I finished reading 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' and feel like adding my opinion to the millions upon millions floating around the ether. Hmmm... I still like them. And I know I'll buy the next one when it comes out, because I want to know how it ends just as badly as everyone else. But these last two are, quite frankly, depressing as hell. I know you have to have conflict and misfortune to make a compelling story, but sweet sassy-molassy!. If I want to dive into the dark, seething underbelly of human nature, I'll read L.A. Confidential. I don't know about the rest of you, but to me Harry Potter has always been a nice escape when dealing with day-to-day mundanity and the obstinate stupidity of your average person becomes a bore. (Not that I walk around in a constant state of self-superior lamentation for the rest of humanity, it's just that every so often other people really drive me round the twist.) Anyway, I used to count these books among my favorite guilty pleasures. Now, they just bum me out. Oh, well. After all, it is J.K. Rowlings' world, and we are but guests there. She can do what she wants, I'm still in awe of the kind of creative epiphany that would produce such a whimsical, detailed universe. (Wow, that turned into a much longer diatribe than I had intended.) What did you think?

Not much else going on, so I'll just leave you all with a random factoid:

Did you know that the DMZ between North and South Korea has become a natural sanctuary for many endangered species? The lack of human habitation has caused many birds, insects, fish and other animals to flourish, and several of the species there can no longer be found in either North or South Korea.

There, never say I didn't teach ya nothin'.

Later, Lisa