Fri Jul 15 - Harry Potter. [If you haven't been under a rock, you already know that Book 6 is released tonight at midnight-oh-one. If you have been under a rock, um, you know now. *grin*]

I'm a huge fan of anything that gets people (kids, adults, everyone!) to read. And anyone who gets into reading voraciously, anything that gets people addicted to reading, anything that gets you completely sucked into the written word, this is a good thing! I was absolutely addicted to books as a kid, and I still am addicted to reading anything I can get my hands on. [With the exception of "big medical words" and "car words." These apparently put my brain completely to sleep. I could never be a real insomniac, because all I would need to do is pick up a car manual or a medical text and,.... *zzzz*]

So, anyways, when I hear this ridiculous clap-trap about how some religious groups are all freaked out about Harry Potter, I just want to scream and throttle someone. (Or as Bob says, "figure out where to hide the bodies.")

It. Is. Fiction. People.

And it doesn't take even half a brain to just enjoy the story for the story. The books are *not* suggesting that anyone can just decide to have magical powers through religious devotion -- no, you weirdos! Read the darn story. In the fictional universe of Harry Potter, you're either born with it or you're not. You need to study to have the skills to go with your natural born talents. Study or don't. Improve or don't.

It's like life. You have the talents you're born with. You study to develop skills. Or you don't study. You decide to be brave and courageous or you decide to be sneaky and underhanded. You decide to be scholastic or you decide to get by as a bully. You decide to squeak by on raw talent or you put in some good hard effort to get further ahead.

Guess which characters are most loved in the books? The ones who decide to stick with it, try hard, care for their friends, rise above their circumstances, etc. No one likes the bully. No one likes the evil underhanded people. (Okay, let's not go into the irresistibleness of Snape... some of that is just Alan Rickman's personal yumminess. Um, in my humble opinion. *grin*) Ah, but I digress.

I think maybe there's a few religious fundamentalists out there (and I'm not even saying *which* religion, since "fundamentalists" are of the same ilk in many systems) that could learn a few things about the value of honesty, bravery, courage, academic pursuits, honor, friendship, loyalty, hard-work, personal responsibility....

Hmm. It seems a little, um, high up here.
[rant mode: OFF]
*steps down lightly from her soapbox*
Gee, that's better.

* * * * *
It's live! It's live! Check it out! http://www.canyontheatre.org

The theatre website has been a pure joy to work on. When we first moved to California, twenty years ago (oh, my. 20 years ago!), it didn't take us long to find the local theatre. As my mom and sister started doing shows there, I found myself sometimes wishing I lived nearby, too. (Of course it's *hot* inland, and I've been living on the coast for the past 19 years, so nyeener nyeener.) *grin*

And now I finally feel like I've gotten to contribute to the theatre in a special and unique way. It runs in our family—that combination of creativity and service. Oh, and attention to detail. Darling Hope finally got to see where I get it from, as my mom continued to send in ever more detailed notes and suggestions from her review of the site in development. ["Can you make this a non-breaking space so the words will stay together? How about this column, can you center the text better? What can you do about this font here? Oh! Don't mis-alphabetize those names, I'll get yelled at again...."]

See what I mean? If you think *I'm* a detailed organizer, you really need to meet my Mother.

This is, of course, all said in the upmost affection, love, and pride. [And because she reads this journal, but that's a different story entirely. Hi Mom!]

* * * * *
Turns out we won't be moving out a friend tomorrow, because the moving-out husband is coming by to get his stuff. This will give me plenty of time to move into my apartment instead, and shop leisurely for beer and/or wine for the dinner party. I actually had to ask "Um, what kind of beer?" because I don't drink it. But I'm sure I can figure out how to ask nicely at the store for assistance.

And today I managed to get all the utilities and things turned on or scheduled for installation. So by next Tuesday we'll have our electricity in my name, phone turned on, cable, and cable internet installed and working. And the landlady called and was sweet about the misunderstanding about the lockbox (silly me, I took it off because it was scraping the newly painted door but the shower-door-guys came by yesterday to repair my bathroom. Oops.) and so she wasn't nearly as upset as the young office helper girl made it sound. The landlady even admitted to me that I only did what seemed logical, and she apologized to me for not knowing the workmen would be by the apartment before my lease actually started.

I wish I could bottle this phone charm. I could make money. *grin*

Well, off to finally do laundry, move some boxes, find some dinner, and crash. Maybe not in that order, but something close.

Oo! Maybe I'll curl up at Borders for breakfast and start reading Harry Potter 6 in hardback until the paperback comes out. (I know, I'm so bad!)