Slightly Disappointed – 1/2 Blood Prince

Because of bad weather we put off an outdoor activity and opted instead to finally see Half Blood Prince.  With our son, we have seen all of the other Harry Potter films and went to midnight book release parties for at least the last three or four books.

These comments have little to do with the general reader’s complaint about the movie not being true to the book.  Plenty has been said about Harry below the floor and not frozen at the scene.  I can allow for artistic license by the film maker.

It is the film making itself that bothers me. As the films progress through the books, the telling of the story seems to become less important so that, is this latest version, the story isn’t told at all.

In a fashion similar to the Dune movie best known for a shirtless Sting, several people near me at the film’s conclusion said “If you didn’t read the book, you wouldn’t have a clue what just happened.”  All too true.

Instead of continuity and smooth segue, I felt like I was watching an animated slide show.  If you had divided the scenes, numbered them and put them on the web, I would’ve been better entertained. Some scene changes were so painfully artless I was wondering if the theater was showing a pirated version.

And who cast Gollum's  cousins for the soul sipping scene on the island in the cave?

This disappointing experience will not stop me from seeing what follows in the series.  No matter how poor the snap shots, it’s always good to see the family maturing and coming of age.  I just hope they change directors, in mid production if need be.

Please!

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LiveJournal Tags: Half Blood Prince

Shortbread

After a very long workday, I knew I was coming home to an almost empty house. (see: cat)  With no one here, I only turned on the lights I needed to get settled and didn’t notice the square white postal box sitting on the Chinese apothecary in the atrium.

But then Facebook stepped in under the direction of a beloved niece.  She was thinking of me, alone at home on the other side of the continent.  A home crafter and accomplished artist herself she wanted to send something to lift my spirits.

She remembered a list from a long time ago where I answered the question. “What is your favorite junk food?” with Shortbread.

I know there are many people in the world who would not consider a food of such simple purity junk.  But it becomes junk food when you get a can of Dundee shortbread for Christmas, open the can and eat each round in order, like pancakes.

These shortbread squares are from a small scale and very talented baker whose web site is http://www.thehomebaker.etsy.com 

The Home Baker’s motto is From My Kitchen to Your Tummy. Homemade Treats by Mimi, Baked & Shipped Same Day.

Let’s all give Mimi a rousing set of applause!  Save another for my Niece!

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LiveJournal Tags: Shortbread

You Would Think Things Would Slow Down in July…no.

Image via Wikipedia

After a short break on the Rocky Coast of Maine and a rather disconcerting encounter with the dreaded Blue Screen of Death, we came back to find regulations unknown to us were waiting to remove a portion of our collective buttocks without properly filed documentation.

It was one of those things where everything in real time was done correctly but the documents proving that to the future were stuffed in a drawer, left open on a laptop’s desktop and not filed or were sitting in a briefcase in the trunk of car.

IOW, no big deal but the skills of an experienced file clerk were needed. That and a good, and scheduled, back-up program.  The second digital issue was fixed immediately. 

The surprise was that none of had every really done any filing. We lived in our laptops and Blackberrys.  A chart was drawn i.e.: get file cabinet, find room for it, get the proper size hanging green things and properly colored folders.

Once the receptacle was in place the next step was collection. It took only one very long meeting for everyone to figure out who had what and how to bring it all to one place.

The services of UPS and Federal Express were needed as well as a FAX machine.  There’s another blast from the past.  We weren’t sure there was a FAX machine until we noticed it was a feature in the mega-wattage printer in the backroom where no-one goes.

The collective angst was soon abated when all the pods were in place and a plan created to prevent its reoccurrence.  Part of the humor here is no one is probably every going to look at these files now they’re in place.  However,  the law of chance says, if they weren’t there, someone would ask about it tomorrow.

Believe it.

As an aside, my constant use of Evernote made my portion of this adventure much easier.  I didn’t need the FAX or the overnight couriers.  I brought up the program, signed in and, presto-change-o, there were all the files I needed.  A quick connection to a color printer and I was sitting pretty.
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LiveJournal Tags: Filing