Fans finally get Harry Potter book
Topic: Someone Else Said It
By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press Writer 15 minutes ago

LONDON - At midnight, like magic, Harry Potter appeared.


Bookstores across Britain, and as far away as Singapore and Sydney, threw open their doors to sell "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the seventh and final volume of the young wizard's adventures.

Eager readers, many of whom had lined up for hours, rushed from the tills, opening the thick hardback book to take in the opening words: "The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow moonlit lane."

Inside were answers readers have waited long to learn — and that J.K. Rowling and her publishers have labored, with mixed results, to keep secret. Will Harry kill evil Lord Voldemort, or die in the attempt? Who will be slain in the battle between the good guys and the wicked Death Eaters? And what are deathly hallows, anyway?

"It's all that matters to him, to get this book — he couldn't eat or sleep," mother Laura Helmy said of her 15-year-old son, Bobby, who purchased the novel at midnight in central London.

The family, from Northfield, Ill., had been vacationing in Paris but hopped on the Eurostar to London for the day.

Shops throughout the world were putting the book on sale at the same time — a minute past midnight British time (7:01 p.m. Friday). Readers in the United States have to wait until midnight strikes in each time zone, from 12:01 a.m. EDT Saturday.

Rowling, who created her magical character in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" a decade ago, was giving a midnight reading to 500 competition-winning children in the grand Victorian surroundings of London's Natural History Museum.

Rowling sat in a large wing-backed chair and read the opening pages — description of a mysterious assignation, a clandestine meeting and important news for Voldemort.

For many of the keenest Potter-maniacs, the place to be was Waterstone's bookstore on Piccadilly in central London. More than 5,000 people lined up for hours before the midnight opening, in a festive, colorful line stretching around the block. Among the fans from as far away as Finland and Mexico were dozens of witches and wizards, a couple of house elves, a pair of owls and a woman dressed as Hogwarts castle.

Ken Zwier, 42, from Phoenix, Ariz., grew and bleached his hair to achieve the golden tresses of villain Lucius Malfoy.

"Tomorrow I'm buzzing it all off. It's been a couple of years," said Zwier, who was lining up with his wife and two daughters — all in costume. The family planned to read the book aloud to one another on their flight back to the United States Saturday. They said anyone who complained would be offered ear plugs.

Rowling's books about the bespectacled orphan with the lightning-bolt scar have sold 325 million copies in 64 languages, and the launch of each new volume has become a Hollywood-scale extravaganza.

"Deathly Hallows" has a print run of 12 million in the United States alone, and Internet retailer Amazon says it has taken 2.2 million orders for the book. Britain's Royal Mail says it will deliver 600,000 copies on Saturday; the U.S. Postal Service says it will ship 1.8 million.

From London to Los Angeles, Potter-mania spans the globe. Tel Aviv's Steimatzky bookstore was due to open at 2:01 a.m. local time Saturday, defying criticism from Orthodox Jewish lawmakers for opening on the Sabbath, when the law requires most businesses in Israel to close.

In India, stores were opening at dawn for special Harry Potter parties. In Bangkok, British ambassador David Fall was to hand over Thailand's first official copy of "Deathly Hallows" to the first customer in line at the Emporium Shopping Complex. The mall was decked out with a recreation of King's Cross Station's platform 9 3/4, where Harry and friends catch the Hogwarts Express to school.

Phnom Penh's Monument Books — Cambodia's only outlet for the book — expected its allotment of 224 copies to sell out within hours.

Enthusiasts, some rereading previous Potter volumes, lined up in sunshine outside book stores in Los Angeles. In New York, a clock outside a Barnes & Noble store counted down to the midnight launch, publishing's version of a trip to the moon.

Portland, Maine, was going all-out with a 12-hour Mugglefest to celebrate the book's launch. Fans wearing cloaks and carrying wands were riding the Hogwarts Express into a re-creation of King's Cross station, and an old red-brick warehouse foundry along the city's waterfront was converted into the magical shopping street Diagon Alley.

