OakMonster’s Den

I finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I am starting on Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix because all the references this one made to it, I barely remember.

The following section will be written in “Invisible Ink” for your protection as I will discuss my thoughts about Half-Blood Prince which obviously contains TONS AND TONS OF SPOILERS!! Use your mouse to highlight the section if you wish to read on. And oh yes, profanity abounds. Watch out, kiddies.

THAT FUCKIN’ SNAPE!!!

Oh, sorry. I meant, I LOVE the book. The best one yet! So much fun to read. I spent a few hours each day for a week reading it, so I did savor the flavor quite a bit.

But man, that SNAPE!!!!

Does it bothered anyone that no one, not even Hermione, would make the assumption that the “Half Blood Prince” could be Voldermort? After all, we keep revisiting his half blood history. Other suspicious things would be those weird spells and jinxes, and the fact that Voldermort was once Slughorn’s student. And no one would come to a conclusion that it could possibly be Voldermort’s book? I find that hard to believe.

But hey. A lot of things in this one are hard to believe.

I can’t believe Dumbledore is dead. I mean, I kind of suspected it originally when he turns up with one dead arm. I was thinking that arm is a part of something that was slowly killing him or something.

Then again, you know how Dumbledore was talking about “faking the death” of Malfoy. He could’ve been faking his death just then too. You know, he plotted it out with Snape, and planted the clone thing, Mad Eye Moody style, on the grounds with the fake Horcrux. After all, NOBODY saw Dumbledore hit the ground. Right? Right? He’s faking his death so he could go around and get to the rest of the Horcruxes. Out of sight!

What about the green potion he drank? I think Snape planted that too. I mean, why else would Dumbledore only ask for Snape, and trusting him with his life? If I’m going with that plot line, so yeah Snape would be well hated and gained more trus with Voldermort, and therefore better access to all the secrets and things.

Wishful thinking? Well, we’ll find out when the next book comes out if I’m right or not. I don’t think Rowling would totally kill of such character without having something planned. Well, there will always be Dumbledore in the portrait in his office.

Now, Harry and Ginny. Anyone else feel a little odd about that? I guess I’ve always seen Harry as a part of Ron’s family and Ginny the baby sister. How in the hell could he even think to love her any other way?? Then again, that happens in real world all the time. I am kind of happy they went out. They are right for each other. But originally, when Harry starts “fantasizing” about her, that freaks me the hell out! I winced still at their first kiss. But since they weren’t “nogging” all the time like Ron and Lavender, thank god, I didn’t have problems with Harry and Ginny after that so much.

And man, I WISH Hermione and Ron would just get it over with between them! Then again, I guess it’s necessary to keep that little sexual tension between them for the next few books.

Ew. Sexual tension. It creeps me out when anyone of these kids doing anything like that. I guess I’ve watched them grow all these times and now that they’re all grown up and stuff, it’s weird watching them kissing and having sexual thoughts. Double EWWW! Oh well. They’re all going to be 18 soon. I’d better get used to it.

Yep. Love the book. Love. Love. Love. Love. LOVE!

That Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell book will have to wait some more. Heh.

splenda causes nose bleeds (Yahoo)
Should’ve checked what you’re snorting before you did it, dork.

colonics by Jacqueline (Google)
They have designer everything else so why not colonics?

Programmers: Video games need a woman’s touch

I wonder if it’s too late to start going to school all over again to become a female game developer…

LA Times covers another Asian cultural aspect of keeping their skin “white” in
Beauty and the Bleach.

I LOVE to be in the sun. When I was growing up, my brothers and I pretty much lived at the Polo Club, shortened for the Royal Bangkok Sports Club Polo Club, a branch of the exclusive sports club in the city. I started off first with tennis, then I was either roaming around the grounds or out in the pool with my friends until my brothers were done with their tennis lessons in early afternoon.

All three of us were so dark, or in Thai “dumm” which means black, we were the color of milk chocolate. We did have a family portrait from this era in our dining room. People often asked if mom was really our mom. She was, and still is, very very fair.

See, mom is blessed with the Chinese fair skin, but also cursed with over-sensitivity to the sun. A bit of sun and she either gets covered in freckles, spots, or worse yet, burn to a crisp. I may have inherited a little bit of that too now that I couldn’t be out in the sun too long before I burn…even under SPF 45. But I brown easily enough just from being out driving or walking about in the sun for 15 minutes.

Anyways. The whole skin color thing hasn’t been too much of an issue until I hit a certain age when you’re supposed to be attracting boys when it becomes an issue.

Then again, about that age I started school in the US. Each time I come home “dark”, mom greeted me with a sigh. The rest of the trip would be peppered with her pulling me out of the sunny sidewalk, or forcing a magazine over my face. She’s still doing it now.

Dark isn’t cool back home. You’ll read in the article here at they mentioned a Western ideal of beauty is to blame for Asian whitening craze. It’s not. It really has been based in the Asian culture. The light skin means you’re not toiling in the sun and therefore of higher class.

Yep. White = high society. It comes down to that.

Welcome to the world, Amelia “Mia” Morgan Cactus-Fish!

Congrats to new parents Chris “Rude Cactus” and wife Beth “So the Fish Said”!

Traditionally for Thais, they give a little gold bracelet for the baby. You know, Thai culture is tied with gold. It’s something that adorn you now, and you can pawn when destitute. Great gift for all occasions.

But all I can do for you today, the Bean Cactus-Fish, is to wish you good health, much joy, and plenty of success. One day, Chris, I could buy your grand kid a gold bracelet instead.

So, the 10 year high school reunion came and went. And I had a blast!

