but could anyone have thought that Dumbledore wouldn't be around for the last installment?!
Final score: 5.5/10, which I suppose is reasonable.
Overall, I thought Book 6, while a fantastic read, needed a plot line that threaded the entire book. Years 3 and 5 had this element (Sirius and the dream, respectively) and I think that puts them ahead of Book 6 in terms of quality. The Horcruxes will dominate Book 7, and I have high hopes for the final story.
I must ask, does Snape really make sense as the Half-Blood Prince? He was, according to Sirius, a child prodigy, but in spells and not in potions. Sirius also mentions that Snape was always interested in Dark Arts, but again doesn't mention potions. Note that Snape would have to be well-versed in the theory (chemical engineering) of potions to have come up with all the amendments to the text in his book. None of the Harry's Sanpe-taught potions classes deal with the theory of potions--they are all "copy this recipe from the blackboard and execute." Not worthy of the Half-Blood Prince, if you ask me.
Also, why would Snape want to advertise himself as a "Half-blood?" We see him calling Lily a "mudblood" in Book 5, and both Slytherins and YKW prefer purebloods. The moniker just doesn't make sense for a self-hating half-blood.
Continuing on the Snape theme (the book is named for him after all), how do his OotP actions make sense given that he was always loyal to YKW? He could have let Harry go to the MoM without alerting the Order--none of the other teachers noticed that Harry was missing: Snape had a large plausible deniability argument. Of course, this line of reasoning invites the question, why was Snape looking for Harry's return from the forrest in the first place?
Given JK's interview with the MuggleNet and Leaky Couldron leaders, it seems clear that Snape is evil and did not kill Dumbledore on the headmaster's own orders. Alas, Snape is lost to the dark side, though I suppose there could be redemption in Book 7.
Also, why did Dumbledore give Snape the DADA position if he knew it was cursed by YKW? We, as readers, (I think) had always assumed that the DADA curse was set upon by Snape (since we never knew that YKW wanted the job). But Dumbledore must have figured that YKW's curse would continue even if he appointed Snape and therefore Snape would have to leave Hogwarts after this year. And why would Dumbledore want Snape out if the headmaster trusts him? (Unfortunately, I don't think we'll ever have this question answered.)
Speaking of Dumbledore, on the astronomy tower, why couldn't he have blocked Draco's spell and then frozen Harry? His odd choice of actions just made his death that much more frustrating.
I also noted that while the Felix Felicis potion worked well for Ginny and Ron, it certainly didn't help Luna and Hermione discover that Snape was a traitor when he stupified Professor Flitwick...bit of a hole there, but nothing major.
On to more important matter: R.A.B? I think, as do the rest of HP fans who post on the Internet, that R.A.B is Regulus Black. Sirius mentions that he has an uncle Alphard, which is (was?) probably Regulus's middle name. Regulus is probably dead, although we have no concrete evidence of that (Sirius intimates that he never saw his brother's body). The location of the true locket/Horcrux is hidden in Book 5, and I leave it as an excercise to the reader to find the reference (or do a quick Google search ;).
And finally: the Changling Hypothesis! If you don't know what I am talking about read this editorial (and the one that follows it) right NOW. Maline, with the help of those at Red Hen, were truly prescient (and not in the John Kerry sense of the word). This theory, which keeps getting more and more support from the cannon indicates that Harry is a Horcrux. Remember, that Dumbledore did say that YNW was had only completed five of the six Horcruxes when he killed James and Lily, and that he was preparing to use those killings as a way to divide his soul for the final time. Thus, it is not a far leap to suggest that half of YKW's soul was magically and accidentally propelled into Harry's body. This theory explains Harry's ability to speak Parseltounge, the sorting hat's desire to place him in Slytherin, and Harry's expertise at DADA. My only question is: who is going to tell Harry that part of Voldemort is inside of him?
As Chicklet said while she was visiting, good thing Bush nominated Roberts to the High Court, because the voice of white men is really underrepresented on the Supremes. Sigh, if only Bush had listened to his wife or Justice O'Connor.
In better news, even though the musicians were sexist and attempted to impede her assent, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra hired Marin Alsop as their new conductor and musical director. At least there's progress somewhere...
Also, "Take Me Out" was a fantastic play, which details why there are no openly gay, professional athletes. Some of the acting was just phenomenal. Also, there's a lot of locker room male nudity, which makes the acting more impressive. We gave them a standing ovation.
Friday night, we went over to Maya and Miranda's to pick up our copies of HBP at the Borders across the street. After retrieving our numbers for a place in line earlier in the evening, we were somewhat disappointed by the lack of fanfare at midnight. I got through two-thirds of the book that evening before my head finally hit the couch around 5am.