Across Latin America, bookstores were staying open late for the Potter faithful.

Mexico City's Gandhi bookstore planned to keep the party going on all weekend, with showings of the movies and readings in Spanish of excerpts from the book, quickly translated by "Mexico's Club de Fans de Harry Potter."

Security for the launch was fist-tight, with books shipped in sealed pallets and legal contracts binding stores not to sell the book before the midnight release time.

But despite pleas from Rowling and leading fan sites, spoilers sprouted on the Internet in the days before the release, including photographed images of what turned out to be all 700-plus pages of the book's U.S. edition.

In France, the daily Le Parisien revealed how the final installment ends, in a small article which it printed upside down. The book's French publishing house, Gallimard Jeunesse, condemned the newspaper's revelation, saying it showed "a total lack of respect for J.K. Rowling" and "disdain for readers."

As many as 1,200 copies were shipped early in the United States by an online retailer, and two U.S. newspapers published reviews Wednesday, more than two days ahead of the official release.

Rowling said she was "staggered" by the embargo-busting reviews and called on fans to preserve the secrecy of the plot.

But she had little reason to complain about what critics actually said. "Deathly Hallows" has received universal raves, with The New York Times and The Associated Press among those praising it as a worthy conclusion to a classic series of children's stories.

Fifteen-year-old Patrick Atkins of Twinsburg, Ohio, thought Harry would survive the final book, believing Rowling would come up with an unexpected ending. He avoided the Internet spoilers, as did Wayne Kelley, who walked through downtown Hudson, Ohio, dressed, quite convincingly as snide Severus Snape.

"I will wait until I have the actual book in my hands," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Lindsay Toler and Romina Spina in London, AP National Writer Hillel Italie in New York and correspondents around the world contributed to this report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070720/ap_en_ot/harry_potter

Harry Potter - the final installment?
Topic: WC - Daily Practice
Friday 20July07

So I'm sitting here waiting for my laundry to finish and turn on my lap top and read an article on Yahoo about people in lines for the last Harry Potter book and I start blubbering. Yep, I'm sitting here crying because the final Harry Potter book is so damn close, mere hours away. Now, to be honest, I'm not really sure what I'm crying about. Is it just that it's been such a long wait for the final book. Or is it the writers dream of crazy line ups and celebrations? Could you imagine writing a series of books that are hailed around the world. A freakin' writers wet dream. Or maybe it's because last night I wrote the last chapter of White Wishes and as slow as it's going it's a step forward. And to think of a full novel is so much easier when I had the first chapter and the last chapter done.

hmm! And to think of a full novel makes me weep like a little girl. Fuck you Fergie, Big girls do cry! ha ha!

I am still amazed and baffled at all the media and newspapers and radio announcers that are leaking their fair share of Harry Potter tidbits. Really, is nothing sacred anymore? There used to be a time when reporters stood for something and even radio announcers stood for something. Melanie on Flow announced what the last three words are of the book. That other idiot JJ made some comment about how the book is for kids after all. Someone should stuff a bag of sport socks in his mouth, he talks such stupidness. Why do people want to ruin things for every one so badly? So you're not into the mania, shut the fuck up and don't spoil it for all the millions of us who are.

I fear that I'm going to ball my eyes out come the end of the final book, I say with a bout of hysterical laughter. I really expect that I'm going to cry. How funny is that?

I'm still debating whether I'll get the book early tomorrow morning before I have to meet up with my friends for the wedding that I'm attending. Since there is a 6 hour break between wedding and reception, I figure I could be half way through the book if I just sit in a corner and read. Is that wrong?

And while clicking around, I discovered that Jasper Fforde has another Thursday Next book coming out, "First among Sequels". I still haven't bought , "Something Rotten." It looks like I'll be buying at least four books this weekend: Harry Potter, The two Jasper Ffordes and AM Homes book about finding her biological parents. It's time to step back into reading fiends shoes.

I'm currently reading Beginning of Was by Ania Szado which is beautifully written for such rough material.

