yep. i know what it's like to talk to cats. it's funny how many people we are around all day, but at night we kind of all go home to our seperate worlds. Even if you're maried and have a family, you still just go there and hang out with them. I sometimes wish we were living in a big hamster habitrail(?). Then at night you could just hang out in the lounge section with all those other hamsters that were bored or lonely. We need to build a big habitrail. I'd also like getting around in those silly tubes and the sawdust, etc. Except when it gets all pee-soaked. That would suck.
I watched the potter preview. It was ok. Not amazing. I just finished book 5. It took me forever. Predictions:
Harry eventually hooks up with Ron's little sister. Ron and Hermiani eventually hook up too. Those are the final pairings, at least that's how I see it. Cho was just a fling for Harry, and she's seeing a shallow guy now, which is to her own discredit. Harry somehow saves Serious from the dark veiled room. Harry also must kill Valdimort. Oh yeah, and Snape turns out to be an important character, who becomes Harry's friend even though Harry eventually takes over the post of Instructor of Defence against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, the post which Snape craves.

The only one I agree with is Ron and Hermonie. The rest...well I think you're wrong.

But as to the movie...Gary Oldman. I love him. It's already great cause he's in it.

I think Sirius is gone for good, because she's been pretty good about making it clear that death is death and no way around it, like with his parents.

oh fuck i'm so excited for the movie!

Jade I love you

but loony says he's not gone. and i trust her. she's just wacky enough. plus, he's not dead dead...he's just on the other side dead. soooo....maybe....but if not there's always lupin. i love him too.

I like Lupin too. I think Daniel Day Lewis or your beloved Johnny Depp would make a fine Lupin.

No, I'm right. Mark my words:

A. Snape will prove a good guy. He’s in the Order of the Phoenix. There's too much yet to be explored in that relationship. And Snape just saved Harry's neck. For all the hatred, I believe there is love for Harry on Snape's behalf, so just remember that when it happens mid-way through Book 7.

B. Serious is not gone. At the very least he'll be available in a mirror or something, but I still think Harry will be so powerful that he'll be able to do all sorts of things of which nobody prior can has yet conceived.

C. Harry will marry Ginny Weasley, or at least that's who he'll end up with. Don’t bother fighting me on this one. I’m right. Face it. Why? 1). Ginny had a crush on him. 2). He's never noticed her. 3). He saved her life. 4). She's sharp and thoughtful, a good match. 5), (this is most important) It will have to be a character we already have been introduced to. Rowling isn’t going to throw someone new in at the last moment. There needs to be a history. Ginny's the only person that makes sense. 6). (also important) Harry has felt part of the Weasley family for the past 5 years. This will bring him into the family. It's a no-brainer.

i forgot about what looney said, so ok, i'm on board with the sirius thing now.

the harry and ginny thing might be true, but i am so not ready for it. i almost feel harry will not end up with anyone, though ron and hermione will definitely be together.

i love you too nuala!!

shoefly: i'm with you on the harry and ginny thing for pretty much all the reasons you specify.
i also think snape will turn out alright in the end. she's going to lengths to develop his character as a bruised and insecure person who likes playing with the devil but in the end is decent. but i don't think he'll ever turn to love harry...i think they'll come to an understanding of each other which may lead to some maturation for harry and a bit of redemption for snape.
i agree with kristen though about sirius. rowling's good at leaving dead dead, but while he's no longer alive, i don't think he'll be forgotten.

i really love lupin too, but he seems rather hands off. in book 3 he started to get close to harry, but always remained on the periphery, even in book 5. i hope he starts to play a bigger part.

i also hope harry & dumbledore start communicating with each other more. especially after what happened between them in book 5. my mom believes dumbledore will die in the end, and it will be left to harry to carry his torch on, so to speak. i think if this is true, dumbledore needs to play a bit more of the father figure harry so desperately needs. and dumbledore obviously feels strongly about him...

Why does Harry have to end up with anyone at all? I mean he's only going to be 18 at the end of the books. I'm sorry but I'd be perfectly satisfied with a victory and a still single harry.

And Rowling cried when she killed Sirius, he's not coming back. As to Loony saying he's not gone, that could be a spiritual thing, as in he'll always be with you...blah blah blah

I don't think Snape and Harry are going to be friends anytime soon. I think they'll work together for the greater good, but there is too much hurt there on Snape's part. He can't see past the fact that Harry is his tormentor's son.

Loopin is great. I wonder who is playing him in the 3rd movie

Harry has to end up with a mate. It'll be Ginny. Rowling won't leave him single. It'll be a happy ending. It'll be interesting to see how her character develops in the next few books, as she takes on traits that complement Harry. I think at some point she'll be directly responsible for saving Harry's life.

I think there is a huge surprise in store as regards the exact identity of Valdimort. It could be somewhat of a Darth Vader-esque surprise.

