Fujisawas Sake said:
Tani,
You know, the lake around Hogwarts has a resident giant squid. I wonder if its an Archi or Messie?
Indeed, John -- I remember posting a comment about that (
re Book One) on the old message board. In fact, s/he made a "guest appearance" in every one of the first four books -- I'm still waiting for JKR to mention him/her in HP&OotP. Hope she hasn't forgotten about the critter (unless she's planning to have it snuff Voldemort in Book Seven)!
Fujisawas Sake said:
Oh, and "MONK" rules! I wish I got USA Network
I didn't think USA was a premium channel -- if you have basic cable, you should be getting it. Call your provider and threaten to tilt all the pictures on their walls if they don't get it for you.
I've been a MONK fan since before the series started! For starters, I've been waiting a long time for Tony S. to have a (successful) show of his own. He was fantastic as "Antonio" the hapless cab driver in the sitcom WINGS, an s.f. star in GALAXY QUEST, and the kindhearted janitor in a lovely little film called PAULIE. I was hoping that the sitcom STARK RAVING MAD (starring Tony S. and "Doogie Howser") would be a hit, and it had lots of potential, but never really got off the ground. Tony S. has a gift for combining physical comedy with a truly sympathetic character. Those qualities -- plus beautiful eyes and expressive hands -- have earned him a place in my heart as well as on my personal Geek Gal's "Hotties" list (ya gotta talk to "our" Tony about how to get registered as a TONMO Supporter). MONK is a perfect vehicle for him.
Secondly, the show MONK is the greatest thing that has happened to Obsessive-Compulsives since SSRI meds! Ever since I came out of the "OCD closet" several years ago, I've been waiting for the media to come up with a sympathetic, accurately portrayed OC character. The Nicholson character in the film AS GOOD AS IT GETS was touted as an Obsessive-Compulsive, but in fact what he had was Obsessive-Compulsive
Personality Disorder, and while it sounds similar, they are two distinct conditions which should never, ever be confused. (Since this isn't a "Cephalofans with Anxiety Disorders" forum, I will be happy to discuss the subject with anyone interested via PM, but not on the Message Board.)
Soon after I saw the first episode of MONK, I wrote an enthusiastic letter about it to the OCF (Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation), of which I am a member. As it turned out, the OCF staff had already received several very positive letters about it, with one or two exceptions who really hadn't seen the show yet and thought it would be making the whole thing into a sick joke of some sort. Yes, the "Adrian Monk" character has an extreme, disabling form of the condition -- more so than a large percentage of OCs, but less so than many others (e.g., the late Howard Hughes).
The main thing is that the Monk character, while exasperating to many of the people around him, is both brilliant and sympathetic. Even when "Sharona" is the most infuriated with him, you know that deep down inside she loves him -- whether as a platonic friend, or something more, remains to be seen in future episodes. And "Stottlemeyer", who still hasn't approved his reinstatement as a cop, nevertheless views Monk with admiration, respect, and real awe for his Sherlock Holmes-like deductive abilities.
Parenthetically, from what I understand the OCF has already established contact with the production staff of MONK, so they too recognize the value of the show in raising the public's awareness of the condition (estimated to affect a surprising 2% of the general population to a greater or lesser extent).
Fujisawas Sake said:
And I finished Order tow days after I got it in the mail... WOW, Harry gets his *bleep* kicked, doesn't he?
Yeah, poor Harry -- like it isn't bad enough being 15 (a difficult age even for Muggles)! I'm a slow reader and am currently just up to p. 572, but I get back to it at every window of opportunity. The Big Calamari has been bugging the hell outta me to read faster, because I called dibs on the book and won't let him near it until I've finished it. (Interestingly, our teenage squidling -- for whom we originally got the series -- could care less about reading it, and only grudgingly admitted to enjoying the first two films when we rented them.)
Fujisawas Sake said:
Oh, and I'm TRYING to become a subscriber, but my bank is weird about stupid PayPal accounts... *grrrrr*
See above -- contact Our Fearless Leader directly and ask for registration advice, I'm sure he can arrange for you to pay by an alternative method.
Miso-Shiru and Plum Wine,
Tani-San
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