Harry Potter and other things

Things have been interesting the past few months. First and foremost I've been fairly busy with stuff, even though I don't have a job. Actually, that's been one thing that's been a real pain...not having a job and not getting any interviews (well, I had one and will be having another soon, but I've sent a ton of things out and barely any response). It's causing a lot of stress. Not A LOT, just a lot. I have been subbing a good amount, though, which has been helping me sustain my economic situation. I'm not in a horrible position (I live at home and have a decent amount saved up) but it's not great (I have no job). I also need to move out of my house, or move downstairs into the now vacated office. That's what I'm planning on doing, actually. I'm planning on turning the office into an apartment of some sort, and I think it'd be pretty kick ass. Nice sized rooms, my own entrance, own bathroom, access to the rest of the house, and likely cheap or no rent. The problem is getting my mom to get on this stuff (getting a shower installed in the bathroom, getting new carpeting, etc.), but hopefully that will come in time. Now, I really would like to get the hell out of my house, but I also have no real reason to leave...unless I get a job more than an hour away from the house. This is all hypothetical, but I'm really gonna push this.

As for other things that are going on, my brother's band got signed to Universal Republic. It's cool, yet sucks. It's cool for obvious reasons, and it sucks because I'm jealous (just a bit) and his band's music is pretty lame. But they've been pushing for this for a while, so I'm glad something finally happened. As for my musical endeavors, my one band has been getting a good amount of gigs, which is nice, but our demo is being stalled because the guy who recorded it has been refusing to get back to us at all, and that sucks. Hopefully we'll get SOMETHING done before I go to camp for the summer. My other band, which has been on indefinite hiatus, has been asked to play at a party/show, so we're gonna be playing our first original show in about 2.5 years. Crazy, but awesome. There has also been a good amount of new music that's been coming out; I'm currently listening to the new Raconteurs album, and it's fucking great. The new Black Crowes album is also fantastic, and I was album to see them a few weeks ago, and they were great as normal.

I've decided to give up looking for girls. Well, not totally, but not as crazily as I was before. I've been getting some action lately, and it's actually been the most I've been getting since I had a steady gf...which isn't saying a lot but for me it's a big improvement. I've just realized I can't afford a gf nor do I have the time for one. I need to focus on getting a job and starting my career. Hopefully something will come, but if not, oh well.

I've also been doing a ton of reading. This is not a normalcy for me whatsoever, yet with the large amounts of free time I've had, plus the downtime while I sub, I have been able to get my brain exercising. Now, what have I been reading? Chuck Klosterman books and then entire Harry Potter series. Both are logical selections for me since Klosterman is a pop culture/sports guru and almost every kid has read (or at least knows about) Harry Potter. I'm currently reading IV by Klosterman right now, and have read Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs as well as Killing Yourself to Live. I will definitely be reading his first book Fargo Rock City when I finish this book, though I will be reading a book Lowell George (founder of Little Feat) before I do so.

But on to Harry Potter. I read the entire series (and watch all 5 movies that have been made) in less than a month. Now these books are not small. The first one is about 300 pages and then they just start to bloat, with the fifth book being just under 900 pages. So I easily read over 4000 pages in a month. That's a record for me. I don't care if the books are on a 4th grade reading level, that's still a ton of pages to read! Now I never really had any interest in reading the books or seeing the movies for a while, thanks to my tendency to dismiss anything that is insanely popular, even though I only heard good things about the series. However, this tendency usually works out in the end for me since I usually get into things after their prime and allows me to make my own decisions (Weezer is a good example of this). This worked out exceedingly well in the case of my reading of the series since I waited (not consciously) until the entire series had been written, enabling me to read the entire series in one shot and get the entire story without any long breaks. The verdict: this was definitely one of the most enjoyable reading experiences of my life. The first few books were not nearly as good as latter half of the series, but the overall story and setup of events was fantastic. The subplots were interesting and intriguing, and the main plotline just grabs you and doesn't let go. There are a ton of twists and turns that you just want to keep reading to see what will happen next. Yet, the most amazing thing about the series is the fact that J.K. Rowling created an entire world with its own history, a la J.R.R. Tolkien. Now, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings are not comparable. I mean, you could compare them, but there is no reason. They are two totally different stories written by two totally different authors who had two totally different purposes for writing the series. Yet, both are near the top of my favorite books. The difference for me, however, is that since HP was written for children, it was easier to read and thus easier to understand the different dynamics of the main and sub plots. Children see the series as a great fantasy adventure with lots of action, but there is also a lot of heavy stuff that Rowling throws in, especially in the later books. Throughout the series, Harry has to deal with the fact his parents are dead and he will never meet them. I know from first hand experience that losing one's parent(s) is devastating and changes your life forever. Having that inside you can cause great pain, especially when one thinks about what could have been, which Harry does a lot. There is also the issue of politics and how governments can be easily influenced by outsiders with lots of money and power, but how they are vulnerable because of these outside alliances. She also has Harry deal with things that make him question his actions. Does he do the "right" thing or does he act for the right reason? The series also has the classic element of Good vs. Evil, though there are so many players who seem to change sides that it makes it that much more intriguing.

I guess what I'm saying is that I loved reading the series. The ending was fantastic and brought the plot to a close, though it didn't close a lot of doors when concerning the characters. Since Rowling has created "The World of Harry Potter" there are lots of questions that do not get answered at the end of the series. There is an epilogue that happens 19 years after the last events, but there are too many questions about what the characters have been doing in those two decades that passed. I'm not going to go into details since I don't want to spoil the series for anyone who reads this blog and is thinking of reading the series. I'm sure there will a ton of fan-fiction (a la Star Wars) since the fan base is insanely huge. I mean this is easily the biggest cultural thing to happen since Star Wars, IMO. I've perused fan sites and whatnot, and it's pretty insane. I can't imagine being that obsessed with something, ever. I mean I was pretty crazy for Ben Folds for a while, but it didn't CONSUME my life (it was a big part no doubt) and I've grown out of it (for now or until he puts out a killer album). And yea I'm a big fan of U of Maryland football and basketball, but that's because I went to the school. Yes, I'm on message boards for both of those things (as well as The Black Crowes), but I don't go to conventions for these things and sure as hell don't live my life around these things. I guess it's just a bit crazy, in my eyes, but I guess these books touched people in a way that totally took over their lives. I don't get it, but this isn't the first time this has happened, nor will it be the last. Though it's pretty crazy that it's spawned it's own genre of music (Wizard Rock, I believe) with bands like Harry and the Potters, and Draco and the Malfoys. Well whatever floats your boat.

So yea, if you haven't read it, read the Harry Potter series, because if/when you have kids, they should read it, because it's great. And make sure you pick up the new Raconteurs album (Consolers of the Lonely) and the new Black Crowes album (Warpaint) both are stellar.

Until next time....