a wolf angel is not a good angel

Which Mix of the Hogwarts Houses are You?

You’re a Ravenpuff!: You are a very analytical and ingenius person, someone that likes to invent new things. The way you look at life is with wonder, and sometimes you’re even a little naive. But people love you for that trait and they feel the need to protect you from the harsh facts of life so that you can retain your innocence. You are very capable person and when there is trouble people turn to you because you’re able to stay calm and collected. You like balance in your life and you try not to make many waves. Even still, if there is something that you believe strongly in, you will commit yourself totally to that cause. Your weakness is that sometimes you can be indecisive and perfectionist, especially about little details and you drive people crazy sometimes with these traits. With the innocence of a Hufflepuff and the calm of a Ravenclaw you will be loved in life!
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I’m not sure about the description, but those are the two houses (in that order, even) that would fit me best.

Last night I went to see Fracture. It’s a genre I much like — clever criminal outsmarts cop/lawyer, sometimes to be hoist by his own petard.

I use his carefully there, because the clever criminal is always a guy. So is the cop or lawyer. Sure, sometimes there are women around — in Se7en, or the Usual Suspects, they’re there to be killed. In Matchpoint, they’re there to be mocked and killed. In Ocean’s Eleven, to be fought over. In Fracture, to be a sex object? I don’t know, the character was absurd. In Inside Man, Jodie Foster was there so they could advertise that it was a movie with Jodie Foster; she didn’t have all that much to do. And so on. Everyone knows this genre.

After the movie, on the way home, the person I saw the movie with and I were talking about it. I thought the setup was too obvious, as did he; the female character was put in for no good reason and was nonsensical. We disagreed on whether we wanted Anthony Hopkins to have been caught at the end, or Ryan Gosling to have a job at the end.

Until I complained that, yet again, it was a movie all about the guys. There was no need for it to be about the guys — Anthony Hopkins could have been Antonia Hopkins, shooting her husband because he cheated on her. Ryan Gosling could have been Ryanne Gosling. The tension between the two was not because they were both male and RG reminded AH of himself. It was because they were both arrogant assholes who looked down on the other. For minor characters, too. The DA could have been a woman — we didn’t need a Sam Waterson impersonation. The cop could have been a woman. But they weren’t.

He said he’d've preferred the female character not be in the movie. I agreed, but other characters could have been women. He said that gender balance didn’t affect his enjoyment of films, and that, indeed, he didn’t even notice it. Well, of course not. Because he sees lots of men who look like him. I make a conscious effort to notice lack of visible minorities, and people with disabilities. (I don’t complain about them as much, but I do keep it in mind.)

I tried to explain that of course he didn’t notice it, because he’s a white guy. No, no, it’s just because it’s not important to him. Yes, because you’re a white guy, and you see movies all about more white guys. If you were a woman, or not white, or not straight, you would notice this. Would it ruin your enjoyment of shows? Not necessarily. I still enjoy Heroes. But I have noticed the gender problems. I am choosing to ignore them, for this season, because all the word is that this is something the producers have noticed and intend to fix next season. So I can notice things, and think it’s a problem, and still like the show.

In a show with a large ensemble cast, it’s easier to want balance. In a movie with two characters, can you really ask for any given movie to be balanced? Perhaps not. But there’s a huge overall trend, and if you can’t poitn to individual movies where there was a conscious or unconscious choice to have male leads instead of female where it makes no difference to the plot, because hey, it’s just one movie, you’ve cut out all the ways to talk about this.

Are there any movies in this genre (essentially, moves about cons) that have more than token women? Maybe The Spanish Prisoner, but that is a 10 year old movie. Movies that use women as intelligent agents, not just the sexy distraction? I would love to watch those.

I will get over the irritation with this friend, and complain about this aspect of movies to people who are more willing to engage in argument. “Well, I just don’t notice, and it’s not because I’m a guy” leaves no room for discussion, or for the idea that perhaps this matters to other people. I’ll also look a bit into what movies I see with him, because otherwise it will drive me *nuts* after every movie.

After JKR writes her Harry Potter encyclopedia, she could try some of these books. Warning, pdf file.

I am most fond of Harry Potter and the Dark Lord of the Dance, and Harry Potter and the Pimping of his Ride, but you really should look at the whole thing.

New neighbours. They seem, in order of importance, (a) sane, (b) friendly, (c) my age, (d) anglo. (This last is good for condo politics.)

