Very scary story...

Here is a contemporary story of human rights abuse in North Korea that I found very hard to believe – until I remembered how the world initially received the news of Nazi concentration camps during World War II.

Imagine being a political prisoner BY BIRTH… born into a concentration camp, not having had any knowledge or experience of the outside world other than in the camp.

Frightening.

Even more frightening: that regimes exist today that foster such systems.

Harry Potter 7: My 15 hours of Deathly Hallows...

NOTE: NO SPOILERS! (Well at least, just a couple of spoilers related to two of the characters - I give a little bit on their characters and what happens to them in the book.)

I've just completed a marathon session of reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (HP7). The book is, in one word, amazing.

I decided I would take my time and read it at leisure, so it took me 15 hours to read 600+ pages, which makes my reading speed 40 pages an hour, or about a minute and and a half per page. In the months leading up to the release of the book, I re-read all the previous books at least once (and the last 3 books at least twice). I also discussed aspects of the series with Klara and discussed various predictions of HP7. I'm glad I did, as it was with a prepared mind that I read this book.

Deathly Hallows is without question the "darkest" book of the series. Whereas there was much lightheartedness in the earlier tomes, this book is the reverse - there is much seriousness puctuated only occasionally by lightheartedness.

The previous 2 books Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince seemed "slow" at the time I read them initially - not much appeared to be happening in spots, and the books seemed to drag. In contrast, the action in Deathly Hallows starts very early and does not stop until the last chapter. It's been a long time since I've wanted to finish a book in one sitting, and I had no problem doing that with this book!

I had heard that JKR said that 2 main characters would die. In fact there are more than two deaths, and depending on how one defines a "main character," the body count is much higher than that. I successfully predicted the death of one of the characters, but I was suprised by the death of others. Some HP fans might be upset by the high body count, but anyone who is familiar with recent history (especially the rise of Nazi Germany - See Coming of the Third Reich and Third Reich In Power 1933 1939 by Richard Evans) can see to what extent ruthless people such as Voldemort and his Death Eaters will go. I can't help but think that JKR's time spent working for Amnesty International must have helped frame Voldemort's rise to power in her stories.

I couldn't help but be amazed by JKR's ability to weave complex but continuous story lines in the series, to throw in new plots and subplots for HP7, and to tie everything up in the conclusion. New materials and new characters appear in this book, and some characters that were present in previous books re-appear, so there is a pleasant combination of old and new.

I was also impressed by the moral and spiritual depth of the book. After reading the previous 6 books, and in discussions with Klara, I couldn't help but wonder how JKR regarded love, courage, death, and the afterlife in this book. I must say that each of these topics is addressed in some measure in the book, but I had hoped to read more of her vision on each of these. (Obviously, I've ignored the fact that this is a book meant for a younger readership!)


HERE BE AMBIGUOUSLY WORDED SPOILERS ===============

Two of the elements I enjoyed the most in the book relate to Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape.

We learn more about Dumbledore in several parts of the book - there was a darker side to Albus than what we knew through the previous 6 books. We learn not only about his fallibility, but of his egotism, his selfishness, his ruthlessness, and his manipulativeness. As a result of this, I was not repelled by Dumbledore's character, but it made him more human and less of the (unreal) kind, gentle, grandfatherly figure from the earlier books.

On the other hand, Severus Snape, who appears to be a villain (and quite nasty in in HP7) redeems himself in Harry's eyes quite late in the book. I had suspected that Snape was not as evil as he appeared, particularly through his actions near the end of HP6, and HP7 fills in gaps in our understanding of Snape's motivation and his internal struggles.

END OF SPOILERS =========================


Perhaps the most important lesson that JKR wishes to teach us is that people are not what they seem, and that people change their philosophies and beliefs over time. Some people, like those mentioned in the spoiler, learn from the error of their ways, but others persist in error or even deepen their error as a result of a desire of power or importance. It's a lesson that should not be lost on us.

I also can't help but feel that JKR have written a series and most particularly this novel, for our times. The rise of Voldemort can be equated to the rise of Al-Qaeda or the early years of Nazism, where a small group of people use intimidation and terror to achieve the goal of instilling fear in the populace, fostering the distrust of their leaders, and culminating in the overthrow of government and seizure of power. This is another lesson for us to learn.

