WordWolf

Thing is, James and Severus are constrained to act under the rules in HP as outlined by JKR, not by how you or I would call it. (In those cases, SS might owe NOTHING.) JKR had Dumbledore explain the situation, and HIS conclusion was that SS owed James for saving his life. DD may not be perfect, but he's as expert an expert on magic as the series has, and he often serves as JKR's mouthpiece. (Him or Hermione reading something in a book, as she's pointed out.) Furthermore, Wormtail owes Harry a life, as seen in Book 3. My personal theory: Voldemort owes Harry a life, based on Book 4 and the use of Harry's blood to return him to full life (or what passes for it.) If not, I still have no explanation for the "gleam of triumph" in Dumbledore's eye when Harry reported what happened. The stupidest possible explanation was that DD was working for Voldy and wanted him to win- I heard that one, if you can believe it.

Is this the episode that mentions "the wife of a Caesar"?

How many people here have noticed that this RELEVANT question (it affects the stance of the poster dramatically) has been dodged at least TWICE so far? Does anyone else think that's an answer in itself? As in "I refuse to confirm my beliefs because I'm not proud enough to declare my beliefs. I'm ashamed of my associations and will not speak of them. But you should agree with the doctrines I've gotten FROM them." I prefer not to jump to conclusions, but, in lieu of anything other than a DUCKING of the question REPEATEDLY, by golly, a refusal to answer is indicative of the answer....

I disagree on both counts. Furthermore, I'll add he had 2 legitimate points which were glossed over: A) some people arrive and are SWIFT to decide they know us all B) some people arrive and operate under a delusion there's a consensus here The main consensus is that there is NO consensus on virtually ANY issue. http://www.greasespotcafe.com/ipb/index.php?showtopic=7913 "There is no one single opinion of the posters. There is no universally-accepted opinion of the posters. (There are even a few people who are convinced vpw never wronged anyone.) Please try not to be accusatory, vicious or otherwise rude in posting." While I expect that some people would not accept it, I would be shocked if some people did NOT accept it- so long as it was perceived as coming from the heart, springing from sufficient reflection and full contrition of the will. No consensus here, remember?

[WordWolf responds in brackets and boldface again.]

That's just one reminder why I don't try to engage in rational discussions on this subject. I came to my conclusion, and posters on both sides are welcome to disagree with it, and I save a lot of time not trying to promote it-or attack either side. One of the drawbacks of open discussion on an open board is there's no quality control, so some of the excellent posts on this thread get mixed in with posts that aren't excellent. Just the cost of doing business....

So, how did the fire-engine red drapes and the woman who killed her child by believing a car to ram into him figure into this?