I had to wake up a few hours later to go butts tubing on the Potomac in the Harpers Ferry area. We managed to successfully avoid the potential for thunderstorms, and generally had a very relaxing time. I got sunburned on my feet for the first time in my life and looked like an idiot when my tub flipped over due to a small whitewater wave (happens to the best of us). I continued to read HBP on the way to and back of butts tubing, which made me a bit of an anti-socialite.
We raced back from Harpers Ferry since I had a soccer game to play in and Nick had to pick up Amy and Washington-National, but my game was canceled (the storms finally hit) and her flight was delayed, so all the hustle and the bustle was for naught. My game being canceled allowed me to finish up Harry Potter by 6pm, only 18 hours after I got my hands on it. (Trust me, there will be a [long] post on my thoughts in a couple days after most people are done with it.)
Sunday night I went to the Capital Steps with Chicklet who were performing at the national Hadassah convention (which is why Chicklet is in town). We're also going to the play "Take Me Out" this evening, which has received rave reviews. My opinion will be up here shortly.
From today's WaPo, White House budget director Joshua Bolten:
The White House does include $37 billion in Iraq and Afghanistan war costs for 2006 and $13 billion in 2007, but Bolten said those costs will certainly be higher than that. The projection also includes no additional expenditures to fix the alternative minimum tax, a parallel income tax enacted to ensure the rich pay taxes but one that increasingly ensnares the middle class. Bolten acknowledged the AMT needs to be fixed, but he said it should be part of an overall tax reform effort that does not change total tax revenues.
If you decrease revenues by fixing the AMT, and you want to keep overall revenues constant, then you'll have to increase revenues elsewhere!
From today's Hotline
Boston Globe's McGrory writes, Santorum's '02 comments on the Catholic Online website regarding the priest/pedophile scandal have recently been brought to light. He wrote: "When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is no excuse for this scandal, it is no surprise that Boston, a seat of academic, political, and cultural liberalism in America, lies at the center of the storm."McGrory: "So thank you, senator, for setting us straight about the problems with the clergy. Thank you for letting us know that all those pedophilic priests and the church leaders who covered up their crimes are the fault of every Bostonian."
Santorum aide Robert Traynham: "It's an open secret that you have Harvard University and MIT that tend to tilt to the left in terms of academic biases. I think that's what the senator was speaking to." McGrory: "Of course. The whole thing's MIT's fault."
McGrory: "I asked" Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) about this, since "he's starting to hang out" in Santorum's conservative "crowd." Romney spokesperson Julie Teer responded: "What happened with the church sex abuse scandal was a tragedy, but it had nothing to do with geography or the culture of Boston."
More McGrory: if Santorum were to visit, "he'd find a city that is pretty much the birthplace of civil political discourse, a concept that Santorum essentially violates every time he opens his mouth" (7/12).
July 11 Action Team Phonebank for Roe!: On Monday, July 11 from
6-8pm, we will be holding a massive phonebank to ask pro-choice
supporters in Virginia to take action on our Save Roe campaign.
We need to make 500 phone calls! We'll provide the script and
the PIZZA, you bring your Take Action attitude, your cell phone,
and a friend! Stop by after work! This phonebank will be held in
Washington, DC; please RSVP for the exact location.
RSVP: Maranda at public.policy@ppmw.org or 202 347-8500
x7605.
I'll be there!
P.S. That 500 phone call number might be a bit on the low side :)
With one week left until the next Harry Potter book, and in the spirit of MuggleNet's staff predictions, I present my predictions for The Half-Blood Prince. (Note: I've not read anything that's not publicly available, the rest is just conjecture, so no spoilers follow.)
General thought: Many of the MuggleNet predictions include war, however I agree with Sheri in saying that Harry's year will be more normal than abnormal. I look forward to the return of Quidditch, with Harry captaining the team and the usual number of Weasley members (now Ron and Ginny). I've heard that Harry's stay at the Dursley's will be rather short, so look for a big revelation about Aunt Petunia in Book 7, not Book 6.
I say Harry's year will be rather normal because You-Know-Who can hardly just come out in the open and start attacking Red Coat-style. In VWI, YKW hid his true intentions from his early followers, but now >90% of the wizarding world would fight the Death Eaters. Thus, the DEs will have to engage in hit-and-run tactics, with one such attack almost certainly occurring at Hogwarts. But, because this will not be a conventional war, wizards (including Hogwarts students) will be asked to go about their business in a normal matter and leave the skirmishes to Aurors.
