Let's all raise a glass!

A glass of Butterbeer! The final Harry Potter movie opens TONIGHT at midnight! I have spent the past year alternately trying to forget about the movie, in an effort to give myself a break from the maddening waiting, and well, waiting in a state of near-madness. To say that I am excited is a vast understatement. SPOILER alert. Okay, this is all about the final showdown between Harry and Voldemort. When Harry walks willingly to his end, I expect I will be weeping. The final exciting battle will be amazing. I know they will get this right. I am so nervous and excited about the other key part of this story, and that is Snape's curtain call... his failings, his redemption, his courage, his desire to die looking at her eyes. This story is so much about his love for Lily, too, and I know the amazing Alan Rickman is more than capable of hitting a home run and just getting that scene perfect. It's still the one I'm most nervous about, I have the highest expectations for and will hold to the highest standards. If they get that just perfect, well, I'll be done. Just sobbing the rest of the movie. I can't wait to revisit Hogwarts with my own little ones someday. Ahhh. Going to go cry again...

The Sheenster

The TV hurts. Why does it hurt? Because I don't have HBO and I am salivating for some True Blood!!! I will be late to that party when I watch this season on dvd, whenever it comes out... Another party I am late to: Charlie Sheen (though, apparently Charlie is always partying/shooting people/shooting up sooo... maybe I can catch up?). Even though "winning," "duh," "tiger blood," and the lot have all gone off to greener pastures, I'm still going to comment. The ONLY thing surprising about that whole situation was this: Apparently Two and a Half Men was the #1 sitcom!!! The highest rated show in syndication!!! It was nominated for three Emmy Awards!!! IT WON a People's Choice Award!!! We can no longer trust the people (could we ever??). The number "1" and the term "highest rated" have left the building, they no longer have meaning. That kid won an acting award. Seriously. Now, I admit, I did not watch much of this show--I think I saw one full episode (maybe my remote was broken and I was too lazy to walk to the TV to change channels?). BUT, oh. My. God. That show was terrrriiibbbblllllllllleeeee. Apparently it's still a show, and like, Ashton Kutcher is joining it? This is the problem with pluralism--the people have spoken, and apparently they want Two and a Half Men and Ashton frigging Kutcher.

(thank you to my trusted source Ms. Wiki Pedia for the stats.)

To boldly go where no man has gone before...

Today (pending weather, technical what-have-you's and mechanical what-not's), marks the beginning of the end of the U.S. shuttle missions. Atlantis is set to liftoff shortly, and you can follow the action live at www.nasa.gov (or any respectable news station). I still remember watching Challenger in elementary school, and as an adult, Columbia, and the devastation of those liftoffs, with a combined total of 14 lives lost. Those disasters are two of the 130 total missions of the shuttle program thus far. I never wanted to be an astronaut myself. Just the thought of getting on a space suit, locking my head in to the helmet, and then being in a contained space for... weeks... more... mmmno thanks. I do think the anti-gravity would be cool, and if I weren't so claustrophobic, going to space would be, has got to be, pretty unbelievable.

The shuttles and the number of flights they have taken are as follows:

Columbia, 28; Challenger, 10; Discovery, 39; Atlantis, 32; and Endeavor, 39.

Do you think anyone on any of those crews had hair as nice as Capt. Kirk?

Hoping for a safe flight for the crew today!

Live long and prosper!

Tim Burton, stop ruining my childhood

I want to like Tim Burton. I do. He did Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands! He has a place in the history of the Batman movies, and, AND he did PeeWee's Big Adventure. He is partnered with (married? I don't keep up on these things) to one of the coolest, quirkiest ladies around, Helena Bonham Carter, who makes wearing mismatched clunky shoes and a nightgown look good and is a terrific actress to boot. According to imdb.com, he was a recluse as a child who drew cartoons and loved Vincent Price. So, I do want to like Tim Burton. But I don't. I can't. You see, he continues to ruin my childhood by massacring beloved tales. Did you see Alice in Wonderland? Terrible doesn't begin to describe it, and it should have been great. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, another bust. Johnny Depp, nor dear Helena, could save either of these films. Sleepy Hollow, Planet of the Apes, and Sweeney Todd? Ugh, ugh ugh, and ugh-ier. Okay, these may not all be beloved tales from my childhood, but I'm still mad at Tim Burton. Mad at him for doing so little with such great material. Mad that, at present, he is signed up to ruin what sounds like (as Tim Burton movies always promise, and what will surely be marketed as a visual feast) an amazing story told from the perspective of Maleficent, the evil queen in Sleeping Beauty; and the book-to-movie planned for the incredible Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I'll probably still give him another chance. If only to see Helena and Johnny.