Wingardiuuummm.. oh screw it

Just a random entry today... I'm starting to get obsessed with toys again. I have no idea why. Japan has awaked that 9 year old kid in me I guess.

Anyway, was at rehearsals in Angkasapuri today, and got bored by the long wait. So slid my hand into my pocket, pulled out my Harry Potter - and voila! Instant photo shoot with a great backdrop and lighting. 

Yes... it's actually on a proper stage and that background is for real. 

I got weird looks. Oh well...

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - THE BEST!

It took me just over eight hours to slowly (British champion speed reader Annie Jones did it in just 47 minutes and one second!!!) and carefully read each word, but I did it!!!

And all I can say is J.K. Rowling outdid herself with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows!

Awmigawd...betul sangat orang yang da baca buku tuh hint kat aku..that it was damned emotional and it was a bloody bloodbath

By the time I got to first few dozen pages, people were dying like nobody's business da. Quite different from the other Potter books.

Every mystery and unanswered question posed by the previous books, was answered. Aku memang rasa, this is THE BEST book in the series, but I suppose Rowling was saving the best for last... that's why the last couple of books served to peningkan kita semua lebih je.

I can't say too much about the plot, or I'll be giving it away, but if youre not a Potter fan and just want to know, or ko memang tak sabar nak get the book and want to know who dies, ni ada spoiler.

I am sharing this for fans who may not be able to get a copy of the book on time, or just don't want to face the hassle for the moment sebab semua orang headed to the bookstores to pick up a copy. Tapi... aku tetap takkan give awsy the plot or the twists in the story.

Please note, I have hidden the text of the spoiler, and all you have to do is highlight the apparently empty space below to see who died.
Still not giving the plot away though so don't expect a full review, cause that's not possible unless I give quite a bit away.

Basically the list below is a compilation of characters that die in the book (more significant deaths and relevant figures), though, some of the casualties are not familiar names.

Also, what happens to everyone 19 years later...remember this is a SPOILER! Do no proceed unless you have the burning desire to know and can't control it.

I respect author J.K. Rowling's wishes that everyone has a right, especially Potter fans to know as they read... takyah lar aku nak bagitau korang lak kan... apapon spoiler ni doesn't include the plot.


HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS - SPOILER ALERT
WHO DIES
The casualty list
Charity Burbage - Professor of Muggle Studies (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry)
Hedwig
Mad Eye Moody
Rufus Scrimgeour (Minister of Magic)
Gregorovitch
Ted Tonks (father of Nymphadora Tonks)
Dirk Cresswel
Gornuk (Goblin)
Bathilda Bagshot
Peter Pettigrew (Wormtail)
Dobby
Crabbe
Fred Weasley (lost an ear first)
Remus Lupin
Colin Creevey
Bellatrix Lestrange
Severus Snape
Harry Potter *you need to read to understand
Voldemort

19 YEARS LATER
What happens...
Harry marries Ginny and they have three children, James, Lily and Albus Severus (in memory of Dumbledore and Snape)
Ron marries Hermione and have two children, Rose and Hugo
Draco marriea and has a son names Scorpius
Teddy Remus Lupin goes to Hogwarts
Neville Longbottom becomes professor at Hogwarts for Herbology

So, if you skipped this, then you're either a Potter fan who hasn't read but want to be kept in suspense or, you don't really know how to highlight the text.
Anyway, I advise you guys still to read the book because ada twists and turns yang mengejutkan (though the one about Snape I guessed early on).
Still, it's a great read, and worth it. Ok... since I put my life on hold to read the book, time to resume work now...accio laptop!


PS - So is it any good? OF COURSE!!!! Rereading it later tonight... and I have since removed the spoiler block so now in full view. Tough luck for those who accidentally read it.

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All Potty!!!

Just got back... and am settling in with my little surprise that I want to share with you guys.

My sis got a copy of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hollows when it began selling, and dia da baca abih.

So when I got back tonight, as expected and promised by my lovely sis, it was there on my bed, just waiting for me to devour it page by page.