The new Minister of Magic will either be Lucius Malfoy or Amelia Bones, and while I really have no clue who will emerge victorious, I lean towards Malfoy winning via some sort of underhanded rigging by YKW. The political side of me looks forward to any sort of election/campaign between the two front-runners in the beginning of the book. (Note that both candidates are related to Hogwarts students, meaning that the school would easily divide into two camps, similar to Diggory v Potter in GoF.)
Other notes: I think the Half-Blood Prince will be a new character. I'm entrigued by this editorial on Seamus and hope that it comes into play. We'll also get new information that helps confirm the Changling Hypothesis.
Will there be romance?: Yep, but only more flirting, nothing major, between Harry/Luna and Hermione/Ron (a very unoriginal prediction, I know).
Any deaths?: Yes, I think Wormtail is done for. First, I've never read a novel where the character in his position lives. Second, he really has outlasted his usefulness. Given that he definitely won't make it through the end of Book 7, and I figure that JK has more important characters to kill off in the finale, I'm guessing that the Marauders will a group of one by the end of HBP.
Well, that was quite a bit of "geeking out", but at least I'm not as bad as this guy.
You Know You Grew Up In The 80's or Early 90's If:
1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word "SIKE"
2. You watched the Pound Puppies.
3. You can sing the rap to the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" ..and can do the "Carlton".
4. Girls wore biker shorts under their skirts and felt stylishly sexy.
5. You yearned to be a member of the Baby-sitters club and tried to start a club of your own.
6. You owned those lil' Strawberry Shortcake pals scented dolls.
7. You know that "WOAH " comes from Joey on Blossom
8. Two words: Hammer Pants
9. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock"
10. You had plastic streamers on your handle bars... and "spokey-dokes" or playing cards on your spokes for that incredible sound effect
11. You can sing the entire theme song to "DuckTales " (Woo ooh!)
12. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.
more....
13. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
14. You saw the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles " on the big screen...and still know the turtles’ names.
15. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.
17. You played the game "MASH " (Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House) I played this last week, Mitzi
18. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud
of it.
19. L.A. Gear....need I say more?
21. You remember reading "Tales of a fourth grade nothing " and all the Ramona books.
22. You know the profound meaning of "WAX ON, WAX OFF"
23. You wanted to be a Goonie.
24. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (some of us...head-to-toe)
25. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.
26. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
27. You took lunch boxes to school.. . and traded Garbage Pail Kids in the schoolyard.
28. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
29. You still get the urge to say "NOT " after every sentence.
30. You remember Hypercolor t-shirts.
31. Barbie and the Rockers was your favorite band.
32. You thought She-ra (Princess of Power!) and He-Man should hook up. YA! They should have!
33. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.
34. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes. (and like #24) probably in neon colors, too)
35. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are,but what am I?"
36. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up"
37. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.
38. You ever got seriously injured on a Slip and Slide.
39. You have ever played with a Skip-It.
40. You had or attended a birthday party at McDonalds.
41. You've gone through this n odding your head in agreement.
42. You remember Popples.
43. "Don't worry, be happy"
44. You wore like, EIGHT pairs of socks over tights with high top Reeboks.
45. You wore socks scrunched down (and sometimes still do...getting yelled at by "younger hip" members of the family)
46. You remember boom boxes.. and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.
47. You remember watching both "Gremlins " movies.
48. You know what it meant to say "Care Bear Stare!!"
49. You remember watching "Rainbow Bright" and "My Little Pony Tales"
50. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.
51. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.
52. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB".
53. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By Bell," The ORIGINAL class.
54. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
55. You just sang those words to yourself.
56. You remember watching Magic vs. Bird.
57. Homemade Levi shorts.. (the shorter the better)
58. You remember when mullets were cool!
59. You had a mullet!
60. You still sing "We are the World"
61. You tight rolled your jeans.
62. You owned a bannana clip
63. You remember "Where's the Beef?"
64. You used to (and probably still do) say "What you talkin' about Willis?"
65. You had big hair and you knew how to use it.
66. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren't you!!!
According to his new book, Sen Santorum doesn't think "poor, low-skill" women should attend college. Sounds like a must read for the entertainment value, but only if you don't pay for your copy. Update: Be sure to read the Amazon "reviews" (before they disappear!).
Unrelatedly, I have an extra two tickets, in prime seating location, to DC United's Saturday game vs Kansas City (only $15 a pop). Email me if you're interested in coming.
O'Connor resigned: to the streets! Do you want one of these people casting the deciding vote to overturn Roe and the separation of church and state? Didn't think so. But before you march on the ellipse, write your senators!