No spoliers yet, please

So I was sitting on my porch Saturday night reading Harry Potter when I heard a clopping noise coming from the street. My first thought, “Wow, this book is so realistic that I can actually hear the spectral horses.” My second thought was to actually look towards the street where I was able to watch a cop on horseback just trot his way down the street lacking only a cowboy hat for that true period feel. It makes you wonder about your neighborhood when they need horses to patrol it. I always used to make fun of the cops on mountain bikes but that’s slightly more respectful than needing to call upon Corporal Flicka.

Speaking of Harry Potter, I can’t believe that they revealed that Darth Vader was really Harry Potter’s father. And that as a boy Dumbledore built C-3PO. Or at least that’s what I think I read…it was a rather late night last night.

To be honest, I’m about halfway through the book (and I’ve been good and have not immediately turned to the last chapter to see what happens). I won’t give a full review until I finish it but I have to say that I am rather impressed. While I’ve read the books I haven’t always been a fan of J.K. Rowling. I still feel that she borrowed a few too many ideas from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series (a definite must-read, especially as they are much more adult and satirical than Harry Potter) and that at times you could tell that she was a beginning author. Or more accurately, an author who grew more powerful than her editors at a point where her skill still required editing. That’s why some of the books in the middle are about one hundred pages too long. It’s cool info but just not always required for the story. Still, I haven’t felt that way at all about this book and that is a very good sign. I’ll know more when I finish it.

(Of course, I also just finished reading “Soon I Will Be Invincible”, a novel about super-heroes and the angst that arises when you try to take over the world. Clearly a book that hits close to home for me. Do you realize how difficult it is to design a robot army? How challenging it is to get all the parts shipped and you know they always forget to include the screws in package? And don’t even talk to me about finding good henchmen nowadays…)

One other story from the weekend. So I went out to the bars on Saturday night (after promising myself “I’ll read one more chapter and then I’ll go out”) and when I got there I just took my random seat at the bar like I always do. One day I’ll find a bar owner who will let me buy a personal bar stool license but until then it’s whatever is open at the bar. Well, turns out I sit down next to this guy and am somehow brought into a discussion about socialist and anarchistic politics. That’s not something you typically discuss at a bar unless of course you’re at a bar where everyone is wearing berets and talking about the downfall of the bourgeoisie. I’ll give the guy credit for his passion, less so for his knowledge of markets and human behavior. Still, a much different bar conversation than I usually find myself in.

The five random CDs for the week:
1) Caitlin Cary “I’m Staying Out”
2) Dave Matthews Band “Live at Red Rocks: 8.15.95”
3) Martin Zellar & the Hardways “The Many Moods of Martin Zellar”
4) R.E.M. “Eponymous”
5) The V-Roys “All About Town”