I can't get all hermit-like right now cuz it's still summer. Winter is best for the hermit routine. But I'm feeling like becoming a hermit, with too many books to read and pushing myself to read them all. I still have to get Jasper's other books, "The Big Over Easy" and "The Fourth Bear." Lord help me and my book addiction.

I got the kleenex ready for the wedding tomorrow. I didn't think that I was the wedding crier but after having gone to Tyrone's wedding and bursting into tears the moment he and his wife to be walked down the aisle with their mothers and crying through out the whole process (it's called a ceremony, isn't it?), I don't know about myself anymore. I used to be so good about not crying over every single thing. What the heck happened to me and why am I admitting it on the internet?

I had a depression breakthrough today. With a couple things seriously bugging me over the last few days, I felt that I could go down to that dark place. I thought about it some more today, while at work, and thought in loud thoughts, "WTF! Why get depressed about this? So a couple things suck the bag, getting depressed isn't going to change them."

Getting depressed isn't going to change a damn thing. But crying? Now that's a release and a relief, so I'll keep on crying over every silly little thing... Harry Potter, weddings, the Tour de France, the Olympics... ha ha
And depression? Fuck depression!

And the Tour de France isn't doing it for me that much this year, even though I'm watching it. I still haven't found someone to love in the Tour. Well, I lie, I was loving Fabian Cavellera ( sorry, I suck if I spelled it wrong). He was showing his balls with riding away with the yellow jersey for all the early stages and then announced in stage 8 (was it?) that he would work for the team and waved good bye and hasn't been heard from since. That's the painful part of the Tour. It's all about the team and not so much the individual. Of course that's what is so cool about the Tour too. That level of selflessness that you have to have. You could ride the race for years to help someone else, like a Lance Armstrong win. And you have to be happy about that. It's crazy and awesome and really all about the team.

EY

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Sleep
Topic: WC - Daily Practice
Monday 16July07

I never did make it out to my last two shows for the Fringe nor to Dusk dances. I'd pushed myself to physical exhaustion and ended up spending the weekend in bed. Don't I just sound like a child that eats too much candy and then gets sick? Well I kinda am. I never said I didn't have issues!

I did catch the two stages of the Tour de France. The two best stages thus far. In the Mountains, separating the men from the boys. Emotional drama at it's best. As one of the commentators said, "One minute you're at the head of the pack and the next minute you're at the bottom of a ravine, climbing up and getting back on your bike and trying to catch up." It's like life isn't it?
I too was physically at the bottom of the ravine. I was so busted that I could only manage to go downstairs to the 24 hour depanneur (equivalent to a corner store in Montreal) and buy bread to make grilled cheese sandwiches. The thought of standing in the fresh obsessed and buying groceries was tantamount to a temper tantrum. It wasn't happening.

I did manage to get my ass out to Goldfish's fundraiser which had a good showing. I chatted up Objiwan guy with mild enthusiasm. Had three beer and met a new friend of Goldfish. New friend is Indian (from India) born in Kenya and from England. Talk about confusing. Was nice to have someone to hang with and chat about the arts. And even better to have someone to walk with back to the streetcar when it was time to leave cuz the walk was along a very darkened long ass street that could have proved problematic.

Happily today is rest day for the Tour but I'll have to watch the recap of all the previous stages since I missed more than I caught, overall. Yeah I'm sure the cyclists are even happier than I am about the rest day.

Had a couple epiphanies about a few people at work, not my guys but extended work mates. Somehow I could picture those situations in child form for my novel Dreamweaver. I've decided to take some of those situations and make them into school situations for my character to contend with. Isn't life just like a repetition of school anyway? It feels like it to me anyway.

And for White Wishes, I bypassed all the notes and the first chapters and have decided to work backwards. So I pulled out the final chapter for Book 1 and will be working backwards. I know where everything begins. I need to have the ending go back to the beginning.

And Women of the Fold trudges along at it's own pace, coming in when it needs to.