It was an emotional book as well. I cried in many spots, not just when a character died, but when a "point of no return" was reached, for example, when Harry leaves Aunt Petunia's for the last time and their final goodbyes. (This is not really a spoiler since all this really is set up at the end of Book 6.) There are many points like this in the book, and it is all the more poignant when the reader knows that this is happening in the last book of the series. JKR brings an element of finality to the book and the series, not through a single climactic event (although there is one), but through a series of crises scatterered through the book.

This is a great end to a great series. I'm just sad that it's all at an end.

Man with "tiny brain" is a civil servant

I couldn't pass this up.

 

In France, a man aged 44, father of 2 children, and working as a civil servant went to a hospital complaining of weakness in his leg.

 

In the course of getting his medical history, doctors learned that he had a childhood condition of hydrocephalus, and had a shunt put into his brain when he was an infant. The shunt was removed when he was 14.

 

Doctors decided to check on the condition of his brain and carried out a CT scan and an MRI.

 

They discovered "massive enlargements" of the brain ventricles (spaces that occur normally in the brain), and that the brain tissue itself was reduced to a thin layer lining the skull. Basically, this dude was working on 25% to 50% of what would be normal brain tissue space.

 

Would this lead to the generalization that civil servants have tiny brains?

 

;-)

 

 

Increased Cannabis use in Canada related to lower crime rate?

There was an article which appeared last week which stated that Canada is the top industrial nation in which the population aged 15-64 who have used marijuana within the past year (15.6%). We even beat out the Americans at 12.6%,  the Jamaicans at 10.7%, and the Dutch at 6.1%.  (Mind you, Canada has a ways to go, since it is ranked 5^th in the world, behind Papua New Guinea (29.5%), Micronesia (29.1%), Ghana (21.5%) and Zambia (17.7%).

 

And just this week, CBC reported that Canada's crime rate in 2006 was lowest in 25 years (in spite of the fact that youth crime rate had increased by 3%).

 

Hmm… I wonder if we're seeing a cause-and-effect here? If not, these observation MUST somehow be related to global warming, everything else is these days…

 

 

 

 

 

CWar LAN 2007 - An Odyssee

Just got back from the LAN get-together in Milford, Delaware, by way of Montreal. Like last year, I have waaaay to many experiences to be shared in my usual stream-of-conciousness way. Bear with me while I ramble.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Got the car at 3:00 PM. Then, mad dash home to finish packing and getting my things in order. Yeah, don't forget the Razer Mouse, headphones, and pillow. On the road to Montreal by 4:00 PM. Halfway to Montreal, I remember that I forgot the pillow. Crap. Fortunately, my sister lets me borrow one of her pillows.

Friday, July 13, 2007

After a leisurely breakfast, I hit the road at 10:00 AM, for a quick ride to the Canada-US border. Halfway there, I remember the date. OMG. Having remembered by experience with Homeland Security last year, I come fully prepared: Map, names, addresses, phone numbers of the people I'll be staying with.

Finally at the border, I wait 10 minutes in line for customs before it's my turn. All very organized, professional. I'm addressed by an elderly mustachioed border agent who would have looked comfortable in a Stetson and cowboy boots. All that's missing this the Remington Peacemaker.

I answer his questions with what I hope is a "relaxed" look. He goes around the car, inspects the contents of the trunk, and sends me on my way. WHEW. I got off easy!

Then it's 2+ hours of travel down I-87. Along the Adirondack State Park: spectacular vistas of mountains, lush forests, and deep valleys. Cheryl has been wanting to visit here, so I make a note of the places that we can visit. It must be spectacular in the fall.

Finally arrive in Glens Falls, and I realize as I'm driving that I put Snowdog's directions to his place in the trunk of the car. Fortunately, I have the map coordinates of his place in my GPS. Okay, so it's a simple matter of using the GPS to find his place, right? Well, NOT so simple. I travel for 20 minutes down the backroads before realizing that the GPS map does not include the roads in the area, so I'm driving "blind." Or rather, I keep one eye on the GPS and the other on the road. Not the best way to travel.

By this time, frustration get the best of me, and I pull over into a gas station. I look up, and by blind luck I had stumbled on the very road where Snowie lives! (Who says Friday the 13th is unlucky??) Five minutes later, I roll up his driveway.

