deralte | karate, writing, costumes

I'm a bit beat up from karate atm, though I'm not sure why since I can't remember doing anything in particular to agravate the places where I'm hurting (with the exception of the muscles in my left foot which definately from doing katas). Speaking of katas, I'm amusing myself by joining the upper belts while they're learning new katas, despite my not knowing how to do the first kata (I learnt the first part of it Sunday, but that was my first kata ever), and while I'm certainly not up to their black belt kata standard, I can hold my own against, say, an orange belt. Thankfully, a major part of the class was still hand to hand, since katas are nice for a breather, but rather useless in real life unless you're trying to impress someone. Afterwards, I skipped the pub and spent a cozy evening at home watching the final Scarlet Pimpernel movie and doping up on painkillers *snuggles heating pad*

The odd thing about being in my 4th year is that the opposite of my first year is happening. My first year, everyone assumed I was older because Americans usually come over for a semester in their 2nd or 3rd years. Now, since I certainly don't look my age, the assumption is that I'm a first or second year, which may or may not explain why I've been hit on by so many freshers recently.

I have a short list of things to do this weekend since on Monday I have to dive back into another essay that's due. My biggest goal is to finish the next chapter of Uric, with the potential of finishing Blackadder the Pure-blood Years too. Anybody who can summarize for me what we know about how everyone broke out of Azkaban in book 5 would greatly speed up that ending since it's really all I need to know before I can write, and lack of time or motivation to reread OotP has been holding that back.

Another goal is to finish, or get close to finishing my costume for Hallowe'en, since I have a party to go to. I'm not one for making costumes. In fact, this is the second thing I've ever made (a black wool cloak which I had help on, being the first), but it's not that hard. I cut out the pieces last night and dyed them this morning, so hopefully they'll be dry enough tomorrow for me to start sewing.

And since I'm bored - first person to guess what I'm going as (if I haven't told you already (this should be only

havenward)) gets a drabble from a series of their choice (keeping in mind I really don't do ships).

I'd also like to read The Da Vinci Code (only cause my mum keeps insisting I read it, and if I do, then I can get her to stop bugging me about it and then rant about how inaccurate the book is, in peace). I'd also like to read some of The Scarlet Pimpernel if I can get past Orczy's prose, and then there's that niggling urge to work on my dissertation a little. A busy, if entertaining weekend.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

As far as Harry's viewpoint is concerned, there's no longer Dementor guards there, and the Death Eaters pretty much walked out at the same time. Of course, Harry's not the brightest match in the box, so it's possible there was other stuff involved too.

So basically all we know is that the Dementor's disappeared for whatever reason, and the Death Eaters walked out at the same time. I don't suppose there was a mention of non-Death Eaters in Azkaban?

Probably got kissed, for all we know. That, or Voldemort cut a deal with the Dementors to let his Death Eaters out, with the promise of more prisoners to come. I doubt that Voldemort would be too happy for criminals and other disgraces to the name of wizard to be around in the country...

The Da Vinci Code is utter tripe. It really isn't worth your time. Badly written, inaccurate and cliche-ridden. That and the guy is being sued for plagiarism.

My mum adores it, and keeps insisting I read it, and that I'll enjoy it too, despite the fact that she knows I was nearly thrown out of Troy for yelling at the screen for historical inaccuracies. I actually didn't get around to reading it today, but tomorrow I'm in for the quickest speed read of it that I can manage.

If you pop out to Rosslyn Chapel, you can tell your mother that Dan Brown has clearly never been there. He probably just looked at the website.

It's really weird that it seems to have this affect on people. There's a guy at my work who thinks it's wonderful. It wouldn't be so bad if it was original, but it's not. It's old hat.

I've read the first two pages of the Da Vinci code, and I would really like those three minutes of my life back. The exposition dump in those few lines alone made me wince - I dread to think what the writing in the rest of the book is like, let alone all the historical crack I've heard is in the rest of it. (The Illuminati! 'Ha, ha,' as Jack Aubrey would say)

You don't have a mother who has reminded you three times in the past six months to read the book, and who insists that you'll love it. I figure if I can read it, then I'll have a reason to complain about it that even she won't be able to argue with. I've yet to even glance at the prose though. If it's really bad, then there's no way I'll manage it.

I read it a couple of months ago and was not impressed. It was so badly written it made me wince. In places it was like one of those writing exercises where you have to spot all the bad ways of doing things. If it was a piece of fanfic it would be shredded in minutes.

What's worse is that he hasn't even researched the historical crack himself - he's pinched it from other people. Sometimes, allegedly, word for word. 'Squeak, squeak,' as Stephen Maturin would say.

If it was a piece of fanfic it would be shredded in minutes.

*grins* That was actually one of my first thoughts as well. I would have done so based on his incredible use of epithets in the first few pages alone.

What's worse is that he hasn't even researched the historical crack himself - he's pinched it from other people. Sometimes, allegedly, word for word. 'Squeak, squeak,' as Stephen Maturin would say.

Seriously? Oh, that just makes it better and better. I have a huge dislike for the book and for all its myriad fangirls (And fanboys - my boss thinks it's the best thing since sliced bread)

I'm torn between being happy to be the only one you've told and being sad that I don't get a drabble by you... =P

Ah well, if no one guesses, then I suppose you can have a drabble:P

Huzzah! I heart the Scarlet Pimpernel...never seen the series, but I read the book during some trip in middle school. If I was in middle school--the same time as my immersion in the Redwall series!--Orczy's prose really can't be too bad. I hope this is the series that has Jamie Bamber in it somewhere?
I haven't read Da Vinci Code either. I've told it's not worth my time for the same reasons: badly written, inaccurate, cliched...yet I feel obliged to read it all the same so I can complain informedly. Me family pushes it on me as well.

The prose is very bad. Overly dramatic with insensible use of grammar, and sentence fragments. I have a feeling if I'd read it at a younger age, I'd have been able to stand it better since I had lower standards for my reading back then. The miniseries is indeed the one with Jamie Bamber in it (first episode):)

Regarding the Da Vinci Code I really dont' want to waste my time on it, but my mum won't keep bugging me until I do since she's convinced I'll enjoy it, and I'm equally convinced that the historical inaccuracies and what sounded like an cliched plot will drive me up the wall.

karate, writing, costumes

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