Sorted, once and for all: Ravenclaw

Ravenclaw is the house I chose once upon a time. That time was after I was sorted the first time into the original Harry Potter site; yes, the one built by a 13-year-old girl. Then I was sorted into Slytherin simply because I chose a snake for a pet. I chose the snake because it was different. So, I probably should have been sorted into Ravenclaw. No one asks you your motives!

After reading the descriptions of the houses in the book, I figured Ravenclaw was me.

At the Pottermore site, sorting is more complex and based on answers to more than one question. Possibly two. Because I was sorted into Ravenclaw (as far as I can determine) for choosing to study ghosts and preferring to gain a lot of wisdom (over, say, being loved a lot). I'm still wondering what difference choosing the white or black chess piece makes.

After reading JK's new description of (and welcome to) Ravenclaws, I'm very certain that is where I belong. Parts of it are similar to the way members of Mensa see themselves. So, I am doubly at home.

I tried to brew a potion. It's quite difficult. I haven't even got to the "real" potions yet, as I am still trying to learn the training potion. I haven't figured out how to wave my wand.

And I have a lovely wand. It's very flexible, made of Acacia, and has a Phoenix feather core. Being selected by a wand is another nice sorting process. Although you don't get video from JK like you do before the sorting hat.

Overall, the site is really lovely, filled with beautiful all new art, because, well, WB owns the other art. The navigation takes some getting used to. Took me a couple of scenes to realize I should double click to zoom in. And wave the cursor around to make things highlighted so I could collect them.

Returning to locations is really funky. There is a nice sort of path thing. Yet even with that it took me three visits to figure out how to leave Diagon Alley.

Wish me luck in potions! The interface is proving to be one of those oddball things that is obvious to everyone but me. Guess I'll have to ask the other members of my house how it works and risk being ridiculed for not being smart enough!

BTW: Yes, I am WingWave15886. Feel free to friend me! I didn't choose the name. Not really. I  was presented with four choices of randomly generated screen names (for my own protection) and chose the least odious. Well, maybe not odious exactly, merely closest to what I might have made up. And that's my pet frog as a profile photo. I am so protected I feel positively impervious.

Sky 128 - brooding

Two skies from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. All of the skies are broody-moody. There are a lot of unknowns and the dark skies make it all a bit scary (or scarier).

The first (dis)apparition (teleport) after Ron leaves the group.

A mildly brighter sky after Ron's return as they set off to visit Xenophilius.

All of the skies are artistically lovely, starting right at the beginning with variations on city night skies.

And you are ...?

I'm attending Ravencon. My first con. I know where all the geeks are. Well, not all of them. I don't qualify, of course. I can clear a conference room in no time. I came in on the end of the "Are comics just for kids?" forum by which time the seven attendees were engaged in desultory conversation about prejudice against graphic novels. After I sat down they ended the discussion and cleared the room. I stayed for the next discussion on "How to write a blurb." Which turned into "How to write a query letter" which will later be the blurb used on the back on your dust jacket and in all other attempts to sell your book.* The tiny room was full except for the two chairs on either side of me which were apparently off limits to everyone else or were covered with a frost that I couldn't see. Half way through the hour a very senior gentleman entered pushing his walker. I shoved the furthest chair and mine aside, making room for him to exit his walker and enter the nearest empty chair. A tiny rustle stirred the room. Ah, now they knew who I was. Friend of old man. Nah. Guess again.

Last weekend I attended my first non-denominational earth-centered spirituality retreat. For the first 24 hours I got pretty much the same reaction. No one is rude or cold. There just happens to be a larger berth of air around me than anyone else has. I'm sometimes talked to as if I have made a wrong turn and am too proud to admit it. No. I want to be here. Listen. I've tried everything else, why not this? And get used to it. I'm not the only bored boomer out here. There's plenty of us looking for new, different and educational experiences.

*It's scary the amount of marketing publishers expect author's to do. The author is supposed to determine their market, locate the editor or agent who covers that market, sell it, write the blurb and the pitch. Really. I would have thought just writing a good book was enough.