Friday night, the day before the actual reunion, we had a mini-reunion at Amber’s parents’ house in Laguna Niguel.

Last I saw Amber was at my wedding. She came out from Colorado for that one. And this time, she brought her beautiful 7-year-old daughter Brittany with her. It was great to see her folks again as well. Boy, Amber’s little sister Alicia is all grown up. 19 and pre-med at fucla. She’s not the little reddish blonde haired little girl we all remembered!!

None of us have seen Michael since the 5 year reunion despite the fact that he is still local in Orange County.

Melissa came out from Illinois more often, but it was always good to see her. Monika is in Arizona but we don’t see her often either. Last I’ve seen these two was at Melissa’s wedding a few years ago now.

The BBQ was a lot of fun. Michael originally wasn’t coming to the reunion, but we all talked him into it. And we all glad he came.

The reunion itself was a big party. It is still very much high school-ish where people who know each other hang out with each other and ignore the rest. I tried to randomly chat up other people, but was met by weird “who the fuck are you and why are you talking to me?” vibe so I stopped doing that.

Didn’t I mention it feel pretty much just like high school again?

I did get to see many people I wanted to see. Like Kris and Cathy from New York. Laura and Mike, the models for high school sweetheart marriage. Air Force Amy. My first American friend Tara.

Then a few surprise walks down memory lane. Christie who was in theater with me as well. I couldn’t remember her for a second. It’s the blonde. LOL. Theresa, my chemistry lab partner, grabbed me to say hi. Holy crap, she looks a lotta different than what I remembered! Teresa from Physics was there but we only exchanged a few words. Mike who was in my Econ class, a friend from grade school of Nora’s.

A few reconnect: Johnny whom I haven’t really met in school. Julie from the extended lunch group.

And of course, a stare across the room at other “popular people” I have come to know. Like the funny twin Kenny and Kevin. Yeah, true. We did drama together. There is supposedly a bond there so they would’ve remembered me if I had gone up to say hi. Or at least pretended so. But they were constantly surrounded by people, and I didn’t want to embarrass myself.

Yep. Still feel a little high school-ish there. Only if they were there earlier before I felt like a total idiot trying to “reconnect” with these people.

Anyhoo. The night went on. Our gang, led by our fearless Irish leader Nora, ruled the dance floor. Well, everyone else moved outside and got shit-faced or something. LOL. A few group came back in to dance here and there.

Like the bunch of girls that were trying to go all stripper/rap video girl like on the floor. After a while they noticed there was nobody inside the ballroom, and they could shake their asses all they want, no one outside was paying attention. So the left the floor and went back to boozing. The class clowns Kenny and Kevin and their posse were dancing for a while too. And then later on someone got seriously drunk (or perhaps high) and came back for a few songs, terrorizing the floor with their posse, and then left again.

Our gang were probably on the floor most of the evening. And we had such a GREAT TIME doing so!

The clock struck midnight, I walked into my apartment. Got completely busted for not coming home on time. Heh. I told Brandon I was going to be home by 10. I didn’t know I was going to have so much FUN!

Reunion Committee and Michele at the Alumni office, if you’re reading this. Thanks for a great time.

More pictures (Thanks Amber!) on my Flickr Album.

Although we already said goodbye to James Doohan almost exactly a year ago, I still feel he’s gone too soon. Then again, his health must be a lot worse than we had hoped.

‘Star Trek’ Star James Doohan Dies

Again, thanks Scotty for our early Trek memory.

Colin Farrell Sues Woman Over Sex Tape

Oh, COME - ON, Colin. (No pun intended…oh well, um…maybe?)

This tape is not going to damaged your career. Phone Booth, Daredevil, S.W.A.T. and Alexander have already done that. If anything, THIS will be your biggest blockbuster. Ever. You already have a full frontal in A Home at the End of the World, you ain’t got nuttin’ to hide, lad.

I didn’t even notice! Over 1,000 served! Yey!

And 2 new search phrases:

a year on the french riviera burping (Google)
Perhaps you shouldn’t have eaten all that French cheeses…

high borens (Google)
Drunk, maybe. But certainly not high.

PRAY to the gods that my copy of Harry Potter would be here on Monday.

We have so many books in our reading line up right now, including my never ending attempt at reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (Yes. I’m still gnawing at this one!), but I’ll wait for Harry.

Brandon discovered his new favorite in Barb & J.C. Hendee’s series about Magiere, the half human half vampire, vampire slayer. A mix of Buffy and Blade taking place in Middle Earth sort of thing. And we just bought the latest 2 books in Jim Butcher’s Wizard Harry Dresden series: Blood Rites, and the first hardback Dead Beat. Dresden is a wizard and preternatural detective who keeps getting his butt kicked long before he could turn around and beat the bad guys.

Although, I’m a little pissed at Amazon for not delivering the book on time. I could’ve gotten one at Barnes & Noble today instead of waiting until Monday for it. I asked VERY nicely with whipped cream and cherries on top for Brandon to run to the post office on Monday/Tuesday if by some miracle of God he gets home before 5 and finds that little pink pick up slip in the mailbox.For Goblet of Fire, I pre-ordered it through B&N to have it delivered to work. The book was to be released at midnight on Friday which meant that I wouldn’t get to read it until Monday. But I didn’t want to risk a chance of someone snaking my copy from my dingy apartment mailbox.

Friday around 3:30 p.m., screaming something in joyous gibberish, I ran through the office, holding up over my head the Holy Grail, Goblet of Fire — several hours before anyone else could get theirs!

No such luck with Order of Phoenix, nor Halfblood Prince. That’s too damn bad.