Five Cats Blog
~ The life and antics of 5 cats and their human family
TechBot
~ Killer apps, cool widgets, sweet gadgets, hot fixes, must-gets, everything on the web
HELP: BECAUSE YOU CAN
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Harry Potter Spoilers and Download
Yup I am a fan, both of the marketing phenomenon and of the wonderful tale of Harry Potter and his friends.
And this time I might just buy the book when it comes out instead of waiting for it to go on sale at Borders a year later - I have great patience.
Some spoilers have surfaced online. Unfortunately the two I found seem to contradict each other. My take is that they're fake.
SPOILERS ALERT! (For those who may be affected, fake or not.)
"Gabriel", a person who claims to have hacked into the publisher's website claims that Snape kills Hagrid and Voldemort kills Hermoine, and finally Harry kills Voldemort on Privet Drive. Read it here and the actual email here.
Meanwhile, Gawker claims that a publisher insider told them that "Harry Potter dies. Ripped to a million tiny fleshy pieces."
Neither sound very promising and both contradict each other. Since both claim to have read the story, one or both of them is lying. Frankly I find Gabriel's story more likely but I doubt JK will kill Hermione and Hagrid, two beloved characters. Then again, who knew she'd kill Dumbledore.
We'll find out in 21 days, won't we?
END SPOILERS
There's a cool fan fic of Deathly Hallows many are mistaking for the real thing which is now floating around the net. Haven't read it yet but heard it isn't bad at all. You can download it here and preview it here.
If I had a middle name, yesterday it would have been Crabby. The reason for it was revealed today at Great World City when I discovered my period had returned (or maybe something more sinister - we'll see tomorrow).
It's been two years almost since I had to deal with a period but it comes back quickly. The need for Ponstan to reduce bleeding and period pain, and lots of rest. Plus the realisation that I missed the first egg. Dang.
Anyhow although it was a relatively chill day, I accomplished a lot. I completed a whole lot of chores, brought Jack to make his rounds on all the kiddie rides (sans money), and bought my very first power drill! It is a Bosch.
Jack accomplished a lot today too. He single-handedly managed to climb up Bob the Builder's tractor. Repeatedly. He even did many a victory dance. :) His Dad and I cheered him on.
I came across Hazel & Melvin's room and literally swooned. In all the rush and madness during my pregnancy being busy with work, constantly tired and then new adventure in motherhood, it never crossed my mind to decorate a room for Jack. It was always assumed that he would be rooming in with us till he was like 6.
Still, images of a baby's room with beautiful paintings on the wall, a wooden crib, and a box full of toys raced through my mind and I sighed with regret that we designed our home for a hip young couple with a cat. Now 5 cats and one baby later, we can't accommodate all without some sacrifice and renovation which we are still pondering.
Nevertheless, I bookmarked the site and now I return to it with great admiration for its 1950s style with something for every mother: nursing pillow covers, changing pads, quilts, elegant crib bedding sets, handmade diaper bags, and even sock monkeys for baby to be enthralled with. There's plenty for every mother to peruse, amaze it, and buy.
So if you're planning a new home with a possible baby in mind, get started now. Or simply visit Hazel & Melvin's Room for a delightful walk back in time.
If you travel in and out of Gatwick and own a car, it makes best sense to pre-book your parking space at the airport. Let Gatwick Parking find you the best parking deal online. It helps you identify secure parking with a Park Mark award where your car is constantly monitored with CCTVs and regular patrols.
Should you need to stay around the hotel overnight whether you're tired or on stopover, do note that a hotel stay plus parking is often cheaper than parking alone with Gatwick Hotel Parking. It's a good excuse to enjoying a relaxing stay at a hotel just to unwind.
As a bonus, try the Parking Game which tests your parking ability.
Overall, Advance Parking's website is very usable with the booking facility upfront and a step-by-step process for booking online securely. It provides the necessary Help and FAQ section and a handy Contact Us in case you need to reach them. For a stress-free parking experience, get it booked at Advance Parking today.
For several days in a row now, Jack has invented clever dances to amuse himself and his family and friends. From a hand-up twitch, he turns, and bum squiggles too (that look suspiciously like squats).
As for me, I have a nasty case of flu still but the nose has dried but the cough has taken on a life of its own. This afternoon I managed to type out and do a first edit of my poems and send them to my BFF for a review. It felt good to get back into writing. She has helped me pick 3 for the competition.
I really should sleep soon but my mind, as tired as it is, screams for me to do more "me" activities. I have run out of Red Bull... which reminds me of a funny incident that happened yesterday (the day before).
Dad and I had lunch at the Subway in Great World City where Jack was wandering around with his fave Red Bull can (drunk by me! and washed clean), slightly crushed by repeated squeezing, in his hand. Two young professional men in their 20s pointed to him and appeared very impressed by a baby walking around with a squished can of Red Bull in his hand. Later, he even napped carrying his can while I carried him in the sling.