Some bookstores seem to be using that date as a guideline. However, that's the anniversary of the London Subway bombings in 2005. JKR is well aware of that, and change the reading she was going to do from the not-yet-released Book 6, since she was doing it just after the attack. She went from reading from Chapter 1, to later with Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. I doubt she'd change it otherwise. All the date speculation seems based ENTIRELY on the idea that JKR is obsessed with 7s. (Which is odd, since 12s show up a lot in the series.) JKR has previously said never to believe anything about HP whose source was not JKR HERSELF, Scholastic (for the books) or Warner Brothers (for the films). I finally heard a speculation that I think may be true. Based on the discussions in Book 1, Chapter 1, she may release it on the anniversary of the Godric's Hollow incident in Book 1, which would be a few months later than 7/7. Besides, 7/7 makes for a VERY short timetable to write, edit, correct, print, and distribute the whole thing. I know. I'm fond of shooting down the majority, using direct quotes from JKR. Here's a quick answer to each question you asked, all in my opinion, which is not binding on JKR whatsoever. A) Snape is neither good nor bad. In Macchiavelli's "the Art of War", he mentioned Septimius Severus, a clever fellow who played one ruler off another, while being on neither's side. Likewise, I think Severus Snape is on his OWN side. I believe his actions at the end of Book 6 where specifically arranged between him and DD earlier in the book, during the obvious scenes. His avoidance of the Dark Arts-and even the DaDA job- has been likened to keeping an alcoholic from liquor, where he'd hate being FORCED to take a drink to accomplish some goal. I believe he's mostly been on the OotP's side, since he is the ONLY person who could have warned the OotP about the MoM raid in Book 5 (I can eliminate all other possible characters from sending it), and there is no reason to warn the OotP if he was working for the DEs. (With no notice, the DEs would have had The Prophecy, Harry, and hostages. Plus whatever else they could carry off-like that case of Time-Turners they destroyed instead.) SS has been constrained by owing James Potter his life-which was compounded when he passed on part of The Prophecy-not realizing he facilitated James' death. Some other people keep guessing he was sorry to see Lily Potter killed, but I think it was JAMES, for the reasons I just gave. SS thus still owes Harry for that. B) I believe Harry will win, and Voldy will be EFFECTIVELY killed, becoming a non-character without literally dying. I believe Harry will be seen raising a family in the last chapter. C) What news have I heard? That would take some explaining. JKR accidentally slipped, though, and confirmed Harry, Ron and Hermioned all survive. Petunia does NOT do magic, but someone else does unexpectedly. Speculation fingers Argus Filch. Stuff like that. D) It's my own personal speculation that Harry, Neville and Luna will enter a specific location at dusk on April 30, using Neville's mimbulus mimbletonia to activate the location's 2-way portal to the lands of the dead, enter it and rescue Sirius Black, and return by dawn, leaving behind the plant, but using the mirror to retrieve him, and just maybe trapping Voldemort in the lands of the dead instead.

Can we take it as a given that this entire thread is nothing BUT SPOILERS, for those who havent read Books 1-6? I'd like to warn them about that.... ALL OF YOU WHO HAVENT READ HP BOOKS 1-6, THIS THREAD WILL GIVE AWAY A LOT!!!!!!!

Ah, but there's the rub! See, "enlightened modern 21st century adults", as in "the people who always want to excuse any activity by telling you what year it is", supposedly are able to compartmentalize their emotions and lives, and pretend there are no consequences so long as nobody gets a disease and it's all consensual. Mind you, I think that's self-delusion, and that consequences WILL come back to haunt them. (Unless this is more the SYMPTOM of some earlier trauma, some coping mechanism, which would mean they have bigger problems than this.) I think many ex-twiers are already familiar with what happens when you pretend emotions can just be switched off. (And some more still think they can switch them off and everything's just peachy.)

I found this article just now when looking for references to Pathological Lying and the DSM-IV. (The DSM-IV is the current manual defining mental illnesses and their symptoms.) http://pn/psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/38/1/24 I'd like to point out that it defines confabulation differently than any previous article I've quoted on the subject, and this is relevant to the article. Here's some interesting quotes from it. " "In pathological lying, telling lies may often seem to be an end in itself . . . .the pathological liar may become a prisoner of his lies, [and] the desired personality of the pathological liar may overwhelm the actual one." " "Unlike other forms of lying, pathological lying appears to be unplanned and impulsive, he explained. "It is questionable whether it is always a conscious act and whether pathological liars have control over their lies." " " It can also be differentiated from confabulation, "a falsification of memory occurring in clear consciousness in association with organically derived amnesia. The patient attempts to cover exposed memory gaps with the confabulated materials," he said. There is no organically based amnesia propelling pathological lying. " "Pathological liars may admit the falsehoods they’ve told when confronted and often proceed to change their stories. As a result, it may not, however, always be simple to distinguish pathological lying from delusional disorders." "Some could confuse narcissistic personality disorder with pathological lying, but in the former "lies are told mainly for self-aggrandizement, and this is often obvious to the audience," he pointed out. " "One area in which the differentiation is not clear cut is borderline personality disorder, he said. "Pathological lying is not uncommon in patients with borderline personality disorder [in which] the core characteristics foster falsifications." Reality distortions common to this disorder, "along with lack of impulse control and the defense mechanisms of denial, idealization, and devaluation, are fertile grounds for pathological lying." " IIRC, we've previously discussed both Borderline Personality Disorder, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and Antisocial Personality Disorder, and the differences between the types of lying and the reasons. (IIRC, this discussion didnt go far, either.)