I feel a bit awkward with Snowie at the beginning. Well, that's to be expected. After all, we've only chatted on Ventrilo, and have met each other for less than an hour last year. After a coffee, Snowie shows me around his place, and the room where I'll stay the night. I start to relax, and by suppertime (juicy pork tenderloin, salad and rice - mmmm....) we're chatting like we've been friends for years.

Then he asks if I would like to go to that evening's gig, where his band "Mischief" is playing at a local bar. Well, how can I refuse, with all the beer I can drink? ;-)

After a first set warm-up with some great songs by 70's and 80's artists like Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin, and Boy George (!), the second set gets the crowd on its feet dancing with songs by artists like AC/DC, The Clash, and John Cougar Mellencamp.

Needless to say, a good time was had by all!

And then, a pleasant surprise: I get to meet TinMan in the flesh!

Of course, by the time I met him, Tin had found his heart... ;-)

It's too bad that he had to work the next day, otherwise I'm sure Tin would have been with us at the LAN.

By this time, we (and especially Snowie) were pretty tired. But not tired enough to talk. We talk about the Clan, about the U.S., Canada, Iraq, health care... and pretty soon it's closing in on midnight, and it's time for bed for an early start on Saturday.

I can't think of a happier Friday the 13th I've ever had.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

I wake up at 6:00 AM feeling like someone substituted sandpaper for my eyelids. Argh.

Snowie's up, and we decide to forgo a sit-down breakfast to get on the road more quickly. We're packed and out the door by 7:00.

On the way to the I-87, we agree that it's a good idea to have a bite to eat on the road. We pull in to "Dunkin' Donuts." While we're waiting to order, I decide to have a coffee, with milk, and bran muffin with raisins. Straightforward and to the point.

Well, it was not to be. There was, to put it politely, some confusion with regards to the order. After some back-and-forthing between me (with hearing problems) with a waitress (who was young and likely new on the job), we roll up to the window to get our order. I pass my travel mug for the waitress to fill with coffee, and she stares at me. The waitress asks if I want chocolate or strawberry milk. "With my coffee?" I ask. She stares again. Hmm. It's obvious that there was some miscommunication here. Meanwhile, Snowie is starting to crack up.

I tell the waitress that no, I wanted milk in my coffee. She closes the window, and there is some discussion inside the store. Then the girl passes me my travel mug with milk slopped over the side. She says "sorry" and passes me some napkins. I clean off the mug and Snowie is helping me and having a good laugh. Then a second waitress passes the bags of food to us, apologizes again, says "have a good day" and slams the service window shut.

Oh, did I not tell you that we haven't paid? It certainly didn't appear to be a preoccupation of the Dunkin' Donuts people to accept payment. Here I am, staring at a closed window, with money in one fist and a mug in the other. What am I to think?

Snowie laughs and says: "Why don't you just leave?" As a joke. Well, my mood was not the best, and I took him literally.

We zoomed off, and Snowie looks at me shocked and says: "I can't believe you left without paying!"

Well, the Dunkin' Donuts people can sue me. Snowie said that they probably have videocam evidence and they were probably going to get the State Police after us... No matter.

There not much to talk about regarding actual highway driving. Other than to say that the New Jersey Turnpike should be more properly called the New Jersey Parking Lot. I think that people take the NJT when they are bored and want to sit in a hot car for hours at a time and watch ants crawl past their cars. I foolishly ignored Snowie's advice to avoid it, while I smugly thought, "yeah, I wanna be able to say I drove on it!" Well, driving is hardly the word I would have used. More like crawling. Better yet, inching. Anyway....

Another highlight was when we pulled over at a gas station to ask for directions. You see, the I-95 and the NJT are not well signed (more about this later, on our way back). So we pull in, I jump out and blurt out to a station attendant: "How do I get to Delaware?"

Now, you have to appreciate it's like asking someone: "How do you get to Indiana? Or Ontario?" No duh. The nicest thing he did was to NOT burst out laughing. He politely gave me instructions and we went on our way. The ridiculousness of my question and his straight-faced response didn't hit me until I had gotten back on the freeway.

