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Summer is supposed to be the time when people relax. We take days off, we go to the beach, we drink lemonade on people’s back porch and talk about nothing.

Um, yea. Not quite.

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In case you were craving it, here is my five-cent review of the book:

First act: awesome. Brilliant action scenes, great setting of the stage in terms of tone, conflict, etc. Love the utter state of chaos that is created. Also love how Hermione apparently became the world’s best wizard seemingly overnight. Ron and Harry seem to have come into their own as well.

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It’s been a long time in anticipation, but tonight the 7th and final Harry Potter book is released at midnight. Harry Potter and the Dealthy Hallows has stirred up the fandom to a degree I haven’t seen since Epsiode One of Star Wars back in 1999. And Laura and I were out in Union Square to see the crowds.

I love how everyone dressed up by default. No one has to ask, it doesn’t have to be halloween, it just happens. Hats, scarves, glasses, brooms, ties, and all the other crafts and garb of the HP world can be seen on fans from babies to the ederly. Some people really go all-out. I mean, whoa.

We also headed down to Mercer St., to the Scholastic store, where the entire block was closed off for a kind of street fair of Harry Potter craziness. This one was mainly for the kids, but a spectacle to behold just the same.

I can’t imagine what the onlookers must think, that is, if they’ve never heard of Harry Potter or seen what people can do when they are truly passionate about something.

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Last time around, when Half-Blood Prince was released, I made some predictions on this site. Turns out that a great deal of what I predicted came to pass, but of course there were a few things that didn’t. This time around, I truly have no idea what plot points will be explored and how it will end, but I want to point your attention to some characters who we’ve seen, or even known quite well, who I feel will be pivotal in the final book.

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So, there’s this internet radio talk show podcast thing called Keith and the Girl. And tonight, for some reason, it’s live from the Horshoe Pub on Queen Street in Toronto!

And then a live concert from Brother Love! Man, what a rocking affair. Too bad by this point in the weekend I was clearly a zombie…

[videos coming soon]

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Yup, we travelled all the way to Canada to play some dodgeball. Yes, it got us some raised eyebrows along the way, especially when crossing the border. And yes, it was incredibly fun. Yes, we were sore as Hell afterwards. Yes, I’d do it again.

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Oot and aboot in Toronto, snapping shots of the commercial hoopla and the architecture of the last century. Not a bad city in which to wander, eh?

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Finally, Toronto.

So the plan was simple enough. Meet at 5:45 am in New York, leave at 6:00 and get to Canada somewhere around 6:00 pm. And then it all went wrong…

After finally departing at 7, due largely to a bus driver that didn’t show up, the passengers all proceeded to fall asleep without a second thought. Two hours later, we all seem to wake up from the constant stop-and-go of suburban red lights. When I opened my eyes, I didn’t notice the surroundings; I just figured we were somewhere in upstate NY, making a pitstop. But soon I realised where we were, Rahway, NJ! We had blown two hours of course, for some damn reason, and now the day was getting on. Chemda proceeded to scold the driver into getting us back on the highway, heading north, and to make a long story that much shorter, we were back in Manhattan by 11. Eventually, we were finally on the NY State Thruway and on our way to Canada.

We made a few stops along the way. Too many for my liking, I would much rather have pressed on and arrived earlier. This day seemed to never end. We reached the border at sundown, and arrived in Toronto around 11pm. After checking in and putting our bags down, we were finally able to head to the Imperial Pub to meet our Canadian Comrades and attend the DVD screening for Keith’s latest comedy outting. 18 Hours in on the road, on-and-off sleeping and eating at every reststop we were all thoroughly exhausted and now sleep-shifted as we arrived in Canada.

Photos after the jump…

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I’ve found it difficult making friends in the City. I blame my lack of a job, my non-peer roommate, and the fact that Rogoff and Bonetti work too damn much, but the fact is, I don’t have much of a social life.

But tonight, I find myself double booked, having to leave one event for another. First, to Nice Guy Eddie’s for a hastily assembled but generally pleasant dinner meetup for the KATG New York faithful. Out Keith, Chemda, Matt, Spooky, and the rest is always a good laugh, and greasy food is never far behind.

Then, over the West Village to meet with my old high school friends, marshalled this time by Kendra. Saw Matt Kushner, Cotton, Kena, Hannah and those kids. Good time, although we were pooped by midnight. Jeez, we’re such adults.

Joystiq, a website about video gaming, turned up a great article today about Tetris.

You ever see those videos of people playing an insanely fast version of Tetris? You know, the ones where the block drops to the bottom of the screen literally in the time it takes to blink?. Ever wonder what the hell was going on there?

More via the Joystiq Article »

Check out this madly in-depth essay about Tetris — complete with animations and everything. Really something.