I've been sorted

Actually, I did my own sorting. Back in the day when that cute little 13-year-old girl sold her Harry Potter fan site for $1million, I was sorted into Slytherin simply because I chose a snake as a pet. At that point I hadn't even read the books. After finishing the seventh book and reading the devilishly clever riddles a student needs to answer to gain access to the Ravenclaw common room, I decided I was in Ravenclaw. Good riddles = definitely cool. Now, I can prove it officially. Of course, I may have skewed the test, but then the other answers weren't for me anyway.


Sort me!

Here's my question. Why does all the official Warner Bros. Ravenclaw paraphernalia come up as silver and navy blue? Apparently the colors are bronze and blue, but I haven't seen any mention of the blue being navy blue. And where did the silver come from? Bronze is made by adding tin to copper. Could this be it? I will probably get around to rereading book one some day just to get straight on which shade of blue is the Ravenclaw blue.

Why do I care? I'd like an authentic Ravenclaw scarf. Lacking access to Diagon Alley, I'll be making my own.

Is it just me or is there really a general lacking of interest in all things HP since the seventh book came out?

Harry Potter and The Great Big Movie Machine

I'm rereading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to remind myself of how the story (as opposed to the movie) is really supposed to go. I'm wondering how they are going to bring back the Room of Requirement for the sixth movie after blasting it apart in the fifth. The Room of Requirement is a critical scene for a lot of what happens in the sixth Harry Potter book (... and the Half Blood Prince).

Come to that, I'm wondering how they will overcome the mistake of having Voldemort call Lily Potter a muggle in the fourth movie when her accomplishments as a talented potions witch figure quite prominently in sixth book.

There's a rather large and silly contingent in Hollywood that seems to think they can rob creative vehicles and mangle them any way they choose without regard for the internal logic of the source piece. I'm still reeling from a director's assertion that there won't be any mention of God in the making of the movies for His Dark Materials as God is a critical plot point of Philip Pullman's trilogy. (The Golden Compass soon to be released.)

I expect they'll come up with some lame nefarious device to pull it all together. Perhaps spit balls?
[golden compass shockwave file removed due to obsolescence]

shameless commerce

Since it's all Harry Potter time and all, I thought I'd promote a couple of things that I designed. These are quality items. I know. I've bought some of them myself.

"I see thestrals." Black T-Shirt
by
Elaine Greywalker

Get this custom shirt at Zazzle

Here's another big seller.

I know how it ends button
by
Elaine Greywalker

Get this custom button at Zazzle

Here's one no one has purchased yet. You could be the first!

I know how it ends. (button)
by
Elaine Greywalker

Get this custom button at Zazzle

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - some spoilers

I finished reading the book around 2 pm on Sunday. Wow! I waited until 4 pm to call my daughter so I could be relatively sure she had finished, too. Surprise! She had finished at 2 am, being still able to stay up all night. A thing I could no longer do at the tender age of 22.

Today at work I mentioned I had spent the weekend reading the final HP book and my manager asked me who died. She really wanted to know. She doesn't read the books but she wanted to know. So I told her, hoping she wouldn't spoil it for those who do read the books. As I was listing the dead, I noticed that at least one member of each genetic group died: politically correct dying (or killing). Also, it's not possible to get a sense of the books just from knowing who died. One character doesn't totally die. You kind of have to be there.

You can't really get a sense of the stories when I mention that the books have witches, wizards, werewolves, ghosts, elves, goblins and humans because the definition of each group isn't what you would expect. Neither is the application of the cultures. The list also leaves out Rowlings' fabulous plot twists, gadget inventions and original games. And you don't get to know her intriguing and entertaining characters.

So, READ THE BOOKS!! heh heh

Reading Book 7 - no spoilers

My book was delivered by a delightful postman at around 11:00 am this morning. I was still finishing off book 6 (for the second time) and cursorily finished it hitting only the bits I couldn't really remember. So I actually started reading around, oh, 11:45? I am now on page 388 (Chapter 20) and appear to be half-way through. Damn book must be nearly 900 pages long!!! I have irrational fears of spoilers jumping out at me and a likewise irrational urge to run to the grocery store (where the book is on sale) or the corner convenience store (where it is not). I'm reading mostly inside but it's such a heavenly day I read outside for about 2 hours.

Back to the shadows ...