TV Tome?!?

[wednes]

What in the world happened to TV Tome??? I just came from thier website and it looks like it's been bought out by some kind of high powered conglomerate that doesn't know how to make it's links work properly. I'm hoping that whatever happened is very recent and they are ironing bugs out of it or something. But I suspect that it just plain sucks now and I'm going to need another go-to site to get my episode guides and such. Any suggestions?

I've been going to group with more regularity these days, and therapy as well. Plus tomorrow I'm seeing my employment counselor guy to tell him that I want a damn job ASAFP. They were talking about carving me out a job in an advertising agency. I'll be so Melrose Place! "I'm a poweful advertising executive. Dig my short, short skirt!" Of course I'll still be reading tarot for people; and maybe I'll even expand beyond 5 paying customers and K. That would be nice.

You'll be glad to know that I have moved on to acceptance in the death of Albus Dumbledore. Maybe that is funny or silly to you like it is to H, but I've gotta tell you I was fucked up over it. He deserved to go out better than weakened, helpless, and surrounded by mocking Death Eaters.

My stages of loss:

1. Shock: "That spoiler is so ridiculous I won't even mentally entertain the possibility!"
1.5 Anger: "Go fuck yourself San Diego JK Rowling!
2. Denial: "He is not dead *insert theory about polyjuice potion, silent spells, or absolutely anything else that would allow him to live*. Maybe Harry will wake up in bed at the Dursley's on August 31 and runs out to catch the train at the end. Then we'd get a whole extra "real" book!!
3. More Anger: "JK Rowling's new name is Killy McGee, and I vow to refer to her only as such in perpetuity throughout the universe."
4. Fear: "My God, what will any of us do without Dumbledore?!? Who will die next? Harry?!? What about the zombies?"
5. Acceptance: "Alright goddammit, he's dead. Just give me the next book already. It's been almost a week, what the hell are you waiting for?" ;-}

I said to H, "Geez, I don't want to live in a world without Dumbledore!" and he said "You already do." Okay yeah, I get that it's a book. I'm not stupid and that's not my brand of crazy. But dammit, it was terribly sad. And I read Harry Potter to be filled with whimsy; not to feel like the whole damn world is full of liars and back-stabbing killers. Although I am confident that before the end, this will play out in some kind of satisfying way.

In other news, Shark Week has been okay so far. Not as great as I'd expected. Tonight was an hour on the guy who was purportedly the inspiration for Jaws. I don't mind telling you that 60 minutes (okay, 42) glorifying the murder of sharks for sport is not what I'm looking for in a shark show. The only difference between this guy and Vic Hislop is a boat load of tourists.

They showed Air Jaws today. It was awesome, as usual.

Comments

[locakitty.livejournal.com]

I seriously sat for a minute and just took deep breathes after he died. I think that people who don't get so involved in books don't understand. When I finish a book, I get a little sad because, I won't see those people again until I decide to reread it. I tried to explain it to a nonreader once, and they looked at me like I just grew a second head.
I will just keep hoping that she brings him back :) You do have a point about the polyjuice potion...they kept mentioning it in the beginning. Hmmm :)

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Yeah...I've only read the book once, and then I packed it so I wouldn't torture myself checking things all week.

But as I recall, they went to the cave and then to Hogsmeade where "Dumby" had a drink and then they went immediatly to the castle as they saw the dark mark.

So maybe he re-upped his polyjuice potion in Hogsmeade. I mean, drinking the potion was not a very Dumbledore-like thing to do. And the whole thing with the crying and pleading...not like him at all. And yet...everything he said to Draco sounded right on the money for the Albus we know and love. And Killy McGee has always made it a point to say that death is final even in the wizarding world. So it's a tough call. She's probably laughing and looking down on us from on top of a giant pile of money.

[kjtoo.livejournal.com]

Alas, Dumbledore doesn't drink anything in Hogsmeade after returning from the cave. He and Harry fly directly from the street to Hogwarts using Madame Rosmerta's brooms. The last thing Dumbledore drinks is the water Harry retrieves from the pond in the cave.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Dang.

[kjtoo.livejournal.com]

Simply put, Dumbledore had to die. The journey of the hero (Harry Potter) all but requires that the mentor die at some point (see Star Wars and The Fellowship of the Ring). Plus, it's been well established that Dumbledore is the only wizard Voldemort fears. As long as Dumbledore is around, Harry's struggle against Voldemort is diminished because Dumbledore can always swoop in at Harry's most desperate hour and defeat the Dark Lord. Ultimately, Harry must face Voldemort alone, so Dumbledore must be removed from the equation.

Continuing our earlier conversation (re: Dumbledore and Snape), here's something else to consider: The chapter in which Dumbledore dies is titled "The Unbreakable Vow." Now, we all know that Snape made such a vow with Malfoy's mother, so that's clearly what the chapter title is referring to, right? Don't bet on it.

Dumbledore trusts Snape absolutely. What could possibly engender such an attitude toward a former Death Eater? Maybe, just maybe, the unbreakable vow Rowling is referring to in this chapter isn't the one Snape made with Narcissa Malfoy.

[kjtoo.livejournal.com]

Scratch that. I shifted the chapter titles around. The actual chapter title is "The Lightning-Struck Tower." Oops. Nonetheless, I think the suggestion that Snape has made an unbreakable vow with Dumbledore is valid.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

That's an excellent point, and indeed one that I had not considered. I do understand why Dumbledore needed to die for the sake of Harry's final showdown against the Dark Lord.

At the same time, I wanted him to die peacefully in bed. But I suppose the kind of man he is, he wouldn't have allowed himself to do that when others needed him.

[lirrin.livejournal.com]

Darth Vader: Your powers are weak, old man.
Obi-Wan: You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.

Malfoy I think even called Dumbledore an old man. Harry can still get good advice from time to time...there is, after all, a painting of Dumbledore in McGonagall's office. Not quite the same as a real Dumbledore, no powers, whatever...but I wouldn't be surprised if it were a little more helpful than other paintings.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

It's bound to be more helpful than Phineas Nigellus.