Bit of Ivory

Validated!
VAL. I. DATED!!!

How little I knew when I made this
post, that I would be proven right so soon!

Thank you, J.K. Rowling! Take a look (and a listen) to this
link. The relevant quote? (My own transcription):

“And I’m also aware, as no one else can be, how important it is in the
overall plot of all seven books; I mean, key things happen in book two,
um. . .and no one but, . . .no one knows how important those things
are, yet.”

And no one can ever tell me again that CoS has a simplistic plot, or
that it’s the least of the books. At least, not without getting JKR QUOTAGE
rubbed into their face!

HA!

*33 hours 23 minutes until Emily sees CoS*

EDITED to add one more part of the quote, which clarifies why I
look at this quote the way I do: “There’s a lot in there. And I know
how difficult it was to get it all in there without drawing too much
attention to the clues.” And that, I think, is the material
point– the clues are very well hidden. It takes genius to hide clues
like that. Since we’ve had two books since and no explication of said
clues, she’s been able to downplay them even more. We’re probably going
to smack ourselves upside the head when we finally get more canon,
going “why didn’t I see this coming? It was all in Chamber of
Secrets!”

*24 hours 50 minutes until Emily sees CoS*

Alright, I’m utterly confuzled. Can anyone tell me why this page
could possibly have been a referral to my blog? Not only do I not see a
link or anyone I know on there, it seems to be mostly a place of Lori
and Cassie fans to hang out, which is definitely an area of fandom I
don’t ususally spend much time in.
Help?
*33 hours 45 minutes until Emily sees HP:CoS*

47 hours 55 minutes until I’m sitting in the theatre watching CoS. By
this time Friday, I will already be sitting in the theatre, watching
the previews. *Note: I did not come up with the hourly countdown. That
would be my roommate, the math major. I can’t subtract. :)*
I just realized I never told you my plans for this weekend. First off,
there’s the 9:30 am show in Salt Lake (in costume, of course, 7 people
total attending). Then I have to drive back to Provo for my two classes
that day (in costume, of course). Then back to Salt Lake for the 6:50
pm show (in costume, of course, 14 people total attending). Then it’s
home for a good night’s sleep. Driving back to Provo on Saturday to
attend the Dancesport competition for my Social Dance class. Heading
over to Lavell Edwards Stadium for the BYU/New Mexico game at 4:00.
Leaving said game early (around 7:30) to drive back to Salt Lake for
the 9:10 pm show (in costume, of course, 12 people total attending).
Home for another good night’s sleep. Church in my home ward on Sunday
morning. Probably stick around for dinner as well. Drive back to Provo
late Sunday night.
So for those of you who (like me) can’t count, that makes 3 showings in
2 days. And I’m absolutely positive that’s not the last time I’ll see
it. I still need to take Brother Walker to it, and my grandmother, and.
. .well. Let’s just say that I’m going to try to singlehandedly ensure
that CoS makes every bit as much money as SS.

Arabella
is EVIL. And completely awesome, of course. The Very
Secret Diary is definitely one of the best fics I’ve read in A LONG
time. It’s been interesting to read some of the reviews– people saying
that now they understand CoS, and that TVSD has added all new
meaning to it. . .sheesh, people, were you even reading the book? It’s
all in there– the whole thing. Arabella was just giving a voice to
what was already in the book. There’s a lot more depth in that story
than people are giving credit for. Plus, I think there are many, many
things that happened in that book which can foreshadow future events–
things that were never really resolved.
*Emily takes a deep breath and refrains from her “CoS is NOT the least
of the HP books rant”*
Anyway, I went and bought the CoS soundtrack today (I ended up with the
Dumbledore cover– I meant to get Harry, but by the time I realized I
had the wrong cover, I had already opened it. Oh, well). I’ve
listened to it twice now. Well, I need SOMETHING to get me through
until Friday, now, don’t I?
I must say that I’m in love with the Fawkes theme. And the music for in
the Chamber is wonderful and creepy. Perfect for reading the climax of
TVSD to.

I’m. Going. Crazy.
I’m getting so excited. You have no idea. Friday! I get to see the
movie FRIDAY!!!
It’s getting so that I don’t even want to read anything that doesn’t
have to do with Harry.
I’m completely hopeless, aren’t I?

You thought the last one was bitter? Try this one. . .
(The final Latin line means, roughly, “It is sweet and meet to die for
one’s country.”)
Dulce et Decorum Est
Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.
Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! — An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And floundering like a man in fire or lime —
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.

Here’s another war poem– a bit more satirical, this time:
All the Hills and Vales Along
by Charles Sorley (1895-1915)
ALL the hills and vales along Earth is bursting into song, And the
singers are the chaps Who are going to die perhaps.   O sing,
marching men,   Till the valleys ring again.   Give
your gladness to earth’s keeping,   So be glad, when you are
sleeping. Cast away regret and rue, Think what you are marching to.
Little live, great pass. Jesus Christ and Barabbas Were found the same
day. This died, that went his way.   So sing with joyful
breath.
  For why, you are going to death.   Teeming earth
will surely store   All the gladness that you pour. Earth
that never doubts nor fears, Earth that knows of death, not tears,
Earth that bore with joyful ease Hemlock for Socrates, Earth that
blossomed and was glad ’Neath the cross that Christ had, Shall rejoice
and blossom too
When the bullet reaches you.    Wherefore, men marching
  On the road to death, sing!   Pour your gladness
on earth’s head,   So be merry, so be dead. From the hills
and valleys earth Shouts back the sound of mirth, Tramp of feet and
lilt of song Ringing all the road along. All the music of their going,
Ringing, swinging, glad song-throwing, Earth will echo still, when foot
Lies numb and voice mute.   On, marching men, on
  To the gates of death with song.   Sow your
gladness for earth’s reaping,   So you may be glad, though
sleeping.   Strew your gladness on earth’s bed,
  So be merry, so be dead.

Armistice Day
At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918,
an Armistice was signed, ending what had been the bloodiest war ever
fought. I’ve never paid much attention to World War I (or the Great
War, as it was then called– the people having no knowledge that
another such war was possible) before. The United States entered the
battle quite late, and no one in my family fought in it– we’ve always
been rather focused on World War II, with both my grandfathers serving.
I think that as a whole, the US has rather forgotten about WWI. Anyway,
I’ve been taking a Literature of the Great War class, which has given
me a new appreciation for what the people at the time went through. I
thought it would be appropriate to post some of the more memorable
poems I’ve read throughout the day today. The first is perhaps one of
the most famous WWI poems– the reason poppies are worn in remembrance
of soliders in any war. It’s view of the war is slightly idealized–
much more than what I will be posting later on.
In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae (1872-1918)
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

I just spent all afternoon writing a brilliant essay in rebuttal to this article. It’s posted
over at the Sugar Quill in Veritaserum.
It’s posted in four parts, but they’re all relatively close together
toward the end of the page.
Hee. That was fun.

Hah!
HAHAHAH!! In fact, MWHAHAHAH!
I’ve got my dad reading fanfic.
So far, he’s read some of RJA’s Star Trek fics, and The Very Secret
Diary. My link pointed him there.
He’s hooked.
MWHAHAHAH!!!