"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

Publisher Summary:

For twelve long years, the dread fortress of Azkaban held an infamous prisoner named Sirius Black. Convicted of killing thirteen people with a single curse, he was said to be the heir apparent to the Dark Lord, Voldemort.

Now he has escaped, leaving only two clues as to where he might be headed: Harry Potter's defeat of You-Know-Who was Black's downfall as well. And the Azkaban guards heard Black muttering in his sleep, "He's at Hogwarts... he's at Hogwarts."

Harry Potter isn't safe, not even within the walls of his magical school, surrounded by his friends. Because on top of it all, there may well be a traitor in their midst.

The 3rd book in the Harry Potter universe. This book is a turning point for the trio & for Jo. The Trio are now teenagers & Jo is pretty much leaving the "kids book" crap behind (In my opinion) because the book is a lot more grown up than the previous two. An excellent read!

Author: J.K. Rowling
Narrator: Jim Dale
Running Time: 11 hours 48 min.
Book Rating: *****
Production: *****
(out of 5 stars)

Audiobook
Hard Cover

I've actually heard this story 1st hand...

Article here.

Blind man says Utah gun permit does not make him dangerous
By Dave Kolpack
The Associated Press

FARGO, N.D. - A blind man who has concealed weapons permits from North Dakota and Utah says he's not a danger to society, even though he can't see the gun he's shooting.

Carey McWilliams, 33, says he has followed all rules, and he wants Minnesota to join other states that have granted him a concealed weapons permit. He says he was rejected by a Minnesota county sheriff and a judge in that state.

"I'm trying to prove a point that people without sight still can carry (a gun) because brains are more important than eyesight in securing public safety," McWilliams said. "The shooter at Virginia Tech had really good eyesight and he killed 32 people."

Sheriff Bill Bergquist of Clay County, Minn., said he felt bad about denying a permit for McWilliams.

"He's a super nice guy," Bergquist said. "But the application states that a person should be able to show proficiency on the firing range and a proficiency of the weapons. That's the issue.

"Sometimes I have to ask myself, what is right in this case? I felt when I denied it, he could have his day in court," the sheriff said.

McWilliams said he completed the required class and shooting exercise by Paul Horvick, a National Rifle Association instructor. Horvick said he believes gun rights are private and would not comment on anyone he has taught or tested. Documents on Minnesota weapons hearings are sealed.

McWilliams said he uses special low-range, hollow-point bullets that are effective only in tight quarters.

"If I use a gun it will be at point-blank range, period," he said. "A sighted shooter is probably more dangerous because they can see something scary and pull their gun in haste."

Under Minnesota law, an applicant must be issued a license for a gun or a concealed weapon if he or she completes the class and shooting exercise and passes a background check - unless "there exists a substantial likelihood that the applicant is a danger to self or the public if authorized to carry a pistol under permit."

McWilliams believes Minnesota officials have violated his constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

"It's nobody business that I'm blind," he said.

McWilliams lives in a Fargo trailer park with his wife, Victoria. A neighbor, Jon Storley, accompanied McWilliams during his appeal to the Minnesota District Court.

"He's not a nut, he's not a weirdo, he's not a freak," said Storley, a cab driver and rock musician. "I'm not a lawyer, but in this case I believe the judge was legislating from the bench."

Storley also said he doesn't blame Bergquist and Kirk for their decisions, calling the case "a kettle of worms."

The permit obtained from Utah is recognized in 30 other states, including Minnesota. McWilliams said he had to complete a "firearms familiarity course" before receiving the Utah license.

"Basically they just passed around a couple of guns," McWilliams said.

McWilliams, who got his North Dakota permit in 2001, testified during the 2005 North Dakota legislative session against a proposal to drop the written part of the concealed weapons test. He told lawmakers it would allow people who are ignorant about firearm regulations to get permits. The test was eliminated.

The Legislature also decided to keep individual information about weapons permits confidential, said Liz Brocker, spokeswoman for the attorney general's office.

"All I can tell you is the total number of permits that have been issued" - 8,030, she said.

McWilliams lost his eyesight when he was 10 years old, after a series of headaches and gradual deterioration. It was a mystery to doctors.

He said he was a victim of domestic violence growing up and was stalked by gang members.

"I've had situations where I would have felt threatened if I hadn't been carrying," he said.

McWilliams has written two books, including an autobiography published earlier this year that talks about his experiences in sky diving, scuba diving and deep sea fishing. He was in two segments of Michael Moore's antigun movie, "Bowling for Columbine," including a scene showing him cradling an AK-47 assault rifle.

Much of his autobiography is about his weapons training and testing.

"My permits together allow me, with reciprocity, to carry my gun in 30 states, one of which could be yours," he writes. "But never fear, with my extensive experience in firearms, I have take all reasonable measures to ensure the safety of others."

I only post this because I've taken Paul Horvick's class for the Utah Permit and he spoke to us about this issue. I didn't realize it was still on-going.

Why is this national news?

I found this a bit ago on CNN.com....

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/15/baby.gun.ap/index.html
==================================================================
Baby 'Bubba' gets a gun permit

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- "Bubba" Ludwig can't walk, talk or open the refrigerator door -- but he does have his very own Illinois gun permit.