Aku nak baca cepat so that I can review it for those of you yang lom get the book (ker lom download ebook versi cetak rompak)... but at the same time, aku nak take my time nak hayati the whole story, since this is the last book.

Aku da follow the first six so religiously sampai takleh enjoy the movie versions, that this, is the culmination.. the finale... of my Potter mania!

Honesly, as I'm flipping the pages (607 flipping pages!!!! DAMN THIS IS GOING TO BE GOOD!!!), I'm honestly excited as all hell.

Ok.. fine... I can't brag about reading too many good books, cause I don't have the time. The only releases I bother with are from my favourite writers like Amy Tan (she makes me cry!), Bill Bryson (my inspiration for bitchiness) and Sophie Kinsella (with her bimbo shopaholic series which I absolutely adore!!! It's about me!!!).

And of course J.K. Rowling's Potter series. So this will be one of the few books I've read in 2007!
Took a quick shower, prepared light meal (because it's so late da, takleh makan banyak kang tambah buncit), chilled Coke (and yes, the real kind of soda, not anything else you'd allow yourself to think with the bottle of Absolut there) and a pack of my Marlboros, and here I am.. off on the last journey for Harry Potter and Co.

But my excitement comes from the staggering reviews I've had from people who have read the book. Everyone agrees it's virtually a bloodbath, and bloody emo (to quote my sis especially), so it should be packed with enough action and drama to keep me up all night.

Aku habis baca malam ni jer, esok awal pagi I'll post a review AND spoilers (tapi aku akan blank out so sapa yang nak baca je akan baca) for those yang betul betul yak sabar nak tau what goes on in the book. Of course, the obvious question is, will Harry live? Erm... sebab aku da dapat spoiler dari pihak yang tak bertanggungjawab... the surprise there is gone... but I'll leave it to tomorrow to review the rest.

Now... on to my ciggys, my Coke... and my Harry Potter And The Deathly Hollows.

PS - For those of you who want to download the ebook yang unauthorised tuh, be warned that there are apparently fake versions out there, so mana tau kang korang susah susah download baca tuh, is not the real thing. You have been warned!

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Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix

Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix


Cam kesial... da ler aku minat gila Harry Potter punya series. I've read all the books, all six of them, over and over and over again! And walaopon selama ni aku tak harap movies nak as good as the book, let me say this now.

This is THE WORST Harry Potter movie ever!!!

Ok... so while everyone has to wait a little more to watch the movie, and aku ada bragging rights to say, I'm one of the few WORLDWIDE to watch it first, it really wasn't all that good, ok!

Banyak ler benda. I don't know how you guys will like it, cause memasing kan taste lelain. And maube sebab aku fanm abih, penilaian aku lain sikit kot, ngan perbandingan banyak to the book.

So let me put my review in a simple context of negative and positive points so korang leh pick whatever you guys want, as a guideline to determine samaada korang nak layan movie ni ke tak.

Apapon aku nyesal bangun awal pagik (10.30am is pretty darned esrly for me) bangun begitu awal tuk pra tonton pilem ni kat MidValley Megamall. Tapi takpe la... nak tunggu semua orang seminggu camtuh baru dapat tengok... and tuh pun aku check online hanya beberapa pratonton diadakan worldwide.

So memang this is going to be ONE of the first few reviews of Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix worldwide.

C'mon VOGUE!!! Let your body move to the music...no really...Voldemort vogue-ing?


Dumbledore's Army


The climactic scene in the Ministry of Magic. The best action sequence yet in a Harry Potter film.

Why Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix is WORTH WATCHING
-This time around, all the kids can really act. The come across better characters actors, sampai Rupert Grint who plays Ron Weasley pun not as annoying.
-Tonks shows her cool powers as a shapeshifter.
-Great cameos by Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange and Emma Thompson as Sybil Trelawney.
-We get to see Luna Lovegood!
-The pace of the movie is quite fast, so it's not so draggy like the other movies. One of the better edited ones...
-Well, semangat lagik terbakar nak get the new book, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hollows with Pottermania striking all through July
-Cinematography was nice, as was the art direction.
-Erm... the movie was free...