Mercury Retrograde is finally out of our systems. That may have also fed into my overall physical exhaustion. Let's recap my Mercury Retrograde just because: There was the groper who called me a bitch; there was the two ex boyfriends on the same night at the same bar sitting at my table, testing their "Do I still got it?" foolishness; there was the French kisser. And there was my always confusing feelings about the guy, should I continue to like him, am I delusional? yadda yadda yadda. Of course through all of this I met the Capricorn golfer whom I get along with so well. The last time I saw him I drew the line before it became an issue. I told him that I really like and enjoy talking to him. That I want to be friends and only friends, no lines crossed. "So let's not pull the stupid guy thing and try to see what you can get, Okay? Cuz I'm telling you now, what I want our relationship to be."

He laughed his ass off and said he was shot down before he even tried. ha ha! But there are some people you click with and know that you could be friends with them for a lifetime like my best friend in Montreal. I've since been calling him, my new best friend.

So that's my story about the men (I almost typed demented) for Mercury. And now we're in New Moon territory as of Saturday the 14th and we're hoping for a bit of smooth sailing. I'll have to discuss with the Borat lender if I can watch it after the Tour is over. I'm always paranoid when I have something that belongs to someone else.

My time that isn't spent watching the Tour, I'd like to work on my writing. I didn't write much, as you may have guessed, with my nightly artist dates with the Fringe and such. And now I am stimulated enough to sit down and crank it out. Summerworks theatre festival starts on August 2nd so that will be my next set of artist dates. Allyson of Theatre Rusticle has a show that she directed in it called Trudeau Stories. That is a must see!

EY

Two More Plays Left
Topic: WC - Daily Practice
Friday 13July07
Last night I took another day off from the Fringe and went to the Spiegel Show at the Spiegel tent down at Harbourfront Centre. A totally spectacular show that had me laughing like I've rarely laughed at a show before. I was so over stimulated when I got home that I couldn't get to sleep until after 2am only to get up four hours later. Luckily today was my leave work early Friday but I had to get my ass in early to have the benefit.

I was feeling shaky after work because I hadn't eaten enough so I crept over to the Corned Beef house and had a gigantic smoked meat sandwich. It wasn't bad, not quite as Montreal as they said but the best quality I've had in Toronto. No Cotts Black Cherry though. Gotta have Cott's Black Cherry with a smoked meat sandwich. come on!

Saw four Fringe Shows today: Eleanor; Funny Business, the musical; Labyrinth of water; and Yabu No Naku Distruthted. I walked out of my first show ever... Labyrinth. i didn't get it. I couldn't tell if the girl was a girl, a flower, a branch... And she kept waking me up every time I tried to sleep with her screams and weird ass noises. I finally decided to leave when I was staring at the red bell for the fire alarm willing it to ring. ha ha. I fell asleep for bits of Eleanor but not because I didn't like it but because I only got 4 hours sleep. Funny Business was so funny. It was all about office politics and office romances. A good hoot.

After I walked out of Labyrinth, I planned to walk home and then ran into crazy Mandy who was off to Yabu no Naku Distruthted and roped me into that. I had planned to see Jihad me at Hello but couldn't be bothered with waiting til 9:15pm since Labyrinth was still on and it was damn cold at the Robert Gill theatre. Of course I was the only person with polar fleece on. Everyone else was fanning themselves. sigh! I nodded off a bit in Yabu no Naku. It was an interesting show. I would have been better seeing when I was fully awake. And it was performed in an underground parking lot.

So now I'm home. The cats are begging for a little attention. Lala is running back and forth and meowing like the crazy kitten she is. Zoe is walking back and forth and blinking her big eyes at me. Picasso just threw up the biggest hair ball I've ever seen. And Quincy can't be bothered with any of us until I get into bed. Then she becomes alpha cat and edges me over.

I've got two more shows to see tomorrow and then I've done 14 shows. And that's it for me. I'm glad I did it but now I'm exhausted. Next week calms down, I have plans almost every night but not every night. ha ha! But my plans next week are people plans. My virgo buddy Vanjandan is in town from Arizona and I will be her wedding date for Saturday to see a work friend from our Science Centre days get hitched. Still don't know what gift I'm buying.