The 10-month-old, whose given name is Howard David Ludwig, was issued a firearm owner's identification card after his father, Howard Ludwig, paid the $5 fee and filled out the application, not expecting to actually get one.

The card lists the baby's height (2 feet, 3 inches), weight (20 pounds) and has a scribble where the signature should be.

With some exceptions, the cards are required of any Illinois residents purchasing or possessing firearms or ammunition within the state. There are no age restrictions on the cards, an official said.

Illinois State Police oversee the application process. Their purpose, said Lt. Scott Compton, is to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons, those under an order of protection and those convicted of domestic violence.

"Does a 10-month-old need a FOID card? No, but there are no restrictions under the act regarding age of applicants," he said.

Ludwig, 30, of Chicago, applied for the card after his own father bought Bubba a 12-gauge Beretta shotgun as a gift. The weapon will probably be kept at Ludwig's father's house until the boy is at least 14.
==================================================================

While it looks like the Illinois FOID application has no age limit...

http://www.isp.state.il.us/media/docdetails.cfm?DocID=38

...I'm not sure if the father, Mr. Ludwig, helped or hurt our cause.

Pro: The kid is starting to exercise his rights at an early age. He already has a nicer shotgun than I do!

Con: The anti-gunners can use this to show how the system needs even MORE restrictions because "if a 10 month old can get a FOID... anyone can!"

Mixed feelings... what do you think?

Netflix again...

... so back in late Winter I put my Netflix subscription on hold because I wasn't going to watch any movies until I got a high-def TV in the living room. I had forgotten that the subscription would automatically restart.

I didn't get that TV yet... (but I did get a rebuilt transmission for my Blazer... but that's another story)

After my daily ritual of checking my bank account online, I noticed that it restarted today. Not a big deal since Valerie has been asking me to renew it anyway because we've missed a lot of movies in the past several months. Here's what's on the way...

The Departed
Eragon
Snakes on a Plane
Clerks 2

I'm also checking out their "Watch Now" feature. Certainly not the best selection of movies but a GREAT feature nonetheless. Though the quality is excellent, I'd never do this for an A-List movie... I'd rather get the surround sound and larger screen... but with lesser movies, it's a great idea! They've got over 2000 movies & TV shows available for instant viewing. Since I'm on the 4 movies out plan... I have access to 24 hours of "Watch Now" movies a month and I'm pissing away 1:43 with Tremors 3.

2 More days of "24"

Excellent news! The world needs MORE Jack Bauer!

Article Here.

Kick ass Dirt Devil!

Cool "Gravity Wave" Video

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by J.K. Rowling

Publisher Summary:

The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny.

But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone — or something — starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects...Harry Potter himself!


The next chapter in the Harry Potter saga. Harry's a year older and the writing is getting more mature. That trend will continue to at least book 6 (and I'm sure 7) It is said that things that happen in this book will play heavily into events in book 7.

Author: J.K. Rowling
Narrator: Jim Dale
Running Time: 9 hours 2 min.
Book Rating: *****
Production: *****
(out of 5 stars)

Audiobook
Hard Cover

ABC details 'Lost's' final years

LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- ABC has set an end date for "Lost."

The Emmy-winning adventure series will run for 48 more episodes over three seasons. Each season will consist of 16 episodes, which will air uninterrupted.

"Lost" executive producers/showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, who have been vocal about setting up an endgame for the show, have signed on to stay for the remainder of the series' run. Their separate new eight-figure deals with "Lost" producer ABC TV Studio include their services on the show as well as multiyear development pacts set to kick in when "Lost" bows out during the 2009-10 season.

"Due to the unique nature of 'Lost,' we knew it would require an end date to keep the integrity and strength of the show consistent throughout and to give the audience the payoff they deserve," ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson said.

Lindelof said having the end point in sight was "incredibly liberating. Like we've been running a marathon and we actually know where the finish line is for the first time."

Lindelof and Cuse said they've had "a road map for the series with all the major mythological milestones and the ending in place" for awhile.

"What we didn't know was how long we had to play the story out," Cuse said. "By defining the endpoint we can now really map out the rest of the series in confidence."

There will be some puzzle play, too.

"We sort of view 'Lost' as a mosaic," Cuse said. "Now there are only 48 more tiles that go into that mosaic, and we're figuring out, along with all the other writers, exactly where they all go."

In January, Lindelof and Cuse said that they envisioned the endpoint for "Lost" around episode 100. The agreement with ABC will bring the total number of episodes to 120.

Lindelof wrote the pilot for "Lost" with fellow executive producer J.J. Abrams, and Cuse joined the series in October 2004 shortly after the show debuted to big numbers.

In addition to its instant commercial success and large following, "Lost" has enjoyed strong critical acclaim, capped by a best drama series Emmy in 2005 and best drama series Golden Globe in 2006.

While the show's ratings have softened this season -- it is averaging 15.1 million viewers to date -- it is the most recorded show on TV, gaining 18 percent more viewers through DVR viewing. It is also a popular draw for streaming replays on ABC.com, iTunes downloads and DVDs.

Article Here.

This is excellent news. Damon, Carlton & J.J. can create a much tighter tale now that they have an end date. I just hope it'll be better than the majority of this season and that they'll actually answer some questions instead of just creating new ones.