And that's all the good points I could think of. Now the bad points.

Why Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix SUCKS!
-The whole original storyline in the book is BUTCHERED! The movie appears ONLY loosely based about the book.
-Many subplots missing (no involvement of The Quibbler, Kreacher cuma tunjuk kejap with no Dobby, no mention of Quidditch at all, the centaurs are minimised etc)
-Banyak benda lari konti sebab change of director (who the fuck is David Yates???) Small things like the look of the fire when Sirius uses the Floo Network to bigger things like how the kids get to Hogwarts using the Thestral carriages.
- So many characters like new ones in Tonks,Luna as well as old ones like Snape, Lupin, Sirius, and especially Ginny Weasley are reduced to merely cameo like appearances. Even Draco Malfoy had about two seconds onscreen.
-Some of the effects look BLOODY cheap!!! Early in the movie, Harry and the members of the Order of the Phoenix fly along Thames which looks like some boring green screen shit. Even Superman from 1978 was as good...
-The climax scene in the fight at the Ministry of Magic between Voldemort and the Death Eaters versus Dumbledore, versus Harry and the rest of the kids and the members of the Order, was more like an anti climax.
-The supposed hot scene of Harry kissing with Cho Chang is overrated and a watse of time. Ciommolot liplock yang slurpee, tapi takde emosi and it took too bloody long
-The movie was NOT worth sitting through over two hours nak kebaskan bontot.
-The magic, which is essential, banyak cam, glanced through jer. Tak fokus sangat.
-With so much time waste on stupid things like Harry badly kissing, an emotional moment like Sirius dying took only ten seconds to get over.
-Not to mention fun scenes masa kembar Weasley berdua tuh throw the school in chaos.
-A lot of things that tie Order Of The Phoenix to the next episode which is Half Blood Prince was absent..
-Why watch it when you can watch Transformers again?

So in a nutshell, that's my review. Simple jer... korang nak tengok ke tak pepandai ler.My verdict?

Two freaking stars out of five. Tuh pun aku rasa overrated. And yes, speaking od overrated, this is THE MOST overrated movie of the year!

Anyway, today dapat news yang cam sial sangat. Yes yes...harga rokok naik lagik! Keji kan... asik naik je. Leave us smokers alone la. Anyways, ni new prices for smokes in Malaysia now. Still cheaper compared to places like Singapore yang S$11 plus for a f****g Marlboro 20 atau lebih kurang RM25.

Still, it's extortion tol la...ni price list from British American Tobacco. Yang Phillip Morris tak dapat lak. But I know Marlboro Reds 20s are now RM8.20, naik 80 sen. Basically semua naik antara 60 hingga ke 80 sen.

NEW CIGARETTE PRICES FOLLOWING EXCISE INCREASE
As a result of the 25% excise increase in addition to the ad valorem component, sales tax, distributor and retailer margin, as well as the inflationary cost of doing business, British American Tobacco Malaysia has revised its cigarette prices.
The new cigarette prices, which will be effective Thursday, 5 July 2007, are as follows:-

Dunhill Fine Cut 20s range - RM9.20
Dunhill D360 20s range - RM8.60
Dunhill King Size 20s range - RM8.20
Dunhill King Size 14s range - RM5.90
Kent King Size 20s range - RM8.20
Pall Mall Plain 20s - RM8.60
Pall Mall King Size 20s range - RM6.70
Pall Mall King Size 14s range - RM4.90
Pall Mall King Size 25s - RM7.30
Benson & Hedges King Size 20s - RM8.20
Benson & Hedges King Size 14s - RM5.90
Peter Stuyvesant 20s - RM8.20
Peter Stuyvesant 14s - RM5.90
Perilly's 100s 20s - RM6.90
Perilly's King Size 20s range - RM6.70
Perilly's King Size 25s range - RM7.30

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