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Showing posts from August, 2017

My Issues with Harry Potter: Part 2- The Wizarding World is Just Awful

I really just have so many points to make about this series. I hardly know where to begin. For my next essay, let's leave the confines of Hogwarts and discuss the larger world of wizards. After all, one of my primary assertions in my previous post  was that I would not care to live in the world of the books. There are several areas that I would like to point to: 1. House elf slavery Very few main characters question the treatment of elves. Hermione has trouble getting anyone on her side with SPEW, even Harry who was raised in the Muggle world. This is greatly concerning to me. Why exactly must they act as servants? The argument is made in the books (by some) that House Elves enjoy serving. This reminds me of the myth in Antebellum America of the "happy slave". Other times elves like Kreacher "must" be enslaved to prevent them from revealing secrets. There's nothing  else that can be done? Really? The attitude seems very far behind the times. Yes, th

Positive Post #1: HEB

I've had some complaints that my blog so far has just been me complaining about things. While I don't entirely agree (I do offer solutions rather than just whining), I guess I should post some things that I do like. First up, HEB. I don't think that readers outside of Texas can properly appreciate how awesome HEB is. It's more than just low prices; the whole feeling of the place is so much different from other grocery stores. A few examples: The HEB disaster relief convoy . The fact that I can have a conversation with the employees at the deli counter while I get custom cut lunch meat (they know me by my hat). My HEB offers cooking showcases where you can get recipes and food and coupons and drinks. My favorite one was when they showed us how to make six different sliders along with sides and desserts. Halfway through, I had to ask for a take-out container. Hot french bread Fresh sushi HEB brand offerings that are less expensive and better tasting than nam

My Issues with Harry Potter: Part 1 - Quidditch

As some of you may know, last year's seniors named me "Most Likely to Ruin Your Childhood". In addition, they misspelled my name... This has to do in part with my feelings on Santa Claus, but let's put a pin in that for now. It is also related to my dislike of Harry Potter. (Full disclosure: I didn't start reading Harry Potter until high school, maybe college, so I don't have nostalgic warm feelings about it from childhood. I was reading Lord of the Rings  during fifth grade.) I've already aired my views on Ferris Bueller , so indulge me as I poke at another beloved memory. This will take several (up to 15) posts. Part 1- Quidditch I don't know quite how to say this, but JK Rowling created one of the few fantasy worlds that I would not like to live in. Don't get me wrong, Middle Earth and Scadrial have their problems too, but they have some awesome benefits. I have trouble seeing the benefits of the Wizarding World. A large part of my