Dolores Umbridge will be played by Kathleen Bates.

One thing that annoys me is that the Death Eaters never seem to get punished. I mean it’s unfathomable and appalling how often wealthy Republicans commit high level crimes and escape with minimal or no jail time, crimes like the ENRON scandal (big Bush supporter), the Savings & Loan Scandal (Silverado bank in Denver, where taxpayers were nicked for $1.6 billion, directors, including President Bush's son Neil, subsequently found to have brazen conflicts of interest.), the 2000 Presidential Election (Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties in Florida so obviously corrupted by Bush’s brother). Republicans are Death Eaters and vice versa. Mark my words!

ok. i have to write again to say that:

1. yeah, sirius probably won't come back. not only because rowlings apparently cried but also because he was becoming too much of an ass.

2. he's not going to end up with ginny. when ron is all upset about the boys ginny is dating and says, "but i thought she liked harry," hermione TELLS ron that ginny HAD a crush on harry but gave it up as a fool's errand. therefore she's not going to go back to being his little puppy love crusher. people, she's not dumb. there's nothing there. there might be something up with loony. but loony and who? i don't know. and although i want harry to be happy in the end, i don't really care if he ends up with anyone in particular. so i'm with nuala on that one. it's not a romance novel. he's just got to have some friends alive at the end.

3. even though i like gary oldman. he sooooo doesn't look at all like the sirius i imagined.

2. Oh yes he will. Ginny had to become a woman. She had to outgrow her puppy love and develop the strong and mature love of a woman. It's going to get *real* hot and heavy between Harry & Ginny in Book 7. Mark my words! In fact, the movie version will be Rated X. A real shocker! But it just has to happen.

3. I imagined Serious to look like the movie version of Snape. I like the Snape look. I had Snape pegged as more thin and snootier-looking. The movie Snape is too cool. The Snape character is more appealing to me than Haggard, certainly in the movie-version, but also in the books. The Snape role is extremely important. Haggard plays the Shakespearian fool, as does Ron to a certain extent, but Snape is like Speed Racer's older brother, Racer-X, the mystery man. His story is perhaps more interesting than anyone's, even Harry's.

Gary Oldman isn't exactly what I imagined Sirius to be, but I still think he could do a fantastic job.

are you in benny for t-day? i'm in sacto, at mom's, under a new electric blankie. allen bought me an electric blanket. i guess he got tired of me complaining about the cold house. over the past three winters i've discovered that 45-degrees is my comfort threshold. anything above 45 and i'm ok, you know, "comfortable". anything below and i'm getting miserable. earlier in the week we dipped down to 39-degrees. 2 wool blankets, a cotton blanket, and a down comforter didn't do the trick. of course the cats were fine. still, they ball themselves more tightly the colder it gets. chumley was very compact the other morning, like a furry bowling ball.

benny?

benicia

ahh. but no, she's in SB.

It's true I am. Good god man aren't you going to start working on that house ever. Or at least get a space heater?

How was your turkey day?

the plans are 50% through the city's planning office. Once they get approved I acan begin construction. Hoping to break ground around February or March. My thanksgiving was fine. Lots of food and relatives, and leftovers. Then i returned and began doing an epic amount of laundry. 7-8 batches. I pride myself on being able to go without doing laundry for up to 6 weeks. (That's my record) I've got like 50 pairs of socks, etc... Anyway, i figure i only have to do laundry like 8-10 times per year, and that's something to be proud of, right? How was your thanksgiving? Did you work through it? I've done that before. It sucks.

David Thewlis will be playing Lupin.

nooooooooooo!!!!! ah shit man. he's no lupin. he's ugly.

Lupin's ugly. He's a freakin' werewolf.

sean, don't be so judgemental. werewolves are not ugly. and lupin should be thinner with longer, darker hair and look kind of scrawny. and...pasty. and...attractive. ah man, i have terrible taste in men. the point here is that i SAW timeline, and for starters the man is shit. and then there's the ugly factor. this is important! i LIKE lupin! why must they mess my shit up? always going in with their grubby paws and sporks to putz with my poo. fooking putzers.

Thewlis is ugly. But, if he can get back to "Naked"-era Thewlis, where he was both longer- and darker-haired, and skinnier... all I'm saying is, it could work out OK.

I thought Lupin was supposed to be unattractive in the books. Like the anti-Gilderoy, almost.

he's not supposed to be ugly. just threadbare.

you give me hope with your naked promises, sean, but we shall just have to see. wait, no we don't because imdb has a picture of him in the movie already and he looks terrible. it's his nose and eyebrow i think which i object to most. oldman looks more like lupin should except he's too greasy/dirty.

http://imdb.com/gallery/ss/0304141/Ss/0304141/C517-30.jpg?path=gallery&path_key=0304141