Some pictures from the new Harry Potter (HP7:2)

Thought I'd indulge and put some pictures up of the new Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.

Some moments from the movies...(in no particular order...)

I do not own these pictures, I did not take these pictures...etc. All rights are kept with the owner... Anything else I should add for copyright? I seriously don't know about what to write for that...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2

This is a review that has been posted up on www.imdb.com, written by both me and my mother after viewing the 12:10 session of HP on 13th July, 2011.

Think we were a bit generous on the rating, but it was, for what it's worth, a movie worth seeing if you haven't read the book/s.

The Review:

We've been to the first session (virtually) of each Harry Potter movie. You expect the movie to never be exactly like a book (when is it EVER?!) but this one really did change a few things that shouldn't have been touched.

There was a lot of good work in this movie. Lily, James, Sirius and Remus joining Harry to go into the Forbidden Forest was well kept. The acting was impressive as usual, something one has come to expect from this group. The visual effects were also excellent, and the storyline was well followed up to a point (this is why the movie got 7/10 from the writer); however, when major changes to this occurred, disappointment set in.

The lack of use of the Invisibility Cloak (which we all know is one of the most important hallows to possess) by Harry throughout the movie (except for when they are at Gringotts) is puzzling, as he used it extensively to get around Hogwarts so he could manage to obtain the diadem horcrux as well as make his way to Voldemort within the Forbidden Forest. Also, when Harry 'falls' out of Hagrid's arms out in Hogwart's grounds (when all Hell breaks loose due to Nagini's demise) he uses the Cloak to escape and cause panic amongst the Death Eaters.

Also, the fact Harry didn't tell Neville it was imperative Nagini needed to be killed, but Hermione instead, diminishes Neville's importance! In the book, it is completely up to Neville to destroy Nagini as he is the only one left who it is thought to be able to. Also, it can be tied into the prophecy that Trelawney made all those years before as Neville killing the final horcrux, causes Voldemorts vulnerability. Thankfully, Neville is the one that kills Nagini, but more by luck than good management.

Harry telling Dumbledore that he had nothing to kill Voldemort with (at Kings Cross Station) was not correct, as well, as he went into the Forest with both the Cloak and a wand, which was what made him so special as he did not raise that wand against Voldemort. He instead died willingly, again showing his great strength and love of those important to him - his friends/family at Hogwarts.

The adaptation by the screen writer, Steve Kloves, of the final scene between Voldemort and Harry of the novel - well...THAT'S A DISAPPOINTMENT!!! What J.K Rowling wrote was good enough and whenever I've read it I've always loved it and pictured it so clearly in my mind, so the whole battle scene between Harry and Voldemort was ridiculous, and could only occur because they ruined the sequence of events. VERY UNNECESSARY! The wands locking in battle – what the???? That should not have occurred, as they had different cores, different timbers and were nothing like the Twin Core Phenomenon that occurred in book four (Goblet of Fire). You don't even hear Harry say Expelliarmus which had become his 'trademark spell'.

Harry, Ron and Hermione not going to the Headmaster's Office after defeating Voldemort, and there getting a standing ovation from all previous Headmasters and Headmistresses, and Harry not mending his phoenix feather core wand through using the Elder Wand (Death Stick) was very much an anticlimax. Instead, Harry (in the company of Ron and Hermione) snaps the Elder Wand (the possibility of which I would think is questionable in the first place!) and chucks it off the bridge (never to be seen again?).

It would have been nice to have had the connection between the Dumbledore's and Grindelwald explained, especially Adriana's death. This actually moulded Dumbledore into the man he became - a professor and later Headmaster of Hogwarts; never Minister of Magic; and a supporter of Muggle-born witches and wizards. It also explained how he came into possession of the Elder Wand.

I was so glad, and there was applause in the theatre when the epilogue occurred as its lovely to see Albus Severus Potter and the short conversation between him and his father, Harry.

Overall, probably not one I will see again at the movies, which is something I have done with the others (though they were disappointments in ways as well!).


Hope this hasn't put anyone off the movie. It's worth seeing once, and if you like 3D you won't be disappointed.

