Today I've mostly bin...

[Bunnylump]

I saw it too. Well, when I wasn't falling asleep, that is.

I thought the cave bit was far more "Pirates of the Caribbean silly skeleton things" than "Lord of the Rings dead marshes" which is what I instantly thought of when I read it.

[Scurra]

and truer to the book than the last one.

Well that's not exactly difficult, since NOTHING HAPPENS IN THIS BOOK!
Well, apart from the penultimate chapter, of course. It's all somewhat of a holding pattern for the last one, with a little bit of set-up thrown in. And the one interesting plot involving Draco is hamstrung by the fact that we have to see everything from Harry's point-of-view, so it ends up being somewhat compromised, whereas all the Tom Riddle exposition stuff has a good plot-device to let it work. Although I am still looking forward to seeing how they have approached it on film.

Order of the Phoenix had quite a complicated, intricate plot that really suffered from being cut down. If anything, I'd have much preferred that one to have been split in two, instead of Deathly Hallows (which certainly doesn't have enough to sustain two movies - the problem there is that it clearly has enough for about one-and-a-half movies. But because that's not really possible, we're going to have to sit through the amazingly tedious first half - that admittedly has one really good set-piece in it - in order to get to the seriously good second half. Still, anything to wring a little bit more money out of the gullible punters... </cynicism>

[giraffe]

I thought Daniel Radcliffe was really wooden in Order of the Phoenix. He seems to have a really blank face a lot of the time. Also there are lots of continuity errors. You see something happen and then the camera angle changes and you see the same thing again from a different angle. (Ok I've seen it too many times while ironing) He's much more animated in this one, but once or twice I felt he was a bit un-Harry.

My favourite book and film is still Goblet of Fire. I know it's most people's least favourite and the film isn't very true to the book.

[SparkOut]

Last night I was mostly watching the most spectacular lightning battle ever. No PC, no internet, no power, but the sky was lit up with great flashes of sheet lightning constantly - literally constant, and split from time to time with stunning forks and multiple blasts, looking like a Harry Potter special effect or such.

[MBH]

Lucky you - all we have is WET!!!


I love a good thunderstorm, but little Jennie hates them

[giraffe]

A couple of years ago we were in Florida and had been out for the evening. It was about 10 pm and we put the tv on when we got back for the news. Every few minutes the tv cut out and went to a loud siren and a warning appeared on the screen saying a thunderstorm was approaching and to stay away from the windows. We could see flashes in the distance approaching. In the end it wasn't too bad, but you'd have thought a level 5 hurricane was approaching. It was quite terrifying at the time.

[katsmom]

Florida thunderstorms often come with tornados! Scarry things those

[eirian]

a week ago or so we had a thunderstorm round here. My MIL was visiting her daughter and our neice, who was playing in the garden on the trampoline (she's 4). A bolt of lightning exploded a bush around 3' away from her.... there is now a scorched bit of earth there to remind them of her lucky escape....

[Bunnylump]

That really was a lucky escape. How terrifying!!

We had an explosive thunderstorm right over our house this morning. I'll swear a lightning bolt ran across our roof.

[SparkOut]

Not "mostly" bin, but earlier today we had a sort of "impromptu air display" - a spitfire pilot was performing aerobatics right outside. We had about 10 minutes of glorious performance accompanied by the most evocative thunderous engine roar.
I got some photos - not very good because of the shake and distance (although sometimes he came as close as 200 yards) and here's a couple of cropped shots of the best ones.

Spitfire

Spitfire1.jpg (356.39 KiB) Viewed 1752 times

Another spitfire shot

Spitfire2.jpg (353.25 KiB) Viewed 1752 times

[LAT]

How wonderful. We were only talking today about the Spitfire that used to sit outside some barracks near us. Recently it was taken apart and it has now gone so we are wondering what has happened to it and why.


....... We've been choosing some new kittens

[chazzie]

....... We've been choosing some new kittens

Plural? Come on what are they like

[LAT]

They are both Tortoiseshell but from different families. We picked up one today and she keps hiding in the most inaccessible places. The worst was in behind a fridge and actually underneath the back of it so we couldn't see her when we pulled the fridge out. I just had an inkling she might be there! We collect the other one tomorrow morning. Having two is a kind of insurance after what happened to Luna two weeks ago. They are both 9-10 weeks old. I shall try to get some photos soon.

[chazzie]

Sounds like you're in for some fun LAT

[eirian]

two cats are definitely more fun than just one -and less effort when they are playful - assuming they will play well with each other, but with them both being kittens and therefore growing up together, you've a fair chance they will play nicely - our two forget they are supposed to be friends occasionally and we have to separate them before they damage each other...
Hope your tortoiseshells are like the one I had a few years back - just so intelligent, not only did she know how to open doors (hang on the doorhandle and wiggle till it opened), but I came downstairs not long after I'd moved house (and therefore while she was still shut in while she got used to the place), to find her trying to unscrew the window locks! She'd seen me fastening them closed and worked out that they were why she couldn't push the windows wide enough to get out, and tried to remove the locks! Clever puss. Luckily she didn't manage it, although I doubt she'd've got lost if she had. Mind you, the other cat we had at the time was a really dumb one, who'd wander down the road following anyone who'd give her a fuss, and then get lost, so we had to stop letting her out at all after a while, so we had the cat flap locked to only letting cats in, so the dumb one couldn't get out, but the intelligent one could latch her claw into the edge of the flap and pull it towards her to open it and dive out before it shut!

Sorry Scurra - this should have gone in the 'cats' thread.

[Biscuit]

i found two definately better than one - my mum's neighbours had a brood - we went to choose one just before my wedding in 86 and the one we liked had his paw around another. need less to say we had two and they were brilliant company for each other. The oldest died about a year and a half ago - not bad (about 22 years old) and even he was going downhill until we got another kitten and then he perked up. (I think it was the competition for food)!! On another note someone said at work they didn't know if work was killing my dad or keeping him alive (family business) - but at 78 with talk that he wants to concentrate on new product development I think it is probably keeping senile demension at bay.
Paula

[LAT]

Wow, 22 years old, that's amazing!

I'm now trying to lure the poor little thing out from under a dresser.

[Bunnylump]

SparkOut - that looks great, BUT maybe a little irresponsible of the pilot? Presumably you don't actually live on an airfield (mind you, not a lot would surprise me about you ), so what would have happened if the plane went out of control and crashed in a built up area?

(Goodness, I do have my sensible head on today, don't I? It's just I'm a bit wary of small planes ever since my friend's boyfriend crashed in one and could only be identified by dental records. ) Good pictures though!

But - we definitely need pics of cute kitties! And 22!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's phenomenal!

[chazzie]

Methinks you're in for a long night!!!

[SparkOut]

Presumably you don't actually live on an airfield (mind you, not a lot would surprise me about you ), so what would have happened if the plane went out of control and crashed in a built up area?

He'd have crashed into a pile of chicken poo.