I intend to bake them something tomorrow. Cookies? The delicious strawberry rhubarb cake I ate in a day? Bread? They have no kitchen, but family here. I’d prefer not to do something particularly difficult, so no cakes. Brownies are also possible. I do not object to doing both bread and cookies, cause I have a very easy bread recipe. But which cookies?

Today is indecisive day chez me.

For the third row (as it were) in a station wagon? Do you also use this term for the third row in a minivan or SUV? (If not, what do you call this row?)

My family was debating this, and though we all use the same term (first used when I carpooled to preschool), we don’t know if it’s specific to Montreal anglos, Montreal Jews, some other random grouping, or what. I couldn’t find it on google, though probably it was cause I didn’t care enough to look.

My answer in the comments so you can think about for a second before responding.

It’s Harry Potter, it’s poetry, and it’s open to residents of Quebec (and everywhere else). Now I just need to write some theme poetry.

To continue my interest in goat cheese in weird foods, today I got gelato that had goat cheese in it. (And mango, and banana, and papaya, and nutmeg), along with blood orange gelato and dark chocolate and it’s almost 30 here, no wind, very humid, so the gelato was so exactly what I wanted for lunch.

I also determined that this is the new gelato place that opened up for the summer again near me, so with luck they will have a good selection here, too. I still want to try the ginger. Actually, I want another set of the same ones I just had, again. Mmmm.

Yet again, a visiting raccoon on my balcony. Those things can fit through some tight places, and probably I need to chicken wire a little bit of the balcony, because though I don’t mind the cat visitors, raccoons are a little too much. Especially the ones living here, which are impossible to scare away. I get somewhat worried that they will open my screen door and come inside while I am sleeping.

I also have all sorts of visiting and biting bugs. Ugh.

I was less fond of this week’s Heroes than lately. Too high expectations? Perhaps. Maybe this episode was a bit more of the setup for the final episodes.

First off, I disliked the part of the previews where they voiced over that Claire found her real father. No, she found her biological father. (And, later in the episode, she did find her real father again.)
Secondly, I really really liked the part where Sylar seemed horrified about the explosion and wanted to stop it. I thought the scene with his mother was incredible but creepy and chilling, probably the best scene, though I kept wanting to look away/. But I am a little upset that he suddenly decided to become the exploding man anyhow. It seems like it would have been more interesting the other way. Why not want to keep killing the other heroes and leave everyone else alone? I liked the balance of both of them ignoring what the other one said or wanted.
Third, did we hear the new system for tracking the heroes being called the Walker system before this episode? Also, does she need to think of the person’s name? Just a defining characteristic? Is this system usable for finding a new hero, or just ones already known about?
Fourth, how did Mohinder happen to have the right DNA to cure both his sister (reasonably enough) and a random little girl from across the globe?
Fifth, why did Sylar break Hiro’s power? Was Hiro weakening? Is Ando going to die now? I don’t want Ando to die.
Sixth, ok, Candace, your power is now too major. You can make anyone see anything?
Seventh, hurray, Mrs. Petrelli is very creepy now. Please don’t let that be Candace in disguise. (See above and too powerful.)
Eighth, creators, we know that Peter doesn’t blow up yet, so it’s not like we’re worried he’s going to blow up before next Monday. Maybe in the interval he’ll consider using his brain reading skills.
Ninth, can all heroes pull along other people if they’re touching them? We know DL and Hiro can. But if Nathan touches you, do you fly too? In the literal sense, though Adrian Pasdar is hot.

What was the music that was playing during the Sylar and his mother scene? Was it played earlier in the season? Is it something I’d heard before? It sounds so familiar.

Also, a question I’ve had for a while: how come we all knew it was Peter who was going to blow up based on a picture of a guy in flames? I mean, Isaac’s painting never seemed that clear. Sure, *someone* explodes, and I guess assuming it’s Sylar made a certain amount of sense, but — well, if Peter and Nathan knew because of his dreams — I forget who thinks who will blow up anymore.

[1] Oh, it’s definitely so lame. Lamer, even.

Matilda just slowly and conscientiously ate a big feather that fell off a feather boa. I sat there wathching her do it, sure I was not seeing what I thought I was seeing. But no, she definitely ate it. I doubt this is going to make her sick — the feather boa has been around, moulting feathers, for months, and it’s possibly not the first one she ate (though I’ve never seen suspicious litter box use or piles of purple cat vomit).

She’s now sleeping; I suppose one gets tired after a big meal like that.