However, if you love the books, prepare for differences.

I miss Dymocks

Everyone has a favourite bookstore. The one place in particular they are sure to find the necessary book for which they're looking.

So was Dymocks for me at Westfield. (I won't name which Westfield, but it's the one that Dymocks moved out of around 6-8 years ago.) Now you know if you live near me.

Such is our luck for retaining stores of variety.

Westfields has been squeezing businesses, trying to turn more profit, perhaps, and thereby we, the consumers, are missing out on some of our favourite shops. The shops that contain variety, and a little difference to the majority of chain stores that fill these large consumer shopping centres.

Then again, maybe Dymocks decided to move out because they weren't getting enough business. I certainly was one of their most reliable customers when I was in Sydney. (Went to university outside of Sydney, and they moved out while I was away.)

I digress, though.

Why do I miss Dymocks?

It's simple, really: they always had a wide selection of books, and they tended to keep a stock of school textbooks on hand. The ones that were very popular for the 'popular' subjects.

I went looking for a certain textbook to teach about Germany between the World Wars today in the two major bookstores in Westfield (one that was around while Dymocks was there, and one that renamed itself after Dymocks left). Did either of them have textbooks available, apart from the 'Excel' books for study? No, not really. The only one that I saw, I believe, was a Signpost textbook for Maths. Stage 4, Year 7, or something like that. That was in the 'Renamed' store. The other 'Major Book Retailer', as far as I could tell, had no textbooks whatsoever. Just Excel books.

Now, I know I could go and find another store, one that is in the area, that sells textbooks. I just could not, for the life of me, remember it's name or location at that point in time. I'm sure it probably would have been happy to have sold me the book. However, I only thought of that after I put a deposit down on the book I wanted in the 'Renamed' store.

Also, no doubt, if I was in desperate need for this book I could travel into Dymocks Citystore, and get it there. The range of textbooks in that store, for all school subjects, is phenomenal, and I love visiting it. Very sad, I know, but it's a teacher's paradise sometimes. A 'must do' during the January Holidays (if you're in the area during the break). I'm not quite that desperate, though it was something I was considering I'll admit.

What I do wish, above all, is that there were more bookstores willing to sell textbooks - ones that both teachers and students need/want - in the 'Burbs. This would make life a lot easier for all of us.

That is why I miss Dymocks. Where is the variety?

Comments welcomed: Is there a bookstore that you love to visit, but find that it is too far sometimes? Or is there a treasure trove that you've discovered and wish to share with others? Which is your favourite bookstore for getting books that you need/want?

Photos of a storm off Cronulla, NYD 2010.

My cousin and I went to Cronulla as part of his driving practice on NYD, a year a bit ago.

Here are a few photos of the storm that brewed while we were there. They are only tiny, because they were taken on my mobile, and I didn't increase the pixels before taking them - cause I'm a dope!

Enjoy. (They can also be found on my facebook site.)

The Airport has never been so fun!

Today was going to be just a typical day of seeing someone, a good friend, off at the airport. Yes, I arrived 15 minutes late, but considering they were standing in the considerably long line for their airline, it didn't really matter.

So, to begin with, my friend waited 35-40 minutes to actually book their bag through for their flight. But thankfully their flight was one of the ones that was actually running on time.
We had decided that we would just meet up for coffee, as one does, when one only has about 40 minutes to see a friend. However, by the time we had got through the line, we only had 20 minutes for coffee.
Oh-kay. 20 minutes. Fine. One can do coffee in 20 minutes. Sure. We'd been talking in line, anyway. So...

However, we weren't counting on the security.

Now, of course, we all know about how security was stepped up a notch after September 11, 2001. Understandable, one can say.
And I'm not complaining about the time it took to drop things off and walk through the arch that beeps if you're carrying anything metallic. No, that was fine. That was great. No time, whatsoever.

What I have to laugh about is the fact that I was the random person who got chosen for the 'swab' test, to see if I'd come into contact with anything to do with explosive materials.

