Harry Potter Denouement

Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsI finally finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow over the weekend and was extremely happy that nobody spoiled it for me. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for anyone that hasn’t finished yet.

However, there are plenty of links that I’ve saved for after I finished the book that any fan should immediately visit. The best gem is a transcript from an extensive question-and-answer session that JK Rowling hosted via live web chat on Bloomsbury’s official website. Fans submitted over 120,000 questions, and although she didn’t answer nearly all of them, she answered many questions that I had and filled in a lot of back story. In an interview with TODAY’s Meredith Vieira a couple more tidbits of back story were also revealed.

The TODAY interview also revealed that Rowling “‘probably will’ publish a Potter encyclopedia, promising many more details about her beloved characters and the fate of the wizarding world beyond the few clues provided in the seventh book’s epilogue.”

Finally, read why Rowling changed the last word of the book and whether Daniel Radcliffe’s guess about Harry Potter’s fate was correct.

Did any of you read the book(s)? What did you think?

Barry Bonds’ Record **

Although Sports Illustrated’s lead story on Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron’s home record is subtitled Steroids or not, Bonds’ ability never in question, many (myself included) will disagree. Besides the obvious asterisk that will always be placed next to the record because of Bonds’ obvious “alleged” steroid use, I’ve included another after reading an article that further puts his vaunted athletic prowess in doubt. Editor and Publisher’s article Barry Bonds’ HR Record Tainted by Elbow ‘Armor’? reveals that the protective gear Bonds has employed in various forms for over 10 years is actually quite a marvel of engineering, conferring at least several advantages to his swing. Supporters of Bonds who claim that steroid use does not affect his reaction time or swing mechanics may have less of a leg to stand on when considering this…

A MetaFilter thread I came across explores the highly engineered design of newer bats, but I’ll exclude that from my rant as it is a factor not necessarily unique to Bonds.

50 Things You Should Never Say

Radar Online presents their list of 50 Things You Should Never Say:

Everything’s a bit more casual in summer, but that still doesn’t mean you can wear jorts and crocs. Or for that matter ever admit to owning said items aloud. In the spirit of public service, Radar has compiled a list of 50 other things best kept to yourself, including those tired catch-phrases that make everyone around you groan.

I have to admit using several of these regularly… ;-p