“I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way: The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear, fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear.”- Edgar A. Guest. "I'D Rather See A Sermon by BRUCE CARROLL I'd see him go to church almost every Sunday He had invited me to go a time or two made no bones about the fact that he was a Christian And he seemed to know I was looking for some truth Never looked at me with eyes of condemnation though he knew I was uneasy when he pray he was always there to lend a hand and when he did he'd always say that the good Lord and his blessing are what made him act that way I'd rather see a sermon than to hear one anyday I'd rather one would walk with me than merely show the way Actions speak much louder than all the words can say That's why I'd rather see a sermon than hear one anyday There were times that I would see him from a distance and he didn't know that I was watching him he always took the time to love his children and he treated his wife like his best friend I got the call two weeks ago this Monday that the job I had ten years was at the end he was the first to call and show up on my doorstep and he said that he would be there till we got on our feet again I'd rather see a sermon than to hear one anyday I'd rather one would walk with me than merely show the way Actions speak much louder than all the words can say That's why I'd rather see a sermon than hear one anyday I never was much for religion too many double-standard people let me down but the message this man lived was very simple he showed me what I needed and he was there when I let Jesus turn my life around I'd rather see a sermon than to hear one anyday I'd rather one would walk with me than merely show the way Actions speak much louder than all the words can say That's why I'd rather see a sermon than hear one anyday That's why I'd rather see a sermon than hear one anyday"

And Frasier's had, like, a 10-year run, and I commented this show lasted a lot longer. SNL's had more than 25 years in its run so far.... Go, Raf!

Gotta be, and is.

Depends on how good you think Photobucket and Imageshack are. I know I didn't have to download or pay anything to use either. Probably depends on what you want to host. An avatar would be a piece of cake, but, say, an entire comic-book might be too much for free.

Nothing with such a short tv run..... I wish some other posters would check in. I'm sure a number of them could name this by now if they read the quotes....

So far, we've gotten farther than I expected. Some people are willing to discuss this, but there's a lot of dogmatism on both sides, so some posters may not be participating intellectually to the same degree as the others, relying more on knee-jerk reactions than actual discussion. Now, one thing that's come up, which I think many of us can agree on, is that both sides have some merit, and make some good points, and likewise are unable to refute well certain other points. Thus, I have arrived at a position guaranteed to tick off both sides. When seeking understanding of something, one rule of thumb is Ockham's Razor. It's a tool for eliminating incorrect possibilities. The main part of the rule states that when two or more explanations fully explain something, the simpler one is the correct answer. That's sufficient for most situations. There's another part to that, however. When two or more explanations explain something, but none of them FULLY explain it, then NONE of them are correct, and the correct answer is still missing. Having seen both sides offer their explanations over the years, I personally will apply Ockham's Razor to this, and say that it is my informed opinion that NEITHER side is ENTIRELY correct, and the TRUE answer is something else, a third option which might be considered "in between", or might not. (I've reviewed the other positions I've seen as well, and find they are less able to explain fully than the 2 positions we're discussing.) So, it is my informed opinion that I don't know the answer, but it's not one of the answers currently being offered. Told you I'd tick off everybody at the same time....

Ok, let's see.... "...the sound a dog makes." "Um............who is John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, thankyouverymuch, I'll take Animal Sounds for $800 please!" "No! Good Lord! We would've accepted 'bow-wow' or 'ruff'!" "Ah, ruff. Just the way your mother likes it!" "the category was Numbers, and you wrote.. ..a letter V. Well, I tell you what, my friend - V is a Roman numeral, so despite your best efforts, you answered correctly." "Outer Space: The Last Frontier. These are the trips of the Star Trek Enterprise. Its five year plan calls for us to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly fly where no man has gone in space. Live long, and be happy." "We're very busy right now! If you haven't heard, Voldemort has returned and is trying to recruit the Dementors to take over Hogwarts!" "Hey, Potter, cool it with the nerd stuff. Shut up." "Listen, we got a place off campus and a mini-fridge filled with butterbeer." "I'm sorry boys, we can't waste time. We'll celebrate after we defeat Voldemort." "What a tease." ""Hey! Who's that Spartan doin' some Tai Chi?" "It's me! It's me!" ""I said who's that Spartan doin' some Tai Chi?" "It's me! It's me!" "I deserve good things. I am entitled to my share of happiness. I refuse to beat myself up. I am attractive person. I am fun to be with." "I'm going to do a terrific show today! And I'm gonna help people! Because I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and, doggonit, people like me!" "Well, I can tell by the empty bottle of Courvoisier that it is time to say goodnight."