I've never had the swab test before, so it was a new experience. I didn't mind as I thought it would take only a matter of seconds and we'd be on our way again to have coffee.

Boy, was I wrong!

The first test came back as positive. Oh-kay, I thought. Unusual, but you get that. Something random; it happens. Second test, came back positive as well. Hmmm...something's fishy here. Third test was positive as well! WT-?!?!

At this point I was just cracking up all over the place as, well, I wasn't boarding a plane, and, yes! I'm definitely a terrorist. NOT! My friend and I were passing comments between ourselves, typical of Australians thinking something like this was a huge joke. I believe I'm going to be called either 'Uni Bomber Nell' or 'Achmed' by this friend, now. The security area where this was happening, too, had attracted one, and then two more security personnel.

After the three fails I had to get my gear (which was a handbag and shoes - that is all!) x-rayed again. On top of that, I had to also be frisk searched, just to make sure I wasn't concealing any weapons. How could I be concealing anything when I hadn't set off the arch? Okay, well, if you've seen 'In The Line Of Fire' (hmmm...interesting movie), you'll give me pointers, I'm sure. But, really! They offered to either do the frisk there and then, or go to a private room. At this rate, my friend's and my coffee time had reduced to only 10 minutes before they had to board their plane! I decided to go with the then and there, and in a matter of 30 seconds, or a little longer, afterwards, we WERE eventually on our way.

We couldn't believe this had happened. We just had to laugh over it all, from start to finish.

But yes! If you are going to the airport anytime in the future, don't just give yourself half an hour before your flight! Make sure you're there a good hour before, so that you are there ready to board, with 10 minutes to spare.

Oh, and we did get coffee - with 5 minutes to spare.

Some more photos from Italy!

This time, I've got photos from The Forum and a couple from the Capitoline Museum.

Firstly, though, a picture of me with the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum in the background, and the Colosseum, again.

Now, The Forum.

Arch of Septimius Severus and the Senate House

Tabularium with what's left of the Temple of Vespasian and Titus in front

View of The Forum from the west (Arch of Titus is in the far background)

Another view from the west (taken from inside the Tabularium)

Same as above, just different camera settings

Forum from behind the Temple of Saturn (close on sunset)

After visiting The Forum (and having a dodgy lunch), we visited the Capitoline Museum.

The original statue out the front of the museum

A model of the Capitoline Museum

The She-Wolf statue depicting the legend of Romulus and Remus

Next up will be photos of Ostia Antica. This is a cool little town to visit if you're into ancient Rome, as it was the sea port of the city (until humans - emperors - interfered, changing the environment through creating another port to the north of it, and ruining the original port, or something like that). More on that later, though.

Some photos from Italy!

So, I have finally got around to adding all the photos from my trip to my computer, and start to put them up here. I hope that you enjoy them. I've only done a select few. Leaving out the really boring ones. Like you'd want to see all 1500 of them! Enjoy the few I do put up here.

Just so you know, they are large photos because I didn't bother to downsize them before putting them up.

First up, some of the Villa Guilia - our first stop on the trip.

Next, the Portico of Octavia and the Theatre of Marcellus

Reconstructed section

More will come in the next couple of days.

I've been a-Rome-ing...

Hey people! Yes, no new post in so long. Doubt you've been worried, though.

Lately, I've been out and about in Rome. I will be putting pictures up of certain things when I get back. I just don't trust internet cafe computers to not have viruses. For some strange reason.

Anyway...

Life in Australia is still going on. I'm very sorry to hear about the passing of my oldest friend's father. It's very sad to have heard about that, and not be able to be there to comfort and support her, and attend his funeral.

My nephew has been Christened...and I missed that.

But Rome has been great. Seen so many things, and now understand so many more things about the town than what I did the last time I was here. It's great. Just am starting to get all churched and museumed out...that's all! Today we have our free day... So...when in Rome...one goes shopping! Doing some work this afternoon beforehand, and then going out with a couple of the girls, and we are buying up the place. Well...not quite, but you get the gist. Like I need to buy more. Think the shopping will be going home in a box via post. All good, though.

Seeya' 'round!