Harry Potter and Friday the 13th
This is a subject I've been meaning to write about for some time now and it just seems extra appropriate that its Friday the 13th at the same time. And nearly a full moon which means all the loonies in Santa Cruz will be out tonight, oh boy!

Anyway, Harry Potter is about the biggest thing since one of those other kids movies that kids at heart glom onto with full force and turn it from a reasonably entertaining sideshow into a full on marketing overblitz including movies, toys, trading cards, stuffed toys and the Harry Potter signature line of suppositories.

But Harry Potter has always kind of bothered me. Not the idea of it. Its cool to think learning how to do magic and wizardry, or maybe cool's the wrong word, how about entertaining?

It his name. Harry Potter. I see it that way but my stupid brain decides that its better as Hairy Potter. And I'm not sure if its already slang or just slang inside my head but a "potter" to me has quite a bit to do with sitting on the pot, aka taking a shit. So the name Harry Potter gets translated in my mind to Hairy Shitter or Hairy Crapper or Hairy Pooper, whichever you like best. And the whole mystique surrounding the Hairy Potter phenomenon gets reduced, as oh so many things can be, to a long winded bathroom joke. Which is kind of funny because it seems so innocent and, more than likely, its just me being a freak and thinking beyond where I should have stopped. Much like the people who get creamed by waves here when they climb over the fences to get closer to the water on the cliffs above the ocean.

At least a few people die each year out here because they climb over the fence, walk out to a dangerous area and then turn their back on the ocean to show their friends how cool they are. A big wave comes up, sweeps them away, almost certainly knocking them unconscious in the process, and they drown. Sometimes their bodies are never recovered which is kind of creepy in and of itself.

So is whatshername, Rowlings, getting a huge laugh and a huge paycheck off an elaborate bathroom humor joke? Probably not but its been something on my mind for quite some time.

That and the completely out of control proliferation of Spongebob Squarepants merchandising. They must have one of the most savvy and responsive marketing teams in all of business. What isn't Spongebob on now? I think he's got a line of clothing, food, toys (of course), candy, popsicles and inflatable toys and every other manner of whatever you can slap a brand on.

And I like Spongebob, heck we even download the lyrics to the Spanish version of the song.

And sung it.

In Other, If There is A Hell You're Going There, News
Sick bastards all over the planet are now on final countdown, yes folks, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen turn 17 today which means that they have a mere 366 days to go before they are legal. Not that either of them would have anything to do with some sick bugger who'd put up a time clock that counts down to their 18th birthdays. And there are plenty of them out there.

I'm not one of them but I can see the attraction. They're good looking young women who have grown up in the public eye but have never really lost themselves in it all. Most likely because they had each other for support the whole time. And now they are their own marketing dream. Two cute twins that can act (sort of) and have been lusted after by bleary eyed geeks and freaks for the last several years.

So, sickos of the world, you're in the home stretch even though you're not really in a race and there's no way in hell you'll win your prize (s). But whatever, its cause for some kind of demented celebration.

Side note, I need to make use of the word demented more often. It fits so well in so many situations that I seem to find myself in.

BAAAAAAD iPod News
Who knew that these things were this fragile? I loaded up some new music on my iPod this morning. A bunch of music that I learned about over the last few days and was looking forward to listening to today in the office. But, lo and be-motherfucker-hold, the 'Pod, she is kaput. No life in this little sucker at all right now. Reset? Sure. Again? Why not? Diagnostics? Let's run 'em all. And yet the little bastard won't play music today. I'm tempted to run for home at lunch solely for the purpose of plugging it into my Powerbook at home and figuring out what the hell is going on with it.

So here I sit, in a quiet office with only the inconsistent tapping of my keys to keep the voices in my head down. I need to get some music playing in here soon or I'll die from boredom.