Now, of course I don't let my son drink Red Bull! I do... for energy. But I do believe in letting him learn for himself that some things are dangerous but if he is careful, he can play with it. Since I pointed it out, he is very careful with the sharp edge and while he presses his fingers there, he notes that it is sharp and doesn't do it again. This way, he gets to enjoy more things in his young life with the awareness and knowledge that parts of some can hurt but if he is careful, he can enjoy the whole.
However, the can was later confiscated by a concerned grandma who promptly threw it away and chastised me about safety. Still, the image of him tottering around in Subway carrying his can of Red Bull, and the twinkle in the eyes of those two men stay with me and bring a huge smile to my face.
Being a spy is one of the coolest jobs in the world. But if you're fired, it is terminal.
BURN NOTICE (būrn nō'tĭs) n.
1. An official statement by one intelligence agency to other agencies, domestic or foreign, that an individual or group is unreliable.
In the middle of an assignment, CIA operative Michael Weston receives a burn notice. The inexplicable notice is unexpected and he immediately drops everything to head back to Miami where he tries to search for the reason why he was so suddenly terminated.
Could it be his hesitation in carrying out what appears to be an extremely sensitive mission or was he framed for the secrets he carries in his head? There is no one he can trust so he channels all his wit and training to extricate him from this madness that put him on the run.
Starring Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Weston, the divine Gabrielle Anwar, horror alum and Evil Dead superstar (and my idol) Bruce Campbell, and Sharon Gless, USA Network's Burn Notice is set to immerse you into Michael's world where nothing is what it seems and no one can be trusted.
Burn Notice premieres in the US on 28 June at 10/9C. Don't miss the very exciting first episode of this thrilling new series.
Today is Day 3 of the Nasty Bug. Thankfully my Dad came by to help and DH babysat Jack for a couple of hours while I dozed. I feel much better now, definitely cheered by my friend Mini (not her real name) and J who came by for a delightful visit. We talked cats, cats, and renovation and weddings. It was one of the best evenings I have had for eons!
Mini and I share a lot in common, especially our furry kids who are incidentally related. Her youngest boy Maggie is half brother to Tux, Buffy, Sam, and Kaku and was litter mate to the latter two. Like Sam and Kaku, he is shy with humans and he looks like and sounds like Tux! :D
There's nothing like catching up with old friends for a wonderful time. Jack and J absolutely adored each other. It was so lovely to watch them together. We'll definitely do this again soon.
Tomorrow (actually today according to my clock), dinner with more dear friends.
I've been sick with flu the past few days: headache, stuffed sinuses, raw throat, giddiness. DH confessed to being sick last week and I must have caught it from him. Thankfully, Jack has been spared.
Jack's been ever more brilliant since he turned one. He has been a sponge, saying 'zebra' after his grandma, dancing, shhing, putting his friend Paddy back into his house (the cupboard), drawing very abstract art.
As for me, I have started writing poetry again: 4 today, 3 yesterday. Something about fever makes me hungry to write. Plus, there is a global warming poetry competition going on and I'd like to win a nice fountain pen for my Dad.
Meanwhile I am sporting a new look. I call it Frenchy, DH (and friends) call it country. :) It's been styled a little better now. I'll go with Frenchy.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Geese force-fed and then slaughtered for their livers may get their final revenge on people who favor the delicacy known as foie gras: It may transmit a little-known disease known as amyloidosis, researchers reported on Monday.
The new planet is about 50 percent bigger than Earth and about five times more massive. The new "super-Earth" is called Gliese 581 C, after its star, Gliese 581, a diminutive red dwarf star located 20.5 light-years away that is about one-third as massive as the Sun.
Because it lies within its star's habitable zone and is relatively close to Earth, Gliese 581 C could be a very important target for future space missions dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial life, said study team member Xavier Delfosse of Grenoble University in France.
Computer models predict Gliese 581 C is either a rocky planet like Earth or a waterworld covered entirely by oceans.
"We have estimated that the mean temperature of this super-Earth lies between 0 and 40 degrees Celsius [32 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit], and water would thus be liquid," study leader Stephane Udry of the Geneva Observatory in Switzerland said.
The scientists discovered the new world using the HARP instrument on the European Southern Observatory 3.6 meter telescope in La Sille, Chile. They employed the so-called radial velocity, or "wobble," technique, in which the size and mass of a planet are determined based on small perturbations it induces in its parent star's orbit via gravity.
Udry said there was a fair amount of time between the calculation of Gliese 581 C's size and the realization it was within its star's habitable zone. "That came at the end," Udry said.
"To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness." -- Bertrand Russell
"Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages."
-- Thomas Edison (Harper's Magazine, 1890)
A woman's romance with motherhood, green living, finance, and this heady thing called life.