And I've got Borat to watch. My funny friend who drives me crazy but less so now that I know what to do to drive him crazy in return has lent me Borat. ha ha. "If you'd just talk on my digital recorder I wouldn't have to go behind the bar." I can't believe I actually said that.

Okay, I'm going off into coma sleep land smothered by four cats. Zoe joined the fold last night because they all missed me so much.

EY

Lanterne Rouge
Topic: Someone Else Said It

American cyclist Dave Zabriskie has the chance to win the honor of being the first-worst American in Tour history.

By Bill Strickland

I suppose it’s cool and all that Dave Zabriskie was the third American to ever pull on a yellow jersey, and has also won a stage in all three Grand Tours — this little race going around France right now, plus the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta Espana. But this year he has a chance to really do something historical and special: Win the Lanterne Rouge.

That French term, which means “red lantern” (and refers to the lights hung on railway cabooses) is applied to the last racer who actually finishes the Tour. It’s not the insult you might think it is. There’s some measure of fame, and respect, to being the absolute last guy to stick out a race like the Tour — to suffer day after day even though you’re three hours or so behind the leader.

I’m somewhat of a student of the Lanterne Rouge. I suck and, on a bike at least, I am stubborn, which means that — although I never actually get to finish last in anything important because I’m not that good — I am often the last slow guy to get peeled off the back of the fast guys. (You can read about it here, which is my blatant commercial plug for this blog.)
Jacky Durand. Photos by AFP/ Getty Images
The greatest Lanterne Rouge of all time was Jacky Durand, the amazing and entertaining French legend, who over the course of his career launched literally thousands of ill-advised, stupid, insane, overly long doomed breakaways — and ended up winning two national championships, three stages of the Tour, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Tours on those rare attacks when everything went right. In 1999, Durand pulled off what I think of as the most remarkable feat in cycling: He simultaneously won the Tour de France’s award for Most Aggressive Rider, which paid 100,000 Euro, and the Lanterne Rouge.

“I don’t mind being beaten,” Durand said in an interview. “What I hate is being beaten when I haven’t tried.”

(Durand’s Lanterne Rouge, incidentally, was the fifth in a seven-year run of last-place finishes by the French, from 1995-2001. French racers have also won 6 of the past 10 Lanternes Rouge. Who says they’re having a bad time at their own race?)

The most mysterious Lanterne Rouge, I think, was also the first: Arsene Millocheau, who finished nearly 65 hours behind the winner in the first Tour de France in 1903, then never raced it again. One appearance, one Lanterne Rouge. It’s the stuff of legend and magic.

We Americans, in contrast, are appallingly focused on the podium. We may have won either 10 or 11 of the past 21 Tours (depending on what happens with Floyd Landis) but, sadly, in the long history of the world’s greatest race we’ve never brought a shining red light back home. That’s where Zabriskie comes in. After Tuesday’s Stage 3, he was sitting 186th out of 187 — ideally positioned for the best loss in sports, and carrying a bit of poetry with him, as well. What could be more rapturous than the racer known as the Z-Man winning America’s first last place?
Wim Vansevenant Photo by AFP/ Getty Images
There’s one problem: Wim Vansevenant is just three seconds ahead of Zabriskie. All you Lanterne Rouge pundits out there know that Wim won last last year — barely taking a brave and heated battle from previous two-time winner Jimmy Casper. So he knows what it takes to be last. Worse, he understands the call of destiny, as well. When he won, he told reporter Sam Abt, “Lanterne Rouge is not a position you go for. It comes for you.”

Vino? Valverde? Schleck? Levi? Without question there is glory in reigning as a star who stands high above us, spraying champagne out upon the masses and kissing beautiful women. But for the pure, gritty reality of what life is most often like, I’m cheering for Wim to pull out the July of his life and rocket up the standings, and for Z-Man to give us all something to believe in.

http://sittingin.bicycling.com/2007/07/go-wim.html