It is. You forgot a lot of the episode. The enterprise went to "ANGEL ONE" (the planet, in the episode) to find survivors of the SS Odin. Meanwhile, an illness swept thru the Enterprise, and Beverly had to find a cure. And the Enterprise needed to go to the Neutral Zone as a show of force. It's your turn anyway. Do you want to hold off for a time, since our player-numbers have dwindled?

Harry Potter is not a TV show. That quote was not from any HP movie nor book. Nor has JK Rowling authorized any TV show appearances of any of the characters. (To the best of my knowledge.) All of those quotes, however, ARE quotes from a TV show- if not from the same EPISODE.

Ok, let's see.... "...the sound a dog makes." "Um............who is John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, thankyouverymuch, I'll take Animal Sounds for $800 please!" "No! Good Lord! We would've accepted 'bow-wow' or 'ruff'!" "Ah, ruff. Just the way your mother likes it!" "the category was Numbers, and you wrote.. ..a letter V. Well, I tell you what, my friend - V is a Roman numeral, so despite your best efforts, you answered correctly." "Outer Space: The Last Frontier. These are the trips of the Star Trek Enterprise. Its five year plan calls for us to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly fly where no man has gone in space. Live long, and be happy." "We're very busy right now! If you haven't heard, Voldemort has returned and is trying to recruit the Dementors to take over Hogwarts!" "Hey, Potter, cool it with the nerd stuff. Shut up." "Listen, we got a place off campus and a mini-fridge filled with butterbeer." "I'm sorry boys, we can't waste time. We'll celebrate after we defeat Voldemort." "What a tease."

"Where're you boys off to?" "Skiing, sir. Our instructor has us scheduled for the Swiss Alps, sir." "Save us some deep powder." "No problem, sir. The Holodeck has all you'll ever need." "..Searching the galaxy for survivors seems a petty task for one of their mighty vessels." "We don't consider even one survivor petty." "Is this man suggesting that we place a lesser value on life than you do?" "Not at all." "Are we to take these strangers at their word?" "A good question." "What reason could we possibly have to deceive you?" "Another good question." "I can't smell anything. I'm a little congested..." "Don't let this 'just happen' again, Mister Crusher." "Yes, sir!!" "Mister Data will need access to your library." "Our library is far too sophisticated for a man to comprehend." "I am an android, Mistress, though anatomically, I am a fully functioning male." "You're going to have to get the Enterprise to the Neutral Zone before it's too late." "To be precise, Commander, you ordered me to reach the Neutral Zone 'before it is too late.' I have computed the length of time the border outpost and USS Berlin can safely withstand a Romulan attack... deducted our time to destination at maximum warp speed. That leaves Doctor Crusher with forty-eight more minutes..." "Splitting hairs is a figure of speech I recognize, Commander. Speaking for those whose hair is soon to be split, forty-eight minutes may make a great deal of difference. Excuse me -- forty-seven minutes." "Bingo? I fail to see the relevance, Doctor. Is that not a reference to an ancient Earth game?" (And there's one of the famous "47s" which began appearing in scripts after the original series and the cartoon.) "I think I may sneeze." "A Klingon sneeze?" "Only kind I know."

That's odd- one of the last quotes I posted was what I thought gave it away, if you read it slower and ask the obvious questions. Apparently, I may be wrong.

[WordWolf once again in brackets and boldface.]

News to me. Let's see them try to ENFORCE this one. They can't stop JAYWALKING.