We arrived at the LAN at 3:30 PM. Which isn't bad, considering we had wasted nearly and hour and a half at the New Jersey TurnPike/Parking Lot. When we had called in to Mengis/ette that we were going to be late, we learned that OmegaMan had gotten into an accident only an hour out from Delaware. We were pleasantly surprised to see him there at the LAN! Fortunately, he was able to drive his damaged vehicle to the hotel and take part in the LAN. I just hope he was able to get repairs done and get home safely!

We played from 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM, with short breaks for meals. It was fun to be able to play with no lag, and to meet old faces (Snowie, Beagle, Mengis, Mengisette, Long) and some new ones: RisingAngel, Rash, Greenhouse, SuBNoiZe, BoNgInATOr, and Mengis's brother. DroopyDawg and Tree showed up later to say hello - a nice surprise! I can't impartially comment on the play, since I was too busy to avoid getting fragged or nailed by my opponents. We all did well at at one map or another. It was the first time I went through a whole map "cycle" in one sitting!

At 11:00 PM, we called it a night and went to Mengis/ette's place for refreshments (i.e., more beer) and a late night snack (burgers, hot dogs, ice cream cake). We digested our meal while chatting about politics and the best way to raise teenagers. Then, a hardcore group (the younger people) went back to the hotel to play some more (!!!), while the elders went to bed at around 1:00 AM.

Sunday, July 15th, 2007

Snowie and I greeted the early morn (7:00 AM) by Mengis/ette's two parrots (or macaws?) with a series of squawks, cackles, whistles... which insisted on tearing me from my blessed unconsiousness... I know now how Capitaine Haddock of TinTin felt when he gave his famous dirty looks to the parrot in the Bijoux de la Castafiore... I still have to get my revenge on these birds... Though the birds became fascinated with Snowie's snoring (or scared, maybe?), to the point that they kept quiet and gave us another 2 hours sleep...

Finally, everyone woke up and we made our way to the Milford Diner for a late breakfast. We were introduced to scrapple , a local culinary delicacy, by Mengisette. While I did not partake of this savoury victual, others at the table did, and Snowdog found it difficult to describe the taste and texture... I leave it to your imagination.... (Hehehehe...)

After our farewells, Snowdog and I drove back. I'm grateful that he drove, as I didn't feel up to it. He seemed to take particular delight in pushing the Grand Prix I rented to its limits - I doubt the State Police would have caught up with him if they wanted to...

By mistake, we actually avoided the NJT and made excellent time to Glen Falls after a 7-hour drive. I met Snowie's wife Theresa and his daughter Hannah - it was wonderful for me to meet them!

I took my leave of Snowdog and his family early, as I had a 3-hour drive to Montreal to stay at my sister's, and I had to go through Canadian Customs - an ordeal that added another hour and a half to my trip! (Note to Canadian Government - Hire more Customs Officers.) My only consolation was to have bought a litre of Grand Marnier at the duty-free, at half the price of retail in Canada.

Sunday, July 16, 2007

I made it home by noon, in time to say goodbye to my wife who is travelling for the balance of the week.

As I write, the kids are visiting friends. My dog Tessa is at my feet, with her eyes closed, while I type. The house is empty for once, and it's quiet, and I have had the time to write all this down.

I find it soo hard to put into words my feelings around this weekend. I guess it's really about having met the faces and the people behind the voices and the CWar characters, and to find out that behind the virtual façade there are warm, generous, and helpful human beings that I am honoured to know.

Until next year, frag on, bruthas!

;-)

'No sun link' to climate change

Of course, my climate-change skeptic friends will roll their eyes and say: "Here we go again, the Klimat-Khange Kabal prophesying doom!"

Well, the skeptics can ignore another piece of evidence supporting the anthropogenic source of climate change and global warming. They might also choose to agree with the tobacco companies in arguing that smoking IS NOT PROVEN to cause lung cancer.

As for me, I would argue there is less proof for the existence of God than there is for climate change. In fact, what proof is there, really, that the Earth is round? Maybe it's just a big conspiracy.

For those deluded tree-huggers like me (who happen to believe in nuclear energy as a source of power), click on the following link: 'No sun link' to climate change.

500+ km!

This is my first year regularly commuting to work by bike (that is, when it doesn't rain!)

As I was biking back home, I noticed that my odometer had gone over 500 kilometers. In fact, I probably went over 500 km a week or two ago, because I replaced the battery of my mileage computer last April. But it doesn't matter, it feels good having passed this milestone...